Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Aaron Scholl, Sandip De
Summary: Although all cells in the human body are made of the same DNA, they undergo differentiation through specific mechanisms. Epigenetics, including DNA/RNA modifications, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs, regulates transcription without altering the genetic code. The discovery of Polycomb genes in fruit flies has provided insights into human communicable disease research, as these genes are conserved across mammals.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Muhammad Haider Farooq Khan, Jawad Akhtar, Zain Umer, Najma Shaheen, Ammad Shaukat, Muhammad Shahbaz Munir, Aziz Mithani, Saima Anwar, Muhammad Tariq
Summary: Polycomb group (PcG) and trithorax group (trxG) proteins play crucial roles in cell fate determination and maintenance of cellular identities. Through genetic and molecular analysis, it has been found that the two protein complexes antagonize each other to regulate gene expression patterns. In this study, a histone kinase called BALL was identified as a trxG regulator, suggesting that it plays a role in counteracting the repressive effects of PcG and maintaining gene activation.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Amira Fitieh, Andrew J. Locke, Mobina Motamedi, Ismail Hassan Ismail
Summary: Polycomb group proteins play roles in stem cell maintenance, gene silencing, and DNA damage repair. BMI1, a member of PRC1, is involved in DNA repair and genome integrity, making it a potential pharmacological target.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Talia Feijao, Bruno Marques, Rui D. Silva, Celia Carvalho, Daniel Sobral, Ricardo Matos, Tian Tan, Antonio Pereira, Eurico Morais-de-Sa, Helder Maiato, Steven Z. DeLuca, Rui Goncalo Martinho
Summary: The timely expression of synaptonemal complex (SC) coding genes is essential for successful meiosis, but SC components have a tendency to self-organize into abnormal structures. This study reveals that the Polycomb group protein Sfmbt plays a crucial role in preventing excessive expression of SC genes during prophase I. Depletion of Sfmbt leads to abnormal SC disassembly and the formation of multiple synaptonemal complexes (polycomplexes). Further investigation suggests that other Polycomb group proteins and the overexpression of the SC gene corona are also associated with polycomplex formation during SC disassembly.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Amit Kumar, Kirtikumar R. Kondhare, Nilam N. Malankar, Anjan K. Banerjee
Summary: In plants, Polycomb repressive complex (PRC) group proteins like StE(z)2 regulate the expression of key tuberization genes and influence tuber yield. Short-day photoperiod affects the expression of StE(z)2 in leaves and stolons. Overexpression of StE(z)2 alters plant architecture and reduces tuber yield, while its knockdown enhances yield.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2021)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Lara Feulner, Patrick Piet van Vliet, Michel Puceat, Gregor Andelfinger
Summary: This review summarizes what is currently known about the structure, development, and relationship of the endocardium with other cardiac cell types, as well as the different lineages that endocardial cells derive from and contribute to. Understanding the cellular and molecular processes of the endocardium is crucial for the future development of disease modeling and regenerative medicine.
JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR DEVELOPMENT AND DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Developmental Biology
Ignacy Czajewski, Daan M. F. van Aalten
Summary: O-GlcNAcylation is a post-translational modification regulated by two enzymes, O-GlcNAc transferase and O-GlcNAcase. It is considered to be a metabolic integrator in various signaling pathways. Controlling the stoichiometry of O-GlcNAcylation is crucial for normal development, as both low and high levels of modification can cause defects. This Primer discusses the role of O-GlcNAcylation in developmental processes such as stem cell maintenance, differentiation, and cell and tissue morphogenesis.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Jacob C. Scherba, Ravi Karra, Joseph W. Turek, Nenad Bursac
Summary: Human cardiac organoid systems are of great importance for studying the mechanism of early heart development and gaining a better understanding of congenital cardiac disease.
JOURNAL OF THORACIC AND CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY
(2022)
Article
Developmental Biology
Anna L. F. Assumpcao, Guoping Fu, Deependra K. Singh, Zhanping Lu, Ashley M. Kuehnl, Rene Welch, Irene M. Ong, Renren Wen, Xuan Pan
Summary: YY1, a ubiquitous transcription factor and PcG protein, plays important roles in regulating lymphocyte development and stem cell self-renewal. The PcG function of YY1 is necessary for T and B cell development, but not for myeloid cells. YY1's role in early T cell development involves both PcG-dependent and -independent regulations, promoting cell survival and Notch1 signaling independently.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Cecilia Lazea, Simona Bucerzan, Camelia Al-Khzouz, Anca Zimmermann, Stefan Cristian Vesa, Ioana Nascu, Victoria Cret, Mirela Crisan, Carmen Asavoaie, Diana Miclea, Paula Grigorescu-Sido
Summary: Gaucher disease is one of the most common lysosomal disorders characterized by clinical heterogeneity, with rare cardiac involvement. This study evaluated cardiac involvement in Romanian GD patients, finding that 13% exhibited signs of pulmonary hypertension, 48% had mitral regurgitation, and 16% had aortic regurgitation. Significant valve dysfunction was diagnosed in 10% of patients.
Article
Respiratory System
Lei Liu, Zhanghao Huang, Peng Zhang, Wenmiao Wang, Houqiang Li, Xinyu Sha, Silin Wang, Youlang Zhou, Jiahai Shi
Summary: This study identified the role of polycomb group genes in lung adenocarcinoma and proposed PcGScore as a potential biomarker for predicting prognosis, treatment sensitivity, and clinical outcomes in patients with LUAD.
JOURNAL OF THORACIC DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Sangita Das, Saurabh Pal, Madhuchhanda Mitra
Summary: A low-cost noninvasive heart murmur detection system based on phonocardiogram (PCG) signals was proposed in this study. By employing unsupervised segmentation and deep neural networks (DNN) with three hidden layers, the system achieved an F1-score of 98.31% and accuracy of 98.33% in identifying heart murmurs. This system can be highly beneficial in rural healthcare settings and small hospitals to assist general physicians in diagnosing heart diseases without specialized cardiology expertise.
BIOMEDICAL SIGNAL PROCESSING AND CONTROL
(2022)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Kathryn Davis, Presley Azarcon, Samuel Hickenlooper, Ryan Bia, Emilee Horiuchi, Marta W. Szulik, Sarah Franklin
Summary: Heart failure, a global health condition with limited noninvasive treatments, involves structural and molecular remodeling of the heart due to alterations in gene expression. Understanding the regulatory mechanisms behind these gene expression changes may lead to new treatments for heart disease. Epigenetic alterations to chromatin, such as methylation, play a key role in modifying gene expression and have shown to be reversible processes.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR CARDIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Jun Cao, Muge N. Kuyumcu-Martinez
Summary: This review discusses the importance of cleavage and polyadenylation in gene expression and function, especially in the context of heart development and cardiovascular diseases. It provides an overview of the impact of alternative polyadenylation on gene regulation and the molecular mechanisms controlling it. The dysregulation of alternative polyadenylation in the heart and its implications in cardiovascular diseases are also explored. Additionally, the review discusses strategies for targeting pre-mRNA to correct aberrant patterns of alternative polyadenylation for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Overall, this article is significant for understanding gene regulation at the RNA level and for designing RNA-based tools for cardiovascular disease treatment.
CARDIOVASCULAR RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Thays Maria da Conceicao Silva Carvalho, Silvia Cardarelli, Mauro Giorgi, Andrea Lenzi, Andrea M. Isidori, Fabio Naro
Summary: This study revealed the expression of seven different isoforms of PDEs in developing mouse hearts, with some being modulated from E14.5 to E18.5. PDE4 accounts for the majority of cAMP hydrolyzing ability in the heart, while PDE2A is responsible for cGMP hydrolysis.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
