Native ApxIIA secreted by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae induces apoptosis in porcine alveolar macrophages dependent on concentration and acylation.

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae is an important swine respiratory pathogen causing substantial economic losses to the global pig industry. The Apx toxins of A. pleuropneumoniae belong to the RTX toxin family and are major virulence factors.

Cloning, expression of porcine GSDME and identification of its site cleaved by caspase-3.

As a member of the gasdermin family, gasdermin E (GSDME) is specifically cleaved by caspase-3, resulting in pyroptosis. To date, the biological characteristics and functions of human and mouse GSDME have been extensively studied; however, little is known of porcine GSDME (pGSDME). In this study, the full-length pGSDME-FL was cloned, which encodes 495 amino acids (aa) that have closely evolutionary relationships to the homolog of camelus, aquatic mammals, cattle and goat.

Correlation of lipoprotein lipase gene polymorphism and mRNA expression with intramuscular fat content in Baicheng-Oil chicken.

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) was often taken as a candidate gene for investigating fat metabolism. However, there are few studies on the effect of LPL on intramuscular fat (IMF) deposition in Baicheng oil chicken (BOC) and Three-yellow Chicken (TYC). In this study, we studied the relationship between polymorphism and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of LPL with IMF deposition in the chest muscle (CM) and leg muscle (LM) of TYC and BOC.

A comparative study of toxicity of graphdiyne and graphene oxide to human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

The success of graphene oxide (GO) has attracted extensive research interests in developing novel 2D nanomaterials (NMs). Graphdiyne (GDY) is a new member of carbon-based 2D NMs possessing sp- and sp -hybridized carbon atoms. However, the toxicity of GDY is less investigated as GO.

PEGylated gold nanorods are not cytotoxic to human endothelial cells but affect kruppel-like factor signaling pathway.

Gold (Au) nanomaterials (NMs), particularly those with PEG surface functionalization, are generally considered to be biocompatible for biomedical applications due to relatively low cytotoxicity. Herein, we investigated the toxicity of PEGylated Au nanorods (NRs) to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), a commonly used in vitro model for human endothelium. We found a previously unknown effect that up to 10 μg/mL Au NRs, albeit not cytotoxic, decreased the mRNA and protein levels of kruppel-like factor 2 (KLF2), a transcription factor with well-documented vasoprotective effects.

Association of A-FABP gene polymorphism and mRNA expression with intramuscular fat content (IMF) in Baicheng-You chicken.

This study aims to assess the association of polymorphisms and mRNA expression of adipocyte-type fatty acid-binding protein (A-FABP) with intramuscular fat (IMF) in the breast muscle (BM) and leg muscle (LM) of Baicheng-You chickens (BYCs). A total of 180 chickens, including sixty black Baicheng-You chickens (BBYCs), sixty silky Baicheng-You chickens (SBYCs) and sixty white Baicheng-You chickens (WBYCs), were reared from 1 to 120 day. A polymerase chain reaction-single-strand conformation polymorphism strategy (PCR-SSCP) was used to detect the polymorphism of the A-FABP gene in the first exon, and the C51T silent mutational site was found.

The involvement of MsmK in pathogenesis of the Streptococcus suis serotype 2.

Streptococcus suis serotype 2 (SS2) is an important swine and human pathogen that causes global economic and public health problems. Virulent S. suis strains successfully maintain high bacterial concentrations in host blood and rapidly adapt to challenging environments within hosts.

Identification of Streptococcus suis serotype 2 genes preferentially expressed in the natural host.

Streptococcus suis serotype 2 (SS2) is an important zoonotic pathogen for swine and humans. Previous research about the mechanism of SS2 infection was largely established on in vitro or ex vivo models. In this study, we focused on the identification of SS2 genes preferentially expressed in vivo during natural infection in pigs.

Pro-apoptotic activity of mBNIP-21 depends on its BNIP-2 and Cdc42GAP homology (BCH) domain and is enhanced by coxsackievirus B3 infection.

Our previous study reported that mouse BNIP-21 (mBNIP-21) induces apoptosis through a mitochondria-dependent pathway. To map the functional domains of mBNIP-21, we performed mutational analyses and demonstrated that the BNIP-2 and Cdc42GAP homology (BCH) domain is required for apoptosis induction by mBNIP-21 targeting the mitochondria and inducing cytochrome c release. This pro-apoptotic activity was enhanced by coxsackievirus infection.

Small interfering RNA library screen of human kinases and phosphatases identifies polo-like kinase 1 as a promising new target for the treatment of pediatric rhabdomyosarcomas.

Rhabdomyosarcoma, consisting of alveolar (aRMS) and embryonal (eRMS) subtypes, is the most common type of sarcoma in children. Currently, there are no targeted drug therapies available for rhabdomyosarcoma. In searching for new molecular therapeutic targets, we carried out genome-wide small interfering RNA (siRNA) library screens targeting human phosphatases (n = 206) and kinases (n = 691) initially against an aRMS cell line, RH30.

PRL PTPs: mediators and markers of cancer progression.

Aberrant protein tyrosine phosphorylation resulting from the altered activity of protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) is increasingly being implicated in the genesis and progression of human cancer. Accumulating evidence indicates that the dysregulated expression of members of the phosphatase of regenerating liver (PRL) subgroup of PTPs is linked to these processes. Enhanced expression of the PRLs, notably PRL-1 and PRL-3, promotes the acquisition of cellular properties that confer tumorigenic and metastatic abilities.

Inhibition of coxsackievirus B3 in cell cultures and in mice by peptide-conjugated morpholino oligomers targeting the internal ribosome entry site.

Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) is a primary cause of viral myocarditis, yet no effective therapeutic against CVB3 is available. Nucleic acid-based interventional strategies against various viruses, including CVB3, have shown promise experimentally, but limited stability and inefficient delivery in vivo remain as obstacles to their potential as therapeutics. We employed phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMO) conjugated to a cell-penetrating arginine-rich peptide, P007 (to form PPMO), to address these issues.

Nucleic-acid-based antiviral agents against positive single-stranded RNA viruses.

Positive single-stranded RNA viruses constitute a broad and prevalent group of pathogens that threaten human health and life worldwide. While effective vaccines have been developed for some, such as poliovirus and hepatitis A, others such as coxsackievirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and West Nile virus have no accredited drug treatments. Antisense technologies, which encompass small interfering RNA, antisense oligonucleotides, ribozymes and their chemically modified analogs, involve small sequence-specific nucleic-acid-based molecules that inhibit viral replication at the level of translation.

Coxsackievirus-induced myocarditis: new trends in treatment.

Myocarditis is a common inflammatory heart disease in children and young adults that may result in chronically dilated cardiomyopathy. Coxsackievirus B3 is the major etiologic agent of this disease. Current treatments for patients with viral myocarditis are almost entirely supportive.

Latex agglutination test for monitoring antibodies to avian influenza virus subtype H5N1.

A latex agglutination test (LAT) based on polystyrene beads sensitized with inactivated avian influenza virus H5N1 particles was developed. Compared with the hemagglutination inhibition test, the sensitivity and specificity of the LAT were 88.8 and 97.

The development and application of the latex agglutination test to detect serum antibodies against Japanese encephalitis virus.

The attenuated SA14-14-2 strain of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) was cultured in BHK-21 cells. The viral supernatant was purified and concentrated with PEG (MW 20,000). A suitable concentration of JEV antigen was used to sensitize latex to prepare the latex antigen.