circRERE regulates the expression of GBX2 through miR-1299 and ZC3H13/N-methyladenosine (mA) to promote growth and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumours in the world. Current studies have shown that circular RNAs (circRNAs) and N-methyladenosine (mA) methylation play important roles in the progression of HCC, but further studies are needed to confirm the underlying mechanisms. The expression of circRERE was significantly upregulated in HCC cells, and its downregulation reduced HCC cell viability and invasion while increasing apoptosis.

Evaluation of the prognostic value of the metastatic lymph node ratio for gastric cancer.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of metastatic lymph node (LN) ratio (LNR) compared with pathologic node (pN) category.

Methods: Three hundred ninety-nine patients with gastric cancer with R0 resection were reviewed. LNR, pN, and the number of retrieved LNs were evaluated in node-positive groups with ≥15 or <15 LNs resected and a node-negative group, respectively, by univariate and multivariate analyses.

[Expression of alpha-tubulin and MDR1 and their correlation with the biological features of non-small cell lung carcinoma].

Objective: To detect the expression of alpha-tubulin and MDR1 in human non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), and to clarify their clinical significance.

Methods: Paraffin embedded tissues from 158 primary non-small lung carcinomas and 30 paracancerous lung tissues were examined for expression of alpha-tubulin and MDR1 by immunohistochemistry (SP method). 30 freshly taken NSCLC tissues were examined by Western blot analysis.

Phenoxypropylamines: synthesis and antiulcer evaluation.

We have synthesized a number of phenoxypropylamines from N-{3-[3-(1-piperidinylmethyl)phenoxy]propyl}chloroacetamide (3). All the products have been characterized by elemental analysis, (1)H-NMR and MS. The biological activity effects of the title compounds were examined.

Dominant-negative behavior of mammalian Vps35 in yeast requires a conserved PRLYL motif involved in retromer assembly.

The retromer protein complex assists in recycling selected integral membrane proteins from endosomes to the trans Golgi network. One protein subcomplex (Vps35p, Vps26p and Vps29p) combines with a second (Vps17p and Vps5p) to form a coat involved in sorting and budding of endosomal vesicles. Yeast Vps35p (yVps35) exhibits similarity to human Vps35 (hVps35), especially in a completely conserved PRLYL motif contained within an amino-terminal domain.

Structural features of vps35p involved in interaction with other subunits of the retromer complex.

The penta-subunit retromer complex of yeast mediates selective retrieval of membrane proteins from the prevacuolar endosome to the trans Golgi network. In this study, we set out to generate a panel of vps35 dominant-negative mutants that disrupt retromer-mediated cargo sorting. Mapping of the mutations revealed two types of alterations leading to dominant-negative behavior of the 944-amino acid protein: (i) mutations at or near the R(98) residue or (ii) C-terminal truncations exemplified by a nonsense mutation at codon 733.

Optical characterization of polymer liquid crystal cell exhibiting polymer blue phases.

The optical properties of polymer liquid crystal cell exhibiting polymer blue phases (PBPs) have been determined using ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry, polarizing optical microscopy (POM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray measurements, FTIR imaging and optical rotation technique. PBPs are thermodynamically stabile mesophases, which appear in chiral systems between isotropic and liquid crystal phases. A series of cyclosiloxane-based blue phase polymers were synthesized using a cholesteric LC monomer and a nematic LC monomer, and some of the polymers exhibit PBPs in temperature range over 300 degrees in cooling cycles.

Effect of sulfonic acid containing mesogens on liquid-crystalline behavior of polysiloxane-based polymers.

A series of liquid-crystalline polysiloxanes synthesized by cholest-5-en-3-ol (3beta)-10-undecenoate and 4'-octanoyloxy-biphenyl-4-yl 4-allyloxy-3-sulfo-benzoate were prepared in a one-step reaction with sulfonic acid group contents ranging between 0 and 2.73 wt %. All the polymers displayed smectic mesophases with a large temperature range for the mesophases.

[Expression of epithelial-cadherin, CD44v6 and connexin43 in hepatocellular carcinoma].

Objective: To study the expression of epithelial-cadherin (E-cad), CD44v6 and Cx43 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its relationship with sex and age of patients, as well as tumor histopathologic grades.

Methods: Double immunofluorescent staining and laser scanning confocal microscopy was used to study the expression of E-cad, CD44v6 and Cx43 in 30 cases of normal liver tissue, 25 cases of benign hepatic lesions and 38 cases of HCC. In the HCC group, correlation of antigen expression with sex and age of patients and tumor histopathologic grades was studied by T-test.

Behavior in the eukaryotic secretory pathway of insulin-containing fusion proteins and single-chain insulins bearing various B-chain mutations.

In the secretory pathway, endoproteolytic cleavage of the insulin precursor protein promotes a change in the biophysical properties of the processed insulin product, and this may be relevant for its intracellular trafficking. We have now studied several independent point mutants contained within the insulin B-chain, S9D, H10D, V12E (called B9D, B10D, and B12E), as well as the double point mutant P28K,K29P (B28K,B29P), that have been reported to inhibit insulin oligomerization. In yeast cells, the unprocessed precursor of each of these mutants is secreted, whereas >90% of the endoproteolytically released single-chain insulin moiety is retained intracellularly; a large portion of the B9D, B10D, and B12E single-chain insulins exhibit abnormally slow mobility upon nonreducing SDS-PAGE, despite normal mobility upon reducing SDS-PAGE.

Lumenal protein multimerization in the distal secretory pathway/secretory granules.

Differences in protein solubility appear to play an important role in lumenal protein trafficking through Golgi/post-Golgi compartments. Recent advances indicate that multimeric protein assembly is one of the factors regulating the efficiency of protein storage within secretory granules, by mechanisms that, with slight modification, might be considered to represent the culmination of a process of Golgi cisternal maturation.

A convenient method for the synthesis of amine-terminated poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(epsilon-caprolactone).

A convenient synthetic route to prepare amine-terminated poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) was described. The strategy involved two-step reactions, the condensation of hydroxyl-terminated PEO and PCL with N-benzyloxycarbonyl amino acid followed by the catalytic hydrogenation under mild conditions. NMR and GPC measurements indicated that the reactions proceeded nearly quantitatively.

Secretory Expression of Porcine Insulin Precursor in Kluyveromyces lactis and Its Conversion into Human Insulin.

Porcine insulin precursor (PIP) was cloned to vectors derived from plasmid pKD1 and expressed in Kluyveromyces lactis. The secretory expression level of PIP was 20 to 30 mg per liter of the culture medium. Human insulin obtained from PIP through tryptic transpeptidation was characterized.