Dynamic estimates of survival of patients with poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma: a population-based study.

Background: The real-time prognostic data of patients with poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma (PDTC) after surviving for several years was unclear. This study aimed to employ a novel method to dynamically estimate survival for PDTC patients.

Methods: A total of 913 patients diagnosed with PDTC between 2014 and 2015 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, was recruited in our study.

Subcellular Level Spatial Transcriptomics with PHOTON.

The subcellular localization of RNA is closely linked to its function. Many RNA species are partitioned into organelles and other subcellular compartments for storage, processing, translation, or degradation. Thus, capturing the subcellular spatial distribution of RNA would directly contribute to the understanding of RNA functions and regulation.

Conserved -Acting Range Extender Element Mediates Extreme Long-Range Enhancer Activity in Mammals.

While most mammalian enhancers regulate their cognate promoters over moderate distances of tens of kilobases (kb), some enhancers act over distances in the megabase range. The sequence features enabling such extreme-distance enhancer-promoter interactions remain elusive. Here, we used enhancer replacement experiments in mice to show that short- and medium-range enhancers cannot initiate gene expression at extreme-distance range.

Evolution of the enhancer-rich regulatory region of the gene for the cell-type specific transcription factor POU1F1.

Precise spatio-temporal expression of genes in organogenesis is regulated by the coordinated interplay of DNA elements such as promoter and enhancers present in the regulatory region of a given locus. POU1F1 transcription factor plays a crucial role in the development of somatotrophs, lactotrophs and thyrotrophs in the anterior pituitary gland, and in maintaining high expression of growth hormone, prolactin and TSH. In mouse, expression of is controlled by a region fenced by two CTCF sites, containing 5 upstream enhancer elements, designated E-A (5' to 3').

Stress induced aging in mouse eye.

Aging, a universal process that affects all cells in an organism, is a major risk factor for a group of neuropathies called glaucoma, where elevated intraocular pressure is one of the known stresses affecting the tissue. Our understanding of molecular impact of aging on response to stress in retina is very limited; therefore, we developed a new mouse model to approach this question experimentally. Here we show that susceptibility to response to stress increases with age and is primed on chromatin level.

Dynamic lipid turnover in photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium throughout life.

The retinal pigment epithelium-photoreceptor interphase is renewed each day in a stunning display of cellular interdependence. While photoreceptors use photosensitive pigments to convert light into electrical signals, the RPE supports photoreceptors in their function by phagocytizing shed photoreceptor tips, regulating the blood retina barrier, and modulating inflammatory responses, as well as regenerating the 11-cis-retinal chromophore via the classical visual cycle. These processes involve multiple protein complexes, tightly regulated ligand-receptors interactions, and a plethora of lipids and protein-lipids interactions.

Annulation-retro-Claisen cascade of bifunctional peroxides for the synthesis of lactone natural products.

A new and highly efficient annulation-retro-Claisen cascade, which involves the [4 + 1] or [5 + 1] annulation of α-benzoylacetates with bielectrophilic peroxides and a subsequent debenzoylation process under mild basic conditions, has been developed for the rapid construction of valuable tetrahydrofuran- and dihydropyran-2-carboxylates in good yields. By employing the new reaction, the unified total synthesis of γ- and δ-lactone natural products such as (±)-tanikolide, (±)-goniothalamins, (±)-7--goniodiol, and (±)-plakolide A has been accomplished in 4-7 steps.

Protein Kinase A in Human Retina: Differential Localization of Cβ, Cα, RIIα, and RIIβ in Photoreceptors Highlights Non-redundancy of Protein Kinase A Subunits.

Protein kinase A (PKA) signaling is essential for numerous processes but the subcellular localization of specific PKA regulatory (R) and catalytic (C) subunits has yet to be explored comprehensively. Additionally, the localization of the Cβ subunit has never been spatially mapped in any tissue even though ∼50% of PKA signaling in neuronal tissues is thought to be mediated by Cβ. Here we used human retina with its highly specialized neurons as a window into PKA signaling in the brain and characterized localization of PKA Cα, Cβ, RIIα, and RIIβ subunits.

Methylation-associated silencing of miR-9-1 promotes nasopharyngeal carcinoma progression and glycolysis via HK2.

Characteristically, cancer cells metabolize glucose through aerobic glycolysis, known as the Warburg effect. Accumulating evidence suggest that during cancer formation, microRNAs (miRNAs) could regulate such metabolic reprogramming. In the present study, miR-9-1 was identified as significantly hypermethylated in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell lines and clinical tissues.

A Unified Catalytic Asymmetric (4+1) and (5+1) Annulation Strategy to Access Chiral Spirooxindole-Fused Oxacycles.

A unified catalytic asymmetric (N+1) (N=4, 5) annulation reaction of oxindoles with bifunctional peroxides has been achieved in the presence of a chiral phase-transfer catalyst (PTC). This general strategy utilizes peroxides as unique bielectrophilic four- or five-atom synthons to participate in the C-C and the subsequent umpolung C-O bond-forming reactions with one-carbon unit nucleophiles, thus providing a distinct method to access the valuable chiral spirooxindole-tetrahydrofurans and -tetrahydropyrans with good yields and high enantioselectivities under mild conditions. DFT calculations were performed to rationalize the origin of high enantioselectivity.

Effects of Txk‑mediated activation of NF‑κB signaling pathway on neurological deficit and oxidative stress after ischemia‑reperfusion in rats.

Ischemic stroke is an extremely mortal cerebrovascular disease, and neuroinflammation and oxidative stress emerge as important traits of ischemic stroke. However, as an inflammation‑associated factor, Txk tyrosine kinases (Txk) has been poorly studied in neuroscience research. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of Txk after ischemia‑reperfusion (I/R) and , observe the association between Txk knockdown and neurological deficit and oxidative stress, and to explore whether the process was mediated by the activation of nuclear factor (NF)‑κB signaling pathway.

Elovl2 Is Required for Robust Visual Function in Zebrafish.

Omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) play critical roles in membrane stability and cell signaling within the retina. ELOVL2 (Elongation of Very Long Chain Fatty Acids-Like 2), an elongase involved in the synthesis of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs), has recently been implicated in regulating aging in the mammalian retina. In this work, we characterize the expression and function of in the retina development in embryonic zebrafish.

Reorganized 3D Genome Structures Support Transcriptional Regulation in Mouse Spermatogenesis.

Three-dimensional chromatin structures undergo dynamic reorganization during mammalian spermatogenesis; however, their impacts on gene regulation remain unclear. Here, we focused on understanding the structure-function regulation of meiotic chromosomes by Hi-C and other omics techniques in mouse spermatogenesis across five stages. Beyond confirming recent reports regarding changes in compartmentalization and reorganization of topologically associating domains (TADs), we further demonstrated that chromatin loops are present prior to and after, but not at, the pachytene stage.

Rearrangement of macronucleus chromosomes correspond to TAD-like structures of micronucleus chromosomes in .

The somatic macronucleus (MAC) and germline micronucleus (MIC) of differ in chromosome numbers, sizes, functions, transcriptional activities, and cohesin complex location. However, the higher-order chromatin organization in is still largely unknown. Here, we explored the higher-order chromatin organization in the two distinct nuclei of using the Hi-C and HiChIP methods.

Early removal of senescent cells protects retinal ganglion cells loss in experimental ocular hypertension.

Experimental ocular hypertension induces senescence of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) that mimics events occurring in human glaucoma. Senescence-related chromatin remodeling leads to profound transcriptional changes including the upregulation of a subset of genes that encode multiple proteins collectively referred to as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Emerging evidence suggests that the presence of these proinflammatory and matrix-degrading molecules has deleterious effects in a variety of tissues.

Gemcitabine plus cisplatin versus fluorouracil plus cisplatin as a first-line concurrent chemotherapy regimen in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a prospective, multi-institution, randomized controlled phase II study.

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of gemcitabine plus cisplatin concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Method: Patients with NPC were randomly assigned to the gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GP) group or fluorouracil plus cisplatin (PF) group. Primary end-point was disease-free survival (DFS); secondary endpoints: overall survival, distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), locoregional relapse-free survival, and treatment-related adverse events.

Correction to: The key role of CYC2 during meiosis in Tetrahymena Thermophila.

In the original publication, the funding information was incorrectly published. The correct funding information is provided in this correction. This work is supported by grants from the Projects of International Cooperation and Exchanges Ministry of Science and Technology of China (2013DFG32390) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31472059) to X.

Candidate tumor suppressor ZNF154 suppresses invasion and metastasis in NPC by inhibiting the EMT via Wnt/β-catenin signalling.

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is especially prevalent in southeast Asia and southern China, but its molecular mechanisms remain poorly characterized. DNA methylation is associated with initiation and progression of tumors, including NPC. Through a genome-wide DNA methylation screening approach, we discovered ZNF154, but its methylation status and roles in NPC have not been investigated.

Shining the Light on Senescence Associated LncRNAs.

Cellular senescence can be described as a complex stress response that leads to irreversible cell cycle arrest. This process was originally described as an event that primary cells go through after many passages of cells during cell culture. More recently, cellular senescence is viewed as a programmed process by which the cell displays a senescence phenotype when exposed to a variety of stresses.

Matched analysis of induction chemotherapy plus chemoradiotherapy versus induction chemotherapy plus radiotherapy alone in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a multicenter study.

Background: The relative efficacy of induction chemotherapy (IC) followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) versus IC followed by radiotherapy (RT) alone in locoregionally advanced NPC remains unclear.

Methods: A total of 877 patients with locally advanced NPC who underwent IC/CCRT or IC/RT at four institutions in China between January 2004 and December 2010 were retrospectively assessed. IC was cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy; concurrent chemotherapy, single agent cisplatin.

The key role of CYC2 during meiosis in Tetrahymena thermophila.

Meiotic recombination is carried out through a specialized pathway for the formation and repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) made by the Spo11 protein. The present study shed light on the functional role of cyclin, CYC2, in Tetrahymena thermophila which has transcriptionally high expression level during meiosis process. Knocking out the CYC2 gene results in arrest of meiotic conjugation process at 2.

Three-dimensional regulation of transcription.

Cells can adapt to environment and development by reconstructing their transcriptional networks to regulate diverse cellular processes without altering the underlying DNA sequences. These alterations, namely epigenetic changes, occur during cell division, differentiation and cell death. Numerous evidences demonstrate that epigenetic changes are governed by various types of determinants, including DNA methylation patterns, histone posttranslational modification signatures, histone variants, chromatin remodeling, and recently discovered chromosome conformation characteristics and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs).