Review
Oncology
Konsta Kukkonen, Sinja Taavitsainen, Laura Huhtala, Joonas Uusi-Makela, Kirsi J. Granberg, Matti Nykter, Alfonso Urbanucci
Summary: Chromatin and epigenetic alterations play a crucial role in cancer, linking DNA mutations to tumor phenotype and causing changes in prostate cancer development to treatment-resistant diseases. By disrupting transcriptional regulation in normal cells and promoting cancer cell plasticity, this process can impact all defined hallmarks of cancer.
Article
Immunology
Farooq L. J. Almohaisen, Somayyeh Heidary, Mohamed L. Sobah, Alister C. Ward, Clifford Liongue
Summary: The study identified and characterized zebrafish BCL6A and its role in immune cell development and function, with a focus on early macrophages. The findings suggest a strong conservation of BCL6A across evolution and highlight its importance in macrophage biology.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Elizabeth A. Hemenway, Mary Gehring
Summary: The establishment, maintenance, and removal of epigenetic modifications in plants provide an additional layer of regulation beyond genetic factors, allowing for control of developmental processes and adaptation to the environment. Epigenetic inheritance, which can refer to information not encoded in the DNA sequence inherited between generations or epigenetic modifications reset between generations, is of great interest in understanding the functions and mechanisms in plants. This article discusses examples of epigenetic dynamics and maintenance during growth and development stages and their functional consequences, as well as the dynamic nature of epigenetic states in response to stress and their impact on transposable element regulation. The emerging area of research focuses on understanding how epigenetic resetting occurs during normal development and in response to stress.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF PLANT BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Orthopedics
Tomoyuki Kamenaga, Jie Shen, May Wu, Robert H. H. Brophy, John C. C. Clohisy, Regis J. J. O'Keefe, Cecilia Pascual-Garrido
Summary: This study examined the catabolic state of articular chondrocytes and the expression of DNMT3B and ABAT during the progression of osteoarthritis (OA) in hip femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). The findings showed that early-FAI and late-FAI-OA patients exhibited a histological OA phenotype and increased expression of catabolic markers. DNMT3B was underexpressed and ABAT was overexpressed in advanced disease. IL1 beta stimulus further accentuated catabolic marker overexpression through ABAT promoter hypomethylation, while TGF beta normalized these alterations. Suppression of ABAT through methylation control could be a potential therapeutic target for preventing OA progression in hip FAI.
JOURNAL OF ORTHOPAEDIC RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Sangwoo Kim, Erina Yoneda, Kisaki Tomita, Mitsunori Kayano, Hiroyuki Watanabe, Motoki Sasaki, Takashi Shimizu, Yuki Muranishi
Summary: This study investigates the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) endotoxin exposure on early embryonic development and fetal development in mice. It is found that LPS exposure leads to increased expression of Il-1 beta and Il-6, and significantly decreases the embryonic developmental rate. Different concentrations of LPS also have varying effects on placental weight, fetal weight, and crown-rump length (CRL). These findings suggest that LPS exposure during fertilization can result in abnormal embryonic phenotypes and fetal development, with potential long-term effects on epigenetic inheritance.
Article
Biology
Tzu-Hsien Yang, Yu-Huai Yu, Sheng-Hang Wu, Fang-Yuan Zhang
Summary: In this research, the CRM Function Annotator (CFA) model was developed to provide complete CRM transcriptional role labeling based on epigenetic profiling interpretation. CFA achieves high performance and outperforms existing tools in promoter/enhancer/insulator identification. By considering the higher-order combinations of the epigenetic codes, CFA significantly reduces false-positive rates in CRM transcriptional role annotation.
COMPUTERS IN BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Dermatology
Ramile Dilshat, Hong Nhung Vu, Eirikur Steingrimsson
Summary: Melanocytes originate in the neural crest, migrate and proliferate before differentiating into pigment-producing cells, determining color and protecting against UV radiation; their lineage is regulated by transcription factors and signaling pathways, with epigenetic modifiers and replacement histones playing key roles in this process.
EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Catherine M. Stein, Penelope Benchek, Jacquelaine Bartlett, Robert P. Igo, Rafal S. Sobota, Keith Chervenak, Harriet Mayanja-Kizza, C. Fordham von Reyn, Timothy Lahey, William S. Bush, W. Henry Boom, William K. Scott, Carmen Marsit, Giorgio Sirugo, Scott M. Williams
Summary: This study identified specific epigenetic changes in HIV-infected individuals exposed to TB but remaining disease free, which could potentially enhance resistance to tuberculosis in conjunction with genetic variants.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Developmental Biology
Andi Wang, Junbao Wang, Kuan Tian, Dawei Huo, Hanzhe Ye, Si Li, Chen Zhao, Bo Zhang, Yue Zheng, Lichao Xu, Xiaojiao Hua, Kun Wang, Qing-Feng Wu, Xudong Wu, Tao Zeng, Ying Liu, Yan Zhou
Summary: The study reveals that LncBAR plays a crucial role in controlling the properties of intermediate progenitors (IPs) during neocortical neurogenesis. Knockout of LncBAR promotes IP production but paradoxically prolongs the cell cycle duration of IPs, impacting the development of neocortical projection neurons.
Review
Plant Sciences
Sidra Anwar, Eric Brenya, Yagiz Alagoz, Christopher I. Cazzonelli
Summary: Carotenoids are secondary metabolites synthesized in plastids that play crucial roles in plant growth and development, influencing the color and aroma of leaves, flowers, and fruits. These compounds are closely linked to gene regulation, cellular communication, and epigenetic processes throughout the plant's life cycle.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN PLANT SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Xiaorong Huang, Meng-Xiang Sun
Summary: Recent findings on histone variants in two cell lineages, vegetative-cell-derived small interfering RNA and transposable element expression provide new power for relevant investigations of the male gametophyte of angiosperms.
JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zhi-Ming Ding, Shang-Ke Wang, Shou-Xin Zhang, Yang-Wu Chen, Yong-Sheng Wang, Sheng-Ji Yang, Yun-Xia Cao, Yi-Liang Miao, Li-Jun Huo
Summary: Triclocarban (TCC) is a harmful chemical that is used globally as a broad-spectrum antibacterial agent and is present in high concentrations in the environment. The exposure to TCC can occur through skin contact, diet, and inhalation, leading to its accumulation in the human body. The impact of TCC on human health, specifically its reproductive toxicity, needs to be evaluated due to the lack of clear understanding about its safety profile. This study examined the effect of TCC on the early embryonic development of mice and identified the mechanisms involved.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dominik Muehlen, Xiaojuan Li, Oleksandr Dovgusha, Herbert Jaeckle, Ufuk Guenesdogan
Summary: Epigenetic inheritance during DNA replication requires the assembly of nucleosomes from parental and newly synthesized histones. Lack of new histone synthesis leads to accessible chromatin, reduced nucleosome occupancy, and up-regulated and spurious transcription. However, the positions of modified parental histones are largely restored during DNA replication, suggesting recycling of parental histones to preserve the epigenetic landscape.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Thomas Dahlet, Matthias Truss, Ute Frede, Hala Al Adhami, Anais F. Bardet, Michael Dumas, Judith Vallet, Johana Chicher, Philippe Hammann, Sarah Kottnik, Peter Hansen, Uschi Luz, Gonzalo Alvarez, Ghislain Auclair, Jochen Hecht, Peter N. Robinson, Christian Hagemeier, Michael Weber
Summary: During mouse development, the transcription factor E2F6 is crucial in targeting CpG island DNA methylation and epigenetic silencing to germline genes, especially in early embryonic cells. The cooperation between E2F6 and MGA is essential for silencing a subgroup of germline genes, dependent on the E2F6 marked box domain. E2F6 is required for initiating epigenetic silencing in early embryonic cells but becomes dispensable for maintenance in differentiated cells.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zhongjie Tang, Zhaolian Lu, Baizhen Chen, Weixing Zhang, Howard Y. Chang, Zheng Hu, Jin Xu
Summary: In this study, the researchers analyzed mitochondrial DNA mutations in over 30,000 human cells and found an overrepresentation of mutations in lymphocytes compared to hematopoietic progenitors and myeloid cells. They also found that mtDNA replication lags behind cell proliferation in lymphoid cells, potentially causing a genetic bottleneck. This study reveals a lymphoid-specific mtDNA genetic bottleneck, shedding light on how highly metabolically active immune cells limit their mtDNA mutation load.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Lucy Cooper, Kim L. Good-Jacobson
IMMUNOLOGY AND CELL BIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Immunology
Kim L. Good-Jacobson, Joanna R. Groom
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kylie M. Quinn, Tabinda Hussain, Felix Kraus, Luke E. Formosa, Wai K. Lam, Michael J. Dagley, Eleanor C. Saunders, Lisa M. Assmus, Erica Wynne-Jones, Liyen Loh, Carolien E. van de Sandt, Lucy Cooper, Kim L. Good-Jacobson, Katherine Kedzierska, Laura K. Mackay, Malcolm J. McConville, Georg Ramm, Michael T. Ryan, Nicole L. La Gruta
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2020)
Editorial Material
Immunology
Anna Bigas, Ivan Zanoni, Matthew R. Hepworth, Stephanie C. Eisenbarth, Seth Lucian Masters, Jonathan Kipnis, Carola G. Vinuesa, Kim L. Good-Jacobson, Stuart G. Tangye, Sayuri Yamazaki, Claire Hivroz, Elia Tait Wojno, Ziv Shulman, Marco Colonna
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Aidil Zaini, Kim L. Good-Jacobson, Colby Zaph
Summary: Current approaches to reduce the burden of chronic helminth infections in endemic areas include sanitation and deworming drugs, but drug resistance and reinfection remain challenges. A vaccine against helminths could prevent reinfection, but has not been successfully developed. Research has shown that B cells play important roles during intestinal helminth infection, but their specific roles are still unclear.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Stephane Chappaz, Kate McArthur, Liam Kealy, Charity W. Law, Maximilien Tailler, Rachael M. Lane, Anna Lieschke, Matthew E. Ritchie, Kim L. Good-Jacobson, Andreas Strasser, Benjamin T. Kile
Summary: The intrinsic apoptosis pathway is believed to be central in shaping the B cell lineage, but its exact role in mature B cell homeostasis is still unclear. Research shows that apoptosis constrains the lifespan of follicular B cells, but has no effect on marginal zone B cell homeostasis. Reduced BAFF signaling dampens the growth of FoB cells despite triggering a protective p53 response.
Review
Immunology
Jack Polmear, Kim L. Good-Jacobson
Summary: The N-glycan structure of antibodies plays a crucial role in modulating inflammatory or anti-inflammatory responses, and can be used as biomarkers to differentiate disease states and severity.
CURRENT OPINION IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Andrea Di Pietro, Jack Polmear, Lucy Cooper, Timon Damelang, Tabinda Hussain, Lauren Hailes, Kristy O'Donnell, Vibha Udupa, Tian Mi, Simon Preston, Areen Shtewe, Uri Hershberg, Stephen J. Turner, Nicole L. La Gruta, Amy W. Chung, David M. Tarlinton, Christopher D. Scharer, Kim L. Good-Jacobson
Summary: Research reveals that BMI-1 plays a crucial role in chronic viral infections, and targeting BMI-1 can enhance humoral immune responses and accelerate viral clearance. Deficiency of BMI-1 can increase neutralizing and effector function of antibodies, ultimately restoring antibody quality.
Editorial Material
Immunology
Kim L. Good-Jacobson
Summary: Memory B cells play a key role in protecting against reinfection, with early memory subsets contributing to the diversity and agility of the humoral defense system. Single-cell techniques have been used to understand how activated mouse B cells are diverted into forming memory cells post-immunogenic exposure.
TRENDS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Liam Kealy, Kim L. Good-Jacobson
IMMUNOLOGY AND CELL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Kim L. Good-Jacobson
IMMUNOLOGY AND CELL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Immunology
Anne L. Fletcher, Kim L. Good-Jacobson
Summary: Single-cell RNA sequencing identifies different subsets of fibroblastic reticular cells and predicts their crosstalk with lymphocytes, which play a vital role in supporting immune function.
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Jack Polmear, Liam Kealy, Hui Xu, Kim L. Good-Jacobson
Summary: Clear and inclusive communication of science is essential to engage the public and reduce medical distrust. However, current scientific communication often neglects individuals with visual impairments or diverse needs. Therefore, the development of tactile and informative models for immunology exhibitions is crucial.
IMMUNOLOGY AND CELL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Immunology
Kim Good-Jacobson, Andrea Di Pietro, Lucy Cooper
JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)