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Atajanova T, Kang EM, Postnikova A, Price AL, Doerr S, Du M, Ugenti A, Ragkousi K. Lateral cell polarization drives organization of epithelia in sea anemone embryos and embryonic cell aggregates. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.07.588493. [PMID: 38645007 PMCID: PMC11030385 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.07.588493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
One of the first organizing processes during animal development is the assembly of embryonic cells into epithelia. In certain animals, including Hydra and sea anemones, epithelia also emerge when cells from dissociated tissues are aggregated back together. Although cell adhesion is required to keep cells together, it is not clear whether cell polarization plays a role as epithelia emerge from disordered aggregates. Here, we demonstrate that lateral cell polarization is essential for epithelial organization in both embryos and aggregates of the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. Specifically, knock down of the lateral polarity protein Lgl disrupts epithelia in developing embryos and impairs the capacity of dissociated cells to epithelialize from aggregates. Cells in lgl mutant epithelia lose their columnar shape and have mispositioned mitotic spindles and ciliary basal bodies. Together, our data suggest that in Nematostella, Lgl is required to establish lateral cell polarity and position cytoskeletal organelles in cells of embryos and aggregates during de novo epithelial organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tavus Atajanova
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA
- Present address: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | | | - Anna Postnikova
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA
| | | | - Sophia Doerr
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA
- Present address: Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Michael Du
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA
| | - Alicia Ugenti
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA
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Zhang M, Xiong S, Gao D, Liu C, Xiao L. Tension regulates the cartilage phenotypic expression of endplate chondrocytes through the α-catenin/actin skeleton/Hippo pathway. J Cell Mol Med 2024; 28:e18133. [PMID: 38332509 PMCID: PMC10853574 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.18133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The study aimed to investigate the regulatory mechanism of intracellular tension signaling in endplate chondrocytes and its impact on extracellular matrix synthesis. Human endplate chondrocytes were subjected to tension load using Flexcell FX-5000™, and changes in phenotype, morphology, and the expression of Hippo signaling pathway and α-Catenin were assessed through various techniques. Through the overexpression of YAP and inhibition of α-Catenin, the study clarified the intracellular tension signaling pathway and its regulation of extracellular matrix synthesis in endplate cartilage. In vitro-cultured human endplate chondrocytes significantly suppressed phenotype-related genes and proteins, accompanied by distinct changes in cytoskeleton morphology. Tension activation resulted in the substantial activation of the Hippo pathway, increased phosphorylation of YAP, and reduced nuclear translocation of YAP. YAP overexpression alleviated the inhibitory effect of tension on extracellular matrix synthesis in endplate chondrocytes. Tension also upregulated the expression of α-Catenin in endplate chondrocytes, which was attenuated by inhibiting α-Catenin expression, thereby reducing the impact of tension on cytoskeletal morphology and YAP nuclear translocation. Taken together, the α-Catenin/actin skeleton/Hippo-coupled network is a crucial signaling pathway for tension signaling in endplate chondrocytes, providing potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of endplate cartilage degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zhang
- Department of OrthopedicsYijishan Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical CollegeWuhuChina
| | - Shouliang Xiong
- Department of OrthopedicsYijishan Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical CollegeWuhuChina
| | - Daokuan Gao
- Department of Spine SurgeryYijishan Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical CollegeWuhuChina
| | - Chen Liu
- Department of OrthopedicsYijishan Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical CollegeWuhuChina
| | - Liang Xiao
- Department of Spine SurgeryYijishan Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical CollegeWuhuChina
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Doerr S, Zhou P, Ragkousi K. Origin and development of primary animal epithelia. Bioessays 2024; 46:e2300150. [PMID: 38009581 PMCID: PMC11164562 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202300150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Epithelia are the first organized tissues that appear during development. In many animal embryos, early divisions give rise to a polarized monolayer, the primary epithelium, rather than a random aggregate of cells. Here, we review the mechanisms by which cells organize into primary epithelia in various developmental contexts. We discuss how cells acquire polarity while undergoing early divisions. We describe cases where oriented divisions constrain cell arrangement to monolayers including organization on top of yolk surfaces. We finally discuss how epithelia emerge in embryos from animals that branched early during evolution and provide examples of epithelia-like arrangements encountered in single-celled eukaryotes. Although divergent and context-dependent mechanisms give rise to primary epithelia, here we trace the unifying principles underlying their formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Doerr
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, USA
| | - Phillip Zhou
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
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Sheppard L, Green DG, Lerchbaumer G, Rothenberg KE, Fernandez-Gonzalez R, Tepass U. The α-Catenin mechanosensing M region is required for cell adhesion during tissue morphogenesis. J Cell Biol 2022; 222:213759. [PMID: 36520419 PMCID: PMC9757846 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202108091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
α-Catenin couples the cadherin-catenin complex to the actin cytoskeleton. The mechanosensitive α-Catenin M region undergoes conformational changes upon application of force to recruit interaction partners. Here, we took advantage of the tension landscape in the Drosophila embryo to define three different states of α-Catenin mechanosensing in support of cell adhesion. Low-, medium-, and high-tension contacts showed a corresponding recruitment of Vinculin and Ajuba, which was dependent on the α-Catenin M region. In contrast, the Afadin homolog Canoe acts in parallel to α-Catenin at bicellular low- and medium-tension junctions but requires an interaction with α-Catenin for its tension-sensitive enrichment at high-tension tricellular junctions. Individual M region domains make complex contributions to cell adhesion through their impact on interaction partner recruitment, and redundancies with the function of Canoe. Our data argue that α-Catenin and its interaction partners are part of a cooperative and partially redundant mechanoresponsive network that supports AJs remodeling during morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luka Sheppard
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - David G. Green
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Gerald Lerchbaumer
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Katheryn E. Rothenberg
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada,Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Rodrigo Fernandez-Gonzalez
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada,Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada,Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada,Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Ulrich Tepass
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada,Correspondence to Ulrich Tepass:
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Rathbun LI, Everett CA, Bergstralh DT. Emerging Cnidarian Models for the Study of Epithelial Polarity. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:854373. [PMID: 35433674 PMCID: PMC9012326 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.854373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial tissues are vital to the function of most organs, providing critical functions such as secretion, protection, and absorption. Cells within an epithelial layer must coordinate to create functionally distinct apical, lateral, and basal surfaces in order to maintain proper organ function and organism viability. This is accomplished through the careful targeting of polarity factors to their respective locations within the cell, as well as the strategic placement of post-mitotic cells within the epithelium during tissue morphogenesis. The process of establishing and maintaining epithelial tissue integrity is conserved across many species, as important polarity factors and spindle orientation mechanisms can be found in many phyla. However, most of the information gathered about these processes and players has been investigated in bilaterian organisms such as C. elegans, Drosophila, and vertebrate species. This review discusses the advances made in the field of epithelial polarity establishment from more basal organisms, and the advantages to utilizing these simpler models. An increasing number of cnidarian model organisms have been sequenced in recent years, such as Hydra vulgaris and Nematostella vectensis. It is now feasible to investigate how polarity is established and maintained in basal organisms to gain an understanding of the most basal requirements for epithelial tissue morphogenesis.
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Decreased Serum NCAM Levels Associated with Cognitive Impairment in Vascular Dementia. DISEASE MARKERS 2021; 2021:2792884. [PMID: 34504627 PMCID: PMC8423537 DOI: 10.1155/2021/2792884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Objective Neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), a glycoprotein widely distributed in the brain, has recently been shown to regulate neuroplasticity. However, the role of NCAM in vascular dementia (VaD) is still unclear. The purpose of this study is to determine whether NCAM is involved in the course of VaD. Methods Continuous recruitment of VaD patients and control population to join this study. Doctors or nurses are responsible for collecting their clinical characteristics including age, gender, formal education, heart rate, supine systolic blood pressure, supine diastolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein. Each participant received the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scale after being enrolled in the group. At the same time, their peripheral blood was collected, and their serum NCAM levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results 98 VaD patients and 83 age- and sex-matched controls were enrolled. There was no significant statistical difference between the VaD group and the control group in terms of the comparison of clinical characteristics (p > 0.05). The MoCA score of VaD patients was significantly lower than that of the controls (27.9 ± 1.4 vs. 23.0 ± 2.1 points, p < 0.001). In addition, the circulating NCAM level of VaD patients was also significantly lower than that of controls (21.7 ± 3.8 vs. 17.6 ± 4.2 ng/mL, p < 0.001). The circulating NCAM level of VaD patients was significantly positively correlated with MoCA score (r = 0.285, p = 0.026). After adjusting for clinical characteristics, circulating NCAM levels are still an independent pathogenic factor of VaD (regression coefficient = 0.223, p = 0.034). Conclusions VaD patients have low circulating NCAM levels, which can be used as a potential predictor of VaD.
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Abstract
The generation of organismal form - morphogenesis - arises from forces produced at the cellular level. In animal cells, much of this force is produced by the actin cytoskeleton. Here, we review how mechanisms of actin-based force generation are deployed during animal morphogenesis to sculpt organs and organisms. Furthermore, we consider how cytoskeletal forces are coupled through cell adhesions to propagate across tissues, and discuss cases where cytoskeletal force or adhesion is patterned across a tissue to direct shape changes. Together, our review provides a conceptual framework that reflects our current understanding of animal morphogenesis and gives perspectives on future opportunities for study.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Nathaniel Clarke
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Adam C Martin
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
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van der Wal T, van Amerongen R. Walking the tight wire between cell adhesion and WNT signalling: a balancing act for β-catenin. Open Biol 2020; 10:200267. [PMID: 33292105 PMCID: PMC7776579 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.200267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
CTNNB1 (catenin β-1, also known as β-catenin) plays a dual role in the cell. It is the key effector of WNT/CTNNB1 signalling, acting as a transcriptional co-activator of TCF/LEF target genes. It is also crucial for cell adhesion and a critical component of cadherin-based adherens junctions. Two functional pools of CTNNB1, a transcriptionally active and an adhesive pool, can therefore be distinguished. Whether cells merely balance the distribution of available CTNNB1 between these functional pools or whether interplay occurs between them has long been studied and debated. While interplay has been indicated upon artificial modulation of cadherin expression levels and during epithelial-mesenchymal transition, it is unclear to what extent CTNNB1 exchange occurs under physiological conditions and in response to WNT stimulation. Here, we review the available evidence for both of these models, discuss how CTNNB1 binding to its many interaction partners is controlled and propose avenues for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Renée van Amerongen
- Developmental, Stem Cell and Cancer Biology, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Mitchell JM, Nichols SA. Diverse cell junctions with unique molecular composition in tissues of a sponge (Porifera). EvoDevo 2019; 10:26. [PMID: 31687123 PMCID: PMC6820919 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-019-0139-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The integrity and organization of animal tissues depend upon specialized protein complexes that mediate adhesion between cells with each other (cadherin-based adherens junctions), and with the extracellular matrix (integrin-based focal adhesions). Reconstructing how and when these cell junctions evolved is central to understanding early tissue evolution in animals. We examined focal adhesion protein homologs in tissues of the freshwater sponge, Ephydatia muelleri (phylum Porifera; class Demospongiae). Our principal findings are that (1) sponge focal adhesion homologs (integrin, talin, focal adhesion kinase, etc.) co-precipitate as a complex, separate from adherens junction proteins; (2) that actin-based structures resembling focal adhesions form at the cell–substrate interface, and their abundance is dynamically regulated in response to fluid shear; (3) focal adhesion proteins localize to both cell–cell and cell–extracellular matrix adhesions, and; (4) the adherens junction protein β-catenin is co-distributed with focal adhesion proteins at cell–cell junctions everywhere except the choanoderm, and at novel junctions between cells with spicules, and between cells with environmental bacteria. These results clarify the diversity, distribution and molecular composition of cell junctions in tissues of E. muelleri, but raise new questions about their functional properties and ancestry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennyfer M Mitchell
- 1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, 2101 E. Wesley Ave. SGM 203, Denver, CO 80208 USA.,2Present Address: University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, 12801 E. 17th Ave. RC1S, 11401G, Aurora, CO 80045 USA
| | - Scott A Nichols
- 1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, 2101 E. Wesley Ave. SGM 203, Denver, CO 80208 USA
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Pukhlyakova EA, Kirillova AO, Kraus YA, Zimmermann B, Technau U. A cadherin switch marks germ layer formation in the diploblastic sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. Development 2019; 146:dev.174623. [PMID: 31540916 DOI: 10.1242/dev.174623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Morphogenesis is a shape-building process during development of multicellular organisms. During this process, the establishment and modulation of cell-cell contacts play an important role. Cadherins, the major cell adhesion molecules, form adherens junctions connecting epithelial cells. Numerous studies of Bilateria have shown that cadherins are associated with the regulation of cell differentiation, cell shape changes, cell migration and tissue morphogenesis. To date, the role of cadherins in non-bilaterians is unknown. Here, we study the expression and function of two paralogous classical cadherins, Cadherin 1 and Cadherin 3, in a diploblastic animal, the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis We show that a cadherin switch accompanies the formation of germ layers. Using specific antibodies, we show that both cadherins are localized to adherens junctions at apical and basal positions in ectoderm and endoderm. During gastrulation, partial epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of endodermal cells is marked by stepwise downregulation of Cadherin 3 and upregulation of Cadherin 1. Knockdown experiments show that both cadherins are required for maintenance of tissue integrity and tissue morphogenesis. Thus, both sea anemones and bilaterians use independently duplicated cadherins combinatorially for tissue morphogenesis and germ layer differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina A Pukhlyakova
- Department for Molecular Evolution and Development, Centre of Organismal Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Anastasia O Kirillova
- Department for Molecular Evolution and Development, Centre of Organismal Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.,Department of Evolutionary Biology, Biological Faculty, Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1/12, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Yulia A Kraus
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Biological Faculty, Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1/12, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Bob Zimmermann
- Department for Molecular Evolution and Development, Centre of Organismal Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrich Technau
- Department for Molecular Evolution and Development, Centre of Organismal Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
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Yu W, Yang L, Li T, Zhang Y. Cadherin Signaling in Cancer: Its Functions and Role as a Therapeutic Target. Front Oncol 2019; 9:989. [PMID: 31637214 PMCID: PMC6788064 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2019.00989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cadherin family includes lists of transmembrane glycoproteins which mediate calcium-dependent cell-cell adhesion. Cadherin-mediated adhesion regulates cell growth and differentiation throughout life. Through the establishment of the cadherin-catenin complex, cadherins provide normal cell-cell adhesion and maintain homeostatic tissue architecture. In the process of cell recognition and adhesion, cadherins act as vital participators. As results, the disruption of cadherin signaling has significant implications on tumor formation and progression. Altered cadherin expression plays a vital role in tumorigenesis, tumor progression, angiogenesis, and tumor immune response. Based on ongoing research into the role of cadherin signaling in malignant tumors, cadherins are now being considered as potential targets for cancer therapies. This review will demonstrate the mechanisms of cadherin involvement in tumor progression, and consider the clinical significance of cadherins as therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weina Yu
- Biotherapy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.,Cancer Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.,Henan Key Laboratory for Tumor Immunology and Biotherapy, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Li Yang
- Biotherapy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.,Cancer Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.,Henan Key Laboratory for Tumor Immunology and Biotherapy, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Ting Li
- Biotherapy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.,Cancer Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.,Henan Key Laboratory for Tumor Immunology and Biotherapy, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Biotherapy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.,Cancer Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.,Henan Key Laboratory for Tumor Immunology and Biotherapy, Zhengzhou, China.,School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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