SILAC Quantitative Proteomics and Biochemical Analyses Reveal a Novel Molecular Mechanism by Which ADAM12S Promotes the Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion of Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells through Upregulating Hexokinase 1

Cereblon mediates macrophage differentiation and microglial phagocytosis by regulating calpain protease activity

Autoimmune diseases encompass over 80 distinct types, affecting approximately 7.6-9.4 % of the population globally. The intricate interplay between genetic predispositions and environmental triggers complicates early diagnosis and intervention. Abnormal macrophage differentiation and proliferation have been identified as key contributors to the pathogenesis of these conditions, though the precise molecular pathways remain poorly understood. Recent studies suggest that cereblon (CRBN), a target for immunomodulatory drugs like thalidomide, lenalidomide, and pomalidomide, may offer therapeutic potential for autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus. In this study, quantitative proteomics revealed that CRBN downregulated the calpain regulatory subunit, calpain small subunit 1 (CAPNS1), in macrophages. Subsequent biochemical assays demonstrated that CRBN modulated calpain activity, impacting autophagy processes during macrophage differentiation and microglial phagocytosis. Histological evaluation of CRBN-deficient mice indicated a marked increase in microglial populations in the brain. These findings highlight potential therapeutic targets and present new avenues for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

Proteomic and network pharmacology analyses reveal S100A8 as the anti-inflammatory target of Yunpi Jiedu Tongluo Qushi Granule in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease characterized by synovial inflammation. RA has a global prevalence between 0.5 % and 1 % although its pathogenesis is not completely understood. Chinese herbal medicine such as Yunpi Jiedu Tongluo Qushi Granule (YJTQG) is one of the treatments for RA. However, the underlying mechanism of action is unclear. Here, analysis of clinical samples reveals that YJTQG can reduce the inflammatory factors and alleviate the symptoms of RA patients. Quantitative proteomic analysis of serum proteomes of RA patients identifies the potential therapeutic targets of YJTQG. We use biochemical experiments to validate several differentially expressed proteins, discover S100A8 as a possible therapeutic target of YJTQG, and analyze the correlation between S100A8 and several known RA biomarkers. Network pharmacology analysis discloses COX1/2 and NOS2 as potential targets of key compounds in YJTQG and protein-protein interaction network analysis reveals TNFα, IL-6, and STAT3 as possible core targets of YJTQG. Bioinformatic and patient sample analyses indicate that YJTQG may reduce S100A8 expression by suppressing its transcription. Mechanistically, we find that kaempferol and quercetin in YJTQG may reduce the expression of S100A8 by inhibiting the phosphorylation, nuclear translocation, and transcriptional activity of p65 in the lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Therefore, our work demonstrates that S100A8 is a potential therapeutic target of YJTQG for RA, which may provide a new direction for developing new treatments for RA patients.

Lys-63-specific deubiquitinase BRCC36 enhances the sensitivity of multiple myeloma cells to lenalidomide by inhibiting lysosomal degradation of cereblon

Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common hematological tumor in adults. Immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs), such as thalidomide and lenalidomide (Len), are effective drugs for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Len can recruit IKZF1 and IKZF3 to cereblon (CRBN), a substrate receptor of the cullin 4-RING E3 ligase (CRL4), promote their ubiquitination and degradation, and finally inhibit the proliferation of myeloma cells. However, MM patients develop resistance to IMiDs over time, leading to disease recurrence and deterioration. To explore the possible approaches that may enhance the sensitivity of IMiDs to MM, in this study, we used the proximity labeling technique TurboID and quantitative proteomics to identify Lys-63-specific deubiquitinase BRCC36 as a CRBN-interacting protein. Biochemical experiments demonstrated that BRCC36 in the BRISC complex protects CRBN from lysosomal degradation by specifically cleaving the K63-linked polyubiquitin chain on CRBN. Further studies found that a small-molecule compound SHIN1, which binds to BRISC complex subunit SHMT2, can upregulate CRBN by elevating BRCC36. The combination of SHIN1 and Len can further increase the sensitivity of MM cells to IMiDs. Therefore, this study provides the basis for the exploration of a possible strategy for the SHIN1 and Len combination treatment for MM.

The emerging roles of lysine-specific demethylase 4A in cancer: Implications in tumorigenesis and therapeutic opportunities

Lysine-specific demethylase 4 A (KDM4A, also named JMJD2A, KIA0677, or JHDM3A) is a demethylase that can remove methyl groups from histones H3K9me2/3, H3K36me2/3, and H1.4K26me2/me3. Accumulating evidence suggests that KDM4A is not only involved in body homeostasis (such as cell proliferation, migration and differentiation, and tissue development) but also associated with multiple human diseases, especially cancers. Recently, an increasing number of studies have shown that pharmacological inhibition of KDM4A significantly attenuates tumor progression in vitro and in vivo in a range of solid tumors and acute myeloid leukemia. Although there are several reviews on the roles of the KDM4 subfamily in cancer development and therapy, all of them only briefly introduce the roles of KDM4A in cancer without systematically summarizing the specific mechanisms of KDM4A in various physiological and pathological processes, especially in tumorigenesis, which greatly limits advances in the understanding of the roles of KDM4A in a variety of cancers, discovering targeted selective KDM4A inhibitors, and exploring the adaptive profiles of KDM4A antagonists. Herein, we present the structure and functions of KDM4A, simply outline the functions of KDM4A in homeostasis and non-cancer diseases, summarize the role of KDM4A and its distinct target genes in the development of a variety of cancers, systematically classify KDM4A inhibitors, summarize the difficulties encountered in the research of KDM4A and the discovery of related drugs, and provide the corresponding solutions, which would contribute to understanding the recent research trends on KDM4A and advancing the progression of KDM4A as a drug target in cancer therapy.

ErbB2-upregulated HK1 and HK2 promote breast cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion

ErbB2 is overexpressed in 15-20% of breast cancer, which is associated with malignancy and poor prognosis. We previously reported that ErbB2 supports malignant progression of breast cancer by upregulating lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), an important enzyme in glycolysis. However, whether ErbB2 promotes breast cancer progression through other glycolytic enzymes remains unclear. Hexokinase 1 (HK1) and hexokinase 2 (HK2) are the first rate-limiting enzymes of glycolysis and both of them are increased in breast cancer. Here, we aim to investigate whether ErbB2 upregulates HK1 and HK2 and the role of HK1 and HK2 in the malignant progression of ErbB2-overexpressing breast cancer. In current study, we found that the mRNA level of ErbB2 was positively correlated with that of HK1 and HK2, respectively. Moreover, ErbB2 upregulated the protein levels of HK1 and HK2 in breast cancer cells. We also found that both siHK1 and siHK2 significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of ErbB2-overexpressing breast cancer cells. Taken together, our findings suggested that ErbB2 promoted the malignant progression of breast cancer cells by upregulating HK1 and HK2, and HK1 and HK2 might serve as promising therapeutic targets for ErbB2-overexpressing breast cancer.

The aryl sulfonamide indisulam inhibits gastric cancer cell migration by promoting the ubiquitination and degradation of the transcription factor ZEB1

Gastric cancer is one of the cancers with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. The aryl sulfonamide indisulam inhibits the proliferation of several types of cancer cells through its function as a molecular glue to promote the ubiquitination and degradation of RNA-binding motif protein 39 (RBM39). However, it is unknown whether and how indisulam regulates the migration of cancer cells. In this work, using label-free quantitative proteomics, we discover that indisulam significantly attenuates N-cadherin, a marker for epithelial to mesenchymal transition and migration of cancer cells. Our bioinformatics analysis and biochemical experiments reveal that indisulam promotes the interaction between the zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1), a transcription factor of N-cadherin, and DCAF15, a substrate receptor of CRL4 E3 ubiquitin ligase, and enhances ZEB1 ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. In addition, our cell line-based experiments demonstrate that indisulam inhibits the migration of gastric cancer cells in a ZEB1-dependent manner. Analyses of patient samples and datasets in public databases reveal that tumor tissues from patients with gastric cancer express high ZEB1 mRNA and this high expression reduces patient survival rate. Finally, we show that treatment of gastric tumor samples with indisulam significantly reduces ZEB1 protein levels. Therefore, this work discloses a new mechanism by which indisulam inhibits the migration of gastric cancer cells, indicating that indisulam exhibits different biological functions through distinct signaling molecules.

Hexokinases in cancer and other pathologies

Glucose metabolism is indispensable for cell growth and survival. Hexokinases play pivotal roles in glucose metabolism through canonical functions of hexokinases as well as in immune response, cell stemness, autophagy, and other cellular activities through noncanonical functions. The aberrant regulation of hexokinases contributes to the development and progression of pathologies, including cancer and immune diseases.

ADAM12 promotes clear cell renal cell carcinoma progression and triggers EMT via EGFR/ERK signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a major worldwide health problem due to its high prevalence and mortality rate. A disintegrin and metalloproteinase 12 (ADAM12) is aberrantly expressed in various cancers and plays an important role in tumor progression. However, its explicit effect and molecular mechanism in ccRCC remain unclear.

METHODS

We investigated the dysregulation of ADAM12 in ccRCC through public databases and bioinformatics analyses. The expression of ADAM12 was further verified in ccRCC tissues by RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The relationship between ADAM12 expression and clinicopathological characteristics was analyzed statistically. The effects of ADAM12 on the proliferation, migration and invasion of ccRCC cells were examined by in vitro and in vivo experiments.

RESULTS

ADAM12 was significantly upregulated in ccRCC tissues and associated with poor prognosis in ccRCC patients. ADAM12 promoted ccRCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro and the growth of subcutaneous tumors in vivo. Knockdown of ADAM12 successfully suppressed its oncogenic function. Mechanistically, its overexpression induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by downregulating E-cadherin and upregulating N-cadherin and Snail. Moreover, ADAM12 participated in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway and activated the downstream signal ERK1/2 by shedding the EGFR ligand, thereby upregulating target genes including c-Myc, enhancing cell survival and invasion ability, and promoting tumor progression, metastasis and the induction of EMT.

CONCLUSIONS

High expression of ADAM12 induced EMT and promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by activating the EGFR/ERK signaling pathway in ccRCC.

Total coumarins of Pileostegia tomentella induces cell death in SCLC by reprogramming metabolic patterns, possibly through attenuating β-catenin/AMPK/SIRT1

BACKGROUND

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a high malignant and high energy-consuming type of lung cancer. Total coumarins of Pileostegia tomentella (TCPT) from a traditional folk medicine of Yao minority, is a potential anti-cancer mixture against SCLC, but the pharmacological and molecular mechanism of TCPT remains largely unknown.

METHODS

Screening of viability inhibition of TCPT among 7 cell lines were conducted by using CCK-8 assays. Anti-proliferative activities of TCPT in SCLC were observed by using colony formation and flow cytometry assays. Morphological changes were observed by transmission electron microscope and Mito-Tracker staining. High Throughput RNA-seq analysis and bio-informatics analysis were applied to find potential targeted biological and signaling pathways affected by TCPT. The mRNA expression of DEGs and protein expression of signalling proteins and metabolic enzymes were verified by qPCR and Western blot assays. Activity of rate-limiting enzymes and metabolite level were detected by corresponding enzyme activity and metabolites kits. Xenograft nude mice model of SCLC was established to observe the in vivo inhibition, metabolism reprogramming and mechanism of TCPT.

RESULTS

TCPT treatment shows the best inhibition in SCLC cell line H1688 rather than other 5 lung cancer cell lines. Ultrastructural investigation indicates TCPT induces mitochondria damage such as cytoplasm shrinkage, ridges concentration and early sight of autolysosome, as well as decrease of membrane potential. Results of RNA-seq combined bio-informatics analysis find out changes of metabolism progression affected the most by TCPT in SCLC cells, and these changes might be regulated by β-catenin/AMPK/SIRT1 axis. TCPT might mainly decline the activity and expression of rate-limiting enzymes, OGDH, PDHE1, and LDHA/B to reprogram aerobic oxidation pattern, resulting in reduction of ATP production in SCLC cells. Xenograft nude mice model demonstrates TCPT could induce cell death and inhibit growth in vivo. Assimilate to the results of in vitro model, TCPT reprograms metabolism by decreasing the activity and expression of rate-limiting enzymes (OGDH, PDHE1, and LDHA/B), and attenuates the expression of β-catenin, p-β-catenin, AMPK and SIRT1 accordance with in vitro data.

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrated TCPT induces cell death of SCLC by reprograming metabolic patterns, possibly through attenuating master metabolic pathway axis β-catenin/AMPK/SIRT1.

Hederacoside C ameliorates colitis via restoring impaired intestinal barrier through moderating S100A9/MAPK and neutrophil recruitment inactivation

Hederacoside C (HSC) has attracted much attention as a novel modulator of inflammation, but its anti-inflammatory mechanism remains elusive. In the present study, we investigated how HSC attenuated intestinal inflammation in vivo and in vitro. HSC injection significantly alleviated TNBS-induced colitis by inhibiting pro-inflammatory cytokine production and colonic epithelial cell apoptosis, and partially restored colonic epithelial cell proliferation. The therapeutic effect of HSC injection was comparable to that of oral administration of mesalazine (200 mg·kg^-1·d^-1, i.g.). In LPS-stimulated human intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells, pretreatment with HSC (0.1, 1, 10 μM) significantly inhibited activation of MAPK/NF-κB and its downstream signaling pathways. Pretreatment with HSC prevented LPS-induced TLR4 dimerization and MyD88 recruitment in vitro. Quantitative proteomic analysis revealed that HSC injection regulated 18 proteins in the colon samples, mainly clustered in neutrophil degranulation. Among them, S100A9 involved in the degranulation of neutrophils was one of the most significantly down-regulated proteins. HSC suppressed the expression of S100A9 and its downstream genes including TLR4, MAPK, and NF-κB axes in colon. In Caco-2 cells, recombinant S100A9 protein activated the MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway and induced inflammation, which were ameliorated by pretreatment with HSC. Notably, HSC attenuated neutrophil recruitment and degranulation as well as S100A9 release in vitro and in vivo. In addition, HSC promoted the expression of tight junction proteins and repaired the epithelial barrier via inhibiting S100A9. Our results verify that HSC ameliorates colitis via restoring impaired intestinal barrier through moderating S100A9/MAPK and neutrophil recruitment inactivation, suggesting that HSC is a promising therapeutic candidate for colitis.

Autophagy and Glycometabolic Reprograming in the Malignant Progression of Lung Cancer: A Review

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. However, there are currently limited treatment options that are widely available to patients with advanced lung cancer, and further research is required to inhibit or reverse disease progression more effectively. In lung and other solid tumor cancers, autophagy and glycometabolic reprograming are critical regulators of malignant development, including proliferation, drug resistance, invasion, and metastasis. To provide a theoretical basis for therapeutic strategies targeting autophagy and glycometabolic reprograming to prevent lung cancer, we review how autophagy and glycometabolism are regulated in the malignant development of lung cancer based on research progress in other solid tumors.

Proteomics and Biochemical Analyses of Secreted Proteins Revealed a Novel Mechanism by Which ADAM12S Regulates the Migration of Gastric Cancer Cells

Gastric cancer is one of the cancers with the highest morbidity and mortality. Although several therapeutic approaches have been developed to treat this disease, the overall survival rate is still very low due to metastasis, drug resistance, and so forth. Therefore, it is necessary to discover new regulatory molecules and signaling pathways that modulate the metastasis of gastric cancer cells. A Disintegrin And Metalloprotease 12 (ADAM12) was highly expressed in gastric cancer tissues and presented in the patient urine. However, it is unclear whether and how ADAM12 regulates the migration of gastric cancer cells. In this work, we used the secretome protein enrichment with click sugars (SPECS) method to purify the secreted glycosylated proteins and performed quantitative proteomics to identify the secreted proteins that were differentially regulated by ADAM12S, the short and secreted form of ADAM12. Our proteomic and biochemical analyses revealed that ADAM12S upregulated the cell surface glycoprotein CD146, a cell adhesion molecule and melanoma marker, which was dependent on the catalytic residue of ADAM12S. Furthermore, we discovered that the ADAM12S-enhanced migration of gastric cancer cells was, at least partially, mediated by CD146. This work may help to evaluate whether ADAM12 could be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of gastric cancer patients.

ADAM12 is an independent predictor of poor prognosis in liver cancer

Disintegrin and metalloproteinase 12 (ADAM12) is thought to trigger the occurrence and development of numerous tumours, including colorectal, breast, and pancreatic cancers. On the basis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets, in this study, the relationship between ADAM12 gene expression and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the prognostic value of this relationship, and the potential mechanisms influencing HCC development were evaluated. The results showed that the ADAM12 gene was significantly and highly expressed in liver cancer tissue. The high expression of the ADAM12 gene in liver cancer tissue significantly and positively correlated with T stage, pathological stage, and residual tumour. Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analyses revealed that ADAM12 gene expression is an independent risk factor influencing the prognosis of patients with liver cancer. Pathway analyses of ADAM12 in HCC revealed ADAM12-correlated signalling pathways, and the expression level of ADAM12 was associated with immune cell infiltration. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the expression level of ADAM12 in Huh-7 and Hep3B cells was significantly higher than that in other HCC cells. ShRNA transfection experiments confirmed that the expression levels of TGF-β and Notch pathway-related proteins were significantly decreased. An EdU cell proliferation assay showed that a low level of ADAM12 gene expression significantly inhibited the proliferative activity of HCC cells. Cell cycle experiments showed that low ADAM12 expression blocked the G1/S phase transition. Overall, this research revealed that high ADAM12 gene expression implies a poor prognosis for patients with primary liver cancer. In addition, it is a potential indicator for the diagnosis of liver cancer.

Sirtuin 5 is Dispensable for CD8+ T Cell Effector and Memory Differentiation

CD8⁺ T cell effector and memory differentiation is tightly controlled at multiple levels including transcriptional, metabolic, and epigenetic regulation. Sirtuin 5 (SIRT5) is a protein deacetylase mainly located at mitochondria, but it remains unclear whether SIRT5 plays key roles in regulating CD8⁺ T cell effector or memory formation. Herein, with adoptive transfer of Sirt5^+/+ or Sirt5^−/− OT-1 cells and acute Listeria monocytogenes infection model, we demonstrate that SIRT5 deficiency does not affect CD8⁺ T cell effector function and that SIRT5 is not required for CD8⁺ T cell memory formation. Moreover, the recall response of SIRT5 deficient memory CD8⁺ T cells is comparable with Sirt5^+/+ memory CD8⁺ T cells. Together, these observations suggest that SIRT5 is dispensable for the effector function and memory differentiation of CD8⁺ T cells.

mRNA Network: Solution for Tracking Chemotherapy Insensitivity in Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Background

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) has poor prognosis and is prone to drug resistance. It is necessary to search for possible influencing factors for SCLC chemotherapy insensitivity. Therefore, we proposed an mRNA network to track the chemotherapy insensitivity in SCLC.

Methods

Six samples of patients with SCLC were recruited for RNA sequencing. TopHat2 and Cufflinks were used to make differential analysis. Functional analysis was applied as well. Finally, multidimensional validation was applied for verifying the results we obtained by experiment.

Results

This study was a trial of drug resistance in 6 SCLC patients after first-line chemotherapy. The top 10 downregulated genes differentially expressed in the chemo-insensitive group were SERPING1, DRD5, PARVG, PRAME, NKX1-1, MCTP2, PID1, PLEKHA4, SPP1, and SLN. Cell-cell signaling by Wnt (p=6.98E - 21) was the most significantly enriched GO term in biological process, while systemic lupus erythematosus (p=6.97E - 10), alcoholism (p=1.01E - 09), and transcriptional misregulation in cancer (p=0.00227988) were the top three ones of KEGG pathways. In multiple public databases, we also highlighted and verified the vital role of glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathway and corresponding genes in chemo-insensitivity in SCLC.

Conclusion

Our study confirmed some SCLC chemotherapy insensitivity-related genes, biological processes, and pathways, thus constructing the chemotherapy-insensitive network for SCLC.

Rosamultin from Potentilla anserine L. exhibits nephroprotection and antioxidant activity by regulating the reactive oxygen species/C/EBP homologous protein signaling pathway

Rosamultin, a major bioactive constituent from Potentilla anserine L., has antioxidative and hepatoprotective activities. However, its protective effects on cisplatin-induced acute renal injury and the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. In this work, rosamultin could enhance the viability of HEK293 cells treated by cisplatin. In vivo experiment showed that rosamultin effectively decreased kidney index, reduced blood urea nitrogen level, decreased urinary protein excretion, and ameliorated the histopathological damage and fibrosis of renal tissue induced by cisplatin. Besides, rosamultin showed no obvious toxicity in mice. SILAC-based quantitative proteomic analysis identified 4,461 proteins and eight proteins including C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) were markedly decreased in cisplatin-treated HEK293 cells when exposed to rosamultin. Biochemical experiments further discovered that rosamultin could inhibit p38 and JNK activation, and downregulate the levels of CHOP and proteins in its upstream PERK-eIF2α-ATF4 signaling pathway stimulated by cisplatin or tunicamycin. At the same time, rosamultin reduced the generation of intracellular ROS induced by cisplatin and enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as SOD, GSH, and CAT. Moreover, rosamultin markedly suppressed the expression of CHOP, apoptosis-associated proteins, and activation of p38 and JNK in renal tissue. These findings suggest that rosamultin might be a potential protectant against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity.

Proximity Labeling, Quantitative Proteomics, and Biochemical Studies Revealed the Molecular Mechanism for the Inhibitory Effect of Indisulam on the Proliferation of Gastric Cancer Cells

Indisulam exhibits antitumor activity against several cancer cells. Although the DCAF15-indisulam-RBM39 axis has been well documented in the inhibition of cancer cell growth, it is unknown whether RBM39 degradation alone is the mechanism of action of indisulam. Here, we verified the inhibitory effect of indisulam on the proliferation of gastric cancer cells and its dependence on DCAF15. Proximity-dependent biotin labeling with TurboID and quantitative proteomics revealed that indisulam indeed promoted the interaction between DCAF15 and RBM39. Immunoblotting and immunofluorescence also revealed that indisulam promoted the ubiquitin-mediated RBM39 degradation and RBM39 colocalized with DCAF15 in the nucleus. DCAF15 knockdown almost completely abolished the indisulam-mediated RBM39 reduction. Further knockdown of RBM39 eliminated the effect of DCAF15 on the proliferation of gastric cancer cells upon indisulam treatment. Immunoblotting of gastric tumor tissues confirmed the downregulation of RBM39 by indisulam. Database analysis unveiled that RBM39 was highly expressed in gastric cancer tissues and its high expression significantly shortened the survival time of gastric cancer patients. Taken together, we demonstrated that indisulam enhanced RBM39 ubiquitination and degradation by promoting its interaction with DCAF15, thus inhibiting the proliferation of gastric cancer cells. This work may provide valuable information for drug discovery through proteolysis targeting chimeras. MS data were deposited in ProteomeXchange (Dataset identifier: PXD024168).

Anemoside B4 ameliorates TNBS-induced colitis through S100A9/MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Despite the increased morbidity of ulcerative colitis (UC) in the developing countries, available treatments remain unsatisfactory. Therefore, it is urgent to discover more effective therapeutic strategies. Pulsatilla chinensis was widely used for the treatment of inflamed intestinal diseases including UC for thousands of years in China. Anemoside B4, the most abundant triterpenoid saponin isolated from P. chinensis, exerts anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and may be the most active compounds, which is responsible for the therapeutic effects. However, the mechanism how anemoside B4 executes its biological functions is still elusive.

METHODS

Here, we used the 2, 4, 6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis rat model to evaluate the therapeutic effect of anemoside B4. Blood samples of colitis rats were collected for hematology analysis. The inflammation-associated factors were investigated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Cell proliferation and apoptosis was determined with EdU cell proliferation assay and TUNEL assay. The proteins regulated by anemoside B4 were identified by label-free quantitative proteomics. The significantly down-regulated proteins were verified by Western blotting analysis. mRNA expression was analyzed by quantitative real-time RT-PCR.

RESULTS

The results showed that anemoside B4 ameliorated TNBS-induced colitis symptoms, including tissue damage, inflammatory cell infiltration, and pro-inflammatory cytokine production, apoptosis and slowed proliferation in colon. Quantitative proteomic analyses discovered that 56 proteins were significantly altered by anemoside B4 in the TNBS-induced rats. These proteins mainly clustered in tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and respiratory electron transport chain. Among the altered proteins, S100A9 is one of the most significantly down-regulated proteins and associated with NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways in the pathogenesis of UC. Further experiments revealed that anemoside B4 suppressed the expression of S100A9 and its downstream genes including TLR4 and NF-κB in colon. In vitro, anemoside B4 could inhibit the NF-κB signaling pathway induced by recombinant S100A9 protein in human intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells. Moreover, anemoside B4 inhibits neutrophils recruitment and activation in colon induced by TNBS.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrate that anemoside B4 prevents TNBS-induced colitis by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway through deactivating S100A9, suggesting that anemoside B4 is a promising therapeutic candidate for colitis.

UFBP1, a key component in ufmylation, enhances drug sensitivity by promoting proteasomal degradation of oxidative stress-response transcription factor Nrf2

The key component in the UFM1 conjugation system, UFM1-binding and PCI domain-containing protein 1 (UFBP1), regulates many biological processes. Recently it has been shown that low UFBP1 protein level is associated with the worse outcome of gastric cancer patients. However, how it responses to the sensitivity of gastric cancer to chemotherapy drugs and the underlying molecular mechanism remain elusive. Here, we discovered that high UFBP1 expression increases the progression-free survival of advanced gastric cancer patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. Cell-line based studies unveiled that UFBP1 expression enhances while UFBP1 knockdown attenuates the sensitivity of gastric cancer cells to cisplatin. High-throughput SILAC-based quantitative proteomic analysis revealed that the protein level of aldo-keto reductase 1Cs (AKR1Cs) is significantly downregulated by UFBP1. Flow cytometry analysis showed that UFBP1 expression increases while UFBP1 knockdown reduces reactive oxygen species upon cisplatin treatment. We further disclosed that UFBP1 attenuates the gene expression of AKR1Cs and the transcription activity of the master oxidative stress-response transcription factor Nrf2 (nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2). Detailed mechanistic studies manifested that UFBP1 promotes the formation of K48-linked polyubiquitin chains on Nrf2 and thus augments its proteasome-mediated degradation. Experiments using genetic depletion and pharmacological activation in vitro and in vivo demonstrated that UFBP1 enhances the sensitivity of gastric cancer cells to cisplatin through the Nrf2/AKR1C axis. Overall, this work discovered a novel prognostic biomarker for gastric cancer patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy and elucidated the underlying molecular mechanism, which may benefit to future personalized chemotherapy.

Quantitative alterations in bovine milk proteome from healthy, subclinical and clinical mastitis during S. aureus infection

Bovine mastitis, caused by Staphylococcus aureus, is a major impediment to milk production and lacks markers to indicate disease progression in cows and buffaloes. Thus, the focus of this study was to identify proteins marking the transition from subclinical to clinical mastitis. Whey proteins were isolated from 6 group's i.e. healthy, subclinical and clinical mastitis of Holstein Friesian cow and Murrah buffalo. Mass spectrometry and statistical analysis (ANOVA and t-tests) were performed on 12 biological samples each from cow and buffalo (4 per healthy, subclinical and clinical mastitis) resulting in a total of 24 proteome datasets. Collectively, 1479 proteins were identified of which significant proteins were shortlisted by a combination of fold change (≤ 0.5 or ≥ 2) and q < 0.05. Of these proteins, 128 and 163 indicated disease progression in cow and buffalo, respectively. Change in expression of haptoglobin and fibronectin from Holstein Friesian while spermadhesin and osteopontin from Murrah correlated with disease progression. Similarly, angiogenin and cofilin-1 were upregulated while ubiquitin family members were downregulated during disease transition. Subsequently, selected proteins (e.g. osteopontin and fibrinogen-α) were validated by Western blots. The results of this study provide deeper insights into whey proteome dynamics and signature patterns indicative of disease progression. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Bovine mastitis is the most lethal infectious disease causing a huge economic loss in the dairy industry. In an attempt, to understand the dynamics of whey proteome in response to S. aureus infection, whey protein collected from healthy, subclinical and clinical mastitic HF and Mu were investigated. A total of 1479 proteins were identified, of which 128 and 163 had signature pattern in each stage indicative of the progression of the disease. The results of the present study provide a foundation to better understand the complexity of mastitis that will ultimately help facilitate early therapeutic and husbandry-based intervention to improve animal health and milk quality.

Identification of prognostic gene signature associated with microenvironment of lung adenocarcinoma

Background

Lung cancer has the highest morbidity and mortality worldwide, and lung adenocarcinoma (LADC) is the most common pathological subtype. Accumulating evidence suggests the tumor microenvironment (TME) is correlated with the tumor progress and the patient’s outcome. As the major components of TME, the tumor-infiltrated immune cells and stromal cells have attracted more and more attention. In this study, differentially expressed immune and stromal signature genes were used to construct a TME-related prognostic model for predicting the outcomes of LADC patients.

Methods

The expression profiles of LADC samples with clinical information were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to the TME of LADC were identified using TCGA dataset by Wilcoxon rank sum test. The prognostic effects of TME-related DEGs were analyzed using univariate Cox regression. Then, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was performed to reduce the overfit and the number of genes for further analysis. Next, the prognostic model was constructed by step multivariate Cox regression and risk score of each sample was calculated. Then, survival and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analyses were conducted to validate the model using TCGA and GEO datasets, respectively. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis of gene signature was performed using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). Finally, the overall immune status, tumor purity and the expression profiles of HLA genes of high- and low-risk samples was further analyzed to reveal the potential mechanisms of prognostic effects of the model.

Results

A total of 93 TME-related DEGs were identified, of which 23 DEGs were up-regulated and 70 DEGs were down-regulated. The univariate cox analysis indicated that 23 DEGs has the prognostic effects, the hazard ratio ranged from 0.65 to 1.25 (p < 0.05). Then, seven genes were screened out from the 23 DEGs by LASSO regression method and were further analyzed by step multivariate Cox regression. Finally, a three-gene (ADAM12, Bruton Tyrosine Kinase (BTK), ERG) signature was constructed, and ADAM12, BTK can be used as independent prognostic factors. The three-gene signature well stratified the LADC patients in both training (TCGA) and testing (GEO) datasets as high-risk and low-risk groups, the 3-year area under curve (AUC) of ROC curves of three GEO sets were 0.718 (GSE3141), 0.646 (GSE30219) and 0.643 (GSE50081). The GSEA analysis indicated that highly expressed ADAM12, BTK, ERG mainly correlated with the activation of pathways involving in focal adhesion, immune regulation. The immune analysis indicated that the low-risk group has more immune activities and higher expression of HLA genes than that of the high-risk group. In sum, we identified and constructed a three TME-related DEGs signature, which could be used to predict the prognosis of LADC patients.