Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Shenghan Gao, Xinyu Zhang, Jie Liu, Fuqing Ji, Zhihao Zhang, Qingjie Meng, Qi Zhang, Xiaogang Han, He Wu, Yulong Yin, Yonggang Lv, Wenzhen Shi
Summary: This study found that icariin (ICA) has an inhibitory effect on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells by inducing apoptosis and inhibiting cell invasion. The results suggest that ICA may be a potential drug for treating TNBC.
DRUG DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND THERAPY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sabrina C. Brunetti, Michelle K. M. Arseneault, Justin A. Wright, Zhejun Wang, Mohammad-Reza Ehdaeivand, Michael J. Lowden, Jean Rivoal, Hala B. Khalil, Gajra Garg, Patrick J. Gulick
Summary: Heterotrimeric G proteins and calcium signaling both play roles in plant responses to environmental stress. The interaction between the calcium-binding protein RD20/CLO3 and the G-protein subunit GPA1 influences plant growth and development, affecting processes like hypocotyl length and leaf morphology. RD20/CLO3 acts as a negative regulator of GPA1, providing a novel insight into their functional relationship.
PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jie Chen, Hui Li, Changming Yang, Yinjia He, Tatsuo Arai, Qiang Huang, Xiaodong Liu, Linqing Miao
Summary: Traumatic nerve injury activates cell stress pathways, resulting in neuronal death and loss of vital neural functions. This study found that the citrus component naringenin provides neuroprotection through the inhibition of JUN phosphorylation in the JNK-JUN pathway.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Fenfen Li, Mengjie Fu, Shengen Zhou, Qiaoli Xie, Guoping Chen, Xuqing Chen, Zongli Hu
Summary: In this study, the tomato HD-Zip transcription factor VAHOX1 was found to be involved in fruit ripening. Suppression of VAHOX1 accelerated fruit ripening, increased sensitivity to ethylene, and enhanced carotenoid content and ethylene production in tomato fruits. Conversely, overexpression of VAHOX1 had the opposite effect. VAHOX1 affected the expression of genes involved in ethylene biosynthesis, signal transduction, and cell wall modification. The findings expand our knowledge of the physiological functions of HD-Zip transcription factors in tomato and highlight the diversity of transcriptional regulation during fruit ripening.
HORTICULTURE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jiao Luo, Xiujun Tan, Ling Ye, Chenglin Wang
Summary: The study reveals that the JNK signaling pathway plays a positive role in the formation of dental papilla cell polarity, as indicated by the up-regulation of polarity-related genes and rescue effects of RhoA Q63L mutant. JNK activation is linked to polarization, migration, and differentiation of dental papilla cells, highlighting its importance in tooth development.
Article
Plant Sciences
Caiyu Wu, Yang Yang, Deding Su, Canye Yu, Zhiqiang Xian, Zanlin Pan, Hongling Guan, Guojian Hu, Da Chen, Zhengguo Li, Riyuan Chen, Yanwei Hao
Summary: The study reveals the important regulatory role of the SlHB8 gene in tomato pollen development. Knocking out this gene increases pollen activity and promotes fruit setting, while overexpression of the gene leads to opposite phenotypes. The research findings suggest that SlHB8 reduces pollen activity by affecting early pollen development and accelerates tapetum degradation, resulting in the formation of infertile pollen.
HORTICULTURE RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Jianxin Zheng, Hong Zhou, Taihua Yang, Jinchuan Liu, Tian Qin, Xiangqian Gu, Ji Wu, Yi Zhang, Honglin Wang, Yuanjia Tang, Feng Xue, Yimin Mao, Qiang Xia
Summary: The study demonstrated that miR-31 can regulate Cdc42 to restrict the overactivation of the reactive oxygen species/JNK/mitochondria necrotic death loop in hepatocytes of APAP-induced DILI, offering a potential therapeutic target for alleviating liver injury caused by JNK overactivation.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Orthopedics
Minghui Sun, Weijun Wang, Lingtian Min, Cheng Chen, Qing Li, Wenjie Weng
Summary: Overexpression of SFRP5 in ATDC5 cells inhibits LPS-induced inflammation and apoptosis by repressing Wnt5a/JNK signaling. The inhibitory effect of SFRP5 on inflammation and apoptosis is weakened by overexpressing Wnt5a, suggesting that Wnt5a/JNK activation may play a role in mediating the protective actions of SFRP5.
JOURNAL OF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY AND RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Tianxiang Yu, Xiangwei Xu, Jiajia Wei, Jiachen Xu, Wu Luo, Ankang Li, Guang Liang, Mengyang Wang
Summary: This study evaluated the effects of ginsenoside Rg5 on Ang II-induced cardiac remodeling and heart failure. It was found that Rg5 inhibited cardiac inflammation, myocardial fibrosis, and hypertrophy, and prevented cardiac malfunction in mice challenged with Ang II, through the JNK/AP-1 signaling pathway.
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sheila K. Pirooznia, Hu Wang, Nikhil Panicker, Manoj Kumar, Stewart Neifert, Mohamad Aasif Dar, Evan Lau, Bong Gu Kang, Javier Redding-Ochoa, Juan C. Troncoso, Valina L. Dawson, Ted M. Dawson
Summary: Mutations in PINK1 and parkin genes highlight the mitochondrial axis in Parkinson's disease pathogenesis. Knockdown of CYLD can attenuate PARIS accumulation by modulating its ubiquitination levels, promoting mitochondrial biogenesis, and potentially benefiting in PD treatment.
Article
Oncology
Tomofumi Uto, Tomohiro Fukaya, Shuya Mitoma, Yotaro Nishikawa, Moe Tominaga, Narantsog Choijookhuu, Yoshitaka Hishikawa, Katsuaki Sato
Summary: The study found that mClec4A4 acts as a negative immune checkpoint regulator to impair antitumor immune responses. Deficiency of mClec4A4 can reduce tumor development and improve the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment through enhanced activation of cDCs.
CANCER IMMUNOLOGY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xiaojuan Liu, Caiyu Wu, Deding Su, Yang Yang, Zhiqiang Xian, Canye Yu, Zhengguo Li, Yanwei Hao, Riyuan Chen
Summary: This study revealed that SlHB8 negatively regulates tomato stem development by affecting lignin biosynthesis and stem diameter. Overexpression of SlHB8 leads to decreased lignin content and down-regulation of key genes in lignin biosynthesis pathway, consequently impacting plant resistance and growth development.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Milad Soleimani, Alexander Somma, Tamer Kaoud, Ria Goyal, Jorge Bustamante, Dennis C. Wylie, Nisha Holay, Agnieszka Looney, Uma Giri, Todd Triplett, Kevin Dalby, Jeanne Kowalski, S. Gail Eckhardt, Carla Van Den Berg
Summary: JNK-IN-8, a covalent JNK inhibitor, suppresses the growth of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) by activating TFEB/TFE3 and inducing lysosome biogenesis and autophagy via mTOR inhibition independently of JNK.
MOLECULAR CANCER THERAPEUTICS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yang Li, Xiao Ma, Luo-Dan Xiao, Ya-Nan Yu, Hui-Ling Yan, Zhen-Hui Gong
Summary: The expression of CaWRKY50 is induced by Colletotrichum scovillei infection and salicylic acid (SA) treatments. CaWRKY50-silencing enhances pepper resistance to C. scovillei, while overexpression of CaWRKY50 increases susceptibility. CaWRKY50 suppresses the expression of two SA-related genes through binding to their promoters.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eva Hoellmueller, Simon Geigges, Marie L. Niedermeier, Kai-Michael Kammer, Simon M. Kienle, Daniel Roesner, Martin Scheffner, Andreas Marx, Florian Stengel
Summary: The site-specific ubiquitylation of H1 results in distinct interactomes, regulates phase separation, and modulates assembly of chromatosomes, highlighting a general regulatory role for linker histone H1.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Alice Demelenne, Gwenael Nys, Cindy Nix, John C. Fjeldsted, Jacques Crommen, Marianne Fillet
Summary: Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled to drift tube ion mobility spectrometry was used to separate diastereomers of five-unit oligonucleotides with different phosphorothioate linkages. The study investigated multiplexed drift tube ion mobility and post-acquisition processing using a demultiplexing tool. By optimizing the electric field inside the drift tube, the diastereomers could be separated unambiguously. The use of multiplexed ion mobility and a high-resolution demultiplexing tool represents a breakthrough in resolving diastereomers in linear drift tube ion mobility spectrometry.
ANALYTICA CHIMICA ACTA
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Felipe Jimenez-Aspee, Jonas Pospiech, Sarah Bauer, Nadine Sus, Thomas A. Kufer, Jan Frank
Summary: This study evaluated the bioaccessibility and transepithelial transport of 20E in P.andina fruit, as well as the activation of selected nuclear receptors in human cells after simulated digestion. The results showed that components other than 20E in the fruit extract are responsible for the effects on LXR-α and -β. This finding suggests the potential role of P.andina fruit in cholesterol metabolism and inflammatory diseases.
MOLECULAR NUTRITION & FOOD RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anne Gallez, Gwenael Nys, Vincent Wuidar, Isabelle Dias Da Silva, Melanie Taziaux, Virginie Kinet, Ekaterine Tskitishvili, Agnes Noel, Jean-Michel Foidart, Geraldine Piel, Marianne Fillet, Christel Pequeux
Summary: Estetrol is a natural estrogen that has potential therapeutic applications in humans. The use of Estetrol in contraceptive indication has been approved by the European Medicines Agency and the Food and Drug Administration. Clinical trials are ongoing to evaluate its effectiveness in relieving climacteric complaints. Preclinical animal models are important for understanding the molecular mechanisms and pharmacological effects of Estetrol and for predicting its potential therapeutic applications and adverse effects.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Madanraj Appiya Santharam, Akhil Shukla, Dominique Levesque, Thomas A. Kufer, Francois-Michel Boisvert, Sheela Ramanathan, Subburaj Ilangumaran
Summary: Aggressive tumors avoid immune attack by suppressing MHC-I expression. NLRC5 is a transcriptional activator of MHC-I, and defects in NLRC5 result in MHC-I defects. Restoring NLRC5 expression in poorly immunogenic B16 melanoma cells induces MHC-I and antitumor immunity, suggesting the potential use of NLRC5 for tumor immunotherapy.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sarah Bauer, Lucy Hezinger, Fjolla Rexhepi, Sheela Ramanathan, Thomas A. Kufer
Summary: Obesity and its associated metabolic morbidities, fueled by low-grade inflammation primarily from adipose tissue, pose a major challenge to healthcare systems worldwide. Nucleotide-binding and oligomerization domain (NLR) family proteins have been found to play a crucial role in the development and control of obesity and obesity-associated inflammatory responses.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Anna Laurent, Cindy Nix, Gael Cobraiville, Jacques Crommen, Marianne Fillet
Summary: In this study, the possibility of conducting reliable lipidomic studies using hemaPEN (R) microsampling devices was evaluated. Targeted lipidomic analysis was applied to investigate the impact of short and intense physical activity on blood lipid concentrations. It was found that the blood concentration of arachidonic acid, sphingosine, and lactic acid significantly increased after exercise, while the concentration of 14:0 lysophosphatidylcholine and 18:1 lysophosphatidylcholine significantly decreased.
JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL AND BIOMEDICAL ANALYSIS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Priyanka Kumari, Thomas Van Laethem, Philippe Hubert, Marianne Fillet, Pierre-Yves Sacre, Cedric Hubert
Summary: In this study, multiple QSRR models were constructed and compared for their ability to predict retention times. These models were based on a combination of linear and non-linear algorithms such as Multiple Linear Regression, Support Vector Regression, Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator, Random Forest, and Gradient Boosted Regression. Models were built for five pH conditions and the predictions were combined using stacking. The reliability of the predictions was assessed using a k-nearest neighbor-based application domain filter for compound prioritization.
Article
Immunology
Tomasz Prochnicki, Matilde B. Vasconcelos, Kim S. Robinson, Matthew S. J. Mangan, Dennis De Graaf, Kateryna Shkarina, Marta Lovotti, Lena Standke, Romina Kaiser, Rainer Stahl, Fraser G. Duthie, Maximilian Rothe, Kateryna Antonova, Lea-Marie Jenster, Zhi Heng Lau, Sarah Roesing, Nora Mirza, Clarissa Gottschild, Dagmar Wachten, Claudia Guenther, Thomas A. Kufer, Florian I. Schmidt, Franklin L. Zhong, Eicke Latz
Summary: NLRP10 can assemble an inflammasome upon mitochondrial damage and is highly expressed in differentiated keratinocytes. It monitors mitochondrial integrity in an mtDNA-independent manner, suggesting the recognition of distinct molecular entities displayed by the damaged organelles.
Editorial Material
Immunology
Uday Kishore, Thomas A. Kufer
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Sofia Mauri, Greta Bernardo, Aitor Martinez, Mariavittoria Favaro, Marta Trevisan, Gael Cobraiville, Marianne Fillet, Federico Caicci, Alexander J. Whitworth, Elena Ziviani
Summary: Stress-induced mitophagy relies on PINK1 and Parkin proteins to degrade dysfunctional mitochondria. However, there are also PINK1/Parkin-independent mitophagy pathways that can be counteracted by specific DUBs. We found that down-regulation of the DUB USP8 correlates with increased Parkin-independent mitophagy, suggesting the existence of an uncharacterized mitophagic pathway inhibited by USP8. This study provides insights into the regulation of mitophagy and the potential therapeutic target in neurodegenerative diseases.
Article
Microbiology
Himadri B. B. Thapa, Paul Kohl, Franz G. G. Zingl, Dominik Fleischhacker, Heimo Wolinski, Thomas A. A. Kufer, Stefan Schild
Summary: The release of membrane vesicles from bacteria plays an important role in intra- and interspecies communication. Although the immunomodulatory properties of bacterial membrane vesicles (MVs) have been recognized, their interactions with host cells and underlying signaling pathways are not well understood. This study provides a comparative analysis of the proinflammatory cytokine response of human intestinal epithelial cells to MVs derived from different gut bacteria. The results show that outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) from Gram-negative bacteria induce a stronger proinflammatory response than MVs from Gram-positive bacteria, and the immunomodulatory activities vary between different species.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sarah Bauer, Vanessa Aeissen, Alena M. Bubeck, Ioannis Kienes, Kornelia Ellwanger, Mona Scheurenbrand, Fjolla Rexhepi, Sheela Ramanathan, Philip Rosenstiel, W. Florian Fricke, Thomas A. Kufer
Summary: Nucleotide-binding and oligomerization domain containing 5 (NLRC5) is a transcriptional regulator of major histocompatibility (MHC) class I genes. Its role extends beyond MHC genes, as it is also involved in metabolic traits. In this study, we found that NLRC5 contributes to weight gain in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) by enhancing the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) gamma target genes. We also identified two novel interaction partners of NLRC5, Sin3A and negative elongation factor (NELF) B, which partly modulate NLRC5's transcriptional effect.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Aurelie Beauvois, Helene Gazona, Pradeep Singh Chauhan, Majeed Jamakhani, Jean-Rock Jacques, Marc Thiry, Emmanuel Dejardin, Emmanuel Di Valentin, Jean-Claude Twizere, Jean-Marie Peloponese, Makon-Sebastien Njock, Jun-Ichirou Yasunaga, Masao Matsuoka, Malik Hamaidia, Luc Willems
Summary: This study identified HLTF as a restriction factor against HTLV-1 by activating autophagic flux to inhibit viral replication. The viral protein Tax suppresses HLTF transcription and induces proteasomal degradation of HLTF protein. HLTF induction leads to dispersal of the Golgi apparatus and overproduction of secretory granules, resulting in an increase in defective viral particles.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Clara Davoine, Lionel Pochet, Marianne Fillet
Summary: Detection and characterization of biomolecular interactions are crucial for drug discovery. Fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) is a widely used approach to discovering new drugs. However, it can be challenging to execute FBDD due to the difficulty of discovering weak binders and determining their growth or binding. This article comprehensively reviews emerging analytical technologies in FBDD compared with conventional ones, providing examples and insights for the selection and implementation of an analytical platform for FBDD projects.
TRAC-TRENDS IN ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
L. S. Tran, L. Ying, K. D'Costa, G. Wray-McCann, G. Kerr, L. Le, C. C. Allison, J. Ferrand, H. Chaudhry, J. Emery, A. De Paoli, N. Colon, S. Creed, M. Kaparakis-Liaskos, J. Como, J. K. Dowling, P. A. Johanesen, T. A. Kufer, J. S. Pedersen, A. Mansell, D. J. Philpott, K. D. Elgass, H. E. Abud, U. Nachbur, B. A. Croker, S. L. Masters, R. L. Ferrero
Summary: In mice, NOD1 regulates IL-18 processing in epithelial cells in response to Helicobacter pylori infection via a noncanonical NOD1/caspase-1 pathway. This pathway helps maintain epithelial homeostasis and protects against pre-neoplastic changes induced by the infection.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)