Pathogenic Microglia Orchestrate Neurotoxic Properties of Eomes-Expressing Helper T Cells.

In addition to disease-associated microglia (DAM), microglia with MHC-II and/or IFN-I signatures may form additional pathogenic subsets that are relevant to neurodegeneration. However, the significance of such MHC-II and IFN-I signatures remains elusive. We demonstrate here that these microglial subsets play intrinsic roles in orchestrating neurotoxic properties of neurotoxic Eomes Th cells under the neurodegeneration-associated phase of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) that corresponds to progressive multiple sclerosis (MS).

FMRP, FXR1 protein and Dlg4 mRNA, which are associated with fragile X syndrome, are involved in the ubiquitin-proteasome system.

The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is a proteolytic pathway that is essential for life maintenance and vital functions, and its disruption causes serious impairments, e.g., disease development.

Eggshell membrane modulates gut microbiota to prevent murine pre-cachexia through suppression of T helper cell differentiation.

Background: Cachexia is a life-threatening condition observed in several pathologies, such as cancer or chronic diseases. Interleukin 10 (Il10) gene transfer is known to improve cachexia by downregulating Il6. Here, we used an IL10-knockout mouse model to simulate cachexia and investigate the effects of eggshell membrane (ESM), a resistant protein, on general pre-cachexia symptoms, which is particularly important for the development of cachexia therapeutics.

Immune-mediated neurodegenerative trait provoked by multimodal derepression of long-interspersed nuclear element-1.

Neurodegeneration is a process involving both cell autonomous and non-cell autonomous neuron loss, followed by a collapse of neural networks, but its pathogenesis is poorly understood. We have previously demonstrated that Eomes-positive helper T (Eomes + Th) cells recognizing LINE-1(L1)-derived prototypic antigen ORF1 mediate neurotoxicity associated with the neurodegenerative pathology of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Here, we show that Eomes + Th cells accumulate in the CNS of mouse models of authentic neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), and secrete the neurotoxic granzyme B after encounter with ORF1 antigen.

Extracellular Vesicles as Pro- and Anti-inflammatory Mediators, Biomarkers and Potential Therapeutic Agents in Multiple Sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by multiple demyelinating lesions in the spinal cord and brain. Neuronal disruption caused by myelin loss or demyelination, which may accompany axonal changes, leads to multiple neurological symptoms. They may transiently appear for weeks during periods of disease worsening (relapse) in relapsing-remitting form of MS (RRMS).

MiR-199-3p enhances muscle regeneration and ameliorates aged muscle and muscular dystrophy.

Parabiosis experiments suggest that molecular factors related to rejuvenation and aging circulate in the blood. Here, we show that miR-199-3p, which circulates in the blood as a cell-free miRNA, is significantly decreased in the blood of aged mice compared to young mice; and miR-199-3p has the ability to enhance myogenic differentiation and muscle regeneration. Administration of miR-199 mimics, which supply miR-199-3p, to aged mice resulted in muscle fiber hypertrophy and delayed loss of muscle strength.

Maternal protein restriction induces renal AT2R promoter hypomethylation in salt-sensitive, hypertensive rats.

Scope: We previously demonstrated that protein restriction induced salt-sensitive hypertension and changed renal levels of angiotensin type 2 receptor (AT2R) in Stroke-Prone Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat (SHRSP). Here, we investigated if this characteristic alteration of AT2R is related to AT2R DNA methylation profiles.

Methods And Results: First, we examined the relation between AT2R DNA methylation and its promoter activity in vitro.

c-Jun NH-terminal kinase (JNK)/stress-activated protein kinase-associated protein 1 (JSAP1) attenuates curcumin-induced cell death differently from its family member, JNK-associated leucine zipper protein (JLP).

Curcumin, a major component of turmeric, is known to exhibit multiple biological functions including antitumor activity. We previously reported that the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) scaffold protein c-Jun NH-terminal kinase (JNK)-associated leucine zipper protein (JLP) reduces curcumin-induced cell death by modulating p38 MAPK and autophagy through the regulation of lysosome positioning. In this study, we investigated the role of JNK/stress-activated protein kinase-associated protein 1 (JSAP1), a JLP family member, in curcumin-induced stress, and found that JSAP1 also attenuates curcumin-induced cell death.

Protective role of c-Jun NH-terminal kinase-associated leucine zipper protein (JLP) in curcumin-induced cancer cell death.

Previous studies have established the antitumor activity of curcumin, a major component of turmeric. Increasing evidence indicates that curcumin induces autophagy, the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) intracellular signaling pathways, and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated cell death. The c-Jun NH-terminal kinase (JNK)-associated leucine zipper protein (JLP), a scaffold protein for MAPK signaling pathways, has been identified as a candidate biomarker for cancer.

Extrapituitary prolactin promotes generation of Eomes-positive helper T cells mediating neuroinflammation.

Induction of eomesodermin-positive CD4 T cells (Eomes T helper [Th] cells) has recently been correlated with the transition from an acute stage to a later stage of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model for multiple sclerosis. Moreover, these cells' pathogenic role has been experimentally proven in EAE. While exploring how the pathogenic Eomes Th cells are generated during the course of EAE, we unexpectedly found that B cells and MHC class II myeloid cells isolated from the late EAE lesions strikingly up-regulated the expression of prolactin (PRL).

NF-κB activation is an early event of changes in gene regulation for acquiring drug resistance in human adenocarcinoma PC-9 cells.

Gefitinib and erlotinib are epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs). Although EGFR-TKIs are effective as anti-cancer drugs, cancer cells sometimes gain tolerance to the drugs. Previous studies suggested that the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR)-signaling pathway could serve as compensation for the EGFR-signaling pathway inhibited by EGFR-TKIs.

Supplemental Treatment for Huntington's Disease with miR-132 that Is Deficient in Huntington's Disease Brain.

Huntington's disease (HD) is an intractable neurodegenerative disorder caused by mutant Huntingtin (HTT) proteins that adversely affect various biomolecules and genes. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), which are functional small non-coding RNAs, are also affected by mutant HTT proteins. Here, we show amelioration in motor function and lifespan of HD-model mice, R6/2 mice, by supplying miR-132 to HD brains using a recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) miRNA expression system.

The Role for Exosomal microRNAs in Disruption of Regulatory T Cell Homeostasis in Multiple Sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system, in which myelin and oligodendrocytes are the main targets recognized by inflammatory CD4 T cells reactive to myelin peptides. Regulatory CD4 T (Treg) cells normally keep homeostasis of the immune system by inhibiting detrimental effects of inflammatory T cells. However, Treg cells are reduced in patients with MS for unknown reason.

Comprehensive Measurement of Gene Silencing Involving Endogenous MicroRNAs in Mammalian Cells.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are functional small noncoding RNAs that work as mediators in gene silencing and that play important roles in gene regulation. A number of miRNAs have been found and their expression profiles have been examined by means of various microarray systems and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) systems. Conventional microarrays as well as real-time PCR are able to detect existing miRNAs, in which inactive miRNAs that hardly contribute to gene silencing may be also contained.

Circulating exosomes suppress the induction of regulatory T cells via let-7i in multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a T cell-mediated autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. Foxp3 regulatory T (Treg) cells are reduced in frequency and dysfunctional in patients with MS, but the underlying mechanisms of this deficiency are unclear. Here, we show that induction of human IFN-γIL-17AFoxp3CD4 T cells is inhibited in the presence of circulating exosomes from patients with MS.

Neighbors' death is required for surviving human adenocarcinoma PC-9 cells in an early stage of gefitinib treatment.

Acquired drug resistance is a major problem in chemotherapy, and understanding of the mechanism, by which naïve cells defend themselves from drugs when the cells exposed to the drugs for the first time, may provide a solution of the problem. Gefitinib is an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitor, and used as an anticancer drug; however, gefitinib treatment may sometimes lead cancer cells gradually into a gefitinib-tolerance. Here we describe that human adenocarcinoma PC-9 cells even under the presence of gefitinib were able to survive by activating another signaling pathway involving fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) and its signaling molecule, FGF2; and further suggest that the FGF2 for initiating the pathway might be supplied from neighboring cells which were killed by gefitinib, i.

Eomesodermin-expressing T-helper cells are essential for chronic neuroinflammation.

Development of acute experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) depends on Th17 cells expressing the nuclear factor NR4A2. However, in mice lacking NR4A2 in T cells, a late-onset disease is still inducible, despite a great reduction in acute inflammation. We here reveal that development of this late onset disease depends on cytotoxic T-cell-like CD4(+) T cells expressing the T-box transcription factor Eomesodermin (Eomes).

Glucocorticoid affects dendritic transport of BDNF-containing vesicles.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is essential for neuronal survival, differentiation, and functions in the central nervous system (CNS). Because BDNF protein is sorted into secretory vesicles at the trans-Golgi network in the cell body after translation, transport of BDNF-containing vesicles to the secretion sites is an important process for its function. Here we examined the effect of dexamethasone (DEX), a synthetic glucocorticoid, on BDNF-containing vesicle transport and found that DEX decreased the proportion of stationary vesicles and increased velocity of the microtubule-based vesicle transport in dendrites of cortical neurons.

Normalization of Overexpressed α-Synuclein Causing Parkinson's Disease By a Moderate Gene Silencing With RNA Interference.

The α-synuclein (SNCA) gene is a responsible gene for Parkinson's disease (PD); and not only nucleotide variations but also overexpression of SNCA appears to be involved in the pathogenesis of PD. A specific inhibition against mutant SNCA genes carrying nucleotide variations may be feasible by a specific silencing such as an allele-specific RNA interference (RNAi); however, there is no method for restoring the SNCA overexpression to a normal level. Here, we show that an atypical RNAi using small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) that confer a moderate level of gene silencing is capable of controlling overexpressed SNCA genes to return to a normal level; named "expression-control RNAi" (ExCont-RNAi).

Gene silencing mediated by endogenous microRNAs under heat stress conditions in mammalian cells.

Heat shock, sudden change in temperature, triggers various responses in cells for protecting the cells from such a severe circumstance. Here we investigated gene silencing mediated by endogenous microRNAs (miRNAs) in mammalian cells exposed to a mild hyperthermia, by means of miRNA activity assay using a luciferase reporter gene as well as miRNA expression analysis using a DNA microarray. Our findings indicated that the gene silencing activities involving miRNAs were enhanced without increasing in their expression levels under heat-stress conditions.

A novel measurement of allele discrimination for assessment of allele-specific silencing by RNA interference.

Allele-specific silencing by RNA interference (ASP-RNAi) is an atypical RNAi that is capable of discriminating target alleles from non-target alleles, and may be therapeutically useful for specific inhibition of disease-causing alleles without affecting their corresponding normal alleles. However, it is difficult to design and select small interfering RNA (siRNAs) that confer ASP-RNAi. A major problem is that there are few appropriate measures in determining optimal allele-specific siRNAs.

Disease-associated mutations of TDP-43 promote turnover of the protein through the proteasomal pathway.

TAR DNA-binding protein (TDP-43) is a major component of most ubiquitin-positive neuronal and glial inclusions of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). A number of missense mutations in the TARDBP gene have been identified in patients with familial and sporadic ALS, as well as familial FTLD with ALS. In the diseased states, TDP-43 proteins exhibit characteristic alterations, including truncation, abnormal phosphorylation, and altered subcellular distribution.

Disease-causing allele-specific silencing by RNA interference.

Small double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) of approximately 21-nucleotides in size, referred to as small interfering RNA (siRNA) duplexes, can induce sequence-specific posttranscriptional gene silencing, or RNA interference (RNAi). Since chemically synthesized siRNA duplexes were found to induce RNAi in mammalian cells, RNAi has become a powerful reverse genetic tool for suppressing the expression of a gene of interest in mammals, including human, and its application has been expanding to various fields. Recent studies further suggest that synthetic siRNA duplexes have the potential for specifically inhibiting the expression of an allele of interest without suppressing the expression of other alleles, i.

Specific inhibition of tumor cells by oncogenic EGFR specific silencing by RNA interference.

Anticancer agents that have minimal effects on normal cells and tissues are ideal cancer drugs. Here, we show specific inhibition of human cancer cells carrying oncogenic mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene by means of oncogenic allele-specific RNA interference (RNAi), both in vivo and in vitro. The allele-specific RNAi (ASP-RNAi) treatment did not affect normal cells or tissues that had no target oncogenic allele, whereas the suppression of a normal EGFR allele by a conventional in vivo RNAi caused adverse effects, i.

Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1) acts as a novel potentiator of cyclin-dependent kinases to enhance cell proliferation independently of its hydrolase activity.

Dysregulation of cell proliferation and the cell cycle are associated with various diseases, such as cancer. Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) play central roles in cell proliferation and the cell cycle. Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1) is expressed in a restricted range of tissues, including the brain and numerous types of cancer.