CircRNA circACTN4 Promotes the Progression of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Targeting the miR-424-5p/NCAPG/Wnt Axis.

Growing research reveals that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play a major part in the progression and development of cancer. Here, we investigated the oncogenic function and regulatory mechanisms of the circRNA circACTN4 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), particularly in the tumor epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In vitro functional assays (Cell Counting Kit 8, TUNEL, scratch wound healing, and invasion assays) of HCC cell lines, alongside in vivo analyses of subcutaneous tumors in nude model mice, were employed to assess the impact of circACTN4 on HCC proliferation.

N-Terminal Sequences of Signal Peptides Assuming Critical Roles in Expression of Heterologous Proteins in .

The N-terminal sequences of proteins and their corresponding encoding sequences may play crucial roles in the heterologous expression. In this study, the secretory expression of alkaline pectin lyase APL in was investigated to explore the effects of the N-terminal 5-7 amino acid sequences of different signal peptides on the protein expression and secretion. It was identified for the first time that the first five amino acid sequences of the N-terminal of the signal peptide (SPLipA) from lipase A play an important role in promoting the expression of APL.

A novel antitumor protein from the mushroom Pholiota nameko induces apoptosis of human breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7 cells in vivo and modulates cytokine secretion in mice bearing MCF-7 xenografts.

Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor in women and one of the three most common cancers worldwide. It is a life-threatening disease among women and the leading cause of death among women. New drugs or new drug translations and laboratory clinical studies are ongoing.

Purification, characterization and in vitro antioxidant activity of a polysaccharide AAP-3-1 from Auricularia auricula.

The objective was to investigate the in vitro antioxidant activity of a novel polysaccharide AAP-3-1 from Auricularia auricula. AAP-3-1 was isolated from the fruiting bodies of A. auricula by hot water extraction and ethanol precipitation and was purified by DEAE FF ion exchange chromatography and Superdex 200 gel filtration chromatography.

Cadmium-resistant rhizobacterium Bacillus cereus M4 promotes the growth and reduces cadmium accumulation in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Rice farmland cadmium pollution is an increasing problem for food safety. Cd-resistant bacterial strain was isolated from rice rhizosphere soil and identified as Bacillus cereus M4. Treatment with M4 fermentation broth increased rice seedlings growth in vermiculite, while reduced Cd accumulation in grains of rice grown in Cd-contaminated potted soil from 0.

Synergistic Hypoglycemic Effects of Pumpkin Polysaccharides and Puerarin on Type II Diabetes Mellitus Mice.

To investigate the hypoglycemic effect and potential mechanism of pumpkin polysaccharides and puerarin on type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) mice, mice were fed a high-fat diet and injected intraperitoneally with streptozotacin to induce T2DM. After eight weeks of drug administration, blood samples were withdrawn from tail veins of mice that had been fasted overnight. The results showed that both pumpkin polysaccharides and puerarin, as well as a pumpkin polysaccharides and puerarin combination, could ameliorate T2DM.

Purification and characterization of a ∼43 kDa antioxidant protein with antitumor activity from Pholiota nameko.

Background: Pholiota nameko water-soluble protein (PNWSP), isolated from the dried fruiting bodies of Pholiota nameko, was purified by a successive chromatographic process using Q anion exchange column, SP cation exchange column and Superdex 200 gel filtration column. PNWSP was assessed for antioxidant activities in different assay systems, and the effect on cell proliferation of human breast cancer MCF7 cells was investigated.

Results: Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and analytical ultracentrifugation analysis revealed the homogeneity of PNWSP with apparent molecular weight of ∼43 kDa, and the identification was confirmed by peptide mass fingerprint analysis.

Purification and characterization of a novel antitumor protein with antioxidant and deoxyribonuclease activity from edible mushroom Pholiota nameko.

A novel antitumor protein from the edible mushroom Pholiota nameko (PNAP) was purified through a two-step chromatographic procedure including SP cation exchange chromatogram and Superdex gel filtration. The approximate molecular weight was demonstrated to be 18.5 kDa by SDS-PAGE and ultracentrifugation analysis and N-terminal sequence was detected as AGRTFIGYNG by Edman degradation.

Expression, purification, and characterization of phosphatidylserine synthase from Escherichia coli K12 in Bacillus subtilis.

Although phosphatidylserine synthase (PSS) from Escherichia coli is an ideal enzyme for phospholipid production, its application in the food industry has been limited because of the low PSS yield. In this study, the pss gene was cloned from E. coli K(12) and expressed in Bacillus subtilis DB104, and the recombinant PSS was characterized subsequently.