Abstract:As one of the most widely distributed and powerful environmental factors, light constantly affects physiological activities of living systems and participates in the regulation of various metabolic pathways. In recent years, with the acceleration of urbanization, artificial light at night has become an important cause of metabolic disorders. In contrast, the reasonable application of light color and its intensity also provide new therapeutic methods for diseases. Therefore, avoiding unreasonable light and utilize beneficial light become a great challenge for the whole society. At present, several studies have confirmed that light therapy has achieved remarkable efficacy in the treatment of cancer, depression, Alzheimer’s disease and other diseases. Choosing the best lighting conditions in daily life can further improve the living environment and health of human beings. The study of light and physiological homeostasis will become the hotspot in the future. This paper reviews the roles of detrimental light pollution and beneficial light therapy in the induction and treatment of diseases, respectively, and will provide theoretical support in choosing healthier light environment and developing the light as an effective therapeutic intervention on multiple diseases.

Abstract:The gap between information production and data storage capacity is continuously growing, so there is an urgent need for new methods of high-density, persistent data storage. With advances in DNA synthesis and sequencing, attempts have been made to use synthetic DNA for data storage and information exchange. DNA storage has many advantages compared with hard disk information storage, including high information density specificity (data bits per gram) and long storage time. Using different algorithmic strategies, text, images, audio, and movies have been encoded into synthetic DNA for storage. In addition to big data storage applications, DNA may be valuable in the exchange of classified information. This review summarizes the basic principles of DNA data storage, introduces research progress into DNA storage in vitro,and analyzes works concerning data size, logic density, and DNA synthesis. We also describe in vivo molecular memory systems, including the adoption of CRISPR to design the DNA storage system. Finally, we discuss various influencing factors and challenges of data storage systems based on DNA.

Abstract:snRNA (small nuclear RNA) is a type of non-coding RNA with a length of 60 to 300 nt. Among the 15 known snRNAs, U1, U2, U4, U5, and U6 are the main components of eukaryotic RNA spliceosomes. The structure of snRNA is relatively conservative, with a cap structure and sm/Lsm structure at the 5' end, and a stem-loop structure at the 3' end. The main function of snRNA is to splice pre-mRNA and rRNA to produce corresponding mature mRNA and other non-coding RNA. In plants, snRNA can also participate in plant physiology and growth regulation. In recent years, it has been discovered that snRNA ends contain many modifications, including methylation, uridylation and adenylylation, etc. These modifications have an important impact on the processing and degradation of snRNA. Here, this paper briefly summarizes the current research results in the field of snRNA, including classification, gene structure, synthesis mechanism and biological function in plants. In addition, it also introduces the chemical modification of plant snRNA and its application in scientific research, and looks forward to the future research direction of snRNA.

Abstract:Ubiquitination is an important protein post-translational modification process in eukaryotic cells, participating in a variety of cellular functions such as protein degradation and signaling pathways. The polyubiquitination modification of the substrate proteins is a continuous process, which not only involves the complex participation of enzymes related to ubiquitin system, but also refers to more complex structural interactions and ubiquitin chain assembly mechanisms. Ubiquitin chain modifications determine the fate of the downstream substrate proteins. The crucial role of ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 in the formation of ubiquitin chains has attracted more and more attentions. Understanding of the mechanisms of ubiquitin chain formation is conducive to the discovery of disease targets and treatment related to the ubiquitin system. In this review, we summarize the research progress of the mechanisms of ubiquitin chain formation, involving how E2 reacting with different types of E3 determine the type and the assembly process of ubiquitin chain formed on the substrates, with complex structural information provided. Two different mechanisms on how ubiquitin chain assembly, including the sequential addition mechanism and the en bloc transfer mechanism, are also discussed.

Abstract:Telomeres are the special structures at the ends of linear chromosomes in eukaryotic cells. Telomere length maintenance is very important for living organisms and its maintenance mechanism is a complex. Telomerase can maintain telomere length by using its own RNA template (TERC) and catalytic protein subunits (TERT) through special reverse transcriptase properties. This paper reviewed the effect of TERRA (telomeric repeat-containing RNA) on telomeric length maintenance and mechanism. First, the associations of telomere length maintenance with cell survival and aging were introduced. Second, the structure and transcription control of TERRA, TERRA-mediated RNA:DNA hybrids and formation of R-loop, the TERRA binding proteins and their functions were described. Further, the molecular mechanisms and roles of TERRA-depended telomere maintenance in life processes were discussed.

Abstract:Eating, drinking and taking addictive drugs are the behaviors driven by motivation. They are regulated by neural networks such as the mammalian central melanocortin (MC) system and mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system. The MC system is referred as a collection of central nervous system (CNS) circuits, that include the neurons expressing proopiomelanocortin (POMC) or agouti gene–related protein (AgRP) locating in the arcuate nucleus, the brainstem POMC neurons originating in the commissural nucleus of the solitary tract, and the downstream targets of the POMC and AgRP neurons expressing the melanocortin receptors (MCRs). In the CNS, melanocortin peptides synthetized by POMC neurons are the agonists of the MCRs, while AgRP from AgRP neurons is a high-affinity antagonist to those receptors. The MC system plays a crucial role in regulating body energy homeostasis and multiple processes, such as food intake and reward-associated behaviors, through a certain pattern of cooperation between the POMC and AgRP neurons. The ventral tegmental area (VTA) is another key brain area in modulating reward-associated behaviors. There is a clearly anatomical association between the MC system and the VTA region, that the POMC and AgRP neurons in the ARC have direct projections on the DA neurons in the VTA. Thus, clear presentation of how the POMC and AgRP neurons and the DA system mutually mediate rewarding-associated behaviors may contribute to better understanding some abnormal reward-taking behaviors, such as drug addiction. The previous studies have shown that DA system is a common target for different addictive drugs, direct or indirect, as well as both acute and chronic drug exposure can alter the function of the POMC and AgRP neurons. Additive humans and animals show uncontrollably drug-taking behavior, being analogue to the individuals taking food under a hunger condition. Here, we hypothesize that drug addiction may result from the dysfunction the MC system (especially POMC and AgRP neurons). In other words, the functional balance between the MC and DA systems is disrupted by addictive drugs. This review firstly summarizes how the MC and DA systems collectively govern feeding behavior, and then presents what changes happen in the MC system following the drug use, as well as raises the potential mechanism underlying altered function of the MC system after repeated hyperactivation of DA pathway by addictive drugs.

Abstract:Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide. Although huge progress has been made in managing early-stage breast cancer, no effective strategy can prevent or treat breast cancer metastasis which has high recurrence rate and high mortality rate. Thus, identification of new molecular markers for the diagnosis and prognostic prediction of metastatic breast cancer and development of innovative therapeutic measures are urgently needed. Recently, epigenetic regulation of the expression and function of oncogenes by aberrant N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) modification of mRNA in aggressive breast cancer is investigated widely. In this review, we retrieve and analyze the most recent studies on m⁶A modification, and summarize the expression and the function of m⁶A regulatory proteins, including the writers, erasers and readers, in the tumorigenesis and progression of breast cancer, and point out the defects in the recent field of m⁶A-related researches, so as to provide scientific basis for diagnosis, therapies and prognosis in breast cancer.

Abstract:The important reason why aluminum hydroxide is widely used as a vaccine adjuvant is that it can be recognized and phagocytosed by antigen presenting cells (APC) such as dendritic cells (DC) and macrophages (M?). It can also enhance the immune response effectively by affecting the presentation ability of antigens. APC phagocytosis of antigens adjuvanted with aluminum adjuvant could activate lysosomes, mitochondria and other organelles, especially the mitochondria. A series of changes would occur in the mitochondria, including changes among reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and mitochondrial glycolipid metabolism, etc. Our research found that the antigens containing aluminum adjuvants can be rapidly phagocytized by macrophages and then an effective immune response can be induced. It is easy to find that the material basis of “fast phagocytosis and fast activation” should require more energy supporting. For this reason, we speculate that the biological behavior of mitochondria will be more active, and may cause “huge damage” to M? after the immune response is achieved. This review will give an overview of this phenomenon and elicit the thinking that needs to be solved in the next step.

Abstract:The emerging CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology can realize the manipulation of genes at the molecular level. It has the advantages of simple design, easy operation, good specificity and high efficiency. It is widely used in the study of potential mechanisms of tumorigenesis, development and metastasis and clinical treatment. Recent researches into the use of CRISPR/Cas9 for tumor therapy in vivo have focused on developing vectors. Non-viral nano-carriers developed by nanotechnology can efficiently deliver the CRISPR/Cas9 system into the body, providing a new way for the clinical application of CRISPR/Cas9 technology. In this review, we discuss the principle of CRISPR/Cas9, the current delivery forms of CRISPR/Cas9 and commonly used nano-delivery vectors. We highlight several nano-carriers including inorganic nanoparticles, polymer-based nanoparticles, lipid-based nanoparticles and others. We also summarize the characteristics, editing efficiency, applications and new studies of different nano-carriers. The applications and progresses of CRISPR/Cas9 in treating different tumors are also discussed.

Abstract:In 2019, the national cancer report showed that the incidence rate of gastric cancer (GC) ranked second, only after lung cancer. Its mortality rate ranked third in all tumors. It seriously endangers people’s health. It is very important for reducing the mortality rate of GC to screen and identify early detection markers and search for molecular targets for its treatment. CD90 (THY1) is a cell surface glycoprotein, which plays an important role in tumor cell proliferation, metastasis and angiogenesis. The abnormal expression of CD90 is related to the stem characteristics of cells and promotes the initiation and metastasis of tumor. However, the relationship between CD90 and the stem characteristics of GC cells has not been reported. In this study, we found that CD90 overexpression increased the proportion of side population cells (SP cells) of GC cells AGS. It affected the protein expression levels of stem markers such as ABCG2 and CD105 on the membrane surface, and also affected the mRNA expression levels of stem markers such as NANOG, and SOX2 in GC cells AGS. mRNA microarray and Western blot revealed that CD90 overexpression affected the stem characteristics of GC cells through activating the signal pathway of PI3K/Akt and JNK/ERK1. Our results provide a new idea for the identification of potential molecular targets of gastric cancer.

Abstract:This study aimed to investigate the effect of exosomes from adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSC-Exos) on the proliferation of human epidermal stem cells (EpSCs) and explore the underlying mechanisms. ADSCs were isolated from human adipose tissue by type Ⅰcollagenase digestion. EpSCs were isolated from human skin tissue by dispase Ⅱ and trypsin digestion. The exosomes were isolated from the supernatant of ADSCs using the ExoQuick-TC reagent. EpSCs proliferation was examined by MTT assay, immunofluorescence staining of Ki67 and BrdU incorporation assay. Cell cycle phase distribution was analyzed by flow cytometry. Cultured human skin tissues were examined for the structure and expression of the markers of cell proliferation and epidermal stem cells by H&E staining and immunohistochemistry, respectively. The results showed that ADSC-Exos promoted EpSCs proliferation in concentration- and time-dependent manners. ADSC-Exos increased the number of cells in S phase, and decreased the number of cells in G1 phase. ADSC-Exos also significantly promoted the proliferation of EpSCs in cultured skin tissue. Mechanistic study showed that the proliferative activity of ADSC-Exos was partially inhibited by β-catenin inhibitor XAV-939 or c-Myc inhibitor 10058-F4. ADSC-Exos upregulated the expressions of β-catenin, c-Myc, cyclins E1, A2 and D1. XAV-939 suppressed ADSC-Exos-induced expressions of β-catenin, c-Myc, cyclins E1, A2 and D1. 10058-F4 inhibited the upregulation of c-Myc and cyclins E1, A2 and D1 by ADSC-Exos. Collectively, these results indicate that ADSC-Exos promote EpSCs proliferation partly through upregulating the expression of β-catenin, c-Myc and cyclins.