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2018
Wang T., Cui X., Xie L., et al. Kisspeptin Receptor GPR54 Promotes Adipocyte Differentiation and Fat Accumulation in Mice. Frontiers in Physiology (2018).
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2018
Shao Y., Wang L., Guo N., et al. Cas9-nickase–mediated genome editing corrects hereditary tyrosinemia in rats. J. Biol. Chem. (2018).
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2017
Tang S., Chen A., Zhou X., et al. Assessment of the inhibition risk of shikonin on cytochrome P450 via cocktail inhibition assay. Toxicology Letters (2017).
Shikonin is a naphthoquinone pigment extracted from roots of Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb. et Zucc.
(Boraginaceae), and possesses various pharmaceutical activities, such as anti-inflammation and anti-cancer effects. In addition, shikonin as a natural red colorant for food garnishment and cosmetics ingredient is widely
used in the world. However, the inhibition risk of shikonin on cytochrome P450 (CYP) remains unclear. The aim
of this study was to investigate the potential inhibition of shikonin against CYP1A2, CYP2B1/6, CYP2C9/11,
CYP2D1/6, CYP2E1 and CYP3A2/4 activities in human and rat liver microsomes through cocktail approach in
vitro. The results demonstrated that shikonin exhibited no time-dependent inhibition of CYP activities. In human
liver microsomes, shikonin was not only a mixed inhibitor of CYP1A2, CYP2B6, CYP2C9, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4,
but also a competitive inhibitor of CYP2E1, with Ki values no more than 7.72 μM. In rat liver microsomes,
shikonin also exhibited the mixed inhibition on CYP1A2, CYP2B1, CYP2C11, CYP2D1, and the competitive
inhibition on CYP2E1. Interestingly, shikonin presented an atypical kinetic inhibition of CYP3A2-mediated
midazolam 1-hydroxylation in rats. In conclusion, the relatively low Ki values of shikonin would have a high risk potential to cause the possible toxicity, especially drug-drug or food-drug interactions based on the potent inhibition of CYP enzymes.
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2017
Zhang N., Huang H., Tan B., et al. Leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 4 facilitates vesicular stomatitis virus infection by binding vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein. J. Biol. Chem. (2017).
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2017
Zhang C., He H., Wang L., et al. Virus-Triggered ATP Release Limits Viral Replication through Facilitating IFN-β Production in a P2X7-Dependent Manner. The Journal of immunology (2017).
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2016
Luo J, Yang Z, Ma Y, et al. LGR4 is a receptor for RANKL and negatively regulates osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption[J]. Nature Medicine, 2016, 22(5): 539-546.
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily member 11 (TNFSF11, also known as RANKL) regulates multiple physiological or pathological functions, including osteoclast differentiation and osteoporosis. TNFRSF11A (also called RANK) is considered to be the sole receptor for RANKL. Herein we report that leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein-coupled receptor 4 (LGR4, also called GPR48) is another receptor for RANKL. LGR4 competes with RANK to bind RANKL and suppresses canonical RANK signaling during osteoclast differentiation. RANKL binding to LGR4 activates the Gαq and GSK3-β signaling pathway, an action that suppresses the expression and activity of nuclear factor of activated T cells, cytoplasmic, calcineurin-dependent 1 (NFATC1) during osteoclastogenesis. Both whole-body (Lgr4-/-) and monocyte conditional knockout mice of Lgr4 (Lgr4 CKO) exhibit osteoclast hyperactivation (including elevation of osteoclast number, surface area, and size) and increased bone erosion. The soluble LGR4 extracellular domain (ECD) binds RANKL and inhibits osteoclast differentiation in vivo. Moreover, LGR4-ECD therapeutically abrogated RANKL-induced bone loss in three mouse models of osteoporosis. Therefore, LGR4 acts as a second RANKL receptor that negatively regulates osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption.
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2016
He Y, Peng S, Wang J, et al. Ailanthone targets p23 to overcome MDV3100 resistance in castration-resistant prostate cancer[J]. Nature Communications, 2016, 7(1).
Androgen receptor (AR) antagonist MDV3100 is the first therapeutic approach in treating castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), but tumours frequently become drug resistant via multiple mechanisms including AR amplification and mutation. Here we identify the small molecule Ailanthone (AIL) as a potent inhibitor of both full-length AR (AR-FL) and constitutively active truncated AR splice variants (AR-Vs). AIL binds to the co-chaperone protein p23 and prevents AR's interaction with HSP90, thus resulting in the disruption of the AR-chaperone complex followed by ubiquitin/proteasome-mediated degradation of AR as well as other p23 clients including AKT and Cdk4, and downregulates AR and its target genes in PCa cell lines and orthotopic animal tumours. In addition, AIL blocks tumour growth and metastasis of CRPC. Finally, AIL possesses favourable drug-like properties such as good bioavailability, high solubility, lack of CYP inhibition and low hepatotoxicity. In general, AIL is a potential candidate for the treatment of CRPC.
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2016
Guan Y, Ma Y, Li Q, et al. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated somatic correction of a novel coagulator factor IX gene mutation ameliorates hemophilia in mouse. EMBO Molecular Medicine (2016).
The X-linked genetic bleeding disorder caused by deficiency of coagulator factor IX, hemophilia B, is a disease ideally suited for gene therapy with genome editing technology. Here, we identify a family with hemophilia B carrying a novel mutation, Y371D, in the human F9 gene. The CRISPR/Cas9 system was used to generate distinct genetically modified mouse models and confirmed that the novel Y371D mutation resulted in a more severe hemophilia B phenotype than the previously identified Y371S mutation. To develop therapeutic strategies targeting this mutation, we subsequently compared naked DNA constructs versus adenoviral vectors to deliver Cas9 components targeting the F9 Y371D mutation in adult mice. After treatment, hemophilia B mice receiving naked DNA constructs exhibited correction of over 0.56% of F9 alleles in hepatocytes, which was sufficient to restore hemostasis. In contrast, the adenoviral delivery system resulted in a higher corrective efficiency but no therapeutic effects due to severe hepatic toxicity. Our studies suggest that CRISPR/Cas-mediated in situ genome editing could be a feasible therapeutic strategy for human hereditary diseases, although an efficient and clinically relevant delivery system is required for further clinical studies.
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2016
Wang J, Hu K, Guo J, et al. Suppression of KRas-mutant cancer through the combined inhibition of KRAS with PLK1 and ROCK[J]. Nature Communications, 2016, 7(1): 11363-11363.
No effective targeted therapies exist for cancers with somatic KRAS mutations. Here we develop a synthetic lethal chemical screen in isogenic KRAS-mutant and wild-type cells to identify clinical drug pairs. Our results show that dual inhibition of polo-like kinase 1 and RhoA/Rho kinase (ROCK) leads to the synergistic effects in KRAS-mutant cancers. Microarray analysis reveals that this combinatory inhibition significantly increases transcription and activity of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21WAF1/CIP1, leading to specific G2/M phase blockade in KRAS-mutant cells. Overexpression of p21WAF1/CIP1, either by cDNA transfection or clinical drugs, preferentially impairs the growth of KRAS-mutant cells, suggesting a druggable synthetic lethal interaction between KRAS and p21WAF1/CIP1. Co-administration of BI-2536 and fasudil either in the LSL-KRASG12D mouse model or in a patient tumour explant mouse model of KRAS-mutant lung cancer suppresses tumour growth and significantly prolongs mouse survival, suggesting a strong synergy in vivo and a potential avenue for therapeutic treatment of KRAS-mutant cancers.
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2015
Wang L, Shao Y, Guan Y, et al. Large genomic fragment deletion and functional gene cassette knock-in via Cas9 protein mediated genome editing in one-cell rodent embryos[J]. Scientific Reports, 2015: 17517-17517.
The CRISPR-Cas RNA-guided system has versatile uses in many organisms and allows modification of multiple target sites simultaneously. Generating novel genetically modified mouse and rat models is one valuable application of this system. Through the injection of Cas9 protein instead of mRNA into embryos, we observed fewer off-target effects of Cas9 and increased point mutation knock-in efficiency. Large genomic DNA fragment (up to 95 kb) deletion mice were generated for in vivo study of lncRNAs and gene clusters. Site-specific insertion of a 2.7 kb CreERT2 cassette into the mouse Nfatc1 locus allowed labeling and tracing of hair follicle stem cells. In addition, we combined the CreLoxp system with a gene-trap strategy to insert a GFP reporter in the reverse orientation into the rat Lgr5 locus, which was later inverted by Cre-mediated recombination, yielding a conditional knockout/reporter strategy suitable for mosaic mutation analysis.
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2014
Shao Y, Guan Y, Wang L, et al. CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing in the rat via direct injection of one-cell embryos[J]. Nature Protocols, 2014, 9(10): 2493-2512.
Conventional embryonic stem cell (ESC)-based gene targeting, zinc-finger nuclease (ZFN) and transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN) technologies are powerful strategies for the generation of genetically modified animals. Recently, the CRISPR/Cas system has emerged as an efficient and convenient alternative to these approaches. We have used the CRISPR/Cas system to generate rat strains that carry mutations in multiple genes through direct injection of RNAs into one-cell embryos, demonstrating the high efficiency of Cas9-mediated gene editing in rats for simultaneous generation of compound gene mutant models. Here we describe a stepwise procedure for the generation of knockout and knock-in rats. This protocol provides guidelines for the selection of genomic targets, synthesis of guide RNAs, design and construction of homologous recombination (HR) template vectors, embryo microinjection, and detection of mutations and insertions in founders or their progeny. The procedure from target design to identification of founders can take as little as 6 weeks, of which <10 d is actual hands-on working time.
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2013
Li D, Qiu Z, Shao Y, et al. Heritable gene targeting in the mouse and rat using a CRISPR-Cas system.[J]. Nature Biotechnology, 2013, 31(8): 681-683.
CRISPR-Cas systems have been developed as an efficient gene editing technology in cells and model organisms. Here we use a CRISPR-Cas system to induce genomic DNA fragment deletion in mice by co-injecting two single-guide RNAs (sgRNAs) targeting the Uhrf2 locus with Cas9 mRNA. Furthermore, we report the generation of a Mc3R and Mc4R double-gene knockout rat by means of a single microinjection. High germline-transmission efficiency was observed in both mice and rats.