Article
Mathematics
Jorge Lauret, Cynthia Will
Summary: This article studies the third real de Rham cohomology of compact homogeneous spaces. It is shown that for a compact semisimple group G, a bi-invariant symmetric bilinear form Q on the Lie algebra g can naturally define a G-invariant closed 3-form H-Q on the homogeneous space G/K, which plays a role similar to the Cartan 3-form on G. The conditions for Q and a given G-invariant metric g to make H-Q g-harmonic are given in terms of algebraic invariants of G/K. The behavior of g-harmonic 3-forms H-Q under different metrics is also explored.
JOURNAL OF GEOMETRIC ANALYSIS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Amelia T. Yuan, Natalie C. Korkola, Martin J. Stillman
Summary: Metallothioneins (MTs) are essential mammalian metal chaperones. MT1 is expressed in the kidneys and MT3 in nervous tissue. Through various methods, this study provides evidence that apo-MT3 adopts a compact structure under physiological conditions and an extended structure under denaturing conditions. Furthermore, the study suggests that MT3 acts as a non-inducible regulator of the nervous system, while MT1 acts as an inducible scavenger in the kidneys.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Peiqiang Feng, Xudong Wu, Satchal K. Erramilli, Joao A. Paulo, Pawel Knejski, Steven P. Gygi, Anthony A. Kossiakoff, Tom A. Rapoport
Summary: Peroxisomes are essential organelles for human health and the ligase complex plays a crucial role in the recycling of peroxisomal import receptors. The cryo-electron microscopy structure of the complex reveals its function as a retrotranslocation channel, clarifying an important step in peroxisomal protein import.
Article
Immunology
Kohei Kusakari, Takeshi Machida, Yumi Ishida, Tomoko Omori, Toshiyuki Suzuki, Masayuki Sekimata, Ikuo Wada, Teizo Fujita, Hideharu Sekine
Summary: The complement system is important for host defense and can be activated through three pathways. MASP-3 circulates in an active form and activates the alternative pathway via complement factor D. Formation of complexes between MASP-3 and LP-PRMs is not required for MASP-3 activation. Mutant MASP-3 proteins showed faster clearance from circulation.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Lanlan Yu, Ruonan Wang, Tao Wen, Lei Liu, Tao Wang, Shuli Liu, Haiyan Xu, Chenxuan Wang
Summary: Rapid antigen detection tests are crucial for the early diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2, and the discovery of a high-affinity binder is essential for the development of such tests. In this study, a peptide binder R1 was identified through surface biopanning, which exhibited high affinity for the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The R1-functionalized gold nanoparticles showed concentration-dependent response to RBD and selectivity over other proteins.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Monika Bednarczyk, Carolina Medina-Montano, Frederic Julien Fittler, Henner Stege, Meike Roskamp, Michael Kuske, Christian Langer, Marco Vahldieck, Evelyn Montermann, Ingrid Tubbe, Nadine Roehrig, Andrzej Dzionek, Stephan Grabbe, Matthias Bros
Summary: The development of nanocarriers for biomedical applications is of great interest due to their potential to deliver drugs in a targeted manner. This study demonstrates that carbohydrate-coated nanocarriers trigger immune responses and exhibit enhanced binding to cells when complement-opsonized.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zheng Dai, Sachit D. Saksena, Geraldine Horny, Christine Banholzer, Stefan Ewert, David K. Gifford
Summary: This study proposes a method of creating large libraries of candidate sequences that meet an objective function at low cost, called computationally designed factorizable libraries. By representing objective functions as an inner product of feature vectors, the authors introduce an optimization method called stochastically annealed product spaces (SAPS). Using this approach, they successfully design diverse and efficient libraries of antibody CDR-H3 sequences with various optimized characteristics.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Li Huang, Zhenfeng Zhang, Roger McMacken
Summary: E. coli histone-like protein HU shows a preference for binding to negatively supercoiled DNA, with affinity increasing with higher negative superhelical density. However, this binding preference becomes negligible at high HU/DNA mass ratios.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Rasool Keshavarz, Negin Shariati
Summary: This article presents a time domain transmissometry soil moisture sensor (TDT-SMS) using a dispersive phase shifter (DPS). The proposed sensor utilizes the complex permittivity sensing property of a DPS in time domain to measure the soil relative permittivity and hence the moisture content. The sensor exhibits high accuracy and precise design, making it suitable for precision farming and IoT applications.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INSTRUMENTATION AND MEASUREMENT
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Yong Li, Sheng-Chun Fang, Lan Zhou, Xue-Mei Mo, Hao-Dong Guo, Yan-Bo Deng, Hong-Hao Yu, Wei-Yi Gong
Summary: Neuropathic pain (NP) after spinal cord injury (SCI-evoked NP) is clinically challenging and the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. This study found that the CR3/C3 pathway and NR2B are involved in the development of SCI-evoked NP. However, further research is needed to determine the mechanisms underlying this NP and its association with the CR3/C3 pathway and NR2B.
JOURNAL OF PAIN RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Vivian Cody, Jia Q. Truong, Bruce A. Holdsworth, Jessica K. Holien, Samantha J. Richardson, David K. Chalmers, David J. Craik
Summary: Human transthyretin (hTTR) amyloid deposits can disrupt cellular function, but the molecule VCP-6 can bind to and stabilize hTTR, reducing amyloid formation.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Qinghui Wang, Zhengzheng Ruan, Lu Jing, Ziyang Guo, Xiaomeng Zhang, Jianing Liu, Lu Tian, Wei Sun, Sheng Song, Jau-Shyong Hong, Yen-Yu Ian Shih, Liyan Hou, Qingshan Wang
Summary: This study demonstrates the key role of CR3 in mediating neurotoxic glial activation and subsequent cognitive impairments in rotenone-treated mice. CR3 deficiency or knockdown reduces the production of neurotoxic cells induced by rotenone, thus improving cognitive abilities in mice. The NF-xB and STAT3 pathways are involved in this process.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Pulkit Kr. Gupta, Aurosikha Das, Aditi Singh, Soumendra Rana
Summary: C5a is a potent proinflammatory modulator that recruits two G protein-coupled receptors, C5aR1 and C5aR2, to form binary complexes. This study generated a highly refined model structure of the fully active ternary complex C5a-C5aR2-β-arrestin1, providing insights into their interaction and signaling mechanisms.
JOURNAL OF BIOMOLECULAR STRUCTURE & DYNAMICS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Jiayu Rao, Kenneth Nai, Povilas Vaitukaitis, Yuepei Li, Jiasheng Hong
Summary: This article proposes a novel compact fan-shaped folded waveguide resonator (FSFWGR) and successfully designs a high-quality fourth-order bandpass filter, integrating with a new slot cross-coupling method and a compact antenna.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MICROWAVE THEORY AND TECHNIQUES
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yifei Hu, Guoshuai Cao, Xiufen Chen, Xiaodan Huang, Nicholas Asby, Nicholas Ankenbruck, Ali Rahman, Ashima Thusu, Yanran He, Peter A. Riedell, Michael R. Bishop, Hans Schreiber, Justin P. Kline, Jun Huang
Summary: The study developed a high-avidity CAR-staining reagent called antigen multimers, which can detect CAR T cells more accurately, sensitively, and precisely, with broad clinical and research applications in various aspects.
Article
Immunology
Heidi Gytz Olesen, Iliana Michailidou, Wioleta M. Zelek, Jeroen Vreijling, Patrick Ruizendaal, Ferry de Klein, J. Arnoud Marquart, Thomas B. Kuipers, Hailiang Mei, Yuchun Zhang, Muhammad Ahasan, Krista K. Johnson, Yi Wang, B. Paul Morgan, Marcus van Dijk, Kees Fluiter, Gregers Rom Andersen, Frank Baas
Summary: Damage and disease of nerves activate the complement system, leading to the formation of the membrane attack complex (MAC) and delaying nerve regeneration. By studying the complement component C6, researchers have developed a novel therapeutic monoclonal antibody, CP010, that prevents MAC formation and shows potential therapeutic use in neurological diseases. The antibody blocks the interaction between C6 and C5/C5b and demonstrates efficacy in preventing disease and relapse in animal models.
JOURNAL OF INNATE IMMUNITY
(2023)
Article
Allergy
Melanie Plum, Luna Tjerrild, Tim Raiber, Frank Bantleon, Sara Bantleon, Michaela Miehe, Frederic Jabs, Henning Seismann, Christian Moebs, Wolfgang Pfutzner, Thilo Jakob, Gregers R. Andersen, Edzard Spillner
Summary: This study provides evidence for the relevance of N-glycan recognition in T(H)2 responses and suggests that IgE and IgG antibodies to ubiquitous carbohydrate epitopes can be equivalent to those directed against proteinaceous epitopes with clinical implications.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Juan Feng, Xianchi Dong, Yang Su, Chafen Lu, Timothy A. Springer
Summary: This study investigates the fusion structure and intermediate states of the HAP2 protein from red algae. The postfusion structure of HAP2 is trimeric, but the prefusion structure has been difficult to determine. The study reveals the importance of three fusion loops in D2 for the formation of the postfusion state.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Henrik Pedersen, Rasmus Kjeldsen Jensen, Annette Gudmann Hansen, Steen Vang Petersen, Steffen Thiel, Nick Stub Laursen, Gregers Rom Andersen
Summary: The complement system plays a role in labeling pathogens and dying host cells for clearance. A nanobody has been discovered that specifically binds to degradation products of complement component C3 and effectively inhibits complement deposition. This nanobody could be a potential candidate for studying complement-related diseases in rodent models.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Hematology
Hans T. Bergal, Yan Jiang, Darren Yang, Timothy A. Springer, Wesley P. Wong
Summary: In this study, we measured the extension of free VWF in shear flow using pulsed laser stroboscopic imaging and found a muted response of free VWF to high shear stresses. Modeling VWF showed that it behaves as an uncollapsed polymer under high shear stresses.
Article
Immunology
Vivien R. Schack, Morten K. Herlin, Henrik Pedersen, J. Magnus Bernth Jensen, Mia Faerch, Bettina Bundgaard, Rasmus K. Jensen, Uffe B. Jensen, Rikke Christensen, Gregers R. Andersen, Steffen Thiel, Per Hollsberg
Summary: We report a pediatric patient with aHUS carrying a previously unreported homozygous variant in CD46. Functional analyses showed that this variant caused complement dysregulation through multiple mechanisms. These findings highlight the coexistence of multiple mechanisms that may disrupt CD46 function during aHUS development.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Dennis Vestergaard Pedersen, Josefine Lorentzen, Gregers Rom Andersen
Summary: This article reviews the recent progress in the structure determination of alternative pathway protein FP, highlighting the regions involved in the interactions between C3b, factor B, and FP. The study also sheds light on the relationship between FP activity and its oligomerization state, and discusses the structural basis for FP deficiency and tick-mediated inhibition. Overall, the accumulated structural knowledge provides a comprehensive basis for understanding molecular interactions involving FP and its role in various pathological conditions.
IMMUNOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Steven J. Frey, Juan Manuel Carreno, Dominika Bielak, Ammar Arsiwala, Clara G. Altomare, Chad Varner, Tania Rosen-Cheriyan, Goran Bajic, Florian Krammer, Ravi S. Kane
Summary: Despite licensed vaccines being available, influenza still leads to significant illness and death globally. Current vaccines mainly target the head domain of the viral protein hemagglutinin (HA), but influenza viruses can easily evade this response by acquiring mutations in the head domain. This study demonstrates that nanoparticles presenting HA in an inverted orientation generate higher levels of antibodies and a broader immune response against the conserved stalk domain, providing better protection against the virus. By controlling antigen orientation, it may be possible to design nanovaccines that offer broad protection against influenza and other potential pandemic pathogens.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Friedrich Braumann, Dennis Klug, Jessica Kehrer, Gaojie Song, Juan Feng, Timothy A. Springer, Friedrich Frischknecht
Summary: Eukaryotic cell adhesion and migration rely on surface adhesins connecting extracellular ligands to the intracellular actin cytoskeleton. Plasmodium sporozoites utilize adhesion and gliding motility for transmission and colonization purposes. The role of the TRAP adhesin and the importance of its conformational states in sporozoite behavior were studied, revealing that dynamic conformational change is required for ligand binding, gliding motility, and organ invasion, thus impacting sporozoite transmission.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alexey Ferapontov, Marjan Omer, Isabelle Baudrexel, Jesper Sejrup Nielsen, Daniel Miotto Dupont, Kristian Juul-Madsen, Philipp Steen, Alexandra S. Eklund, Steffen Thiel, Thomas Vorup-Jensen, Ralf Jungmann, Jorgen Kjems, Soren Egedal Degn
Summary: The binding between B cell receptors (BCRs) and antigens triggers a response in B cells and eventually leads to antibody production. However, it is still unclear how BCRs are distributed on naive B cells and how antigen binding initiates the first step of BCR signaling. Using DNA-PAINT super-resolution microscopy, it has been discovered that most BCRs exist as monomers, dimers, or loosely associated clusters on resting B cells, with a nearest-neighbor inter-Fab distance of 20-30nm. By engineering monoclonal model antigens with precise control over affinity and valency, researchers found that the antigen can activate the BCR in an agonistic manner as affinity and avidity increase.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Hematology
Gregers Rom Andersen
Summary: In this study, Andersen et al1 provide a detailed structural characterization of lufaxin, a 32-kDa protein found in the saliva of the blood-feeding sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis. They demonstrate that lufaxin can form a large complex with a complement proconvertase and the coagulation factor fXa, leading to the inhibition of complement C3 proconvertase activation and fXa proteolytic activity.
Article
Ethics
Tara Bladt, Thomas Vorup-Jensen, Mette Ebbesen
Summary: This article investigates whether the principle of justice proposed by American ethicists Tom Beauchamp and James Childress can be applied to the prioritization of expensive biological therapies in the Danish healthcare system. The study suggests that a modified version of Beauchamp and Childress's principle could be useful in the Danish context.
JOURNAL OF BIOETHICAL INQUIRY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yan Zhang, Thea Jess Plesner, Yi Ouyang, Yu-Cong Zheng, Etienne Bouhier, Emilie Ingemann Berentzen, Mingliang Zhang, Pengfei Zhou, Wolfgang Zimmermann, Gregers Rom Andersen, Bekir Engin Eser, Zheng Guo
Summary: A novel thermophilic laccase, LfLAC3, was identified from PE-degrading Lysinibaccillus fusiformis through computer-aided and activity-based screening. LfLAC3 showed high robustness and catalytic promiscuity. It was able to degrade all tested dyes and low-density polyethylene films without the use of a mediator, indicating its potential for dye decolorization and plastic degradation.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Correction
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rasmus K. Jensen, Rasmus Pihl, Trine A. F. Gadeberg, Jan K. Jensen, Kasper R. Andersen, Steffen Thiel, Nick S. Laursen, Gregers R. Andersen
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Dante Guldbrandsen Andersen, Andreas Botker Pedersen, Martin Hogholm Jorgensen, Mireia Casanovas Montasell, Ane Bretschneider Sogaard, Gal Chen, Avi Schroeder, Gregers Rom Andersen, Alexander N. Zelikin
Summary: In this study, synthetic cells with an artificial signaling pathway connecting an extracellular trigger event to the activation of intracellular transcription are engineered. The results highlight the importance of cellularity and demonstrate a significant step towards the design of synthetic cells with responsive behavior, moving towards life-like cell mimics.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)