Functional Effects of let-7g Expression in Colon Cancer Metastasis.

MicroRNA regulation is crucial for gene expression and cell functions. It has been linked to tumorigenesis, development and metastasis in colorectal cancer (CRC). Recently, the let-7 family has been identified as a tumor suppressor in different types of cancers. However, the function of the let-7 family in CRC metastasis has not been fully investigated. Here, we focused on analyzing the role of let-7g in CRC. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) genomic datasets of CRC and detailed data from a Taiwanese CRC cohort were applied to study the expression pattern of let-7g. In addition, in vitro as well as in vivo studies have been performed to uncover the effects of let-7g on CRC. We found that the expression of let-7g was significantly lower in CRC specimens. Our results further supported the inhibitory effects of let-7g on CRC cell migration, invasion and extracellular calcium influx through store-operated calcium channels. We report a critical role for let-7g in the pathogenesis of CRC and suggest let-7g as a potential therapeutic target for CRC treatment

SCUBA-2 Ultra Deep Imaging EAO Survey (STUDIES). V. Confusion-limited Submillimeter Galaxy Number Counts at 450 μ m and Data Release for the COSMOS Field

We present confusion-limited SCUBA-2 450 μm observations in the COSMOS-CANDELS region as part of the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope Large Program SCUBA-2 Ultra Deep Imaging EAO Survey. Our maps at 450 and 850 μm cover an area of 450 arcmin2. We achieved instrumental noise levels of σ 450 = 0.59 mJy beam−1 and σ 850 = 0.09 mJy beam−1 in the deepest area of each map. The corresponding confusion noise levels are estimated to be 0.65 and 0.36 mJy beam−1. Above the 4σ (3.5σ) threshold, we detected 360 (479) sources at 450 μm and 237 (314) sources at 850 μm. We derive the deepest blank-field number counts at 450 μm, covering the flux-density range of 2–43 mJy. These are in agreement with other SCUBA-2 blank-field and lensing-cluster observations but are lower than various model counts. We compare the counts with those in other fields and find that the field-to-field variance observed at 450 μm at the R=6′ scale is consistent with Poisson noise, so there is no evidence of strong 2D clustering at this scale. Additionally, we derive the integrated surface brightness at 450 μm down to 2.1 mJy to be 57.3−6.2+1.0 Jy deg−2, contributing to 41% ± 4% of the 450 μm extragalactic background light (EBL) measured by Cosmic Background Explorer and Planck. Our results suggest that the 450 μm EBL may be fully resolved at 0.08−0.08+0.09 mJy, which extremely deep lensing-cluster observations and next-generation submillimeter instruments with large aperture sizes may be able to achieve

Study of the Association between ITPKC Genetic Polymorphisms and Calcium Nephrolithiasis

Nephrolithiasis is a multifactorial disease caused by environmental, hormonal, and genetic factors. Genetic polymorphisms of ORAI1, which codes for the main subunit of the store-operated calcium (SOC) channel, were reported to be associated with the risk and recurrence of calcium nephrolithiasis. Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) 3-kinase C (ITPKC) is a negative regulator of the SOC channel-mediated signaling pathway. We investigated the association between calcium containing nephrolithiasis and genetic variants of ITPKC gene in Taiwanese patients. 365 patients were recruited in this study. Eight tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms of ITPKC were selected for genotyping. ITPKC genotypes were determined by TaqMan assay. ITPKC plasmids were transfected into cells to evaluate the intracellular calcium mobilization. Our results indicated that rs2607420 CC genotype in the intron region of the ITPKC gene is associated with a lower eGFR by both Modification of Diet in Renal Diseases (P=0.0405) and Cockcroft-Gault (P=0.0215) equations in patients with calcium nephrolithiasis. Our results identify a novel polymorphism for renal function and highlight the importance of ITPKC as a key molecule to regulate calcium signaling

Functional Effects of <i>let-7g</i> Expression in Colon Cancer Metastasis

MicroRNA regulation is crucial for gene expression and cell functions. It has been linked to tumorigenesis, development and metastasis in colorectal cancer (CRC). Recently, the let-7 family has been identified as a tumor suppressor in different types of cancers. However, the function of the let-7 family in CRC metastasis has not been fully investigated. Here, we focused on analyzing the role of let-7g in CRC. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) genomic datasets of CRC and detailed data from a Taiwanese CRC cohort were applied to study the expression pattern of let-7g. In addition, in vitro as well as in vivo studies have been performed to uncover the effects of let-7g on CRC. We found that the expression of let-7g was significantly lower in CRC specimens. Our results further supported the inhibitory effects of let-7g on CRC cell migration, invasion and extracellular calcium influx through store-operated calcium channels. We report a critical role for let-7g in the pathogenesis of CRC and suggest let-7g as a potential therapeutic target for CRC treatment

Functional Effects of let-7g Expression in Colon Cancer Metastasis.

MicroRNA regulation is crucial for gene expression and cell functions. It has been linked to tumorigenesis, development and metastasis in colorectal cancer (CRC). Recently, the let-7 family has been identified as a tumor suppressor in different types of cancers. However, the function of the let-7 family in CRC metastasis has not been fully investigated. Here, we focused on analyzing the role of let-7g in CRC. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) genomic datasets of CRC and detailed data from a Taiwanese CRC cohort were applied to study the expression pattern of let-7g. In addition, in vitro as well as in vivo studies have been performed to uncover the effects of let-7g on CRC. We found that the expression of let-7g was significantly lower in CRC specimens. Our results further supported the inhibitory effects of let-7g on CRC cell migration, invasion and extracellular calcium influx through store-operated calcium channels. We report a critical role for let-7g in the pathogenesis of CRC and suggest let-7g as a potential therapeutic target for CRC treatment

Key processes required for the different stages of fungal carnivory by a nematode-trapping fungus

Nutritional deprivation triggers a switch from a saprotrophic to predatory lifestyle in soil-dwelling nematode-trapping fungi (NTF). In particular, the NTF Arthrobotrys oligospora secretes food and sex cues to lure nematodes to its mycelium and is triggered to develop specialized trapping devices. Captured nematodes are then invaded and digested by the fungus, thus serving as a food source. In this study, we examined the transcriptomic response of A. oligospora across the stages of sensing, trap development, and digestion upon exposure to the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. A. oligospora enacts a dynamic transcriptomic response, especially of protein secretion-related genes, in the presence of prey. Two-thirds of the predicted secretome of A. oligospora was up-regulated in the presence of C. elegans at all time points examined, and among these secreted proteins, 38.5% are predicted to be effector proteins. Furthermore, functional studies disrupting the t-SNARE protein Sso2 resulted in impaired ability to capture nematodes. Additionally, genes of the DUF3129 family, which are expanded in the genomes of several NTF, were highly up-regulated upon nematode exposure. We observed the accumulation of highly expressed DUF3129 proteins in trap cells, leading us to name members of this gene family as Trap Enriched Proteins (TEPs). Gene deletion of the most highly expressed TEP gene, TEP1, impairs the function of traps and prevents the fungus from capturing prey efficiently. In late stages of predation, we observed up-regulation of a variety of proteases, including metalloproteases. Following penetration of nematodes, these metalloproteases facilitate hyphal growth required for colonization of prey. These findings provide insights into the biology of the predatory lifestyle switch in a carnivorous fungus and provide frameworks for other fungal-nematode predator-prey systems