Integrative Molecular Phenotyping
INTEGRATIVE MOLECULAR
PHENOTYPING
WHEELOCK LABORATORY
DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL
BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS
WHEELOCK LABORATORY
DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL
BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS
WHEELOCK LABORATORY
DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL
BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS
WHEELOCK LABORATORY
DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL
BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS
WHEELOCK LABORATORY
DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL
BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS
WHEELOCK LABORATORY

PubMed

Bladder cancer is associated with decreased urinary microbiota diversity and alterations in microbial community composition

Sat, 19/11/2022 - 12:00
Urol Oncol. 2022 Nov 16:S1078-1439(22)00344-1. doi: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2022.09.018. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTINTRODUCTION: Human urine microbiota (UM) research has uncovered associations between composition of microbial communities of the lower urinary tract and various disease states including several reports on the putative link between UM and bladder cancer (BC). The aim of this study was to investigate male UM in patients with BC and controls using catheterised urine specimens unlike in previous studies.METHODS: Urine samples were obtained in theatre after surgical prepping and draping using aseptic catheterisation. DNA was extracted and hypervariable region V4 of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified using 515F and 806R primers. Sequencing was performed on Illumina MiSeq platform. Sequencing data were processed using appropriate software tools. Alpha diversity measures were calculated and compared between groups. Prevalence Interval for Microbiome Evaluation was used to test differences in beta diversity.RESULTS: A total of 63 samples were included in the analysis. Mean age of study subjects was 65.1 years (SD 12.5). Thirty-four men had bladder cancer and 29 participants were undergoing interventions for benign conditions (benign prostate hyperplasia or upper urinary tract stone disease). BC patients had lower UM richness and diversity than controls (83 vs. 139 operational taxonomic units, P = 0.015; Shannon index: 2.46 vs. 2.94, P = 0.049). There were specific taxa enriched in cancer (Veillonella, Varibaculum, Methylobacterium-Methylorubrum) and control groups (Pasteurella, Corynebacterium, Acinetobacter), respectively.CONCLUSION: BC patients had lower bladder microbiota richness and diversity than controls. Specific genera were enriched in cancer and control groups, respectively. These results corroborate some of previous reports while contradicting others. Future microbiota research would benefit from parallel transcriptomic/metabolomic analysis.PMID:36402713 | DOI:10.1016/j.urolonc.2022.09.018

Serum Metabolomic Characterization in Pigs in Relation to Birth Weight Category and Neonatal Nutrition

Sat, 19/11/2022 - 12:00
J Anim Sci. 2022 Nov 19:skac386. doi: 10.1093/jas/skac386. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThe objective of this study was to characterize developmental differences in low birth weight (LBW) and normal birth weight (NBW) piglets with or without pre-weaning nutrient restriction using serum metabolomic profile analysis. At farrowing, 112 piglets were identified as LBW (1.22 ± 0.28 kg) or NBW (1.70 ± 0.27 kg) and were randomly assigned to receive normal nutrition (NN) or restricted nutrition (RN) (6 h/day no suckling) from d 2 to 28 post-farrow (n=8pigs/group). On d 28, piglets were weaned onto a common diet. Fasted blood samples were obtained on d 28 and 56 (n=8pigs/group) and were analyzed using quantitative metabolomics via a combination of direct injection mass spectrometry with a reverse-phase LC-MS/MS custom assay. Data were normalized using logarithmic transformation and auto-scaling. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was carried out to further explore the differential metabolites among the groups (metaboanalyst.ca) with an integrated enrichment and pathway topography analysis. On d 28, LBW piglets had lower levels of essential amino acids as well as reduced metabolites associated with fatty acid oxidation, glycolysis, and the TCA cycle compared to the NBW group. The overall reduction of metabolites associated with energy production and regulation suggests that LBW vs. NBW are in an energy-survival state. On d 56, LBW pigs had increased utilization of fatty acids and resultant ketone production, evident by increased carnitines, acetoacetate, β-hydroxybutyrate, and glycerol compared to NBW pigs. Additionally, compared to the NBW pigs LBW pigs had a consistent decrease in serum glucose and lactate as well as reduced TCA cycle metabolites: pyruvate, succinate, citrate, and α-ketoglutaric acid similar to d 28. Low reliance on glycolysis and the TCA cycle and higher glycerol production in the LBW pigs may indicate impairments in glucose tolerance at 56 d. In summary, LBW piglets appear to have more metabolic alterations in early life, which is not resolved with adequate nutrition or refeeding and may elucidate physiological and metabolic mechanisms of poor growth and life performance compared to NBW pigs later in life.PMID:36402552 | DOI:10.1093/jas/skac386

Nontargeted metabolomic evidence for antagonism between tetracycline and its resistance bacteria underlying their obesogenic effects on Caenorhabditis elegans

Sat, 19/11/2022 - 12:00
Sci Total Environ. 2022 Nov 16:160223. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160223. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTEnvironmental antibiotics raise serious health concerns due to their contribution to the obesity prevalence. Moreover, antibiotics promote antibiotic-resistance bacteria (ARB) which represent another emerging pollutant. However, the interaction between antibiotic and ARB in the obesogenic effects remained unexplored. In the present study, the obesogenic effects of tetracycline antibiotic (TCH) and ARB containing tetA were studied on C. elegans, and E. coli OP50 (OP50) was referred as a normal bacterial food. Results showed that TCH stimulated nematode triglyceride contents, while ARB alone had no significant influences. The combination of TCH and ARB showed less obesogenic effects than TCH alone, showing antagonism. Biochemical assays showed that the combination of TCH and ARB showed similar effects to ARB alone, and had less increases in lipid metabolism enzymes or metabolites than those of TCH or ARB alone, supporting the antagonism. In the nontargeted metabolomic analysis, TCH with ARB showed less significantly changed metabolites (SCMs) in the nematodes than TCH or ARB alone, partially explaining the antagonism. The metabolomic results also pointed out the significant involvement of amino acids, the carboxylic acids and derivatives, and also the benzene and substituted derivatives in the obesogenic effects of TCH and ARB. The findings of the present study provided a direct support for interaction between antibiotics and ARB underlying their health risks.PMID:36402327 | DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160223

Dietary squalene supplementation decreases triglyceride species and modifies phospholipid lipidomic profile in the liver of a porcine model of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

Sat, 19/11/2022 - 12:00
J Nutr Biochem. 2022 Nov 16:109207. doi: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2022.109207. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTSqualene is a key minor component of virgin olive oil, the main source of fat in the Mediterranean diet, and had shown to improve the liver metabolism in rabbits and mice. The present research was carried out to find out whether this effect was conserved in a porcine model of hepatic steatohepatitis and to search for the lipidomic changes involved. The current study revealed that a 0.5% squalene supplementation to a steatotic diet for a month led to hepatic accumulation of squalene and decreased triglyceride content as well as area of hepatic lipid droplets without influencing cholesterol content or fiber areas. However, ballooning score was increased and associated with the hepatic squalene content. Of forty hepatic transcripts related to lipid metabolism and hepatic steatosis, only citrate synthase and a non-coding RNA showed decreased expressions. The hepatic lipidome, assessed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in a platform able to analyze 467 lipids, revealed that squalene supplementation increased ceramide, Cer(36:2), and phosphatidylcholine [PC(32:0), PC(33:0) and PC(34:0)] species and decreased cardiolipin, CL(69:5), and triglyceride [TG(54:2), TG(55:0) and TG(55:2)] species. Plasma levels of interleukin 12p40 increased in pigs receiving the squalene diet. The latter also modified plasma lipidome by increasing TG(58:12) and decreasing non-esterified fatty acid (FA 14:0, FA 16:1 and FA 18:0) species without changes in total NEFA levels. Together this shows that squalene-induced changes in hepatic and plasma lipidomic profiles, non-coding RNA and anti-inflammatory interleukin are suggestive of an alleviation of the disease despite the increase in the ballooning score.PMID:36402249 | DOI:10.1016/j.jnutbio.2022.109207

Longitudinal associations between metabolites and long-term exposure to ambient air pollution: Results from the KORA cohort study

Sat, 19/11/2022 - 12:00
Environ Int. 2022 Nov 13;170:107632. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107632. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTBACKGROUND: Long-term exposure to air pollution has been associated with cardiopulmonary diseases, while the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.OBJECTIVES: To investigate changes in serum metabolites associated with long-term exposure to air pollution and explore the susceptibility characteristics.METHODS: We used data from the German population-based Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg (KORA) S4 survey (1999-2001) and two follow-up examinations (F4: 2006-08 and FF4: 2013-14). Mass-spectrometry-based targeted metabolomics was used to quantify metabolites among serum samples. Only participants with repeated metabolites measurements were included in the current analysis. Land-use regression (LUR) models were used to estimate annual average concentrations of ultrafine particles, particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic diameter less than 10 μm (PM10), coarse particles (PMcoarse), fine particles, PM2.5 absorbance (a proxy of elemental carbon related to traffic exhaust, PM2.5abs), nitrogen oxides (NO2, NOx), and ozone at individuals' residences. We applied confounder-adjusted mixed-effects regression models to examine the associations between long-term exposure to air pollution and metabolites.RESULTS: Among 9,620 observations from 4,261 KORA participants, we included 5,772 (60.0%) observations from 2,583 (60.6%) participants in this analysis. Out of 108 metabolites that passed stringent quality control across three study points in time, we identified nine significant negative associations between phosphatidylcholines (PCs) and ambient pollutants at a Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate (FDR) corrected p-value < 0.05. The strongest association was seen for an increase of 0.27 μg/m3 (interquartile range) in PM2.5abs and decreased phosphatidylcholine acyl-alkyl C36:3 (PC ae C36:3) concentrations [percent change in the geometric mean: -2.5% (95% confidence interval: -3.6%, -1.5%)].CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested that long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with metabolic alterations, particularly in PCs with unsaturated long-chain fatty acids. These findings might provide new insights into potential mechanisms for air pollution-related adverse outcomes.PMID:36402035 | DOI:10.1016/j.envint.2022.107632

Characterization of freezability-associated metabolites in boar semen

Sat, 19/11/2022 - 12:00
Theriogenology. 2022 Nov 11;196:88-96. doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2022.11.013. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTSperm cryopreservation maintains the diversities of porcine genetic resources and improves utilization efficiency of boar semen in artificial insemination practices. Freezability of boar semen presents remarkable differences among individuals. However, metabolic markers for boar semen freezability in both sperm and seminal plasma largely remain unknown. The present study thus aims to determine differences in metabolites of sperm and seminal plasma between poor (PF) and good (GF) freezability semen from a Chinese native pig and screen potential markers for semen freezability. A total of 72,048 metabolites in sperm and 66,551 metabolites in seminal plasma were identified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, respectively. The proportion of lipid molecules among all metabolites in both sperm and seminal plasma was the maximum regardless of negative or positive mode. Furthermore, we identified 21 differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) in sperm and 185 DEMs in seminal plasma between PF and GF group. Additionally, clustering analysis showed that DEMs in sperm and seminal plasma exhibited significant changes between PF and GF group. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis revealed that DEMs in sperm were mainly enriched in metabolic pathways of amino acids and caffeine. DEMs in seminal plasma were associated with AMPK and cAMP signaling pathways. Taken together, these results demonstrate that sperm and seminal plasma of native pigs present differential metabolome between PF and GF semen.PMID:36401936 | DOI:10.1016/j.theriogenology.2022.11.013

Advancing NMR-based metabolomics using complete reduction to amplitude frequency table: Cultivar differentiation of black ripe table olives as a case study

Sat, 19/11/2022 - 12:00
Food Chem. 2022 Nov 7;405(Pt B):134868. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.134868. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTIn NMR-based untargeted analysis, Fourier transformation is applied to the time-domain data to extract observables such as frequency and intensity. Despite its wide application, this approach has several limitations that can prevent NMR from reaching its highest potential. Here, we utilized Bayesian analysis through CRAFT as an alternative method, using California-style table olives as a model system. Our hypothesis was that the time-domain analysis through CRAFT will be as successful as the traditional approach. The results showed that CRAFT generated efficient unsupervised and supervised models in a robust, and rapid/automated manner. The duration of CRAFT analysis can be further reduced by using the first 14 k complex data points of the initial part of the FID, without affecting the performance of the untargeted analysis. For unsupervised analysis, CRAFT was generally more efficient, while for supervised analysis both approaches were effective. CRAFT can be also used for identifying marker compounds driving classifications.PMID:36401894 | DOI:10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.134868

Comparative evaluation of bioactive phytochemicals in Spinacia oleracea cultivated under greenhouse and open field conditions

Sat, 19/11/2022 - 12:00
Arch Pharm Res. 2022 Nov 19. doi: 10.1007/s12272-022-01416-z. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTVarious factors related to growing conditions can influence the nutritional quality of plants, including vegetable crops, especially the contents of health-promoting phytochemicals. In this study, the phytochemical contents of spinach (Spinacia oleracea) cultivated under greenhouse and open field conditions were comparatively analyzed using a metabolomic approach with Mass Profiler Professional (MPP) software. S. oleracea, which is one of the well-known leafy vegetables belonging to the family Chenopodiaceae, is cultivated worldwide. Although the nutritional value of spinach is high, the phytochemical contents of spinach cultivated under greenhouse and open field conditions have not been comparatively analyzed. Metabolomic analysis of the methanol (MeOH) extracts of greenhouse-cultivated spinach (GS) and open field-cultivated spinach (OFS) using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS), followed by principal component analysis (PCA) with MPP demonstrated the differential metabolite profiles of GS and OFS. The active compounds 1-3 were isolated and identified using LC-Q-TOF-MS-guided fractionation. Among these, 5,3',4'-trihydroxy-3-methoxy-6,7-methylenedioxyflavone 4'-glucuronide (2) exhibited growth-inhibitory activities against Helicobacter pylori 51. Distribution analysis of compound 2 revealed that the anti-H. pylori compound 2 is an OFS-specific bioactive phytochemical. This indicates that the phytochemical quality of OFS is better than that of GS. These findings will aid in providing vital data for vegetable processors, dieticians, nutritionists, and consumers to select optimal green leafy vegetables.PMID:36401778 | DOI:10.1007/s12272-022-01416-z

IDH2, a novel target of OGT, facilitates glucose uptake and cellular bioenergy production via NF-κB signaling to promote colorectal cancer progression

Sat, 19/11/2022 - 12:00
Cell Oncol (Dordr). 2022 Nov 19. doi: 10.1007/s13402-022-00740-2. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTBACKGROUND: Although isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 (IDH2) mutations have been the hotspots in recent anticancer studies, the impact of wild-type IDH2 on cancer cell growth and metabolic alterations is still elusive.METHODS: IDH2 expression in CRC tissues was evaluated by immunohistochemistry, and the correlation between the expression level and the patient's survival rate was analyzed. Cell functional assays included CCK8 and colony formation for cell proliferation in vitro and ectopic xenograft as in vivo experimental model for tumor progression. A targeted metabolomic procedure was performed by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry to profile the metabolites from glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Mitochondrial function was assessed by measuring cellular oxygen consumption (OCR) and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ). Confocal microscope analysis and Western blotting were applied to detect the expression of GLUT1 and NF-κB signaling. O-GlcNAcylation and the interaction of IDH2 with OGT were confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation, followed by Western blotting analysis.RESULTS: IDH2 protein was highly expressed in CRC tissues, and correlated with poor survival of CRC patients. Wild-type IDH2 promoted CRC cell growth in vitro and tumor progression in xenograft mice. Overexpression of wild-type IDH2 significantly increased glycolysis and TCA cycle metabolites, the ratios of NADH/NAD+ and ATP/ADP, OCR and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ) in CRC cells. Furthermore, α-KG activated NF-κB signaling to promote glucose uptake by upregulating GLUT1. Interesting, O-GlcNAcylation enhanced the protein half-time of IDH2 by inhibiting ubiquitin-mediated proteasome degradation. The O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT)-IDH2 axis promoted CRC progression.CONCLUSION: Wild-type IDH2 reprogrammed glucose metabolism and bioenergetic production via the NF-κB signaling pathway to promote CRC development and progression. O-GlcNAcylation of IDH2 elevated the stability of IDH2 protein. And the axis of OGT-IDH2 played an essential promotive role in tumor progression, suggesting a novel potential therapeutic strategy in CRC treatment.PMID:36401762 | DOI:10.1007/s13402-022-00740-2

Fulvic acid mitigates cadmium toxicity-induced damage in cucumber seedlings through the coordinated interaction of antioxidant enzymes, organic acid, and amino acid

Sat, 19/11/2022 - 12:00
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2022 Nov 19. doi: 10.1007/s11356-022-24258-0. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTFulvic acid (FA) can significantly alleviate cadmium (Cd) stress, but the specific metabolic response of FA to Cd toxicity is still not clarified. In the present study, we used untargeted metabolomic [gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)] analysis to profile cucumber metabolism in response to Cd stress after spray application of FA. Our results showed that 331 differentially enriched metabolites (DEMs) were identified in leaf materials. These DEMs were enriched in 21 shared pathways in comparative groups of "Cd treatment vs. the control treatment" and "FA + Cd treatment vs. the Cd treatment." Specifically, treatment with FA significantly enhanced the organic acid content (citric acid, isocitric acid, 2-oxoglutaric acid, fumaric acid, and malic acid), which would contribute to provide sufficient substrates for the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and amino acid biosynthesis, thereby ensuring the normal production of energy and amino acid. At the same time, FA significantly increased the amino acid content (aspartate, citrulline, histidine, leucine, and phenylalanine). The accumulation of organic acid and amino acid can act as chelating agents for heavy metal ions and as scavengers of reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby reducing intracellular oxidative damage. Furthermore, the application of FA improves antioxidant enzymes and accelerates ROS clearance. The improved contents of organic acid and amino acid, and the increased activity of antioxidant enzymes both played a central role in the reduction of malondialdehyde (MDA, 14.08%), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2, 61.70%) contents, and superoxide anion radical (O2-, 30.41%) production rate in plants under Cd stress. Taken together, the present study demonstrates the effects of FA on the antioxidant capacity and carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism of cucumber seedlings exposed to Cd stress, which provides comprehensive insights into the regulation of plants' response to Cd toxicity with FA was applied in cucumber.PMID:36401696 | DOI:10.1007/s11356-022-24258-0

Gastrointestinal, vaginal, nasopharyngeal, and breast milk microbiota profiles and breast milk metabolomic changes in Gambian infants over the first two months of lactation: A prospective cohort study

Sat, 19/11/2022 - 12:00
Medicine (Baltimore). 2022 Nov 18;101(46):e31419. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000031419.ABSTRACTMicrobiota composition in breast milk affects intestinal and respiratory microbiota colonization and the mucosal immune system's development in infants. The metabolomic content of breast milk is thought to interact with the microbiota and may influence developing infant immunity. One hundred seven Gambian mothers and their healthy, vaginally delivered, exclusively breastfed infants were included in our study. We analyzed 32 breast milk samples, 51 maternal rectovaginal swabs and 30 infants' rectal swabs at birth. We also analyzed 9 breast milk samples and 18 infants' nasopharyngeal swabs 60 days post-delivery. We used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to determine the microbiota composition. Metabolomic profiling analysis was performed on colostrum and mature breast milk samples using a multiplatform approach combining 1-H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. Bacterial communities were distinct in composition and diversity across different sample types. Breast milk composition changed over the first 60 days of lactation. α-1,4- and α-1,3-fucosylated human milk oligosaccharides, and other 33 key metabolites in breast milk (monosaccharides, sugar alcohols and fatty acids) increased between birth and day 60 of life. This study's results indicate that infant gut and respiratory microbiota are unique bacterial communities, distinct from maternal gut and breast milk, respectively. Breast milk microbiota composition and metabolomic profile change throughout lactation. These changes may contribute to the infant's immunological, metabolic, and neurological development and could consist the basis for future interventions to correct disrupted early life microbial colonization.PMID:36401392 | DOI:10.1097/MD.0000000000031419

A circular network of purine metabolism as coregulators of dilated cardiomyopathy

Sat, 19/11/2022 - 12:00
J Transl Med. 2022 Nov 18;20(1):532. doi: 10.1186/s12967-022-03739-3.ABSTRACTBACKGROUND: The crosstalk of purine biosynthesis and metabolism exists to balance the cell energy production, proliferation, survival and cytoplasmic environment stability, but disorganized mechanics of with respect to developing heart failure (HF) is currently unknown.METHODS: We conducted a multi-omics wide analysis, including microarray-based transcriptomes, and full spectrum metabolomics with respect to chronic HF. Based on expression profiling by array, we applied a bioinformatics platform of quantifiable metabolic pathway changes based on gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), gene set variation analysis (GSVA), Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP), and Xtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) algorithms to comprehensively analyze the dynamic changes of metabolic pathways and circular network in the HF development. Additionally, left ventricular tissue from patients undergoing myocardial biopsy and transplantation were collected to perform the protein and full spectrum metabolic mass spectrometry.RESULTS: Systematic bioinformatics analysis showed the purine metabolism reprogramming was significantly detected in dilated cardiomyopathy. In addition, this result was also demonstrated in metabolomic mass spectrometry. And the differentially expressed metabolites analysis showing the guanine, urea, and xanthine were significantly detected. Hub markers, includes IMPDH1, ENTPD2, AK7, AK2, and CANT1, also significantly identified based on XGBoost, SHAP model and PPI network.CONCLUSION: The crosstalk in the reactions involved in purine metabolism may involving in DCM metabolism reprogramming, and as coregulators of development of HF, which may identify as potential therapeutic targets. And the markers of IMPDH1, ENTPD2, AK7, AK2, and CANT1, and metabolites involved in purine metabolism shown an important role.PMID:36401332 | DOI:10.1186/s12967-022-03739-3

A novel small molecule glycolysis inhibitor WZ35 exerts anti-cancer effect via metabolic reprogramming

Sat, 19/11/2022 - 12:00
J Transl Med. 2022 Nov 18;20(1):530. doi: 10.1186/s12967-022-03758-0.ABSTRACTBACKGROUND: Liver cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death worldwide, but early diagnosis and treatment of liver cancer remains a clinical challenge. How to screen and diagnose liver cancer early and prolong the survival rate is still the focus of researchers.METHODS: Cell experiments were used to detect the effect of WZ35 on the colony formation ability and proliferation activity of hepatoma cells, nude mouse experiment to observe the in vivo anticancer activity and toxic side effects of WZ35; metabolomics analysis, glucose metabolism experiment and Seahorse analysis of liver cancer cells treated with WZ35; cell experiments combined with bioinformatics analysis to explore the mechanism of WZ35-mediated metabolic reprogramming to exert anticancer activity; tissue microarray and case analysis to evaluate the clinical significance of biomarkers for early diagnosis, treatment and prognosis evaluation of liver cancer.RESULTS: WZ35 inhibited the proliferation activity of various cell lines of liver cancer, and showed good therapeutic effect in nude mice model of hepatocellular carcinoma without obvious toxic and side effects; WZ35 inhibited the absorption of glucose in hepatoma cells, and the drug effect glycolysis, phosphorylation and purine metabolism are relatively seriously damaged; WZ35 mainly inhibits YAP from entering the nucleus as a transcription factor activator by activating oxidative stress in liver cancer cells, reducing the transcription of GLUT1, and finally reducing its GLUT1. Tissue microarray and case analysis showed that GLUT1 and YAP were highly expressed and correlated in liver cancer patients, and were associated with poor patient prognosis. The GLUT1-YAP risk model had a high score in predicting prognosis.CONCLUSION: The study confirms that WZ35 is a small molecule glycolysis inhibitor, and through its properties, it mediates metabolic reprogramming dominated by impaired glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation and purine metabolism to inhibit the proliferation activity of liver cancer cells. Our findings present novel insights into the pathology of liver cancer and potential targets for new therapeutic strategies. GLUT1-YAP has important reference significance for predicting the stages of disease progression in liver cancer patients and have the potential to serve as novel biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of liver cancer.PMID:36401321 | DOI:10.1186/s12967-022-03758-0

Sportomics method to assess acute phase proteins in Olympic level athletes using dried blood spots and multiplex assay

Fri, 18/11/2022 - 12:00
Sci Rep. 2022 Nov 18;12(1):19824. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-23300-y.ABSTRACTSportomics is a subject-centered holistic method similar to metabolomics focusing on sports as the metabolic challenge. Dried blood spot is emerging as a technique due to its simplicity and reproducibility. In addition, mass spectrometry and integrative computational biology enhance our ability to understand exercise-induced modifications. We studied inflammatory blood proteins (Alpha-1-acid glycoprotein-A1AG1; Albumin; Cystatin C; C-reactive protein-CRP; Hemoglobin-HBA; Haptoglobin-HPT; Insulin-like growth factor 1; Lipopolysaccharide binding protein-LBP; Mannose-binding lectin-MBL2; Myeloperoxidase-PERM and Serum amyloid A1-SAA1), in 687 samples from 97 World-class and Olympic athletes across 16 sports in nine states. Data were analyzed with Spearman's rank-order correlation. Major correlations with CRP, LBP; MBL2; A1AG1, and SAA1 were found. The pairs CRP-SAA1 and CRP-LBP appeared with a robust positive correlation. Other pairs, LBP-SAA1; A1AG1-CRP; A1AG1-SAA1; A1AG1-MBL, and A1AG1-LBP, showed a broader correlation across the sports. The protein-protein interaction map revealed 1500 interactions with 44 core proteins, 30 of them linked to immune system processing. We propose that the inflammation follow-up in exercise can provide knowledge for internal cargo management in training, competition, recovery, doping control, and a deeper understanding of health and disease.PMID:36400821 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-022-23300-y

Correlation between aortic valve protein levels and vector flow mapping of wall shear stress and oscillatory shear index in patients supported with continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices

Fri, 18/11/2022 - 12:00
J Heart Lung Transplant. 2022 Oct 1:S1053-2498(22)02162-3. doi: 10.1016/j.healun.2022.09.017. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTBACKGROUND: Continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices commonly lead to aortic regurgitation, which results in decreased pump efficiency and worsening heart failure. We hypothesized that non-physiological wall shear stress and oscillatory shear index alter the abundance of structural proteins in aortic valves of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) patients.METHODS: Doppler images of aortic valves of patients undergoing heart transplants were obtained. Eight patients had been supported with LVADs, whereas 10 were not. Aortic valve tissue was collected and protein levels were analyzed using mass spectrometry. Echocardiographic images were analyzed and wall shear stress and oscillatory shear index were calculated. The relationship between normalized levels of individual proteins and in vivo echocardiographic measurements was evaluated.RESULTS: Of the 57 proteins of interest, there was a strong negative correlation between levels of 15 proteins and the wall shear stress (R < -0.500, p ≤ 0.05), and a moderate negative correlation between 16 proteins and wall shear stress (R -0.500 to -0.300, p ≤ 0.05). Gene ontology analysis demonstrated clusters of proteins involved in cellular structure. Proteins negatively correlated with WSS included those with cytoskeletal, actin/myosin, cell-cell junction and extracellular functions. C: In aortic valve tissue, 31 proteins were identified involved in cellular structure and extracellular junctions with a negative correlation between their levels and wall shear stress. These findings suggest an association between the forces acting on the aortic valve (AV) and leaflet protein abundance, and may form a mechanical basis for the increased risk of aortic leaflet degeneration in LVAD patients.PMID:36400676 | DOI:10.1016/j.healun.2022.09.017

A systems biology approach to better understand human tick-borne diseases

Fri, 18/11/2022 - 12:00
Trends Parasitol. 2022 Nov 15:S1471-4922(22)00259-8. doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2022.10.006. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTTick-borne diseases (TBDs) are a growing global health concern. Despite extensive studies, ill-defined tick-associated pathologies remain with unknown aetiologies. Human immunological responses after tick bite, and inter-individual variations of immune-response phenotypes, are not well characterised. Current reductive experimental methodologies limit our understanding of more complex tick-associated illness, which results from the interactions between the host, tick, and microbes. An unbiased, systems-level integration of clinical metadata and biological host data - obtained via transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics - offers to drive the data-informed generation of testable hypotheses in TBDs. Advanced computational tools have rendered meaningful analysis of such large data sets feasible. This review highlights the advantages of integrative system biology approaches as essential for understanding the complex pathobiology of TBDs.PMID:36400674 | DOI:10.1016/j.pt.2022.10.006

Geosmin disrupts energy metabolism and locomotor behavior of zebrafish in early life stages

Fri, 18/11/2022 - 12:00
Sci Total Environ. 2022 Nov 15:160222. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160222. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTGeosmin has been commonly detected both in various aquatic environments and biota, but its exact toxicological mechanisms to organisms need further experimentation. In the present study, zebrafish embryos were exposed to geosmin at nominal concentrations of 50, 500 and 5000 ng/L for 120 h post-fertilization (hpf), followed by locomotor activity and biochemical parameter examination, and multi-omics investigation of the transcriptome and metabolome. The results showed that geosmin exposure significantly reduced the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) complexes I-V, ATP content and mitochondrial respiration and suppressed the locomotor behavior of zebrafish larvae. Transcriptomics analysis revealed that the transcripts of genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation, glycolysis, and lipid metabolism were significantly affected, indicating that geosmin disrupts energy metabolism. Furthermore, metabolomics results showed that 3 classes of lipids, namely glycerophospholipids (GPs), sphingolipids (SLs) and fatty acyls (FAs) were significantly decreased after geosmin exposure. This study provides novel insight into the underlying mechanisms of geosmin-induced energy metabolism and highlights the need for concern about geosmin exposure.PMID:36400299 | DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160222

Integrative metabolome and transcriptome analyses reveals the black fruit coloring mechanism of Crataegus maximowiczii C. K. Schneid

Fri, 18/11/2022 - 12:00
Plant Physiol Biochem. 2022 Nov 11;194:111-121. doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2022.11.008. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTCrataegus is an economically important plant due to its medicinal and health-promoting properties. Flavonoids are the main functional components of Crataegus fruit. Fruits of naturally pollinated Crataegus maximowiczii possess an extraordinary black skin and are rich in anthocyanins and other flavonoids. However, the composition of anthocyanins and the overall molecular mechanism of anthocyanin biosynthesis in C. maximowiczii fruits have not been fully elucidated. In this study, the metabolome and transcriptome of C. maximowiczii fruits with black and red skin were analyzed. The results revealed that the differential metabolites and genes were enriched in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathways in C. maximowiczii fruits. In total, 52 differentially accumulated flavonoid metabolites, 12 differentially accumulated anthocyanins and 22 differentially expressed genes were identified. After weighted gene coexpression network analysis, two modules were found to be highly interrelated with the accumulation of anthocyanin components. The coexpression networks of these two modules were used to identify key candidate transcription factors associated with anthocyanin biosynthesis, such as MYB5, MYB113, bHLH60, ERF105, bZIP44, NAC082, and WRKY11. The results revealed that cyanidin-based anthocyanins were the main pigments responsible for the black coloration of C. maximowiczii fruits. Based on these differentially accumulated anthocyanins and key genes, genetic and metabolic regulatory networks of anthocyanin biosynthesis were also proposed. Overall, this study elucidates the molecular basis of the formation of black color in C. maximowiczii fruits, and provides an intensive study on anthocyanin biosynthesis in C. maximowiczii for comprehensive utilization.PMID:36399912 | DOI:10.1016/j.plaphy.2022.11.008

Cordycepin exhibits anti-fatigue effect via activating TIGAR/SIRT1/PGC-1α signaling pathway

Fri, 18/11/2022 - 12:00
Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2022 Nov 9;637:127-135. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.11.010. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTFatigue, a most commonly sub-health condition, may cause people more susceptible to many diseases. Cordycepin, a principal active ingredient from Cordyceps militaris, exerts various pharmacological activities including anti-diabetes, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and antioxidant effects. However, the anti-fatigue effect of cordycepin and specific mechanism remained unclear. This study aimed to investigate the beneficial effect of cordycepin on physical fatigue and elucidate the potential mechanism. 20 mg/kg, 40 mg/kg of cordycepin and 500 mg/kg taurine were respectively treated to mice for 28 days before weight-loaded swimming test. The results revealed that cordycepin significantly prolonged the weight-loaded swimming time of mice. Meanwhile, cordycepin decreased the levels of lactic acid, blood uric nitrogen, and malondialdehyde, and increased the contents of superoxide dismutase, glutathione, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, hepatic glycogen, muscle glycogen and ATP. The metabolomic study by GC-MS showed that eight biomarkers were found in livers, including L-lactic acid, L-asparagine, 3-phosphoglyceric acid, inosine, D-galactose, L-tyrosine, glyceric acid and L-threonine. There were seven biomarkers in gastrocnemius, including D-ribose-5-phosphate, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, palmitic acid, oxaloacetic acid and citric acid. The results of metabolomics indicated that cordycepin might relieve fatigue by regulating energy metabolism and pentose phosphate pathway. Furthermore, we found cordycepin significantly enhanced the protein levels of TIGAR, SIRT1, PGC-1α, NRF1 and TFAM in gastrocnemius of weight-loaded swimming mice. Taken together, the present study demonstrated that cordycepin possessed an anti-fatigue effect via activating TIGAR/SIRT1/PGC-1α signaling pathway. Our study indicated that cordycepin may be a potentially efficient candidate for fatigue.PMID:36399798 | DOI:10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.11.010

Unified epigenomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic taxonomy of Alzheimer's disease progression and heterogeneity

Fri, 18/11/2022 - 12:00
Sci Adv. 2022 Nov 16;8(46):eabo6764. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abo6764. Epub 2022 Nov 18.ABSTRACTAlzheimer's disease (AD) is a heterogeneous disorder with abnormalities in multiple biological domains. In an advanced machine learning analysis of postmortem brain and in vivo blood multi-omics molecular data (N = 1863), we integrated epigenomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic profiles into a multilevel biological AD taxonomy. We obtained a personalized multilevel molecular index of AD dementia progression that predicts severity of neuropathologies, and identified three robust molecular-based subtypes that explain much of the pathologic and clinical heterogeneity of AD. These subtypes present distinct patterns of alteration in DNA methylation, RNA, proteins, and metabolites, identifiable in the brain and subsequently in blood. In addition, the genetic variations that predispose to the various AD subtypes in brain predict distinct spatial patterns of alteration in cell types, suggesting a unique influence of each putative AD variant on neuropathological mechanisms. These observations support that an individually tailored multi-omics molecular taxonomy of AD may represent distinct targets for preventive or treatment interventions.PMID:36399579 | DOI:10.1126/sciadv.abo6764

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