Review
Pathology
Sun-Ji Park, Chuang Li, Ying Maggie Chen
Summary: Maintaining Ca2+ homeostasis is crucial for cellular function and survival, with the endoplasmic reticulum acting as the major intracellular Ca2+ store. Dysregulation of ER Ca2+ homeostasis is associated with various diseases, particularly in kidney diseases, highlighting the importance of ER Ca2+ channels, pumps, and binding proteins. Despite advancements in understanding, treatment for ER Ca2+ imbalance in kidney diseases remains elusive.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lukas Kuester, Themistoklis Paraschiakos, Kader Ebru Karakurt, Udo Schumacher, Bjoern-Philipp Diercks, Sabine Windhorst
Summary: The up-regulation of ITPKA in lung cancer cells is associated with increased migration and invasion, and its actin bundling activity is the main factor controlling this effect.
BIOSCIENCE REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Randall Clark, Lawson Fuller, Jason A. Platt, Henry D. I. Abarbanel
Summary: This article introduces how to use methods from nonlinear dynamics and interpolation techniques from applied mathematics to construct discrete time dynamical rules that forecast observed neuron properties accurately, which is crucial for the development of neural network models and biological networks.
NEURAL COMPUTATION
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Laura Marongiu, Francesca Mingozzi, Clara Cigni, Roberta Marzi, Marco Di Gioia, Massimiliano Garre, Dario Parazzoli, Laura Sironi, Maddalena Collini, Reiko Sakaguchi, Takashi Morii, Mariacristina Crosti, Monica Moro, Stephane Schurmans, Tiziano Catelani, Rany Rotem, Miriam Colombo, Stephen Shears, Davide Prosperi, Ivan Zanoni, Francesca Granucci
Summary: Recognition of LPS by DCs involves the receptor complex CD14 and TLR4, and subsequent Ca2+ mobilization and NFAT activation require IP3R3 and ITPKB. Targeting ITPKB may offer a promising approach for anti-inflammatory therapies aimed at inhibiting specific DC functions.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lukas Kuester, Themistoklis Paraschiakos, Kader Ebru Karakurt, Udo Schumacher, Bjoern-Philipp Diercks, Sabine Windhorst
Summary: Expression of ITPKA is up-regulated in many tumor types and is associated with bad prognosis in lung cancer cells. It has been shown that high levels of ITPKA increase migration and invasion of lung cancer cell lines. The study demonstrates that the actin bundling activity of ITPKA controls migration and invasion under basal conditions, while the Ins(1,4,5)P-3-kinase activity slightly enhances this effect in the presence of ATP.
BIOSCIENCE REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Brian S. Mantilla, Karunakaran Kalesh, Nathaniel W. Brown, Dorothea Fiedler, Roberto Docampo
Summary: This study identified potential targets of 5-IP7 in Trypanosoma cruzi using pull-down experiments and mass spectrometry analysis, revealing new functional roles of 5-IP7 in this divergent eukaryote and providing potential new targets for chemotherapy.
MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Irina Bashkirtseva, Lev Ryashko
Summary: The stochastic excitability of spiking oscillatory regimes in calcium kinetics is investigated using the Li-Rinzel conceptual model. The probabilistic mechanisms of noise-induced generation of large-amplitude oscillations in parametric zones are studied numerically and analytically. The phenomenon of coherence resonance is discussed, and a parametric statistical description of interspike intervals is applied. The role of confidence ellipses and separatrices in determining sub- and supercritical regions is demonstrated.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Roberto Ornelas-Guevara, Diana Gil, Valerie Voorsluijs, Genevieve Dupont
Summary: Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) plays a key role in calcium signaling. Previous studies overestimated the diffusion coefficient of IP3 in vivo, but new computational analysis shows that the effective diffusion coefficient is close to 100 μm(2)s(-1), significantly lower than previous estimations. This moderate reduction can be explained by the buffering effect of non-fully bound inactive IP3 receptors.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Umut Toprak, Cansu Dogan, Dwayne Hegedus
Summary: This review focuses on the role of two Ca2+ channel receptors in insect cells, IP3R and RyR, which share similarities in structure and function but differ in phylogenetic origins. Both receptors have great potential as target sites in pest control, with RyRs currently being targeted by commercial insecticides.
Article
Cell Biology
Ana M. Rossi, Andrew M. Riley, Genevieve Dupont, Taufiq Rahman, Barry V. L. Potter, Colin W. Taylor
Summary: Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP(3)Rs) are intracellular Ca2+ channels linking extracellular stimuli to Ca2+ signals. Research shows that quantal responses to low IP3 concentrations do not require heterogeneous Ca2+ stores, and IP(3)Rs exhibit incremental responses to IP3 stimulation. This suggests that Ca2+ signals evoked by IP3 pulses arise from rapid activation and inactivation of a small fraction of IP(3)Rs.
Article
Microbiology
Gabriela de A. Burle-Caldas, Nailma S. A. dos Santos, Julia T. de Castro, Fernanda L. B. Mugge, Viviane Grazielle-Silva, Antonio Edson R. Oliveira, Milton C. A. Pereira, Joo Luis Reis-Cunha, Anderson Coqueiro dos Santos, Dawidson Assis Gomes, Daniella C. Bartholomeu, Nilmar S. Moretti, Sergio Schenkman, Ricardo T. Gazzinelli, Santuza M. R. Teixeira
Summary: Trans-sialidases (TS) are enzymes present on the surface of Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, and play a crucial role in the late stages of intracellular development and parasite egress. In this study, TS knockout parasites were generated using CRISPR-Cas9 technology, resulting in impaired parasite egress from infected cells. These TS mutants lost their ability to cause infection in vivo but provided full protection against a challenge infection with a virulent strain, indicating their potential as a live attenuated vaccine against Chagas disease.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alice M. Todaro, Tilman M. Hackeng, Elisabetta Castoldi
Summary: The study investigated the possibility of decreasing FV-short splicing through antisense-based splicing modulation, successfully reducing the expression levels of FV-short in a liver cell line. This may lay the foundation for novel therapeutic approaches to bleeding disorders caused by FV-short over-expression or elevated TFPI alpha levels.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Kelli Monteiro da Costa, Leonardo Marques da Fonseca, Jhenifer Santos dos Reis, Marcos Andre Rodrigues da Costa Santos, Jose Osvaldo Previato, Lucia Mendonca-Previato, Leonardo Freire-de-Lima
Summary: Chagas' disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, was described by Dr. Carlos Chagas in the early 20th century. One important discovery was trans-sialidase, an enzyme that masks the parasite's presence and dampens the immune response. Research into the disease has identified key events in the biochemical mechanism of T. cruzi-host cell interactions.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Physiology
Kellie A. Woll, Filip Van Petegem
Summary: Ca2+-release channels are membrane proteins that control the release of Ca2+ from the endoplasmic and sarcoplasmic reticulum. They are activated by cytosolic Ca2+ and have a common architecture, with additional modules in the cytosolic region for ryanodine receptors (RyRs). Their regulation involves the binding of proteins and small molecules, with major triggers including IP3 and membrane depolarization. Electron microscopic studies have provided valuable insights into their structure and mechanisms, including the binding of auxiliary proteins, regulation of channel opening, and disease-associated mutations.
PHYSIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nagendra Babu Thillaiappan, Holly A. Smith, Peace Atakpa-Adaji, Colin W. Taylor
Summary: The study demonstrates that the KRas-induced KRAP protein tethers a subset of IP3 receptors to actin, enabling them to evoke calcium signals. Loss of KRAP results in the disappearance of Ca2+ puffs and a global response to increased cytosolic Ca2+ concentration from more intense stimulation.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Mie Ikeda, Makoto Hirai, Shin-Ichiro Tachibana, Toshiyuki Mori, Toshihiro Mita
Summary: By studying parasite resistance to PPQ, a novel PbMut-PPQ-R-P9 mutant strain was identified with key genetic mutations, including the N331I mutation in PbCRT, responsible for reduced susceptibility to PPQ.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Masato Yamauchi, Makoto Hirai, Shin-Ichiro Tachibana, Toshiyuki Mori, Toshihiro Mita
Summary: The study on a transgenic rodent malaria parasite indicated that the fitness costs of sulfadoxine resistance are not significant, as the PbDHPS-A394G mutation did not impose health disadvantages during the blood stages in mice and oocyst formation in mosquitoes. This partly explains the persistence of the PfDHPS-A437G mutant in natural parasite populations.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Toshihiro Mita, Makoto Hirai, Yoshiko Maki, Saifun Nahar, Naoko Yoshida, Yoshiteru Oshima, Haruhisa Kikuchi, Yuzuru Kubohara
Summary: The study showed that DIF-1 and its derivatives have strong inhibitory effects on the growth of Plasmodium falciparum, including strains resistant to chloroquine and artemisinin. Among them, DIF-1(+2) exhibited the strongest inhibitory effect and was effective against 12 field isolates. In in vivo experiments in mice, DIF-1(+2) at certain doses effectively suppressed parasite growth without apparent adverse effects, and significantly prolonged animal survival.
BIOCHEMICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Naoko Yoshida, Masato Yamauchi, Ryosuke Morikawa, Francis Hombhanje, Toshihiro Mita
Summary: A study in Papua New Guinea revealed an increasing proportion of the C580Y mutation in Plasmodium falciparum, which may indicate the emergence of parasites resistant to the current first-line treatment regimen. Therefore, nationwide surveillance of molecular markers for drug resistance and assessment of therapeutic effects are crucial.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Sabin S. Nundu, Richard Culleton, Shirley Simpson, Hiroaki Arima, Jean-Jacques Muyembe, Toshihiro Mita, Steve Ahuka, Taro Yamamoto
Summary: The study found that school-age children in Kinshasa/DRC face a significant burden of malaria infections, both asymptomatic and symptomatic. Continuous systematic screening and treatment of school-age children in high-transmission settings is crucial to control malaria transmission.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Xiaochen Zhang, Dai Ishikawa, Kei Nomura, Naoyuki Fukuda, Mayuko Haraikawa, Keiichi Haga, Tomoyoshi Shibuya, Toshihiro Mita, Akihito Nagahara
Summary: Fecal microbiota transplantation is considered a promising treatment for dysbiosis-related diseases. The authors report their experience with donor screening and provide references to improve future donor screening criteria.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Romain Coppee, Justine Bailly, Veronique Sarrasin, Bertin Vianou, Boris-Enock Zinsou, Edith Mazars, Hugues Georges, Samia Hamane, Rose-Anne Lavergne, Eric Dannaoui, Betty Balikagala, Naoyuki Fukuda, Emmanuel Odongo-Aginya, Toshihiro Mita, Sandrine Houze, Jerome Clain
Summary: A returned traveler in Uganda was infected with a Plasmodium falciparum parasite with the kelch13 A675V mutant gene, which showed delayed clearance under treatment with artesunate. The parasites were genetically related to previously reported Ugandan artemisinin-resistant parasites. Adequate malaria prevention measures and clinical and genotypic surveillance are crucial for avoiding and tracking artemisinin resistance.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Sabin S. Nundu, Hiroaki Arima, Shirley Simpson, Ben-Yeddy Abel Chitama, Yannick Bazitama Munyeku, Jean-Jacques Muyembe, Toshihiro Mita, Steve Ahuka, Richard Culleton, Taro Yamamoto
Summary: The study found that deletions of the P. falciparum histidine-rich protein 2/3 genes are uncommon in the surveyed population in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, and do not result in diagnostic failure.
Article
Parasitology
Sabin S. Nundu, Richard Culleton, Shirley Simpson, Hiroaki Arima, Ben-Yeddy Abel Chitama, Jean-Jacques Muyembe, Steve Ahuka, Osamu Kaneko, Toshihiro Mita, Taro Yamamoto
Summary: This study found a low prevalence of genetic markers associated with chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine resistance in school-age children in Kinshasa. It supports the continued use of ACTs and IPTp-SP.
PARASITOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Sabin S. Nundu, Shirley Simpson, Hiroaki Arima, Jean-Jacques Muyembe, Toshihiro Mita, Steve Ahuka, Taro Yamamoto
Summary: Despite a decade of malaria control efforts, the Democratic Republic of Congo still faces a serious malaria problem, especially among children. The World Health Organization's recommendations for malaria control have not been fully implemented in the country. To strengthen control and elimination strategies, it is necessary to include schools and school-age children in malaria interventions.
Article
Parasitology
Shinzaburo Takamiya, Takeshi Nakamura, Daigo Tsubokawa, Naotoshi Tsuji, Koichi Fukuda, Hiroshi Yamasaki, Tsutomu Fujimura, Hikari Taka, Naoko Kaga, Momoko Kobayashi-Tanabe, Motoo Matsuda, Toshihiro Mita
Summary: The mitochondria of adult and plerocercoid Spirometra mansoni were studied to understand their respiratory function and physicochemical properties. It was found that adult mitochondria had higher specific activities of succinate oxidase and NADH-FRD compared to plerocercoid mitochondria. Both adult and plerocercoid mitochondria contained rhodoquinone-10 and ubiquinone-10, with higher concentrations in adult mitochondria. Inhibition studies showed that adult mitochondria had both cyanide-sensitive and -insensitive succinate oxidases, and could produce hydrogen peroxide. The specific activities of NADH-fumarate reductase and cytochrome c oxidase were higher in mature proglottids. Isopycnic density-gradient centrifugation analyses and in situ electron microscopic histochemistry revealed the heterogeneity of both adult and plerocercoid mitochondria.
PARASITOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Penchom Janwan, Lakkhana Sadaow, Rutchanee Rodpai, Hiroshi Yamasaki, Vor Luvira, Wattana Sukeepaisarnjaroen, Amnat Kitkhuandee, Krisada Paonariang, Oranuch Sanpool, Patcharaporn Boonroumkaew, Tongjit Thanchomnang, Toshihiro Mita, Pewpan M. Intapan, Wanchai Maleewong
Summary: This study evaluated the efficiency of anti-amebic IgG and IgG subclasses in the diagnosis of amebic liver abscess (ALA). The results showed that ELISA targeting IgG1 had higher sensitivity and specificity, and could be used to differentiate ALA from other parasitic diseases, cancers, cirrhosis, and viral hepatitis.
Article
Immunology
Naoyuki Fukuda, Betty Balikagala, Tsuyoshi Ueno, Denis A. Anywar, Eisaku Kimura, Nirianne Marie Q. Palacpac, Emmanuel Odongo-Aginya, Martin Ogwang, Toshihiro Horii, Takashi Miida, Toshihiro Mita
Summary: The study found that mature Plasmodium falciparum parasites are rarely found in the peripheral blood because they are sequestered and attached to the endothelium. Intensive sequestration is associated with a delay in parasite clearance after artemisinin-based treatment. Sequestration plays an important role in the efficacy of artemisinin treatment for malaria.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Shirley V. Simpson, Sabin S. Nundu, Hiroaki Arima, Osamu Kaneko, Toshihiro Mita, Richard Culleton, Taro Yamamoto
Summary: This study determined the genetic diversity and multiplicity of infection (MOI) of Plasmodium falciparum among asymptomatic and symptomatic school-age children in Kinshasa Province, Democratic Republic of Congo. The results showed that malaria transmission in the study areas was of moderate intensity, with MOIs being more common in symptomatic infections and increasing with parasitaemia level.
Letter
Medicine, General & Internal
Toshihiro Mita, Naoyuki Fukuda, Betty Balikagala
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Kiswendsida Thierry Guiguemde, Patindoilba Marcel Sawadogo, Adama Zida, Apollinaire Kima, Roland Windtare Bougma, Mamadou Serme, Ibrahim Sangare, Clarisse Bougouma, Sanata Bamba
Summary: This study assessed the transmission of onchocerciasis in the Cascades region of Burkina Faso and found that the resumption of ivermectin treatment has significantly reduced the prevalence of the disease since 2011.
PARASITOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
(2024)
Article
Parasitology
K. D. Steffen, M. L. Gos, J. M. Unzaga, M. C. Venturini, R. O. Ariasc, G. More
Summary: The dynamics of anti-T. gondii antibodies and seroconversion in naturally infected goats from the last third of pregnancy to 100 days of lactation were evaluated, and their relationship with hematological and dehydration parameters was examined. The results showed that seroconversion occurred in goats of different physiological states and ages, and it was not related to hydration status.
PARASITOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
(2024)
Article
Parasitology
Maho Kotake, Yuho Watanabe, Naoki Itoh, Tomoyoshi Yoshinaga
Summary: This study examined the effects of light exposure on the theront excystment circadian rhythm in Cryptocaryon irritans. The results showed that light reception is essential for circadian rhythm entrainment and both light duration and temperature have an impact on the entrainment of circadian rhythm.
PARASITOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
(2024)
Review
Parasitology
Olivier Ndogo Eteme, Ernestine Nkwengoua Zondegoumba, Yasmin Saegusa Tadayozzi, Jessica Aparecida Serafim, Wendell Queiroz Leite, Mariane de Freitas Genari Severino, Eduardo Festozo Vicente
Summary: The high mortality rate caused by parasitic worms on their hosts is a major concern. Current drugs on the market are often toxic with numerous side effects, necessitating the search for new, more potent molecules. Medicinal plants have been found to contain a wide range of novel molecules that can effectively combat different types of helminths. This review provides an overview of the methods, activities, and mechanisms of action of cyclic peptides, specifically cyclotides, for treating helminthic infections.
PARASITOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
(2024)
Article
Parasitology
Lucas de Assis Silva Andrade, Carlos Nei Ortuzar-Ferreira, Mariana de Souza Oliveira, Sergian Vianna Cardozo, Viviane Moreira de Lima, Bruno Pereira Berto
Summary: A new species of Isospora Schneider, 1881 has been identified from V. chivi in Southeastern Brazil. Morphological and molecular analyses confirmed the identity of this new species.
PARASITOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
(2024)
