Article
Genetics & Heredity
Susanna K. Birnbaum, Jennifer D. Cohen, Alexandra Belfi, John I. Murray, Jennifer R. G. Adams, Andrew D. Chisholm, Meera V. Sundaram
Summary: This study investigated the secretion and assembly of collagen proteins in C. elegans using endogenous collagen fusions to fluorescent proteins. The researchers found that cuticle collagens SQT-3 and DPY-17 are secreted into the extraembryonic space several hours before cuticle matrix assembly, and this early secretion depends on the PCSK BLI-4. The study also revealed that in bli-4 and cleavage-site mutants, SQT-3 and DPY-17 are not efficiently secreted. These findings highlight the importance of collagen N-terminal processing in intracellular trafficking and matrix assembly.
Article
Cell Biology
Jasmin Maier, Manuel Rogg, Martin Helmstaedter, Alena Sammarco, Oliver Schilling, Benedikt Sabass, Jeffrey H. Miner, Joern Dengjel, Gerd Walz, Martin Werner, Tobias B. Huber, Christoph Schell
Summary: EPB41L5 protein plays a critical role in regulating podocyte adhesome function, affecting extracellular matrix assembly and deposition of core GBM components. This study reveals how EPB41L5 influences cell-cell force transmission and ECM formation by controlling the maturation of integrin adhesion complexes.
Review
Immunology
Junjie Zhao, Jiaqi Jin
Summary: This review discusses recent investigations into NETs and their roles in tumor biology, as well as explores their potential as therapeutic targets in cancer treatment.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Anatolii A. Abalymov, Carlos A. B. Santos, Louis Van der Meeren, Davy Van de Walle, Koen Dewettinck, Bogdan Parakhonskiy, Andre G. Skirtach
Summary: Nanofiber hydrogels show better cell adhesion properties and cell proliferation compared to conventional meshy hydrogels, making them potentially applicable for various cell types and contributing to a better understanding of cell interactions with ECM.
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tonia K. Tsinman, Xi Jiang, Lin Han, Eiki Koyama, Robert L. Mauck, Nathaniel A. Dyment
Summary: The study tracks the growth of the meniscus in mice from embryonic formation through the first month of growth, revealing that matrix and cellular features defining specific tissue zones are present at birth and further refined with postnatal growth. This work establishes a detailed timeline of spatiotemporal changes at both the cellular and matrix level during meniscus maturation, providing insight into mechanisms of tissue degeneration and regenerative strategies.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Li Yang, Haoshuang Wu, Lu Lu, Qing He, Boting Xi, Hongchi Yu, Rifang Luo, Yunbing Wang, Xingdong Zhang
Summary: A new recombinant human type III collagen (hCOLIII) without platelet binding sites but with affinity for endothelial cells was explored, together with hyaluronic acid (HA), to form an ECM-mimetic multilayer coating. The coating demonstrated significant thromboprotective properties and guided vascular cell fate by supporting endothelial cell proliferation and inhibiting smooth muscle cell proliferation. Implantation of a polylactic acid (PLA) stent coated with hCOLIII in rabbit abdominal aorta showed enhanced endothelialization, suppressed inflammatory response, inhibition of neointimal hyperplasia, and superior thromboprotection, indicating the potential of hCOLIII-based ECM-mimetic coating as a tailored blood-contacting material for cardiovascular stents.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Evelyne Gineyts, Marjorie Millet, Olivier Borel, Frederic Coutant, Jean-Charles Rousseau, Roland Chapurlat, Hubert Marotte, Patrick Garnero
Summary: The study aimed to develop a serum biochemical marker to evaluate synovial turnover in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. The researchers discovered that serum collagen fragments (Col3-4) could recognize the degradation products of type III and IV collagens and were significantly increased in patients with RA. This marker may be useful for the clinical investigation of RA.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ting Li, Jie Peng, Qingqing Li, Yuan Shu, Peijun Zhu, Liang Hao
Summary: This article primarily reviews the role of ADAMTS metalloproteinases in osteoarthritis. It explains how ADAMTS participates in ECM, cartilage degeneration, and synovial inflammation, which are all aspects of osteoarthritis. This article may provide a theoretical basis for the study of new therapeutic methods for osteoarthritis.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
My Thi Ngoc Nguyen, Ha Le Bao Tran
Summary: The study reported the heparinization of bovine pericardial scaffolds using the Layer-by-Layer self-assembly technique, which significantly improved the anticoagulant properties of the scaffolds, showing potential applications in the cardiovascular field.
JOURNAL OF SCIENCE-ADVANCED MATERIALS AND DEVICES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Anatolii A. Abalymov, Carlos A. B. Santos, Louis Van der Meeren, Davy Van de Walle, Koen Dewettinck, Bogdan V. Parakhonskiy, Andre G. Skirtach
Summary: Nanofibrillar hydrogels prepared by a new self-assembly thermal annealing procedure have been shown to be an effective cell growth platform. Developing these materials provides insights into cell growth, understanding of interfaces and cell-surface interactions, and medically relevant conditions associated with fibrosis.
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Martina Schiavello, Barbara Vizio, Ornella Bosco, Emanuele Pivetta, Filippo Mariano, Giuseppe Montrucchio, Enrico Lupia
Summary: Sepsis and COVID-19 patients often show an imbalance in inflammation and coagulation, known as thromboinflammation, which greatly impacts patient prognosis. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanoparticles released by cells that play a significant role in cell-to-cell communication. Recent studies indicate that EVs are important factors in various pathologies, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. However, the biological properties of EVs in the mechanisms of thromboinflammation during sepsis and COVID-19 are not yet fully understood. This review summarizes the current experimental evidence on the role of EVs in thromboinflammation in these diseases.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Shima Tavakoli, Austin Evans, Oommen P. Oommen, Laura Creemers, Jharna Barman Nandi, Jons Hilborn, Oommen P. Varghese
Summary: Labeling and visualization of extracellular matrix (ECM) components secreted by cells and living tissues is important for biomedical researchers. The use of bioorthogonal chemistry approaches allows for the specific visualization and labeling of ECM constituents without interfering with other chemical or biological events. This review summarizes recent advancements in using biorthogonal chemistry for metabolic labeling and visualization of ECM proteins and glycosaminoglycans, discusses challenges and limitations, and suggests potential solutions for improvement.
MATERIALS TODAY BIO
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Wenqiang Jing, Huijuan Wang, Liying Zhan, Wei Yan
Summary: Sepsis is a complex syndrome associated with infection, and extracellular vesicles play an important role in its pathology and have potential applications in diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yunfei Tan, Lei Ma, Xiaoyu Cao, Zeng Yi, Xiaomin Ma, Xudong Li
Summary: This study investigates the effect of mechanical cues on cell growth and differentiation by preparing biomimetic scaffolds/gels with viscoelastic properties. The addition of oxidized hyaluronic acid/hydroxyapatite hybrids (OHAHs) alters the self-assembly behavior of collagen, resulting in collagen-hybrid (CH) matrices with tunable stress relaxation rates. The proliferation and spreading of MC3T3-E1 cells cultured on CH matrices are found to increase with the stress relaxing rate of the matrices. The results demonstrate the potential of preparing tunable stress relaxing biomimetic matrices for studying mechanical cues on cell behaviors.
Article
Biology
William Duncan Martinson, Rebecca McLennan, Jessica M. Teddy, Mary C. McKinney, Lance A. Davidson, Ruth E. Baker, Helen M. Byrne, Paul M. Kulesa, Philip K. Maini
Summary: Collective cell migration is important in vertebrate development. This study investigates the influence of dynamically changing microenvironments on this phenomenon. Through computational modeling, the authors propose that NCC remodeling of the extracellular matrix creates a scaffold for trailing cells, enabling them to form robust and coherent stream patterns. Contact guidance and differential cell-cell repulsion are identified as key contributors to robust collective cell migration.
Article
Oncology
Michael David Huelskamp, Daniel Kronenberg, Richard Stange
Summary: The study shows that E7820 may not be suitable for treating certain malignancies of musculoskeletal origin due to its potential to increase integrin alpha 2 expression. Further investigation into the differential functioning of CAPER alpha and the integrin alpha 2 promoter in cells of different origins is necessary to differentiate between cell lines that will positively respond to E7820 and those that will not.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ulrich Eckhard, Hagen Koerschgen, Nele von Wiegen, Walter Stoecker, F. Xavier Gomis-Rueth
Summary: The interaction between M ss and FB is analyzed in this study, revealing how FB stabilizes the enzyme and inhibits its activity with high affinity. The crystal structure shows that FB blocks the catalytic activity of M ss through a unique structural mechanism, preventing cleavage of substrates.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Dirk Waehnert, Julian Koettnitz, Madlen Merten, Daniel Kronenberg, Richard Stange, Johannes F. W. Greiner, Christian Kaltschmidt, Thomas Vordemvenne, Barbara Kaltschmidt
Summary: Comparing different bone substitute materials in rat calvarial critical size defects, transplantation of Spongostan(TM) resulted in superior regeneration, indicating its potential as an alternative for defects in the maxillary region.
Article
Immunology
Alexandre Aubert, Perrine Mercier-Gouy, Stephanie Aguero, Laurent Berthier, Sophie Liot, Laura Prigent, Lindsay B. Alcaraz, Bernard Verrier, Raphael Terreux, Catherine Moali, Elise Lambert, Ulrich Valcourt
Summary: TGF-beta isoforms play a crucial role in regulating tissue homeostasis and immune cell function, while Tenascin family members are able to modulate the bioavailability of TGF-beta through their C-terminal domains. This regulation likely involves a conformational change leading to activation of the latent cytokine and subsequent effects on cell responses, such as cytostasis and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in mammary epithelial cells. These findings suggest a novel common function for the Tenascin family in maintaining tissue homeostasis under both healthy and pathological conditions.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Berenice Ziegler, Irene Yiallouros, Benjamin Trageser, Sumit Kumar, Moritz Mercker, Svenja Kling, Maike Fath, Uwe Warnken, Martina Schnoelzer, Thomas W. Holstein, Markus Hartl, Anna Marciniak-Czochra, Jorg Stetefeld, Walter Stoecker, Suat Oezbek
Summary: The astacin family protease HAS-7 in Hydra maintains a single head organizer through the proteolysis of HyWnt3, suggesting a negative regulatory role of Wnt processing astacin proteinases in the global patterning of the oral-aboral axis in Hydra.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Melissa Dussoyer, Adeline Page, Frederic Delolme, Patricia Rousselle, Alexander Nystroem, Catherine Moali
Summary: Four protocols for enriching ECM proteins in adult mouse back skin all led to significant enrichment (up to 65%) of matrisome proteins, with decellularization and solubility profiling protocols yielding the best results. Skin matrisome proteins exhibit diverse solubility and abundance profiles.
JOURNAL OF PROTEOMICS
(2022)
Article
Developmental Biology
Carlo Schmitz, Seyedeh Zeynab Sadr, Hagen Koerschgen, Michael Kuske, Jennifer Schoen, Walter Stoecker, Willi Jahnen-Dechent, Julia Floehr
Summary: The elastic modulus of the zona pellucida can reflect the cleavage of ZP2 in oocytes, providing a new method for assessing oocyte fertility with increased sensitivity. This measurement can define the range of zona hardening and could potentially serve as a non-destructive marker-free method for evaluating individual oocyte quality.
Article
Cell Biology
Madlen Merten, Johannes F. W. Greiner, Tarek Niemann, Meike Grosse Venhaus, Daniel Kronenberg, Richard Stange, Dirk Waehnert, Christian Kaltschmidt, Thomas Vordemvenne, Barbara Kaltschmidt
Summary: Female sex is associated with an increased risk of bone loss and nonunion fractures during aging. In this study, we found decreased calvarial bone recovery in female rats and sexually dimorphic osteogenic differentiation in adult neural crest-derived stem cells (NCSCs). KDM5D was upregulated in differentiating male NCSCs and its inhibition significantly reduced their capacity for osteogenic differentiation. These findings highlight the importance of analyzing sex-specific differences in the treatment of bone defects.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Urvashi Sharma, Sandrine Vadon-Le Goff, Karl Harlos, Yuguang Zhao, Natacha Mariano, Cecile Bijakowski, Jean-Marie Bourhis, Catherine Moali, David J. S. Hulmes, Nushin Aghajari
Summary: Sizzled is a natural protein that inhibits the activity of BMP-1, a key regulator of extracellular matrix accumulation. The new crystal structure of Szl and its interactions with BMP-1 provide insights for designing inhibitors to treat fibrotic diseases.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Tibisay Guevara, Arturo Rodriguez-Banqueri, Walter Stoecker, Christoph Becker-Pauly, F. Xavier Gomis-Rueth
Summary: A study on the horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus revealed the structure and activation mechanism of its astacin enzyme. The enzyme is initially present as a zymogen, with a pro-peptide blocking the active site. Maturation cleavage of the pro-peptide allows the enzyme to become active and undergo rearrangement. This mechanism is similar to other astacin enzymes, but each enzyme has its own specific structural characteristics.
ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D-STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Isabel Wank, Tanja Niedermair, Daniel Kronenberg, Richard Stange, Christoph Brochhausen, Andreas Hess, Susanne Graessel
Summary: Osteoporotic fractures often lead to chronic pain and poor healing outcomes. Sensory and sympathetic signaling play a role in fracture healing and fracture-induced hyperalgesia in osteoporotic conditions. The findings of this study suggest that changes in resting-state functional connectivity observed in fMRI could potentially serve as a biomarker for bone traumata-induced fracture healing under pathophysiological musculoskeletal conditions. These findings are clinically important as they advance our understanding of pain during osteoporotic fracture healing and provide a potential imaging biomarker for fracture-related hyperalgesia, thereby improving the treatment of osteoporotic fractures.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
F. Xavier Gomis-Rueth, Walter Stoecker
Summary: Astacins are a family of metallopeptidases found in animals, consisting of multidomain extracellular proteins. They share similar structural features with other metallopeptidases and belong to the metzincin metallopeptidase clan. The distribution and origin of astacins have been investigated, and it is proposed that they originated in the root of Holozoa through horizontal gene transfer.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Marine Blanc, Clara Lettl, Jeremy Guerin, Anais Vieille, Sven Furler, Sylvie Briand-Schumacher, Birgit Dreier, Celia Berge, Andreas Pluckthun, Sandrine Vadon-Le Goff, Remi Fronzes, Patricia Rousselle, Wolfgang Fischer, Laurent Terradot
Summary: The study focuses on Helicobacter pylori, a bacterial pathogen that injects the oncoprotein CagA into gastric cells using a type IV secretion system (cagT4SS). The research shows that CagI, a protein present on the surface of the bacterium, is crucial for the formation of the pilus that facilitates CagA delivery. DARPins targeting CagI are identified as potent inhibitors of the cagT4SS, which is a major risk factor for gastric cancer development.
Article
Oncology
Daniel Segelcke, Jan Linnemann, Bruno Pradier, Daniel Kronenberg, Richard Stange, S. Helene Richter, Dennis Goerlich, Nicola Baldini, Gemma Di Pompo, Waldiceu A. Verri Jr, Sofia Avnet, Esther M. Pogatzki-Zahn
Summary: Bone metastases are a common complication in advanced cancer patients, causing severe pain and reducing their quality of life. This study aimed to identify the pain phenotypes of cancer-induced bone pain (CIBP) in rats. CIBP in the splint bone caused mechanical hypersensitivity, resting pain, and antalgic gait in both sexes. The progression of tumor growth led to the establishment of the CIBP phenotype, which appeared earlier in male rats and affected social behaviors in both sexes.