bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A metabolic synthetic lethal strategy with arginine deprivation and chloroquine leads to cell death in ASS1-deficient sarcomas
Authors: Bean Gregory R , Kremer Jeff C , Prudner Bethany C , Schenone Aaron D , Yao Juo-Chin , Schultze Matthew B , Chen David Y , Tanas Munir R , Adkins Douglas R , Bomalaski John , Rubin Brian P , Michel Loren S , Van Tine Brian A 
Published: October 2016

AbstractSarcomas comprise a large heterogeneous group of mesenchymal cancers with limited therapeutic options. When treated with standard cytotoxic chemotherapies, many sarcomas fail to respond completely and rapidly become treatment resistant. A major problem in the investigation and treatment of sarcomas is the fact that no single gene mutation or alteration has been identified among the diverse histologic subtypes. We searched for therapeutically druggable targets that are common to a wide range of histologies and hence could provide alternatives to the conventional chemotherapy. Seven hundred samples comprising 45 separate histologies were examined. We found that almost 90% were arginine auxotrophs, as the expression of argininosuccinate synthetase 1 was lost or significantly reduced. Arginine auxotrophy confers sensitivity to arginine deprivation, leading temporarily to starvation and ultimately to cell survival or death under different circumstances. We showed that, in sarcoma, arginine deprivation therapy with pegylated arginine deiminase (ADI-PEG20) maintains a prolonged state of arginine starvation without causing cell death. However, when starvation was simultaneously prolonged by ADI-PEG20 while inhibited by the clinically available drug chloroquine, sarcoma cells died via necroptosis and apoptosis. These results have revealed a novel metabolic vulnerability in sarcomas and provided the basis for a well-tolerated alternative treatment strategy, potentially applicable to up to 90% of the tumors, regardless of histology.
Effects of YM155 on survivin levels and viability in neuroblastoma cells with acquired drug resistance
Authors: Voges Yvonne , Michaelis Martin , Rothweiler Florian , Schaller Torsten , Schneider Constanze , Politt Katharina , Mernberger Marco , Nist Andrea , Stiewe Thorsten , Wass Mark N , Rödel Franz , Cinatl Jindrich 
Published: October 2016

AbstractResistance formation after initial therapy response (acquired resistance) is common in high-risk neuroblastoma patients. YM155 is a drug candidate that was introduced as a survivin suppressant. This mechanism was later challenged, and DNA damage induction and Mcl-1 depletion were suggested instead. Here we investigated the efficacy and mechanism of action of YM155 in neuroblastoma cells with acquired drug resistance. The efficacy of YM155 was determined in neuroblastoma cell lines and their sublines with acquired resistance to clinically relevant drugs. Survivin levels, Mcl-1 levels, and DNA damage formation were determined in response to YM155. RNAi-mediated depletion of survivin, Mcl-1, and p53 was performed to investigate their roles during YM155 treatment. Clinical YM155 concentrations affected the viability of drug-resistant neuroblastoma cells through survivin depletion and p53 activation. MDM2 inhibitor-induced p53 activation further enhanced YM155 activity. Loss of p53 function generally affected anti-neuroblastoma approaches targeting survivin. Upregulation of ABCB1 (causes YM155 efflux) and downregulation of SLC35F2 (causes YM155 uptake) mediated YM155-specific resistance. YM155-adapted cells displayed increased ABCB1 levels, decreased SLC35F2 levels, and a p53 mutation. YM155-adapted neuroblastoma cells were also characterized by decreased sensitivity to RNAi-mediated survivin depletion, further confirming survivin as a critical YM155 target in neuroblastoma. In conclusion, YM155 targets survivin in neuroblastoma. Furthermore, survivin is a promising therapeutic target for p53 wild-type neuroblastomas after resistance acquisition (neuroblastomas are rarely p53-mutated), potentially in combination with p53 activators. In addition, we show that the adaptation of cancer cells to molecular-targeted anticancer drugs is an effective strategy to elucidate a drug’s mechanism of action.
Sirtuin 1 activation protects against early brain injury after experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage in rats
Authors: Zhang Xiang-Sheng , Wu Qi , Wu Ling-Yun , Ye Zhen-Nan , Jiang Tian-Wei , Li Wei , Zhuang Zong , Zhou Meng-Liang , Zhang Xin , Hang Chun-Hua 
Published: October 2016

AbstractIncreasing evidence indicates that sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) is implicated in a wide range of cellular functions, such as oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the change of SIRT1 in the brain after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and its role on SAH-induced early brain injury (EBI). In the first set of experiments, rats were randomly divided into sham group and SAH groups at 2, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h. The expression of SIRT1 was evaluated by western blot analysis, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. In another set of experiments, SIRT1-specific inhibitor (sirtinol) and activator (activator 3) were exploited to study the role of SIRT1 in SAH-induced EBI. It showed that the protein level of SIRT1 was markedly elevated at the early stage of SAH and peaked at 24 h after SAH. The expression of SIRT1 could be observed in neurons and microglia, and the enhanced SIRT1 was mainly located in neurons after SAH. Administration of sirtinol inhibited the expression and activation of SIRT1 pathways after SAH, while activator 3 enhanced the expression and activation of SIRT1 pathways after SAH. In addition, inhibition of SIRT1 could exacerbate forkhead transcription factors of the O class-, nuclear factor-kappa B- and p53-induced oxidative damage, neuroinflammation and neuronal apoptosis, leading to aggravated brain injury after SAH. In contrast, activator 3 treatment could reduce forkhead transcription factors of the O class-, nuclear factor-kappa B-, and p53-induced oxidative damage, neuroinflammation and neuronal apoptosis to protect against EBI. These results suggest that SIRT1 plays an important role in neuroprotection against EBI after SAH by deacetylation and subsequent inhibition of forkhead transcription factors of the O class-, nuclear factor-kappa B-, and p53-induced oxidative, inflammatory and apoptotic pathways. SIRT1 might be a new promising molecular target for SAH.
CDK5 functions as a tumor promoter in human colorectal cancer via modulating the ERK5–AP-1 axis
Authors: Zhuang Kangmin , Zhang Juchang , Xiong Man , Wang Xianfei , Luo Xiaobei , Han Lu , Meng Yan , Zhang Yali , Liao Wenting , Liu Side 
Published: October 2016

AbstractAbnormal expression of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) has been found in several human cancers, whereas the role of CDK5 in the malignant development of colorectal cancer (CRC) has not been well characterized. Here we investigated the role of CDK5 in CRC and found that its expression was much higher in CRC tissues than that in normal tissues with a higher expression level of CDK5 closely correlating to advanced American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage, poor differentiation, increased tumor size and poor prognosis of CRC. Biological function experiments showed that CDK5 regulated CRC cell proliferation and metastasis ability. Whole-genome microarray analysis, co-immunoprecipitation,in vitrokinase assay, western blotting, luciferase reporter assays and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) showed that CDK5 could directly phosphorylate ERK5 at threonine (Thr) 732 and finally modulate the oncogenic ERK5–AP-1 axis. Further researches showed that CDK5–ERK5–AP-1 axis could promote progression of CRC carcinogenesis and had a significant correlation in human CRC samples. In summary, this study revealed the functional and mechanistic links between CDK5 and the oncogenic ERK5–AP-1 signaling pathway in the pathogenesis of CRC. These findings suggest that CDK5 has an important role in CRC development and may serve as a potential therapeutic target for CRC.
Flexible ferroelectric organic crystals
Authors: Owczarek Magdalena , Hujsak Karl A. , Ferris Daniel P. , Prokofjevs Aleksandrs , Majerz Irena , Szklarz Przemysław , Zhang Huacheng , Sarjeant Amy A. , Stern Charlotte L. , Jakubas Ryszard , Hong Seungbum , Dravid Vinayak P. , Stoddart J. Fraser 
Published: October 2016

AbstractFlexible organic materials possessing useful electrical properties, such as ferroelectricity, are of crucial importance in the engineering of electronic devices. Up until now, however, only ferroelectric polymers have intrinsically met this flexibility requirement, leaving small-molecule organic ferroelectrics with room for improvement. Since both flexibility and ferroelectricity are rare properties on their own, combining them in one crystalline organic material is challenging. Herein, we report that trisubstituted haloimidazoles not only display ferroelectricity and piezoelectricity—the properties that originate from their non-centrosymmetric crystal lattice—but also lend their crystalline mechanical properties to fine-tuning in a controllable manner by disrupting the weak halogen bonds between the molecules. This element of control makes it possible to deliver another unique and highly desirable property, namely crystal flexibility. Moreover, the electrical properties are maintained in the flexible crystals.
Structure-mechanism-based engineering of chemical regulators targeting distinct pathological factors in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Beck Michael W. , Derrick Jeffrey S. , Kerr Richard A. , Oh Shin Bi , Cho Woo Jong , Lee Shin Jung C. , Ji Yonghwan , Han Jiyeon , Tehrani Zahra Aliakbar , Suh Nayoung , Kim Sujeong , Larsen Scott D. , Kim Kwang S. , Lee Joo-Yong , Ruotolo Brandon T. , Lim Mi Hee 
Published: October 2016

AbstractThe absence of effective therapeutics against Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a result of the limited understanding of its multifaceted aetiology. Because of the lack of chemical tools to identify pathological factors, investigations into AD pathogenesis have also been insubstantial. Here we report chemical regulators that demonstrate distinct specificity towards targets linked to AD pathology, including metals, amyloid-β (Aβ), metal–Aβ, reactive oxygen species, and free organic radicals. We obtained these chemical regulators through a rational structure-mechanism-based design strategy. We performed structural variations of small molecules for fine-tuning their electronic properties, such as ionization potentials and mechanistic pathways for reactivity towards different targets. We established in vitro and/or in vivo efficacies of the regulators for modulating their targets’ reactivities, ameliorating toxicity, reducing amyloid pathology, and improving cognitive deficits. Our chemical tools show promise for deciphering AD pathogenesis and discovering effective drugs.
Chiral optical response of planar and symmetric nanotrimers enabled by heteromaterial selection
Authors: Banzer Peter , Woźniak Paweł , Mick Uwe , De Leon Israel , Boyd Robert W. 
Published: October 2016

AbstractChirality is an intriguing property of certain molecules, materials or artificial nanostructures, which allows them to interact with the spin angular momentum of the impinging light field. Due to their chiral geometry, they can distinguish between left- and right-hand circular polarization states or convert them into each other. Here we introduce an approach towards optical chirality, which is observed in individual two-dimensional and geometrically mirror-symmetric nanostructures. In this scheme, the chiral optical response is induced by the chosen heterogeneous material composition of a particle assembly and the corresponding resonance behaviour of the constituents it is built from, which breaks the symmetry of the system. As a proof of principle, we investigate such a structure composed of individual silicon and gold nanoparticles both experimentally, as well as numerically. Our proposed concept constitutes an approach for designing two-dimensional chiral media tailored at the nanoscale, allowing for high tunability of their optical response.
Immunisation of two rodent species with new live-attenuated mutants of Yersinia pestis CO92 induces protective long-term humoral- and cell-mediated immunity against pneumonic plague
Authors: Tiner Bethany L , Sha Jian , Cong Yingzi , Kirtley Michelle L , Andersson Jourdan A , Chopra Ashok K 
Published: October 2016

AbstractWe showed recently that the live-attenuated Δlpp ΔmsbB Δail and Δlpp ΔmsbB::ailL2 mutants of Yersinia pestis CO92 provided short-term protection to mice against developing subsequent lethal pneumonic plague. These mutants were either deleted for genes encoding Braun lipoprotein (Lpp), an acetyltransferase (MsbB) and the attachment invasion locus (Ail) (Δlpp ΔmsbB Δail) or contained a modified version of the ail gene with diminished virulence (Δlpp ΔmsbB::ailL2). Here, long-term immune responses were first examined after intramuscular immunisation of mice with the above-mentioned mutants, as well as the newly constructed Δlpp ΔmsbB Δpla mutant, deleted for the plasminogen-activator protease (pla) gene instead of ail. Y. pestis-specific IgG levels peaked between day 35 and 56 in the mutant-immunised mice and were sustained until the last tested day 112. Splenic memory B cells peaked earlier (day 42) before declining in the Δlpp ΔmsbB::ailL2 mutant-immunised mice while being sustained for 63 days in the Δlpp ΔmsbB Δail and Δlpp ΔmsbB Δpla mutant-immunised mice. Splenic CD4+ T cells increased in all immunised mice by day 42 with differential cytokine production among the immunised groups. On day 120, immunised mice were exposed intranasally to wild-type (WT) CO92, and 80–100% survived pneumonic challenge. Mice immunised with the above-mentioned three mutants had increased innate as well as CD4+ responses immediately after WT CO92 exposure, and coupled with sustained antibody production, indicated the role of both arms of the immune response in protection. Likewise, rats vaccinated with either Δlpp ΔmsbB Δail or the Δlpp ΔmsbB Δpla mutant also developed long-term humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to provide 100% protection against developing pneumonic plague. On the basis of the attenuated phenotype, the Δlpp ΔmsbB Δail mutant was recently excluded from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention select agent list.
Structural phase transitions and photoluminescence properties of oxonitridosilicate phosphors under high hydrostatic pressure
Authors: Lazarowska Agata , Mahlik Sebastian , Grinberg Marek , Li Guogang , Liu Ru-Shi 
Published: October 2016

AbstractSpectroscopic properties of a series of (Sr0.98-xBaxEu0.02)Si2O2N2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.98) compounds has been studied under high hydrostatic pressure applied in a diamond anvil cell up to 200 kbar. At ambient pressure the crystal structures of (Sr0.98-xBaxEu0.02)Si2O2N2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.98) are related to the ratio of strontium to barium and three different phases exists: orthorhombic Pbcn(0.78 ≤ x ≤ 0.98), triclinic P1 (0 < x ≤ 0.65) and triclinic P1 (0.65 < x < 0.78). It was found that Eu2+ luminescence reveals abrupt changes under pressure (decay time, energy and shape) which indicate the variation of the local symmetry and crystal field strength in Eu2+ sites. These changes are attributed to the reversible pressure-induced structural phase transitions of triclinic (Sr0.98-xBaxEu0.02)Si2O2N2 into orthorhombic structure. Pressure in which phase transition occurs decreases linearly with increasing of Ba composition in (Sr0.98-xBaxEu0.02)Si2O2N2 series. Additionally, very different pressure shifts of the Eu2+ luminescence in different phases of (Sr0.98-xBaxEu0.02)Si2O2N2:Eu from −40 cm−1/kbar to 0 cm−1/kbar have been observed. This effect is explained by different interaction of the Eu2+ 5d electron with the second coordination sphere around the impurity cations.
3Disease Browser: A Web server for integrating 3D genome and disease-associated chromosome rearrangement data
Authors: Li Ruifeng , Liu Yifang , Li Tingting , Li Cheng 
Published: October 2016

AbstractChromosomal rearrangement (CR) events have been implicated in many tumor and non-tumor human diseases. CR events lead to their associated diseases by disrupting gene and protein structures. Also, they can lead to diseases through changes in chromosomal 3D structure and gene expression. In this study, we search for CR-associated diseases potentially caused by chromosomal 3D structure alteration by integrating Hi-C and ChIP-seq data. Our algorithm rediscovers experimentally verified disease-associated CRs (polydactyly diseases) that alter gene expression by disrupting chromosome 3D structure. Interestingly, we find that intellectual disability may be a candidate disease caused by 3D chromosome structure alteration. We also develop a Web server (3Disease Browser, http://3dgb.cbi.pku.edu.cn/disease/) for integrating and visualizing disease-associated CR events and chromosomal 3D structure.
MicroRNA miR-204 and miR-1236 inhibit hepatitis B virus replication via two different mechanisms
Authors: Huang Jyun-Yuan , Chen Hung-Lin , Shih Chiaho 
Published: October 2016

AbstractHepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major human pathogen. In this study, we found that miR-204 and miR-1236 were down-regulated in HBV-producing cells, and each could suppress HBV replication. Using a bioinformatic approach and a reporter assay, we identified miR-1236, which can reduce HBV replication and protein production by directly targeting at HBV specific mRNA. In contrast, miR-204 was identified by a microarray approach, and had no effect on HBV RNA and protein production. Surprisingly, miR-204 could inhibit HBV pregenomic RNA encapsidation and capsid assembly. We further demonstrated that HBV suppressed miR-204 expression via activating a host transcription factor STAT3. We established a positive feed-forward loop between HBV, miR-204 and STAT3. Interestingly, miR-204 has been considered as a tumor suppressor in some literature. Since the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is significantly increased in chronic HBV patients, it is possible that chronic suppression of miR-204 by HBV contributes to HCC incidence. Both miR-204 and miR-1236 might be useful for developing new therapeutics against HBV.
Electrochemical deposition of layered copper thin films based on the diffusion limited aggregation
Authors: Wei Chenhuinan , Wu Guoxing , Yang Sanjun , Liu Qiming 
Published: October 2016

AbstractIn this work layered copper films with smooth surface were successfully fabricated onto ITO substrate by electrochemical deposition (ECD) and the thickness of the films was nearly 60 nm. The resulting films were characterized by SEM, TEM, AFM, XPS, and XRD. We have investigated the effects of potential and the concentration of additives and found that 2D dendritic-like growth process leaded the formation of films. A suitable growth mechanism based on diffusion limited aggregation (DLA) mechanism for the copper films formation is presented, which are meaningful for further designing homogeneous and functional films.
Lysozyme and bilirubin bind to ACE and regulate its conformation and shedding
Authors: Danilov Sergei M. , Lünsdorf Heinrich , Akinbi Henry T. , Nesterovitch Andrew B. , Epshtein Yuliya , Letsiou Eleftheria , Kryukova Olga V. , Piegeler Tobias , Golukhova Elena Z. , Schwartz David E. , Dull Randal O. , Minshall Richard D. , Kost Olga A. , Garcia Joe G. N. 
Published: October 2016

AbstractAngiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) hydrolyzes numerous peptides and is a critical participant in blood pressure regulation and vascular remodeling. Elevated tissue ACE levels are associated with increased risk for cardiovascular and respiratory disorders. Blood ACE concentrations are determined by proteolytic cleavage of ACE from the endothelial cell surface, a process that remains incompletely understood. In this study, we identified a novel ACE gene mutation (Arg532Trp substitution in the N domain of somatic ACE) that increases blood ACE activity 7-fold and interrogated the mechanism by which this mutation significantly increases blood ACE levels. We hypothesized that this ACE mutation disrupts the binding site for blood components which may stabilize ACE conformation and diminish ACE shedding. We identified the ACE-binding protein in the blood as lysozyme and also a Low Molecular Weight (LMW) ACE effector, bilirubin, which act in concert to regulate ACE conformation and thereby influence ACE shedding. These results provide mechanistic insight into the elevated blood level of ACE observed in patients on ACE inhibitor therapy and elevated blood lysozyme and ACE levels in sarcoidosis patients.
Characterizing the residual glass in a MgO/Al2O3/SiO2/ZrO2/Y2O3 glass-ceramic
Authors: Seidel Sabrina , Patzig Christian , Wisniewski Wolfgang , Gawronski Antje , Hu Yongfeng , Höche Thomas , Rüssel Christian 
Published: October 2016

AbstractThe non-isochemical crystallization of glasses leads to glass-ceramics in which the chemical composition of the amorphous matrix differs from that of the parent glass. It is challenging to solely analyse the properties of these residual glassy phases because they frequently contain finely dispersed crystals. In this study, the composition of the residual glass matrix after the crystallization of a glass with the mol% composition 50.6 SiO2 · 20.7 MgO · 20.7 Al2O3 · 5.6 ZrO2 · 2.4 Y2O3 is analysed by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) including energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXS). A batch of the residual glass with the determined composition is subsequently melted and selected properties are analysed. Furthermore, the crystallization behaviour of this residual glass is studied by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy including electron backscatter diffraction and STEM-EDXS analyses. The residual glass shows sole surface crystallization of indialite and multiple yttrium silicates while bulk nucleation does not occur. This is in contrast to the crystallization behaviour of the parent glass, in which a predominant bulk nucleation of spinel and ZrO2 is observed. The crystallization of the residual glass probably leads to different crystalline phases when it is in contact to air, rather than when it is enclosed within the microstructure of the parent glass-ceramics.
Haemocoel injection of PirA1B1 to Galleria mellonella larvae leads to disruption of the haemocyte immune functions
Authors: Wu Gongqing , Yi Yunhong 
Published: October 2016

AbstractThe bacterium Photorhabdus luminescens produces a number of insecticidal proteins to kill its larval prey. In this study, we cloned the gene coding for a binary toxin PirA1B1 and purified the recombinant protein using affinity chromatography combined with desalination technology. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity of the recombinant protein against the haemocytes of Galleria mellonella larvae was investigated. We found that the protein had haemocoel insecticidal activity against G. mellonella with an LD50 of 131.5 ng/larva. Intrahaemocoelic injection of PirA1B1 into G. mellonella resulted in significant decreases in haemocyte number and phagocytic ability. In in vitro experiments, PirA1B1 inhibited the spreading behaviour of the haemocytes of G. mellonella larvae and even caused haemocyte degeneration. Fluorescence microscope analysis and visualization of haemocyte F-actin stained with phalloidin-FITC showed that the PirA1B1 toxin disrupted the organization of the haemocyte cytoskeleton. Our results demonstrated that the PirA1B1 toxin disarmed the insect cellular immune system.