Cis-regulatory functions of overlapping HIF-1alpha/E-box/AP-1-like sequences of CD164

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>CD164 (also known as MGC-24v or endolyn) is a sialomucin which has been suggested to participate in regulating the proliferation, cell adhesion and differentiation of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. CD164 is also involved in the development of cancer. The functions of cis-regulatory elements of CD164 remain relatively unknown.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In this study, we investigated the function of cis-regulatory elements within the promoter of CD164. We fused the 5'-flanking region of CD164 to a luciferase reporter vector. The minimal promoter region was confirmed by luciferase reporter assay. Using <it>in silico </it>analysis, we found the presence of one HIF-1alpha (HIF-1A) motif (5_-RCGTG-3_) overlapping E-box (CACGTG) and two AP-1-like binding sites (CGCTGTCCC, GTCTGTTG), one of which is also overlapped with HIF-1alpha sequence. Dual-luciferase assay was performed to examine the transcriptional activity of AP-1 and HIF-1alpha of CD164 promoter. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to measure CD164 expression. Chromatin Immunoprecipitation was used to confirm the binding of HIF-1alpha and CD164.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Co-transfection of c-jun, HIF-1alpha and minimal promoter region construct demonstrated that c-jun and HIF-1alpha bound the CD164 promoter and promoted CD164 expression. Hypoxia treatment also led to the up-regulation of CD164 expression. The mutation of overlapping sequences resulted in the reduced expression of CD164 induced by HIF-1alpha. Chromatin Immunoprecipitation demonstrated that the HIF-1alpha bound the minimal promoter region.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Determination of the optimal promoter region and transcription factors governing CD164 expression is useful in understanding CD164 functions. These results suggest that cis-regulatory elements of CD164 overlapping HIF-1alpha/E-box/AP-1-like sequences may play important regulatory roles.</p

Study of Nano-alumina Impact on the Performance of a CaCO3-Epoxy Composite Coating

CaCO3-epoxy composite coatings containing different qualities of nano-Al2O3 were successfully prepared. Infrared spectroscopy was used to verify whether the nano- Al2O3 was modified successfully and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) pictures were taken to study the inner morphology of the composite coatings. When tested by the hydraulic universal material testing system (MTS), it was found that the mechanical performances of composite coatings worsened after added nano-Al2O3. Thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) indicated that the thermal stability of composite coatings increased after nano-Al2O3 was added; the abrasion resistance test explained that wear resistance also improved. Finally, it was found that the comprehen‐ sive performances of composite coatings for anticorrosion and adhesive strength were best after being tested under 63MPa and 165°C in an autoclave, when added at 10wt% nano-Al2O3

Study on the Detonation Reaction-zone and Energy Release Characteristics of a Cast HMX-based PBX

This article gives a comprehensive study of the detonation reaction-zone (DRZ) and energy release characteristics of a cast HMX-based polymer-bonded explosive, PBX-91C, which has been demonstrated in our previous study to be an insensitive explosive. The DRZ of PBX-91C was studied by the impedance window method; the detonation reaction time, DRZ length, and detonation pressure were obtained. The cylinder test was employed to evaluate the acceleration ability of PBX-91C, the Gurney velocity and the parameters of the Jones-Wilkins-Lee (JWL) equation of state (EOS) for PBX-91C. The shock overpressure test was carried out to evaluate the energy release characteristics of PBX-91C in free-field; TNT was also tested for comparison. On the basis of the parameters of the JWL EOS determined by the cylinder test, three-dimensional numerical simulations of the shock overpressure tests were conducted. The results showed that PBX-91C is substantially more powerful than TNT; moreover, the energy release of PBX-91C is more rapid. All of these results suggest that the detonation performance of PBX-91C is close to that of RDX. PBX-91C can be a good candidate for main charges as it has both high energy and low sensitivity

Transcriptome Analysis of Salt Stress Responsiveness in the Seedlings of Dongxiang Wild Rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.).

Dongxiang wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.) is the progenitor of cultivated rice (Oryza sativa L.), and is well known for its superior level of tolerance against cold, drought and diseases. To date, however, little is known about the salt-tolerant character of Dongxiang wild rice. To elucidate the molecular genetic mechanisms of salt-stress tolerance in Dongxiang wild rice, the Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform was used to analyze the transcriptome profiles of the leaves and roots at the seedling stage under salt stress compared with those under normal conditions. The analysis results for the sequencing data showed that 6,867 transcripts were differentially expressed in the leaves (2,216 up-regulated and 4,651 down-regulated) and 4,988 transcripts in the roots (3,105 up-regulated and 1,883 down-regulated). Among these differentially expressed genes, the detection of many transcription factor genes demonstrated that multiple regulatory pathways were involved in salt stress tolerance. In addition, the differentially expressed genes were compared with the previous RNA-Seq analysis of salt-stress responses in cultivated rice Nipponbare, indicating the possible specific molecular mechanisms of salt-stress responses for Dongxiang wild rice. A large number of the salt-inducible genes identified in this study were co-localized onto fine-mapped salt-tolerance-related quantitative trait loci, providing candidates for gene cloning and elucidation of molecular mechanisms responsible for salt-stress tolerance in rice

Chemopreventive effect of flavonoids from Ougan (Citrus reticulata cv. Suavissima) fruit against cancer cell proliferation and migration

Citrus reticulata cv. Sucruissima (Ougan) is a rich source of flavonoids, and its peel has been employed as a traditional Chinese medicine for a long time. Among the different fruit parts, namely flayed, albedo, segment membrane and juice sacs, flavedo showed significant inhibitory effect on three cancer cell lines (HepG2, HL-60 and MDA-MB-231). Three flavanone glycosides, naringin, hesperidin, neohesperidin as well as four polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs), sinensetin, nobiletin, tangeretin and 5-demethylnobiletin were separated and purified from Ougan flavedo and identified by HPLC-DAD and LC-MS. Cytotoxicity assay showed that two flavanone aglycones and four PMFs exhibited significant antiproliferative activity on the three cancer cells. Structure-activity relationship was observed for the Ougan flavonoid-mediated antiproliferative activity. Wound healing assay showed that nobiletin and tangeretin exerted inhibitory effects on SKOV3 cell migration as well. These results indicate that Ougan flavonoids may have preventive or therapeutic potential for inhibiting cancer cell proliferation and migration. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Quantification and Purification of Mangiferin from Chinese Mango (Mangifera indica L.) Cultivars and Its Protective Effect on Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells under H2O2-induced Stress

Mangiferin is a natural xanthonoid with various biological activities. Quantification of mangiferin in fruit peel, pulp, and seed kernel was carried out in 11 Chinese mango (Mangifera indica L.) cultivars. The highest mangiferin content was found in the peel of Lvpimang (LPM) fruit (7.49 mg/g DW). Efficient purification of mangiferin from mango fruit peel was then established for the first time by combination of macroporous HPD100 resin chromatography with optimized high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC). Purified mangiferin was identified by both HPLC and LC-MS, and it showed higher DPPH• free-radical scavenging capacities and ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) than by l-ascorbic acid (Vc) or Trolox. In addition, it showed significant protective effects on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) under H2O2-induced stress. Cells treated with mangiferin resulted in significant enhanced cell survival under of H2O2 stress. Therefore, mangiferin from mango fruit provides a promising perspective for the prevention of oxidative stress-associated diseases

The number of up- and down-regulated genes in the LS (LS vs. LCK), RS (RS vs. RCK), shoots, and roots.

<p>(A), up-regulated genes in the LS, shoots, and roots; (B), up-regulated genes in the RS, shoots, and roots; (C), down-regulated genes in the LS, shoots, and roots; (D), down-regulated genes in the RS, shoots, and roots.</p

KEGG pathway assignments in the LS vs. LCK (A) and RS vs. RCK (B).

<p>The represented categories (Q-value≤ 0.05) and the number of transcripts predicted to belong to each category are shown.</p