Reports of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Volume:5 Issue: 2, Apr 2017

Bone is formed through the processes of endochondral and intramembranous ossification. In endochondral ossification primary mesenchymal cells differentiate to chondrocytes and then are progressively substituted by bone, while in intramembranous ossification mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) differentiate directly into osteoblasts to form bone. The steps of osteogenic proliferation, differentiation, and bone homeostasis are controlled by various markers and signaling pathways. Bone needs to be remodeled to maintain integrity with osteoblasts, which are bone-forming cells, and osteoclasts, which are bone-degrading cells.
In this review we considered the major factors and signaling pathways in bone formation; these include fibroblast growth factors (FGFs), bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), wingless-type (Wnt) genes, runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) and osteoblast-specific transcription factor (osterix or OSX).

Human Cripto-1, a member of the EGF-CFC family, is involved in embryonic development, embryonic stem cell maintenance, and tumor progression. It also participates in multiple cell signaling pathways including Wnt, Notch, and TGF-β. Remarkably, it is expressed in cancer stem cell (CSC) compartments, boosting tumor cell migration, invasion, and angiogenesis. Although Cripto-1 is overexpressed in a variety of human malignant tumors, its expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unclear. Our aim in this study was to evaluate the possible oncogenic role of Cripto-1 in ESCC progression and elucidate its association with clinicopathological parameters in patients.
In this study, Cripto-1 expression in 50 ESCC tissue samples was analyzed and compared to corresponding margin-normal esophageal tissues using quantitative real-time PCR.
Cripto-1 was overexpressed in nearly 40% of ESCC samples compared with normal tissue samples. Significant correlations were observed between Cripto-1 expression and tumor differentiation grade, progression stage, and location (p Our results indicate that overexpression of Cripto-1 is involved in the development of ESCC. Further assessment will be necessary to determine the role of Cripto-1 cross talk in ESCC tumorigenesis.

Brucellosis is one of the most common chronic diseases, with widespread distribution. In spite of cell-mediated immunity (CMI) modulated mainly via activated T-helper type 1 (Th1) cells, brucellosis can advance to chronic disease in about 10-30% of cases. Regulatory T cells (Treg cells) are involved the immune response to brucellosis; however, their role, particularly in the change from the acute to the chronic phase, have not yet been elucidated. The main hypothesis of this study was that Treg cells play critical roles in the progression of brucellosis from the acute to the chronic phase.
Forty-eight unrelated subjects participated in this case-control study. The percentages of CD4, CD25, FoxP3, and CD25/FoxP3 T cells in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of acute (AB) and chronic brucellosis (CB) patients and healthy controls were determined by flow cytometry. The mean florescence intensities (MFIs) of CD4, CD25, and FoxP3 T cells were also measured.
We found a significantly lower percentage of CD25/FoxP3 Treg cells in CB than in the AB and control groups (p We propose that the reduced number of CD25/FoxP3 Treg cells in the CB group leads to T cell anergy and this contributes to the development of chronic infection.

The development of allergic rhinitis (AR) is caused by the interaction between genetic predisposition and environmental factors. In this study, the association between GATA3 single nucleotide polymorphisms and AR in an Iranian population was identified.
This case-control study was performed on 86 patients with AR and 86 healthy subjects. This study aimed to evaluate a potential association between two GATA3 SNPs, rs1269486 and rs2229360, and AR. Blood samples were collected and DNA was extracted for the evaluation of these SNPs by RFLP-PCR.
A statistically-significant association was found between rs1269486 and AR (P SNP rs1269486 of GATA3 was associated with AR and sensitivity to aeroallergens in our population. Because of the significance of this gene in AR, studying the association between GATA3 polymorphisms and AR is recommended for other populations.

The expression of mouse tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in Escherichia coli is a favorable way to get high yield of protein; however, the formation of cytoplasmic inclusion bodies, which is the consequence of insoluble accumulated proteins, is a major obstacle in this system. To overcome this obstacle, we used a pulsed dilution method to convert the product to its native conformation.
Reducing agent and guanidine hydrochloride were used to solubilize inclusion bodies formed after TNF-(α) expression. Then, the refolding procedure was performed by pulsed dilution of the denatured protein into a refolding buffer. The properly-folded protein was purified by metal affinity chromatography.
SDS-PAGE showed a 19.9 kDa band related to the mature TNF-(α) protein. The protein was recognized by anti-mouse TNF-(α) on western blots. The final concentration of the purified recombinant TNF-(α) was 62.5 µg/mL.
Our study demonstrates the efficiency of this method to produce a high yield of folded mature TNF- (α).

The PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway has an essential role in transposon silencing, meiosis progression, spermatogenesis, and germline maintenance. HIWI genes are critical for piRNA biogenesis and function. Therefore, polymorphisms in HIWI genes contribute to spermatogenesis defects and can be considered as risk factors for male infertility. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between the HIWI2 gene rs508485 polymorphism and non-obstructive azoospermia.
A total of 121 Iranian men with idiopathic azoospermia and 100 fertile controls were genotyped for HIWI2 rs508485 (T>C) polymorphism using Tetra-ARMS PCR. The presence of eight sequence-tagged site (STS) markers from the Y chromosome AZF region was also investigated by Multiplex PCR (M-PCR).
Thirteen (10.74%) patients showed Y chromosome microdeletions and therefore were excluded from the study. rs508485 in the 3’UTR of HIWI2 was associated with increased risk of azoospermia in our studied population with a P-value of 0.035 and odds ratio of 2.00 (CI 95%: 1.04-3.86).
We provide evidence for an association between genetic variation in the HIWI2 gene involved in the piRNA pathway and idiopathic non-obstructive azoospermia in Iranian patients. Therefore, piRNA pathway gene variants can be considered as risk factors for male infertility.

This study was intended to investigate the effectiveness of static magnetic field on the growth of Escherichia coli (E. coli) provided from two sources, the urine samples of patients with urinary tract infections and the reference strain E. coli ATCC 25922. Bacterial samples in Nutrient Broth were subjected to a range of magnetic intensities (2, 4, 6, 9, 14, 16, 18, and 20 mT) at various exposure times (0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 min). The survival rate was measured in the presence and absence of the magnetic field over time. The cell counts of uropathogenic E. coli did not statistically differed from those of the standard strain if exposed to the magnetic field. The fluctuation was observed in cell viabilities at different magnetic intensities below 18 mT. Both groups presented a significant decline in survival rate as exposed to 18 and 20 mT.

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of self-limited fever and serosal tissues inflammation. To evaluate clinical symptoms and common genetic mutations in southwestern Iranian patients with FMF, 20 unrelated patients were enrolled in this study based on clinical criteria. A panel of 12 common MEFV gene mutations was tested. The most frequent clinical presentations of the patients were fever, colicky abdominal pain and arthritis. Eighteen patients responded completely to colchicine therapy.
MEFV gene mutations were detected in only 40% of the patients. The most common mutation was E148Q, detected in five patients (25%). The V726A, M694V and P369S mutations were each observed in one patient. Although none of the 12 mutations we included in our test panel was detected in 60% of our patients, all of them had FMF symptoms and responded well to colchicine. MEFV full gene sequencing analysis in these patients may lead to finding new mutations in southwestern Iranian FMF patients which would be helpful in designing a local diagnostic kit.