LAMPs: Shedding light on cancer biology

Enabling site-specific NMR investigations of therapeutic Fab using a cell-free based isotopic labeling approach: application to anti-LAMP1 Fab

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are biotherapeutics that have achieved outstanding success in treating many life-threatening and chronic diseases. The recognition of an antigen is mediated by the fragment antigen binding (Fab) regions composed by four different disulfide bridge-linked immunoglobulin domains. NMR is a powerful method to assess the integrity, the structure and interaction of Fabs, but site specific analysis has been so far hampered by the size of the Fabs and the lack of approaches to produce isotopically labeled samples. We proposed here an efficient in vitro method to produce [15N, 13C, 2H]-labeled Fabs enabling high resolution NMR investigations of these powerful therapeutics. As an open system, the cell-free expression mode enables fine-tuned control of the redox potential in presence of disulfide bond isomerase to enhance the formation of native disulfide bonds. Moreover, inhibition of transaminases in the S30 cell-free extract offers the opportunity to produce perdeuterated Fab samples directly in 1H2O medium, without the need for a time-consuming and inefficient refolding process. This specific protocol was applied to produce an optimally labeled sample of a therapeutic Fab, enabling the sequential assignment of 1HN, 15N, 13C', 13Cα, 13Cβ resonances of a full-length Fab. 90% of the backbone resonances of a Fab domain directed against the human LAMP1 glycoprotein were assigned successfully, opening new opportunities to study, at atomic resolution, Fabs' higher order structures, dynamics and interactions, using solution-state NMR.

ZNT5-6 and ZNT7 play an integral role in protein N-glycosylation by supplying Zn2+ to Golgi α-mannosidase II

The stepwise addition of monosaccharides to N-glycans attached to client proteins to generate a repertoire of mature proteins involves a concerted action of many glycosidases and glycosyltransferases. Here, we report that Golgi α-mannosidase II (GMII), a pivotal enzyme catalyzing the first step in the conversion of hybrid- to complex-type N-glycans, is activated by Zn2+ supplied by the early secretory compartment-resident ZNT5-ZNT6 heterodimers (ZNT5-6) and ZNT7 homodimers (ZNT7). Loss of ZNT5-6 and ZNT7 function results in marked accumulation of hybrid-type and complex/hybrid glycans with concomitant reduction of complex- and high-mannose-type glycans. In cells lacking the ZNT5-6 and ZNT7 functions, the GMII activity is substantially decreased. In contrast, the activity of its homolog, lysosomal mannosidase (LAMAN), is not decreased. Moreover, we show that the growth of pancreatic cancer MIA PaCa-2 cells lacking ZNT5-6 and ZNT7 is significantly decreased in a nude mouse xenograft model. Our results indicate the integral roles of ZNT5-6 and ZNT7 in N-glycosylation and highlight their potential as novel target proteins for cancer therapy.

Comparative Analysis of Site-Specific N-glycosylation of LAMP1 from Breast Cancer Tissues

Glycosylation changes in cancer proteins have been associated with malignant transformation. However, techniques for analyzing site-specific glycosylation changes in target proteins obtained from clinical tissue samples are insufficient. To overcome these problems, we developed a targeted N-glycoproteomic approach consisting of immunoprecipitation, glycopeptide enrichment, LC/MS/MS and structural assignment using commercially available analytical software followed by manual confirmation. This approach was applied to the comparative site-specific glycosylation analysis of lysosome-associated membrane glycoprotein 1 (LAMP1) between breast cancer (BC) tumors and normal tissues adjacent to tumors. Extensive determination of glycan heterogeneity from four N-glycosylation sites (Asn84/103/249/261) in LAMP1 identified 262 glycoforms and revealed remarkable diversity in tumor glycan structures. A significant increase in N-glycoforms with multiple fucoses and sialic acids at Asn84/249 and high-mannose-type glycans at Asn103/261 were observed in the tumor. Principal component analysis revealed that tumors of different subtypes have independent distributions. This approach enables site-specific glycopeptide analysis of target glycoprotein in breast cancer tissue and become a powerful tool for characterizing tumors with different pathological features by their glycan profiles.

Characterization of three lamp genes from largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides): molecular cloning, expression patterns, and their transcriptional levels in response to fast and refeeding strategy

Lysosomes-associated membrane proteins (LAMPs), a family of glycosylated proteins and major constituents of the lysosomal membranes, play a dominant role in various cellular processes, including phagocytosis, autophagy and immunity in mammals. However, their roles in aquatic species remain poorly known. In the present study, three lamp genes were cloned and characterized from Micropterus salmoides. Subsequently, their transcriptional levels in response to different nutritional status were investigated. The full-length coding sequences of lamp1, lamp2 and lamp3 were 1251bp, 1224bp and 771bp, encoding 416, 407 and 256 amino acids, respectively. Multiple sequence alignment showed that LAMP1-3 were highly conserved among the different fish species, respectively. 3-D structure prediction, genomic survey, and phylogenetic analysis were further confirmed that these genes are widely existed in vertebrates. The mRNA expression of the three genes was ubiquitously expressed in all selected tissues, including liver, brain, gill, heart, muscle, spleen, kidney, stomach, adipose and intestine, lamp1 shows highly transcript levels in brain and muscle, lamp2 displays highly expression level in heart, muscle and spleen, but lamp3 shows highly transcript level in spleen, liver and kidney. To analyze the function of the three genes under starvation stress in largemouth bass, three experimental treatment groups (fasted group and refeeding group, control group) were established in the current study. The results indicated that the expression of lamp1 was significant induced after starvation, and then returned to normal levels after refeeding in the liver. The expression of lamp2 and lamp3 exhibited the same trend in the liver. In addition, in the spleen and the kidney, the transcript level of lamp1 and lamp2 was remarkably increased in the fasted treatment group and slightly decreased in the refed treatment group, respectively. Collectively, our findings suggest that three lamp genes may have differential function in the immune and energetic organism in largemouth bass, which is helpful in understanding roles of lamps in aquatic species.

Lysosomes in Cancer-At the Crossroad of Good and Evil

Although it has been known for decades that lysosomes are central for degradation and recycling in the cell, their pivotal role as nutrient sensing signaling hubs has recently become of central interest. Since lysosomes are highly dynamic and in constant change regarding content and intracellular position, fusion/fission events allow communication between organelles in the cell, as well as cell-to-cell communication via exocytosis of lysosomal content and release of extracellular vesicles. Lysosomes also mediate different forms of regulated cell death by permeabilization of the lysosomal membrane and release of their content to the cytosol. In cancer cells, lysosomal biogenesis and autophagy are increased to support the increased metabolism and allow growth even under nutrient- and oxygen-poor conditions. Tumor cells also induce exocytosis of lysosomal content to the extracellular space to promote invasion and metastasis. However, due to the enhanced lysosomal function, cancer cells are often more susceptible to lysosomal membrane permeabilization, providing an alternative strategy to induce cell death. This review summarizes the current knowledge of cancer-associated alterations in lysosomal structure and function and illustrates how lysosomal exocytosis and release of extracellular vesicles affect disease progression. We focus on functional differences depending on lysosomal localization and the regulation of intracellular transport, and lastly provide insight how new therapeutic strategies can exploit the power of the lysosome and improve cancer treatment.

Curcumin inhibits the development of colorectal cancer via regulating the USP4/LAMP3 pathway

In this study, we aimed to explore the effects of curcumin on the progression of colorectal cancer and its underlying mechanisms involved. Cell proliferation, apoptosis and invasion were determined through CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, EdU assay, flow cytometry, and transwell invasion assay, respectively. The protein expression of Bax, MMP2, USP4 and LAMP3 was measured using western blot. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the relationship between USP4 and LAMP3. Co-IP was also conducted to determine the interaction between USP4 and LAMP3. Xenograft tumor model was established to explore the role of curcumin in colorectal cancer in vivo. IHC was utilized to measure the expression of Bax, MMP2, USP4 and LAMP3 in tumor tissues from mice. Curcumin significantly accelerated cell apoptosis, and inhibited cell proliferation and invasion in LoVo and HCT-116 cells. LAMP3 was augmented in colorectal cancer tissues and cells, and curcumin could reduce the expression of LAMP3. Curcumin decreased LAMP3 expression to exhibit the inhibition role in the progression of colorectal cancer. USP4 interacted with LAMP3, and positively regulated LAMP3 expression in colorectal cancer cells. LAMP3 overexpression could reverse the suppressive effects of USP4 knockdown on the development of colorectal cancer. Curcumin downregulated USP4 to impeded the progression of colorectal cancer via repressing LAMP3 expression. In addition, curcumin obviously restrained tumor growth in mice through downregulating USP4 and LAMP3 expression. These data indicated that curcumin exert the anti-tumor effects on the development of colorectal cancer through modulating the USP4/LAMP3 pathway.

Emerging roles of lysosome homeostasis (repair, lysophagy and biogenesis) in cancer progression and therapy

In the era of personalized therapy, precise targeting of subcellular organelles holds great promise for cancer modality. Taking into consideration that lysosome represents the intersection site in numerous endosomal trafficking pathways and their modulation in cancer growth, progression, and resistance against cancer therapies, the lysosome is proposed as an attractive therapeutic target for cancer treatment. Based on the recent advances, the current review provides a comprehensive understanding of molecular mechanisms of lysosome homeostasis under 3R responses: Repair, Removal (lysophagy) and Regeneration of lysosomes. These arms of 3R responses have distinct role in lysosome homeostasis although their interdependency along with switching between the pathways still remain elusive. Recent advances underpinning the crucial role of (1) ESCRT complex dependent/independent repair of lysosome, (2) various Galectins-based sensing and ubiquitination in lysophagy and (3) TFEB/TFE proteins in lysosome regeneration/biogenesis of lysosome are outlined. Later, we also emphasised how these recent advancements may aid in development of phytochemicals and pharmacological agents for targeting lysosomes for efficient cancer therapy. Some of these lysosome targeting agents, which are now at various stages of clinical trials and patents, are also highlighted in this review.

The HN protein of Newcastle disease virus induces cell apoptosis through the induction of lysosomal membrane permeabilization

Lysosomes are acidic organelles that mediate the degradation and recycling of cellular waste materials. Damage to lysosomes can cause lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) and trigger different types of cell death, including apoptosis. Newcastle disease virus (NDV) can naturally infect most birds. Additionally, it serves as a promising oncolytic virus known for its effective infection of tumor cells and induction of intensive apoptotic responses. However, the involvement of lysosomes in NDV-induced apoptosis remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that NDV infection profoundly triggers LMP, leading to the translocation of cathepsin B and D and subsequent mitochondria-dependent apoptosis in various tumor and avian cells. Notably, the released cathepsin B and D exacerbate NDV-induced LMP by inducing the generation of reactive oxygen species. Additionally, we uncover that the viral Hemagglutinin neuraminidase (HN) protein induces the deglycosylation and degradation of lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1) and LAMP2 dependent on its sialidase activity, which finally contributes to NDV-induced LMP and cellular apoptosis. Overall, our findings elucidate the role of LMP in NDV-induced cell apoptosis and provide novel insights into the function of HN during NDV-induced LMP, which provide innovative approaches for the development of NDV-based oncolytic agents.

A pan-cancer analysis of prognostic significance and immunological role of lysosomal-associated membrane protein 3

Lysosomal dysfunction can drive carcinogenesis. Lysosomal-associated membrane protein 3 (LAMP3), is a member of the Lysosome Associated Membrane Proteins and is involved in the malignant phenotype such as tumour metastasis and drug resistance, while the mechanisms that regulate the malignant progression of tumour remain vague. Our study aims to provide a more systematic and comprehensive understanding of the role of LAMP3 in the progression of various cancers by various databases.We explored the role of LAMP3 in pan-cancer using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) database. Multiple online web platforms and software were used for data analysis, including HPA, TIMER, TISIDB, GEPIA, UALCAN, Kaplan-Meier plotter, DAVID and TIGER. The immunohistochemistry was used to quantify the LAMP3 and PD-L1 expression levels in cancer.High LAMP3 expression was found in most cancers and differentially expressed across molecular and immune subtypes. The expression of LAMP3 was involved in the immune-associated processes of Antigen processing and presentation, Th17 cell differentiation, Th1 and Th2 cell differentiation, and the immune-associated pathways of T cell receptor and B cell receptor signalling pathways in most cancers. It also correlated with genetic markers of immunomodulators in various cancers. LAMP3 and PD-L1 expression in BRCA and HNSC tissues was higher than that in corresponding adjacent normal tissues by immunohistochemistry. There is a significant correlation between the expression of LAMP3 and PD-L1.Our study elucidates that LAMP3 has different expression patterns and genetic alteration patterns in different tumours. It is a potential biomarker for immune-related cancer diagnosis, prognosis and efficacy prediction.

Single-cell Sequencing Data Reveals Aggressive CD68-type Macrophages and Prognostic Models in Bladder Cancer

BACKGROUND

The highly heterogeneous, complex pathological histology, and clinical phenotype in bladder cancer (BC) plague the prognostic management of BC to the present day.

METHODS

This study was conducted using single-cell sequencing data from the gene expression omnibus (GEO) database (GSE135337). A descending, annotated analysis was performed to identify the cell types contributing to BC aggressiveness. BC cell sequencing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were then combined with univariate, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), multivariate COX regression analysis to identify biomarkers of BC prognosis to construct a BC. We identified biomarkers of BC prognosis to construct a prognostic risk guidance system for BC. The feedback of patients in different risk strata to immunotherapy was analyzed. Finally, the regulation of prognostic genes on cancer cell activity was verified in vitro by Western blot and cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) assays.

RESULTS

Macrophages specifically expressing CD68 in BC were the cell type with the highest AUCell score, and CD68 was the biomarker of Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). CD68 macrophages were potentially the critical cell type in the aggressive BC subtype. Through univariate, LASSO, multivariate COX-based regression analysis. CTSS, GMFG, ANXA5, GSN, SLC2A3, and FTL were authenticated as prognostic biomarkers (p < 0.05) and composed the Risk Score. Patients in the low-risk group showed an excellent survival advantage (p < 0.01) and immunotherapy feedback. Additionally, inhibition of GSN expression decreased EMT activity to inhibit bladder cancer cell viability.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, this study provided feedback on the immune cell types associated with aggressiveness in BC. Importantly, a prognostic management system for BC was created based on the genes involved, providing more insight into the aggressive pathological phenotype as well as the prognosis of BC.

NDUFA4L2 reduces mitochondrial respiration resulting in defective lysosomal trafficking in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

In clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), activation of hypoxic signaling induces NADH dehydrogenase (ubiquinone) 1 alpha subcomplex, 4-like 2 (NDUFA4L2) expression. Over 90% of ccRCCs exhibit overexpression of NDUFA4L2, which we previously showed contributes to ccRCC proliferation and survival. The function of NDUFA4L2 in ccRCC has not been fully elucidated. NDUFA4L2 was reported to reduce mitochondrial respiration via mitochondrial complex I inhibition. We found that NDUFA4L2 expression in human ccRCC cells increases the extracellular acidification rate, indicative of elevated glycolysis. Conversely, NDUFA4L2 expression in non-cancerous kidney epithelial cells decreases oxygen consumption rate while increasing extracellular acidification rate, suggesting that a Warburg-like effect is induced by NDUFA4L2 alone. We performed mass-spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics of NDUFA4L2 associated complexes. Comparing RCC4-P (parental) ccRCC cells with RCC4 in which NDUFA4L2 is knocked out by CRISPR-Cas9 (RCC4-KO-643), we identified 3,215 proteins enriched in the NDUFA4L2 immunoprecipitates. Among the top-ranking pathways were "Metabolic Reprogramming in Cancer" and "Glycolysis Activation in Cancer (Warburg Effect)." We also show that NDUFA4L2 enhances mitochondrial fragmentation, interacts with lysosomes, and increases mitochondrial-lysosomal associations, as assessed by high-resolution fluorescence microscopy and live cell imaging. We identified 161 lysosomal proteins, including Niemann-Pick Disease Type C Intracellular Cholesterol Transporters 1 and 2 (NPC1, NPC2), that are associated with NDUFA4L2 in RCC4-P cells. RCC4-P cells have larger and decreased numbers of lysosomes relative to RCC4 NDUFA4L2 knockout cells. These findings suggest that NDUFA4L2 regulates mitochondrial-lysosomal associations and potentially lysosomal size and abundance. Consequently, NDUFA4L2 may regulate not only mitochondrial, but also lysosomal functions in ccRCC.

Cerebrospinal fluid immunological cytokines predict intracranial tumor response to immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer patients with brain metastases

Background

Immunotherapy has shown intracranial efficacy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with brain metastases. However, predictive biomarkers for intracranial response to immunotherapy are lacking. This post-hoc analysis aimed to explore the potential of immunological cytokines in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to predict intracranial tumor response to immunotherapy in patients with brain metastases.

Methods

Treatment-naive NSCLC patients with brain metastases who received camrelizumab plus chemotherapy were enrolled. Paired plasma and CSF samples were prospectively collected at baseline and the first treatment assessment. All samples were analyzed for 92 immuno-oncology cytokines using Olink's panels.

Results

A total of 28 patients were included in this analysis. At baseline, most immunological cytokines were significantly lower in CSF than in plasma, whereas a subset comprising CD83, PTN, TNFRSF21, TWEAK, ICOSLG, DCN, IL-8, and MCP-1, was increased in CSF. Baseline CSF levels of LAMP3 were significantly higher in patients with intracranial tumor response, while the levels of CXCL10, IL-12, CXCL11, IL-18, TIE2, HGF, and PDCD1 were significantly lower. Furthermore, the CXCL10, CXCL11, TIE2, PDCD1, IL-18, HGF, and LAMP3 in CSF were also significantly associated with intracranial progression-free survival for immunotherapy. The identified cytokines in CSF were decreased at the first treatment evaluation in patients with intracranial tumor response. The logistic CSF immuno-cytokine model yielded an AUC of 0.91, as compared to PD-L1 expression (AUC of 0.72).

Conclusions

Immunological cytokines in CSF could predict intracranial tumor response to immunotherapy in NSCLC patients with brain metastases, and the findings warrant validation in a larger prospective cohort study.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04211090.

The universe of galectin-binding partners and their functions in health and disease

Galectins, a family of evolutionarily conserved glycan-binding proteins, play key roles in diverse biological processes including tissue repair, adipogenesis, immune cell homeostasis, angiogenesis, and pathogen recognition. Dysregulation of galectins and their ligands has been observed in a wide range of pathologic conditions including cancer, autoimmune inflammation, infection, fibrosis, and metabolic disorders. Through protein-glycan or protein-protein interactions, these endogenous lectins can shape the initiation, perpetuation, and resolution of these processes, suggesting their potential roles in disease monitoring and treatment. However, despite considerable progress, a full understanding of the biology and therapeutic potential of galectins has not been reached due to their diversity, multiplicity of cell targets, and receptor promiscuity. In this article, we discuss the multiple galectin-binding partners present in different cell types, focusing on their contributions to selected physiologic and pathologic settings. Understanding the molecular bases of galectin-ligand interactions, particularly their glycan-dependency, the biochemical nature of selected receptors, and underlying signaling events, might contribute to designing rational therapeutic strategies to control a broad range of pathologic conditions.

TSTA3 overexpression promotes malignant characteristics in LUSC by regulating LAMP2-mediated autophagy and tumor microenvironment

BACKGROUND

TSTA3 gene encoding GDP-L-fucose synthase has recently been proved to be closely related to the prognosis of patients with various tumors. However, its role in lung cancer is still unclear. The purpose of this study is to explore the expression level, prognostic effect, potential function and mechanism of TSTA3 in lung cancer.

METHODS

Based on TCGA database, Kaplan-Meier and COX regression was used to analyze the relationship between TSTA3 expression and prognosis of lung cancer patients. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine the TSTA3 protein expression in lung cancer and normal tissues. The function of TSTA3 in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) cell was determined by CCK8, colony formation, transwell assay in vitro and subcutaneous xenografts in vivo. Transcriptome analysis, Lyso-Tracker Red staining and rescue experiment were used to explore the possible underlying mechanism.

RESULTS

The expression of TSTA3 was significantly increased in lung cancer, especially in LUSC, and was significantly correlated with the malignant characteristics of LUSC. COX regression analysis showed that the high expression of TSTA3 was an independent prognostic factor in LUSC patients. This was also confirmed by immunohistochemical staining. Compared with the control group, the proliferation, colony formation, invasion and migration ability of LUSC cells with TSTA3 overexpression was enhanced. Similarly, the ability of cell proliferation, colony formation, invasion and migration were weakened after transient knockdown of TSTA3. In vivo experiment showed that compared with control group, TSTA3 overexpression significantly promoted the growth of tumor and shortened survival time. In addition, transcriptome sequencing analysis showed that the differentially expressed genes between TSTA3 overexpression and control group was mainly concentrated in the lysosome pathway. Further study found that TSTA3 might affect the proliferation, invasion and migration of LUSC by regulating the expression of lysosome-associated membrane protein 2 (LAMP2) in LUSC.

CONCLUSION

The expression level of TSTA3 in LUSC is significantly higher than that in normal tissues. High expression of TSTA3 is associated with poor prognosis of LUSC patients. TSTA3 may affect the proliferation, invasion and migration of LUSC by regulating LAMP2.

Inhibition of LAMP3 mediates the protective effect of vitamin D against hypoxia/reoxygenation in trophoblast cells

Inadequate invasion and excessive apoptosis of trophoblast cells are associated with the development of preeclampsia. Vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women may lead to an increased risk of preeclampsia. However, the underlying mechanisms by which vitamin D is effective in preventing preeclampsia are not fully understood. The objectives of this study were to investigate the role of lysosome-associated membrane glycoprotein 3 (LAMP3) in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia and to evaluate whether vitamin D supplementation would protect against the development of preeclampsia by regulating LAMP3 expression. Firstly, the mRNA and protein levels of LAMP3 were significantly upregulated in the placentas of preeclampsia patients compared to normal placentas, especially in trophoblast cells (a key component of the human placenta). In the hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-exposed HTR-8/Svneo trophoblast cells, LAMP3 expression was also upregulated. H/R exposure repressed cell viability and invasion and increased apoptosis of trophoblast cells. siRNA-mediated knockdown of LAMP3 increased cell viability and invasion and suppressed apoptosis of H/R-exposed trophoblast cells. We further found that 1,25(OH)2D3 (the hormonally active form of vitamin D) treatment reduced LAMP3 expression in H/R exposed trophoblast cells. In addition, 1,25(OH)2D3 treatment promoted cell viability and invasion and inhibited apoptosis of H/R-exposed trophoblast cells. Notably, overexpression of LAMP3 abrogated the protective effect of 1,25(OH)2D3 on H/R-exposed trophoblast cells. Collectively, we demonstrated trophoblast cytoprotection by vitamin D, a process mediated via LAMP3.

Fusobacterium nucleatum facilitates proliferation and autophagy by activating miR-361-3p/NUDT1 axis through oxidative stress in hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

To investigate how Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn) promotes oxidative stress and mediates proliferation and autophagy in hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPSCC).

METHODS

The prognosis for 82 HPSCC cases was retrospectively analyzed. HPSCC cell line FaDu was co-cultured with Fn. Knockdown of NUDT1 (shNUDT1 group) was done after observing DNA damage response. CCK8 and tumorigenesis assays for proliferation observation, mitochondria ROS (MitoROS) measurement to examine intracellular oxidative stress, and ELISA to analyze concentration of 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG) in cells. Dual-luciferase reporter assays clarified miR-361-3p connection with NUDT1. Autophagy flow was observed using electron microscopy and related proteins.

RESULTS

Fn was highly associated with NUDT1. The shNUDT1 group experienced lower proliferation compared with normal FaDu (NC group) in vivo and in vitro. The shNUDT1 group showed 8-oxo-dG and γH2AX to be elevated. Intracellular ROS decreased in shNUDT1Fn group when compared to Fn group. Upregulating miR-361-3p could suppress NUDT1 expression and downstream proliferation and autophagy. Fn modulated miR-361-3p via OH-, which could be proven by H2O2 assay and N-acetylcysteine.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher Fn in HPSCC patients suggests poorer prognosis. NUDT1 might affect cell proliferation and autophagy and modulate DNA damage response. The oxidative stress induced miR-361-3p/NUDT1 axis is first introduced in microbiome-carcinoma research.

The functions of SID1 transmembrane family, member 2 (Sidt2)

The SID1 transmembrane family, member 2, namely, Sidt2, is a highly glycosylated multichannel lysosomal transmembrane protein, but its specific physiological function remains unknown. Lysosomal membrane proteins are very important for the executive functioning of lysosomes. As an important part of the lysosomal membrane, Sidt2 can maintain the normal morphology of lysosomes and help stabilize them from the acidic pH environment within. As a receptor/transporter, it binds and transports nucleic acids and mediates the uptake and degradation of RNA and DNA by the lysosome. During glucose metabolism, deletion of Sidt2 can cause an increase in fasting blood glucose and the impairment of grape tolerance, which is closely related to the secretion of insulin. During lipid metabolism, the loss of Sidt2 can cause hepatic steatosis and lipid metabolism disorders and can also play a role in signal regulation and transport. Here, we review the function of the lysosomal membrane protein Sidt2, and focus on its role in glucose and lipid metabolism, autophagy and nucleotide (DNA/RNA) transport.

Unravelling the complexity of lncRNAs in autophagy to improve potential cancer therapy

Autophagy is well-known as an internal catabolic process that is evolutionarily conserved and performs the key biological function in maintaining cellular homeostasis. It is tightly controlled by several autophagy-related (ATG) proteins, which are closely associated with many types of human cancers. However, what has remained controversial is the janus roles of autophagy in cancer progression. Interestingly, the biological function of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in autophagy has been gradually understood in different types of human cancers. More recently, numerous studies have demonstrated that several lncRNAs may regulate some ATG proteins and autophagy-related signaling pathways to either activate or inhibit the autophagic process in cancer. Thus, in this review, we summarize the latest advance in the knowledge of the complicated relationships between lncRNAs and autophagy in cancer. Also, the in-depth dissection of the lncRNAs-autophagy-cancers axis involved in this review would shed new light on discovery of more potential cancer biomarkers and therapeutic targets in the future.

Lysosome-Associated Membrane Protein 3 Induces Lysosome-Dependent Cell Death by Impairing Autophagic Caspase 8 Degradation in the Salivary Glands of Individuals With Sjögren's Disease

OBJECTIVE

Lysosome-associated membrane protein 3 (LAMP3) overexpression is implicated in the development and progression of Sjögren's disease (SjD) by inducing lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) and apoptotic cell death in salivary gland epithelium. The aim of this study was to clarify the molecular details of LAMP3-induced lysosome-dependent cell death and to test lysosomal biogenesis as a therapeutic intervention.

METHODS

Human labial minor salivary gland biopsies were analyzed using immunofluorescence staining for LAMP3 expression levels and galectin-3 puncta formation, a marker of LMP. Expression level of caspase 8, an initiator of LMP, was determined by Western blotting in cell culture. Galectin-3 puncta formation and apoptosis were evaluated in cell cultures and a mouse model treated with glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists, a known promoter of lysosomal biogenesis.

RESULTS

Galectin-3 puncta formation was more frequent in the salivary glands of SjD patients compared to control glands. The proportion of galectin-3 puncta-positive cells was positively correlated with LAMP3 expression levels in the glands. LAMP3 overexpression increased caspase 8 expression, and knockdown of caspase 8 decreased galectin-3 puncta formation and apoptosis in LAMP3-overexpressing cells. Inhibition of autophagy increased caspase 8 expression, while restoration of lysosomal function using GLP-1R agonists decreased caspase 8 expression, which reduced galectin-3 puncta formation and apoptosis in both LAMP3-overexpressing cells and mice.

CONCLUSION

LAMP3 overexpression induced lysosomal dysfunction, resulting in lysosome-dependent cell death via impaired autophagic caspase 8 degradation, and restoring lysosomal function using GLP-1R agonists could prevent this. These findings suggested that LAMP3-induced lysosomal dysfunction is central to disease development and is a target for therapeutic intervention in SjD.

The CREG1-FBXO27-LAMP2 axis alleviates diabetic cardiomyopathy by promoting autophagy in cardiomyocytes

Autophagy plays an important role in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. Cellular repressor of E1A-stimulated genes 1 (CREG1) is an important myocardial protective factor. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects and mechanisms of CREG1 in diabetic cardiomyopathy. Male C57BL/6 J mice, Creg1 transgenic mice and cardiac-specific knockout mice were used to establish a type 2 diabetes model. Small animal ultrasound, Masson's staining and western blotting were used to evaluate cardiac function, myocardial fibrosis and autophagy. Neonatal mouse cardiomyocytes (NMCMs) were stimulated with palmitate, and the effects of CREG1 on NMCMs autophagy were examined. CREG1 deficiency exacerbated cardiac dysfunction, cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis in mice with diabetic cardiomyopathy, which was accompanied by exacerbated autophagy dysfunction. CREG1 overexpression improved cardiac function and ameliorated cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis in diabetic cardiomyopathy by improving autophagy. CREG1 protein expression was decreased in palmitate-induced NMCMs. CREG1 knockdown exacerbated cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and inhibited autophagy. CREG1 overexpression inhibited cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and improved autophagy. LAMP2 overexpression reversed the effect of CREG1 knockdown on palmitate-induced inhibition of cardiomyocyte autophagy. CREG1 inhibited LAMP2 protein degradation by inhibiting the protein expression of F-box protein 27 (FBXO27). Our findings indicate new roles of CREG1 in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Targeting ANXA7/LAMP5-mTOR axis attenuates spinal cord injury by inhibiting neuronal apoptosis via enhancing autophagy in mice

Spinal cord injury (SCI) could lead to severe disabilities in motor and sensory functions, and cause a heavy burden on patient physiology and psychology due to lack of specific repair measures so far. ANXA7 is an annexin with Ca2+ -dependent GTPase activity, which were mainly expressed in neuron in spinal cord and downregulated significantly after SCI in mice. In our study, GTPase activity activation of ANXA7 plays the protective role in neuron after OGD/R through inhibiting neuron apoptosis, which mediated by enhancing autophagy via mTOR/TFEB pathway. We also discovered that ANXA7 has significant interaction with neural-specific lysosomal-associated membrane protein LAMP5, which together with ANXA7 regulates autophagy and apoptosis. Asp411 mutation of ANXA7 obviously impaired the interaction of ANXA7 and LAMP5 compared with the wild type. Furthermore, it was found that activation of ANXA7 could help to stabilize the protein expression of LAMP5. Overexpression of LAMP5 could attenuate the destruction of lysosomal acidic environment, inhibition of autophagy and activation of apoptosis caused by ANXA7 downregulation after OGD/R. We verified that injecting ANXA7 overexpression lentivirus and activation of ANXA7 both have significant repair effects on SCI mice by using CatWalk assay and immunohistochemistry staining. In summary, our findings clarify the new role of ANXA7 and LAMP5 in SCI, provided a new specific target of neuronal repair and discovered new molecular mechanisms of ANXA7 to regulate autophagy and apoptosis. Targeting ANXA7 may be a prospective therapeutic strategy for SCI in future.

LAMP1/2 as potential diagnostic and prognostic marker for brain lower grade glioma: A review

Brain lower grade glioma (LGG) is a common type of glioma. The current treatment methods still have some limitations, and some LGG patients will inevitably continue to deteriorate after treatment. We found the value of lysosomal associated membrane proteins (LAMPs) in the diagnosis and prognosis of LGG, which helps to enhance the clinical understanding of LGG treatment and improved prognosis. We assess the role of LAMPs in LGG, via the publicly available TCGA database. We explored expression levels of LAMPs in LGG using GEPIA2, cBioPortal, and UALCAN databases. The correction of LAMPs expression levels with immune cell infiltration in LGG patient was assessed by TIMER database. The Lysosomal associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1)/2/4 mRNA levels were significantly higher in LGG patients than in healthy controls. Morover, high mRNA expressions of LAMP1/2/Lysosomal associated membrane protein 3 were associated with poor overall survival. We found that the immune invasion of LGG was almost significantly correlated with the expression of LAMPs. The results suggested that mRNA expressions of LAMP1 and LAMP4 were significantly associated with histological subtypes in LGG patients. lysosomal associated membrane protein 2 and LAMP5 were significantly down-regulated expression in samples of TP53 mutant in LGG compared to TP53 wild type. In addition, Lysosomal associated membrane protein 3 and LAMP4 were significantly overexpressed in samples of TP53 mutant in LGG Enrichment analysis applied to each component indicated that biological function was primarily associated with series of pathways in synapse and immunity.

In Vitro Evaluation of Antiviral Activities of Funicone-like Compounds Vermistatin and Penisimplicissin against Canine Coronavirus Infection

Recent studies have demonstrated that 3-O-methylfunicone (OMF), a fungal secondary metabolite from Talaromyces pinophilus belonging to the class of funicone-like compounds, has antiviral activity against canine coronaviruses (CCoV), which causes enteritis in dogs. Herein, we selected two additional funicone-like compounds named vermistatin (VER) and penisimplicissin (PS) and investigated their inhibitory activity towards CCoV infection. Thus, both compounds have been tested for their cytotoxicity and for antiviral activity against CCoV in A72 cells, a fibrosarcoma cell line suitable for investigating CCoV. Our findings showed an increase in cell viability, with an improvement of morphological features in CCoV-infected cells at the non-toxic doses of 1 μM for VER and 0.5 μM for PS. In addition, we observed that these compounds caused a strong inhibition in the expression of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a ligand-activated transcription factor which is activated during CCoV infection. Our results also showed the alkalinization of lysosomes in the presence of VER or PS, which may be involved in the observed antiviral activities.

Characterization of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance progression to multiple myeloma through meta-analysis of GEO data

The etiology of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and multiple myeloma (MM) is still obscure as are the processes that enable the progression of MGUS to MM. Understanding the unique vs. shared transcriptomes can potentially elucidate why individuals develop one or the other. Furthermore, highlighting key pathways and genes involved in the pathogenesis of MM or the development of MGUS to MM may allow the discovery of novel drug targets and therapies. We employed STARGEO platform to perform three separate meta-analysis to compare MGUS and MM transcriptomes. For these analyses we tagged (1) 101 MGUS patient plasma cells from bone marrow samples and 64 plasma cells from healthy controls (2) 383 MM patient CD138+ cells from bone marrow and the 101 MGUS samples in the first analysis as controls (3) 517 MM patient peripheral blood samples and 97 peripheral blood samples from healthy controls. We then utilized Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) to analyze the unique genomic signatures within and across these samples. Our study identified genes that may have unique roles in MGUS (GADD45RA and COMMD3), but also newly identified signaling pathways (EIF2, JAK/STAT, and MYC) and gene activity (NRG3, RBFOX2, and PARP15) in MGUS that have previously been shown to be involved in MM suggesting a spectrum of molecular overlap. On the other hand, genes such as DUSP4, RN14, LAMP5, differentially upregulated in MM, may be seen as tipping the scales from benignity to malignancy and could serve as drug targets or novel biomarkers for risk of progression. Furthermore, our analysis of MM identified newly associated gene/pathway activity such as inhibition of Wnt-signaling and defective B cell development. Finally, IPA analysis, suggests the multifactorial, oncogenic qualities of IFNγ signaling in MM may be a unifying pathway for these diverse mechanisms and prompts the need for further studies.

The Cys-N-degron pathway modulates pexophagy through the N-terminal oxidation and arginylation of ACAD10

In the N-degron pathway, N-recognins recognize cognate substrates for degradation via the ubiquitin (Ub)-proteasome system (UPS) or the autophagy-lysosome system (hereafter autophagy). We have recently shown that the autophagy receptor SQSTM1/p62 (sequestosome 1) is an N-recognin that binds the N-terminal arginine (Nt-Arg) as an N-degron to modulate autophagic proteolysis. Here, we show that the N-degron pathway mediates pexophagy, in which damaged peroxisomal fragments are degraded by autophagy under normal and oxidative stress conditions. This degradative process initiates when the Nt-Cys of ACAD10 (acyl-CoA dehydrogenase family, member 10), a receptor in pexophagy, is oxidized into Cys sulfinic (CysO2) or sulfonic acid (CysO3) by ADO (2-aminoethanethiol (cysteamine) dioxygenase). Under oxidative stress, the Nt-Cys of ACAD10 is chemically oxidized by reactive oxygen species (ROS). The oxidized Nt-Cys2 is arginylated by ATE1-encoded R-transferases, generating the RCOX N-degron. RCOX-ACAD10 marks the site of pexophagy via the interaction with PEX5 and binds the ZZ domain of SQSTM1/p62, recruiting LC3+-autophagic membranes. In mice, knockout of either Ate1 responsible for Nt-arginylation or Sqstm1/p62 leads to increased levels of peroxisomes. In the cells from patients with peroxisome biogenesis disorders (PBDs), characterized by peroxisomal loss due to uncontrolled pexophagy, inhibition of either ATE1 or SQSTM1/p62 was sufficient to recover the level of peroxisomes. Our results demonstrate that the Cys-N-degron pathway generates an N-degron that regulates the removal of damaged peroxisomal membranes along with their contents. We suggest that tannic acid, a commercially available drug on the market, has a potential to treat PBDs through its activity to inhibit ATE1 R-transferases.Abbreviations: ACAA1, acetyl-Coenzyme A acyltransferase 1; ACAD, acyl-Coenzyme A dehydrogenase; ADO, 2-aminoethanethiol (cysteamine) dioxygenase; ATE1, arginyltransferase 1; CDO1, cysteine dioxygenase type 1; ER, endoplasmic reticulum; LIR, LC3-interacting region; MOXD1, monooxygenase, DBH-like 1; NAC, N-acetyl-cysteine; Nt-Arg, N-terminal arginine; Nt-Cys, N-terminal cysteine; PB1, Phox and Bem1p; PBD, peroxisome biogenesis disorder; PCO, plant cysteine oxidase; PDI, protein disulfide isomerase; PTS, peroxisomal targeting signal; R-COX, Nt-Arg-CysOX; RNS, reactive nitrogen species; ROS, reactive oxygen species; SNP, sodium nitroprusside; UBA, ubiquitin-associated; UPS, ubiquitinproteasome system.

Age-related neuroimmune signatures in dorsal root ganglia of a Fabry disease mouse model

Pain in Fabry disease (FD) is generally accepted to result from neuronal damage in the peripheral nervous system as a consequence of excess lipid storage caused by alpha-galactosidase A (α-Gal A) deficiency. Signatures of pain arising from nerve injuries are generally associated with changes of number, location and phenotypes of immune cells within dorsal root ganglia (DRG). However, the neuroimmune processes in the DRG linked to accumulating glycosphingolipids in Fabry disease are insufficiently understood.Therefore, using indirect immune fluorescence microscopy, transmigration assays and FACS together with transcriptomic signatures associated with immune processes, we assessed age-dependent neuroimmune alterations in DRG obtained from mice with a global depletion of α-Gal A as a valid mouse model for FD. Macrophage numbers in the DRG of FD mice were unaltered, and BV-2 cells as a model for monocytic cells did not show augmented migratory reactions to glycosphingolipids exposure suggesting that these do not act as chemoattractants in FD. However, we found pronounced alterations of lysosomal signatures in sensory neurons and of macrophage morphology and phenotypes in FD DRG. Macrophages exhibited reduced morphological complexity indicated by a smaller number of ramifications and more rounded shape, which were age dependent and indicative of premature monocytic aging together with upregulated expression of markers CD68 and CD163.In our FD mouse model, the observed phenotypic changes in myeloid cell populations of the DRG suggest enhanced phagocytic and unaltered proliferative capacity of macrophages as compared to wildtype control mice. We suggest that macrophages may participate in FD pathogenesis and targeting macrophages at an early stage of FD may offer new treatment options other than enzyme replacement therapy.

Towards Understanding the Key Signature Pathways Associated from Differentially Expressed Gene Analysis in an Indian Prostate Cancer Cohort

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most prevalent cancers among men in India. Although studies on PCa have dealt with genetics, genomics, and the environmental influence in the causality of PCa, not many studies employing the Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) approaches of PCa have been carried out. In our previous study, we identified some causal genes and mutations specific to Indian PCa using Whole Exome Sequencing (WES). In the recent past, with the help of different cancer consortiums such as The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC), along with differentially expressed genes (DEGs), many cancer-associated novel non-coding RNAs have been identified as biomarkers. In this work, we attempt to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) including long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) associated with signature pathways from an Indian PCa cohort using the RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) approach. From a cohort of 60, we screened six patients who underwent prostatectomy; we performed whole transcriptome shotgun sequencing (WTSS)/RNA-sequencing to decipher the DEGs. We further normalized the read counts using fragments per kilobase of transcript per million mapped reads (FPKM) and analyzed the DEGs using a cohort of downstream regulatory tools, viz., GeneMANIA, Stringdb, Cytoscape-Cytohubba, and cbioportal, to map the inherent signatures associated with PCa. By comparing the RNA-seq data obtained from the pairs of normal and PCa tissue samples using our benchmarked in-house cuffdiff pipeline, we observed some important genes specific to PCa, such as STEAP2, APP, PMEPA1, PABPC1, NFE2L2, and HN1L, and some other important genes known to be involved in different cancer pathways, such as COL6A1, DOK5, STX6, BCAS1, BACE1, BACE2, LMOD1, SNX9, CTNND1, etc. We also identified a few novel lncRNAs such as LINC01440, SOX2OT, ENSG00000232855, ENSG00000287903, and ENST00000647843.1 that need to be characterized further. In comparison with publicly available datasets, we have identified characteristic DEGs and novel lncRNAs implicated in signature PCa pathways in an Indian PCa cohort which perhaps have not been reported. This has set a precedent for us to validate candidates further experimentally, and we firmly believe this will pave a way toward the discovery of biomarkers and the development of novel therapies.

RPL21 interacts with LAMP3 to promote colorectal cancer invasion and metastasis by regulating focal adhesion formation

BACKGROUND

Metastasis is the leading cause of death among patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Therefore, it is important to explore the molecular mechanisms of metastasis to develop effective therapeutic targets for CRC. In the present study, ribosomal protein L21 (RPL21) was considered as being involved in promoting CRC metastasis, yet the underlying mechanism requires further investigation.

METHODS

Immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction were performed to measure the expression of RPL21 and lysosome-associated membrane protein 3 (LAMP3) in CRC tissues and cells. Wound healing, transwell migration, and invasion assays were performed to study the migration and invasion of cultured CRC cells. An orthotopic CRC mouse model was developed to investigate the metastatic ability of CRC. Transcriptome sequencing was conducted to identify the genes related to RPL21. The dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was performed to determine the transcriptional activity of transcription factor EB (TFEB). The GST/His pull-down assay was performed to investigate the specific binding sites of RPL21 and LAMP3. The cell adhesion assay was performed to determine the adhesion ability of CRC cells. Immunofluorescence staining was performed to observe focal adhesions (FAs).

RESULTS

RPL21 was highly expressed in CRC, contributing to tumor invasiveness and poor patient prognosis. Functionally, RPL21 promoted the migration and invasion of CRC cells in vitro and tumor metastasis in vivo. Moreover, LAMP3 was identified as being highly related to RPL21 and was essential in promoting the migration and invasion of CRC cells. Mechanistically, RPL21 activated the transcriptional function of TFEB to upregulate LAMP3 expression. RPL21 directly bound to the aa 341-416 domain of LAMP3 via its aa 1-40 and aa 111-160 segments. The combination of RPL21 and LAMP3 enhanced the stability of the RPL21 protein by suppressing the degradation of the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Furthermore, RPL21 and LAMP3 promoted the formation of immature FAs by activating the FAK/paxillin/ERK signaling pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

RPL21 promoted invasion and metastasis by regulating FA formation in a LAMP3-dependent manner during CRC progression. The interaction between RPL21 and LAMP3 may function as a potential therapeutic target against CRC.

Autoimmunity and Carcinogenesis: Their Relationship under the Umbrella of Autophagy

The immune system and autophagy share a functional relationship. Both innate and adaptive immune responses involve autophagy and, depending on the disease’s origin and pathophysiology, it may have a detrimental or positive role on autoimmune disorders. As a “double-edged sword” in tumors, autophagy can either facilitate or impede tumor growth. The autophagy regulatory network that influences tumor progression and treatment resistance is dependent on cell and tissue types and tumor stages. The connection between autoimmunity and carcinogenesis has not been sufficiently explored in past studies. As a crucial mechanism between the two phenomena, autophagy may play a substantial role, though the specifics remain unclear. Several autophagy modifiers have demonstrated beneficial effects in models of autoimmune disease, emphasizing their therapeutic potential as treatments for autoimmune disorders. The function of autophagy in the tumor microenvironment and immune cells is the subject of intensive study. The objective of this review is to investigate the role of autophagy in the simultaneous genesis of autoimmunity and malignancy, shedding light on both sides of the issue. We believe our work will assist in the organization of current understanding in the field and promote additional research on this urgent and crucial topic.

Staphylococcus aureus induces tolerance in human monocytes accompanied with expression changes of cell surface markers

Exposure of human monocytes to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or other pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMPs) induces a temporary insensitivity to subsequent LPS challenges, a cellular state called endotoxin tolerance (ET), associated with the pathogenesis of sepsis. In this study, we aimed to characterize the cellular state of human monocytes from healthy donors stimulated with Staphylococcus aureus in comparison to TLR2-specific ligands. We analyzed S. aureus induced gene expression changes after 2 and 24 hours by amplicon sequencing (RNA-AmpliSeq) and compared the pro-inflammatory response after 2 hours with the response in re-stimulation experiments. In parallel, glycoprotein expression changes in human monocytes after 24 hours of S. aureus stimulation were analyzed by proteomics and compared to stimulation experiments with TLR2 ligands Malp-2 and Pam3Cys and TLR4 ligand LPS. Finally, we analyzed peripheral blood monocytes of patients with S. aureus bloodstream infection for their ex vivo inflammatory responses towards S. aureus stimulation and their glycoprotein expression profiles. Our results demonstrate that monocytes from healthy donors stimulated with S. aureus and TLR ligands of Gram-positive bacteria entered the tolerant cell state after activation similar to LPS treatment. In particular reduced gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF, IL1β) and chemokines (CCL20, CCL3, CCL4, CXCL2, CXCL3 and CXCL8) could be demonstrated. Glycoprotein expression changes in monocytes tolerized by the different TLR agonists were highly similar while S. aureus-stimulated monocytes shared some of the PAMP-induced changes but also exhibited a distinct expression profile. 11 glycoproteins (CD44, CD274, DSC2, ICAM1, LAMP3, LILRB1, PTGS2, SLC1A3, CR1, FGL2, and HP) were similarly up- or downregulated in all four comparisons in the tolerant cell state. Monocytes from patients with S. aureus bacteremia revealed preserved pro-inflammatory responsiveness to S. aureus stimulation ex vivo, expressed increased CD44 mRNA but no other glycoprotein of the tolerance signature was differentially expressed.

LAMP3 expression in the liver is involved in T cell activation and adaptive immune regulation in hepatitis B virus infection

Background

The disease burden caused by chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is still heavy, and the current treatment scheme has not achieved a complete cure. Changes in natural and adaptive immunity usually accompany chronic HBV infection. As a marker expressed on dendritic cells (DCs), whether lysosome-associated membrane glycoprotein 3 (LAMP3) participates in chronic HBV infection deserves further analysis.

Methods

We retrieved chronic HBV infection transcriptional information from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The LAMP3 expression in the liver of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) was analyzed in three GEO datasets and confirmed in our validation cohort (27 patients with CHB). Differentially expressed genes were obtained from one CHB cohort by comparing LAMP3high and LAMP3low expression subgroups. These genes underwent Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis, and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis to decipher the influence of LAMP3 on the biological process and immunity changes in HBV infection. Furthermore, we investigated the potential relationship between LAMP3 levels, the abundance of infiltrating immune cells, and liver dysfunction.

Results

Compared to healthy controls, LAMP3 expression was upregulated in the transcriptional profiles of the liver in patients with CHB. The high LAMP3 expression was related to T cell activation and the chemokine signaling pathway. The LAMP3 gene was positively linked to marker sets of infiltrating activated regulatory T cells (Treg), T cell exhaustion, monocytes, and DCs. Moreover, CHB patients with high LAMP3 expression had unfavorable liver dysfunction.

Conclusions

LAMP3 is a gene related to HBV infection, which might be involved in HBV infection by regulating T cell activation and adaptive immune response.

Salivary gland LAMP3 mRNA expression is a possible predictive marker in the response to hydroxychloroquine in Sjögren's disease

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is a lysosomotropic agent that is commonly used for treating Sjögren's disease (SjD). However, its efficacy is controversial because of the divergent response to the drug among patients. In a subgroup of SjD patients, lysosome-associated membrane protein 3 (LAMP3) is elevated in expression in the salivary glands and promotes lysosomal dysregulation and lysosome-dependent apoptotic cell death. In this study, chloroquine (CQ) and its derivative HCQ were tested for their ability to prevent LAMP3-induced apoptosis, in vitro and on a mouse model of SjD. In addition, efficacy of HCQ treatment was retrospectively compared between high LAMP3 mRNA expression in minor salivary glands and those with LAMP3 mRNA levels comparable with healthy controls. Study results show that CQ treatment stabilized the lysosomal membrane in LAMP3-overexpressing cells via deactivation of cathepsin B, resulting in decreased apoptotic cell death. In mice with established SjD-like phenotype, HCQ treatment also significantly decreased apoptotic cell death and ameliorated salivary gland hypofunction. Retrospective analysis of SjD patients found that HCQ tended to be more effective in improving disease activity index, symptom severity and hypergammaglobulinemia in patients with high LAMP3 expression compared those with normal LAMP3 expression. Taken together, these findings suggested that by determining salivary gland LAMP3 mRNA level, a patient's response to HCQ treatment could be predicted. This finding may provide a novel strategy for guiding the development of more personalized medicine for SjD.

Mature dendritic cells enriched in immunoregulatory molecules (mregDCs): A novel population in the tumour microenvironment and immunotherapy target

BACKGROUND

Dendritic cells (DCs) mediate divergent immune effects by activating T cells or negatively regulating the immune response to promote immune tolerance. They perform specific functions determined by their tissue distribution and maturation state. Traditionally, immature and semimature DCs were described to have immunosuppressive effects, leading to immune tolerance. Nonetheless, recent research has demonstrated that mature DCs can also suppress the immune response under certain circumstances.

MAIN BODY

Mature DCs enriched in immunoregulatory molecules (mregDCs) have emerged as a regulatory module across species and tumour types. Indeed, the distinct roles of mregDCs in tumour immunotherapy have sparked the interest of researchers in the field of single-cell omics. In particular, these regulatory cells were found to be associated with a positive response to immunotherapy and a favourable prognosis.

CONCLUSION

Here, we provide a general overview of the latest and most notable advances and recent findings regarding the basic features and complex roles of mregDCs in nonmalignant diseases and the tumour microenvironment. We also emphasise the important clinical implications of mregDCs in tumours.

Differentially expressed genes in head kidney of Pelteobagrus fulvidraco following Vibrio cholerae challenge

The yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco) is a freshwater fish with high economic value in eastern China. Nevertheless, pathogens causing bacterial diseases in P. fulvidraco have brought about huge economic loss and high mortality in artificial aquaculture. For disease control, it is critical to further understand the immune system of yellow catfish and immune-related genes with which they respond to pathogenic infections. In this study, high-throughput sequencing methods were used to analyze the transcriptomic spectrum of the head kidney from P. fulvidraco challenged by Vibrio cholera. A total of 45,544 unique transcript fragments (unigenes) were acquired after assembly and annotation, with an average length of 1,373 bp. Additionally, 674 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified after stimulation with V. cholerae, 353 and 321 genes were identified as remarkably up- or downregulated, respectively. To further study the immune-related DEGs, we performed KEGG enrichment and GO enrichment. The results showed gene regulation of response to stimulus, immune response, immune system progress, response to external stimuli and cellular response to stimuli. Analysis of KEGG enrichment is important to identify chief immune related pathways. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) results indicated 10 immune response genes that were found to be upregulated compared to a control group after 6 h of V. cholerae challenging. In summary, the results of our study are helpful to determine the defense mechanisms and immune system responses of yellow catfish in reaction to bacterial challenges.

Deciphering cross-species reactivity of LAMP-1 antibodies using deep mutational epitope mapping and AlphaFold

Delineating the precise regions on an antigen that are targeted by antibodies has become a key step for the development of antibody therapeutics. X-ray crystallography and cryogenic electron microscopy are considered the gold standard for providing precise information about these binding sites at atomic resolution. However, they are labor-intensive and a successful outcome is not guaranteed. We used deep mutational scanning (DMS) of the human LAMP-1 antigen displayed on yeast surface and leveraged next-generation sequencing to observe the effect of individual mutants on the binding of two LAMP-1 antibodies and to determine their functional epitopes on LAMP-1. Fine-tuned epitope mapping by DMS approaches is augmented by knowledge of experimental antigen structure. As human LAMP-1 structure has not yet been solved, we used the AlphaFold predicted structure of the full-length protein to combine with DMS data and ultimately finely map antibody epitopes. The accuracy of this method was confirmed by comparing the results to the co-crystal structure of one of the two antibodies with a LAMP-1 luminal domain. Finally, we used AlphaFold models of non-human LAMP-1 to understand the lack of mAb cross-reactivity. While both epitopes in the murine form exhibit multiple mutations in comparison to human LAMP-1, only one and two mutations in the Macaca form suffice to hinder the recognition by mAb B and A, respectively. Altogether, this study promotes a new application of AlphaFold to speed up precision mapping of antibody-antigen interactions and consequently accelerate antibody engineering for optimization.

LAMP5 may promote MM progression by activating p38

Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common tumor of the hematologic system. MM remains incurable at this time. In this study, we used bioinformatics analysis to find key genes in the pathogenesis of MM. We first found that Lysosome associated membrane protein 5 (LAMP5) expression was sequentially increased in healthy donors (HD), monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM) and newly diagnosed MM (NDMM), relapsed MM (RMM). We collected bone marrow from patients with NDMM, HD and post-treatment MM (PTMM) and performed qPCR analysis of LAMP5, and found that the expression of LAMP5 is stronger in NDMM than in HD, and decreases after treatment. Western blotting assay also found more expression of LAMP5 in NDMM than in HD. Patients with high LAMP5 expression have a higher DS (Durie-Salmon) stage and worse prognosis. We next verified the expression of LAMP5 in four MM cell lines and silenced LAMP5 expression in RPMI-8226 and AMO-1, and explored the effects of LAMP5 silencing on MM cell apoptosis and cell cycle by flow cytometry and western blotting. Knockdown of LAMP5 promoted apoptosis in MM cells, but had no effect on the cell cycle. Mechanistically, LAMP5 may exert its pro-tumor effects in MM in part through activation of p38 protein. We screened LAMP5 for the first time as a key gene for MM progression and recurrence, and found that LAMP5 may exert its pro-tumor effects in MM through activation of p38 protein.

Identification of Common and Specific Genes Involved in Mouse Models of Age-Related and Cyclophosphamide-Induced Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) is an etiologically heterogeneous disorder that usually leads to poor reproductive outcomes. Does a specific or common pathogenesis exist for DOR subtypes with different etiologies? Two frequently used mouse models, age-related DOR (AR-DOR) and cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced DOR (CTX-DOR), were successfully established, and RNA sequencing was performed on ovarian tissue samples. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in each subtype and common DEGs (co-DEGs) in the two subtypes were identified. Subsequently, we performed comprehensive bioinformatics analyses, including an evaluation of immune cell infiltration. Finally, the genes of interest were further validated by performing RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry. In AR-DOR mice, functional enrichment analyses showed that upregulated DEGs were mainly involved in the inflammatory/immune response, while downregulated DEGs were involved in DNA damage repair. In CTX-DOR mice, the inflammatory/immune response and cell apoptosis played significant roles. Meanwhile, 406 co-DEGs were identified from the two models. The biological functions of these co-DEGs were associated with inflammatory/immune responses. The analysis of immune cell infiltration showed reduced infiltration of Treg cells, as well as increased infiltration of M0 macrophages, NK resting, and T cells CD4 follicular in both DOR subtypes. The results of the validation experiments were consistent with the RNA sequencing data. In conclusion, the inflammatory/immune response might be the common pathogenesis for the two DOR subtypes, while DNA repair and cell apoptosis may have different roles in the two subtypes. These results may provide potential insights for mechanistic research and therapeutic targets of DOR.

Proteomic profiling of a patient with cutaneous melanoma metastasis regression following topical contact sensitizer diphencyprone and immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) such as pembrolizumab have revolutionized the treatment of advanced melanoma, but many patients do not respond to ICIs alone, and thus there is need for additional treatment options. Topical immunomodulators such as diphencyprone (DPCP) also have clinical use in advanced melanoma, particularly in the treatment of cutaneous metastases. In a previous report, we characterized the enhanced clinical response to dual agent immunotherapy with pembrolizumab and DPCP in a patient with cutaneous melanoma metastases. To improve mechanistic understanding of this response, we analyzed proteomic data using the Olink immuno-oncology panel of 96 biomarkers from tissue and serum samples of this patient throughout his treatment course. Particular attention was paid to programmed death-1 (PD-1), programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), and lymphocyte-activation gene 3 (LAG-3) given they are all targeted by ICIs in clinical practice. These proteins were upregulated during the period of DPCP monotherapy, then downregulated during pembrolizumab monotherapy, and then robustly upregulated again during dual therapy. Although not exclusively, the induction of checkpoint inhibitor proteins in the presence of DPCP suggests potential synergy between this agent and ICIs in the treatment of cutaneous melanoma metastases. Large-scale investigation is warranted to further evaluate this potential novel combination therapeutic approach.

From Lysosomal Storage Disorders to Parkinson's Disease - Challenges and Opportunities

Lysosomes are specialized organelles with an acidic pH that act as recycling hubs for intracellular and extracellular components. They harbour numerous different hydrolytic enzymes to degrade substrates like proteins, peptides, and glycolipids. Reduced catalytic activity of lysosomal enzymes can cause the accumulation of these substrates and loss of lysosomal integrity, resulting in lysosomal dysfunction and lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs). Post-mitotic cells, such as neurons, seem to be highly sensitive to damages induced by lysosomal dysfunction, thus LSDs often manifest with neurological symptoms. Interestingly, some LSDs and Parkinson's disease (PD) share common cellular pathomechanisms, suggesting convergence of aetiology of the two disease types. This is further underlined by genetic associations of several lysosomal genes involved in LSDs with PD. The increasing number of lysosome-associated genetic risk factors for PD makes it necessary to understand functions and interactions of lysosomal proteins/enzymes both in health and disease, thereby holding the potential to identify new therapeutic targets. In this review, we highlight genetic and mechanistic interactions between the complex lysosomal network, LSDs and PD, and elaborate on methodical challenges in lysosomal research.

A novel sulfur dioxide probe inhibits high glucose-induced endothelial cell senescence

Sulfur dioxide (SO₂) is an important gas signal molecule produced in the cardiovascular system, so it has an important regulatory effect on human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs). Studies have shown that high glucose (HG) has become the main cause of endothelial dysfunction and aging. However, the mechanism by which SO₂ regulates the senescence of vascular endothelial cells induced by HG has not yet been clarified, so it is necessary to find effective tools to elucidate the effect of SO₂ on senescence of HUVECs. In this paper, we identified a novel sulfur dioxide probe (2-(4-(dimethylamino)styryl)-1,1,3-trimethyl-1H-benzo [e]indol-3-ium, DLC) that inhibited the senescence of HUVECs. Our results suggested that DLC facilitated lipid droplets (LDs) translocation to lysosomes and triggered upregulation of LAMP1 protein levels by targeting LDs. Further study elucidated that DLC inhibited HG-induced HUVECs senescence by promoting the decomposition of LDs and protecting the proton channel of V-ATPase on lysosomes. In conclusion, our study revealed the regulatory effect of lipid droplet-targeted sulfur dioxide probes DLC on HG-induced HUVECs senescence. At the same time, it provided the new experimental evidence for elucidating the regulatory mechanism of intracellular gas signaling molecule sulfur dioxide on vascular endothelial fate.

The role of neuroplastin65 in macrophage against E. coli infection in mice

BACKGROUND

Innate immune response constitutes the first line of defense against pathogens. Inflammatory responses involve close contact between different populations of cells. These adhesive interactions mediate migration of cells to sites of infection leading the effective action of cells within the lesions. Cell adhesion molecules are critical to controlling immune response mediating cell adhesion or chemotaxis, as well as coordinating actin-based cell motility during phagocytosis and chemotaxis. Recently, a newly discovered neuroplastin (Np) adhesion molecule is found to play an important role in the nervous system. However, there is limited information on Np functions in immune response. To understand how Np is involved in innate immune response, a mouse model of intraperitoneal infection was established to investigate the effect of Np on macrophage-mediated clearance of E. coli infection and its possible molecular mechanisms.

METHODS

Specific deficiency mice with Nptn gene controlling Np65 isoform were employed in this study. The expression levels of mRNA and proteins were detected by qPCR and western blot, or evaluated by flow cytometry. The expression level of NO and ROS were measured with their specific indicators. Cell cycle and apoptosis were detected by specific detection kits. Acid phosphatase activity was measured by flow cytometry after labelling with LysoRed fluorescent probe. Bone marrow derived macrophages (BMDMs) were isolated from bone marrow of mice hind legs. Cell proliferation was detected by CCK8 assay. Cell migration was measured by wound healing assay or transwell assay.

RESULTS

The lethal dose of E. coli infection in Np65^-/- mice dropped to the half of lethal dose in WT mice. The bacterial load in the spleen, kidney and liver from Np65^-/- mice were significantly higher than that from WT mice, which were due to the dramatic reduction of NO and ROS production in phagocytes from Np65^-/- mice. Np65 gene deficiency remarkably impaired phagocytosis and function of lysosome in macrophage. Furthermore, Np65 molecule was involved in maturation and proliferation, even in migration and chemotaxis of BMDM in vitro.

CONCLUSION

This study for the first time demonstrates that Np is involved in multi-function of phagocytes during bacterial infection, proposing that Np adhesion molecule plays a critical role in clearing pathogen infection in innate immunity.

Application of meso-CF3-Fluorophore BODIPY with Phenyl and Pyrazolyl Substituents for Lifetime Visualization of Lysosomes

A bright far-red emitting unsymmetrical meso-CF₃-BODIPY fluorescent dye with phenyl and pyrazolyl substituents was synthesized by condensation of trifluoropyrrolylethanol with pyrazolyl-pyrrole, with subsequent oxidation and complexation of the formed dipyrromethane. This BODIPY dye exhibits optical absorption at λ_ab ≈ 610-620 nm and emission at λ_em ≈ 640-650 nm. The BODIPY was studied on Ehrlich carcinoma cells as a lysosome-specific fluorescent dye that allows intravital staining of cell structures with subsequent real-time monitoring of changes occurring in the cells. It was also shown that the rate of uptake by cells, the rate of intracellular transport into lysosomes, and the rate of saturation of cells with the dye depend on its concentration in the culture medium. A concentration of 5 μM was chosen as the most suitable BODIPY concentration for fluorescent staining of living cell lysosomes, while a concentration of 100 μM was found to be toxic to Ehrlich carcinoma cells.

Linking Late Endosomal Cholesterol with Cancer Progression and Anticancer Drug Resistance

Cancer cells undergo drastic metabolic adaptions to cover increased bioenergetic needs, contributing to resistance to therapies. This includes a higher demand for cholesterol, which often coincides with elevated cholesterol uptake from low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and overexpression of the LDL receptor in many cancers. This implies the need for cancer cells to accommodate an increased delivery of LDL along the endocytic pathway to late endosomes/lysosomes (LE/Lys), providing a rapid and effective distribution of LDL-derived cholesterol from LE/Lys to other organelles for cholesterol to foster cancer growth and spread. LDL-cholesterol exported from LE/Lys is facilitated by Niemann–Pick Type C1/2 (NPC1/2) proteins, members of the steroidogenic acute regulatory-related lipid transfer domain (StARD) and oxysterol-binding protein (OSBP) families. In addition, lysosomal membrane proteins, small Rab GTPases as well as scaffolding proteins, including annexin A6 (AnxA6), contribute to regulating cholesterol egress from LE/Lys. Here, we summarize current knowledge that links upregulated activity and expression of cholesterol transporters and related proteins in LE/Lys with cancer growth, progression and treatment outcomes. Several mechanisms on how cellular distribution of LDL-derived cholesterol from LE/Lys influences cancer cell behavior are reviewed, some of those providing opportunities for treatment strategies to reduce cancer progression and anticancer drug resistance.

An N-glycoproteomic site-mapping analysis reveals glycoprotein alterations in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Background

Aberrant glycosylation has been recognized as a hallmark of cancer and N-glycosylation is one of the main types of glycosylation in eukaryotes. Although N-glycoproteomics has made contributions to the discovery of biomarkers in a variety of cancers, less is known about the abnormal glycosylation signatures in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

Methods

In this study, we reported the proteomics and N-glycoproteomic site-mapping analysis of eight pairs of ESCC tissues and adjacent normal tissues. With zic-HILIC enrichment, TMT-based isobaric labeling, LC–MS/MS analysis, differentially expressed N-glycosylation was quantitatively characterized. Lectin affinity enrichment combined with western blot was used to validate the potential biomarkers in ESCC.

Results

A series of differentially expressed glycoproteins (e.g., LAMP2, PLOD2) and enriched signaling pathways (e.g., metabolism-related pathway, ECM-receptor interaction, focal adhesion) were identified. Besides that, seven significantly enriched motifs were found from the identified N-glycosylation sites. Three clusters were identified after conducting the dynamic profiling analysis of glycoprotein change during lymph node metastasis progression. Further validation found that the elevated fucosylation level of ITGB1, CD276 contributed to the occurrence and development of ESCC, which might be the potential biomarkers in ESCC.

Conclusion

In summary, we characterized the N-glycosylation and N-glycoprotein alterations associated with ESCC. The typical changes in glycoprotein expression and glycosylation occupancy identified in our study will not only be used as ESCC biomarkers but also improve the understanding of ESCC biology.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12967-022-03489-2.

Circulating proteins and risk of pancreatic cancer: a case-subcohort study among Chinese adults

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic cancer has a very poor prognosis. Biomarkers that may help predict or diagnose pancreatic cancer may lead to earlier diagnosis and improved survival.

METHODS

The prospective China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) recruited 512 891 adults aged 30-79 years during 2004-08, recording 702 incident cases of pancreatic cancer during 9 years of follow-up. We conducted a case-subcohort study measuring 92 proteins in 610 cases and a subcohort of 623 individuals, using the OLINK immuno-oncology panel in stored baseline plasma samples. Cox regression with the Prentice pseudo-partial likelihood was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for risk of pancreatic cancer by protein levels.

RESULTS

Among 1233 individuals (including 610 cases), several chemokines, interleukins, growth factors and membrane proteins were associated with risk of pancreatic cancer, with adjusted HRs per 1 standard deviation (SD) of 0.86 to 1.86, including monocyte chemotactic protein 3 (MCP3/CCL7) {1.29 [95% CI (confidence interval) (1.10, 1.51)]}, angiopoietin-2 (ANGPT2) [1.27 (1.10, 1.48)], interleukin-18 (IL18) [1.24 (1.07, 1.43)] and interleukin-6 (IL6) [1.21 (1.06, 1.38)]. Associations between some proteins [e.g. matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP7), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and tumour necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 9 [TNFRSF9)] and risk of pancreatic cancer were time-varying, with higher levels associated with higher short-term risk. Within the first year, the discriminatory ability of a model with known risk factors (age, age squared, sex, region, smoking, alcohol, education, diabetes and family history of cancer) was increased when several proteins were incorporated (weighted C-statistic changed from 0.85 to 0.99; P for difference = 4.5 × 10-5), although only a small increase in discrimination (0.77 to 0.79, P = 0.04) was achieved for long-term risk.

CONCLUSIONS

Several plasma proteins were associated with subsequent diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. The potential clinical utility of these biomarkers warrants further investigation.

Acetyl-CoA Synthetase 2 as a Therapeutic Target in Tumor Metabolism

Simple Summary

Acetyl-CoA Synthetase 2 (ACSS2) is highly expressed in a variety of tumors, which is very important for tumor growth, proliferation, invasion, and metastasis in the nutritional stress microenvironment. Studies have proven that ACSS2 inhibitors can be effective in halting cancer growth and can be combined with other antineoplastic drugs to reduce drug resistance. This article mainly reviews the mechanism of ACSS2-promoting tumor growth from many aspects and the prospect of clinical application of targeted inhibitors.

Abstract

Acetyl-CoA Synthetase 2 (ACSS2) belongs to a member of the acyl-CoA short-chain synthase family, which can convert acetate in the cytoplasm and nucleus into acetyl-CoA. It has been proven that ACSS2 is highly expressed in glioblastoma, breast cancer, liver cancer, prostate cancer, bladder cancer, renal cancer, and other tumors, and is closely related to tumor stage and the overall survival rate of patients. Accumulating studies show that hypoxia and a low serum level induce ACSS2 expression to help tumor cells cope with this nutrient-poor environment. The potential mechanisms are associated with the ability of ACSS2 to promote the synthesis of lipids in the cytoplasm, induce the acetylation of histones in the nucleus, and facilitate the expression of autophagy genes. Novel-specific inhibitors of ACSS2 are developed and confirmed to the effectiveness in pre-clinical tumor models. Targeting ACSS2 may provide novel approaches for tumor treatment. This review summarizes the biological function of ACSS2, its relation to survival and prognosis in different tumors, and how ACSS2 mediates different pathways to promote tumor metastasis, invasion, and drug resistance.

Adipocyte-Derived CTRP3 Exhibits Anti-Inflammatory Effects via LAMP1-STAT3 Axis in Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a systemic disease that is associated with metabolic disorders, which may contribute to abnormal adipokine levels. However, the underlying mechanism is largely unknown. Here, we investigated the role of the adipokine CTRP3 in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and comorbidities. The circulating CTRP3 level in patients with psoriasis was significantly lower than that in healthy controls and negatively correlated with metabolic risk factors. Rescuing CTRP3 levels with the GLP-1 receptor agonist exendin-4 in diet-induced obese mice could alleviate its more severe psoriatic symptoms in an imiquimod-induced mouse model. Topical application of CTRP3 also exerted a protective effect on imiquimod-induced normal diet mice. Moreover, CTRP3 could directly inhibit the inflammatory responses of psoriatic keratinocytes by blocking phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 via LAMP1 in vitro. We identified the critical psoriatic cytokines, including IL-17A and TNF-α, that impaired adipocyte differentiation and sufficient CTRP3 secretion. In sum, our study reveals that adipocyte dysfunction and low level of CTRP3 caused by IL-17A exacerbates psoriasis progression and related metabolic syndrome, implying a mechanism underlying the vicious cycle between psoriasis and metabolic disorders. Pharmacological agents that improve CTRP3 level in obese patients with psoriasis may be considered as a potential strategy for psoriasis treatment.

The Impact of Mouse Preterm Birth Induction by RU-486 on Microglial Activation and Subsequent Hypomyelination

Preterm birth (PTB) represents 15 million births every year worldwide and is frequently associated with maternal/fetal infections and inflammation, inducing neuroinflammation. This neuroinflammation is mediated by microglial cells, which are brain-resident macrophages that release cytotoxic molecules that block oligodendrocyte differentiation, leading to hypomyelination. Some preterm survivors can face lifetime motor and/or cognitive disabilities linked to periventricular white matter injuries (PWMIs). There is currently no recommendation concerning the mode of delivery in the case of PTB and its impact on brain development. Many animal models of induced-PTB based on LPS injections exist, but with a low survival rate. There is a lack of information regarding clinically used pharmacological substances to induce PTB and their consequences on brain development. Mifepristone (RU-486) is a drug used clinically to induce preterm labor. This study aims to elaborate and characterize a new model of induced-PTB and PWMIs by the gestational injection of RU-486 and the perinatal injection of pups with IL-1beta. A RU-486 single subcutaneous (s.c.) injection at embryonic day (E)18.5 induced PTB at E19.5 in pregnant OF1 mice. All pups were born alive and were adopted directly after birth. IL-1beta was injected intraperitoneally from postnatal day (P)1 to P5. Animals exposed to both RU-486 and IL-1beta demonstrated microglial reactivity and subsequent PWMIs. In conclusion, the s.c. administration of RU-486 induced labor within 24 h with a high survival rate for pups. In the context of perinatal inflammation, RU-486 labor induction significantly decreases microglial reactivity in vivo but did not prevent subsequent PWMIs.

LAMP2 as a Biomarker Related to Prognosis and Immune Infiltration in Esophageal Cancer and Other Cancers: A Comprehensive Pan-Cancer Analysis

Esophageal cancer (ESCA) is a common malignant tumor with poor prognosis. Accumulating evidence indicates an important role of lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2 (LAMP2) in the progression and development of various cancers. In this study, we obtained RNA-sequencing raw count data and the corresponding clinical information for ESCA samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus databases. We comprehensively investigated the expression and prognostic significance of LAMP2 and relationships between LAMP2 expression and prognosis, different clinicopathological parameters, and immune cell infiltration in ESCA. We also obtained the differentially expressed genes between the high LAMP2 expression and low LAMP2 expression groups in ESCA and performed a functional enrichment analysis of the 250 linked genes most positively related to LAMP2 expression. Moreover, we performed the pan-cancer analysis of LAMP2 to further analyze the role of LAMP2 in 25 commonly occurring types of human cancer. We also verified and compared the expression of LAMP2 in 40 samples of human ESCA tissue and adjacent tissues. The results indicated that LAMP2 expression was significantly upregulated in ESCA and various human cancers. In addition, LAMP2 expression was associated with certain clinicopathological parameters, prognosis, and immune infiltration in ESCA and the other types of cancer. Our study represents a comprehensive pan-cancer analysis of LAMP2 and supports the potential use of the modulation of LAMP2 in the management of ESCA and various cancers.

CTRP3 alleviates cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury via LAMP1/JIP2/JNK signaling pathway

Background: C1q/tumor necrosis factor-related protein 3 (CTRP3) has been reported to be a crucial regulator in myocardial infarction. Nevertheless, the potential molecular mechanism of CTRP3 in ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury remains largely unclear.

Methods: The cell model of myocardial I/R injury was established by oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) of rat cardiomyocyte H9C2. Expression of CTRP3 and lysosomal-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1) was detected in H9C2 cells treated with oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R). H9C2 cells were transfected with overexpression plasmids of CTRP3 (pcDNA-CTRP3) and LAMP1 (pcDNA-LAMP1), or CTRP3 small interfering RNA (si-CTRP3) or/and pcDNA-LAMP1, and cell proliferation, apoptosis and oxidative stress were testified. Co-IP assay was performed to validate the relationship among CTRP3, LAMP1 and JIP2. The role of CTRP3 and LAMP1 in JIP2/JNK pathway was evaluated with Western blot assay. Furthermore, in vivo myocardial I/R injury model was constructed to investigate the effect of CTRP3.

Results: Overexpression of CTRP3 and LAMP1 both significantly promoted cell proliferation, inhibited apoptosis and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MAD) and cardiac troponin (cTn-I), while silencing CTRP3 exerted the opposite effects, and LAMP1 overexpression reversed the effect of silencing CTRP3 on the aspects above. CTRP3 interacted with LAMP1, and both CTRP3 and LAMP1 bound with JIP2. SP600125 (JNK inhibitor) could restore the effects of CTRP3 or LAMP1 overexpression on the expression of JIP2 and phosphorylated-JNK (p-JNK), proliferation and apoptosis. Moreover, overexpression of CTRP3 improved cardiac I/R injury in vivo.

Conclusion: CTRP3 alleviates cardiac I/R injury by elevating LAMP1 and activating JIP2/JNK signaling pathway, which may serve as a potential therapeutic target for I/R injury.