TSGA10 has recently been highlighted as an important factor in spermatogenesis with critical roles during sperm maturation. Although up-regulation of TSGA10 expression in early stages and its down-regulation in advanced stages of some cancers has already been demonstrated, the regulatory mechanism governing its expression has not yet been elucidated. RHOXF1 transcription factor is known to be a cancer/testis antigen with vital roles in spermatogenesis. Besides, both RHOXF1 and TSGA10 are cancer/testis antigens that are involved in the carcinogenic processes. Given that RHOXF1 is a transcription factor; and both RHOXF1 and TSGA10 are highly expressed in round spermatids during the transition of meiotic to post-meiotic stages of spermatogenesis, we aimed to investigate RHOXF1 knockdown effect on the expression levels of TSGA10. RHOXF1 shRNA vector was prepared and transient transfected into MCF7 cells that exhibit high expression of RHOXF1 and TSGA10. The efficiency of transfection was assessed by real-time PCR for evaluation of RHOXF1 knock down. TSGA10 expression was also measured. Untransfected cells and cells transfected with empty vector as well as scrambled vector were used as control. Our data showed that shRNA-mediated knockdown of RHOXF1 expression led to decreased expression levels of TSGA10. We found the positive co-expression of RHOXF1 and TSGA10 in all normal tissues as well as in variety of cancer tissues, with the highest positive co-expression in pancreas, breast, and kidney cancers. Therefore, TSGA10 expression might be regulated by RHOXF1 transcription factor. Future studies are needed to elaborate whether this regulatory role is exerted directly or indirectly. The results of this study might broaden understanding of transcriptional regulation in cancer biology and facilitate novel strategies to overcome the effects of oncogenic transcription factors on their targets.

Background This study investigated the functional and translational role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), specifically MIR22HG, LNCTAM34A, and TP53TG1, in breast cancer (BC). Methods The expression of the lncRNAs was measured using RT-qPCR. Knockdown experiments using siRNA were conducted in breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-453, and MCF-7) to assess the functional impact of silencing these lncRNAs. Cell proliferation, colony formation, invasion, migration, and apoptosis assays were performed to evaluate phenotypic changes. Results The expression of MIR22HG, LNCTAM34A, and TP53TG1 was significantly decreased in tumor tissues compared to NATs (p < 0.05). Lower expression of these lncRNAs correlated with advanced TNM stage and grade groups (p < 0.05). MIR22HG was overexpressed in the BC cell lines MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7, while LNCTAM34A and TP53TG1 were upregulated in MDA-MB-453 and MCF-7 BC cell lines. Silencing these lncRNAs led to a significant increase in cell proliferation, colony formation, invasion, and migration (p < 0.001). Additionally, apoptosis was significantly decreased in cells with silenced lncRNAs (p < 0.05). Knockdown of MIR22HG, LNCTAM34A, and TP53TG1 in BC cells resulted in increased cell proliferation and colony formation. Silencing of these lncRNAs significantly increased cell migration and invasion. The silencing of MIR22HG, LNCTAM34A, and TP53TG1 decreased apoptosis in BC cells. Conclusion Study demonstrates that MIR22HG, LNCTAM34A, and TP53TG1 function as tumor suppressors in breast cancer. Downregulation of these lncRNAs promotes tumor progression by enhancing cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, while inhibiting apoptosis.

Endometriosis is a complex condition with a wide range of clinical manifestations, presenting significant challenges, particularly for young women. Its diverse and often perplexing presentations pose difficulties within the medical community. Laparoscopy remains the gold-standard diagnostic tool for endometriosis. However, alternative diagnostic methods are valuable for monitoring disease progression, assessing the likelihood of recurrence, reducing the need for surgical procedures, and facilitating timely decisions regarding fertility concerns. Recent research highlights the potential of microRNAs (miRNAs) as an alternative diagnostic test for endometriosis. A case-control study was conducted at the infertility unit of Arash Women's Hospital, involving 50 female participants, 25 with endometriosis and 25 without it. Plasma samples were collected and analyzed for the expression levels of 16 miRNAs using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Diagnostic accuracy measures were evaluated to establish a reliable and comparable diagnostic framework. Compared to the control group, downregulation of 11 miRNAs and upregulation of 5 miRNAs were observed in the case group. Regarding expression patterns, evidence from this study indicates that half of the evaluated miRNAs fall into the high-agreement category with similar studies. Sensitivity (SN) of the evaluated miRNAs ranged from 64.0% to 88.0%, while specificity (SP) ranged from 56.0% to 88.0%. The area under the curve (AUC) was reported between 0.619 (miR-135a) and 0.846 (miR-340). These findings suggest that the evaluated miRNAs demonstrate moderate to acceptable diagnostic accuracy for endometriosis.

The intrinsic nature of CRISPR-Cas in conferring immunity to bacteria and archaea has been repurposed to combat pathogenic agents in mammalian and plant cells. In this regard, CRISPR-Cas13 systems have proved their remarkable potential for single-strand RNA viruses targeting. Here, different types of Cas13 orthologs were applied to knockdown foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), a highly contagious disease of a wide variety of species with genetically diverse strains and is widely geographically distributed. Using programmable CRISPR RNAs capable of targeting conserved regions of the viral genome, all Cas13s from CRISPR system type VI (subtype A/B/D) could comprehensively target and repress different serotypes of FMDV virus. This approach has the potential to destroy all strains of a virus as targets the ultra-conserved regions of genome. We experimentally compared the silencing efficiency of CRISPR and RNAi by designing the most effective short hairpin RNAs according to our developed scoring system and observed comparable results. This study showed successful usage of various Cas13 enzymes for suppression of FMDV, which provides a flexible strategy to battle with other animal infectious RNA viruses, an underdeveloped field in the biotechnology scope.

Abstract Background Poor ovarian response (POR) to controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) remains challenging, especially in advanced-age women with diminished ovarian reserve, resulting in low live birth rates. Many patients prefer to conceive with their eggs, underscoring the need for improved treatments. This study explores astaxanthin potential as a COS adjuvant to improve ovarian response and assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes, considering its impact on oxidative stress (OS), inflammation, and apoptosis, which are key factors in POR. Methods In this randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 60 infertile POR patients from POSEIDON Group 4 (the poorest prognosis category, age > 35 and poor ovarian reserve (anti-müllerian hormone < 1.2 ng/ml or antral follicle count < 5) undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection were enrolled. Patients were assigned to receive either 12 mg/day AST or placebo for eight weeks. All patients underwent a gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist regimen for COS. ART outcomes were compared between groups. Blood serum and follicular fluid (FF) were analyzed for OS markers (superoxide dismutase [SOD], total antioxidant capacity [TAC], and malondialdehyde [MDA]), and pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6 [IL-6], interleukin-8 [IL-8], and vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF]) via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits, and cell-free DNA [cfDNA] (apoptotic marker) via ALU quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results After the intervention, the AST group exhibited a significant elevation in serum (P = 0.013) and TAC (P = 0.030), accompanied by a significant reduction in serum MDA (P = 0.005). No significant differences between AST and placebo groups were observed in OS markers in FF. AST group showed significant reductions in the serum IL-6 (P < 0.001), IL-8 (P = 0.001), and VEGF (P = 0.002) levels following AST therapy. In the AST group, FF levels of IL-6 (P = 0 < 001), IL-8 (P = 0.036), VEGF (P = 0.006), and cfDNA (P < 0.001) were significantly lower than in the placebo group. Between-group comparisons showed significant differences in the alterations of serum SOD (P = 0.027), IL-6 (P < 0.001), and IL-8 (P = 0.035) levels between AST and placebo groups. The AST group showed significant increases in the number of retrieved oocytes (P = 0.003), MII oocytes (P = 0.004), frozen embryos (P = 0.037), and high-quality embryos (P = 0.014) compared to the placebo group. Conclusion AST shows promise as a COS adjuvant therapy, potentially enhancing some ART outcomes in POR through alleviating OS, inflammation, and apoptosis. Trial registration Clinical trial registration number: IRCT20230223057510N1, URL: https://irct.behdasht.gov.ir/trial/68870, registration date: 2023 March 16. Graphical Abstract

A Study of Platelet-Derived Growth Factor A and Its Ligand among Patients with Glioblastoma and Astrocytoma in Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran

Autophagy acts like a double-edged sword in either tumor promotion or suppression of breast cancer. Crosstalk between miRNAs and autophagic targets is one interesting scenario for the dual behavior of this pathway. On this basis the present study was designed to evaluate the expression pattern of certain candidate miRNAs and their targets in breast cancer patients. A total of 47 fresh breast carcinomas and matched adjacent non-neoplastic tissues were obtained. Bioinformatics analysis of putative miRNA binding sites identified miR-133, and miR-206, miR-199a/b, as regulating expressions of the FIP200, ATG-13 and HIF1a, respectively. The expression levels of candidate miRNAs and their targets were examined using quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction. Our results demonstrated that all four miRNAs expression levels are downregulated in breast tumor tissue compared with corresponding non-neoplastic tissue. Decreased expression of miR-133 and miR-199b showed a significant correlation with tumor grade. Moreover, a significant downregulation of miR-199b was observed in HER-2-negative patients. We found that FIP200 and ATG13 were downregulated in tumor tissues while HIF1a showed a significant upregulation. No significant association between the target genes and clinicopathological features was observed. Our data clarified a strong positive correlation between expression levels of miR-133 and FIP200 while the correlation between miR-206 and ATG13, and, miR-199a/b and HIF1a were not statistically significant. In conclusion, these results support the regulatory role of miR-133 during breast cancer development via the autophagy pathway and provide an opportunity to develop targeted therapeutics for breast cancer.

The efficiency of the CRISPR-Cas system is highly dependent on well-designed CRISPR RNA (crRNA). To facilitate the use of various types of CRISPR-Cas systems, there is a need for the development of computational tools to design crRNAs which cover different CRISPR-Cas systems with off-target analysis capability. Numerous crRNA design tools have been developed, but nearly all of them are dedicated to design crRNA for genome editing. Hence, we developed a tool matching the needs of both beginners and experts, named CaSilico, which was inspired by the limitations of the current crRNA design tools for designing crRNAs for Cas12, Cas13, and Cas14 CRISPR-Cas systems. This tool considers a comprehensive list of the principal rules that are not yet well described to design crRNA for these types. Using a list of important features such as mismatch tolerance rules, self-complementarity, GC content, frequency of cleaving base around the target site, target accessibility, and PFS (protospacer flanking site) or PAM (protospacer adjacent motif) requirement, CaSilico searches all potential crRNAs in a user-input sequence. Considering these features help users to rank all crRNAs for a sequence and make an informed decision about whether a crRNA is suited for an experiment or not. Our tool is sufficiently flexible to tune some key parameters governing the design of crRNA and identification of off-targets, which can lead to an increase in the chances of successful CRISPR-Cas experiments. CaSilico outperforms previous crRNA design tools in the following aspects: 1) supporting any reference genome/gene/transcriptome for which an FASTA file is available; 2) designing crRNAs that simultaneously target multiple sequences through conserved region detection among a set of sequences; 3) considering new CRISPR-Cas subtypes; and 4) reporting a list of different features for each candidate crRNA, which can help the user to select the best one. Given these capabilities, CaSilico addresses end-user concerns arising from the use of sophisticated bioinformatics algorithms and has a wide range of potential research applications in different areas, especially in the design of crRNA for pathogen diagnosis. CaSilico was successfully applied to design crRNAs for different genes in the SARS-CoV-2 genome, as some of the crRNAs have been experimentally tested in the previous studies.

Background: Colorectal cancer is a common and fatal disease worldwide with increasing diagnosed cases yearly. Moreover, about 90% of deaths associated with cancers occur due to metastasis, which overcomes tight junction proteins such as claudin and occludin. The present study aimed to evaluate the significance of claudin and occludin expression change in human colorectal cancer. Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, 38 colorectal cancer patients were compared with normal samples regarding the expression levels of claudin and occludin genes by polymerase chain reaction. Results: The expression levels of claudin and occludin significantly decreased in tumor samples compared to normal samples. Conclusion: The change in the expression level of the claudin and occludin genes could be considered an influential factor in turning normal healthy tissues into cancerous cells.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that is characterized by inflammation of the articular tissue. This study aims to evaluate the expression of microRNA (miR)-146a-5p, miR-24-3p, and miR-125a-5p in the plasma of RA patients and compare them with those of healthy controls to obtain a specific expression profile for earlier diagnosis and assistance in treating patients. This study was performed on 50 RA patients and 50 healthy controls. Five microliters of blood were taken from each patient/control. Plasma RNA was extracted using the Trisol solution. cDNAs were synthesized; using moloney murine leukemia virus (MMLV) and deoxynucleoside triphosphate (dNTP). Real-time PCR was performed using SYBR green kit. The mean expression of miR-146a-5p, miR-24-3p, and miR-125a-5p in the RA group were 8.1±1.9, 6.5±1.2, and 6.8±2.2 and in the healthy group were 4.8±1.6, 3.6±2.2, and 3.4±1.7, respectively. Significant differences were also observed in the mean expression of these three miRNAs in four subgroups of RA patients with different disease activity based on disease activity score 28 (DAS28) (p<0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that miR-146a-5p (AUC=0.8, sensitivity= 96%, specificity=86%), miR-24-3p (AUC=0.7, Sensitivity=95%, Specificity=75%) and miR-125a-5p (AUC=0.71, sensitivity=93%, specificity=84%) could be used as suitable biomarkers for RA diagnosis. Increased expressions of miR-146a-5p, miR-24-3p, and miR-125a-5p in RA patients indicate that the miRNAs are involved in disease incidence and progression, and the measurement of their expression can play an essential role in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Objective: Malignant melanoma is a highly lethal melanocytic neoplasia with different predisposing factors. The genetic background in familial cases is an important issue in finding at risk family members. CDKN2A is one of these predisposing genes which have been estimated to be involved in germ line mutation in approximately 5-10% of familial melanoma cases. Materials and Methods: An inclusion criteria for familial melanoma was prepared according to the literature, and the age of onset was considered as a single criteria for selection. A total number of 322 melanoma cases were investigated regarding the criteria, among which 20 patients were chosen (<40 years). DNA was extracted from Formalin Fixed Paraffin Embed of normal tissues and DNA sequencing was performed for all coding sequences of CDKN2A (p16). Results: One of the cases showed a pathogenic mutation in codon 108, exon 2(322G >C; Asp108His). Further analysis of his offspring indicated no mutation in the next generation. Conclusion: As far as the authors of the present study are concerned, this was the first report on this germ-line mutation with mentioned amino acid alteration in the melanoma. Screening the CDKN2A gene for possible mutation could prevent the incidence of familial cases in at risk members.

Background: Fibroblast growth factor-10 (FGF-10) is a member of a superfamily with characteristics of epithelial cell proliferation and embryonic development and is assumed to have a role in a phenomenon called the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The previous study has revealed the critical role of FGF-10 in type III EMT in breast cancer cell lines. The mentioned finding, demonstrates the possible role of this factor in type III EMT in cancers with different origins such as breast. The present study investigated the expression of FGF-10 as a mitotic-inducing growth factor, normally has a low expression in breast tissues amongst breast cancer patients. Materials and Methods: 67 breast cancer tissues and 8 normal breast tissues were randomly selected from the Iran national tumor bank. The FGF-10 gene expression analysis was performed after the RNA expression using the real-time RTPCR, which was followed by the Student’s t-test statistical analysis. Results: The findings revealed that the relative expression of FGF-10 was elevated in tumor tissues as compared with normal breast tissues, and the higher expression had a direct correlation with the progression of clinical and pathologic staging. The expression was also significantly higher in triple-negative breast cancer and p53 null tissues. Conclusion: Taken together, it is suggested that, although in some variables it was not significant but generally the invasion and migration in tumor tissues are the same as in-vitro analysis as indicated before, and the expression has a direct relationship with the molecular presentation and clinical -pathological progression.

Background: This study investigated the possible role of Genistein as a combination with Imatinib in controlling leukemia cell line proliferation. Methods: Three cell lines, K562, Kcl22, and CCRF, were cultured and analyzed for MTT, LDH, apoptosis, and cycle cell gene expression in the presence of different dosages of Imatinib and Genistein in combination or separately. Results: Data has shown a decrease in proliferation and an increase in apoptosis activity during combination treatment. LDH assay has shown no additional toxicity due to Genistein consumption in combination therapy. Analysis of the expression of responsible genes for cell cycle demonstrated both G1 (p53, p21 upregulation) and G2 (cdc25c downregulation) inhibitory effect in combination treatment. Conclusion: Altogether, this study suggests thatthe combination treatment of Imatinib and Genistein for leukemia cells resistant to Imatinib can increase treatment efficiency.

The glioblastoma multiform has some properties including rapid growth, invasion, treatment resistance, and recurrence. Therefore, new therapies need to be developed that can be approved for using in patients. The previous study showed Arsenic Trioxide inhibits aggressive behavior in glioblastoma cells. Also, (–)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate prevents cellular proliferation, and invasion in multiple glioma cells. Resveratrol decreases cellular proliferation, induces cell death, and impaired the invasiveness of glioma cells. Combination therapy to inhibit cancer cells may have important clinical implications. Therefore, to assess the combination therapy of 2μM Arsenic trioxide, 100μM EGCG, and 100μM Resveratrol, we examined the metabolic activity, colony formation, media pH, cell proliferation, Caspase 3 activity, and gene expression analysis of BCL2, Caspase 3, MMP2, MMP9, CA9, u-PA, u-PAR, and Cathepsin B genes in apoptosis and invasion by both quantitative PCR experiments and Western blot assay. Systems biology tools also were used to obtain, the related network, involved pathways, and identifying the key genes in our selected criteria. The results of the study confirmed that the combined therapy prevents cell proliferation and induces of apoptosis in the Brain tumor cell lines including: U87-MG, A-172, and 1321N1. Furthermore, over-expression of caspase-3 and down-regulation of BCL-2, MMP-2, and MMP-9 confirmed that combination therapy leads to induces apoptosis and decreases invasion. Nevertheless, the lowering of pharmacological doses and improving therapeutic efficacy through combination therapy may provide advantages to treat resistance cancer cells with lower side effects. Finally, the results might suggest new modality for Glioblastoma treatment.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a complex disorder that is characterized by hypertension and proteinuria after the 20th week of pregnancy, and it causes most neonatal morbidity and perinatal mortality. Despite many efforts, the knowledge acquired regarding its pathogenesis and pathophysiology does not allow us to treat it efficiently. It is not possible to arrest its progressive nature, and the available therapies are limited to symptomatic treatment. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs of approximately 19–23 nucleotides that can bind to the 3’ untranslated region of target mRNAs resulting in the degradation and translation inhibition of the mRNA, thereby regulating gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Many studies have confirmed deregulated miRNA in pregnant patients with PE, and the function and mechanism of these differentially expressed miRNA are gradually being revealed. Sample collection Among the patients in the maternity ward, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. pregnant women who carried fetuses from 26 to 40 weeks of gestation were selected for study. Plasma samples were obtained from a total of 90 women in two groups; 48 being preeclamptic and 42 being healthy pregnancies, forming the control group. None of these subjects had undergone an invasive procedure. A volume of 5 mL maternal venous blood was drawn and collected in an ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) tube. The blood samples were centrifuged initially at 1200 g for 10 min and a second time at 10,000 g for 10 min, and 500 mL from the supernatant layer were used. The supernatant layer of the plasma was taken to Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Molecular Diagnosis Laboratory for storage at -80°C until the time of study. Total RNA extraction Total RNA was isolated from plasma using Trizol (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA) following the manufacturer protocol. Total RNA was analyzed using the commercially available Bioanalyzer Agilent RNA 6000 picoassay. MicroRNA isolation from maternal plasma MicroRNAs were obtained with the High-Specificity miRNA QRT-PCR detection kit (Stratagene-an Agilent Technologies Company, USA-Canada) according to manufacturer recommendations. Micro RNAs were subjected to a polyadenylation reaction as previously described. Next, using an oligo dT primer harboring a consensus sequence, reverse transcription was performed using an Affinity Script RT/RNase Block Enzyme mixture (Stratagene). miRNA was anayzed using the Bioanalyzer 2100- Agilent Small RNA assay. QRT-PCR platform The cDNA was amplified by real-time PCR. The real-time PCR analysis was performed on a Stratagene Mx3005P. This reaction contained a microRNA-specific forward primer, a TaqMan probe complementary to the 3ꞌ of the specific microRNA sequence, as well as part of the polyA adaptor sequence, and a universal reverse primer complementary to the consensus 3ꞌ sequence of the oligodT tail. Results were recorded in clinic sheets and were analyzed using SPss version 22. G1 consist of 48 and G2 42 pts. There were no differences in two group in respect to age (mean age was 28± 9.5 and 27± 5.23 in G1 and G2 respectively). Micro RNA155, 210 and 494 were significantly higher in plasma of G1 (Pv 0.001, 0.0001, 0.005 respectively). Micro RNA 29b was significantly lower in G1 (Pv 003). And there was no difference between two groups in respect to Micro RNA 34a (Pv 0.09). And also PE patients with higher plasma creatinine have more plasma level of Micro RNA155 and 210. There was a significant correlation between Micro RNA 494 and anemia in PE patients In this study we showed that Micro RNA155, 210 and 494 increased and Micro RNA 29b decreased in PE and after clarifying by further studies may use as a predictor in clinical practice.

Background and Purpose: Colorectal cancer as a leading cause of mortality worldwide, can be regarded as a relatively common and fatal disease with increasing incidence over recent years. Colorectal cancer is characterized by uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells occurring in different parts of the colon. About 90% of deaths associated with cancers occur due to metastasis which overcome overcomes the body's cellular connection, including tight junctions. Claudin and Occludin are integral membrane proteins found in tight junctions. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression level of claudin and occludin in human colorectal cancer. Method: In this study, 38 colorectal cancer patients who referred to Cancer Institute of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran, Iran were studied after obtaining the informed consent. First, quantitative extraction of RNA was performed, then the expression levels of claudin and Occludin genes were examined by reverse transcription, PCR, and Real-time PCR. Findings: The expression levels of both claudin and Occludin genes in cases with higher stage and grade of disease, in the state of metastasis were more than those of the control samples. Conclusion: The increased expression level of the mentioned genes can be considered as an influential factor in turning the normal healthy tissues into cancerous cells.

Therapy resistance is one of the most challenging problems in the way of treatment of cancer, especially in the case of triple-negative breast cancer which has a reputation of getting recur and resist. Therapy resistance is more likely explains by the Darwinian selection that is based on tumor heterogeneity and underlying mutations. Nevertheless, the concept of cancer cell plasticity becomes more attractive through a second hypothesis; non-Darwinian resistance which explains resistance could be also induced by other factors such as prolonged-stress and cancer cells could adopt an unrelated attractor-state to evade therapy. In this study, we have used a systems biology approach to explore MDA-MB-231 paclitaxel resistance based on the second hypothesis. According to the Gene Ontology (GO) findings and pathways analysis, resistant cells adopt some of the immune system-related processes. In addition, topological analyses showed IL17-RA to have a vital role in the network. Our findings also suggests that in the case of MDA-MB-231, paclitaxel resistance tries to push cells to a stem-like state, but not as typical breast cancer stem cells which are indicated by CD44(high)/CD24(low). The outputs could help to understand the underlying mechanism of the paclitaxel resistance breast cancer cell lines.

Objective. - The present study was designed to discover novel biomarkers involved in voriconazole resistance in clinical isolates of Aspergillus flavus. Materials and methods. - Two voriconazole non-wild-type and two voriconazole-wild-type A. flavus clinical isolates were selected to evaluate possible molecular mechanism involved in A.flavus resistance to voriconazole using the mutation assessment, Quantitative real- time PCR of cyp51A and cyp51C genes and complementary DNA- amplified fragment length polymorphism technique. Results. - No mutations were seen in the cyp51A and cyp51C genes in voriconazole non-wild-type isolates compared to wild- type and reference strains. Regarding to mRNA expression results, no changes were observed in expression fold of cyp51A and cyp51C mRNA expression level in first non- wild- type isolate compared to wild-type isolate. For second isolate cyp51C mRNA expression level was down regulated (5.6 fold). The set of genes including ABC fatty acid transporter XM- 002375835 and aldehydereductase XM- 002376518 and three unknown functional genes were identified. Based on results, the over-expression of AKR1 and ABC fatty acid transporter in the voriconazole non- wild- type isolates suggests these genes could represent a novel molecular marker linked to the voriconazole resistance in A. flavus. Conclusion. - The results obtained in this study showed a novel finding as the authors identified AKR1 and ABC fatty acid transporter genes as possible voriconazole target genes in Iranian clinical isolates of A. flavus. (C) 2020 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Background: Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), is the fatal form of gynecological cancer. Almost 70% of ovarian cancer patients are detected at an advanced stage (III-IV) with metastases. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a critical process associated with metastasis. This study investigated the expression levels of AXL, GAS6, Claudin-1, and Cofilin-1, as genes involved in EMT in relation to clinicopathologic features in ovarian cancer patients. Methods: In this descriptive study, 78 ovarian epithelial cancer patients were enrolled. Samples were provided by the Iran National Tumor Bank, founded by the Cancer Institute of Tehran University of Medical Sciences in 2017. The expression levels of AXL, GAS6, Claudin-1, and Cofilin-1 genes were investigated in a fresh, frozen tumor sample and normal adjacent tissue by real-time PCR (RT-PCR). Results: Findings showed a significant relationship between the overexpression of AXL and TNM staging (P=0.03). The expression level of GAS6 decreased in more advanced stages (P=0.01). There is a negative relationship between Cofilin-1 expression level and TNM staging (P=0.002). Claudin-1 expression level was higher in low stages compared with that in high stages (P=0.01). There was no relationship between gene expression levels of target genes with size and grade of the tumor. Conclusion: Given the importance of these genes in EMT, alteration in their expression pattern can contribute to the progression of the disease and distant metastasis of cancer cells. Additionally, knowing the alteration pattern of these genes expression can help to better understanding and prediction of the prognosis of EOC.

Inorganic arsenicals are worldwide environmental contaminants that affect molecular characteristics in biological systems and lead to genomic and epigenomic instability as well as epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT). In this study, we aimed to investigate whether low levels of sodium arsenite (iAsIII) can influence EMT and genomic instability through microsatellite analysis. We have also determined epigenomic instability by investigating the methylation status of SEPT9 tumor marker in colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines, Caco2 and HCT116, which were treated with iAsIII to assess IC50s. Short-term and long-term exposure to low concentrations (1 µM and 0.1 µM) of iAsIII in two separate experiments was implemented to analyze EMT, microsatellite status and the methylation pattern of SEPT9 promoter. As expected, after 20 days of exposure to iAsIII, the expression of CDH1 was significantly decreased while the expression of CDH2, FIB1 and VIM was increased in Caco2 and HCT116, a finding that confirmed EMT induction. However, there was no detectable alteration in the size of microsatellites. As for the methylation pattern, SEPT9 promoter was hypomethylated as a result of long-term exposure to 0.1 µM iAsIII in Caco2. Long-term exposure of HCT116 to both concentrations could induce hypomethylation of SEPT9 promoter. Our findings indicate no linkage between EMT induction and microsatellite status in iAsIII-treated CRC cell lines. For the first time, the current study has shown that the induction of EMT by iAsIII is linked with SEPT9 promoter hypomethylation in Caco2 and HCT116 in a concentration- and time-dependent pattern.