Article
Genetics & Heredity
Kara Corps, Monica Stanwick, Juliann Rectenwald, Andrew Kruggel, Sarah B. Peters
Summary: The loss of TGF beta receptor II in mice resulted in bone and teeth defects, as well as osteochondral dysplasia throughout the skeleton, potentially leading to breathing difficulties and malnutrition. These abnormalities were primarily caused by skeletal deformities, affecting the mice's ability to sense and absorb food.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Qing Li, Jiansen Lu, Xidi Yin, Yunjian Chang, Chao Wang, Meng Yan, Li Feng, Yanbo Cheng, Yun Gao, Beiying Xu, Yao Zhang, Yingyi Wang, Guizhong Cui, Luang Xu, Yidi Sun, Rong Zeng, Yixue Li, Naihe Jing, Guo-Liang Xu, Ligang Wu, Fuchou Tang, Jinsong Li
Summary: Researchers have established a system for simultaneous inactivation of multiple endogenous genes in embryos. They found that DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B are critical for primitive streak elongation in early embryo development, and that DNA methylation is involved in the suppression of miRNA expression, which plays a role in gastrulation.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Vinaya Sahasrabuddhe, Hiyaa Singhee Ghosh
Summary: This study investigates the potential detrimental effects of Cx3cr1-Cre activity on microglia and reveals an age-dependent vulnerability of microglia to Cre induction. Early postnatal microglia are more sensitive to Cre activity, while adult microglia do not show these detrimental effects.
Review
Cell Biology
Cayo Almeida, Renan Paschoalino Pongilio, Marilia Ines Movio, Guilherme Shigueto Vilar Higa, Rodrigo Ribeiro Resende, Jianxiong Jiang, Erika Reime Kinjo, Alexandre Hiroaki Kihara
Summary: Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is associated with oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, which involve various types of cells. Molecules involved in oxidative stress response and neuroinflammation have been proposed as potential targets for TLE treatment. This review examines the roles of Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate (NADPH) oxidase 2 (NOX2) and Myeloid Differentiation Primary Response 88 (MyD88) in astrocytes, microglia, and neurons during epileptogenesis. The use of single-cell RNA sequencing, transgenic technologies, and viral serotypes with specific promoters is also discussed for studying gene expression in different cells.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Diana Condrea, Sirine Souali-Crespo, Betty Feret, Muriel Klopfenstein, Sylvain Faisan, Manuel Mark, Norbert B. Ghyselinck, Nadege Vernet
Summary: Retinoic acid signaling is essential for spermatogenesis, but the retinoic acid nuclear receptor alpha (RARA) is not crucial for germ cells. RARA primarily functions in Sertoli cells, not in germ cells.
Article
Biology
Yanze Song, Min Chen, Yingfan Zhang, Jiayi Li, Bowen Liu, Na Li, Miaomiao Qiao, Nan Wang, Yuanwei Cao, Shan Lu, Jian Chen, Wen Sun, Fei Gao, Haoyi Wang
Summary: The circSRY, a circular RNA transcript of Sry gene, is mainly expressed in spermatocytes and plays a crucial role in spermatogenesis. Loss of circSRY leads to germ cell apoptosis and reduction of sperm count. CircSRY regulates H2AX mRNA expression through binding to miR-138-5p.
LIFE SCIENCE ALLIANCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Aaron N. Reifler, Kwoon Y. Wong
Summary: Researchers have developed a recombinant virus called rAAV2-Opn4-Cre, which carries the improved Cre recombinase gene (iCre) and can transduce inner retinal neurons while sparing the outer retina. Their experiments showed that 84% of the Cre-expressing cells were ipRGCs, while 16% were conventional RGCs.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE METHODS
(2023)
Article
Hematology
Jihee Sohn, Jelena Milosevic, Thomas Brouse, Najihah Aziz, Jenna Elkhoury, Suya Wang, Alexander Hauschild, Nick van Gastel, Murat Cetinbas, Sara F. Tufa, Douglas R. Keene, Ruslan Sadreyev, William T. Pu, David B. Sykes
Summary: Barth syndrome is an X-linked disorder that causes cardiomyopathy, skeletal myopathy, and neutropenia. In this study, the researchers investigated potential mechanisms of neutropenia in Barth syndrome. They found that TAFAZZIN-deficient neutrophil progenitors showed increased sensitivity to apoptosis triggers and upregulation of markers of endoplasmic reticulum stress. However, there were no significant differences in neutrophil development or function. These findings provide a foundation for further research.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Yuxuan Guo, Yangpo Cao, Blake D. Jardin, Xiaoran Zhang, Pingzhu Zhou, Silvia Guatimosim, Junsen Lin, Zhan Chen, Yueyang Zhang, Neil Mazumdar, Fujian Lu, Qing Ma, Yao-Wei Lu, Mingming Zhao, Da-Zhi Wang, Erdan Dong, William T. Pu
Summary: The aim of this study is to investigate the role of RYR2 in cardiomyocyte maturation. The researchers used genetic editing techniques to knockout RYR2 and found that its depletion led to structural and transcriptional defects in cardiomyocytes, along with activation of ER stress pathways. The defects in RYR2-depleted cardiomyocytes were partially rescued by an ER stress alleviator.
CARDIOVASCULAR RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Yu Wang, Haidong Guo, Feng He
Summary: Disruption of circadian rhythms is closely related to cancer development. Constructing appropriate circadian disruption models is essential for uncovering and validating the molecular mechanisms involved in cancer development. Mouse models are the most widely used for circadian studies. This review discusses various mouse models of circadian disruption, including light disruption, genetic engineering, sleep deprivation, and other lifestyle factors, as well as the crosstalk between circadian rhythms and oncogenic signaling, the molecular mechanisms of circadian disruption that promote cancer growth, and provides circadian rhythm-based cancer therapeutic strategies.
CANCER AND METASTASIS REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Yangpo Cao, Xiaoran Zhang, Brynn N. Akerberg, Haiyun Yuan, Tomoya Sakamoto, Feng Xiao, Nathan J. VanDusen, Pingzhu Zhou, Mason E. Sweat, Yi Wang, Maksymilian Prondzynski, Jian Chen, Yan Zhang, Peizhe Wang, Daniel P. Kelly, William T. Pu
Summary: The study identified chamber-selective enhancers (CSEs) that contribute to the structural and functional differences between atrial and ventricular cardiomyocytes. Several candidate enhancers associated with cardiovascular disease were identified, and ERR alpha/gamma were found to be essential for ventricular identity. The findings provide important resources for future research on chamber-selective gene regulation.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hao Cai, Haidong Guo
Summary: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as a promising therapeutic tool for various diseases due to their ability to differentiate into multiple cell types and their secreted factors. In recent years, the extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from MSCs have been shown to possess similar therapeutic functions as MSCs. This review provides an overview of the research progress in MSCs and their EVs in different disease conditions.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fengjing Jia, Qun Yu, Ruolei Wang, Ling Zhao, Fuwen Yuan, Haidong Guo, Yunhui Shen, Feng He
Summary: Colorectal cancer is a significant global health burden and Fusobacterium nucleatum is present in the bodies of approximately 30% of CRC patients. Antimicrobial peptides have shown potential as a new class of drugs for treating CRC. In this study, the antimicrobial activities of Jelleine-I derivatives were tested against Fn and their effects on CRC development were evaluated. Br-J-I was found to have the highest anti-Fn activity and showed promise as an adjunct agent for CRC treatment, with better effects than metronidazole and enhanced chemosensitivity to 5-fluorouracil. These findings suggest that AMPs-based combination treatment could be a new strategy for CRC.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Ya-chao Wang, Wan-ting Meng, Hai-feng Zhang, Jing Zhu, Qiang-li Wang, Fang-fang Mou, Hai-dong Guo
Summary: The lymphatic vascular system plays a crucial role in regulating tissue fluid balance, lipid metabolism, and immune function. Cardiac injury can disrupt this system, leading to imbalances in myocardial fluid and cardiac dysfunction. Lymphangiogenesis-targeted therapy, such as VEGF-C, shows promise in improving myocardial function after cardiac ischemia. However, more research is needed to understand the mechanisms of lymphatic transport in response to heart disease. Stem cells may also play a role in lymphangiogenesis by differentiating into lymphatic endothelial cells.
MICROVASCULAR RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Pingzhu Zhou, Nathan J. Vandusen, Yanchun Zhang, Yangpo Cao, Isha Sethi, Rong Hu, Shuo Zhang, Guangyu Wang, Lincai Ye, Neil Mazumdar, Jian Chen, Xiaoran Zhang, Yuxuan Guo, Bin Li, Qing Ma, Julianna Y. Lee, Weiliang Gu, Guo-Cheng Yuan, Bing Ren, Kaifu Chen, William T. Pu
Summary: In this study, the authors used cardiomyocyte-specific ChIP-seq to identify 54,920 cardiomyocyte enhancers at seven stages of murine heart development. They found that regions with dynamic P300 occupancy exhibited developmentally regulated enhancer activity and interacted with temporal changes in the 3D genome architecture to specify gene expressions in cardiomyocytes.
DEVELOPMENTAL CELL
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Cheryl L. McDonald, Pankaj Qasba, Daniel G. Anderson, Gang Bao, Richard A. Colvin, Donald B. Kohn, Punam Malik, Michael J. Mitchell, William T. Pu, David J. Rawlings, David A. Williams, Terence R. Flotte
HUMAN GENE THERAPY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Suya Wang, Erika Yazawa, Erin M. Keating, Neil Mazumdar, Alexander Hauschild, Qing Ma, Haiyan Wu, Yang Xu, Xu Shi, Douglas Strathdee, Robert E. Gerszten, Michael Schlame, William T. Pu
Summary: Barth syndrome is an X-linked disorder caused by loss-of-function mutations in Tafazzin (TAZ). Genetic modifiers strongly influence the phenotypic expression of Taz inactivation.
HUMAN MOLECULAR GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Ya-chao Wang, Huan Wang, Chang-Le Shao, Xiu-Ya Li, Ji Cui, Hai-Dong Guo
Summary: This study screened the effective components of modified Taohong Siwu decoction (MTHSWD) for their protective effects on H9c2 cell injury. Results showed that ginsenoside Rb3, levistilide A, ursolic acid, tanshinone I, danshensu, dihydrotanshinone I, and astragaloside I significantly increased cell viability and reduced lipid peroxide content and apoptosis. Furthermore, these components affected the phosphorylation levels of P38MAPK, ERK, and AKT, providing a potential basis for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
IN VITRO CELLULAR & DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY-ANIMAL
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wan-Ting Meng, Hai-Dong Guo
Summary: Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) therapy holds promise for treating myocardial injuries, with extracellular vesicles being a key mechanism of action. iPSC-derived small extracellular vesicles (iPSCs-sEVs) can transport genetic and protein substances and facilitate interaction between iPSCs and target cells. Recent studies have focused on the therapeutic effect of iPSCs-sEVs in various conditions such as myocardial infarction, myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, coronary heart disease, and heart failure. Different methods, including ultracentrifugation, isodensity gradient centrifugation, and size exclusion chromatography, have been used to isolate iPSCs-sEVs for myocardial injury treatment. Administration of iPSCs-sEVs via tail vein injection and intraductal administration is commonly practiced. Comparison of iPSCs-derived sEVs from different species and organs, such as fibroblasts and bone marrow, have been conducted. Furthermore, CRISPR/Cas9 can be utilized to modulate beneficial genes in iPSCs for altering sEV composition and enhancing their abundance and expression diversity. This review provides insights into the strategies and mechanisms of iPSCs-sEVs in treating myocardial injury, serving as a reference for future research and clinical application.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yu Wang, Meiping Wu, Haidong Guo
Summary: Myocardial infarction (MI) is a severe and highly fatal disease. Regenerative approaches for MI have been limited and ineffective due to the loss of cardiomyocytes (CMs) with limited regenerative capacity. Gene therapy using modified mRNA (modRNA) as a delivery vector is a promising approach for promoting myocardial regeneration. This article discusses the optimization of modRNA-based therapy and its effectiveness in treating animal models of MI. The potential benefits of modRNA therapy include promoting CM proliferation and differentiation, inhibiting apoptosis of CMs, and enhancing paracrine effects to promote angiogenesis and inhibit fibrosis in the heart. However, further clinical trials are needed to make modRNA therapy practical and feasible for real-world MI treatment.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Integrative & Complementary Medicine
Shou-Song Xuan, Yue Zhao, Yan Zheng, Jing Zhu, Han Li, Ping-Ping Lu, Shui-Jin Shao, Hai-Dong Guo, Fang-Fang Mou
Summary: The aim of this study was to explore the role and mechanisms of electroacupuncture (EA) in regulating chemokines and promoting endogenous stem cell mobilization and myocardial regeneration after myocardial infarction (MI). Results showed that EA increased ejection fraction, reduced collagen deposition and apoptosis, and increased blood vessel formation. EA also promoted cellular proliferation and increased the number of stem cells. Furthermore, EA upregulated the expression of SDF-1 and SCF in myocardial tissue. In conclusion, EA promotes angiogenesis, reduces collagen deposition, and improves cardiac function in rats with MI.
ACUPUNCTURE IN MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Yanjiang Zheng, Nathan J. VanDusen
Summary: The improvement of genomic technologies has led to more connections being hypothesized between cardiovascular gene expression and phenotypes. However, in vivo testing of these hypotheses has been limited to slow and expensive generation of genetically modified mice. Recent advances have enabled high-throughput functional genomic assays, such as massively parallel reporter assays (MPRAs), which assess the activities of thousands of genomic regulatory elements simultaneously. This emerging technology has been successfully used in vivo and is expected to evolve and be used in future cardiovascular research.
JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR DEVELOPMENT AND DISEASE
(2023)