Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rina Fujiwara-Tani, Shiori Mori, Ruiko Ogata, Rika Sasaki, Ayaka Ikemoto, Shingo Kishi, Masuo Kondoh, Hiroki Kuniyasu
Summary: CLDN4 is a crucial component of tight junctions in epithelial cells and is overexpressed in many epithelial malignancies. Changes in CLDN4 expression are associated with epigenetic factors, inflammation, and growth factor signaling. CLDN4 plays a role in maintaining the tumor microenvironment and acts as a barrier to anticancer drug entry.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Lujia Yang, Qian Zhang, Jieyao Huang, Danning Liu, Yunfei Lan, Lujiang Yuan, Qianfeng Chen
Summary: The study demonstrated the therapeutic effect of Xianglian Pill on antibiotic-associated diarrhea, improving the condition by promoting the recovery of intestinal microbiota and attenuating mucosal damage.
JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fumisato Maesaka, Masaomi Kuwada, Shohei Horii, Shingo Kishi, Rina Fujiwara-Tani, Shiori Mori, Kiyomu Fujii, Takuya Mori, Hitoshi Ohmori, Takuya Owari, Makito Miyake, Yasushi Nakai, Nobumichi Tanaka, Ujjal Kumar Bhawal, Yi Luo, Masuo Kondoh, Kiyohide Fujimoto, Hiroki Kuniyasu
Summary: In bladder urothelial carcinoma (BUC), the overexpression of CLDN4 is associated with cancer progression. Through analyzing BUC cases, it was found that hypomethylation of CLDN4 promoter DNA increases CLDN4 expression and promotes cell proliferation, stemness, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Treatment with demethylating agent AZA leads to excessive CLDN4 expression, specifically the TJ-unintegrated CLDN4 monomer. The TJ-unintegrated CLDN4 binds to integrin beta 1 and enhances stemness, drug resistance, and metastatic ability of the cells, as well as exhibits an anti-apoptosis effect via FAK phosphorylation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Roziana Kamaludin, Zatilfarihiah Rasdi, Mohd Hafiz Dzarfan Othman, Siti Hamimah Sheikh Abdul Kadir, Mohd Yusri Idorus, Jesmine Khan, Wan Nor I'zzah Wan Mohamad Zain, Ahmad Fauzi Ismail, Mukhlis A. Rahman, Juhana Jaafar
Summary: This study found that BPA exposure can affect the small intestine and intestinal barrier of pregnant rats and their fetuses, but BPA-treated water through photocatalytic membrane does not have detrimental effects on the gastrointestinal tract.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Atul K. Srivastava, Bharat Somireddy Venkata, Yan Y. Sweat, Heather R. Rizzo, Lea Jean-Francois, Li Zuo, Kathleen W. Kurgan, Patrick Moore, Nitesh Shashikanth, Izabela Smok, Joseph R. Sachleben, Jerrold R. Turner, Stephen C. Meredith
Summary: This study investigates the effects of S408 phosphorylation on occludin protein structure and demonstrates its role in regulating intercellular junction function through interactions with other components.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Yunika Mayangsari, Mayu Okudaira, Chinatsu Mano, Yuki Tanaka, Osamu Ueda, Tomohiro Sakuta, Yoshiharu Suzuki, Yoshinari Yamamoto, Takuya Suzuki
Summary: Research showed that DMF can enhance intestinal TJ barrier integrity by increasing the expression of occludin and claudin-1, while reducing the expression of claudin-2. This regulation involves the induction of occludin protein translation via mTOR and silencing Cldn2 mRNA via miR-16-5p.
JOURNAL OF FUNCTIONAL FOODS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zhi-Yuan Lu, Lin Feng, Wei-Dan Jiang, Pei Wu, Yang Liu, Xiao-Wan Jin, Hong-Mei Ren, Sheng-Yao Kuang, Shu-Wei Li, Ling Tang, Lu Zhang, Hai-Feng Mi, Xiao-Qiu Zhou
Summary: This study focused on the protective effects of dietary mannoligosaccharides (MOS) supplementation on the intestinal structural integrity of grass carp. The results showed that dietary MOS supplementation protected the microvillus of the intestine, reduced mucosal permeability, and maintained intestinal structural integrity through the inhibition of MLCK and RhoA/ROCK signaling pathways. These findings highlight the positive impact of dietary MOS supplementation on intestinal health.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kenta Shigetomi, Yumiko Ono, Kenji Matsuzawa, Junichi Ikenouchi
Summary: It has been found that cholesterol accumulation is essential for the formation of tight junctions, which are crucial for the epithelial barrier. Despite the absence of tight junctions, cholesterol still accumulates normally in the vicinity of the apical junctions. Moreover, a claudin mutant that cannot bind to Zonula Occludens (ZO) proteins can still form tight junction strands. ZO proteins are not only scaffolds for claudins, but also promote the formation of cholesterol-rich membrane domains at apical junctions through their effect on the junctional actomyosin cytoskeleton.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Aya Harasawa, Shiori Ishiyama, Kazuki Mochizuki
Summary: This study found that indigestible carbohydrates can directly strengthen tight junctions in intestinal absorptive cells and investigated the association between genes constructing tight junctions and other genes using mRNA microarray analysis. The results showed that intake of fructo-oligosaccharides could decrease the expression of CLDN2 gene, which weakens tight junctions, and increase the expression of CLDN4 gene, which strengthens tight junctions, in Caco-2 cells. It also induced the expression of inflammatory genes, including CLEC7A.
Article
Cell Biology
Hyunjhung Jhun, Won-Young Lee, Jin-Ki Park, Sun-Goo Hwang, Hyun-Jung Park
Summary: Cryptorchidism may affect Claudin expression, which in turn impacts the proliferation of Sertoli cells and spermatogenesis.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Abigail Taylor, Mark Warner, Christopher Mendoza, Calvin Memmott, Tom LeCheminant, Sara Bailey, Colter Christensen, Julie Keller, Arminda Suli, Dario Mizrachi
Summary: The tight junction (TJ) is a structure composed of multiple proteins responsible for cell-cell adhesion in polarized endothelium and epithelium. This article introduces a new experimental method to study the membrane protein claudins (CLDNs), providing a novel approach for studying other membrane proteins.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Harleen Kaur, Regis Moreau
Summary: The role of mTORC1 in the regulation of intestinal barrier function and permeability remains to be fully elucidated.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alex J. Vecchio, Sewwandi S. Rathnayake, Robert M. Stroud
Summary: The study reveals the molecular and structural basis of how CpE targets susceptible claudins, as well as differences in the primary CpE receptors in mice and humans due to sequence changes in the target motif.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kana Yokoo, Yoshinari Yamamoto, Takuya Suzuki
Summary: Ammonia impairs TJ barrier in Caco-2 cells by increasing oxidative stress, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction, which may precede the ammonia-induced oxidative stress.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Caroline Hempel, Rita Rosenthal, Anja Fromm, Susanne M. Krug, Michael Fromm, Dorothee Gunzel, Joerg Piontek
Summary: This study analyzed the structural and functional differences between claudin-15 and claudin-10b cation channels and identified several mutants that affect ion permeability and pore diameter. Furthermore, the study revealed that the charge at the W63/K64 position has an impact on the assembly and properties of claudin-10b channels but not claudin-15 channels.
ANNALS OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Education & Educational Research
Mario Luiz Neves de Azevedo, Susan Lee Robertson
Summary: This paper examines the rise of authoritarian populism in Brazil following the election of Jair Messias Bolsonaro in 2018 and its implications for education. It reflects on the historical trajectory of Brazil's policies from 1995 to 2019, particularly during the left-wing administrations of Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff. The intersection of right-wing conservative discourse, evangelical proselytising, populist discourse, and economic competitiveness contributed to the election of Bolsonaro in 2018.
GLOBALISATION SOCIETIES AND EDUCATION
(2022)
Article
Education & Educational Research
Susan L. Robertson, Matias Nestore
Summary: This paper examines how deep structural transformations have reshaped higher education in England and are closely related to the emergence of authoritarian populism. The individualization of the self, erasure of collective class politics, and the creation of a neoliberal meritocratic social order are identified as key factors facilitating the rise of authoritarian populism. It argues that the dichotomous perspective linking education level to contemporary populism overlooks the normalization of new social inequalities produced by decades of neoliberalism.
GLOBALISATION SOCIETIES AND EDUCATION
(2022)
Editorial Material
Education & Educational Research
Matias Nestore, Susan Robertson
GLOBALISATION SOCIETIES AND EDUCATION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marina E. Ivanova, Natalya Lukoyanova, Sony Malhotra, Maya Topf, Joseph A. Trapani, Ilia Voskoboinik, Helen R. Saibil
Summary: Perforin is a protein that forms pores to facilitate the killing of infected or cancerous cells by the immune system. It is released from cytotoxic lymphocytes and binds to target cell membranes, leading to the rapid death of the target cells. The structure and formation process of the perforin pores have been studied, providing insights into their stability and the effects of pathogenic mutations.
Article
Education & Educational Research
Alexander Mitterle, Roland Bloch, Susan L. Robertson
Summary: The current landscape of higher education is dominated by expressions of size and greatness for universities, portrayed through international rankings and visual language. This marketing-driven trend has quickly expanded globally, nurturing a mundane construction effort and directing the viewer's gaze to create the image of greatness for universities.
GLOBALISATION SOCIETIES AND EDUCATION
(2022)
Article
Education & Educational Research
Susan L. Robertson
Summary: This paper explores the spatial power and its impact on the socio-spatial relations between universities, focusing on the rise of world-class universities and global university rankings.
GLOBALISATION SOCIETIES AND EDUCATION
(2022)
Article
International Relations
Susan L. Robertson
Summary: This paper provides a comparative analysis of the anticipatory practices used by the international organizations UNESCO and OECD in governing education futures. It highlights their differences, competitive relationship, and the challenges they may face when anticipated futures become problematic presents.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kevin Mace, Abhinav K. Vadakkepat, Adam Redzej, Natalya Lukoyanova, Clasien Oomen, Nathalie Braun, Marta Ukleja, Fang Lu, Tiago R. D. Costa, Elena Orlova, David Baker, Qian Cong, Gabriel Waksman
Summary: Bacterial conjugation is a crucial process for the transfer of DNA, especially antibiotic resistance genes. The high-resolution cryo-EM structure of the T4SS complex provides insights into the assembly mechanism and protein-protein interaction network involved in conjugative pilus biogenesis.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Igor Orlov, Stephane Roche, Sandrine Brasiles, Natalya Lukoyanova, Marie-Christine Vaney, Paulo Tavares, Elena Orlova
Summary: The authors report the atomic structure and assembly mechanism of the phage SPP1 portal DNA gatekeeper, as well as identify evolutionary breakpoints between different tailed bacteriophages morphotypes and herpesviruses.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Thomas N. Wight, Anthony J. Day, Inkyung Kang, Ingrid A. Harten, Gernot Kaber, David C. Briggs, Kathleen R. Braun, Joan M. Lemire, Michael G. Kinsella, Aleksander Hinek, Mervyn J. Merrilees
Summary: V3 is an understudied isoform of the versican family, lacking glycosaminoglycan chains. Despite limited research, studies have shown expression of V3 during development and disease, with significant phenotypic effects observed in experimental models. However, there are currently no antibodies available to distinguish V3 from other isoforms.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-CELL PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Guendalina Marini, Brad Poland, Chris Leininger, Natalya Lukoyanova, Dan Spielbauer, Jennifer K. Barry, Dan Altier, Amy Lum, Eric Scolaro, Claudia Perez Ortega, Nasser Yalpani, Gary Sandahl, Tim Mabry, Jeffrey Klever, Timothy Nowatzki, Jian-Zhou Zhao, Amit Sethi, Adane Kassa, Virginia Crane, Albert L. Lu, Mark E. Nelson, Narayanan Eswar, Maya Topf, Helen R. Saibil
Summary: Detailed structural analyses of the insecticidal protein Mpf2Ba1 reveal transitions between its three main stages of pore formation, providing insights into the molecular mechanisms of bacterial pore assembly and advancing crop biotechnology and food security.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Douglas Sammon, Anja Krueger, Marta Busse-Wicher, Rhodri Marc Morgan, Stuart M. Haslam, Benjamin Schumann, David C. Briggs, Erhard Hohenester
Summary: Heparan sulfate (HS) and chondroitin sulfate (CS) control development and physiology in a specific manner. The modification of core proteins with HS or CS is carried out selectively by N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase EXTL3 and equally by N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase CSGALNACT2, respectively. Phosphorylation accelerates linker synthesis and the initiation of HS and CS.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Crystallography
David C. Briggs, Luise Kandler, Lisa Schmidt, Gianluca Santoni, Andrea Thorn
Summary: The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is categorized into three classes of proteins: structural proteins, non-structural proteins, and accessory proteins. While accessory proteins were initially considered non-essential for viral replication, there is increasing evidence suggesting their crucial roles in virus-host interactions by interfering with host cell signaling pathways. This article summarizes the efforts to structurally characterize the accessory proteins of SARS-CoV-2.
CRYSTALLOGRAPHY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maryline Fresquet, Michael P. Lockhart-Cairns, Samuel J. Rhoden, Thomas A. Jowitt, David C. Briggs, Clair Baldock, Paul E. Brenchley, Rachel Lennon
Summary: Membranous nephropathy is an autoimmune kidney disease caused by autoantibodies targeting antigens present on glomerular podocytes. This study provides insights into the structure and key residues of the phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) involved in autoantibody binding, and suggests potential drug targets for membranous nephropathy.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Education & Educational Research
Michael A. Peters, Fazal Rizvi, Gary McCulloch, Paul Gibbs, Radhika Gorur, Moon Hong, Yoonjung Hwang, Lew Zipin, Marie Brennan, Susan Robertson, John Quay, Justin Malbon, Danilo Taglietti, Ronald Barnett, Wang Chengbing, Peter McLaren, Rima Apple, Marianna Papastephanou, Nick Burbules, Liz Jackson, Pankaj Jalote, Mary Kalantzis, Bill Cope, Aslam Fataar, James Conroy, Greg Misiaszek, Gert Biesta, Petar Jandric, Suzanne Choo, Michael Apple, Lynda Stone, Rob Tierney, Marek Tesar, Tina Besley, Lauren Misiaszek
Summary: This passage tells us about the existence of rupture, the pandemic gives us an opportunity to rethink the doomsday machine we have built. Returning to normality is not the best choice, we should go lightly, ready to imagine and fight for a new world.
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY AND THEORY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ankita Chadda, Alexander G. Kozlov, Binh Nguyen, Timothy M. Lohman, Eric A. Galburt
Summary: In this study, it was found that the DNA damage response in Mycobacterium tuberculosis differs from well-studied model bacteria. The DNA repair helicase UvrD1 in Mtb is activated through a redox-dependent process and is closely associated with the homo-dimeric Ku protein. Additionally, Ku protein is shown to stimulate the helicase activity of UvrD1.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2024)
