Depletion of WNT10A Prevents Tumor Growth by Suppressing Microvessels and Collagen Expression

CDYL knockdown reduces glioma development through an antitumor immune response in the tumor microenvironment

Gliomas are highly prevalent and aggressive brain tumors. Growing evidence shows that epigenetic changes are closely related to cancer development. Here we report the roles of Chromodomain Y-like (CDYL), an important epigenetic transcriptional corepressor in the central nervous system in glioma progression. We found that CDYL was highly expressed in glioma tissues and cell lines. CDYL knockdown decreased cell mobility in vitro and significantly reduced tumor burden in the xenograft mouse in vivo. RNA sequencing analysis revealed the upregulation of immune pathways after CDYL knockdown, as well as chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 12. The immunohistochemistry staining and macrophage polarization assays showed increased infiltration of M1-like tumor-associated macrophages/microglia (TAMs) while decreased infiltration of M2-like TAMs after CDYL knockdown in vivo and in vitro. Following the in situ TAMs depletion or CCL2 antibody neutralization, the tumor-suppressive role of CDYL knockdown was abolished. Collectively, our results show that CDYL knockdown suppresses glioma progression, which is associated with CCL2-recruited monocytes/macrophages and the polarization of M1-like TAMs in the tumor microenvironment, indicating CDYL as a promising target for glioma treatment.

Chewing Behavior Attenuates Lung-Metastasis-Promoting Effects of Chronic Stress in Breast-Cancer Lung-Metastasis Model Mice

We assessed the effects of chewing behavior on the lung-metastasis-promoting impact of chronic psychological-stress in mice. Human breast-cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) were injected into the tail vein of female nude mice. Mice were randomly divided into stress, stress-with-chewing, and control groups. We created chronic stress by placing mice in small transparent tubes for 45 min, 3 times a day for 7 weeks. Mice in the stress-with-chewing group were allowed to chew wooden sticks during the experimental period. The histopathological examination showed that chronic psychological-stress increased lung metastasis, and chewing behavior attenuated the stress-related lung metastasis of breast-cancer cells. Chewing behavior decreased the elevated level of the serum corticosterone, normalized the increased expression of glucocorticoid, and attenuated the elevated expression of adrenergic receptors in lung tissues. We also found that chewing behavior normalized the elevated expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase, 4-hydroxynonenal, and superoxide dismutase 2 in lung tissues, induced by chronic stress. The present study demonstrated that chewing behavior could attenuate the promoting effects of chronic psychological-stress on the lung metastasis of breast-cancer cells, by regulating stress hormones and their receptors, and the downstream signaling-molecules, involving angiogenesis and oxidative stress.

Deletion of Wnt10a Is Implicated in Hippocampal Neurodegeneration in Mice

The hippocampus plays an important role in maintaining normal cognitive function and is closely associated with the neuropathogenesis of dementia. Wnt signaling is relevant to neuronal development and maturation, synaptic formation, and plasticity. The role of Wnt10a in hippocampus-associated cognition, however, is largely unclear. Here, we examined the morphological and functional alterations in the hippocampus of Wnt10a-knockout (Wnt10a-/-) mice. Neurobehavioral tests revealed that Wnt10a-/- mice exhibited spatial memory impairment and anxiety-like behavior. Immunostaining and Western blot findings showed that the protein expressions of β-catenin, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and doublecortin were significantly decreased and that the number of activated microglia increased, accompanied by amyloid-β accumulation, synaptic dysfunction, and microglia-associated neuroinflammation in the hippocampi of Wnt10a-/- mice. Our findings revealed that the deletion of Wnt10a decreased neurogenesis, impaired synaptic function, and induced hippocampal neuroinflammation, eventually leading to hippocampal neurodegeneration and memory deficit, possibly through the β-catenin signaling pathway, providing a novel insight into preventive approaches for hippocampus-dependent cognitive impairment.

Deficiency of Wnt10a causes female infertility via the β-catenin/Cyp19a1 pathway in mice

Wnt signaling is relevant for a wide range of biological processes, including reproductive function. The function of Wnt10a in female fertility, however, remains obscure. In the present study, we explored the structure and function of the female reproductive organs in Wnt10a knockout (KO) mice. The expression of β-catenin signaling was significantly lower in the ovaries of the Wnt10a KO mice compared with wild-type (WT) mice. In addition, the estrous cycles were disrupted, ovarian follicles were diminished, and endometria were thinner, accompanied by lower serum estrogen levels, and higher testosterone and progesterone levels in Wnt10a KO mice. The expression of the ovarian cytochrome P450 family 19 subfamily A member 1 (Cyp19a1) was significantly lower in Wnt10a KO mice. We detected no significant changes in the levels of the gonadotropins between WT and KO mice. Together, our findings indicate that deficiency of Wnt10a causes female infertility through β-catenin and Cyp19a1signaling pathways in mice.

Immunohistochemical expression of osteopontin and collagens in choroid plexus of human brains

Evidence showing the functional significance of the choroid plexus is accumulating. Although it is clinically well‐known that calcification is frequently seen in the choroid plexus of aged human brains, it is unclear why calcification occurs in the aged choroid plexus and what exert effects on the calcification has. In this study, immunohistochemical localizations of collagens and other molecules related to fibrosis or calcification were investigated on the choroid plexus of autopsied human brains. Densely fibrous or calcified materials were located in the stroma just below the epithelial cells of the choroid plexus of all human brains examined. Immunoreactivity for collagen type I was identified in the stroma just below the epithelial cells, consistent with the densely fibrous or calcified area, whereas that for collagen type III was observed in almost all stroma other than the densely fibrous or calcified areas. Linear or membranous immunoreactivity for collagen type IV was intermittently localized on the epithelium‐facing side of the materials, suggesting an injured basement membrane. In addition, clear immunoreactivity for osteopontin was localized on the epithelium‐facing side of the fibrous or calcified materials as well as in the cytoplasm of epithelial cells. These findings indicate that collagen type I exists in contact with osteopontin in and around the densely fibrous or calcified materials in the choroid plexus. They suggest that the densely fibrous or calcified materials are deposited in the subepithelial stroma just below an injured basement membrane of epithelial cells via the collagen type I and osteopontin.

Using WGCNA (weighted gene co-expression network analysis) to identify the hub genes of skin hair follicle development in fetus stage of Inner Mongolia cashmere goat

OBJECTIVE

Mature hair follicles represent an important stage of hair follicle development, which determines the stability of hair follicle structure and its ability to enter the hair cycle. Here, we used weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to identify hub genes of mature skin and hair follicles in Inner Mongolian cashmere goats.

METHODS

We used transcriptome sequencing data for the skin of Inner Mongolian cashmere goats from fetal days 45-135 days, and divided the co expressed genes into different modules by WGCNA. Characteristic values were used to screen out modules that were highly expressed in mature skin follicles. Module hub genes were then selected based on the correlation coefficients between the gene and module eigenvalue, gene connectivity, and Gene Ontology (GO)/Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. The results were confirmed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).

RESULTS

Ten modules were successfully defined, of which one, with a total of 3166 genes, was selected as a specific module through sample and gene expression pattern analyses. A total of 584 candidate hub genes in the module were screened by the correlation coefficients between the genes and module eigenvalue and gene connectivity. Finally, GO/KEGG functional enrichment analyses detected WNT10A as a key gene in the development and maturation of skin hair follicles in fetal Inner Mongolian cashmere goats. qPCR showed that the expression trends of 13 genes from seven fetal skin samples were consistent with the sequencing results, indicating that the sequencing results were reliable.n.

DNA methylation profiles capturing breast cancer heterogeneity

BACKGROUND

As one of the most described epigenetic marks in human cancers, DNA methylation plays essential roles in gene expression regulation and has been implicated in the prognosis and therapeutics of many cancers. We are motivated in this study to explore DNA methylation profiles capturing breast cancer heterogeneity to improve breast cancer prognosis at the epigenetic level.

RESULTS

Through comparisons on differentially methylated CpG sites among breast cancer subtypes followed by a sequential validation and functional studies using computational approaches, we propose 313 CpG, corresponding to 191 genes, whose methylation pattern identifies the triple negative breast cancer subtype, and report cell migration as represented by extracellular matrix organization and cell proliferation as mediated via MAPK and Wnt signalings are the primary factors driving breast cancer subtyping.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study offers novel CpGs and gene methylation patterns with translational potential on triple negative breast cancer prognosis, as well as fresh insights from the epigenetic level on breast cancer heterogeneity.

The potential role of follicular helper T cells in idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease with and without TAFRO syndrome

Idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD) is a systemic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology caused by hypercytokinemia. Recently, TAFRO (thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever, renal failure or reticulin fibrosis, and organomegaly) syndrome has been reported, which shows similar histopathological findings to iMCD and factors associated with a poor prognosis. iMCD shows no plasma cell infiltration in the germinal center (GC), but CD38-positive (CD38⁺)-plasma cells are observed in the interfollicular area. Our previous report revealed that atrophic change of GC, glomeruloid vascular proliferation, and abnormal proliferation of follicular dendritic cells are more prominent in iMCD with TAFRO (TAFRO⁺) in comparison to iMCD without TAFRO (TAFRO^-). In addition, the numbers of CD38⁺ and immunoglobulin G4-positive (IgG4⁺) plasma cells were decreased in the interfollicular area. The roles of T follicular helper cells (Tfh) are well-known to assist B-cell proliferation, maturation, and differentiation．It maintains the formation of GC and is also related in the class switching of IgG isotypes, including IgG4. Thus, we immunohistochemically examined the number of Tfh in GCs in both TAFRO^- and TAFRO⁺ iMCD. The number of Tfh was significantly decreased in TAFRO^- iMCD (n = 9) and was further decreased in TAFRO⁺ iMCD (n = 18) in comparison to non-specific lymphadenopathy (n = 6) and IgG4-related disease (n = 4). These results suggest that decreased Tfh may be one etiology of iMCD.