Article
Genetics & Heredity
Shanshan Zhang, Han-Chao Feng, Ji-Long Liu
Summary: ASNS and CTPS are metabolic enzymes that catalyze the biosynthesis of asparagine and CTP, playing important roles in glutamine homeostasis. ASNS cytoophidia are shorter than CTPS cytoophidia, and disrupting ASNS can shorten the length of CTPS cytoophidia. Overexpression of Asn1 can induce the formation of a multi-dot structure, suggesting a connection between ASNS cytoophidia and CTPS cytoophidia.
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hong Zhang, Parker Murphy, Jason Yu, Sukyeong Lee, Francis T. F. Tsai, Ambro van Hoof, Jiqiang Ling
Summary: Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs), essential enzymes for protein synthesis, can cause neurological disorders when mutated. This study investigates the mechanism behind these mutations and found that combined defects in aminoacylation and editing result in severe proteotoxicity. The results show that aminoacylation deficiency predisposes cells to proteotoxic stress and impairs ribosome-associated quality control.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Keiichiro Okuda, Atsushi Umemura, Seita Kataoka, Kota Yano, Aya Takahashi, Shinya Okishio, Hiroyoshi Taketani, Yuya Seko, Taichiro Nishikawa, Kanji Yamaguchi, Michihisa Moriguchi, Hayato Nakagawa, Yu Liu, Yasuhide Mitsumoto, Yoshihiro Kanbara, Toshihide Shima, Takeshi Okanoue, Yoshito Itoh
Summary: ASNase treatment can inhibit the growth of certain HCC cell lines and synergistically inhibit proliferation when combined with lenvatinib (Len). By targeting two amino acids essential for HCC survival, glutamine, and asparagine, ASNase induces oxidative stress and can serve as a novel cancer treatment option that shows a synergistic effect in combination with Len.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Gordon Williamson, Ana Sofia Brito, Adriana Bizior, Giulia Tamburrino, Gaetan Dias Mirandela, Thomas Harris, Paul A. Hoskisson, Ulrich Zachariae, Anna Maria Marini, Melanie Boeckstaens, Arnaud Javelle
Summary: Fungal infections pose a significant threat to human health and crop yields. This study reveals that variations in the Twin-His motif of Amt-Mep-Rh transporters trigger a mechanistic switch from a specific transporter to an unspecific ion channel. These findings support a transport mechanism-driven signaling process in fungal filamentation induction.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dan-Dan Chen, Zhao-Bin Wang, Le-Xuan Wang, Peng Zhao, Cai-Hong Yun, Lin Bai
Summary: In this study, the authors determine cryo-EM structures of a chitin synthase, revealing its activation, catalytic, and inhibitory mechanisms.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Mingliang Wang, Jing Li, Xiaodong Yang, Qiang Yan, Huizhen Wang, Xin Xu, Yida Lu, Deguan Li, Yigao Wang, Ruochuan Sun, Shangxin Zhang, Yonghong Zhang, Zhen Zhang, Futao Meng, Yongxiang Li
Summary: TLK2 is upregulated in gastric cancer and plays a role in tumor progression. It regulates the mTORC1/ASNS axis to promote the invasive abilities of gastric cancer cells. TLK2 may serve as a potential therapeutic target for gastric cancer.
CANCER GENE THERAPY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Joseph Oddy, Rocio Alarcon-Reverte, Mark Wilkinson, Karl Ravet, Sarah Raffan, Andrea Minter, Andrew Mead, J. Stephen Elmore, Isabel Moreira de Almeida, Nicholas C. Cryer, Nigel G. Halford, Stephen Pearce
Summary: Understanding the genetic diversity in the asparagine synthetase gene family in different wheat varieties revealed presence/absence variations and other polymorphisms. Selecting wheat genotypes lacking the TaASN-B2 gene may be a simple and rapid way for breeders to reduce free asparagine concentrations in commercial wheat grain. Expression profiling confirmed distinct expression profiles of TaASN2 and TaASN3.1 genes during grain development.
Article
Oncology
Keita Hanada, Kenji Kawada, Gen Nishikawa, Kosuke Toda, Hisatsugu Maekawa, Yasuyo Nishikawa, Hideyuki Masui, Wataru Hirata, Michio Okamoto, Yoshiyuki Kiyasu, Shusaku Honma, Ryotaro Ogawa, Rei Mizuno, Yoshiro Itatani, Hiroyuki Miyoshi, Takehiko Sasazuki, Senji Shirasawa, M. Mark Taketo, Kazutaka Obama, Yoshiharu Sakai
Summary: Mutations in the KRAS gene are commonly found in various cancers, including colorectal cancer. Studies have shown that KRAS-mutant CRC cells enhance macropinocytosis for tumor growth under nutrient-depleted conditions, and this process is closely correlated with asparagine metabolism. Inhibition of both macropinocytosis and asparagine availability could be a promising therapeutic strategy for KRAS-mutant cancers.
Article
Plant Sciences
Qingli Zhuang, Yingbin Xue, Zhufang Yao, Shengnan Zhu, Cuiyue Liang, Hong Liao, Jiang Tian
Summary: This study identified that GmSPX5 is preferentially expressed in soybean nodules and overexpression of GmSPX5 enhances soybean nodule development under phosphate (Pi) sufficient conditions. The interaction between GmSPX5 and transcription factor GmNF-YC4 activates the expression of asparagine synthetase-related genes in soybean nodules, revealing a regulatory pathway mediating soybean nodule development and enhancing understanding of SPX functions in legume crops.
Article
Oncology
Andreas Schmidt, Angela Armento, Ovidio Bussolati, Martina Chiu, Verena Ellerkamp, Marcus O. Scharpf, Philip Sander, Evi Schmid, Steven W. Warmann, Joerg Fuchs
Summary: Glutamine depletion inhibits proliferation and cell viability in embryonal hepatoblastoma cell lines. High GLUL expression is associated with longer survival time, while ASNS expression has no correlation with overall survival in hepatoblastoma.
JOURNAL OF CANCER RESEARCH AND CLINICAL ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Hideki Matsumoto, Nana Kawashima, Takahiro Yamamoto, Mina Nakama, Hiroki Otsuka, Yasuhiko Ago, Hideo Sasai, Kazuo Kubota, Michio Ozeki, Norio Kawamoto, Yukihiro Esaka, Hidenori Ohnishi
Summary: This study utilized in vitro and cell-based experiments to evaluate the function of human ASNS variants and established a new method for assessing the pathogenicity of ASNS variants. The results of enzymatic activity assays and cell-based assays were consistent, providing a promising approach for further understanding the impact of ASNS variants.
JOURNAL OF INHERITED METABOLIC DISEASE
(2021)
Article
Biology
Norbert Minet, Anne-Claire Boschat, Rebecca Lane, David Laughton, Philip Beer, Helene Asnagli, Claire Soudais, Tim Bourne, Alain Fischer, Emmanuel Martin, Sylvain Latour
Summary: CTP nucleotide is essential for DNA replication. Both CTPS1 and CTPS2 play roles in cell proliferation, but CTPS1 is more efficient and contributes more to cell growth. CTPS2 becomes essential in the absence of CTPS1. The analysis of cancer cell lines confirms the importance of CTPS1 in cell growth.
LIFE SCIENCE ALLIANCE
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Sarah Raffan, Caroline Sparks, Alison Huttly, Lucy Hyde, Damiano Martignago, Andrew Mead, Steven J. Hanley, Paul A. Wilkinson, Gary Barker, Keith J. Edwards, Tanya Y. Curtis, Sarah Usher, Ondrej Kosik, Nigel G. Halford
Summary: This study successfully edited wheat lines using CRISPR/Cas9 technology to knock out the asparagine synthetase gene TaASN2, leading to a significant reduction in free asparagine concentration in the grain. These edits affected the concentrations of free asparagine, glutamine, glutamate, and aspartate in seeds across multiple generations.
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Asif Iqbal, Gui Huiping, Wang Xiangru, Zhang Hengheng, Zhang Xiling, Song Meizhen
Summary: This study investigated the ASN gene family in cotton using bioinformatics analysis. The results showed that the ASN genes play a crucial role in cotton development and nitrogen metabolism. These findings are important for understanding the molecular mechanisms of cotton growth, development, and nitrogen metabolism.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Pavani Vamsi Krishna Nittala, Allison Hohreiter, Emilio Rosas Linhard, Ryan Dohn, Suryakant Mishra, Abhiteja Konda, Ralu Divan, Supratik Guha, Anindita Basu
Summary: The paper presents fabrication methodologies that integrate silicon components into soft microfluidic devices for cell lysis. The integration methodology involves a silicon chip with microstructure arrays embedded in a microfluidic device, which is actuated by piezoelectric force to physically break microbial cell walls. Different silicon microarray geometries, fabrication techniques, integration methods, and efficacy evaluation using synthetic microbeads and yeast species are presented. The proposed integration methodology can serve as an important process step for future hybrid silicon-polymeric devices in cellular processing applications.