Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Saif S. Alqassim
Summary: The actin cytoskeleton is essential for cellular processes, and various pathogens manipulate the infected host's actin dynamics for their own benefit. Understanding the mechanisms by which pathogens interact with and control actin assembly can provide insights into fundamental determinants of actin assembly and host-pathogen interactions, and contribute to therapeutic development efforts. This review focuses on the shared and unique features of pathogen effectors that directly bind and assemble actin.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Huanxin Zhang, Kaixuan Zhang, Min Li, Yue Shao, Xi-Qiao Feng
Summary: In this study, a theoretical framework was developed to investigate the force-regulated states and transitions in growing axons. A unique negative feedback mechanism was discovered, defining four distinct kinetic states in the axon growth process. This research provides valuable insights into the understanding of axonal development.
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Daniel Romaus-Sanjurjo, Junmi M. Saikia, Hugo J. Kim, Kristen M. Tsai, Geneva Q. Le, Binhai Zheng
Summary: The study demonstrates that overexpression of eEF1A2 enhances collateral sprouting of CST neurons, likely through increased protein synthesis, mTOR signaling, and actin cytoskeleton rearrangement.
CELL DEATH DISCOVERY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Liyuan Xu, Lingyan Cao, Jiejie Li, Christopher J. Staiger
Summary: By combining genetic and small molecule inhibitor approaches, this study reveals the roles of two classes of actin filament nucleator in maintaining the homeostatic cortical cytoskeleton array in Arabidopsis epidermal cells. The findings suggest that multiple actin nucleation mechanisms cooperate to generate and maintain the unique cytoskeletal arrays within a common cytoplasm.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria K. Mateyak, Dongming He, Pragati Sharma, Terri Goss Kinzy
Summary: Phosphorylation of eEF1A affects its function, and mutation analysis confirms the importance of several phosphorylation sites, with the S289D mutant's activity being influenced by eEF1B alpha.
Article
Cell Biology
Adam N. Keen, Luke A. Payne, Vedanta Mehta, Alistair Rice, Lisa J. Simpson, Kar Lai Pang, Armando del Rio Hernandez, John S. Reader, Ellie Tzima
Summary: Research reveals a noncanonical function of the protein synthesis component eIF6 in regulating cellular mechanobiology. Loss of eIF6 leads to reduced stiffness and force generation, accompanied by cytoskeletal and focal adhesion defects.
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lenka Hornikova, Katerina Brustikova, Sandra Huerfano, Jitka Forstova
Summary: The nuclear lamina is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the cell nucleus, but it poses a barrier for virus replication. Viruses have evolved mechanisms to overcome this obstacle by inducing the assembly of multiprotein complexes and exploiting cellular kinases. Additionally, viruses use nuclear actin for intranuclear particle movement.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sabrina Kaiser, Sophie Eisele, David Scheuring
Summary: In Arabidopsis roots, the vacuole sizes and morphology are regulated by the hormone auxin through NET4A, affecting the cellular space utilization. Mutants and overexpressor lines of NET4A and NET4B still show sensitivity to auxin-induced vacuolar constrictions, suggesting the presence of additional regulatory mechanisms.
PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Alison C. E. Wirshing, Sofia Gonzalez Rodriguez, Bruce L. Goode
Summary: This study investigated how cells assemble actin structures of different sizes, shapes, and filamentous architectures. The researchers found that yeast capping protein (Cap1/2) poorly displaces formins, while vertebrate capping protein (CapZ) can simultaneously associate with formins. Overexpression of CapZ strongly attenuated formin-mediated actin cable assembly, while overexpression of Cap1/2 did not have the same effect. Furthermore, live cell imaging showed that actin patches in cap2 increment cells acquired cable-like features over time.
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Virology
Tieme A. Helderman, Laurens Deurhof, Andre Bertran, Sjef Boeren, Like Fokkens, Richard Kormelink, Matthieu H. A. J. Joosten, Marcel Prins, Harrold A. van den Burg
Summary: The study analyzed the protein composition of ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs) of Tomato spotted wilt orthotospovirus (TSWV) and found that plant RNPs were enriched in proteins related to sugar and phosphate transport, cellular stress responses, while yeast-derived viral RNPs predominantly contained proteins implicated in RNA processing and ribosome biogenesis. This suggests a recruitment of translational machinery to viral RNPs in yeast. Furthermore, gene silencing experiments identified four host factors important for systemic spread of TSWV and disease symptom development.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Maggie Ditto, Diego Jacho, Kathryn M. Eisenmann, Eda Yildirim-Ayan
Summary: This study investigated the impact of extracellular mechanical stimuli on the metastatic progression of prostate cancer cells within a 3D bone-like microenvironment. It was found that static mechanical stimuli increased the metastasis progression factors in prostate cancer cells.
BIOENGINEERING-BASEL
(2023)
Letter
Dermatology
Flora Magnotti, Severine Valsesia, Purnima Gupta, Christa Flechtenmacher, Pierre Contard, Daniele Viarisio, Assunta Venuti, Melanie Wencker, Massimo Tommasino, Jacqueline Marvel, Thomas Henry
JOURNAL OF INVESTIGATIVE DERMATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Yayi Zhao, Rossybelle P. Amorrortu, Neil A. Fenske, Basil Cherpelis, Jane L. Messina, Vernon K. Sondak, Anna R. Giuliano, Michael J. Schell, Tim Waterboer, Michael Pawlita, Sandrine McKay-Chopin, Tarik Gheit, Massimo Tommasino, Dana E. Rollison
Summary: The study investigated the association between UV radiation and various cutaneous viral infections, finding a positive correlation between UV exposure and three markers of Beta-HPV infection.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Luisa Galati, Rosario N. Brancaccio, Purnima Gupta, Eugenie Lohmann, Alexis Robitaille, Racheal S. Dube Mandishora, Cyrille Cuenin, Raffaele Filotico, Jean-Damien Combes, Anna R. Giuliano, Maria Gabriella Dona, Massimo Tommasino, Tarik Gheit
Summary: Overall, our study found that alpha HPV types were more prevalent in MSM, beta HPV types were more common in MSW, and gamma HPV types were equally distributed among the three groups. Additionally, several putative novel PV types were identified in the anal mucosa of men with different sexual behaviors and HIV status.
JOURNAL OF INFECTION
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Racheal S. Dube Mandishora, Trine B. Rounge, Megan Fitzpatrick, Irene Kraus Christiansen, Ole Herman Ambur, Sonja Lagstroem, Babill Stray-Pedersen, Massimo Tommasino, Joel Palefsky, Zvavahera M. Chirenje
Summary: This study found moderate agreement between self-collected anal swabs and clinician-collected anal swabs in HPV genotyping, with no significant difference in the proportion of genotypes detected by either method. Self-collected anal swabs may be used as an alternative to clinician-collected anal swabs for HPV genotyping.
Article
Oncology
Nardeen Eldafashi, Rebecca Darlay, Ruchi Shukla, Misti Vanette McCain, Robyn Watson, Yang Lin Liu, Nikki McStraw, Moustafa Fathy, Michael Atef Fawzy, Marco Y. W. Zaki, Ann K. Daly, Joao P. Mauricio, Alastair D. Burt, Beate Haugk, Heather J. Cordell, Cristiana Bianco, Jean-Francois Dufour, Luca Valenti, Quentin M. Anstee, Helen L. Reeves
Summary: The study explores how genetic variations in immunoregulatory genes may impact the development of liver cancer in patients with NAFLD, both with and without cirrhosis. Results suggest that certain variations in genes such as PDCD1 may increase the risk of NAFLD-HCC development, independent of the presence of cirrhosis.
Article
Oncology
Cindy Simoens, Ivana Gorbaslieva, Tarik Gheit, Dana Holzinger, Eric Lucas, Ruediger Ridder, Susanne Rehm, Peter Vermeulen, Martin Lammens, Olivier M. Vanderveken, Rekha Vijay Kumar, Nitin Gangane, Alessandro Caniglia, Fausto Maffini, Maria Belen Lloveras Rubio, Devasena Anantharaman, Susanna Chiocca, Paul Brennan, Madhavan Radhakrishna Pillai, Rengaswamy Sankaranarayanan, Johannes Bogers, Michael Pawlita, Massimo Tommasino, Marc Arbyn
Summary: The study shows that the prevalence of HPV infection varies across anatomical sites in HNC patients in Belgium, with HPV16 being the most common genotype. The proportion of HPV-driven HNC is 10 times higher in OPC compared to OCC and LC in Belgium from 1980 to 2014.
CANCER EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Otorhinolaryngology
Martina Bertinazzi, Tarik Gheit, Jerry Polesel, Sandrine McKay-Chopin, Cesare Cutrone, Marianna Sari, Marta Sbaraglia, Angelo Paolo Dei Tos, Piero Nicolai, Massimo Tommasino, Paolo Boscolo-Rizzo
Summary: The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of different HPV genera in JoRRP and examine the association of viral features with clinical outcomes. Results suggested a correlation between the number of different HPV co-infections and the severity of the disease in JoRRP patients.
EUROPEAN ARCHIVES OF OTO-RHINO-LARYNGOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marco Youssef William Zaki, Ahmed Khairallah Mahdi, Gillian Lucinda Patman, Anna Whitehead, Joao Pais Mauricio, Misti Vanette McCain, Despina Televantou, Sameh Abou-Beih, Erik Ramon-Gil, Robyn Watson, Charlotte Cox, Jack Leslie, Caroline Wilson, Olivier Govaere, John Lunec, Derek Austin Mann, Sirintra Nakjang, Fiona Oakley, Ruchi Shukla, Quentin Mark Anstee, Dina Tiniakos, Helen Louise Reeves
Summary: The study utilized a mouse model to reproduce key features of obesity associated NAFLD-HCC, highlighting the roles of hepatic steatosis and proliferation in HCC development, as well as emphasizing the importance of lobular inflammation and CD44 positive macrophages in HCC progression.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Praveen D. Sudhindar, Daniel Wainwright, Santu Saha, Rachel Howarth, Misti McCain, Yvonne Bury, Sweta S. Saha, Stuart McPherson, Helen Reeves, Arvind H. Patel, Geoffrey J. Faulkner, John Lunec, Ruchi Shukla
Summary: Chronic hepatitis C virus infection can activate L1 retrotransposons, potentially contributing to hepatocellular carcinoma development in patients with active or cleared viral infection. The study suggests a novel pathway for liver cancer development in chronic HCV patients.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rana M. AlSaffar, Summya Rashid, Sheikh Bilal Ahmad, Muneeb U. Rehman, Ishraq Hussain, Sheikh Parvaiz Ahmad, Majid Ahmad Ganaie
Summary: This study found that D-limonene has a protective effect against cardiac injury induced by CCl4. It acts through regulating antioxidant system, signaling, and transcription pathways. D-limonene can reverse lipid oxidation, inflammation, and cardiac toxicity caused by CCl4, and restore normal cardiac tissue.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Aarif Ali, Muneeb U. Rehman, Syed Mudasir Ahmad, Tabish Mehraj, Ishraq Hussain, Ahmed Nadeem, Manzoor Ur Rahman Mir, Showkat Ahmad Ganie
Summary: Dairy cattle with a high milk yield are susceptible to subclinical mastitis, and this study focused on the polymorphisms in the bovine transferrin gene for early detection and resistance. The sequencing results revealed nucleotide differences between susceptible cows and disease-free subjects, and in silico tools confirmed the impact on protein structure and function. Phylogenetic analysis showed close relations between the transferrin gene alleles and specific cattle breeds.
Article
Oncology
Marco Y. W. Zaki, Sari F. Alhasan, Ruchi Shukla, Misti McCain, Maja Laszczewska, Daniel Geh, Gillian L. Patman, Despina Televantou, Anna Whitehead, Joao P. Mauricio, Ben Barksby, Lucy M. Gee, Hannah L. Paish, Jack Leslie, Ramy Younes, Alastair D. Burt, Lee A. Borthwick, Huw Thomas, Gary S. Beale, Olivier Govaere, Daniela Sia, Quentin M. Anstee, Dina Tiniakos, Fiona Oakley, Helen L. Reeves
Summary: The overexpression of SULF2 in the liver tumour microenvironment (TME) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is associated with tumour progression and therapy resistance. SULF2 in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) is independently associated with poor prognosis and immune exhaustion. Additionally, SULF2 affects tumour cell proliferation, invasion, and sorafenib resistance.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jill E. Hunter, Amy E. Campbell, Nicola L. Hannaway, Scott Kerridge, Saimir Luli, Jacqueline A. Butterworth, Helene Sellier, Reshmi Mukherjee, Nikita Dhillon, Praveen D. Sudhindar, Ruchi Shukla, Philip J. Brownridge, Hayden L. Bell, Jonathan Coxhead, Leigh Taylor, Peter Leary, Megan S. R. Hasoon, Ian Collins, Michelle D. Garrett, Claire E. Eyers, Neil D. Perkins
Summary: The study found that deleting c-Rel results in earlier onset of lymphoma, contrary to the expected function of this NF-xB subunit. E mu-Myc/cRel-/- lymphomas were shown to have a major defect in the CHK1 pathway, involving a loss of CHK1 protein expression and resistance to CHK1 inhibitor treatment.
BIOCHEMICAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Bassier Zadran, Praveen Dhondurao Sudhindar, Daniel Wainwright, Yvonne Bury, Saimir Luli, Rachel Howarth, Misti Vanette McCain, Robyn Watson, Hannah Huet, Fanni Palinkas, Rolando Berlinguer Palmini, John Casement, Derek A. Mann, Fiona Oakley, John Lunec, Helen Reeves, Geoffrey J. Faulkner, Ruchi Shukla
Summary: By analyzing RNA sequencing data and human HCC samples, we found that the expression of Long-Interspersed Nuclear Element-1 (LINE1s/L1) retrotransposons is associated with clinical features of HCC. We also discovered that L1 ORF1p influences HCC-related pathways by regulating the activity of PIN1 in cellular compartments.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF CANCER
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chalermsin Permtermsin, H. Lalchungnunga, Sirintra Nakjang, John Casement, Laura Frances Ogle, Helen L. L. Reeves, Gordon Strathdee, Ruchi Shukla
Summary: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common and deadly form of liver cancer. Current treatments are not effective and have significant side effects. A new method using bioinformatics has been developed to identify genes that are necessary for the survival of specific molecular subgroups of HCC but not normal cells. By targeting these genes, it may be possible to induce synthetic lethality in cancer cells. One gene, TIAM1, has been identified as a potential therapeutic target in a specific subgroup of HCC patients.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)