Functional Characterization of aroA from Rhizobium Leguminosarum with Significant Glyphosate Tolerance in Transgenic Arabidopsis

( Jing Han ),( Yong Sheng Tian ),( Jing Xu ),( Li Juan Wang ),( Bo Wang ),( Ri He Peng ),( Quan Hong Yao ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2014 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.24 No.9

Glyphosate is the active component of the top-selling herbicide, the phytotoxicity of which is due to its inhibition of the shikimic acid pathway. 5-Enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) is a key enzyme in the shikimic acid pathway. Glyphosate tolerance in plants can be achieved by the expression of a glyphosate-insensitive aroA gene (EPSPS). In this study, we used a PCR-based two-step DNA synthesis method to synthesize a new aroA gene (aroAR. leguminosarum) from Rhizobium leguminosarum. In vitro glyphosate sensitivity assays showed that aroAR. leguminosarum is glyphosate tolerant. The new gene was then expressed in E. coli and key kinetic values of the purified enzyme were determined. Furthermore, we transformed the aroA gene into Arabidopsis thaliana by the floral dip method. Transgenic Arabidopsis with the aroAR. leguminosarum gene was obtained to prove its potential use in developing glyphosate-resistant crops.

Curdione Inhibits Proliferation of MCF-7 Cells by Inducing Apoptosis

Li, Juan,Bian, Wei-He,Wan, Juan,Zhou, Jing,Lin, Yan,Wang, Ji-Rong,Wang, Zhao-Xia,Shen, Qun,Wang, Ke-Ming Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.22

Background: Curdione, one of the major components of Curcuma zedoaria, has been reported to possess various biological activities. It thus might be a candidate anti-flammatory and cancer chemopreventive agent. However, the precise molecular mechanisms of action of curdione on cancer cells are still unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of curdione on breast cancer. Materials and Methods: Xenograft nude mice were used to detect the effect of curdione on breast cancer in vivo; we also tested the effect of curdione on breast cancer in vitro by MTT, Flow cytometry, JC-I assay, and western blot. Results: Firstly, we found that curdione significantly suppressed tumor growth in a xenograft nude mouse breast tumor model in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, curdione treatment inhibited cell proliferation and induced cell apoptosis. Moreover, after curdione treatment, increase of impaired mitochondrial membrane potential occurred in a concentration dependent manner. Furthermore, the expression of apoptosis-related proteins including cleaved caspase-3, caspase-9 and Bax was increased in curdione treatment groups, while the expression of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 was decreased. Inhibitors of caspase-3 were used to confirm that curdione induced apoptosis. Conclusions: Overall, our observations first suggested that curdione inhibited the proliferation of breast cancer cells by inducing apoptosis. These results might provide some molecular basis for the anti-cancer activity of curdione.

Fotemustine, Teniposide and Dexamethasone in Treating Patients with CNS Lymphoma

Wu, Jing-Jing,Wang, Xin-Hua,Li, Ling,Li, Xin,Zhang, Lei,Sun, Zhen-Chang,Fu, Xiao-Rui,Ma, Wang,Chang, Yu,Zhang, Xu-Dong,Han, Li-Juan,Zhang, Ming-Zhi Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.11

Purpose: We developed and evaluated a regimen including fotemustine, teniposide and dexamethasone (FTD) for treating patients with central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma based on pharmacokinetic properties of individual agents and in combination. Patients and Methods: In a comparison study, 8 patients with primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL) and 8 with secondary CNS lymphoma (SCNSL) were treated with FTD (comprising fotemustine 100 mg/m2, 1h infusion, day 1; teniposide 60 mg/m2, >0.5 h infusion, on day 2, 3, 4; dexamethasone 40 mg, 1h infusion, on day 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5; and methotrexate 12 mg, cytosine arabinoside 50 mg plus dexamethasone 5 mg intrathecally, on day 2 and 7). Cycles were repeated every 3 weeks. After response assessment, patients received whole brain radiotherapy. Results: Of the 8 PCNSL patients, 4 (50%) achieved CR and 3 (38%) PR, an overall response rate of 88%. Four patients (50%) were in continuing remission at the end of this study after a median follow-up of 30 months (range 10 to 56 months). Of the 8 SCNSL patients the overall response rate was 63% (CR+PR: 38%+25%). All responses were achievable with predictable toxicity mainly reflecting reversible myelosuppression. Conclusion: This study suggests that FTD could be an effective treatment for CNS lymphoma, and is worthy of further evaluation.

Alu Tandem Sequences Inhibit GFP Gene Expression by Triggering Chromatin Wrapping

Xiu Fang Wang,Xiao Yan Wang,Jing Liu,Jing Jing Feng,Wen Li Mu,Xiao Juan Shi,Qin Qing Yang,Xiao Cui Duan,Ying Xie,Zhan Jun Lu 한국유전학회 2009 Genes & Genomics Vol.31 No.3

Alu elements belonging to the short interspersed nuclear elements (SINE) of repetitive elements are present in more than one million copies which altogether represent 10% of the whole human genome. In this study, the roles of Alu tandem sequences in the process of GFP gene (GFP) expression and packing into chromatin of its DNA were studied. To detect the effect of Alu repeats on gene expression, different copies of Alus were inserted GFP downstream respectively in pEGFP-C1 vector. We found that Alu sequences decreased the amount of GFP transcription, the percentage of GFP positive cells and the accessibility to DNase I in length-dependent manner. Inserting Alu caused the production of higher-molecular-mass RNA, indicating Alu sequence did not induce premature transcriptional termination. Tight packing chromatins keep silent and resist to DNase I digestion, which is a general phenomenon. We suggested that head and tail tandem Alu sequences suppressed GFP expression in length dependent manner by triggering chromatin packing.

Clinical Study of Thalidomide Combined with Dexamethasone for the Treatment of Elderly Patients with Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma

Chen, Hai-Fei,Li, Zheng-Yang,Tang, Jie-Qing,Shen, Hong-Shi,Cui, Qing-Ya,Ren, Yong-Ya,Qin, Long-Mei,Jin, Ling-Juan,Zhu, Jing-Jing,Wang, Jing,Ding, Jie,Wang, Ke-Yuan,Yu, Zi-Qiang,Wang, Zhao-Yue,Wu, Tian Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.9

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the efficacy and safety of different doses of thalidomide (Thal) plus dexamethasone (Dex) as the initial therapy in elderly patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM). Methods: Clinical data of 28 elderly patients with newly diagnosed MM who underwent the TD regimen as the initial therapy were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were divided into two groups according to the maximal sustained dose of Thal: lower dose (group A) and higher dose (group B). The overall response rate (ORR), progression free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and adverse events (AES) were compared between the two groups. Results: A total of 28 patients were followed up with a median of 18 months. The ORR was 60.1%. The median response time and PFS were 2.0 and 17.0 months, respectively. The mean sustained dose of Thal in group B was significantly higher than group A (292.9 mg v 180.4 mg, P=0.01). There was no significantly difference in ORR (57.1% v 64.3%, P=1.00) and PFS (9.63months v 17.66 months, P=0.73) between groups A and B. During the follow up, only five patients died (<40%) and, therefore, median OS values were not available. It is estimated, however, that the mean survival time in the two groups was 35.6 and 33.4 months (P>0.05), respectively. All of the patients tolerated the treatment well. The incidence of AES in patients with a grading above 3 in group B was significantly higher than in group A (P=0.033). Conclusions: The TD regimen results in a high response rate and manageable AES as the initial therapy in elderly patients with MM. TD should be considered as the front line regimen for the treatment of elderly patients with MM in areas with financial constraints. The clinical response can be achieved at a low dose Thal with minimal toxicity.

Rapid Melt Polycondensation of L-Lactic Acid under Microwave Irradiation

Jing Shu,Peng Wang,Ying Min Zhang,Xiao Juan Mi 한국고분자학회 2006 Macromolecular Research Vol.14 No.6

Preventive and Therapeutic Effects of Quercetin on Experimental Radiation Induced Lung Injury in Mice

Wang, Juan,Zhang, Yuan-Yuan,Cheng, Jian,Zhang, Jing-Ling,Li, Bao-Sheng Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.7

Objective: To investigate the protective effect of quercetin on radiation induced lung injury (RILI) and related mechanisms. Materials and Methods: Mice treated with radiation and/or quercetin were sacrificed at 1-8 weeks after irradiation under anesthesia. Lung tissues were collected for histological examination. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blotting were performed to detect the protein expression of nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ ($NF-{\kappa}B$) and Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) pathway. Results: Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining showed that radiation controls displayed more severe lung damage than quercetin groups, either high or low dose. Results of IHC and Western blotting demonstrated the expression level of $NF-{\kappa}B$ to be decreased and that of an inhibitor of $NF-{\kappa}B$ ($I{\kappa}b-{\alpha}$) to be increased by the quercetin intervention compared with the radiation control group. Numbers of JNK/SAPK, p38 and p44/p42 positive inflammatory cells were decreased in the radiation+quercetin injection group (P<0.05). Conclusions: Quercetin may play a radio-protective role in mice lung via suppression of $NF-{\kappa}B$ and MAPK pathways.

Effects of $Ca^{2+}$ and $HCO_3{^-}$ on Capacitation, Hyperactivation and Protein Tyrosine Phosphorylation in Guinea Pig Spermatozoa

Huang, Jing-yan,Wang, Gen-lin,Kong, Li-juan Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2009 Animal Bioscience Vol.22 No.2

In our previous report, we demonstrated that the tyrosine phosphorylation of sperm proteins (TPSP) of guinea pig was associated with capacitation and hyperactivation (CAHA), and $Ca^{2+}$ and ${HCO_3}^-$ were required for the initiation of CAHA and increasing the TPSP. The aim of this study was to further investigate the mechanism underlying the above events. The results showed that addition of cAMP agonists, dibutyryl-cAMP (db-cAMP) and isobutyl-methylxantine (IBMX), to ${HCO_3}^-$ -free medium significantly increased CAHA to the normal level (when sperm were incubated in TALP). Although addition of the cAMP agonists to $Ca^{2+}$-free medium increased CAHA, the percentages of hyperactivated and capacitated sperm were still significantly lower than the normal level. Compared with ${HCO_3}^-$ -free or $Ca^{2+}$-free medium, TPSP was increased when db-cAMP and IBMX were added in the media. H-89, a specific inhibitor of protein kinase A (PKA), inhibited CAHA in a dose-dependent manner and totally blocked TPSP. These results confirm a previous observation that $Ca^{2+}$ and ${HCO_3}^-$ regulated CAHA and TPSP in a cAMP/PKA pathway, and support an interation between TPSP and CAHA of sperm. Besides the cAMP/PKA pathway, $Ca^{2+}$ might have also played a role in regulating CAHA by other pathways since the normal level of CAHA did not recover by adding cAMP agonists in the media.

Clinical Applicability of Multi-Tumor Marker Protein Chips for Diagnosing Ovarian Cancer

Bian, Jing,Li, Bo,Kou, Xian-Juan,Wang, Xu-Na,Sun, Xiao-Xu,Ming, Liang Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.19

Purpose: To assess the value of multi-tumor marker protein chips in the diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer. Materials and Methods: Twelve tumor markers (CA19-9, NSE, CEA, CA242, CK19, ${\beta}$-HCG, AFP, SCC, c-PSA, CA125, CA724 and CA15-3) were detected by protein biochip in 220 patients with ovarian carcinomas, 205 with benign ovarian tumors and 200 healthy subjects. Results: The positivity rate was obviously higher in ovarian cancer (77.7%), than that in the benign cases (26.3%, p<0.01) and healthy subjects (4.5%, p<0.01). Serum levels of tumor markers were furthermore significantly higher in cases with lymph node metastasis (86.8%) than those without metastasis (44.7%), p<0.01. Conclusions: Multi-tumor marker protein chips provide important assistance in the diagnosis and treatment evaluation in ovarian cancers.

Photo-induced antifouling polyvinylidene fluoride ultrafiltration membrane driven by weak visible light

Ting Wang,Ling-li Jiang,Lu-lu Huang,Li-guang Wu,Chun-juan Li,Jing Cai 한국공업화학회 2020 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.89 No.-

To enhance the performance of ultrafiltration membranes, a polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF) blendingmembrane with photo-induced antifouling performance was fabricated. La3+- and Yb3+-doped titaniumdioxide-reduced graphene oxide (TiO2-RGO) composites were initially prepared by adsorption-phasesynthesis coupled with solvothermal reduction. The doped TiO2-RGO composites were then blendedwith the PVDF materials. The results showed that adding well-distributed, doped, and hydrophilic TiO2-RGO improved the pore structures and surface polarity of the blending membranes, thus improving theirpermeation and antifouling performance. After addition of doped TiO2-RGO with photocatalytic activity,the antifouling performance of the resulting blending membranes increased under weak visible-lightirradiation. The agglomerated doped TiO2-RGO in the polymeric matrix reduced the hydrophilicity andporosity of the resulting membranes, thereby decreasing their water permeability and antifoulingperformance. Solvothermal reduction through ethylene glycol also improved the photocatalytic activityof Yb-doped TiO2-RGO and enhanced the affinity between doped TiO2-RGO and PVDF. These two effectssimultaneously increased the water permeability and photo-induced antifouling performance of theblending membranes. Theflux recovery rate of the blending membranes containing Yb-doped TiO2-RGOtreated by ethylene glycol exceeded 69% after illumination. In particular, theflux recovery rate ofmembranes reached about 96% after illumination coupling with washing.