Publications by authors named "Mujun Zhao"

Background: Telomerase is activated in most cancer cells, and thus telomerase is an ideal target for cancer therapy. The human liver-associated candidate tumour suppressor LPTS/PinX1, is the only human protein reported to bind with the telomerase catalytic subunit telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and inhibit telomerase activity. The C-terminal fragment of LPTS/PinX1 (LPTS/PinX1290-328) contains a telomerase inhibitory domain that is needed for inhibition of telomere elongation and induction of apoptosis.

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Telomerase, which is overexpressed in approximately 90% of liver cancer cells, is an ideal target for anti-liver cancer therapy. LPTS, a putative liver tumor suppressor, is the only human-derived protein that can bind telomerase directly and inhibit the extension of telomere activity. Our previous studies demonstrated that TAT-LPTS-LC (TLC), a recombinant protein fused by the C-terminal 133-328 fragment of LPTS and TAT peptides, could be delivered into cells to inhibit telomerase-positive hepatoma cell growth in vitro and in vivo with very low toxicity.

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Intracellular transport of membranous organelles and protein complexes to various destinations is fundamental to signaling transduction and cellular function. The cytoplasmic dynein motor and its regulatory proteins LIS1 and NDE1 are required for transporting a variety of cellular cargos along the microtubule network. In this study, we show that deletion of Lis1 in developing lung endoderm and limb mesenchymal cells causes agenesis of the lungs and limbs.

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The liver is a major organ in lipid metabolism, and its malfunction leads to various diseases. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, the most common chronic liver disorder in developed countries, is characterized by the abnormal retention of excess lipid within hepatocytes and predisposes individuals to liver cancer. We previously reported that the levels of Lissencephaly 1 (LIS1, also known as PAFAH1B1) are down-regulated in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

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Little is known about how chronic inflammation contributes to the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), especially the initiation of cancer. To uncover the critical transition from chronic inflammation to HCC and the molecular mechanisms at a network level, we analyzed the time-series proteomic data of woodchuck hepatitis virus/c-myc mice and age-matched wt-C57BL/6 mice using our dynamical network biomarker (DNB) model. DNB analysis indicated that the 5th month after birth of transgenic mice was the critical period of cancer initiation, just before the critical transition, which is consistent with clinical symptoms.

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Gene targeting using short interfering RNA (siRNA) has become a common strategy to explore gene function because of its prominent efficacy and specificity. The human transmembrane 4 superfamily member 4 (TM4SF4) was originally identified in intestine and liver as a cell proliferation-related gene. Recently, it showed an increased expression in the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues.

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Microspherule protein 2 (MCRS2) has been reported to associate with the cellular function of telomerase inhibition, transcriptional regulation and cellular transformation. Here, we report a novel function of MCRS2 in ASK1 pathway. We found that MCRS2 directly binds to ASK1 in vivo and co-localises with ASK1 in the cytoplasm.

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The human transmembrane 4 superfamily member 4 or intestinal and liver tetraspan membrane protein (TM4SF4/il-TMP) was originally cloned as an intestinal and liver tetraspan membrane protein and mediates density-dependent cell proliferation. The rat homolog of TM4SF4 was found to be up-regulated in regenerating liver after two-thirds hepatectomy and overexpression of TM4SF4 could enhance liver injury induced by CCl(4). However, the expression and significance of TM4SF4/il-TMP in liver cancer remain unknown.

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The hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) has been implicated in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) associated with chronic infection. As a multifunctional protein, HBx regulates numerous cellular pathways, including autophagy. Although autophagy has been shown to participate in viral DNA replication and envelopment, it remains unclear whether HBx-activated autophagy affects host cell death, which is relevant to both viral pathogenicity and the development of HCC.

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Human cell-death-inducing DNA-fragmentation-factor (DFF45)-like effector C (CIDEC) is a potent apoptotic inducer. Previous studies have indicated that the Fat-specific protein 27 (Fsp27), a mouse homolog of CIDEC, induces apoptosis via caspase-3, -7, and -9 and triggers the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria, which implies that the mitochondrial pathway is involved in Fsp27-induced apoptosis. In the current study, we found that CIDEC-induced apoptosis was mediated by caspase-8.

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The human lissencephaly-1 gene (LIS1) is a disease gene responsible for Miller-Dieker lissencephaly syndrome (MDL). LIS1 gene is located in the region of chromosome 17p13.3 that is frequency deleted in MDL patients and in human liver cancer cells.

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Background & Aims: Human liver-related putative tumor suppressor (LPTS) is a gene that encodes a telomerase inhibitory protein that is similar to human Pin2/TRF1-interacting protein. The LPTS protein binds directly to the telomerase catalytic subunit (human telomerase reverse transcriptase) and suppresses telomerase activity. Telomere maintenance and telomerase activity are required for long-term proliferation of cancer cells, so LPTS might be used in anticancer strategies.

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Because of the asymptomatic process of carcinogenesis, the early detection of cancers such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is very challenging. Tumor-prone transgenic mouse models of oncogenesis can provide a stable and powerful tool for the analysis of cancer initiation, and are therefore promising for the discovery of early putative biomarkers of HCC. Using a label-free proteomic quantification strategy, we comprehensively investigated the protein expression profile in the livers of three 2-month-old WHV/c-myc mice at the dysplastic stage, with age-matched wt-C57 mice as controls.

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LPTS/PinX1, a telomerase inhibitor composed of 328 amino acids, binds to the telomere associated protein Pin2/TRF1 and to the telomerase catalytic subunit hTERT. However, the mechanism by which LPTS/PinX1 regulates telomerase activity remains unclear. Here we show, for the first time, that LPTS/PinX1 uses different domains to interact with Pin2/TRF1 and hTERT.

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Article Synopsis
  • Hepatocytes lose their polarized structure and functions when cultured on plastic, prompting the development of a 3D culture assay using the QSG-7701 cell line to better mimic in vivo conditions.
  • In the 3D Matrigel culture, QSG-7701 cells form polarized spheroids with a central lumen, resembling bile canaliculi, and display correct localization of key proteins, indicating restored liver cell functionality.
  • Compared to 2D or agarose cultures, the 3D environment enhances biliary excretion directionality and increases the expression of liver-specific proteins like cytochrome P450 and albumin, making it a valuable model for studying liver function and cancer.
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Lissencephaly is a severe disease characterized by brain malformation. The main causative gene of lissencephaly is LIS1. Mutation or deletion of LIS1 leads to proliferation and migration deficiency of neurons in brain development.

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Unlabelled: Human beclin 1 is the first identified mammalian gene to induce autophagy. It is commonly expressed at reduced levels in breast tumors; however, it is overexpressed in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected cancerous liver tissues. To expose the possible mechanism and biological significance of this up-regulation of beclin 1, we investigated the regulation of beclin 1 expression by HBV x protein (HBx) in hepatic or hepatoma cell lines.

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Human LPTS/PinX1 is a newly identified telomerase inhibitory protein. Overexpression of the LPTS/PinX1 gene suppresses telomerase activity, results in shortened telomeres. To investigate the role of the LPTS gene in zebrafish, we cloned the homologous gene, zLPTS, which encodes a protein of 355 amino acids.

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The gene for LPTS is originally cloned as a human liver-related putative tumor suppressor (LPTS) gene that encodes a full length protein of 328 amino acids (LPTS-L). LPTS-L is also identified as a telomerase inhibitor to regulate telomere length in the cells. To facilitate the functional and structural studies of LPTS-L protein, the cDNA for LPTS-L was cloned into the expression vector pET-24 in frame to generate a recombinant plasmid pET-24-LPTS.

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Cell-death-inducing DFF45-like effector A (CIDE-A) belongs to a family of proapoptotic proteins, the expression of which is highly restricted in human tissues and cells. Here, the core region of the human CIDE-A promoter was characterized. Surprisingly, two Sp1/Sp3-binding sites, rather than tissue-specific transcription factors, were found to be required for the promoter activity.

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NDRG2, a member of N-Myc downstream regulated gene family, exerts the important functions in cell differentiation and tumor suppression. Although the ectopic expressed Ndrg2 inhibits the proliferation of tumor cells, its intracellular signal transduction pathway is hardly known. Here, we identified MSP58, a 58-kDa microspherule protein, as an interacting partner of human Ndrg2 by using yeast two-hybrid screening.

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Background/aims: Transmembrane 4 superfamily member 4 (TM4SF4) is up-regulated in regenerating liver after partial hepatectomy in rats, but the in vivo functions of this protein are still largely unknown. Therefore, we investigated the role of TM4SF4 during liver injury.

Methods: Expression of TM4SF4 was analyzed by RT-PCR and Western blotting in normal and CCl4-injured rats.

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Jun dimerization protein-2 (JDP2) is a component of the AP-1 transcription factor that represses transactivation mediated by the Jun family of proteins. Here, we examine the functional mechanisms of JDP2 and show that it can inhibit p300-mediated acetylation of core histones in vitro and in vivo. Inhibition of histone acetylation requires the N-terminal 35 residues and the DNA-binding region of JDP2.

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CIDE-B [cell death-inducing DFF45 (DNA fragmentation factor 45)-like effector B] is a member of the CIDE family of apoptosis-inducing factors. The highly restricted pattern of expression of CIDE-B in the liver and spleen suggests that a mechanism exists for the tissue- and cell-specific regulation of transcription of this gene. We have analysed the promoters of the human CIDE-B gene, particularly the mechanism of cell-specific transcription.

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