Long-term hypertension causes excessive vascular remodeling and leads to adverse cardiovascular events. Balance of ubiquitination and deubiquitination has been linked to several chronic conditions, including pathological vascular remodeling. In this study, we discovered that the expression of ubiquitin-specific protease 25 (USP25) is significantly up-regulated in angiotensin II (Ang II)-challenged mouse aorta. Knockout of Usp25 augments Ang II-induced vascular injury such as fibrosis and endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT). Mechanistically, we found that USP25 interacts directly with Forkhead box O3 (FOXO3) and removes the K63-linked ubiquitin chain on the K258 site of FOXO3. We also showed that this USP25-mediated deubiquitination of FOXO3 increases its binding to light chain 3 beta isoform and autophagosomic-lysosomal degradation of FOXO3. In addition, we further validated the biological function of USP25 by overexpressing USP25 in the mouse aorta with AAV9 vectors. Our studies identified FOXO3 as a new substrate of USP25 and showed that USP25 may be a potential therapeutic target for excessive vascular remodeling-associated diseases.

Doxorubicin (Dox) is an anthracycline drug widely applied in various malignancies. However, the fatal cardiotoxicity induced by Dox limits its clinical application. Post-transcriptional protein modification via ubiquitination/deubiquitination in cardiomyocytes mediates the pathophysiological process in Dox-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC). In this study, we aimed to clarify the regulatory role and mechanism of a deubiquitinating enzyme, ubiquitin-specific peptidase 13 (USP13), in DIC. RNA-seq analysis and experimental examinations identified that cardiomyocyte-derived USP13 positively correlated with DIC. Mice with cardiac-specific deletion of USP13 were subjected to Dox modeling. Adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9) carrying cTNT promoter was constructed to overexpress USP13 in mouse heart tissues. Cardiomyocyte-specific knockout of USP13 exacerbated DIC, while its overexpression mitigated DIC in mice. Mechanistically, USP13 deubiquitinates the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) and promotes the autolysosome-related degradation of STING, subsequently alleviating cardiomyocyte inflammation and death. Our study suggests that USP13 serves a cardioprotective role in DIC and indicates USP13 as a potential therapeutic target for DIC treatment.

Gene regulation relies on the precise binding of transcription factors (TFs) at regulatory elements, but simultaneously detecting hundreds of TFs on chromatin is challenging. We developed cFOOT-seq, a cytosine deaminase-based TF footprinting assay, for high-resolution, quantitative genome-wide assessment of TF binding in both open and closed chromatin regions, even with small cell numbers. By utilizing the dsDNA deaminase SsdAtox, cFOOT-seq converts accessible cytosines to uracil while preserving genomic integrity, making it compatible with techniques like ATAC-seq for sensitive and cost-effective detection of TF occupancy at the single-molecule and single-cell level. Our approach enables the delineation of TF footprints, quantification of occupancy, and examination of chromatin influences on TF binding. Notably, cFOOT-seq, combined with FootTrack analysis, enables de novo prediction of TF binding sites and tracking of TF occupancy dynamics. We demonstrate its application in capturing cell type-specific TFs, analyzing TF dynamics during reprogramming, and revealing TF dependencies on chromatin remodelers. Overall, cFOOT-seq represents a robust approach for investigating the genome-wide dynamics of TF occupancy and elucidating the cis-regulatory architecture underlying gene regulation.
Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Humans ; Chromatin/genetics* ; Animals ; Binding Sites ; Mice ; DNA Footprinting/methods*

Objective To investigate the expression of kinesin family member 23(KIF23)in rectal cancer and its association with prognosis.Methods This study included 90 patients with rectal cancer who underwent surgical treatment at the First Central Hospital of Baoding from May 2017 to October 2019.Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect KIF23 expression,and the results were analyzed in combination with clinical and pathological data.Survival analysis was conducted using Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox proportional hazards models to assess the association between KIF23 expression and patient prognosis.Results Compared with adjacent non-tumor tis-sues,the expression level of KIF23 protein was significantly higher in rectal cancer tissues.Positive expression of KIF23 was significantly correlated with TNM stage,lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis in rectal cancer patients(P＜0.05).Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that individuals expressing high levels of KIF23 experienced notably diminished disease-free survival(DFS)and overall survival(OS)relative to those with low KIF23 expression(P＜0.05).Cox regression analysis revealed that advanced TNM stage,lymph node metastasis,distant metastasis,and elevated KIF23 expression served as an independent predictor of adverse outcomes in pa-tients with rectal cancer(P＜0.05).Conclusions The expression level of KIF23 is closely related to the prognosis of rectal cancer.

Objective To analyze the gene expression characteristics of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps(CRSwNP)using bioinformatics methods,aim to investigate the potential biomarkers and their diagnostic value of CRSwNP.Methods(1)The CRSwNP Gene expression data set was downloaded from the American Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database.The differentially expressed genes(DEGs)between CRSwNP patients and healthy controls were screened through data analysis.Gene Ontology(GO)functional enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway analysis were performed on the identified DEGs.Protein-protein interaction(PPI)networks were constructed utilizing the STRING database,and the key genes were identified by using the cytoHubba plugin.The"Cibersort"package was used to analyze the influence of key genes on common immune cells.(2)Thirty-two patients diagnosed with CRSwNP in the First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University from June 2022 to June 2023 were selected as the CRSwNP group,and 21 patients with simple deviation of nasal septum without a history of sinusitis during the same period were selected as control group.The pathological characteristics of specimens in the two groups were examined using hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining.Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting were used to detect the expression levels of key genes in CRSwNP.The levels of key proteins in plasma were detected using ELISA,and ROC curve was used to analyze its efficacy in diagnosing CRSwNP.Results(1)Analysis of three gene expression database sets(GSE36830,GSE23552,and GSE194282)showed that there were 156 DEGs in CRSwNP.GO functional enrichment and KEGG pathway analysis indicated that the functions of the above DEGs were mostly related to immune functions.Key genes such as cytochrome b-245 β chain(CYBB)and colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor(CSF1R)were identified.(2)The results of HE staining revealed that the epithelial of CRSwNP tissue was metaplastic into stratified squamous epithelium with interstitial edema.Both immunohistochemistry and Western blotting analyses indicated that the expression levels of CYBB and CSF1R in the CRSwNP group were significantly increased compared to control group(P＜0.05).ELISA results demonstrated that CYBB[(21.20±3.00)μg/ml vs.(17.66±1.66)μg/ml,P＜0.05]and CSF1[(477.37±86.63)pg/ml vs.(370.71±66.24)pg/ml,P＜0.05]in CRSwNP group were significantly increased compare to control group.ROC curve analysis showed that plasma concentrations of CYBB and CSF1 had AUCs of 0.888(95%CI 0.802-0.974)and 0.821(95%CI 0.711-0.931)for diagnosing of CRSwNP,respectively;their combined AUC was 0.927(95%CI 0.851-1.000).Conclusions CYBB and CSF1R may be involved in the occurrence and development of CRSwNP.Plasma CYBB and CSF1 have high diagnostic value for CRSwNP.

Objective The study aims to investigate the impact of microRNA-874-3p(miR-874-3p)regulation of plakophilin 3(PKP3)on the malignant biological behavior of lung adenocarcinoma cells and its underlying mechanism.Methods Immunohistochemistry and immunocytochemistry were used to detect the expression of PKP3 in lung adenocarcinoma tissue microarray and lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549 cells respectively,and the relationship between PKP3 and clinicopathological features of lung adenocarcinoma patients was analyzed.Select lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549,the experiment was divided into A549 cell group(blank control group),miR-NC group(transfected with miR-NC)and miR-mimics group(transfected with miR-874-3p mimics),sh-NC group(control group transfected with PKP3 silencing plasmid),sh-PKP3 group(transfected with PKP3 silencing plasmid),miR+pcDNA-PKP3 group(transfected with miR-874-3P mimics+pcDNA-PKP3,rescue group)and miR+pcDNA-NC group(transfected with miR-874-3p mimics+pcDNA-NC).The proliferation,invasion,migration and apoptosis of cells in each group were detected.ENCORI database was used to predict the upstream gene of PKP3,and dual luciferase assay was used to detect the targeting relationship between miR-874-3p and PKP3.MAPK/mTOR pathway-related proteins were detected by Western blotting.Results The expression of PKP3 in lung adenocarcinoma tissue was significantly higher than that in adjacent tissues.The high expression of PKP3 was related to clinical stage,tumor size,and lymph node metastasis(P＜0.05).Compared with the human normal lung epithelial cells(BEAS-2B),the expression of PKP3 in A549 cells increased significantly,and the expression of miR-874-3p decreased(P＜0.05).Overexpression of miR-874-3p decreased the PKP3 expression level(P＜0.05).Compared with the control group,both overexpression of miR-874-3p and silenced PKP3 inhibited the cloning and invasion ability of A549 cells,caused cell cycle arrest,and decreased the expression levels of cyclin dependent kinase 4(CDK4),cyclin D1,cyclin E1 proteins in A549 cells(P＜0.05).The expressions of Bax protein and Caspase-3 protein were up-regulated(P＜0.05),and apoptosis increased.Overexpression of PKP3 could reverse the biological behavior of overexpression of miR-874-3p.Overexpression of miR-874-3p and silencing of PKP3 significantly decreased the expressions of P38 MAPK and mTOR phosphorylated proteins.Conclusion MiR-874-3p can negatively regulate PKP3 expression and inhibit the malignant biological behavior of A549 cells through MAPK/mTOR pathway.

Background: Genetic defects in the human thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) receptor (TSHR) gene can cause congenital hypothyroidism (CH). However, the biological functions and comprehensive genotype–phenotype relationships for most TSHR variants associated with CH remain unexplored. We aimed to identify TSHR variants in Chinese patients with CH, analyze the functions of the variants, and explore the relationships between TSHR genotypes and clinical phenotypes. Methods: In total, 367 patients with CH were recruited for TSHR variant screening using whole-exome sequencing. The effects of the variants were evaluated by in-silico programs such as SIFT and polyphen2. Furthermore, these variants were transfected into 293T cells to detect their Gs/cyclic AMP and Gq/11 signaling activity. Results: Among the 367 patients with CH, 17 TSHR variants, including three novel variants, were identified in 45 patients, and 18 patients carried biallelic TSHR variants. In vitro experiments showed that 10 variants were associated with Gs/cyclic AMP and Gq/11 signaling pathway impairment to varying degrees. Patients with TSHR biallelic variants had lower serum TSH levels and higher free triiodothyronine and thyroxine levels at diagnosis than those with DUOX2 biallelic variants. Conclusions We found a high frequency of TSHR variants in Chinese patients with CH (12.3%), and 4.9% of cases were caused by TSHR biallelic variants. Ten variants were identified as loss-of-function variants. The data suggest that the clinical phenotype of CH patients caused by TSHR biallelic variants is relatively mild. Our study expands the TSHR variant spectrum and provides further evidence for the elucidation of the genetic etiology of CH.

Objective:To test the validity and reliability of the Chinese version of the Pre-sleep Arousal Scale(PSAS)in patients with brief insomnia disorder(BID).Methods:Totally 170 patients with BID and 150 normal sleepers(NS)were recruited.All participants were assessed with the PSAS,Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale(HADS)and Insomnia Severity Index(ISI).After 3 months,72 patients with BID were retested with the PSAS,HADS and ISI.Results:The PSAS scores of BID group were characteristic of a normal distribution.The PSAS total scores were positively correlated with the scores of HADS and ISI(r=0.55,0.40,Ps＜0.01).Two factors of so-matic and cognitive arousal were extracted in PSAS by the exploratory factor analysis and parallel analysis,interval variance value was 55.84％,and the load scores of items were 0.46-0.89.The scores of PSAS and its subscales were higher in the BID group than in the NS group(Ps＜0.001).The best cut-off score for the overall PSAS was found at 32/33 and had high sensitivity(0.72)and specificity(0.81).The Cronbach's α coefficient and the Spearman Brown split reliability were 0.91 and 0.76,respectively,the correlation coefficients between the items and total score ranged from 0.46 to 0.89(Ps＜0.01),and the test-retest reliability was 0.37(P＜0.01).Addi-tionally,rate of change of PSAS scores was positively correlated with the rate of change of HADS scores and ISI scores(Ps＜0.05).Conclusion:The Chinese version of PSAS is a reliable and valid instrument to assess pre-sleep arousal in patients with brief insomnia disorder.

Objective To observe the efficacy and safety of Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides in the continuation treatment of mild and moderate depression.Methods An open,single-arm,multi-center design was adopted in our study.Adult patients with mild and moderate depression who had received acute treatment of Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides were enrolled and continue to receive Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides capsules for 24 weeks,the dose remained unchanged during continuation treatment.The remission rate,recurrence rate,recurrence time,and the change from baseline to endpoint of Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD),Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAMA),Clinical Global Impression-Severity(CGI-S)and Arizona Sexual Experience Scale(ASEX)were evaluated.The incidence of treatment-related adverse events was reported.Results The scores of HAMD-17 at baseline and after treatment were 6.60±1.87 and 5.85±4.18,scores of HAMA were 6.36±3.02 and 4.93±3.09,scores of CGI-S were 1.49±0.56 and 1.29±0.81,scores of ASEX were 15.92±4.72 and 15.57±5.26,with significant difference(P＜0.05).After continuation treatment,the remission rate was 54.59％(202 cases/370 cases),and the recurrence rate was 6.49％(24 cases/370 cases),the recurrence time was(64.67±42.47)days.The incidence of treatment-related adverse events was 15.35％(64 cases/417 cases).Conclusion Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides capsules can be effectively used for the continuation treatment of mild and moderate depression,and are well tolerated and safe.