Epigenetic silencing of the non-coding RNA nc886 provokes oncogenes during human esophageal tumorigenesis.

nc886 (= vtRNA2-1 or pre-miR-886) is a recently discovered noncoding RNA that is a cellular PKR (Protein Kinase RNA-activated) ligand and repressor. nc886 has been suggested to be a tumor suppressor, solely based on its expression pattern and genomic locus. In this report, we have provided sufficient evidence that nc886 is a putative tumor suppressor in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

nc886, a non-coding RNA of anti-proliferative role, is suppressed by CpG DNA methylation in human gastric cancer.

nc886 is a 101 nucleotide long non-coding RNA that has been designated as a precursor microRNA or a vault RNA based upon it sequence. nc886 has also been suggested to be a tumor suppressor, mainly inferred by its expression pattern as well as its genomic location at human chromosome 5q31, a locus for a tumor suppressor gene(s). However, legitimate data based on nc886's correct identity for its functional cellular roles as a tumor suppressor have not been provided yet.

A case of ocular myasthenia gravis presenting as double depressor palsy.

A 65-year-old man who had been experiencing diplopia in front and down gaze for 15 days visited our hospital. Hypertropia was noted in the patient's left eye, and limitation of depression was found in the adduction, primary gaze, and abduction. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed no remarkable findings.

Compartmentalized, functional role of angiogenin during spotted fever group rickettsia-induced endothelial barrier dysfunction: evidence of possible mediation by host tRNA-derived small noncoding RNAs.

Background: Microvascular endothelial barrier dysfunction is the central enigma in spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsioses. Angiogenin (ANG) is one of the earliest identified angiogenic factors, of which some are relevant to the phosphorylation of VE-cadherins that serve as endothelial adherens proteins. Although exogenous ANG is known to translocate into the nucleus of growing endothelial cells (ECs) where it plays a functional role, nuclear ANG is not detected in quiescent ECs.

Real-time kinetics of high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) oxidation in extracellular fluids studied by in situ protein NMR spectroscopy.

Some extracellular proteins are initially secreted in reduced forms via a non-canonical pathway bypassing the endoplasmic reticulum and become oxidized in the extracellular space. One such protein is HMGB1 (high-mobility group box 1). Extracellular HMGB1 has different redox states that play distinct roles in inflammation.

Characterization of the direct physical interaction of nc886, a cellular non-coding RNA, and PKR.

We have recently shown that nc886 (pre-miR-886 or vtRNA2-1) is not a genuine microRNA precursor nor a vault RNA, but a novel type of non-coding RNA that represses PKR, a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) dependent kinase. Here we have characterized their direct physical association. PKR's two RNA binding domains form a specific and stable complex with nc886's central portion, without any preference to its 5'-end structure.

Precursor miR-886, a novel noncoding RNA repressed in cancer, associates with PKR and modulates its activity.

Noncoding RNAs have drawn significant attention in biology recently. Whereas the current research is highly inclined to microRNAs, research on other noncoding RNAs has lagged behind. Here, we investigated a novel noncoding RNA that has been known as precursor microRNA miR-886 (pre-miR-886).

Clusterin, a novel modulator of TGF-beta signaling, is involved in Smad2/3 stability.

Clusterin (CLU) is known as a multifunctional protein involved in a variety of physiological processes including lipid transport, epithelial cell differentiation, tumorigenesis, and apoptosis. It is known that CLU interacts with TGF-beta type ll receptor (TbetaRll). However, the relationship of CLU and TGF-beta signaling is unclear.

Clusterin mRNA expression in apoptotic and activated rat thymocytes.

Clusterin is a 75-80 kDa heterodimeric glycoprotein, that is produced in most tissues but which exact biological role is still not clear. Particularly, its role in protection or promotion of apoptosis is heavily disputed, since data supporting both views have been reported in several independent studies. To clarify this issue, and also to determine whether clusterin expression itself might be affected by apoptosis, in the present study, rat thymocytes were treated with dexamethasone, -a synthetic glucocorticoid that elicits apoptosis in thymocytes-, and clusterin mRNA expression was analyzed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR before and after induction of apoptosis.