Article
Oncology
Aleksandrs Krigers, Patrizia Moser, Helga Fritsch, Matthias Demetz, Konstantin Brawanski, Claudius Thome, Christian F. Freyschlag
Summary: The biologic behavior and therapeutic resistance of diffuse and anaplastic gliomas vary greatly, possibly due to differences in cell-to-cell communication and the network defined by Cx43-associated junctional activity and microtubules, with GAP-43 as the dominant structural component. IDH1 wildtype tumors exhibit higher Cx43 expression, which correlates with lower mitosis rate. Slower proliferating tumors may establish intercellular communication more effectively, providing resistance against oncological therapy.
JOURNAL OF CANCER RESEARCH AND CLINICAL ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tania Martins-Marques, Marina C. Costa, Steve Catarino, Isaura Simoes, Trond Aasen, Francisco J. Enguita, Henrique Girao
Summary: This study shows that connexin43 (Cx43) is involved in the selective sorting of miRNAs into extracellular vesicles (EV), potentially modulating cellular functions by directly binding specific miRNAs and facilitating EV-miRNA delivery.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Affiefa Yawer, Eliska Sychrova, Jan Raska, Pavel Babica, Iva Sovadinova
Summary: The frequencies of adverse outcomes associated with male reproductive health, including infertility and testicular cancer, are increasing partially due to exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). This study found that EDCs have rapid effects on testicular cells, specifically affecting intercellular communication and connexin proteins, as well as MAPK signaling pathways. These findings suggest that EDCs may disrupt testicular homeostasis and development.
FOOD AND CHEMICAL TOXICOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Shuhei Fukuda, Masako Akiyama, Yuki Niki, Risa Kawatsura, Hiroyuki Harada, Ken-ichi Nakahama
Summary: The study revealed that miRNAs produced by normal cells can be transferred to cancer cells via connexin 43, inhibiting tumor migration and invasion.
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ta-Chin Lin, Kai-Hung Wang, Kuo-Hsiang Chuang, An-Pei Kao, Tsung-Cheng Kuo
Summary: This study showed that antioxidants in the cell culture medium can enhance the survival and self-renewal of GCs. Furthermore, BPA at environmentally relevant concentration was found to reduce Cx43 expression and GJIC in GCs through estrogen receptor and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. These results not only demonstrate the reproductive toxicity of BPA but also offer insights into the mechanisms by which BPA inhibits GJIC in GCs.
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND APPLIED BIOCHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Ai Li, Tianyuan Zhang, Ting Huang, Ruyi Lin, Jiafu Mu, Yuanqin Su, Hao Sun, Xinchi Jiang, Honghui Wu, Donghang Xu, Hongcui Cao, Xiaoyi Sun, Daishun Ling, Jianqing Gao
Summary: In this study, gene transfection using magnetosome-like ferrimagnetic iron oxide nanochains (MFIONs) achieved high expression of HSV-tk in MSCs and promoted gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) between MSCs and tumor cells, leading to significantly inhibited growth of glioma through an improved bystander effect. The results suggest that iron oxide nanoparticles have the potential to enhance suicide gene expression levels in MSCs and improve the sensitivity of glioma cells to HSV-tk/GCV suicide gene therapy.
Article
Cell Biology
Zuping Wu, Chenchen Zhou, Quan Yuan, Demao Zhang, Jing Xie, Shujuan Zou
Summary: CTGF promotes intercellular communication in chondrocytes through upregulating Cx43 expression and activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.
CELL PROLIFERATION
(2021)
Article
Toxicology
R. Martinez-Quezada, G. Gonzalez-Castaneda, I Bahena, A. Dominguez, P. Dominguez-Lopez, E. Casas, M. Betancourt, F. Casillas, J. J. Rodriguez, L. Alvarez, R. A. Mateos, M. A. Altamirano, E. Bonilla
Summary: Exposure to PFHxS inhibits oocyte maturation by decreasing m Delta Psi at the GVBD stage and inducing DNA damage in cumulus cells.
TOXICOLOGY IN VITRO
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Yan Zhang, Fenghua Lu, Nannan Cai, Lanjing Tang, Yao Zhou, Yalin Li, Kai Liu, Wengang Song, Li Kang, Hao He
Summary: This study aimed to map the antitumor immunity in the glioma microenvironment by analyzing intercellular communication. The results showed the presence of multiple cell populations in glioma, with T cells being the only infiltrating immunocytes. The study also identified several signaling pathways involved in the complex communication between brain cell populations and infiltrating T cells. Furthermore, it demonstrated the immunosuppressive activity of microglia and brain stroma-educated monocytes against CD4(+) T cell proliferation. These findings enhance our understanding of the immune characteristics of glioma.
JOURNAL OF CANCER RESEARCH AND THERAPEUTICS
(2022)
Article
Reproductive Biology
Lin Yin, Wusu Wang, Weijun Pang, Gongshe Yang, Lei Gao, Guiyan Chu
Summary: Gap junction intercellular communication plays an important role in follicular development. In porcine follicles, Cx43 is the most widely expressed connexin. Insulin can enhance Cx43 protein expression, which is dependent on the phosphorylated activities of AKT and Erk.
Review
Oncology
Kuo-Chuan Hung, Cheuk-Kwan Sun, Yang-Pei Chang, Jheng-Yan Wu, Po-Yu Huang, Ting-Hui Liu, Chien-Hung Lin, Wan-Jung Cheng, I-Wen Chen
Summary: This article is a systematic review and meta-analysis studying the association between Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) and prognosis in glioma patients. The study found that a high PNI was associated with better overall survival and progression-free survival in glioma patients, and this finding remained consistent even after sensitivity analysis. These findings have important implications in the treatment of glioma patients.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fan Yu, Lianqi Yan, Jian Sun, Yumeng Zhao, Yan Yuan, Jianhong Gu, Jianchun Bian, Hui Zou, Zongping Liu
Summary: This study found that gap junction inhibitor may play a dual role in Cd-induced cell damage by inhibiting the transmission of death signals from damaged cells to healthy cells but also aggravating the transmission of death signals between damaged cells. The Fas/FasL-mediated death receptor pathway may play an important role in this process.
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jeremy Gingrich, Yong Pu, Brad L. Upham, Madeline Hulse, Sarah Pearl, Denny Martin, Anita Avery, Almudena Veiga-Lopez
Summary: Gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) is crucial for ovarian function and can be modulated by chemicals like bisphenol S, which may enhance GJIC in ovine and human theca cells through signal pathway regulation. Upregulation of GJIC could lead to the hyperplasia of the theca cell layer or hinder ovulation by maintaining the oocyte in meiotic arrest.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Iva Sovadinova, Brad L. Upham, James E. Trosko, Pavel Babica
Summary: The dysregulation of gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) is recognized as a key hallmark for identifying non-genotoxic carcinogens (NGTxC). The scrape loading-dye transfer (SL-DT) technique is a simple assay for evaluating GJIC in vitro and has been frequently used in toxicological and tumor promotion research. This review discusses the applicability of the SL-DT assay in identifying carcinogens and evaluating its predictive capacity within the integrated approach to testing and assessment (IATA) framework.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Raghda Ramadan, Sarah Baatout, An Aerts, Luc Leybaert
Summary: Radiation therapy is effective in treating breast cancer and other thoracic tumors, but can lead to secondary cardiovascular diseases due to radiation exposure of the heart and large arteries. Radiation-induced coronary artery atherosclerosis is a major cardiovascular complication in thoracic radiotherapy-treated patients, with complex biological and molecular mechanisms that are not fully understood. Ionizing radiation exposure can damage the vascular endothelium, leading to atherosclerosis through various mechanisms such as DNA damage, oxidative stress, cellular senescence, and inflammation.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ying Zhang, Yanhong Si, Lei Zhai, Shoudong Guo, Jilong Zhao, Hui Sang, Xiaofei Pang, Xue Zhang, Anbin Chen, Shucun Qin
Article
Cell Biology
Zichao Feng, Wenjing Zhou, Jiwei Wang, Qichao Qi, Mingzhi Han, Yang Kong, Yaotian Hu, Yulin Zhang, Anbin Chen, Bin Huang, Anjing Chen, Di Zhang, Wenjie Li, Qing Zhang, Rolf Bjerkvig, Jian Wang, Frits Thorsen, Xingang Li
JOURNAL OF CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2020)
Article
Neurosciences
Kristina Xiao Liang, Guro Helen Vatne, Cecilie Katrin Kristiansen, Oleksandr Ievglevskyi, Elena Kondratskaya, Joel C. Glover, Anbin Chen, Gareth John Sullivan, Laurence A. Bindoff
Summary: The study successfully generated functional dopaminergic neurons using human induced pluripotent stem cells, which replicated the molecular and biochemical changes found in post-mortem brain samples of POLG patients. POLG-DA neurons exhibited mitochondrial dysfunction, loss of mtDNA and complex I compared to disease-free DA neurons, and NACA showed promising therapeutic effects on this deficit.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kristina Xiao Liang, Anbin Chen, Cecilie Katrin Kristiansen, Laurence A. Bindoff
Summary: Mitochondria play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of many neurodegenerative diseases, with changes in various mitochondrial parameters being common features. A novel flow cytometry-based approach is detailed in this report for measuring multiple mitochondrial parameters in different cell types, including human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and iPSC-derived neural and glial cells. This approach allows for the measurement of mitochondrial volume, membrane potential, reactive oxygen species levels, and mtDNA copy number, as well as assessment of mitochondrial respiratory chain components and mtDNA-associated proteins.
JOVE-JOURNAL OF VISUALIZED EXPERIMENTS
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Anbin Chen, Cecilie Katrin Kristiansen, Yu Hong, Atefeh Kianian, Evandro Fei Fang, Gareth John Sullivan, Jian Wang, Xingang Li, Laurence A. Bindoff, Kristina Xiao Liang
Summary: This study reveals impaired mitophagy in astrocytes with POLG mutations, and demonstrates that dual treatment with nicotinamide riboside (NR) and metformin can rescue mitophagy defects. This has implications for potential therapeutic approaches for POLG-related diseases.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Anbin Chen, Cecilie Katrin Kristiansen, Lena Elise Hoyland, Mathias Ziegler, Jian Wang, Gareth John Sullivan, Xingang Li, Laurence A. Bindoff, Kristina Xiao Liang
Summary: This study found that POLG mutations result in abnormal mitochondrial remodeling in early neural development, affecting the normal remodeling of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex and NAD(+) metabolism.
Article
Cell Biology
Cecilie Katrin Kristiansen, Anbin Chen, Lena Elise Hoyland, Mathias Ziegler, Gareth John Sullivan, Laurence A. Bindoff, Kristina Xiao Liang
Summary: This study compares mitochondrial function and mtDNA replication in human ESCs and iPSCs at different stages and reveals differences in neural and astrocyte derivations. The findings emphasize the importance of considering mitochondrial function differences when extrapolating results from different cell types.
Article
Neurosciences
Yu Hong, Cecilie Katrin Kristiansen, Anbin Chen, Gonzalo Sanchez Nido, Lena Elise Hoyland, Mathias Ziegler, Gareth John Sullivan, Laurence A. Bindoff, Kristina Xiao Liang
Summary: Diseases caused by POLG mutations are the most common form of mitochondrial diseases, but the molecular mechanisms behind the lower survival rate in patients with compound heterozygous mutations are unknown. This study used an iPSC model to investigate the differences between homozygous and compound heterozygous genotypes in different cell types. The results showed that compound heterozygous NSCs exhibited more severe functional defects and downregulation of mitochondrial and metabolic pathways compared to homozygous NSCs.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cecilie Katrin Kristiansen, Jessica Furriol, Anbin Chen, Gareth John Sullivan, Laurence A. Bindoff, Kristina Xiao Liang
Summary: In this study, POLG patient-induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neural stem cells (iNSCs) were investigated to understand the impact of POLG mutations on mtDNA maintenance. It was found that iNSCs carrying compound heterozygous POLG mutations had delayed mtDNA level restoration, while iNSCs with homozygous POLG mutation recovered at a similar rate to controls. Moreover, supplementation of deoxyribonucleosides (dNs) reduced mtDNA depletion and increased repopulation rates in patient iNSCs. These findings suggest that POLG mutations impair mtDNA repopulation and dNs supplementation may offer a new therapeutic approach for mitochondrial diseases caused by disturbed mtDNA homeostasis.
