Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rie Seyama, Masashi Nishikawa, Yuri Uchiyama, Keisuke Hamada, Yuka Yamamoto, Masahiro Takeda, Takanori Ochi, Monami Kishi, Toshifumi Suzuki, Kohei Hamanaka, Atsushi Fujita, Naomi Tsuchida, Eriko Koshimizu, Kazuharu Misawa, Satoko Miyatake, Takeshi Mizuguchi, Shintaro Makino, Takashi Yao, Hidenori Ito, Atsuo Itakura, Kazuhiro Ogata, Koh-ichi Nagata, Naomichi Matsumoto
Summary: This study identified a rare RAC1 variant in a male patient, resulting in multiple anomalies and respiratory failure leading to death. The variant may deactivate downstream signals and affect normal cellular functions.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Chao Mei, Chong Liu, Ying Gao, Wen-Ting Dai, Wei Zhang, Xi Li, Zhao-Qian Liu
Summary: This study revealed that eIF3a is overexpressed in colorectal cancer tissues, and its high expression is associated with tumor metastasis and overall survival. Downregulation of eIF3a significantly inhibits the proliferation and migration of malignant cells. Mechanistically, eIF3a regulates Cdc42 and RhoA expression to promote actin cytoskeleton remodeling, facilitating cancer cell migration.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jisca Majolee, Fabienne Podieh, Peter L. Hordijk, Igor Kovacevic
Summary: Research shows a strong, positive correlation between Rac1 activity and its level of ubiquitination, but GDI dissociation does not predispose Rac1 to ubiquitination.
Article
Cell Biology
Pei-Rung Wu, Shang-Yin Chiang, Robert Midence, Wen-Chao Kao, Chun-Lun Lai, I-Cheng Cheng, Shen-Ju Chou, Chih-Cheng Chen, Chih-Yang Huang, Ruey-Hwa Chen
Summary: Patients with mutations in the WDR4 gene exhibit cerebellar atrophy and gait phenotypes, but the underlying mechanisms have not been explored. This study reveals a crucial role of Wdr4 in cerebellar development. Deficiency of Wdr4 in granule neuron progenitors (GNPs) leads to reduced foliation, smaller external and internal granular layers, compromised Purkinje neuron organization, and smaller molecular layer, resulting in locomotion defects.
CELL DEATH & DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Takashi Nakamura, Hirofumi Sakaguchi, Hiroaki Mohri, Yuzuru Ninoyu, Akihiro Goto, Taro Yamaguchi, Yoshitaka Hishikawa, Michiyuki Matsuda, Naoaki Saito, Takehiko Ueyama
Summary: This study found that Rac1 and Rac3 play important roles in the early development of sensory epithelia during embryonic development, but they are dispensable for the maturation of hair cells in the later stages after specification and for the maintenance of hearing after hearing maturation.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR MEDICINE-JMM
(2023)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Robert Eckenstaler, Michael Hauke, Ralf A. Benndorf
Summary: RhoA, RhoB, and RhoC are key regulators of signal transduction in cell biology and have significant roles in tumor biology and vascular biology, regulating various cellular processes and disease pathogenesis.
BIOCHEMICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Hyunjoo Ryu, Hae Nim Lee, Jeongmin Ju, Jae-Bong Park, Eunkyoo Oh, Michael Z. Lin, Jihye Seong
Summary: Rho GTPases play crucial roles in cell motility by regulating actin cytoskeleton dynamics. This study used single-chain photoswitchable activators to control the activity ratios of RhoA and Cdc42, and found that simultaneous activation of RhoA and Cdc42 induces strong actin fibers at the cell edge, with a narrow range of RhoA/Cdc42 activation ratio promoting the response.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL
(2022)
Article
Biology
Yichen Sun, Moyi Li, Junhua Geng, Sibie Meng, Renjun Tu, Yan Zhuang, Mingkuan Sun, Menglong Rui, Mengzhu Ou, Guangling Xing, Travis K. Johnson, Wei Xie
Summary: Neuroligins are cell adhesion proteins with genetic links to autism spectrum disorders. They regulate F-Actin assembly through the RACK1-Cofilin signaling pathway to control synaptic morphology and function at neuromuscular junctions.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Yichen Sun, Moyi Li, Junhua Geng, Sibie Meng, Renjun Tu, Yan Zhuang, Mingkuan Sun, Menglong Rui, Mengzhu Ou, Guangling Xing, Travis K. Johnson, Wei Xie
Summary: Neuroligins, through an interaction between DNlg2 and RACK1, regulate F-Actin assembly at the Drosophila NMJ via the Cofilin signaling pathway. Deletion of DNlg2 disrupts the actin cytoskeleton and results in abnormal synaptic transmission and locomotion. Overexpression of certain forms of Cofilin can rescue these defects. These findings highlight the importance and complexity of Neuroligins in neural connectivity.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Marzia Di Donato, Antonio Bilancio, Ferdinando Auricchio, Gabriella Castoria, Antimo Migliaccio
Summary: Steroid hormones and growth factors control neuritogenesis through their receptors, and androgens and nerve growth factor induce neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells by inactivating the protein RhoA. Inhibition of the RhoA effector ROCK promotes neuritogenesis and enhances the effects of androgens and NGF. These findings suggest potential therapeutic applications of selective androgen receptor modulators and RhoA/ROCK inhibitors in neuro-disorders, neurological diseases, and ageing-related processes.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xin Jin, Bin Zhang, Hao Zhang, Haixin Yu
Summary: The study identified that smoking-induced upregulation of CBX3 promotes lung adenocarcinoma progression by activating the ARHGAP24/Rac1 pathway, suggesting the CBX3/ARHGAP24/Rac1 axis as a potential therapeutic target for smoking-induced LUAD.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jean de Seze, Josephine Gatin, Mathieu Coppey
Summary: RhoGTPases have common features in their action and regulation, including switching between GDP and GTP states, regulation by various factors, and similar structure. This review focuses on the regulation of RhoA, which appears to differ from Cdc42 and Rac1 in terms of its enhanced instability at the plasma membrane. RhoA has a high dynamic turnover at the membrane regulated by GDIs, GEFs, effectors, and a possible soluble conformation. This peculiarity may be important for the specific functions of RhoA.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shuwei Ren, Ning Zhang, Liping Shen, Yongyong Lu, Yixin Chang, Zhenni Lin, Ning Sun, Yuanmei Zhang, Jiheng Xu, Haishan Huang, Honglei Jin
Summary: The study found that the long noncoding RNA lnc00892 is significantly downregulated in bladder cancer tissues and its low expression is associated with poor prognosis. Lnc00892 was shown to inhibit migration, invasion, and metastasis of bladder cancer cells by reducing nucleolin gene transcription and inhibiting nucleolin-mediated stabilization of RhoA/RhoC mRNA. These findings suggest that lnc00892 may serve as a potential therapeutic target for invasive bladder cancer patients.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anna Bianchi-Smiraglia, David W. Wolff, Daniel J. Marston, Zhiyong Deng, Zhannan Han, Sudha Moparthy, Rebecca M. Wombacher, Ashley L. Mussell, Shichen Shen, Jialin Chen, Dong-Hyun Yun, Anderson O'Brien Cox, Cristina M. Furdui, Edward Hurley, Maria Laura Feltri, Jun Qu, Thomas Hollis, Jules Berlin Nde Kengne, Bernard Fongang, Rui J. Sousa, Mikhail E. Kandel, Eugene S. Kandel, Klaus M. Hahn, Mikhail A. Nikiforov
Summary: The study found that fluctuating GTP levels around RAC1-GTP Kd correlated with changes in RAC1 activity in live cells, and RAC1 co-localized with several guanylate metabolism enzymes in cell protrusions, revealing a mechanism of RAC1 activity regulation by local GTP pools in live cells.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Wan-Kang Zhou, Yan Qu, Yuan-Mei Liu, Ming-Juan Gao, Cheng-Yan Tang, Lu Huang, Qing Du, Jia Yin
Summary: The decreased phosphorylation of the Rac1/Limk1/Cofilin signaling pathway may be involved in the pathogenesis of Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR) by inhibiting proliferation and migration of neural cells.
Article
Cell Biology
Shilpak Chatterjee, Anusara Daenthanasanmak, Paramita Chakraborty, Megan W. Wyatt, Payal Dhar, Shanmugam Panneer Selvam, Jianing Fu, Jinyu Zhang, Hung Nguyen, Inhong Kang, Kyle Toth, Mazen Al-Homrani, Mahvash Husain, Gyda Beeson, Lauren Ball, Kristi Helke, Shahid Husain, Elizabeth Garrett-Mayer, Gary Hardiman, Meenal Mehrotra, Michael I. Nishimura, Craig C. Beeson, Melanie Gubbels Bupp, Jennifer Wu, Besim Ogretmen, Chrystal M. Paulos, Jeffery Rathmell, Xue-Zhong Yu, Shikhar Mehrotra
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Amy Lee Bredlau, Anjan Motamarry, Chao Chen, M. A. McCrackin, Kris Helke, Kent E. Armeson, Katrina Bynum, Ann-Marie Broome, Dieter Haemmerich
Article
Neurosciences
Kelby M. Killoy, Benjamin A. Harlan, Mariana Pehar, Kristi L. Helke, Jeffrey A. Johnson, Marcelo R. Vargas
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2018)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shanmugam Panneer Selvam, Braden M. Roth, Rose Nganga, Jisun Kim, Marion A. Cooley, Kristi Helke, Charles D. Smith, Besim Ogretmen
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2018)
Article
Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine
H. M. Steinkamp, J. D. Hathaway-Schrader, M. B. Chavez, J. D. Aartun, L. Zhang, T. Jensen, A. Shojaee Bakhtiari, K. L. Helke, D. J. Stumpo, A. V. Alekseyenko, C. M. Novince, P. J. Blackshear, K. L. Kirkwood
JOURNAL OF DENTAL RESEARCH
(2018)
Article
Cell Biology
Zachary J. Grey, R. Nicole Howie, Emily L. Durham, Sarah Rose Hall, Kristi L. Helke, Martin B. Steed, Amanda C. LaRue, Robin C. Muise-Helmericks, James J. Cray
WOUND REPAIR AND REGENERATION
(2019)
Article
Psychiatry
Lindsay T. McDonald, Marcelo F. Lopez, Kristi L. Helke, M. A. McCrackin, James J. Cray, Howard C. Becker, Amanda C. LaRue
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2019)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Tyler C. Beck, Carmela M. Reichel, Kristi L. Helke, Sanat S. Bhadsavle, Thomas A. Dix
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2019)
Review
Veterinary Sciences
Kristi L. Helke, David K. Meyerholz, Amanda P. Beck, Eric R. Burrough, Rachel J. Derscheid, Christiane Lohr, Elizabeth F. McInnes, Cheryl L. Scudamore, Cory F. Brayton
Summary: Animal models are valuable tools for biomedical researchers, but careful consideration of various features and background factors is necessary for accurate interpretation of results. Different species, breeds/stocks, sex, age, diseases, and other factors can all impact study outcomes.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jaspreet Sharma, Blake R. Rushing, Madeline S. Hall, Kristi L. Helke, Susan L. McRitchie, Natalia Krupenko, Susan J. Sumner, Sergey A. Krupenko
Summary: This study compared the metabolomic analysis results of mice under different dietary conditions. The results showed that the loss of ALDH1L1 gene and dietary folate deficiency caused disruptions in specific metabolic pathways, and these effects varied between male and female mice.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Logan Mlakar, Sara M. Garrett, Tomoya Watanabe, Matthew Sanderson, Tetsuya Nishimoto, Jonathan Heywood, Kristi L. Helke, Joseph M. Pilewski, Erica L. Herzog, Carol Feghali-Bostwick
Summary: Fibrosis, particularly in the lungs, is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. However, a recombinant fusion protein called END55 has been found to have significant anti-fibrotic effects in the skin and lungs. It can decrease the expression of extracellular matrix genes and increase the levels of matrix-degrading enzymes, reducing fibrosis in both mouse models and human tissues.
Article
Biology
Peng Chen, Shangping Wang, Zhenzhen Chen, Pengling Ren, R. Glenn Hepfer, Elizabeth D. Greene, Lia H. Campbell, Kristi L. Helke, Xingju Nie, Jens H. Jensen, Cherice Hill, Yongren Wu, Kelvin G. M. Brockbank, Hai Yao
Summary: Successful nanowarming and ice-free cryopreservation of large articular cartilage samples using nanoparticles is achieved, with significantly enhanced post-warming performance. The developed method shows a heating rate of over one order of magnitude higher than conventional warming methods, and a depth-dependent preservation manner is observed and confirmed. The delivery of nanoparticles to the OCA bone side is a potential direction for further optimization of the method. This study pioneers the application of nanowarming and ice-free cryopreservation for large articular cartilage and provides valuable insights for future technique development, paving the way for clinical applications of cryopreserved cartilage.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
Rebecca Lee, Nicoletta Del Papa, Martin Introna, Charles F. Reese, Marina Zemskova, Michael Bonner, Gustavo Carmen-Lopez, Kristi Helke, Stanley Hoffman, Elena Tourkina
JOURNAL OF SCLERODERMA AND RELATED DISORDERS
(2019)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Richard H. Gross, Yongren Wu, Daniel J. Bonthius, Valerie Gross, Alison Smith, Mary Ann McCrackin, Marissa Wolfe, Kristi Helke, Thomas Gallien, Hai Yao
Article
Hematology
Steven D. Schutt, Yongxia Wu, Chih-Hang Anthony Tang, David Bastian, Hung Nguyen, M. Hanief Sofi, MengMeng Zhang, Chen Liu, Kris Helke, Carole Wilson, Lynn M. Schnapp, Juan R. Del Valle, Chih-Chi Andrew Hu, Xue-Zhong Yu