Bioscience

Caprin-2 Enhances Canonical Wnt Signaling through Regulating LRP5/6 Phosphorylation

Journal of Cell biology published in September reported the latest research discovery of Li Lin Research Team, the Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, CAS. In this work, Ding Yu, Xi Xing and other team members identified cytoplasmic activation/proliferation-associated protein 2 (Caprin-2) as a LRP5/6-binding protein. Their data show that Caprin-2 stabilizes cytosolic β-catenin and enhances lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1/T cell factor–dependent reporter gene activity as well as the expression of Wnt target genes in mammalian cells. Morpholino-mediated knockdown of Caprin-2 in zebrafish embryos inhibits Wnt/β-catenin signaling and results in a dorsalized phenotype. Moreover, Caprin-2 facilitates LRP5/6 phosphorylation by glycogen synthase kinase 3, and thus enhances the interaction between Axin and LRP5/6. Therefore, Caprin-2 promotes activation of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway by regulating LRP5/6 phosphorylation.

Wild Germ Plasma Resources Investigated in Yunnan

Recently, the Research Team of Paleoclimate Changes and Species evolution, Kunming Institute of Botany (KIB), CAS, completed a 20-day survey on wild germ plasma resources in northwest Yunnan. The survey is part of the project entitled “Investigation and Reservation of Germ Plasma Resources of the Wild Plants in Specific Habitats of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau”, which aims to collect the mature seeds, plant specimen and molecular materials during the frutescence period. During the survey, 380 plant seeds and 1,258 plant specimen were collected, including Sinopodophyllum hexandrum (a national first class protection plant), Lamiophlomis rotate (significant plant for medicinal use), Hemiphragma heterophyllum (a special species in east Asia), Lonicera trichosantha, Triosteum himalayanum, Primula poissonii and meconopsis racemosa (ornamental plants), etc.

New Progress in Research of Hepatoma with Artemisinin

A Research Team headed by Wang Hui, the Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, CAS made new progress in their study on Therapy of Hematoma with Artemisinin and Its Derivatives. Following the paper on DHA capable of curbing ovarian cancer published, Dr. Hou Junmei from this Research Team found that Artemisinin and Its Derivatives have significant anticancer effects against human hepatoma cells. Relevant research paper was published on Clinical Cancer Research (2008 Sep. 1; 14:5519-30). Such result provided new input on how to prevent and cure human hepatoma.