Molecular Biology Research Communications
Volume:10 Issue: 1, Mar 2021

Spirulina platensis is a photosynthetic filamentous, edible cyanobacterium that is known as a superfood.  In this study, sapogenins were extracted from the spirulina and the effects of these compounds on telomerase activity were evaluated in MCF7 and HDF cell lines using Telomeric Repeat Amplification Protocol and ELIZA assay. The highest increase in telomerase activity was observed at 0.004 mg/ml of sapogenin by 26% ±20.5 in MCF7 cells, while in HDF cells in the same concentration telomerase activity decreased down to 47%±0.48 and the highest inhibition of telomerase activity was observed at 0.070 mg/ml of sapogenins from Spirulina by 68%±0.43. In conclusion, a compound could play a role as a telomerase activator in one cell line while it could play another role as a telomerase inhibitor in another cell line so introducing compounds as a telomerase inhibitor (anticancer) or as a telomerase activator (anti-aging) should be done with discreet.

The gene expression of serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 3A (receptor 3A:HTR3A) as well as the concentration of electrolytes in male Wistar rats after administration of graded doses of marijuana extract was investigated. Twelve groups (3 control and 9 test groups) of 6 animals each were daily exposed to 12.5, 25 and 50 mg/kg b.w doses of petroleum ether extract of marijuana for 4, 8 and 12 weeks. The expressions of the gene were obtained using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) while electrolytes concentrations were determined. An upregulation of over 90% was observed in the expression of HTR3A after exposure to the highest dose throughout the exposure period. There was significant increase in the plasma potassium concentration at all doses while there was a decrease in the brain only at 50 mg/kg dose throughout the exposure period. Sodium concentration in the brain was not affected by the doses over the period of exposure but plasma concentration decreased significantly. All the doses of marijuana extract significantly increased calcium concentration in the brain after prolonged exposure but the plasma concentration remained unchanged. This suggests that different doses of marijuana extract alter the expression of serotonin receptor and electrolyte concentrations over a period of time with possible neurological consequences.

Matrix metallo-proteinases (MMPs) a group of zinc-dependent proteolytic enzymes which play a key role in tumorigenesis by degrading almost all extracellular matrix (ECM) components. MMPs are associated with tumour progression including invasion, angiogenesis, metastasis and poor prognosis. Genetic alterations such as single nucleotide variations and other gross chromosomal abnormalities have been found to drive the process of malignant transformation. In line with the above facts, the present study aims to analyse the genetic alterations, associated gene expression patterns and survival probability of HNSCC patients upon differential expression of the crucial members of the MMP family. The observational study utilised several computational tools. The cBioportal database was used as the primary source of identification of genetic alterations in the MMP family of genes. The Cancer Gene Atlas dataset (Firehose Legacy) was used for the investigations. The highest frequency of alteration was identified in the MMP20 gene (8%). The common gene alterations were amplifications, deep deletions, mis-sense and truncating mutations. Interestingly, amplification and deep deletion followed the same pattern in about 31 patients, in genes MMP1, 3, 7, 8, 10, 12, 20, and 27. The MMP20 gene expression analysis showed a significant difference between the normal subjects and the patients with primary tumors (6.95 x 10-4). The Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis identified that female patients with high-level expression of the MMP20 gene had a low survival probability when compared to male HNSC patients. Taken together, the present study provides preliminary information about the involvement of the MMP20 gene of the MMP family with HNSCC. Further experimental analysis is required to derive a strong association between the gene alterations observed  with HNSCC.

Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Disease (AHPND) is a newly emerging shrimp disease with mortality up to 100 percent caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus which carries a plasmid encoding for two toxins, ToxA and ToxB. In 2013, the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) estimated shrimp farming decline in Asia accounted for 1-billion US dollar lost. Currently, diagnosis using PCR method does not meet the demand of in situ detection, which is based on antigen-antibody interaction, has not been developed yet. In this present study, we proceeded to create the toxin and its antibody for lateral flow development. First, recombinant toxin ToxA was generated by gene manipulation. After that, purified ToxA was used to immunize rabbits. Finally, antisera from rabbits and protein-A purified antibodies were evaluated for titer, specificity, and detection threshold. Results showed that recombinant ToxA was overexpressed in soluble fraction at 37oC with 1mM IPTG. Purification by affinity chromatography was able to isolate recombinant ToxA with the purity up to 94.49%. In ELISA experiment, the immunized antisera reached a titer of up to 1/5,210,000 with 1µg/ml of antigen, and detection threshold was 100ng recombinant toxin. After purification, the detection threshold of purified polyclonal antibodies was 25ng toxin per dot. These results laid a groundwork for the development of AHPND detection kit based on antigen - antibody interactions.

Due to its accessibility, efficacy, and affordability, traditional medicine (TM) is the main source of health services for many people in the world. Nevertheless, in spite of its benefits, there are still many issues about the principles of TM which demand further declaration. One of the essential principles of Iranian traditional medicine (ITM) is temperament (mizaj), which efficiently applied in diagnosis and therapy of illnesses. In this study we aimed to explore the association of GSTM1/T1, and SOD1 50 bp Ins/Del polymorphisms with combined groups of temperament. The study was conducted in 217 healthy males from Fars province, southern Iran. The self-reported mizaj questionnaire was applied to identify the participants’ temperament. Then individuals with temperate, warm/moist, and warm/dry temperament were entered in the study. To determine the genotype of GSTM1, GSTT1, and SOD1, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method was performed. As the results of χ2 analysis showed, the frequency of GSTT1, GSTM1, and SOD1 polymorphisms in temperate group was not significantly differ from that in each of warm/moist and warm/dry groups. Further research with larger samples are suggested to clarify the association between temperament and biomolecular features.

We aimed to find the effect of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) on the expression profiles of cell cycle control genes in breast cancer cell line (MCF-7). The cytotoxic effect of CAPE on MCF-7 cell line was found with an XTT analysis. Total RNA was isolated from the cells exposed to IC50 dose and untreated control cells. Expressions of genes related to cell cycle control (CCND2, RB1, ATM, CDC34, CDK5RAP1) were evaluated by qRT-PCR by the LightCycler 480 System (Roche). GAPDH and ACTB housekeeping genes were used for the normalization of gene expressions. IC50 value of CAPE in MCF-7 cells was calculated as 75µM. It was shown that IC50 dose of CAPE induced significant upregulation in expressions of cell cycle control genes, compared to control cells. CAPE increases the expression of genes that are important in cell cycle control, suggesting that this component can be used as an effective chemopreventive agent in breast cancer cells.