Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Helena Maria Schnell, Marco Jochem, Yagmur Micoogullari, Claire Louise Riggs, Pavel Ivanov, Hendrik Welsch, Rini Ravindran, Paul Anderson, Lucy Christina Robinson, Kelly Tatchell, John Hanna
Summary: Cellular function is mainly differentiated through membrane-bound organelles, but recent research has shown that membraneless structures formed through phase separation can also achieve compartmentalization in liquid droplet-like properties. Arsenite-induced cytoplasmic stress granules play a significant role in protein homeostasis by regulating translation, with the catalytic subunit Glc7 of protein phosphatase-1 being involved in their formation. This stress-induced granule is highly specific to arsenite and controls translation through a new mode of translational control by Glc7, independently of its established role in regulating eIF2 alpha.
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Martin C. Schmidt, Allyson F. O'Donnell
Summary: Yeast and cancer cells rely on glucose fermentation for energy generation, making them sensitive to the toxic glucose analog, 2-deoxyglucose. Understanding the pathways involved in 2-deoxyglucose sensitivity and resistance in these cells can provide insights for designing combinatorial therapies for cancer treatment. Genetic and proteomic studies in yeast have offered new ideas for developing effective treatment strategies.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Johannes Van den Boom, Guendalina Marini, Hemmo Meyer, Helen R. Saibil
Summary: In this study, cryo-EM structures were used to reveal the mechanism of AAA+-ATPase p97 in disassembling a protein phosphatase-1 (PP1) complex. The results showed that PP1 and its associated proteins SDS22 and inhibitor-3 (I3) were tightly loaded onto p97 through direct contact with its N-domain, while the p37 adapter bridged two adjacent p97 N-domains underneath the complex. A portion of I3 was threaded into the central channel of the spiral-shaped p97 hexamer, while the rest remained attached to PP1. These findings elucidate how p97 organizes a protein complex and suggest a hold-and-extract mechanism for p97-mediated disassembly.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Gangarao Davuluri, Nicole Welch, Jinendiran Sekar, Mahesha Gangadhariah, Khaled Alsabbagh Alchirazi, Maradumane L. Mohan, Avinash Kumar, Sashi Kant, Samjhana Thapaliya, McKenzie Stine, Megan R. McMullen, Rebecca L. McCullough, George R. Stark, Laura E. Nagy, Sathyamangla V. Naga Prasad, Srinivasan Dasarathy
Summary: Despite the high clinical significance of sarcopenia in alcohol-associated cirrhosis, the mechanisms of ethanol-induced impaired protein homeostasis are poorly understood. This study identified PP2A as a key mediator in ethanol-induced dysregulation of protein balance, suggesting potential therapeutic approaches targeting the PI3K gamma-PP2A axis.
Article
Cell Biology
Malgorzata Tokarska-Schlattner, Laurence Kay, Pascale Perret, Raffaella Isola, Stephane Attia, Frederic Lamarche, Cindy Tellier, Cecile Cottet-Rousselle, Amjad Uneisi, Isabelle Hininger-Favier, Marc Foretz, Herve Dubouchaud, Catherine Ghezzi, Christian Zuppinger, Benoit Viollet, Uwe Schlattner
Summary: AMPK, a key regulator of energy homeostasis, plays important roles in maintaining cardiac function under increased workload conditions. Deletion of AMPK genes in cardiomyocytes did not affect heart function under physiological conditions, but led to alterations in response to increased workload. AMPK deletion also resulted in decreased basal metabolic rate and locomotor activity, along with changes in cardiac mitochondrial function and bioenergetics.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fiona M. Russell, David Grahame Hardie
Summary: AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) plays a crucial role in regulating cellular energy balance by promoting ATP production and inhibiting cell growth. It may restrain aberrant growth before tumorigenesis, but support the survival of cancer cells once cancer has arisen.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Reproductive Biology
William C. Lester, Taylor Johnson, Ben Hale, Nicholas Serra, Brian Elgart, Rong Wang, Christopher B. Geyer, Ann O. Sperry
Summary: Aurora A kinase (AURKA) plays multiple important roles in spermatogenesis, involving in mitotic division, affecting sperm count and fertility, and regulating sperm morphology and motility. Deletion of AURKA in spermatogonia and spermatocytes led to different outcomes, highlighting the diverse functions of AURKA in different stages of sperm development.
BIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Xu-Yang Gao, Bu-Hao Deng, Xin-Rui Li, Yu Wang, Jian-Xin Zhang, Xiao-Yan Hao, Jun-Xing Zhao
Summary: The study found that melatonin enhances the formation of sheep brown adipocytes by activating AMPKα1, reducing lamb mortality and economic losses.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Xun Ai, Jiajie Yan, Steven M. Pogwizd
Summary: This review focuses on the regulation of Cx43 phosphorylation state and cell-to-cell communication by serine-threonine protein phosphatases, and their impact on arrhythmogenesis in chronic heart failure, myocardial ischemia, and atrial fibrillation. The therapeutic potential of modulating protein phosphatases to treat arrhythmias in these clinical settings is also discussed.
CELLULAR SIGNALLING
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zhenjie Sun, Wenhui Gu, Zezhong Feng, Yaqin Fan, Jianfeng Niu, Guangce Wang
Summary: This study elucidated the expression regulation mechanism of the heat shock protein 70 gene in Neopyropia yezoensis under high temperature stress. The findings showed the involvement of cAMP-dependent protein kinase and activating transcription factors element in the transcription regulation of the gene. In addition, AMPK was also found to play a role in the induction of the gene. Furthermore, posttranscriptional mechanisms were proposed to be involved in the synthesis regulation of the heat shock protein 70-2 protein.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Virja Mehta, Nathalie Decan, Sarah Ooi, Antoine Gaudreau-Lapierre, John W. Copeland, Laura Trinkle-Mulcahy
Summary: The serine/threonine protein phosphatase 1 catalytic subunit (PP1cat) functions in subcellular localization, activity, and substrate specificity through its interaction with regulatory subunits. The PP1cat isoforms show distinct targeting based on their preferences for specific regulatory subunits. MYPT1/PP111, for example, preferentially associates with each other in the myosin phosphatase complex to counteract muscle contraction. This complex also plays a role in regulating cytoskeletal structure and motility in nonmuscle cells. The protein SPECC1L is identified as a potential link between microtubule-and actin-associated substrates for the MYPT1/PP111 complex.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yiguang Lin, Huijun Ji, Xiaocong Cao, Yongjie Cen, Yumei Chen, Shuangshun Ji, Sichun Zheng
Summary: Insecticides are commonly used to control the serious pest Nilaparvata lugens in rice fields, but their repeated application can have negative effects. A study found that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) plays a crucial role in maintaining energy metabolism and responding to insecticide treatment in N. lugens. Knockdown of NlAMPK alpha significantly enhanced the insecticidal efficiency of pymetrozine against N. lugens.
PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Caroline De Witte, El Moukhtar Aliouat, Cerina Chhuon, Ida Chiara Guerrera, Christine Pierrot, Jamal Khalife
Summary: In this study, the researchers investigated the interactions of protein phosphatase 1 (PP1c) in Plasmodium berghei, a malaria parasite, during both asexual and sexual stages. They identified a variety of proteins that interact with PP1c and found that these interactions play important roles in the parasite's life cycle. Additionally, they discovered potential therapeutic targets that could be used to develop alternative treatment strategies for malaria.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Ezequiel Jorge Alba Posse, Carolina Gonzalez, Pedro Carriquiriborde, Alejandro Nadraa, Javier Gasulla
Summary: In this work, we implemented and validated a sensitive phosphatase inhibition assay (PPIA) for the detection of microcystins (MCs) in freshwater. By optimizing the expression and lyophilization of PP1, as well as the assay conditions, we demonstrated the feasibility of this method in algal bloom samples from Argentina. Our findings suggest that PPIA is an effective and accessible alternative to available commercial tests.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mariem Bradai, Vitor Amorim-Silva, Nibras Belgaroui, Alicia Esteban del Valle, Marie-Edith Chaboute, Anne-Catherine Schmit, Rosa Lozano-Duran, Miguel Angel Botella, Moez Hanin, Chantal Ebel
Summary: PP1 participates in regulating the BR signaling pathway by activating BES1 and controlling its phosphorylation status. Overexpression of PP1 leads to enhanced primary root growth and down-regulation of BR-regulated genes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Ke Mi, Lizhong Zeng, Yang Chen, Jingya Ning, Siyuan Zhang, Peilin Zhao, Shuanying Yang
Summary: In this study, the researchers explored the role of DHX38 in NSCLC and its underlying molecular mechanism. They found that DHX38 was overexpressed in NSCLC and patients with high DHX38 expression had poor prognosis. DHX38 promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in NSCLC and activated the MAPK pathway. The researchers also identified G3BP1 as a target protein that interacted with DHX38 and showed that DHX38 regulated the expression of G3BP1. Silencing G3BP1 reversed the effects of DHX38 overexpression on tumor cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and inhibited the MAPK pathway activation.
CELLULAR SIGNALLING
(2024)
Article
Cell Biology
Tiina A. Jokela, Mark A. Dane, Rebecca L. Smith, Kaylyn L. Devlin, Sundus Shalabi, Jennifer C. Lopez, Masaru Miyano, Martha R. Stampfer, James E. Korkola, Joe W. Gray, Laura M. Heiser, Mark A. Labarge
Summary: Microenvironment signals have a significant impact on cell fate and tissue homeostasis. Understanding how different microenvironment factors regulate cellular phenotype has been challenging. In this study, a high-throughput microenvironment microarray was used to identify factors that support the proliferation and maintenance of primary human mammary luminal epithelial cells. Multiple factors that modulate luminal cell number were identified and their effects were confirmed using RNA sequencing and cell-based functional studies. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) was found to be robust to individual variation and played a role in expanding luminal cells. Our approach demonstrates the power of high-dimensional cell-based approaches in dissecting microenvironmental signals.
CELLULAR SIGNALLING
(2024)
Article
Cell Biology
Chao He, Yongfeng Ding, Yan Yang, Gang Che, Fei Teng, Haohao Wang, Jing Zhang, Donghui Zhou, Yanyan Chen, Zhan Zhou, Haiyong Wang, Lisong Teng
Summary: This study categorized gastric cancer patients into three stemness subtypes, each demonstrating distinct prognoses, components of tumor microenvironment (TME) infiltration, and varying sensitivity or resistance to treatment. A stemness risk model was constructed to predict treatment response and prognosis.
CELLULAR SIGNALLING
(2024)
Article
Cell Biology
Haile Zhao, Lijuan Feng, Rui Cheng, Man Wu, Xiaozhou Bai, Lifei Fan, Yaping Liu
Summary: miR-29c-3p is overexpressed in benign and malignant ovarian carcinoma and is associated with poor prognosis. Its overexpression modulates tumorigenesis in ovarian cancer cells, including epithelial-mesenchymal transition, proliferation, migration, and invasion, through the regulation of DNMT3A, TET1, and HBP1. miR-29c-3p may serve as a potential biomarker for clinical diagnosis or co-diagnosis of ovarian carcinoma.
CELLULAR SIGNALLING
(2024)
Article
Cell Biology
Haiyan Zhao, Fangfang Bi, Mengyuan Li, Yuhan Diao, Chen Zhang
Summary: This study confirmed the tumor suppressor effect of RNF180 on ovarian cancer, elucidated the mechanism of the molecule network related to RNF180 and IPO4 in ovarian cancer, and identified a new therapeutic target for ovarian cancer.
CELLULAR SIGNALLING
(2024)
Article
Cell Biology
Chu Chen, Guanhua Xu, Jiajia Chen, Chunshuai Wu, Jinlong Zhang, Jiawei Jiang, Hongxiang Hong, Zhiming Cui
Summary: This study investigated the role of transcription factor FoxO1 in facet joint osteoarthritis (FJOA) and found that FoxO1 deletion led to severe osteoarthritic changes. Transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and potential key contributors to FJOA. Additionally, over-expression of certain genes and inhibition of others were shown to counteract the impairments caused by FoxO1 deletion in chondrocyte migration and extracellular matrix synthesis. These findings help unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying FJOA and open up promising therapeutic avenues for its treatment.
CELLULAR SIGNALLING
(2024)
Article
Cell Biology
Wen Deng, Ru Chen, Situ Xiong, Jianqiang Nie, Hailang Yang, Ming Jiang, Bing Hu, Xiaoqiang Liu, Bin Fu
Summary: This study demonstrates that circFSCN1 is upregulated in bladder cancer and associated with cancer-specific survival. CircFSCN1 promotes tumor progression and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in bladder cancer through enhancing MDM2-mediated silencing of p53 by sponging miR-145-5p.
CELLULAR SIGNALLING
(2024)
Article
Cell Biology
Jun Wu, Weibin Hu, Wenhui Yang, Yihao Long, Kaizhao Chen, Fugui Li, Xiaodong Ma, Xun Li
Summary: Cholesterol biosynthesis and metabolism play critical roles in tumor development and microenvironmental conditions. Squalene Epoxidase (SQLE), the second rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol synthesis, is found to be uniquely expressed in various cancers, and its expression level is closely associated with tumor mutation burden and microsatellite instability. SQLE expression is negatively correlated with immune cell infiltration. Inhibition of SQLE alters the immune response in the tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, protein metabolism and translation are identified as main binding factors with SQLE.
CELLULAR SIGNALLING
(2024)
Article
Cell Biology
Zhihong Zhang, Mingyue Li, Yi Tai, Yue Xing, Hongxiang Zuo, Xuejun Jin, Juan Ma
Summary: ZNF70 plays an important role in colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC) by regulating macrophages IL-1 beta secretion to promote HCT116 proliferation. It may serve as a promising target for treating CAC.
CELLULAR SIGNALLING
(2024)
Article
Cell Biology
Zenghong Wu, Gangping Li, Weijun Wang, Kun Zhang, Mengke Fan, Yu Jin, Rong Lin
Summary: This study comprehensively explored the role of immune checkpoints and tumor microenvironment in gastric cancer patients based on genomic data. It constructed an ICIs signature and ICI score to evaluate patient prognosis and heterogeneity.
CELLULAR SIGNALLING
(2024)
Article
Cell Biology
Yantong Wan, Jieshu Zhou, Panpan Zhang, Xuemei Lin, Hao Li
Summary: This study found that Rac1 plays a role in astrocyte activation and attenuates chronic inflammatory pain by blocking the phosphorylation of NLRP3 inflammasome and NF-kappa B.
CELLULAR SIGNALLING
(2024)
Article
Cell Biology
Zhen Wang, Diankun She, Lei Liu, Xianming Hua, Hao Zhu, Lingfeng Yu, Han Wang, Yan Zhu, Gentao Fan, Yicun Wang, Meng Xu, Guangxin Zhou
Summary: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are non-coding RNAs that play a role in the regulation of various cancers, including osteosarcoma (OS). This study identified circSATB2 as a highly expressed circRNA in OS tissues and cell lines, and demonstrated its involvement in promoting OS proliferation and migration. Mechanistically, circSATB2 was found to regulate the progression of OS by sponging miR-661 and FUS to regulate ZNFX1 mRNA. These findings suggest that circSATB2 could serve as a prognostic marker and therapeutic target for osteosarcoma.
CELLULAR SIGNALLING
(2024)
Article
Cell Biology
Kenichi Ogata, Masafumi Moriyama, Tatsuya Kawado, Hiroki Yoshioka, Aiko Yano, Mayu Matsumura-Kawashima, Seiji Nakamura, Shintaro Kawano
Summary: This study found that extracellular vesicles released by induced pluripotent stem cells can reduce inflammatory cell infiltration, increase saliva volume, and decrease the production of antibodies associated with Sjogren's syndrome in a mouse model. The let-7 family in these vesicles may suppress the expression of TLR4 and NF-kappa B, which leads to the inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokine production through the MAPK pathway.
CELLULAR SIGNALLING
(2024)
Article
Cell Biology
Mikayla R. Erdelsky, Sarah A. Groves, Charmi Shah, Samantha B. Delios, M. Bibiana Umana, Donald H. Maurice
Summary: Recent evidence suggests that cAMP signaling within the primary cilium plays a crucial role in promoting adipogenic differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. In this study, the researchers identified the specific cAMP phosphodiesterases expressed by these cells and found that inhibition of PDE4 promotes FFAR4-mediated adipogenesis. This work could potentially lead to the discovery of more targeted therapeutic approaches for controlling adipogenesis and differentiation of other stem cells.
CELLULAR SIGNALLING
(2024)
Article
Cell Biology
Chun-Hui Liu, Jun-Jie Zhang, Qian-Jin Zhang, Yang Dong, Zhen-Duo Shi, Si-Hao Hong, Hou-Guang He, Wei Wu, Cong-Hui Han, Lin Hao
Summary: Bladder cancer, the most common malignant tumor in the urinary system, is associated with significantly up-regulated expression of P3H4, which is regulated by METTL3 and plays a crucial role in the proliferation, metastasis, and EMT progression of bladder cancer. Targeting this METTL3-P3H4 pathway may serve as a potential therapeutic strategy for bladder cancer.
CELLULAR SIGNALLING
(2024)