Inducible microRNA-590-5p inhibits host antiviral response by targeting the soluble interleukin-6 (IL6) receptor

Large-Scale Proteome Profiling Identifies Biomarkers Associated with Suspected Neurosyphilis Diagnosis

Neurosyphilis (NS) is a central nervous system (CNS) infection caused by Treponema pallidum (T. pallidum). NS can occur at any stage of syphilis and manifests as a broad spectrum of clinical symptoms. Often referred to as "the great imitator," NS can be easily overlooked or misdiagnosed due to the absence of standard diagnostic tests, potentially leading to severe and irreversible organ dysfunction. In this study, proteomic and machine learning model techniques are used to characterize 223 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples to identify diagnostic markers of NS and provide insights into the underlying mechanisms of the associated inflammatory responses. Three biomarkers (SEMA7A, SERPINA3, and ITIH4) are validated as contributors to NS diagnosis through multicenter verification of an additional 115 CSF samples. We anticipate that the identified biomarkers will become effective tools for assisting in diagnosis of NS. Our insights into NS pathogenesis in brain tissue may inform therapeutic strategies and drug discoveries for NS patients.

MicroRNA‑378: An important player in cardiovascular diseases (Review)

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a common chronic clinical condition and is the main cause of death in humans worldwide. Understanding the genetic and molecular mechanisms involved in the development of CVD is essential to develop effective prevention strategies and therapeutic measures. An increasing number of CVD‑related genetic studies have been conducted, including those on the potential roles of microRNAs (miRs). These studies have demonstrated that miR‑378 is involved in the pathological processes of CVD, including those of myocardial infarction, heart failure and coronary heart disease. Despite the potential importance of miR‑378 CVD, a comprehensive summary of the related literature is lacking. Thus, the present review aimed to summarize the findings of previous studies on the roles and mechanisms of miR‑378 in a variety of CVDs and provide an up‑to date basis for further r research targeting the prevention and treatment of CVDs.

The Expression Levels of MicroRNAs Differentially Expressed in Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss Patients' Serum Are Unchanged for up to 12 Months after Hearing Loss Onset

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is an acquired idiopathic hearing loss. Serum levels of small, non-coding RNAs and microRNAs (miRNAs) miR-195-5p/-132-3p/-30a-3p/-128-3p/-140-3p/-186-5p/-375-3p/-590-5p are differentially expressed in SSNHL patients within 28 days of hearing loss onset. This study determines if these changes persist by comparing the serum miRNA expression profile of SSNHL patients within 1 month of hearing loss onset with that of patients 3-12 months after hearing loss onset. We collected serum from consenting adult SSNHL patients at presentation or during clinic follow-up. We matched patient samples drawn 3-12 months after hearing loss onset (delayed group, n = 9 patients) by age and sex to samples drawn from patients within 28 days of hearing loss onset (immediate group, n = 14 patients). We compared the real-time PCR-determined expression levels of the target miRNAs between the two groups. We calculated the air conduction pure-tone-averaged (PTA) audiometric thresholds in affected ears at the initial and final follow-up visits. We undertook inter-group comparisons of hearing outcome status and initial and final PTA audiometric thresholds. There was no significant inter-group difference in miRNA expression level, hearing recovery status and initial and final affected ear PTA audiometric thresholds.

Transcriptome analysis of infected Crandell Rees Feline Kidney (CRFK) cells by canine parvovirus type 2c Laotian isolates

The advent of RNA sequencing technology provides insight into the dynamic nature of tremendous transcripts within Crandell-Reese feline kidney (CRFK) cells in response to canine parvovirus (CPV-2c) infection. A total of 1,603 genes displayed differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including 789 up-regulated genes and 814 downregulated genes in the infected cells. Gene expression profiles have shown a subtle pattern of defense mechanism and immune response to CPV through significant DEGs when extensively examined via Gene Ontology (GO) and pathway analysis. Prospective GO analysis was performed and identified several enriched GO biological process terms with significant participating roles in the immune system process and defense response to virus pathway. A Gene network was constructed using the 22 most significantly enriched genes of particular interests in defense response to virus pathways to illustrate the key pathways. Eleven genes (C1QBP, CD40, HYAL2, IFNB1, IFNG, IL12B, IL6, IRF3, LSM14A, MAVS, NLRC5) were identified, which are directly related to the defense response to the virus. Results of transcriptome profiling permit us to understand the heterogeneity of DEGs during in vitro experimental study of CPV infection, reflecting a unique transcriptome signature for the CPV virus. Our findings also demonstrate a distinct scenario of enhanced CPV responses in CRFK cells for viral clearance that involved multistep and perplexity of biological processes. Collectively, our data have given a fundamental role in anti-viral immunity as our highlights of this study, thus providing outlooks on future research priorities to be important in studying CPV.

Low expression of IL6R predicts poor prognosis for lung adenocarcinoma

Background

Interleukin 6 (IL6) is both a pleiotropic cytokine and an immune-related gene. Interleukin 6 receptor (IL6R) is the receptor for IL6. It may be closely connected to the development of lung cancer. This research aims to explore the prognostic value of IL6R and prevent overtreatment of patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).

Methods

In this study, the expression of IL6R in tumor tissues and surrounding tissues was first analyzed by immunohistochemistry in the Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University (NTU) cohort. Secondly, we downloaded information from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) for the TCGA cohort and used this information to explore the messenger RNA (mRNA) level of IL6R. We then used Kaplan-Meier survival analyses, univariate and multivariate Cox analyses, nomogram models, and decision curve analyses to assess the prognostic value of IL6R. In addition, we also analyzed immune cell infiltration and the signaling pathways related to IL6R through Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA).

Results

Through the data analysis of the NTU cohort and the TCGA cohort, it was found that the expression of IL6R in normal tissues around the tumor was higher than that in tumor tissue, and was positively correlated with the overall survival (OS) of LUAD patients. Additionally, low expression of IL6R was found to be an independent predictor of poor prognosis among the patients in these two research cohorts. Next, using GO, KEGG, and GSEA analyses, we found that partially infiltrated tumor immune cells might be related to earlier staging and better prognosis of patients with LUAD. Finally, the study of the 3-5-year survival rate of LUAD patients through the nomogram showed that the expression of IL6R could improve the accuracy of prediction to prevent the overtreatment of some LUAD patients.

Conclusions

In summary, our study indicated that the low expression of IL6R was associated with poor prognosis among LUAD patients and that low expression of IL6R is a potential independent risk factor that could provide a basis for strengthening postoperative classification management of such patients.

p53 mitigates the effects of oncogenic HRAS in urothelial cells via the repression of MCOLN1

Inhibition of TRPML1, which is encoded by MCOLN1, is known to deter cell proliferation in various malignancies. Here, we report that the tumor suppressor, p53, represses MCOLN1 in the urothelium such that either the constitutive loss or ectopic knockdown of TP53-in both healthy and bladder cancer cells-increased MCOLN1 expression. Conversely, nutlin-mediated activation of p53 led to the repression of MCOLN1. Elevated MCOLN1 expression in p53-deficient cancer cells, though not sufficient for bolstering proliferation, augmented the effects of oncogenic HRAS on proliferation, cytokine production, and invasion. Our data suggest that owing to derepression of MCOLN1, urothelial cells lacking p53 are poised for tumorigenesis driven by oncogenic HRAS. Given our prior findings that HRAS mutations predict addiction to TRPML1, this study points to the utility of TRPML1 inhibitors for mitigating the growth of a subset of urothelial tumors that lack p53.

Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog (PTEN) of Japanese Flounder-Its Regulation by miRNA and Role in Autophagy, Apoptosis and Pathogen Infection

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs with important roles in diverse biological processes including immunity. Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) is an aquaculture fish species susceptible to the infection of bacterial and viral pathogens including Edwardsiella tarda. In a previous study, pol-miR-novel_547, a novel miRNA of flounder with unknown function, was found to be induced by E. tarda. In the present study, we investigated the regulation and function of pol-miR-novel_547 and its target gene. We found that pol-miR-novel_547 was regulated differently by E. tarda and the viral pathogen megalocytivirus, and pol-miR-novel_547 repressed the expression of PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog) of flounder (PoPTEN). PoPTEN is ubiquitously expressed in multiple tissues of flounder and responded to bacterial and viral infections. Interference with PoPTEN expression in flounder cells directly or via pol-miR-novel_547 promoted E. tarda invasion. Consistently, in vivo knockdown of PoPTEN enhanced E. tarda dissemination in flounder tissues, whereas in vivo overexpression of PoPTEN attenuated E. tarda dissemination but facilitated megalocytivirus replication. Further in vitro and in vivo studies showed that PoPTEN affected autophagy activation via the AKT/mTOR pathway and also modulated the process of apoptosis. Together these results reveal for the first time a critical role of fish PTEN and its regulatory miRNA in pathogen infection, autophagy, and apoptosis.

Expression Profiles of Exosomal MicroRNAs from HEV- and HCV-Infected Blood Donors and Patients: A Pilot Study

Exosomes seem to play an important role in hepatits C virus (HCV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection by shielding their cargo from the host immune responses, with microRNAs being key exosomal components. Little is known about their involvement in a mixed HCV/HEV infection or at the early stages of infection, such as in asymptomatic blood donors (BDs). To obtain preliminary data, we have compared the exosomal microRNA expression profiles in four each of HCV RNA-positive, HEV RNA-positive and negative blood donors and four patients, one of whom was a rare patient with HCV/HEV co-infection. Exosomes were purified from sera by a combination of a precipitation and density gradient centrifugation and exosomal microRNA was analysed using Taqman array cards. Out of 33 deregulated miRNAs, miR-885-5p and miR-365 were upregulated in HCV BDs, miR-627-5p was downregulated in HCV BD and miR-221 was downregulated in HCV patients and BDs. In HEV infection, miR-526b appeared specifically downregulated. Six miRNAs (miR-628-3p, miR-194, miR-151-3p, miR-512-3p, miR-335 and miR-590) indicated a potential involvement in both infections. First time preliminary data on pre- and post-antiviral treatment exosomal microRNA profiles of the HEV/HCV co-infected patient revealed a pool of 77 upregulated and 43 downregulated miRNAs to be further investigated for their potential roles in these viral infections.

Non-coding RNA and immune-checkpoint inhibitors: friends or foes?

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are an abundant component of the human transcriptome. Their biological role, however, remains incompletely understood. Nevertheless, ncRNAs are highly associated with cancer development and progression due to their ability to modulate gene expression, protein translation and growth pathways. Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are considered one of the most promising and highly effective therapeutic approaches for cancer treatment. ICIs are monoclonal antibodies targeting immune checkpoints such as CTLA-4, PD-1 and PD-L1 signalling pathways that stimulate T cell cytotoxicity and can result in tumor growth suppression. This Review will summarize existing knowledge regarding ncRNAs and their role in cancer and ICI therapy. In addition, we will discuss potential mechanisms by which ncRNAs may influence ICI treatment outcomes.

Detection and characterization of microRNA expression profiling and its target genes in response to canine parvovirus in Crandell Reese Feline Kidney cells

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an essential role in gene regulators in many biological and molecular phenomena. Unraveling the involvement of miRNA as a key cellular factor during in vitro canine parvovirus (CPV) infection may facilitate the discovery of potential intervention candidates. However, the examination of miRNA expression profiles in CPV in tissue culture systems has not been fully elucidated.

Method

In the present study, we utilized high-throughput small RNA-seq (sRNA-seq) technology to investigate the altered miRNA profiling in miRNA libraries from uninfected (Control) and CPV-2c infected Crandell Reese Feline Kidney cells.

Results

We identified five of known miRNAs (miR-222-5p, miR-365-2-5p, miR-1247-3p, miR-322-5p and miR-361-3p) and three novel miRNAs (Novel 137, Novel 141 and Novel 102) by sRNA-seq with differentially expressed genes in the miRNA repertoire of CPV-infected cells over control. We further predicted the potential target genes of the aforementioned miRNAs using sequence homology algorithms. Notably, the targets of miR-1247-3p exhibited a potential function associated with cellular defense and humoral response to CPV. To extend the probing scheme for gene targets of miR-1247-3p, we explored and performed Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis of its target genes. We discovered 229 putative targets from a total of 38 enriched GO terms. The top over-represented GO enrichment in biological process were lymphocyte activation and differentiation, marginal zone B cell differentiation, negative regulation of cytokine production, negative regulation of programed cell death, and negative regulation of signaling. We next constructed a GO biological process network composed of 28 target genes of miR-1247-3p, of which, some genes, namely BCL6, DLL1, GATA3, IL6, LEF1, LFNG and WNT1 were among the genes with obviously intersected in multiple GO terms.

Conclusion

The miRNA-1247-3p and its cognate target genes suggested their great potential as novel therapeutic targets or diagnostic biomarkers of CPV or other related viruses.

microRNAs in sudden hearing loss

OBJECTIVES

To compare the circulating microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles between sudden sensory neural hearing loss (SSNHL) patients and age-matched normal hearing controls.

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective cohort multi-center study.

METHODS

Patients presenting within 28 days of onset of SSNHL were prospectively recruited along with contemporaneous age-matched controls. Pooled sera of four patient (n = 09, mean age = 53.0 years; 07, 55.0; 10, 52.9; 10, 51.6) and two control (09, 51.2 and 03, 50.0) groups were assessed using a TaqMan Low Density Array. The patients' sera were also divided into two pools, untreated (04, 57.7) and treated (32, 52.6) for additional analysis. miRNA expression level was derived from cycle threshold (Ct) values normalized to a global mean. Inter-group mean Ct differences with fold changes ≥2.0 and ≤0.5 at P < .05 were considered significant. Bioinformatic databases were used to identify putative target mRNAs or validated genes and their functional annotations.

RESULTS

Thirty-six SSNHL patients (mean age 53.0 ± standard deviation (SD) 15.2 years) and 12 controls (50.9 ± 11.9) were studied. Eight miRNAs hsa-miR-590-5p/ -186-5p/ -195-5p/ -140-3p/ -128-3p/ -132-3p/ -375-3p, and -30a-3p were identified as significantly differentially expressed in SSNHL patients. Most of these miRNAs were abundantly identified in the nervous system and the putative target messenger RNAs (mRNAs) were enriched in signaling pathways such as phosphatidyl inositol 3 kinase/protein Kinase B (PI3K/Akt), Ras and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK).

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest the possible cellular signaling pathways that underlie the disruption of auditory signal transmission in SSNHL.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

2 Laryngoscope, 130:E416-E422, 2020.

Global profiling and characterization of Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) kidney microRNAs regulated by Edwardsiella tarda infection in a time-dependent fashion

Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) is an important economic fish species farmed in China and other countries. It is susceptible to infection by Edwardsiella tarda, a severe fish pathogen with a broad host range. In this study, we employed high-throughput deep sequencing technology to identify, in a global scale, flounder kidney microRNAs (miRNAs) induced by E. tarda at different stages of infection. Differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) and mRNAs (DEmRNAs) exhibiting significantly altered expression levels before and after E. tarda infection were examined. A total of 96 DEmiRNAs were identified, for which 2779 target genes were predicted. Eighty-seven miRNA-mRNA pairs, involving 29 DEmiRNAs and 86 DEmRNAs, showed negative correlations in their expression patterns. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that the putative target genes of the DEmiRNAs were associated with diverse biological processes, cellular components, and molecular functions. One of the DEmiRNAs, pol-miR-182-5p, was demonstrated to regulate sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 (PoS1PR1) negatively in a manner that depended on the specific interaction between the seed sequence of pol-miR-182-5p and the 3'-UTR of PoS1PR1. Overexpression of pol-miR-182-5p in flounder cells promoted apoptosis and inhibited cellular viability. Knockdown of PoS1PR1 in flounder enhanced E. tarda invasion and dissemination in fish tissues. These results provide new insights into miRNA-mediated anti-bacterial immunity in flounder.

TGF-β dampens IL-6 signaling in articular chondrocytes by decreasing IL-6 receptor expression

OBJECTIVE

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is an important homeostatic regulator of cartilage. In contrast, interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine implicated in cartilage degeneration. Cross-talk between TGF-β and IL-6 is reported in tissues other than articular cartilage. Here, we investigated regulation of IL-6 signaling by TGF-β in articular chondrocytes.

DESIGN

Human primary chondrocytes and the human G6 chondrocyte cell line were stimulated with TGF-β1 or interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Expression of IL-6 and IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) was determined on mRNA and protein level. TGF-β regulation of IL-6 signaling via phosho-STAT3 (p-STAT3) was determined using Western blot, in presence of inhibitors for IL-6R, and Janus kinase(JAK)- and activin receptor-like kinase ALK)5 kinase activity. Furthermore, induction of STAT3-responsive genes was used as a read-out for IL-6 induced gene expression.

RESULTS

TGF-β1 increased IL-6 mRNA and protein expression in both G6 and primary chondrocytes. Moreover, TGF-β1 stimulation clearly induced p-STAT3), which was abolished by inhibition of either IL-6R, JAK- or ALK5 kinase activity. However, TGF-β1 did not increase expression of the STAT3-responsive gene SOCS3 and pre-treatment with TGF-β1 even inhibited induction of p-STAT3 and SOCS3 by rhIL-6. Interestingly, TGF-β1 potently decreased IL-6R expression. In contrast, IL-1β did increase IL-6 levels, but did not affect IL-6R expression. Finally, addition of recombinant IL-6R abolished the inhibitory effect of TGF-β1 on IL-6-induced p-STAT3 and downstream SOCS3, BCL3, SAA1 and MMP1 expression.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study we show that TGF-β decreases IL-6R expression, thereby dampening IL-6 signaling in chondrocytes. This reveals a novel effect of TGF-β, possibly important to restrict pro-inflammatory IL-6 effects to preserve cartilage homeostasis.