Journal: Genes & Diseases
Article Title: Suppression of UCP2 alleviates leukemogenesis by enhancing branched-chain amino acids-induced oxidative stress via activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway
doi: 10.1016/j.gendis.2025.101794
Figure Lengend Snippet: Silencing UCP2 inhibits leukemogenesis and disrupts mitochondrial homeostasis. THP-1 or KG-1 cells were transduced either with lentiviral encoding a scramble control, shUCP2#2, or shUCP2#3 plasmid for 72 h. GFP-positive cells were sorted using flow cytometry. Stable transfectants were sub-cultured before being subjected to (A) cell viability and (B) cell cycle determination by flow cytometry. (C) Cell number was counted using cell countess and normalized to the scramble control. Oxidative stress indexes, including (D) ATP, (E) NADP/NADPH ratio, and (F) GSH/GSSG ratio, were determined according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (G) Mitochondrial ROS, (H) mitochondrial mass, and (I) mitochondrial membrane potential were determined according to the instruction manual. (J) Mitochondrial morphology (indicated by red box) was determined using high-power electron microscopy, the number of mitochondrial fusions was quantified using Image J software, represented as mitochondria number/mm, and data were normalized to the scramble control. Mitochondria morphology was indicated in the red box. UCP2 silencing THP-1 AML xenografts were generated as described, and mice were sacrificed 12 days post-transplantation. Tumorigenesis-related indexes, including (K) mouse body weight, (L) survival, (M) cell viability, (N) the size of spleen and liver, (O) AML engraftment (hCD45 + ), and (P) mitochondrial ROS from bone marrow mononuclear cells, were determined using flow cytometry. All experiments were repeated three times. Data represent mean ± standard deviation from technical triplicates (∗ p < 0.01, ∗∗ p < 0.05, and ∗∗∗ p < 0.001; two-way ANOVA for scramble control versus shUCP2s). UCP2, uncoupling protein 2; AML, acute myeloid leukemia; NADP, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate; NADPH, reduced NADP; GSH, reduced glutathione; GSSG, oxidized glutathione; ROS, reactive oxygen species.
Article Snippet: Kasumi-1 (CLR-2724), KG-1 (CRL-8031), and THP-1 (TIB-202) were purchased from ATCC, and MOLM-13 (ACC-554) was purchased from DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH.
Techniques: Control, Plasmid Preparation, Flow Cytometry, Cell Culture, Membrane, Electron Microscopy, Software, Generated, Transplantation Assay, Standard Deviation