TRIM29 acts as a potential senescence suppressor with epigenetic activation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Epigenetic alterations marked by DNA methylation are frequent events during the early development of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). We identified that TRIM29 is hypomethylated and overexpressed in NPC cell lines and tissues. TRIM29 silencing not only limited the growth of NPC cells in vitro and in vivo, but also induced cellular senescence, along with reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. Mechanistically, we found that TRIM29 interacted with voltage-dependent anion-selective channel 1 (VDAC1) to activate mitophagy clearing up damaged mitochondria, which are the major source of ROS. In patients with NPC, high levels of TRIM29 expression are associated with an advanced clinical stage. Moreover, we detected hypomethylation of TRIM29 in patient nasopharyngeal swab DNA. Our findings indicate that TRIM29 depends on VDAC1 to induce mitophagy and prevents cellular senescence by decreasing ROS. Detection of aberrantly methylated TRIM29 in the nasopharyngeal swab DNA could be a promising strategy for the early detection of NPC

Revealing the secondary structural changes of amyloid beta peptide by probing the spectral fingerprint characters

Ohio Eminent Scholar Endowment; Chinese Education MinistryThe misfolding and aggregation of amyloid (1-42) peptide is crucial for a mechanical understanding of the formation of Alzheimer's disease. To investigate the detailed aggregation pathway and mechanism, it is important to identify the secondary structures of different aggregation forms. Here, we report probing different amyloid aggregations in real time by using correlated approaches such as shell-isolated surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, thioflavin T fluorescence assay, and atomic force microscopy imaging. Our experimental results of Raman shifts have been further demonstrated by theoretical calculation, which indicates that the Raman spectral fingerprint changes are originated from the amyloid secondary structure changes. Copyright (c) 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

RP-HPLC Characterization of Lupenone and β-Sitosterol in Rhizoma Musae and Evaluation of the Anti-Diabetic Activity of Lupenone in Diabetic Sprague-Dawley Rats

With the aim of characterizing the active ingredients lupenone and β-sitosterol in Rhizoma Musae samples a reversed-phase HPLC method for the separation of these two compounds in Rhizoma Musae samples was developed (regression coefficient > 0.9996). The method was further applied to quantify lupenone and β-sitosterol content in Rhizoma Musae samples cultured in different growth environments. Different variables such as geographical location, growth stage, and harvest time, demonstrated differential effects on lupenone and β-sitosterol levels. Moreover, we determined the optimum conditions for cultivation and harvesting of Rhizoma Musae herbs. Lupenone administration caused a significant reduction in fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels in diabetic rats at doses of 1.78, 5.33, and 16.00 mg·kg−1·day−1 for 14 days, the glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels of diabetic rats also significantly reduced at doses of 5.33, and 16.00 mg·kg−1·day−1, indicating a robust antidiabetic activity. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an optimized HPLC method successfully applied to quantify lupenone and β-sitosterol, and its applicability in optimizing Rhizoma Musae growth. Animal experiments also showed for the first time that lupenone from Rhizoma Musae has anti-diabetic activity

Distribution Characteristics and Main Control Measures of Spartina alterniflora in Mainland China

The rapid invasion and spread of Spartina alterniflora will cause great damage to the ecological environment of the invasive areas. Spartina alterniflora is widely distributed in coastal areas from north to south of China, which seriously reduces the biodiversity and ecological barrier function of the coastal zone. The main control methods of Spartina alterniflora invasion in China include physical, chemical and biological control. At present, the single control methods, such as mowing, crushing and burying, and cofferdam flooding, can effectively control the invasion of Spartina alterniflora in small areas, but the control effect of large areas or patches is not good. Based on the analysis and comparison of the existing control methods, combined with the practical experience of scientific research, this paper put forward a comprehensive control method of Spartina alterniflora suitable for different areas of China, which combined the physical control method, chemical control method and biological control method

Permanent ferroelectric retention of BiFeO3 mesocrystal

Non-volatile electronic devices based on magnetoelectric multiferroics have triggered new possibilities of outperforming conventional devices for applications. However, ferroelectric reliability issues, such as imprint, retention and fatigue, must be solved before the realization of practical devices. In this study, everlasting ferroelectric retention in the heteroepitaxially constrained multiferroic mesocrystal is reported, suggesting a new approach to overcome the failure of ferroelectric retention. Studied by scanning probe microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, and supported via the phase-field simulations, the key to the success of ferroelectric retention is to prevent the crystal from ferroelastic deformation during the relaxation of the spontaneous polarization in a ferroelectric nanocrystal

Uterine Commensal <i>Peptostreptococcus</i> Species Contribute to IDO1 Induction in Endometrial Cancer via Indoleacrylic Acid

Microbial dysbiosis has an increasingly appreciated impact on carcinogenesis, and the cervicovaginal microbiome plays a critical role in microenvironmental inflammation. Here, we investigated the involvement of the female genital tract Peptostreptococcus species in gynecological cancer via indoleacrylic acid (IAA). IAA production from Peptostreptococcus species and the effect of bacterial culture on tumor growth in vivo were examined. The impact of IAA on cytokine production and indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) expression in an endometrial cancer (EC) cell line, as well as their effect on Treg and Teff cells, and M1 and M2 macrophage populations were examined in EC patients and tumor-grafted mice. Clinically, Peptostreptococcus species abundance, IAA, and IDO1 expression were verified in EC patients. The results showed that IAA production was induced in the uteri of BALB/c nude mice by Peptostreptococcus species transplantation, and the intratumoral injection of a conditioned medium from Peptostreptococcus cultures into tumor-grafted mice promoted tumor growth. IL-10 expression was upregulated by IAA; IFN-γ expression was increased by IL-10. IFN-γ induced IDO1 expression in the EC cell line. The co-culture of IDO1-expressing EC cells with peripheral blood mononuclear cells upregulated the Treg proportion and decreased the M1/M2 ratio. Clinically, P. anaerobius was more abundant amongst the uterine microbiota of EC patients than the control. The IAA, IDO1, and kynurenine/tryptophan ratios were all higher in EC tissue, and the M1/M2 ratio was lower. Our study sheds light on the link between IDO1 induction and uterine Peptostreptococcus dysbiosis and provides a potential rationale for the role of Peptostreptococcus species in immune tolerance induction in type I endometrial cancer

Tuning Electronic Transport in a Self-Assembled Nanocomposite

Self-assembled nanocomposites with a high interface-to-volume ratio offer an opportunity to overcome limitations in current technology, where intriguing transport behaviors can be tailored by the choice of proper interactions of constituents. Here we integrated metallic perovskite oxide SrRuO₃–wurzite semiconductor ZnO nanocomposites to investigate the room-temperature metal–insulator transition and its effect on photoresponse. We demonstrate that the band structure at the interface can be tuned by controlling the interface-to-volume ratio of the nanocomposites. Photoinduced carrier injection driven by visible light was detected across the nanocomposites. This work shows the charge interaction of the vertically integrated multiheterostructures by incorporating a controllable interface-to-volume ratio, which is essential for optimization of the design and functionality of electronic devices