Objective: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common cancer worldwide. Patient outcomes following recurrence of CRC are very poor. Therefore, identifying the risk of CRC recurrence at an early stage would improve patient care. Accumulating evidence shows that autophagy plays an active role in tumorigenesis, recurrence, and metastasis.

Methods: We used machine learning algorithms and two regression models, univariable Cox proportion and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), to identify 26 autophagy-related genes (ARGs) related to CRC recurrence.

Results: By functional annotation, these ARGs were shown to be enriched in necroptosis and apoptosis pathways. Protein-protein interactions identified SQSTM1, CASP8, HSP80AB1, FADD, and MAPK9 as core genes in CRC autophagy. Of 26 ARGs, BAX and PARP1 were regarded as having the most significant predictive ability of CRC recurrence, with prediction accuracy of 71.1%.

Conclusion: These results shed light on prediction of CRC recurrence by ARGs. Stratification of patients into recurrence risk groups by testing ARGs would be a valuable tool for early detection of CRC recurrence.

Keywords: Colorectal cancer; autophagy; autophagy-related gene; machine learning; recurrence; regression.

Large yellow croaker is an important marine culture species in China. Recently, the large yellow croaker industry is threatened by various disease problems, especially for the white spot disease, which is caused by parasite Cryptocaryon irritans. In the current study, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for C. irritans resistance in two large yellow croaker populations (n = 264 and n = 480, respectively). We identified 15 QTL with explained genetic variance ranging from 1 to 8% in the two populations. One QTL on chromosome 23 was shared by the two populations, and three QTL had been reported in the previous study. We identified a lot of biological pathways associated with C. irritans resistance, such as hormone transport, response to bacterium, apoptotic process, acute inflammatory response to antigenic stimulus, and NF-kappa B signaling pathway. The genes casp8 and traf6 involved in regulatory network for apoptosis and inflammation were identified to be candidate genes for C. irritans resistance. Our results showed the complex polygenic architecture of resistance of large yellow croaker against C. irritans. These results would be helpful for the researches of the molecular mechanism of C. irritans resistance and genome-assisted breeding of large yellow croaker.

Keywords: C. irritans; Disease resistance; GWAS; Genetic architecture; Ontology.

The magnitude of CD8 T cell responses against viruses is checked by the balance of proliferation and death. Caspase-8 (CASP8) has the potential to influence response characteristics through initiation of apoptosis, suppression of necroptosis, and modulation of cell death-independent signal transduction. Mice deficient in CASP8 and RIPK3 (Casp8^-/-Ripk3^-/- ) mount enhanced peak CD8 T cell levels against the natural mouse pathogen murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) or the human pathogen herpes simplex virus-1 compared with littermate control RIPK3-deficient or WT C57BL/6 mice, suggesting an impact of CASP8 on the magnitude of antiviral CD8 T cell expansion and not on contraction. The higher peak response to MCMV in Casp8^-/-Ripk3^-/- mice resulted from accumulation of greater numbers of terminally differentiated KLRG1^hi effector CD8 T cell subsets. Antiviral Casp8^-/-Ripk3^-/- T cells exhibited enhanced proliferation when splenocytes were transferred into WT recipient mice. Thus, cell-autonomous CASP8 normally restricts CD8 T cell proliferation following T cell receptor activation in response to foreign antigen. Memory inflation is a hallmark quality of the T cell response to cytomegalovirus infection. Surprisingly, MCMV-specific memory inflation was not sustained long-term in Casp8^-/-Ripk3^-/- mice even though these mice retained immunity to secondary challenge. In addition, the accumulation of abnormal B220⁺CD3⁺ T cells in these viable CASP8-deficient mice was reduced by chronic MCMV infection. Combined, these data brings to light the cell death-independent role of CASP8 during CD8 T cell expansion in mice lacking the confounding impact of RIPK3-mediated necroptosis.

Background: Apoptosis is a type of cell death involved in different pathways inherent to the cell and the evasion from this mechanism has been related to cancer, although this process remains not very well comprehended. Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most incident and aggressive types of cancer worldwide. In this study, we analyzed the distribution of INDEL variants in GC patients (Case) and individuals from the general population (Control) from the Amazon region, in which GC is remarkably frequent.

Methods: A panel of nine INDEL markers in apoptosis-related genes (BCL2 rs11269260, CASP3 rs4647655, CASP8 rs3834129 and rs59308963, CASP9 rs4645982 and rs61079693, FADD rs4197, FAS rs10562972 and TP53 rs17880560) was developed and genotyped by multiplex PCR in both groups.

Results: In our analyses, only marker rs4197 (FADD gene) was associated to GC development as follows: INS/DEL genotype of rs4197 increasing in about 2-fold the chances of developing this type of cancer (P = 0.046; OR = 1.940; 95%CI = 1.011-3.725).

Conclusion: Our results suggest that rs4197 (FADD gene) might play a role in gastric carcinogenesis in the investigated population. More studies are needed to clarify this relation. Here, we highlight the importance of investigating INDEL variants in genes involved in apoptosis.

Keywords: Apoptosis; FADD; Gastric Cancer; INDEL.

Caspase 8 (CASP8) is one of the most frequently mutated genes in head and neck squamous carcinomas (HNSCC), and CASP8 mutations are associated with poor survival. The distribution of these mutations in HNSCC suggests that they are likely to be inactivating. Inhibition of CASP8 has been reported to sensitize cancer cells to necroptosis, a regulated cell death mechanism. Here, we show that knockdown of CASP8 renders HNSCCs susceptible to necroptosis by a second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase (SMAC) mimetic, Birinapant, in combination with pan-caspase inhibitors zVAD FMK or Emricasan and radiation. In a syngeneic mouse model of oral cancer, Birinapant, particularly when combined with radiation delayed tumor growth and enhanced survival under CASP8 loss. Exploration of molecular underpinnings of necroptosis sensitivity confirmed that the level of functional receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 3 (RIP3) determines susceptibility to this mode of death. Although an in vitro screen revealed that low RIP3 levels render many HNSCC cell lines resistant to necroptosis, patient tumors maintain RIP3 expression and should therefore remain sensitive. Collectively, these results suggest that targeting the necroptosis pathway with SMAC mimetics, especially in combination with radiation, may be relevant therapeutically in HNSCC with compromised CASP8 status, provided that RIP3 function is maintained.

Keywords: Apoptosis pathways; Cell Biology; Head and neck cancer; Oncology; Radiation therapy.

BACKGROUND

Cancer cells exert differential responses to chemotherapeutics and inhibitors. To the best of our knowledge, a few or no research has been performed until now to determine the effect of EF-24 and RAD001 on MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells with regard to mRNA expression of apoptotic and anti-apoptotic genes.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we aimed to investigate the mRNA expression levels of apoptotic (caspase 2 [CASP2], CASP8, and CASP9) and anti-apoptotic (B-cell lymphoma 2 [BCL2] and BCL2-like protein 1 [BCL2L1]) genes after exposure to paclitaxel, EF-24, and RAD001 in MDA-MB-231 cells.

METHODS

After treatment, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay was used to measure cell viability. mRNA expressions were analyzed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTS

Decrease in cell viability ratios was seen in a dose-dependent manner for all chemicals. MDA-MB-231 cells responded slightly different to paclitaxel, EF-24, and RAD001 at the transcriptional level of apoptotic and anti-apoptotic genes.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results showed that response of these cells to paclitaxel, EF-24, and RAD001 was found different at the transcriptional level of apoptotic and antiapoptotic genes. Therefore, understanding transcriptional changes after these drug exposure may give us a change to figure out more realistic results of the apoptotic pathway inhibition.

BACKGROUND

Premature infants subjected to mechanical ventilation (MV) are prone to lung injury that may result in bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Mechanical ventilation causes epithelial cell death and halts alveolar development. The exact mechanism of MV-induced epithelial cell death is unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the contribution of autophagy to MV-induced epithelial cell death in newborn rat lungs.

METHODS

Newborn rat lungs and fetal rat lung epithelial (FLRE) cells were exposed to MV and cyclic stretch, respectively, and were then analyzed by immunoblotting and mass spectrometry for autophagy, apoptosis and bioactive sphingolipids.

RESULTS

Both MV and stretch first induces autophagy (ATG5/12 and LC3B-II formation) followed by extrinsic apoptosis (cleaved CASP8/3 and PARP formation). Stretch-induced apoptosis was attenuated by inhibiting autophagy. Co-immunoprecipitation revealed that stretch promoted an interaction between LC3B and the FAS cell death receptor in FRLE cells. Ceramide levels, in particular C16 ceramide, were rapidly elevated in response to ventilation and stretch, and C16 ceramide treatment of FRLE cells induced autophagy and apoptosis in a temporal pattern similar to that seen with mechanical ventilation and stretch. Sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase 1 (SMPD1) was activated by ventilation and stretch, and its inhibition prevented ceramide production, LC3B-II formation, LC3B/FAS interaction, CASP3 activation, and ultimately FLRE cell death. SMPD1 inhibition also attenuated ventilation-induced autophagy and apoptosis in newborn rats.

CONCLUSIONS

Ventilation-induced ceramides promote autophagy-mediated cell death, and identifies SMPD1 as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of ventilation-induced lung injury in newborns.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) technique to amplify mRNA isolated from formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) breast-cancer tissues.

METHODS

RNA was extracted from archived, 10-year-old FFPE tissues, and selected genes, namely ribosomal protein S18 (RPS18), epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), Y box binding protein (YBX-1), matrix metallopeptidase 11 (MMP11), caspase 8 (CASP8) and superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), were amplified by NASBA.

RESULTS

Despite strong degradation of the template, RNA amplification of all tested genes resulted in strong hybridisation signals. Sensitivity tests showed that the RPS18 NASBA assay was more sensitive than real-time RT-PCR used as a reference method. The sensitivity of the HER2, ERα, MMP11, YBX1, CASP8 and SOD2 NASBA assay was comparable with RT-PCR targeted to the respective genes.

CONCLUSIONS

The results obtained indicate that NASBA is suitable to amplify with high specificity and sensitivity, even strongly degraded RNA isolated from FFPE tissues, and therefore can complement already-existing amplification techniques such as RT-PCR for analysis of such tissues.

A high‑zinc (Zn) diet has been found to promote growth performance in pigs, but causes cell apoptosis in the intestinal epithelium. To investigate the mechanism underlying the high dietary Zn-induced apoptosis in porcine small intestinal epithelium, IPEC-J2 cells (intestinal porcine epithelial cells) were used to determine the effect of Zn on cell inhibitory, apoptosis, and mitochondrial membrane potential and autophagy in vitro. Results showed that Zn inhibited IPEC-J2 cell proliferation and induced apoptosis and autophagy. High concentrations of Zn induced DNA fragmentation and nuclear morphological changes, and increased intracellular Zn concentration. It also increased the protein expression level of cleaved caspase-3, caspase-8, beclin 1 and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3)-II, and the translocation of cytochrome c (Cyto C) into cytosol from mitochondria, and decreased the protein expression level of P62/SQSTM1. While 3-MA (3-methyladenine, as an autophagy inhibitor) suppressed the Zn-induced changes in the protein expression level of cleaved caspase-3 (CASP3), caspase-8 (CASP8), Cyto C, beclin 1, LC3-II and P62/SQSTM1. 3-MA decreased the Zn-induced mitochondrial apoptosis. High concentration of Zn up-regulated the relative mRNA expression level of BAX, CYCS, CASP3, CASP8, LC3-II and P62/SQSTM1 genes (p<0.05), which were also ameliorated by 3-MA supplementation. In conclusion, autophagy inhibition significantly reduced the Zn-induced loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and attenuated the elevation of apoptosis in IPEC-J2. Autophagy and apoptosis act as partners in the Zn-induced cellular death in IPEC-J2.

BACKGROUND

Statins are potent lipid-lowering agents widely used in medical practice. There has been growing evidence suggesting the pleiotropic effects of statins in addition to the lipid-lowering effect. However, it is still unclear how rapidly the beneficial effects of statins occur. The transcriptome of peripheral blood cells can be used as a sensor to drug therapy. The purpose of the study was to investigate the acute effects of rosuvastatin both on lipids profile and gene expression of peripheral leukocytes following therapy with a single dose of rosuvastatin.

METHODS

Thirty healthy Chinese male volunteers were enrolled. The serum lipids, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and plasma fibrinogen were determined before and 72 hours after administration of 20 mg of rosuvastatin. The differentially expressed genes of peripheral leukocytes after administration of rosuvastatin were screened using human oligonucleotide microarray gene expression chips. Then four of the differentially expressed genes including ATM, CASP8, IL8RB and S100B were verified by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

RESULTS

Rosuvastatin decreased both serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol significantly 72 hours after administration of a single dose of 20 mg rosuvastatin. However, no significant changes occurred in blood high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, C-reactive protein and fibrinogen after the treatment. A total of 24 genes were differentially expressed after the treatment. They were involved in important cell biological processes such as cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, apoptosis signaling, etc.

CONCLUSIONS

Rosuvastatin rapidly modulates the serum lipids and affects the gene expression of peripheral leukocytes in healthy volunteers. This finding provides some new clues for further studies on its potential pleiotropic effects.

Malicious progression of neurodegeneration is a consequence of toxic aggregates of proteins or peptides such as amyloid beta (Aβ) reported in Alzheimer's disease (AD). These aggregates hinder the electrochemical transmission at neuronal junctions and thus deteriorate neuronal-health by triggering dementia. Electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions among amino-acid residues are the governing principle behind the self-assembly of aforesaid noxious oligomers or agglomerate. Interestingly, lysine residues are crucial for these interactions and for facilitating the clearance of toxic metabolites through the ubiquitination process. The mechanisms behind lysine selectivity and modifications of target proteins are very intriguing process and an avenue to explore the clearance of unwanted proteins from neurons. Therefore, it is fascinating for the researchers to investigate the role of key lysine, their selectivity and interactions with other amino acids to clear-off toxic products in exempting the progression of Neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs). Herein, (1) we identified the aggregation prone sequence in Aβ40 and Aβ42 as 'HHQKLVFFAE' and 'SGYEVHHQKLVFFAEDVG/KGAIIGLMVGGV' respectively with critical lysine (K) at 16 and 28 for stabilizing the aggregates; (2) elucidated the interaction pattern of AβPP with other Alzheimer's related proteins BACE1, APOE, SNCA, APBB1, CASP8, NAE1, ADAM10, and PSEN1 to describe the pathophysiology; (3) found APOE as commonly interacting factor between amyloid beta and Tau for governing AD pathogenesis; (4) reported K224, K351, K363, K377, K601, K662, K751, and K763 as potential putative lysine for facilitating AβPP clearance through ubiquitination thereby arresting Aβ formation; and (5) observed conserved glutamine (Q), glutamic acid (E), and alpha-helical conformation as few crucial factors for lysine selectivity in the ubiquitination of AβPP.

Nervous necrosis virus (NNV) is one of the fish pathogens that have caused mass mortalities of many marine and freshwater fishes in the world. To better comprehend the molecular immune mechanism of sea perch (Lateolabrax japonicus) against NNV infection, the comparative transcriptome analysis of red-spotted grouper nervous necrosis virus (RGNNV)-infected or mock-infected L. japonicus brain (LJB) cells was performed via RNA sequencing technology. Here, 1,969 up-regulated genes and 9,858 down-regulated genes, which were widely implicated in immune response pathways, were identified. Furthermore, we confirmed that p53 signalling pathway was repressed at 48 hr post-RGNNV infection, as indicated by up-regulation of Mdm2 and down-regulation of p53 and its downstream target genes, including Bax, Casp8 and CytC. Overexpression of L. japonicus p53 (Ljp53) significantly inhibited RGNNV replication and up-regulated the expression of apoptosis-related genes, whereas the down-regulation caused by pifithrin-α led to the opposite effect, suggesting Ljp53 might promote cell apoptosis to repress virus replication. Luciferase assay indicated that Ljp53 could enhance the promoter activities of zebrafish interferon (IFN)1, indicating that Ljp53 could exert its anti-RGNNV activities by enforcing the type I IFN response. This study revealed the potential antiviral role of p53 during NNV infection.

Tendinopathy risk increases with menopause. The phytoestrogen genistein prevents collagen loss during estrogen deficiency (ovariectomy [OVX]). The influence of genistein on tendon function and extracellular matrix (ECM) regulation is not well known. We determined the impact of genistein on tendon function and the expression of several genes important for the regulation of tendon ECM. Eight-week-old rats (n = 42) were divided into three groups: intact, OVX, or OVX-genistein (6 mg/kg/day) for 6 weeks. Tail fascicles were assessed with a Deben tensile stage. Achilles tendon mRNA expression was determined with digital droplet polymerase chain reaction. Compared to intact, fascicle stress tended to be lower in untreated OVX rats (P = .022). Furthermore, fascicle modulus and energy density were greater in genistein-treated rats (P < .05) compared to intact. Neither OVX nor genistein altered expression of Col1a1, Col3a1, Casp3, Casp8, Mmp1a, Mmp2, or Mmp9 (P > .05). Compared to intact, Tnmd and Esr1 expression were greater and Pcna and Timp1 expression were lower in OVX rats (P < .05). Genistein treatment returned Tnmd, Pcna, and Timp1 to levels of intact-vehicle (P < .05), but did not alter Scx or Esr1 (P > .05). Several β-catenin/Wnt signaling-related molecules were not altered by OVX or genistein (P > .05). Our findings demonstrate that genistein improves tendon function in estrogen-deficient rats. The effect of genistein in vivo was predominately on genes related to cell proliferation rather than collagen remodeling.

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the induction of apoptosis and the immunomodulatory activities of alkaloids and triterpenes of Alstonia scholaris (Linn.) R. Br. leaves (ASL). Importantly, their possible synergistic properties were also explored in this study. Human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549 and Lewis tumor-bearing C57BL/6 mice were used for the evaluation of their activities. A MTT assay was used to determine the proliferation inhibition in A549 cells. Annexin-V/PI double staining as well as flow cytometry was performed to detect apoptosis and cell cycle status. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was conducted to determine the levels of inflammatory mediators interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in serum. Furthermore, western blot analysis was applied to evaluate the expressions of proteins associated with cell death. Alkaloids or triterpenes showed a high anti-proliferative activity in A549 cells, with IC50 values of 14.4 µg/mL and 9.3 µg/mL, respectively. The alkaloids and triterpenes combination could significantly inhibit tumor growth in tumor-bearing C57BL/6 mice, compared with alkaloids or triterpenes alone (7.5, 15, 30 g raw material/kg). The immune organs indexes including spleen index and thymus index were increased remarkably by the combination of alkaloids and triterpenes, whereas the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were up-regulated significantly. Moreover, Annexin-V/PI double staining and flow cytometry showed that the combination of alkaloids and triterpenes (1, 2 and 3 mg raw material/kg) could induce apoptosis and cause S cell cycle arrest in A549 cells. Western blot analysis also showed that their combination (2 mg raw material/kg) significantly down-regulated Bcl-2 expression and pro-casp8 level, whereas it remarkably increased the level of cleaved caspase-8 leading to apoptosis in A549 cells. These observations provide preliminary evidence that both alkaloids and triterpenes possess immune regulation and induction apoptosis activities. Their combination has a stronger activity than that of either class alone. Our findings suggested that these components might be beneficial for the prevention and treatment of NSCLC through a significant synergy effect.

In this study, we investigated the potential bioactivities of an ethanol extract of Hericium novae-zealandiae and four of its constituents, namely hericenone C, hericene B, ergosterol and ergosterol peroxide. The proliferation of three prostate cancer cell lines, namely DU145, LNCaP and PC3, was evaluated after treatment with the extract and constituents. It was found that both the ethanol extract and ergosterol peroxide possess anti-proliferative activities to the three prostate cancer cell lines. Ergosterol peroxide was considered likely to be one of the major compounds responsible for the anti-proliferative effect of the ethanol extract. Subsequently, the results of RT-qPCR assay showed two possible mechanisms for these anti-proliferative activities. One is apoptosis, supported by the up-regulation of CASP3, CASP8, CASP9, and an increase in the ratio of Bax/Bcl2. The other is anti-inflammation, indicated by the down-regulation of IL6 and up-regulation of IL24. The ethanol extract also exhibited antioxidant and AChE inhibitory (though weak) activities. However, none of the four compounds were found to account for these latter two activities. This is the first report of the bioactivities, and the corresponding active ingredients of lipophilic constituents from H. novae-zealandiae.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) includes a number of severe neurodevelopmental disorders known by defects in social interaction, impaired verbal and non-verbal interactions, and stereotypic activities and limited interests. Dysregulation of apoptotic pathways have been demonstrated in brain tissues of affected individuals. In the present study, we evaluated expression levels of apoptosis-related genes and miRNAs in peripheral blood of ASD patients compared with healthy subjects. Transcript levels of BCL2, CASP8, and hsa-29c-3p were significantly lower in total ASD patients compared with total normal children (P values = 0.003, 0.002, and 0.01 respectively). When sex of study participants was considered in the analysis, the difference in transcript levels of these genes was significant only in male subjects. Peripheral expression of BCL2 and hsa-29c-3p had 100% sensitivity 92% specificity in ASD diagnosis. The diagnostic power of combination of transcript levels of these genes was estimated to be 78% based on the calculated AUC value. The present study provides evidences for dysregulation of apoptotic pathways in peripheral blood of ASD patients and suggests certain apoptosis-related genes as biomarkers in this regard.

The purpose of this protocol is to describe the generation of missense mutations in mice using CRISPR-Cas9 technology. The current protocol focuses on the generation of a Casp8 ^FL122/123GG missense mutation, but it can be adapted to introduce any missense or nonsense mutation. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Tummers et al. (2020).

Keywords: CRISPR; Model Organisms.

Temperature is an important environmental factor in the living environment of crustaceans. Changes in temperature can affect their normal growth and metabolism and even cause bacterial disease. Currently, the potential anti-reverse molecular reaction mechanism of crustaceans during high-temperature conditions has not yet been fully understood. Therefore, in this study, we characterised the transcriptome of Procambarus clarkii using RNA sequencing and performed a comparison between super-high-temperature treated samples and controls. After assembly and annotation, 81,097 unigenes with an average length of 069 bp and 358 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Among these DEGs, 264 were differentially upregulated and 94 were differentially downregulated. To obtain comprehensive gene function information, we queried seven databases, namely, Nr, Nt, Pfam, KOG, Swiss-Prot, KEGG, and GO to annotate gene functions. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the identified DEGs have significant effects on immune-related pathways, including lysosomal and phagosomal pathways, and that super-high-temperature conditions can cause disease in P. clarkii. Some significantly downregulated genes are involved in oxidative phosphorylation and the PPAR signalling pathway; this suggests a metabolic imbalance in P. clarkia during extreme temperature conditions. In addition, elevated temperature changed the expression patterns of key apoptosis genes XIAP, CASP2, CASP2, CASP8, and CYTC, thereby confirming that high-temperature conditions caused immune disorders, metabolic imbalance, and, finally, triggered apoptosis. Our results provide a useful foundation for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the responses of P. clarkii during high-temperature conditions.

Keywords: DEGs; Illumina sequencing; Molecular mechanism; Procambarus clarkii; Super high temperature.

It is known that the Mediterranean diet is effective in reducing the risk of several chronic diseases, including cancer. A critical component of the Mediterranean diet is olive oil, and the relationship between olive oil consumption and the reduced risk of cancer has been established. Oleuropein (OL) is the most prominent polyphenol component of olive fruits and leaves. This compound has been shown to have potent properties in various types of cancers, including breast cancer. In the present study, the molecular mechanism of OL was examined in two racially different triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines-African American (AA, MDA-MB-468) and Caucasian American (CA, MDA-MB-231). The data obtained showed that OL effectively inhibits cell growth in both cell lines, concomitant with S-phase cell cycle arrest-mediated apoptosis. The results also showed that OL-treated MDA-MB-468 cells were two-fold more sensitive to OL antiproliferative effect than MDA-MB-231 cells were. At lower concentrations, OL modified the expression of many apoptosis-involved genes. OL was more effective in MDA-MB-468, compared to MDA-MB-231 cells, in terms of the number and the fold-change of the altered genes. In MDA-MB-468 cells, OL induced a noticeable transcription activation in fourteen genes, including two members of the caspase family: caspase 1 (CASP1) and caspase 14 (CASP14); two members of the TNF receptor superfamily: Fas-associated via death domain (FADD) and TNF receptor superfamily 21 (TNFRSF21); six other proapoptotic genes: growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible 45 alpha (GADD45A), cytochrome c somatic (CYCS), BCL-2 interacting protein 2 (BNIP2), BCL-2 interacting protein 3 (BNIP3), BH3 interacting domain death agonist (BID), and B-cell lymphoma/leukemia 10 (BCL10); and the CASP8 and FADD-like apoptosis regulator (CFLAR) gene. Moreover, in MDA-MB-468 cells, OL induced a significant upregulation in two antiapoptotic genes: bifunctional apoptosis regulator (BFAR) and B-Raf proto-oncogene (BRAF) and a baculoviral inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) repeat-containing 3 (BIRC3). On the contrary, in MDA-MB-231 cells, OL showed mixed impacts on gene expression. OL significantly upregulated the mRNA expression of four genes: BIRC3, receptor-interacting serine/threonine kinase 2 (RIPK2), TNF receptor superfamily 10A (TNFRSF10A), and caspase 4 (CASP4). Additionally, another four genes were repressed, including caspase 6 (CASP6), pyrin domain (PYD), and caspase recruitment domain (CARD)-containing (PAYCARD), baculoviral IAP repeat-containing 5 (BIRC5), and the most downregulated TNF receptor superfamily member 11B (TNFRSF11B, 16.34-fold). In conclusion, the data obtained indicate that the two cell lines were markedly different in the anticancer effect and mechanisms of oleuropein's ability to alter apoptosis-related gene expressions. The results obtained from this study should also guide the potential utilization of oleuropein as an adjunct therapy for TNBC to increase chemotherapy effectiveness and prevent cancer progression.

Keywords: MDA-MB-231; MDA-MB-468; apoptosis; cell cycle; gene expression; oleuropein; triple-negative breast cancer.

Background: Epigenetic dysregulation is one of the postulated underlying mechanisms of neural tube defects (NTDs). Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a group of environmental pollutants that are reported as a risk factor of NTDs, may cause decreased genome-wide DNA methylation. With DNA extracted from neural tissues, this study identified gene(s) whose hypomethylation was related to elevated risk for NTDs and examined whether its hypomethylation is related to PAH exposure.

Results: Using data profiled by Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip array from 10 NTD cases and eight controls, ZIC4, CASP8, RAB32, RARA, and TRAF6 were identified to be the top five genes in NTD-related hypomethylated gene families. Among all identified genes, ZIC4 had the largest number of differently methylated CpG sites (n = 13) in the promoter region and 5' UTR. Significantly decreased methylation in the ZIC4 promoter region and 5' UTR was verified in an independent cohort of 80 cases and 32 controls (p < 0.001) utilizing the Sequenom EpiTYPER platform. Hypomethylation of ZIC4 was associated with a higher risk of NTDs [adjusted OR = 1.08; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03, 1.13] in a logistic regression model. Mean methylation levels in the promoter region and 5' UTR of ZIC4 tended to be inversely associated with levels of high-molecular-weight PAHs in fetal liver among NTD fetuses (β [95% CI]: -0.045 [-0.091, 0.001], p = 0.054). Six and three CpG sites in the ZIC4 promoter region and 5' UTR were inversely correlated with antioxidant indicators and protein oxidation markers (ρ: -0.45 to -0.75, p < 0.05) in fetal neural tissues, respectively. In a whole-embryo cultured mouse model, hypomethylation of the Zic4 promoter region and 5' UTR and upregulation of Zic4 were observed, coupled with increased NTD rates after BaP exposure. The antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine normalized the changes observed in the BaP exposure group.

Conclusion: Hypomethylation of the ZIC4 promoter region and 5' UTR may increase the risk for NTDs; oxidative stress is likely to play a role in the methylation change of Zic4 in response to PAH exposure in NTD formation.

Keywords: DNA methylation; Zic4; neural tube defects; oxidative stress; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a heterogeneous tumor affecting children. It shows a wide spectrum of clinical outcomes; therefore, development of risk stratification is critical to provide optimum treatment. Since epigenetic alterations such as DNA methylation have emerged as an important feature of both development and progression in NB, in this study, we aimed to quantify the effect of methylation of three distinct genes (RASSF1A, DCR2, and CASP8) on overall survival in NB patients. We performed a systematic review using PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane libraries. Individual patient data was retrieved from extracted Kaplan-Meier curves. Data from studies was then merged, and analysis was done on the full data set. Seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Methylation of the three genes had worse overall survival than the unmethylated arms. Five-year survival for the methylated arm of RASSF1A, DCR2, and CASP8 was 63.19% (95% CI 56.55-70.60), 57.78% (95% CI 47.63-70.08), and 56.39% (95% CI 49.53-64.19), respectively, while for the unmethylated arm, it was 93.10% (95% CI 87.40-99.1), 84.84% (95% CI 80.04-89.92), and 83.68% (95% CI 80.28-87.22), respectively. In conclusion, our results indicate that in NB patients, RASSF1A, DCR2, and CASP8 methylation is associated with poor prognosis. Large prospective studies will be necessary to confirm definitive correlation between methylation of these genes and survival taking into account all other known risk factors. (PROSPERO registration number CRD42017082264).

Objective: Tobacco consumption is one of the major etiological factors for oral cancer, but it also develops in non-tobacco users, with unknown etiologies. Cellular models for tobacco associated oral cancer are available, however; reports of cellular models for studying non-tobacco associated oral cancer are limiting. We report here the establishment and characterization of two novel buccal mucosal cancer cell lines 'GBC02' and 'GBC035' derived from non-tobacco users.

Materials and methods: Short tandem repeats (STR) profiling, Next-generation sequencing for whole-genome, exome and copy number alterations, immunofluorescence, flow-cytometry, proliferation, live-cell chemotaxis, 3D-spheroid formation, chemotherapy response, gene-expression microarray, gene-set enrichment analysis and xenograft development were performed.

Results: Sources of the established cultures were matched to their donors through STR profiling. Genome sequence analysis revealed somatic mutations in TP53, CASP8, CDKN2A for GBC02 with deletions and amplifications encompassing CDKN2A, FAT1 and CCND1, PIK3CA, SOX2, EGFR, MYC genes, respectively. GBC035 harbored mutations in FAT1, NOTCH1, HRAS, CDKN2A, HLA-B, HLA-A genes. While GBC035 cells showed higher E-Cadherin positive cell-cell junctions and collective cell migration in chemotaxis; GBC02 cells were vimentin-positive and demonstrated individual cell migration. Further, exhibiting their relevance to preclinical research, GBC02 3D-spheroids demonstrated enrichment of development-related gene-signatures in microarray transcriptome analysis and were resistant to Cisplatin, but showed sensitivity to cancer stem cells-targeting drug, Salinomycin. Additionally, tumorigenic ability of GBC02 was demonstrated.

Conclusions: Altogether, we present here comprehensively characterized unique cell lines established from non-tobacco associated tumors, which may serve as models for preclinical investigations of oral cancers caused independent of tobacco usage.

Keywords: Cell line establishment; Cisplatin resistance; Functional characterization; Genomics; Gingivobuccal oral cancer; HNSCC; Non-tobacco associated; OSCC; Salinomycin.

Acrylamide (AA) is amongst acknowledged carcinogenic dietary factors. Its DNA-reactive metabolite is glycidamide (GA). The present study intended to correlate the role of key polymorphic genes of apoptosis (CASP7, CASP8, CASP9, CASP10, LTA and TNFRSF1B) with biomarkers of effect of DNA damage, namely the sister chromatid exchange assay (SCE) and the comet assay in whole blood cells exposed to GA. The aim was to assess as a proof of concept the role that pro-apoptotic effector proteins might have in the yields of genotoxic effects when those effector proteins are coded by polymorphic genes. Whole blood from a small group of volunteers was exposed to GA to assess DNA damage and the volunteers were genotyped for polymorphic genes related to apoptosis pathways. A relation between the induction of SCE and several variants of the polymorphism CASP8 rs1035142 G>T was observed. Also, a relation between the % tail DNA and the CASP10 I522L polymorphism was found. Furthermore, associations between % tail DNA and several SNP-SNP interactions of CASP8 and CASP10 were found. A possible correlation between DNA damage and the genetic susceptibility, bestowed by polymorphic genes in the apoptosis inducing pathways was verified.

It is recognized that the air pollution is associated with the pathogenesis of airway diseases. This study aims to elucidate the role of the 3-methyl-4-nitrophenol (PNMC), one of the components of diesel-exhaust particles, in compromising the airway epithelial barrier integrity.

A549 cells, an airway epithelial cell line, were cultured to monolayers to be used as an in vitro epithelial barrier model. BALB/c mice were treated with nasal drops containing PNMC to test the effects of PNMC on alternating the airway epithelial barrier functions.

Exposure of mice to PNMC induced nasal epithelial cell apoptosis and increased the permeability of the nasal epithelial barrier. PNMC increased casp8 and casp3 activities in nasal epithelial cells. Exposure to PNMC up regulated Fas and FasL expression in airway epithelial cells. Inhibition of caspase abolished the PNMC-induced airway epithelial barrier dysfunction.

Exposure of airway mucosa to PNMC induces epithelial cell apoptosis and compromises the epithelial barrier function, which can be prevented by the inhibition of caspases.