Project description:MicroRNA 21 (miR-21) has been implicated in various aspects of carcinogenesis. However, the function and molecular mechanism of miR-21 in cervical squamous carcinoma has not been studied. Using TaqMan quantitative real-time PCR and Northern blot, we confirmed that miR-21 is significantly overexpressed in human cervical squamous cancer tissues and cell lines. Remarkably, we showed that the level of miR-21 correlates with the nodal status and differentiation by ISH. Furthermore, we demonstrated that miR-21 regulates cervical squamous cells proliferation, apoptosis, and migration which are HPV16 positive. In order to identify the candidate target genes for miR-21, we used gene expression profiling. By luciferase reporter assay, we confirmed the CCL20 gene is one of its targets, which is relative to the HPV16 oncogenes E6 and E7. Our results suggest that miR-21 may be involved in the cervical squamous cell tumorigenesis.
Project description:MicroRNA 21 (miR-21) has been implicated in various aspects of carcinogenesis. However, the function and molecular mechanism of miR-21 in cervical squamous carcinoma has not been studied. Using TaqMan quantitative real-time PCR and Northern blot, we confirmed that miR-21 is significantly overexpressed in human cervical squamous cancer tissues and cell lines. Remarkably, we showed that the level of miR-21 correlates with the nodal status and differentiation by ISH. Furthermore, we demonstrated that miR-21 regulates cervical squamous cells proliferation, apoptosis, and migration which are HPV16 positive. In order to identify the candidate target genes for miR-21, we used gene expression profiling. By luciferase reporter assay, we confirmed the CCL20 gene is one of its targets, which is relative to the HPV16 oncogenes E6 and E7. Our results suggest that miR-21 may be involved in the cervical squamous cell tumorigenesis. Total RNA of cells transfected with anti-miR-21 or scrambled RNA oligonucleotide was extracted using the TRIZOL Reagent according to the manufacturer's instructions. Gene-expression profiling was performed for each pooling RNA sample separately on the GeneChip_ Porcine Genome Array (Affymetrix) at CapitalBio Corporation (Beijing, China) in which GeneChip microarray service was certificated by Affymetrix.
Project description:Kynureninase is a member of a large family of catalytically diverse but structurally homologous pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) dependent enzymes known as the aspartate aminotransferase superfamily or alpha-family. The Homo sapiens and other eukaryotic constitutive kynureninases preferentially catalyze the hydrolytic cleavage of 3-hydroxy-l-kynurenine to produce 3-hydroxyanthranilate and l-alanine, while l-kynurenine is the substrate of many prokaryotic inducible kynureninases. The human enzyme was cloned with an N-terminal hexahistidine tag, expressed, and purified from a bacterial expression system using Ni metal ion affinity chromatography. Kinetic characterization of the recombinant enzyme reveals classic Michaelis-Menten behavior, with a Km of 28.3 +/- 1.9 microM and a specific activity of 1.75 micromol min-1 mg-1 for 3-hydroxy-dl-kynurenine. Crystals of recombinant kynureninase that diffracted to 2.0 A were obtained, and the atomic structure of the PLP-bound holoenzyme was determined by molecular replacement using the Pseudomonas fluorescens kynureninase structure (PDB entry 1qz9) as the phasing model. A structural superposition with the P. fluorescens kynureninase revealed that these two structures resemble the "open" and "closed" conformations of aspartate aminotransferase. The comparison illustrates the dynamic nature of these proteins' small domains and reveals a role for Arg-434 similar to its role in other AAT alpha-family members. Docking of 3-hydroxy-l-kynurenine into the human kynureninase active site suggests that Asn-333 and His-102 are involved in substrate binding and molecular discrimination between inducible and constitutive kynureninase substrates.
Project description:Little is known about the alterations in microRNA (miRNA) expression patterns during the consecutive stages of cervical cancer development and their association with chromosomal instability and epigenetic changes. We integrated miRNA expression profiles in normal cervical squamous epithelium, high-grade precancerous lesions (CIN2-3), squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) and adenocarcinomas (AdCAs) with previously generated chromosomal profiles of the same samples. In addition, the DNA methylation status of downregulated miRNAs located in a CpG island was determined. Significantly differential expression during the consecutive stages of cervical SCC development was observed for 106 miRNAs. Altered expression of 5 significantly differentially expressed miRNAs, hsa-miR-9 (1q23.2), hsa-miR-15b (3q25.32), hsa-miR-28-5p (3q27.3), hsa-miR-100 and hsa-miR-125b (both 11q24.1) was directly linked to frequent chromosomal alterations. Another 9 significantly downregulated miRNAs were located within a CpG island. Three of these 9 miRNAs, hsa-miR-203, hsa-miR-572, and hsa-miR-638, showed increased methylation in cervical cancer cell lines and HPV-immortalised cells compared to primary keratinocytes. Functional analyses were performed for hsa-miR-9, representing a potential oncogene with increased expression linked to a chromosomal gain, and hsa-miR-203, representing a potential tumour suppressor gene silenced by DNA methylation. Hsa-miR-9 and hsa-miR-203 were found to alter cell viability and anchorage independent growth in vitro, respectively, supporting their oncogenic and tumour suppressive function in cervical cancer. In conclusion, differential expression of 106 miRNAs, partly associated with chromosomal alterations and epigenetic changes, was observed during cervical SCC development. Altered expression of hsa-miR-9 and hsa-miR-203 was shown to be functionally relevant, underlining the importance of deregulated miRNA expression in cervical carcinogenesis. 10 squamous cell carcinomas of the cervix, 9 adenocarcinomas of the cervix, 18 high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasias (CIN2-3), and 10 cervical squamous epithelial samples with normal histology were analysed using single channel (Cy3) miRNA microarrays from Agilent (G4471A-016436).
Project description:As the evolution of miRNA genes has been found to be one of the important factors in formation of the modern type of man, we performed a comparative analysis of the evolution of miRNA genes in two archaic hominines, Homo sapiens neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens denisova, and elucidated the expression of their target mRNAs in bain.A comparative analysis of the genomes of primates, including species in the genus Homo, identified a group of miRNA genes having fixed substitutions with important implications for the evolution of Homo sapiens neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens denisova. The mRNAs targeted by miRNAs with mutations specific for Homo sapiens denisova exhibited enhanced expression during postnatal brain development in modern humans. By contrast, the expression of mRNAs targeted by miRNAs bearing variations specific for Homo sapiens neanderthalensis was shown to be enhanced in prenatal brain development.Our results highlight the importance of changes in miRNA gene sequences in the course of Homo sapiens denisova and Homo sapiens neanderthalensis evolution. The genetic alterations of miRNAs regulating the spatiotemporal expression of multiple genes in the prenatal and postnatal brain may contribute to the progressive evolution of brain function, which is consistent with the observations of fine technical and typological properties of tools and decorative items reported from archaeological Denisovan sites. The data also suggest that differential spatial-temporal regulation of gene products promoted by the subspecies-specific mutations in the miRNA genes might have occurred in the brains of Homo sapiens denisova and Homo sapiens neanderthalensis, potentially contributing to the cultural differences between these two archaic hominines.
Project description:PurposeWe investigated the evidence of recent positive selection in the human phototransduction system at single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and gene level.MethodsSNP genotyping data from the International HapMap Project for European, Eastern Asian, and African populations was used to discover differences in haplotype length and allele frequency between these populations. Numeric selection metrics were computed for each SNP and aggregated into gene-level metrics to measure evidence of recent positive selection. The level of recent positive selection in phototransduction genes was evaluated and compared to a set of genes shown previously to be under recent selection, and a set of highly conserved genes as positive and negative controls, respectively.ResultsSix of 20 phototransduction genes evaluated had gene-level selection metrics above the 90th percentile: RGS9, GNB1, RHO, PDE6G, GNAT1, and SLC24A1. The selection signal across these genes was found to be of similar magnitude to the positive control genes and much greater than the negative control genes.ConclusionsThere is evidence for selective pressure in the genes involved in retinal phototransduction, and traces of this selective pressure can be demonstrated using SNP-level and gene-level metrics of allelic variation. We hypothesize that the selective pressure on these genes was related to their role in low light vision and retinal adaptation to ambient light changes. Uncovering the underlying genetics of evolutionary adaptations in phototransduction not only allows greater understanding of vision and visual diseases, but also the development of patient-specific diagnostic and intervention strategies.
Project description:Gene expression profiling of immortalized human mesenchymal stem cells with hTERT/E6/E7 transfected MSCs. hTERT may change gene expression in MSCs. Goal was to determine the gene expressions of immortalized MSCs.
Project description:Cortical thickness has been investigated since the beginning of the 20th century, but we do not know how similar the cortical thickness profiles among humans are. In this study, the local similarity of cortical thickness profiles was investigated using sliding window methods. Here, we show that approximately 5% of the cortical thickness profiles are similarly expressed among humans while 45% of the cortical thickness profiles show a high level of heterogeneity. Therefore, heterogeneity is the rule, not the exception. Cortical thickness profiles of somatosensory homunculi and the anterior insula are consistent among humans, while the cortical thickness profiles of the motor homunculus are more variable. Cortical thickness profiles of homunculi that code for muscle position and skin stimulation are highly similar among humans despite large differences in sex, education, and age. This finding suggests that the structure of these cortices remains well preserved over a lifetime. Our observations possibly relativize opinions on cortical plasticity.