Our previous study identified an elevated abundance of annexin A3 (Anxa3) as a novel prognostic biomarker of lung adenocarcinoma (LADC) through quantitative proteomics analysis. However, the biological functions of Anxa3 in LADC are not fully clear. In this study, in vitro and in vivo assays were performed to investigate the effects of Anxa3 downregulation on the growth, migration, invasion, me...

Three recent screens use siRNAs to identify host genes that are critical for HIV-1 replication. These screens have uncovered hundreds of human genes not previously known to be commandeered by the virus during infection. Although some caveats remain, this screening approach opens up a new landscape of viral-host interactions for future exploration.

Osteoclastogenesis is a complex process that is highly dependent on the dynamic regulation of the actin cytoskeleton. Adseverin (Ads), a member of the gelsolin superfamily of actin-binding proteins, regulates actin remodeling by severing and capping actin filaments. The objective of the present study was to characterize the role of Ads during osteoclastogenesis by assessing Ads expression and u...

Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) and zipper-interacting protein kinase (ZIPK) have been implicated in diverse physiological functions. ROCK1 phosphorylates and activates ZIPK suggesting that at least some of these physiological functions may require both enzymes. To test the hypothesis that sequential activation of ROCK1 and ZIPK is commonly involved in regulatory pathways, we utilized siRNA to kno...

Rab25 is a tumor suppressor for colon cancer in humans and mice. To identify elements of intestinal polarity regulated by Rab25, we developed Caco2-BBE cell lines stably expressing short hairpin RNA for Rab25 and lines rescuing Rab25 knockdown with reexpression of rabbit Rab25. Rab25 knockdown decreased α2-, α5-, and β1-integrin expression. We observed colocalization and direct association of R...

Numerous genetic changes are associated with cancer cell metastasis and invasion. In search for key regulators of invasion and metastasis, a panel of lung cancer cell lines with different invasive ability was screened. The gene for contactin1 was found to play an essential role in tumor invasion and metastasis. Suppression of contactin-1 expression abolished the ability of lung adenocarcinoma c...

The human CERKL gene is responsible for common and severe forms of retinal dystrophies. Despite intense in vitro studies at the molecular and cellular level and in vivo analyses of the retina of murine knockout models, CERKL function remains unknown. In this study, we aimed to approach the developmental and functional features of cerkl in Danio rerio within an Evo-Devo framework. We show that g...

Ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2 enzymes) such as UBE2T target proteins for degradation via the proteasome. Here, we examined the effects of UBE2T on the progression of gastric cancer. UBE2T was highly expressed in gastric tumors and gastric cancer cells. siRNA-mediated suppression of UBE2T inhibited gastric cancer cell proliferation and colony formation by promoting cell cycle arrest at G2/M ...

The success of RNA interference (RNAi) in medicine relies on the development of technology capable of successfully delivering it to tissues of interest. Significant research has focused on the difficult task of systemic delivery of RNAi; however its local delivery could be a more easily realized approach. Localized delivery is of particular interest for many medical applications, including the ...

The rat has served as an excellent model for studies on animal physiology and as a model for human diseases such as diabetes and alcoholism; however, genetic studies have been limited because of the inability to knock out genes. Our goal was to produce heritable deficiencies in specific gene function in the rat using RNA interference to knock down gene expression in vivo. Lentiviral-mediated tr...