Nanoassembly of spider silk protein mediated by intrinsically disordered regions.

Spider silk is the self-assembling product of silk proteins each containing multiple repeating units. Each repeating unit is entirely intrinsically disordered or contains a small disordered domain. The role of the disordered domain/unit in conferring silk protein storage and self-assembly is not fully understood yet.

Metadherin regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor expression is dependent upon the PI3K/Akt pathway in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Our previous study indicated overexpression of metadherin (MTDH) is an adverse prognostic factor in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) and promotes SCCHN cell proliferation and invasion. However, its mechanism remains unclear. Recent studies have indicated that MTDH is a cancer-metastasis-associated molecule that participates in the process of angiogenesis.

[EphA2 mediated vascular endothelial growth factor expression via the p38 MAPK signaling pathway in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck].

Objective: To investigate the regulatory effect of erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular receptor (EphA2) on the expression of VEGF protein, a pro-angiogenic factor, via p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) signaling pathway in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck(SCCHN) in vitro.

Methods: SCCHN Tu686 cells were transfected with EphA2 overexpression vector pEGFP-N1-EphA2. Western blot was used to detect the expression of p38 MAPK and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was applied to assay of VEGF.

Analysis of transcriptional factors and regulation networks in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients with lymph node metastasis.

The present study was to identify and quantitate differentially expressed proteins in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) tissues with or without lymph node metastasis and to explore transcriptional factors and regulation networks associated with the process. Tissue specimens were taken from 20 patients with LSCC, including 10 cases of LSCC without metastasis LSCC (N0) and 10 cases of LSCC with metastasis LSCC (Nx). Among the 643 unique proteins identified by using iTRAQ labeling and quantitative proteomic technology, 389 proteins showed an abundance change in LSCC (Nx) as compared to LSCC (N0).