Tailoring Multicontrolled Supramolecular Assemblies of Stiff-Stilbene Amphiphiles into Macroscopic Soft Scaffolds as Cell-Material Interfaces

Biocompatible synthetic supramolecular systems have shed light on biomedical and tissue-regenerative material applications. The intrinsic functional applicability, tunability, and stimuli-responsiveness of synthetic supramolecular systems allow one to develop various multicontrolled supramolecular assemblies in aqueous media. However, it remains highly challenging to use state-of-the-art supramolecular assemblies of photoresponsive amphiphiles controlled by multiple stimulations in fabricating macroscopic materials. Herein, we demonstrate a stiff-stilbene amphiphile (SA) multicontrolled supramolecular assembling system that comprises two different charged end groups. The excellent photoswitchabilities of SA in both organic and aqueous media are demonstrated. Furthermore, multiple stimuli, i.e., light, pH, and counterions, are applied to control the supramolecular assembling behaviors, which are monitored by circular dichroism spectroscopy and electron microscopies. This multicontrolled supramolecular system can be systematically assembled into macroscopic soft functional scaffolds, whose structural parameters are investigated by electron microscopies and X-ray diffraction techniques, suggesting the large aspect ratio of SA nanostructures assembled into macroscopic soft scaffolds. The fabricated soft functional scaffold is highly biocompatible for photocontrolled biotarget encapsulation/release selectively, as well as a cell-material interface for diverse cells' attachment. This new synthetic multicontrolled soft functional material provides a new strategy toward the development of next-generation controllable and biocompatible soft functional materials.

Development of a bioengineered Erwinia chrysanthemi asparaginase to enhance its anti-solid tumor potential for treating gastric cancer

Asparaginase has been traditionally applied for only treating acute lymphoblastic leukemia due to its ability to deplete asparagine. However, its ultimate anticancer potential for treating solid tumors has not yet been unleashed. In this study, we bioengineered Erwinia chrysanthemi asparaginase (ErWT), one of the US Food and Drug Administration-approved types of amino acid depleting enzymes, to achieve double amino acid depletions for treating a solid tumor. We constructed a fusion protein by joining an albumin binding domain (ABD) to ErWT via a linker (GGGGS)5 to achieve ABD-ErS5. The ABD could bind to serum albumin to form an albumin-ABD-ErS5 complex, which could avoid renal clearance and escape from anti-drug antibodies, resulting in a remarkably prolonged elimination half-life of ABD-ErS5. Meanwhile, ABD-ErS5 did not only deplete asparagine but also glutamine for ∼2 weeks. A biweekly administration of ABD-ErS5 (1.5 mg/kg) significantly suppressed tumor growth in an MKN-45 gastric cancer xenograft model, demonstrating a novel approach for treating solid tumor depleting asparagine and glutamine. Multiple administrations of ABD-ErS5 did not cause any noticeable histopathological abnormalities of key organs, suggesting the absence of acute toxicity to mice. Our results suggest ABD-ErS5 is a potential therapeutic candidate for treating gastric cancer.

Sorafenib Resistance Contributed by IL7 and MAL2 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Can Be Overcome by Autophagy-Inducing Stapled Peptides

Drug resistance poses a great challenge in systemic therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the underlying molecular mechanisms associated with resistance to anti-cancer drugs, such as Sorafenib, remain unclear. In this study, we use transposon insertional mutagenesis to generate Sorafenib-resistant HCC cell lines in order to identify potential drug resistant causative genes. Interleukin 7 (IL7) and mal, T cell differentiation protein 2 (MAL2) were identified as candidate genes that promote survival by activating JAK/STAT and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. Sorafenib-resistant cells exhibited higher clonogenic survival and lower drug sensitivity due to IL7 and MAL2 upregulation. Higher anti-apoptotic effect, clonogenic survival and increased PI3K/AKT/STAT3 activities were observed in IL7 and MAL2 co-overexpressing cells compared with controls or cells overexpressing IL7 or MAL2 individually. Given the critical role of MAL2 in endocytosis, we propose that MAL2 might facilitate the endocytic trafficking of IL7 and its cognate receptors to the plasma membrane, which leads to upregulated JAK/STAT and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways and Sorafenib resistance. Additionally, our previous studies showed that an autophagy-inducing stapled peptide promoted the endolysosomal degradation of c-MET oncogene and overcame adaptive Sorafenib resistance in c-MET+ HCC cells. In this study, we demonstrate that these stapled peptides readily induced autophagy and inhibited the proliferation of both wild-type and Sorafenib-resistant HCC cells co-overexpressing both IL7 and MAL2. Furthermore, these peptides showed synergistic cytotoxicity with Sorafenib in drug-resistant HCC cells co-overexpressing both IL7 and MAL2. Our studies suggest that targeting autophagy may be a novel strategy to overcome IL7/MAL2-mediated Sorafenib resistance in HCC.

Transposon delivery for CRISPR-based loss-of-function screen in mice identifies NF2 as a cooperating gene involved with the canonical WNT signaling molecular class of hepatocellular carcinoma

Various molecular subclasses of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) exists, with many novel cooperating oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes involved in its tumorigenesis. The emerging importance of WNT signaling in HCC has been established. However, the intricate genetic mechanisms involved in this complex signaling pathway remains to be elucidated. Importantly, while some cooperating genes have been identified, there are still many unknown genes associated with catenin beta 1 (CTNNB1)-induced HCC. Mutations in both oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes are required for HCC tumorigenesis. The emergence of the CRISPR/Cas9 system has allowed researchers now to target both alleles efficiently. In this novel study, the Sleeping Beauty transposon system was used as a gene delivery system in vivo to stably integrate an expression cassette that carry pools of gRNAs and overexpress a mutant version of CTNNB1 into the hepatocyte genome. We identified 206 candidate genes that drive HCC tumorigenesis in the context of WNT signaling activation and, neurofibromin 2 (NF2) gene, a known tumor suppressor gene with clinical relevance was validated in this proof-of-principle study.

Sleeping Beauty insertional mutagenesis screen identifies the pro-metastatic roles of CNPY2 and ACTN2 in hepatocellular carcinoma tumor progression

A forward genetic Sleeping Beauty (SB) insertional mutagenesis screen, followed by high-throughput transcriptome sequencing, was used to identify driver genes responsible for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)-associated metastasis. Using RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) to identify transposon-endogenous transcriptome fusion genes, the phylogenetic lineage between the parental liver tumor and secondary metastasis can be determined to provide mechanistic insight to genetic changes involved in the metastatic evolution process. In the current study, two novel candidate genes were identified to be potentially involved in HCC-associated metastatic progression, canopy FGF signaling regulator 2 (Cnpy2) and actinin alpha 2 (Actn2). Transposon-Cnpy2 fusion transcripts were identified in both primary liver tumors and lung metastases. Its significant association with clinicopathological characteristics and correlated gene enrichment in metastasis-related mechanisms suggest its potential role in modulating local invasion and angiogenesis. Other known driver genes for human HCC that can also promote metastatic progression include epidermal growth factor receptor (Egfr) and RNA imprinted and accumulated in nucleus (Rian). Metabolic pathway related gene carbamoyl phosphate synthetase (Cps1) was identified to play an important role in early HCC development, while cell junction-related pathway gene Rac family small GTPase 1 (Rac1) was identified to take part in both HCC and pro-metastatic progression. Importantly, actinin alpha 2 (Actn2) was identified exclusively in the secondary metastasis site and its role in HCC-related metastatic process was elucidated using in vitro approaches. ACTN2-overexpression in human liver cancer cells displayed enhanced cellular motility and invasion abilities, indicating its possible function in later stage of metastasis, such as extravasation and lung colonization.

ZBTB20 regulates WNT/CTNNB1 signalling pathway by suppressing PPARG during hepatocellular carcinoma tumourigenesis

Background & Aims

Zinc finger and BTB domain containing 20 (ZBTB20) has been implicated as a potential oncogene in liver cancer. However, knockout studies have shown it to be a transcriptional repressor of the alpha-foetoprotein (Afp) gene in adult liver, and reduced levels of ZBTB20 allow for upregulation of AFP with increased tumour severity in certain cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). As there are many discrepancies in the literature regarding its role in liver tumourigenesis, the aim of this study was to elucidate the role of ZBTB20 in HCC tumourigenesis.

Methods

A reverse genetic study using the Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposon system in mice was performed to elucidate the role of ZBTB20 in HCC tumourigenesis. In vitro ZBTB20 gain- and loss-of-function experiments were used to assess the relationship amongst ZBTB20, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARG) and catenin beta 1 (CTNNB1).

Results

Transgenic overexpression of ZBTB20 in hepatocytes and in the context of transformation related protein (T r p53) inactivation induced hepatic hypertrophy, activation of WNT/CTNNB1 signalling, and development of liver tumours. In vitro overexpression and knockout experiments using CRISPR/Cas9 demonstrated the important role for ZBTB20 in downregulating PPARG, resulting in activation of the WNT/CTNNB1 signalling pathway and its downstream effectors in HCC tumourigenesis.

Conclusions

These findings demonstrate a novel interaction between ZBTB20 and PPARG, which leads to activation of the WNT/CTNNB1 signalling pathway in HCC tumourigenesis.

Lay summary

ZBTB20 has been implicated as a potential oncogene in liver cancer. Herein, we uncover its important role in liver cancer development. We show that it interacts with PPARG to upregulate the WNT/CTNNB1 signalling pathway, leading to tumourigenesis.

Schwann cell-specific PTEN and EGFR dysfunctions affect neuromuscular junction development by impairing Agrin signaling and autophagy

The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is formed by motor nerve terminals, post-junctional muscle membranes, and terminal Schwann cells (SCs). The formation of NMJ requires complex and dynamic molecular interactions. Nerve- and muscle-derived molecules have been well characterized but the mechanistic involvement of SC in NMJ development remains poorly understood. SC-specific phosphatase and tensin homolog (Pten) inactivation and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpression (Dhh-Cre; Cnp-EGFR; Pten^flox/flox or DET) mice were used and NMJ malformation was observed in these mice. Acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) were distorted and varicose presynaptic nerve terminals appeared in the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle of DET mice. Agrin signaling related to NMJ development, was downregulated in TA muscle. Both RAS/MEK/ERK and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathways were activated in the sciatic nerves of DET mice. In addition, autophagy was downregulated in these sciatic nerves. Interestingly, the use of Torin 2, an mTOR inhibitor, rescued the phenotype. The downregulated-autophagy might account for Agrin signaling abnormity, which induced NMJ malformation. Taken together, our results indicate that SCs-specific Pten and EGFR cooperation are essential for NMJ development.

Occupational exposure of herbicide applicators to herbicides used along electric power transmission line right-of-way

Occupational exposures to herbicides were measured among 12 applicators in 1979 and 24 applicators in 1980, who were applying the three herbicides, 2,4-D, dichloroprop and picloram to electric power transmission rights of ways. In 1979 only urine was analyzed but in 1980 both breathing-zone air samples and urine were analyzed for herbicide residues. Dermal absorption was found to be the major absorption route being up to 50 times greater than exposure by the inhalation route when using a hand gun sprayer. Even with the mist blower herbicide application method, dermal absorption was 4 and 11 times greater than exposure by the inhalation route. Worker education on hazards of skin contact and improved protective equipment significantly reduced the 1980 urine concentrations of herbicide residues. A model is presented to relate the urinary concentrations to equivalent daily exposure levels.