Article
Cell Biology
Virginia Lopez, Juan Ramon Tejedor, Antonella Carella, Maria G. Garcia, Pablo Santamarina-Ojeda, Raul F. Perez, Cristina Mangas, Rocio G. Urdinguio, Aitziber Aranburu, Daniel de la Nava, Maria D. Corte-Torres, Aurora Astudillo, Manuela Mollejo, Barbara Melendez, Agustin F. Fernandez, Mario F. Fraga
Summary: Epigenetic mechanisms, particularly involving the histone methyltransferase KMT5B and its mark H4K20me2, play a key role in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Downregulation of KMT5B is associated with DNA hypermethylation and loss of DNA hydroxymethylation in GBM samples. Ectopic overexpression of KMT5B induces tumor suppressor-like features and changes in gene expression, suggesting a possible role in GBM through epigenetic modulation of key target cancer genes.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Oncology
Stefano Zoroddu, Irene Marchesi, Luigi Bagella
Summary: Muscle differentiation failure may involve epigenetic systems and the PRC2 complex. Research has shown that EZH2 is often deregulated in rhabdomyosarcoma and is associated with tumor malignancy.
CLINICAL EPIGENETICS
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Sarah L. Harden, Jieliang Zhou, Seley Gharanei, Maria Diniz-da-Costa, Emma S. Lucas, Liang Cui, Keisuke Murakami, Jinling Fang, Qingfeng Chen, Jan J. Brosens, Yie Hou Lee
Summary: Endometrial fibroblasts differentiate into specialized decidual cells to control embryo implantation and create an immune-protective matrix throughout pregnancy. Metabolomics analysis revealed significant differences in metabolite secretion between different decidual cell subpopulations, suggesting potential importance for optimal embryo implantation. Temporal changes in metabolite secretion were comparable between decidualizing perivascular cells and endometrial stromal cells, but different metabolites were secreted across the decidualization time-course.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Fan Chen, Aria L. L. Byrd, Jinpeng Liu, Robert M. M. Flight, Tanner J. J. DuCote, Kassandra J. J. Naughton, Xiulong Song, Abigail R. R. Edgin, Alexsandr Lukyanchuk, Danielle T. T. Dixon, Christian M. M. Gosser, Dave-Preston Esoe, Rani D. D. Jayswal, Stuart H. H. Orkin, Hunter N. B. Moseley, Chi Wang, Christine Fillmore Brainson
Summary: The impact of EZH2 deficiency on KRAS-driven lung adenocarcinomas was studied, and it was found that haplo-insufficiency and full-insufficiency of EZH2 have divergent effects. Tumors with EZH2 haplo-insufficiency were less lethal and lower grade compared to tumors with EZH2 full-insufficiency. Three-dimensional cultures were used to explore epigenetic drug sensitivities for cancer.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Atsuya Tsuru, Mikihiro Yoshie, Junya Kojima, Ryo Yonekawa, Mana Azumi, Kazuya Kusama, Hirotaka Nishi, Kazuhiro Tamura
Summary: PGRMC1 is involved in cellular senescence during decidualization through the regulation of FOXO1 expression.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Song-Hee Kim, Byung-Chul Kang, Daseul Seong, Won-Hyeok Lee, Jae-Hee An, Hyoung-Uk Je, Hee-Jeong Cha, Hyo-Won Chang, Sang-Yoon Kim, Seong-Who Kim, Myung-Woul Han
Summary: This study revealed that EPHA3 regulates DNA methylation and histone methylation of PTEN through the PTEN/Akt/EMT pathway, affecting PTEN levels in radioresistant head and neck cancer cells. This provides a novel mechanism for radiotherapy resistance in these cancer cells.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chunmin Guo, Mingy Zhao, Xinbin Sui, Zarin Balsara, Songhui Zhai, Michael Ahdoot, Yingshen Zhang, Christa M. Lam, Ping Zhu, Xue Li
Summary: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a global health problem. Bladder infections induce expression of Ezh2, a methyltransferase, in bladder urothelial cells. Inactivation of Ezh2 improves outcomes of chronic and severe UTIs in mice, suggesting it as a potential non-antibiotic strategy for managing UTIs.
Review
Urology & Nephrology
Anbarasu Kumaraswamy, Katherine R. Welker Leng, Thomas C. Westbrook, Joel A. Yates, Shuang G. Zhao, Christopher P. Evans, Felix Y. Feng, Todd M. Morgan, Joshi J. Alumkal
Summary: This study systematically reviewed the role of epigenetic factors in prostate cancer from 2015 to 2020, highlighting key preclinical and translational data. Findings from both preclinical and clinical studies were reviewed and summarized, along with a discussion on 12 ongoing clinical studies with epigenetic targeted therapies.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ka-Wing Fong, Jonathan C. Zhao, Xiaodong Lu, Jung Kim, Andrea Piunti, Ali Shilatifard, Jindan Yu
Summary: PALI1 is a newly identified accessory protein that plays a role in advanced prostate cancer. It competes with JARID2 for binding to the PRC2 core subunit SUZ12 and interacts with the H3K9 methyltransferase G9A, forming a unique super-complex involved in dual H3K9/K27 methylation and gene repression. PALI1 and G9A promote prostate cancer cell proliferation and invasion, and drive tumor growth in xenograft models.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Vijay K. Sirohi, Theresa I. Medrano, Athilakshmi Kannan, Indrani C. Bagchi, Paul S. Cooke
Summary: Maternal uterine remodeling facilitated by EZH2 is crucial for successful pregnancy. Loss of EZH2 impairs decidualization, increases decidual senescence, and alters trophoblast differentiation, leading to pregnancy loss. These findings highlight the importance of EZH2 in regulating uterine physiology and pregnancy progression.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Dawid Dorna, Adriana Grabowska, Jaroslaw Paluszczak
Summary: Many natural products can exert anticancer or chemopreventive activity by interfering with the cellular epigenetic machinery, which can modulate cancer-related gene expression and functional changes, including reduced cell proliferation and migration, and enhanced apoptosis.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Margarita E. Neganova, Sergey G. Klochkov, Yulia R. Aleksandrova, Gjumrakch Aliev
Summary: Epigenetic changes associated with histone modifications are important in the emergence and maintenance of various cancer types. Inhibitors of enzymes involved in these modifications are promising for anticancer drug development. This review explores the main features of common histone modifications and their role in malignant neoplasms, discussing strategies for inhibitor development and analyzing the use of multitarget drugs as the most promising strategy.
SEMINARS IN CANCER BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Julian Aldana, Miranda L. L. Gardner, Michael A. A. Freitas
Summary: A comprehensive multi-omics approach was used to study the effects of differential H3K27me3 deposition driven by EZH2 mutations. The study identified pathways involved in cellular proliferation, differentiation, and migration that are impacted by EZH2 GOF and LOF mutants. The results shed light on EZH2-mediated cell transformative processes from the epigenetic to the phenotypic level, providing insights for improved diagnostics and treatment in hematologic malignancies with mutated EZH2.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Melanie A. Whitmore, Hong Li, Wentao Lyu, Sharmily Khanam, Guolong Zhang
Summary: The combination of HDACi and DNMTi/HMTi showed a strong synergy in inducing HDP gene expression, and also regulated the expression of tight junction proteins.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yang Yi, Yanqiang Li, Chao Li, Longxiang Wu, Dongyu Zhao, Fuxi Li, Ladan Fazli, Rui Wang, Long Wang, Xuesen Dong, Wei Zhao, Kaifu Chen, Qi Cao
Summary: CDCA8 overexpression is associated with poor clinical outcome in patients with prostate cancer, and EZH2 is responsible for CDCA8 activation in PCa.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Onyinye Nuella Ekechukwu, Mark Christian
Summary: Recent studies have identified key metabolic roles for light and taste receptors in adipose tissue. White and brown adipose tissues play major functions in energy storage/release, tightly controlled by GPCR pathways to maintain energy homeostasis.
REVIEWS IN ENDOCRINE & METABOLIC DISORDERS
(2022)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Zhenyu Wang, Yong Li, Dandan Ma, Maomao Zeng, Zhaojun Wang, Fang Qin, Jie Chen, Mark Christian, Zhiyong He
Summary: Different parts of lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) have medicinal properties due to the presence of active chemicals such as alkaloids. The bioavailability of lotus alkaloids is relatively low, but can be enhanced by technological modification. Research shows that lotus alkaloids have therapeutic and preventive effects on obesity, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, etc. They also have industrial applications in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic sectors.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN FOOD SCIENCE AND NUTRITION
(2023)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Zhenyu Wang, Maomao Zeng, Zhaojun Wang, Fang Qin, Yongzhi Wang, Jie Chen, Mark Christian, Zhiyong He
Summary: Fat browning has attracted research interest as a potential treatment for obesity and related metabolic disorders. Polyphenols and gut microecology play crucial roles in converting fat to brown. This review summarizes current knowledge, mostly from mouse models, suggesting that the effects of food phenolics on brown fat activation and white fat browning may be due to their regulation of gut microecology, including microbial profiles, gut metabolites, and gut-derived hormones. Furthermore, potential underlying pathways are also discussed.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN FOOD SCIENCE AND NUTRITION
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Carmen Corciulo, Julia M. Scheffler, Piotr Humeniuk, Alicia Del Carpio Pons, Alexandra Stubelius, Ula Von Mentzer, Christina Drevinge, Aidan Barrett, Sofia Wuestenhagen, Matti Poutanen, Claes Ohlsson, Marie K. Lagerquist, Ulrika Islander
Summary: This study investigated the effect of deficiency of female sex steroids on the progression of knee osteoarthritis (OA) and evaluated the protective role of treatment with a physiological dose of 17 beta-estradiol (E2). The findings demonstrate that E2 treatment can alleviate OA symptoms and protect against bone loss in postmenopausal women with OA.
JOURNAL OF ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Developmental Biology
Kalle T. Rytkonen, Nigatu Adossa, Mehrad Mahmoudian, Tapio Lonnberg, Matti Poutanen, Laura L. Elo
Summary: This study integrates preeclampsia transcriptomes with single-cell transcriptomes to predict cell type-specific contributions in preeclampsia and discovers the distinct and partly unexpected roles of decidual stromal cells and uterine natural killer cells in early- and late-onset preeclampsia.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Zhenyu Wang, Chaoyi Xue, Xuan Wang, Maomao Zeng, Zhaojun Wang, Qiuming Chen, Jie Chen, Mark Christian, Zhiyong He
Summary: Lotus leaf, particularly its component Q3G, can stimulate thermogenesis by activating brown adipocytes through the AMPK and β3-AR signaling pathways. The ethanol extract from lotus leaf contains high levels of polyphenols and flavonoids, with Q3G being the most abundant. The extract promotes mitochondrial biogenesis and fatty acid beta-oxidation, leading to increased energy expenditure.
FOOD RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Pathology
Laura Mairinoja, Hanna Heikela, Sami Blom, Darshan Kumar, Anna Knuuttila, Sonja Boyd, Nelli Sjoblom, Eva-Maria Birkman, Petteri Rinne, Pekka Ruusuvuori, Leena Strauss, Matti Poutanen
Summary: The incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is increasing worldwide, and there is a need for new methods to study its manifestation and analyze drug efficacy in preclinical models. This study developed a deep neural network-based model to quantify different types of steatosis in the liver on stained whole slide images. The algorithm accurately detected liver parenchyma, excluded blood vessels and artifacts, differentiated microvesicular and macrovesicular steatosis, and quantified the recognized tissue area. The results correlated well with expert pathologists' evaluation and liver fat content measurements, demonstrating the reliability of the model.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Farah Omran, Alice M. Murphy, Awais Z. Younis, Ioannis Kyrou, Jana Vrbikova, Vojtech Hainer, Petra Sramkova, Martin Fried, Graham Ball, Gyanendra Tripathi, Sudhesh Kumar, Philip G. McTernan, Mark Christian
Summary: This study investigated the impact of endotoxin on mitochondrial function and browning capacity in human adipocytes. The results showed that endotoxin directly contributes to impaired mitochondrial function and reduced browning capacity of adipocytes, exacerbating metabolic consequences. Bariatric surgery, which reduces endotoxin levels, is associated with improved adipocyte functionality.
Review
Developmental Biology
Joanne Muter, Vincent J. Lynch, Rajiv C. McCoy, Jan J. Brosens
Summary: Embryo implantation in humans is a complex process involving the transformation of the endometrium into a placental bed and interactions between the embryo and the decidualising endometrium. This review examines the evolutionary context of implantation and discusses the remodeling of the uterus before and after conception. It highlights the precarious but adaptable nature of the implantation process.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Agustina Marcial Lopez, Laura D. Ratner, Carolina S. Martinez, Noelia Di Giorgio, Matti Poutanen, Ilpo T. Huhtaniemi, Susana B. Rulli
Summary: This study analyzed the impact of persistently elevated levels of hCG on the reproductive axis of female mice and found that it can cause precocious puberty, perturbations in gonadal hormone production, ovarian function disruption, and infertility.
GENERAL AND COMPARATIVE ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Physiology
Awais Z. Younis, Gareth G. Lavery, Mark Christian, Craig L. Doig
Summary: Methods commonly used to isolate mitochondria involve mechanical force and shear stress to homogenize tissue, followed by ultracentrifugation for purification. However, these protocols can be time-consuming and impair the integrity of the mitochondrial double membrane. This study presents a nitrogen cavitation method for the rapid isolation of intact, respiring mitochondria from murine skeletal muscle tissue and cell lines. This protocol results in high-yield, pure mitochondria without the need for purification gradients or ultracentrifugation, and can be completed in under an hour with minimal specialized equipment.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Laura Hume, Jessica C. Edge, Haidee Tinning, Dapeng Wang, Alysha S. Taylor, Vladimir Ovchinnikov, Annika Geijer-Simpson, Pavle Vrljicak, Jan J. Brosens, Emma S. Lucas, Nigel A. B. Simpson, Jayne Shillito, Karen Forbes, Mary J. O'Connell, Niamh Forde
Summary: We examined the role of conserved placental mammal-specific microRNAs and their targets in regulating endometrial receptivity to implantation. The expression of miR-340-5p, -542-3p, and -671-5p in endometrial epithelial cells was influenced by progesterone exposure. Proteomic analysis showed that these microRNAs altered the expression of numerous proteins, many of which were predicted targets and regulated by progesterone. Dysregulation of these microRNAs and their targets is implicated in recurrent pregnancy loss.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Juha Saarikettu, Saara Lehmusvaara, Marko Pesu, Ilkka Junttila, Juha Partanen, Petra Sipila, Matti Poutanen, Jie Yang, Teemu Haikarainen, Olli Silvennoinen
Summary: Snd1 is an RNA-binding protein that plays important roles in gene expression. Deletion of Snd1 in mice leads to decreased fertility, organ and body size, and reduced number of myeloid cells with decreased expression of granule protein genes. Moreover, the deletion of Snd1 affects a relatively small number of gene expressions in the spleen and liver, and reveals its function in hypoxia adaptation through negatively regulating hypoxia-related miRNAs and hypoxia-induced transcription.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Hannah Collden, Maria E. Nilsson, Anna-Karin Norlen, Andreas Landin, Sara H. Windahl, Jianyao Wu, Karin Horkeby, Marie K. Lagerquist, Henrik Ryberg, Matti Poutanen, Liesbeth Vandenput, Claes Ohlsson
Summary: In this study, it was found that DHEA treatment can restore the levels of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone in male reproductive organs, but not in skeletal muscle or brain. Additionally, supraphysiological levels of androgens were observed in the liver after DHEA treatment, which raises concerns regarding the uncontrolled use of DHEA.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Angel Navarro Trastoy, Sebastian Strasser, Lauri Tuppi, Maksym Vasiuta, Markku Poutanen, Torsten Mayer-Guerr, Heikki Jarvinen
Summary: This study uses a global numerical weather prediction model to generate refraction fields for estimating delays in microwave signals used in satellite-based navigation. The direct coupling of the weather model enhances control over geodetic and meteorological aspects of the orbit problem and provides a good a priori model for atmospheric effects on navigation signals. It also helps in identifying deficiencies in delay computation.
GEOSCIENTIFIC MODEL DEVELOPMENT
(2022)