The magnetically labeled MSCs transplanted into rat liver through hepatic arterial injection can be detected and monitored in vivo with a 1.5 T clinical MR scanner for up to 7 days after cell transplantation.
The Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial pathogen is reputed for its resistance to multiple antibiotics, and this property is strongly associated with the development of biofilms. Bacterial biofilms form by aggregation of microorganisms on a solid surface and secretion of an extracellular polysaccharide substances that acts as a physical protection barrier for the encased bacteria. In addition, the P aeruginosa quorum-sensing system contributes to antibiotic resistance by regulating the expression of several virulence factors, including exotoxin A, elastase, pyoverdin and rhamnolipid. The organosulfur compound allicin, derived from garlic, has been shown to inhibit both surface-adherence of bacteria and production of virulence factors. In this study, the effects of allicin on P aeruginosa biofilm formation and the production of quorum-sensing controlled virulence factors were investigated. The results demonstrated that allicin could inhibit early bacterial adhesion, reduce EPS secretion, and down-regulate virulence factors' production. Collectively, these findings suggest the potential of allicin as a therapeutic agent for controlling P aeruginosa biofilm.
Reprogrammed cell metabolism is deemed as one of the hallmarks of cancer. Hexosamine biosynthesis pathway (HBP) acts as an “energy sensor” in cells to regulate metabolic fluxes. Glutamine-fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase 1 (GFAT1), the rate-limiting enzyme of HBP, is broadly found with elevated expression in human cancers though its exact and concrete role in tumorigenesis still remains unknown and needs further investigation. P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) is an important component of stress-signaling pathway and plays a critical role in cell fate decision, whereas the underlying mechanism of its activation under nutrient stress also remains elusive. In this study, we show that glucose deprivation induces the interaction of GFAT1 with transforming growth factor β-activated kinase 1 binding protein 1 (TAB1) in a TAB1 S438 phosphorylation-dependent manner. Subsequently, the binding of GFAT1 to TAB1 facilitates TTLL5–GFAT1–TAB1 complex formation, and the metabolic activity of GFAT1 for glutamate production further contributes to TTLL5-mediated TAB1 glutamylation. In consequence, TAB1 glutamylation promotes the recruitment of p38α MAPK and thus drives p38 MAPK activation. Physiologically, GFAT1-TAB1-p38 signaling promotes autophagy occurrence and thus protects tumor cell survival under glucose deficiency. Clinical analysis indicates that both GFAT1 and TAB1 S438 phosphorylation levels correlate with the poor prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma patients. These findings altogether uncover an unidentified mechanism underlying p38 MAPK signaling regulation by metabolic enzyme upon nutrient stress and provide theoretical rationality of targeting GFAT1 for cancer treatment.
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