Background Bladder cancer (BLCA) is one of the most common genitourinary malignancies in the world, but its pathogenic genes have not been fully identified and the treatment outcomes are still unsatisfactory. Although the members of 2', 5'-oligoadenylate synthetase (OAS) gene family are known involved in some tumorous biological processes, the roles of the OAS gene family in BLCA are still undetermined. Methods By combining vast bioinformatic datasets analyses of BLCA and the experimental verification on clinical BLCA specimen, we identified the expressions and biological functions of OAS gene family members in BLCA with comparison to normal bladder tissues. Results The expression levels of OAS gene family members were higher in BLCA than in normal bladder tissues. The expression levels of most OAS genes had correlations with genomic mutation and methylation, and with the infiltration levels of CD4 + T cells, CD8 + T cells, neutrophils, and dendritic cells in the microenvironment of BLCA. In addition, high expressions of OAS1, OAS2, OAS3, and OASL predicted better overall survival in BLCA patients. Conclusions The highly expressed OAS genes in BLCA can reflect immune cells infiltration in the tumor microenvironment and predict the better overall survival of BLCA, and thus may be considered as a signature of BLCA. The study provides new insights into the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of BLCA.

In July 2022, the World Health Organization announced monkeypox as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), over 85,000 global cases have been reported currently. However, preventive and therapeutic treatments are very limited. The monkeypox virus (MPXV) E12, an mRNA capping enzyme small subunit, is essential for the methyltransferase activity of RNA capping enzymes of MPXV. Here, we solved a 2.16 angstrom crystal structure of E12. We also docked the D1 subunit c-terminal domain (D1CTD) of vaccinia virus (VACV) with E12 to analyze the critical residues of interface between them. These residues are used for drug screening. The top six compounds are Rutin, Quercitrin, Epigallocatechin, Rosuvastatin, 5-hydroxy-L-Tryptophan, and Deferasirox. These findings may provide insights into the development of anti-MPXV drugs.

No abstract