Glucocorticoid-transactivated TSC22D3 attenuates hypoxia- and diabetes-induced Müller glial galectin-1 expression via HIF-1α destabilization

Research Progress on the Role of Ubiquitination in Eye Diseases

The occurrence and development of ophthalmic diseases are related to the dysfunction of eye tissues. Ubiquitin is an important form of protein post-translational modification, which plays an essential role in the occurrence and development of diseases through specific modification of target proteins. Ubiquitination governs a variety of intracellular signal transduction processes, including proteasome degradation, DNA damage repair, and cell cycle progression. Studies have found that ubiquitin can play a role in eye diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, keratopathy, retinopathy, and eye tumors. In this paper, the role of protein ubiquitination in eye diseases was reviewed.

Tsc22d3 promotes morphine tolerance in mice through the GPX4 ferroptosis pathway

BACKGROUND

Morphine tolerance refers to gradual reduction in response to drug with continuous or repeated use of morphine, requiring higher doses to achieve same effect.

METHODS

The morphine tolerance dataset GSE7762 profiles, obtained from gene expression omnibus (GEO) database, were used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) was applied to explore core modules of DEGs related to morphine tolerance. Core genes were input into Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD). Animal experiments were performed to validate role of Tsc22d3 in morphine tolerance and its relationship with ferroptosis-related pathway.

RESULTS

500 DEGs were identified. DEGs were primarily enriched in negative regulation of brain development, neuronal apoptosis processes, and neurosystem development. Core gene was identified as Tsc22d3. Tsc22d3 gene-associated miRNAs were mmu-miR-196b-5p and mmu-miR-196a-5p. Compared to Non-morphine tolerant group, Tsc22d3 expression was significantly upregulated in Morphine tolerant group. Tsc22d3 expression was upregulated in Morphine tolerant+Tsc22d3_OE, expression of HIF-1alpha, GSH, GPX4 in GPX4 ferroptosis-related pathway showed a more pronounced decrease. As Tsc22d3 expression was downregulated in Morphine tolerant+Tsc22d3_KO, expression of HIF-1alpha, GSH, GPX4 in GPX4 ferroptosis-related pathway exhibited a more pronounced increase. Upregulation of Tsc22d3 in Morphine tolerant+Tsc22d3_OE led to a more pronounced increase in expression of apoptosis proteins (P53, Caspase-3, Bax, SMAC, FAS). The expression of inflammatory factors (IL6, TNF-alpha, CXCL1, CXCL2) showed a more pronounced increase with upregulated Tsc22d3 expression in Morphine tolerant+Tsc22d3_OE.

CONCLUSIONS

Tsc22d3 is highly expressed in brain tissue of morphine-tolerant mice, activating ferroptosis pathway, enhancing apoptosis, promoting inflammatory responses in brain cells.

TSC22D2 Regulates ACOT8 to Delay the Malignant Progression of Colorectal Cancer

Purpose

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the cancers with high incidence and mortality rates worldwide. In China, there are approximately 400,000 new CRC cases each year, seriously endangering people's life and health. Transforming growth factor β-stimulated clone 22 domain family, member 2 (TSC22D2) is widely expression in cancers, but the role of TSC22D2 in CRC are still unknown.

Methods

Real‑time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot were applied to determine the TSC22D2 levels. CCK-8, colony formation and transwell assays were used to determine the proliferation and metastasis abilities of CRC cells in vitro. In vivo metastatic potential was assessed using a subcutaneously injected mouse model and. Western-blot and immunoprecipitation experiments were used to study the mechanism of TSC22D2‑mediated metastasis.

Results

We found TSC22D2 was deregulated in CRC tissues and cells and implied poor prognosis. Overexpression TSC22D2 significantly promoted CRC cells proliferation and tumorigenicity both in vitro and vivo, whereas knockdown TSC22D2 resulted in the opposite effects. Importantly using a co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) assay combined with mass spectrometry analysis to identify TSC22D2-interacting acyl-coenzyme A thioesterases 8 (ACOT8), TSC22D2 maintained stability of ACOT8. Overexpression of TCC22D2 in CRC cells can promote the expression of ACOT8 and inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of CRC cells through EMT mechanism, highlighting the possibility of TSC22D2 as a potential target in CRC development.

Conclusion

In summary, the present study revealed the inhibitory effect of TSC22D2 on the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells, suggesting that TSC22D2 may be an important tumor suppressor and a potential therapeutic target during colorectal carcinogenesis.

Pathogenesis of diabetic complications: Exploring hypoxic niche formation and HIF-1α activation

Hypoxia is a common feature of diabetic tissues, which highly correlates to the progression of diabetes. The formation of hypoxic context is induced by disrupted oxygen homeostasis that is predominantly driven by vascular remodeling in diabetes. While different types of vascular impairments have been reported, the specific features and underlying mechanisms are yet to be fully understood. Under hypoxic condition, cells upregulate hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), an oxygen sensor that coordinates oxygen concentration and cell metabolism under hypoxic conditions. However, diabetic context exploits this machinery for pathogenic functions. Although HIF-1α protects cells from diabetic insult in multiple tissues, it also jeopardizes cell function in the retina. To gain a deeper understanding of hypoxia in diabetic complications, we focus on the formation of tissue hypoxia and the outcomes of HIF-1α dysregulation under diabetic context. Hopefully, this review can provide a better understanding on hypoxia biology in diabetes.

Transcriptomic Analysis of Takifugu obscurus Gills under Acute Hypoxic Stress

Takifugu obscurus has relatively small gills and gill pores, leading to a relatively low respiratory capacity and increased vulnerability to low dissolved oxygen (DO) levels compared to other fish. To investigate the responses of T. obscurus to acute hypoxic stress, high-throughput-sequencing-based transcriptomic analyses were conducted here to assess the responses of T. obscurus gills to acute hypoxic stress. Three environmental conditions were compared including normoxia (DO: 7.0 ± 0.2 mg/L), hypoxic stress (DO: 0.9 ± 0.2 mg/L), and reoxygenation (4, 8, 12, and 24 h after return to normoxia) conditions to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) responsive to hypoxia. A total of 992, 877, 1561, 1412, and 679 DEGs were identified in the normoxia and reoxygenation for 4, 8, 12, and 24 h groups in comparison to the hypoxia groups, respectively. The DEGs were primarily associated with oxidative stress, growth and development, and immune responses. Further functional annotation enrichment analysis of the DEGs revealed that they were primarily related to cytokine-cytokine interactions, transforming growth factor β receptor (TGF-β), cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling pathway, and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. These results provide new insights into the physiological and biochemical mechanisms of T. obscurus adaptations to hypoxic stress. Furthermore, these results provide a framework for future studies into the molecular mechanisms of hypoxia tolerance and the healthy culture of T. obscurus and other fish.

Identification of Markers for Diagnosis and Treatment of Diabetic Kidney Disease Based on the Ferroptosis and Immune

BACKGROUND

In advanced diabetic kidney disease (DKD), iron metabolism and immune dysregulation are abnormal, but the correlation is not clear. Therefore, we aim to explore the potential mechanism of ferroptosis-related genes in DKD and their relationship with immune inflammatory response and to identify new diagnostic biomarkers to help treat and diagnose DKD.

METHODS

Download data from gene expression omnibus (GEO) database and FerrDb database, and construct random forest tree (RF) and support vector machine (SVM) model to screen hub ferroptosis genes (DE-FRGs). We used consistent unsupervised consensus clustering to cluster DKD samples, and enrichment analysis was performed by Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA), Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and then assessed immune cell infiltration abundance using the single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) and CIBERSORT algorithms. Ferroptosis scoring system was established based on the Boruta algorithm, and then, core compounds were screened, and binding sites were predicted by Coremine Medical database.

RESULTS

We finally established a 7-gene signature (DUSP1, PRDX6, PEBP1, ZFP36, GABARAPL1, TSC22D3, and RGS4) that exhibited good stability across different datasets. Consistent clustering analysis divided the DKD samples into two ferroptosis modification patterns. Meanwhile, autophagy and peroxisome pathways and immune-related pathways can participate in the regulation of ferroptosis modification patterns. The abundance of immune cell infiltration differs significantly across patterns. Further, molecular docking results showed that the core compound could bind to the protein encoded by the core gene.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that ferroptosis modification plays a crucial role in the diversity and complexity of the DKD immune microenvironment, and the ferroptosis score system can be used to effectively verify the relationship between ferroptosis and immune cell infiltration in DKD patients. Kaempferol and quercetin may be potential drugs to improve the immune and inflammatory mechanisms of DKD by affecting ferroptosis.

Astaxanthin Ameliorates Diabetic Retinopathy in Swiss Albino Mice via Inhibitory Processes of Neuron-Specific Enolase Activity

Retinopathy is one of the most common complications of diabetes mellitus. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) occurs due to microvascular damage in retinal tissues provoked by high blood sugar levels. The available drugs for DR are limited. Astaxanthin (AST) has anti-hypertensive, anti-obesity, and anti-diabetic properties. However, the therapeutic effect of AST on DR remains elusive. The present study is designed to investigate the effects of AST on DR via inhibition of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) activity. DR was induced by the administration of streptozotocin (STZ, 35 mg/kg: intraperitoneal; and 20 μL of STZ: intravitreal) in mice. AST (10 and 20 mg/kg) was administered orally (p.o.) for 21 days. The DR associated visual changes were assessed at different time intervals via optokinetic motor response (OMR) and penta-maze (PM) tests. Blood glucose level as well as retinal catalase, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), & neuron-specific enolase (NSE) were estimated. The reference drug i.e., dexamethasone (DEX, 10 mg/kg; p.o.) was administered for 21 days. The administration of AST showed significant ameliorative potential in DR. Hence, AST can be used as a natural medicine for the management of DR due to its potential antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and NSE inhibitory properties.

Galectin-1 activates carbonic anhydrase IX and modulates glioma metabolism

Galectins are a family of β-galactose-specific binding proteins residing within the cytosol or nucleus, with a highly conserved carbohydrate recognition domain across many species. Accumulating evidence shows that Galectin 1 (Gal-1) plays an essential role in cancer, and its expression correlates with tumor aggressiveness and progression. Our preliminary data showed Gal-1 promotes glioma stem cell (GSC) growth via increased Warburg effect. mRNA expression and clinical data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. The immunoblot analysis conducted using our cohort of human glioblastoma patient specimens (hGBM), confirmed Gal-1 upregulation in GBM. GC/MS analysis to evaluate the effects of Gal-1 depletion showed elevated levels of α-ketoglutaric acid, and citric acid with a concomitant reduction in lactic acid levels. Using Biolog microplate-1 mitochondrial functional assay, we confirmed that the depletion of Gal-1 increases the expression levels of the enzymes from the TCA cycle, suggesting a reversal of the Warburg phenotype. Manipulation of Gal-1 using RNA interference showed reduced ATP, lactate levels, cell viability, colony-forming abilities, and increased expression levels of genes implicated in the induction of apoptosis. Gal-1 exerts its metabolic role via regulating the expression of carbonic anhydrase IX (CA-IX), a surrogate marker for hypoxia. CA-IX functions downstream to Gal-1, and co-immunoprecipitation experiments along with proximity ligation assays confirm that Gal-1 physically associates with CA-IX to regulate its expression. Further, silencing of Gal-1 in mice models showed reduced tumor burden and increased survival compared to the mice implanted with GSC controls. Further investigation of Gal-1 in GSC progression and metabolic reprogramming is warranted.

Galectin 1-A Key Player between Tissue Repair and Fibrosis

Galectins are ten family members of carbohydrate-binding proteins with a high affinity for β galactose-containing oligosaccharides. Galectin-1 (Gal-1) is the first protein discovered in the family, expressed in many sites under normal and pathological conditions. In the first part of the review article, we described recent advances in the Gal-1 modulatory role on wound healing, by focusing on the different phases triggered by Gal-1, such as inflammation, proliferation, tissue repair and re-epithelialization. On the contrary, Gal-1 persistent over-expression enhances angiogenesis and extracellular matrix (ECM) production via PI3K/Akt pathway activation and leads to keloid tissue. Therefore, the targeted Gal-1 modulation should be considered a method of choice to treat wound healing and avoid keloid formation. In the second part of the review article, we discuss studies clarifying the role of Gal-1 in the pathogenesis of proliferative diabetic retinopathy, liver, renal, pancreatic and pulmonary fibrosis. This evidence suggests that Gal-1 may become a biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of tissue fibrosis and a promising molecular target for the development of new and original therapeutic tools to treat fibrosis in different chronic diseases.

Dynamics of Transcription Factors in Three Early Phases of Osteogenic, Adipogenic, and Chondrogenic Differentiation Determining the Fate of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Rats

The imbalance of osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic differentiation in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) occurred in multiple age-related degenerative diseases such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. In order to improve our understanding and control of multi-directional differentiation of BMSCs in rats, using high-throughput sequencing, we identified key gene regulatory events in the early stages of lineage commitment. Data analysis revealed two transcription factors (TFs, Tsc22d3, and Epas1) with elevated expression throughout the initiation of differentiation (3 h), lineage acquisition (12 h), and early lineage progression (72 h) of three-directional differentiation. For osteogenic differentiation, 792, 1,042, and 638 differentially expressed genes including 48, 59, and 34 TFs were identified at three time points, respectively. Moreover, the functional analysis demonstrated that 4, 12, and 5 TFs were only differentially expressed during osteogenic differentiation at 3, 12, and 72 h, respectively, and not during other two-directional differentiation. Hopx showed enhanced expression throughout three early phases during the osteogenic differentiation but no significant change in other two-directional differentiation. A similar pattern of Gbx2 expression occurred in chondrogenic differentiation. Thus, Hopx and other early responder TFs may control the osteogenic cell fate of BMSCs and participate in the development of osteoporosis. Gbx2 and other early responder TFs should be considered in mechanistic models that clarify cartilage-anabolic changes in the clinical progression of osteoarthritis.

Identification of Binding Proteins for TSC22D1 Family Proteins Using Mass Spectrometry

TSC-22 (TGF-β stimulated clone-22) has been reported to induce differentiation, growth inhibition, and apoptosis in various cells. TSC-22 is a member of a family in which many proteins are produced from four different family genes. TSC-22 (corresponding to TSC22D1-2) is composed of 144 amino acids translated from a short variant mRNA of the TSC22D1 gene. In this study, we attempted to determine the intracellular localizations of the TSC22D1 family proteins (TSC22D1-1, TSC-22 (TSC22D1-2), and TSC22(86) (TSC22D1-3)) and identify the binding proteins for TSC22D1 family proteins by mass spectrometry. We determined that TSC22D1-1 was mostly localized in the nucleus, TSC-22 (TSC22D1-2) was localized in the cytoplasm, mainly in the mitochondria and translocated from the cytoplasm to the nucleus after DNA damage, and TSC22(86) (TSC22D1-3) was localized in both the cytoplasm and nucleus. We identified multiple candidates of binding proteins for TSC22D1 family proteins in in vitro pull-down assays and in vivo binding assays. Histone H1 bound to TSC-22 (TSC22D1-2) or TSC22(86) (TSC22D1-3) in the nucleus. Guanine nucleotide-binding protein-like 3 (GNL3), which is also known as nucleostemin, bound to TSC-22 (TSC22D1-2) in the nucleus. Further investigation of the interaction of the candidate binding proteins with TSC22D1 family proteins would clarify the biological roles of TSC22D1 family proteins in several cell systems.

Galectins in Cancer and the Microenvironment: Functional Roles, Therapeutic Developments, and Perspectives

Changes in cell growth and metabolism are affected by the surrounding environmental factors to adapt to the cell’s most appropriate growth model. However, abnormal cell metabolism is correlated with the occurrence of many diseases and is accompanied by changes in galectin (Gal) performance. Gals were found to be some of the master regulators of cell–cell interactions that reconstruct the microenvironment, and disordered expression of Gals is associated with multiple human metabolic-related diseases including cancer development. Cancer cells can interact with surrounding cells through Gals to create more suitable conditions that promote cancer cell aggressiveness. In this review, we organize the current understanding of Gals in a systematic way to dissect Gals’ effect on human disease, including how Gals’ dysregulated expression affects the tumor microenvironment’s metabolism and elucidating the mechanisms involved in Gal-mediated diseases. This information may shed light on a more precise understanding of how Gals regulate cell biology and facilitate the development of more effective therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment by targeting the Gal family.

Hypoxia Induces Galectin-1 Expression Via Autoinduction of Placental Growth Factor in Retinal Pigment Epithelium Cells

Purpose

Galectin-1/LGALS1, a β-galactoside-binding protein, contributes to angiogenesis and fibrosis in various ocular diseases. Hypoxia-dependent and -independent pathways upregulate galectin-1/LGALS1 expression in Müller glial cells. Here, we present novel findings on the galectin-1/LGALS1 regulatory system in human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells, the major cellular participant in the pathogenesis of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).

Methods

Human RPE cells were used to evaluate changes in gene and protein expression with real-time quantitative PCR and immunoblot analyses, respectively. The promoter and enhancer regions of LGALS1 were analyzed by reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation. Immunofluorescence analysis of nAMD patient specimens was used to confirm the in vitro findings.

Results

Hypoxia induced galectin-1/LGALS1 expression via binding of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) to hypoxia-responsive elements in the LGALS1 promoter region. Blockade of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (VEGFR1) partially decreased hypoxia-induced galectin-1/LGALS1 expression. Among several VEGFR1 ligands induced by hypoxia, placental growth factor (PlGF)/PGF alone upregulated galectin-1/LGALS1 expression via phosphorylation of activator protein 1 (AP-1) subunits following AKT and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation. An AP-1 site in the LGALS1 enhancer region was required for PlGF-induced galectin-1/LGALS1 expression in RPE cells. PlGF application upregulated PGF expression via extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2, AKT, and p38 MAPK pathways. nAMD patient specimens demonstrated co-localization of galectin-1 with HIF-1α, PlGF, and VEGFR1 in RPE cells.

Conclusions

Our present findings implicate the significance of hypoxia as a key inducer of galectin-1/LGALS1 in RPE cells and the autoinduction of hypoxia-induced PlGF as a vicious cycle amplifying the pathogenesis of nAMD.

Ameliorative impacts of Allium cepa Linnaeus aqueous extract against testicular damage induced by dexamethasone

The present study aimed to explore the impact of onion (Allium cepa Linnaeus) extract on testicular damage induced by dexamethasone. Forty male Wistar rats were divided into four groups (control, dexamethasone, onion extract and dexamethasone group treated with onion extract). Testosterone levels, antioxidant parameters and the expression of caspase-3 and IL-1β, IL-12, IL-10 genes, as well as histopathological examination and immunohistochemical studies of Bcl2 and caspase-9 expression, were examined. Dexamethasone was found to decrease GSH, total antioxidant activity and testosterone levels, meanwhile treatment with onion extract normalised these levels. MDA was increased in dexamethasone group but appeared normal in the treated group. Dexamethasone was shown to downregulate IL-10 and IL-2 gene expression. Conversely, IL-1β and caspase-3 gene expression were upregulated by dexamethasone and normalised in the treated group. Histopathological analysis found that dexamethasone caused atrophy to the seminiferous tubules and degeneration to spermatocytes, and immunohistochemical analysis showed overexpression of caspase-9 and inhibited the expression of Bcl-2 in dexamethasone group. These effects were normalised in the onion extract treated group. In conclusion, onion extract have a preventative effect against dexamethasone-induced testicular damage in rats; therefore, its use in complementary therapy is recommended.

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α: A promising therapeutic target for vasculopathy in diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a serious condition that can cause blindness in diabetic patients. It is a neurovascular disease, but the pathogenesis leading to the onset of this disease is still not completely understood. However, hypoxia with subsequent neovascularization is a characteristic phenomenon observed with DR. Cellular response to hypoxia is mediated by the transcriptional regulator hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF). Long-term research has shown that one isotype of HIF, HIF-1α, may play a pivotal role under hypoxic conditions, and an increasing number of studies have shown that HIF-1α and its target genes contribute to retinal neovascularization. Therefore, targeting HIF-1α may lead to more effective DR treatments. This review describes the possible mechanisms of HIF-1α in neovascularization of DR. Furthermore, various inhibitors of HIF-1α that may have viable potential in the treatment of DR are also discussed.

Glucocorticoid-transactivated TSC22D3 attenuates hypoxia- and diabetes-induced Müller glial galectin-1 expression via HIF-1α destabilization

Galectin‐1/LGALS1, a newly recognized angiogenic factor, contributes to the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Recently, we demonstrated that glucocorticoids suppressed an interleukin‐1β‐driven inflammatory pathway for galectin‐1 expression in vitro and in vivo. Here, we show glucocorticoid‐mediated inhibitory mechanism against hypoxia‐inducible factor (HIF)‐1α‐involved galectin‐1 expression in human Müller glial cells and the retina of diabetic mice. Hypoxia‐induced increases in galectin‐1/LGALS1 expression and promoter activity were attenuated by dexamethasone and triamcinolone acetonide in vitro. Glucocorticoid application to hypoxia‐stimulated cells decreased HIF‐1α protein, but not mRNA, together with its DNA‐binding activity, while transactivating TSC22 domain family member (TSC22D)3 mRNA and protein expression. Co‐immunoprecipitation revealed that glucocorticoid‐transactivated TSC22D3 interacted with HIF‐1α, leading to degradation of hypoxia‐stabilized HIF‐1α via the ubiquitin‐proteasome pathway. Silencing TSC22D3 reversed glucocorticoid‐mediated ubiquitination of HIF‐1α and subsequent down‐regulation of HIF‐1α and galectin‐1/LGALS1 levels. Glucocorticoid treatment to mice significantly alleviated diabetes‐induced retinal HIF‐1α and galectin‐1/Lgals1 levels, while increasing TSC22D3 expression. Fibrovascular tissues from patients with proliferative DR demonstrated co‐localization of galectin‐1 and HIF‐1α in glial cells partially positive for TSC22D3. These results indicate that glucocorticoid‐transactivated TSC22D3 attenuates hypoxia‐ and diabetes‐induced retinal glial galectin‐1/LGALS1 expression via HIF‐1α destabilization, highlighting therapeutic implications for DR in the era of anti‐vascular endothelial growth factor treatment.