Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yongyan Zhang, Fan Liu, Bin Wang, Huan Wu, Junwei Wu, Jiapeng Liu, Yueting Sun, Chunzhen Cheng, Dongliang Qiu
Summary: This study identified six anthocyanin biosynthesis-related bHLHs in blueberry, which were nucleus-located and exhibited G-box binding protein characteristics. These proteins showed differential expression levels and patterns in different tissues, indicating certain spatiotemporal specificity in their regulatory functions.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Jiahao Xu, Hongliang Xu, Hongguang Zhao, Hui Liu, Ling Xu, Zongsuo Liang
Summary: In this study, genome-wide analysis of the bHLH gene family in Andrographis paniculata was performed. A total of 122 genes were identified and classified into 26 subfamilies. The study showed that these genes play important roles in plant development and abiotic stress responses and can be considered as candidate regulatory factors for further research.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Abhinav Adhikari, William Kim, Judith Davie
Summary: The skeletal muscle gene expression is regulated by the myogenic regulatory family (MRF) with key factors MyoD and myogenin (MYOG). MYOG is essential for recruiting TBP and RNAPII to muscle gene promoters, while MyoD1 and MYOG act in a feed forward loop to maintain each other's expression. The study demonstrates that MYOG, not MYOD1, is required to activate gene expression on late muscle gene promoters bound by both factors.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wei-Chun Chou, Zengli Guo, Hao Guo, Liang Chen, Ge Zhang, Kaixin Liang, Ling Xie, Xianming Tan, Sara A. Gibson, Elena Rampanelli, Yan Wang, Stephanie A. Montgomery, W. June Brickey, Meng Deng, Leslie Freeman, Song Zhang, Maureen A. Su, Xian Chen, Yisong Y. Wan, Jenny P. -Y. Ting
Summary: The inflammasome activates inflammatory responses in myeloid cells, while the AIM2 receptor plays an independent role in regulating T-reg cells. AIM2 inhibits AKT phosphorylation, alters immune metabolism to enhance T-reg cell stability, and reduces autoimmune responses independent of the inflammasome.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xue Chen, Yanyan Xu, Qidi Chen, Heng Zhang, Yu Zeng, Yan Geng, Lei Shen, Fubin Li, Lei Chen, Guo-Qiang Chen, Chuanxin Huang, Junling Liu
Summary: PTEN-deficient platelets promote autoimmunity in mouse models through excessive activation of T-FH cells and systemic autoimmune pathology.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Oscar Carey-Fung, Martin O'Brien, Jesse T. Beasley, Alexander A. T. Johnson
Summary: This study utilizes gene editing technology to generate T-DNA-free iro3 mutants and reveals the regulatory role of OsIRO3 in rice iron homeostasis. The iro3 mutants show stunted growth and altered expression of iron-related genes under iron-deficient conditions.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Pora Kim, Hanyang Li, Junmei Wang, Zhongming Zhao
Summary: This study systematically investigated representative mutation hotspots associated with drug resistance in human protein kinases, revealing a landscape view of mutations and providing valuable knowledge for the development of more effective kinase inhibitors.
BRIEFINGS IN BIOINFORMATICS
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Chen Wang, Wen Tian, Shou-Ye Hu, Chen-Xi Di, Chang-Yi He, Qi-Long Cao, Ruo-Han Hao, Shan-Shan Dong, Cong-Cong Liu, Yu Rong, Hua-Feng Kang, Tie-Lin Yang, Zhi Yang, Yan Guo
Summary: This study comprehensively characterized the changes in super enhancers (SEs) during the differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) into osteoblasts and adipocytes, revealing that SEs undergo more dramatic changes compared to typical enhancers. Lineage-selective SEs were identified and found to play specific roles in the directed differentiation of hMSCs. Additionally, key transcription factors regulated by lineage-selective SEs were shown to form a core regulatory circuitry that controls the fate determination of hMSCs. Furthermore, GWAS SNPs associated with osteoporosis and obesity were found to be significantly enriched in osteoblasts-selective SEs and adipocytes-selective SEs, respectively.
CELL DEATH & DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Ariel Galindo-Albarran, Sarah Castan, Jeremy C. Santamaria, Olivier P. Joffre, Bart Haegeman, Paola Romagnoli, Joost P. M. van Meerwijk
Summary: The antigen specificity of Treg is crucial in their in vivo activity. Comparative analysis between NOD and C57BL/6 mice showed comparable diversity of TCRs, suggesting genetic defects affecting the TCR diversity expressed by newly developed Treg may not be involved in the etiology of type 1 diabetes in NOD mice.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Monika Gonczi, Joao M. C. Teixeira, Susana Barrera-Vilarmau, Laura Mediani, Francesco Antoniani, Tamas Milan Nagy, Krisztina Feher, Zsolt Raduly, Viktor Ambrus, Jozsef Tozser, Endre Barta, Katalin E. Kover, Laszlo Csernoch, Serena Carra, Monika Fuxreiter
Summary: The context-dependent higher-order assembly of Mef2D controls muscle lineage development by simultaneously interacting with the basal machinery and myogenic factors. The study found that the alternatively spliced acidic beta-domain enhances the transcription of Mef2D. The beta-domain can serve as an interaction element for higher-order assembly, forming nuclear condensates and solid-like aggregates. These findings suggest that the beta-domain fine-tunes Mef2D assembly and provides a platform for myogenic regulatory factors and transcriptional apparatus during muscle development.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Magdalena Piotrowska, Mateusz Gliwinski, Piotr Trzonkowski, Dorota Iwaszkiewicz-Grzes
Summary: Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a critical role in the immune system by exerting suppressive functions, and disturbances in their function can lead to autoimmune dysregulation. Apart from Foxp3, other genes are involved in Tregs development and function. Epigenetic changes, specifically DNA methylation, are believed to be crucial in determining Tregs function.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Charles Kyriakos Vorkas, Chirag Krishna, Kelin Li, Jeffrey Aube, Daniel W. Fitzgerald, Linas Mazutis, Christina S. Leslie, Michael S. Glickman
Summary: This study provides an integrated single-cell transcriptomic analysis of human MAIT cells, revealing their phenotypic and functional heterogeneity and complex roles in health and disease. The study shows that MAIT cells exhibit a wide range of phenotypes, including homeostatic, effector, helper, tissue-infiltrating, regulatory, and exhausted phenotypes, with distinct gene expression programs associated with CD4(+) or CD8(+) coexpression. Early activation of MAIT cells leads to the rapid adoption of a cytotoxic phenotype, while prolonged stimulation induces heterogeneous states defined by proliferation, cytotoxicity, immune modulation, and exhaustion. Furthermore, a subset of MAIT cells expressing FOXP3, resembling conventional regulatory T cells, was identified. The presence of MAIT cell subpopulations in individuals recently exposed to Mycobacterium tuberculosis confirms their role during human infection. This study provides important insights into the functional heterogeneity of MAIT cells and their potential implications in immune responses and disease development.
JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Hematology
Megan Walker, Yichao Li, Antonio Morales-Hernandez, Qian Qi, Chaithanyarani Parupalli, Scott Brown, Claiborne Christian, Wilson K. Clements, Yong Cheng, Shannon McKinney-Freeman
Summary: NFIX is a positive regulator of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) transplantation. The absence of NFIX leads to loss of HSPCs and accumulation of specific cell types. NFIX collaborates with PU.1 at super-enhancers to regulate genes involved in cellular respiration and hematopoietic differentiation. NFIX deficiency negatively affects PU.1 binding at certain genomic loci.
Article
Biology
Tomoko Kawai, JoAnne S. Richards, Masayuki Shimada
Summary: Research has shown that through modulating processes such as DNA methylation levels and histone modifications, equine chorionic gonadotropin can promote the proliferation and differentiation of granulosa cells, and the timing and sequence of these epigenetic events are crucial for the progression of granulosa cell differentiation.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Yuto Nakatani, Zhengmao Ye, Yuki Ishizue, Taishi Higashi, Teruko Imai, Ikuo Fujii, Masataka Michigami
Summary: The effectiveness of protein and peptide pharmaceuticals depends on their pharmacokinetics. Small-sized pharmaceuticals often have short half-lives due to rapid renal clearance. Researchers have developed a helix-loop-helix peptide binding tag to improve pharmacokinetics by associating with serum albumin. The tag has the potential to extend the bioactivity of therapeutic peptides or proteins.
MOLECULAR PHARMACEUTICS
(2022)
