Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dimitrios Matthaios, Maria Tolia, Davide Mauri, Konstantinos Kamposioras, Michalis Karamouzis
Summary: The YAP and Hippo pathway play crucial roles in immune system and cancer, with effects such as modulating immune response, enhancing tumor microenvironment, and regulating immune suppression, suggesting their potential applications in cancer immunotherapy.
Review
Immunology
Mohammad Hossein Kazemi, Maryam Sadri, Alireza Najafi, Ali Rahimi, Zeinab Baghernejadan, Hossein Khorramdelazad, Reza Falak
Summary: Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), frontline soldiers of the adaptive immune system, are recruited into the tumor site to fight against tumors. However, their small number and reduced activity limit their ability to overcome the tumor. Recent advances in understanding TME, immune exhaustion, and immune checkpoints have paved the way for TIL therapy regimens. Nowadays, TIL therapy has regained attention as a safe personalized immunotherapy, but it still faces challenges such as high cost and technical difficulties.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alessandra Murabito, Janki Bhatt, Alessandra Ghigo
Summary: In the last fifteen years, the approval of the first molecular treatments has marked a breakthrough era for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. The use of CFTR modulators has significantly improved lung function and quality of life for most CF patients. However, the efficacy of these drugs is still not optimal and the response varies among individuals with the same mutation. Therefore, there is a need to explore alternative approaches, such as modulating the cAMP signaling pathway, for therapeutic intervention in CF.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Frazer A. Cook, Simon J. Cook
Summary: The discussion in the article revolves around mutations in RAS and BRAF proteins in cancer, as well as the mechanisms of action of small molecule kinase inhibitors. The current issue is that in RAS-mutant cells, certain inhibitors can promote RAS-dependent dimerization and paradoxical activation of wild-type RAF.
BIOCHEMICAL SOCIETY TRANSACTIONS
(2021)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tineke Vanderhaeghen, Jolien Vandewalle, Claude Libert
Summary: Sepsis is a life-threatening response to infection, causing high morbidity and mortality in intensive care units worldwide. Current management of sepsis is supportive, and there is an urgent need for new therapeutic interventions. This study shows that the transporter SPNS2 plays a crucial role in metabolic reprogramming of macrophages during sepsis, regulating inflammation through the lactate-ROS axis.
Article
Business, Finance
Guohao Tang, Fuwei Jiang, Xinlin Qi, Nan Huang
Summary: This paper proposes a fundamental timing strategy for both the U.S. and Chinese stock markets to select fundamentals sorted portfolios in the time-series dimension, achieving substantial performance gains relative to buy-and-hold strategies, particularly among firms with high idiosyncratic volatility and high illiquidity.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FINANCE & ECONOMICS
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Leonard Girnita, Terry J. Smith, Joseph A. M. J. L. Janssen
Summary: This article reviews the generation of autoantibodies in thyroid eye disease (TED) and their direct effects on orbital fibroblast responses through the TSH receptor (TSHR), IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR), or both. Evidence suggests that IGF-IR functions not only as a typical tyrosine kinase receptor, but also as a functional receptor tyrosine kinase/G-protein-coupled receptor hybrid. Teprotumumab, a monoclonal IGF-IR antibody, effectively reduces TED disease activity and its in vitro actions on fibrocytes and orbital fibroblasts. The article proposes four possible IGF-IR activation models underlying the clinical responses to teprotumumab in TED patients.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Maeva Coste, Esteban Suarez-Picado, Sebastien Ulrich
Summary: Supramolecular polymers are self-assembled materials displaying adaptive and responsive life-like behavior, often made of aromatic compounds engaging in pi-pi interactions. Recent advances have been made in controlling their self-assembly from thermodynamically-controlled isodesmic to kinetically-controlled living polymerization. Dynamic covalent chemistry has been utilized to generate dynamic covalent polymers, acting as dynamic analogues of biomacromolecules.
Review
Immunology
Manmohan Kumar, Shagun Sharma, Shibnath Mazumder
Summary: The immune system of a host utilizes different metabolic programs of immune cells to combat bacterial infection, while bacterial pathogens manipulate mitochondrial structure and functions to evade host immunity. Mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt) and mitochondrial dynamics play critical roles in mitochondrial adaptation to bacterial stress. This review highlights the immune functions of mitochondria against bacterial infection, focusing on the mechanisms of UPRmt and mitochondrial dynamics and their involvement in host immunity.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Raika Pancaroglu, Filip Van Petegem
Summary: In this issue of Structure, Melville and colleagues used cryo-EM to study the binding of ryanodine receptors to Rycals, compounds with the potential to treat skeletal and cardiac muscle disorders. Unexpectedly, they found that Rycal packs against an ATP in a peripheral pocket, which stabilizes the closed channel state.
Article
Polymer Science
Yin Yam Chan, Bernhard Schartel
Summary: This feature article focuses on one of the most impressive halogen-free combinations in polyurethane foams (PUFs): expandable graphite (EG) and phosphorus-based flame retardants (P-FRs). The synergistic effect of EG and P-FRs improves the flame retardancy of PUFs by charring and maintaining a thermally insulating residue morphology, offering significant advantages.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ulrik Gether, Harald H. Sitte
Summary: The dopamine transporter utilizes the transmembrane sodium gradient to mediate dopamine reuptake and can form dimers and potentially higher order structures. While the biological importance of this oligomerization is still not fully understood, a study by Sorkina et al. has provided insight into the link between transporter conformation, oligomerization, and endocytosis.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Business
Desiree A. Laubengaier, Raffaella Cagliano, Filomena Canterino
Summary: Industry 4.0 brings fundamental changes to company processes, where both technological and administrative process innovations are important and interact with each other in complex ways. This study highlights the significance of work design, people management, and strategy for Industry 4.0 initiatives.
TECHNOLOGICAL FORECASTING AND SOCIAL CHANGE
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Alexandra B. Khodadadi, William Carroll, Erica L. Lee, Barbara Hansen, Isabel C. Scarinci
Summary: The study found that most head/neck cancer patients wanted to quit smoking for health reasons, however, they were unaware of cessation resources. Both healthcare providers and patients suggested that a tobacco cessation program should involve former smokers, healthcare provider counseling, supporting written materials, and follow-up and family support.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Linda J. Waite, James Iveniuk, Ashwin Kotwal
Summary: This article examines the association between cognitive impairment and sexual activity in older adults. The study finds that older adults with cognitive limitations are as likely to be sexually active with a partner as those with normal cognitive function, but are less likely to masturbate. There was no association between cognitive impairment and joint sexual activity in married and cohabiting couples. The intimate dyad plays an important role in conserving partnered sexual activity.
JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY SERIES B-PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Guangyu E. Chen, Andrew Hitchcock, Jan Mares, Yanhai Gong, Martin Tichy, Jan Pilny, Lucie Kovarova, Barbora Zdvihalova, Jian Xu, C. Neil Hunter, Roman Sobotka
Summary: The study reveals that Ycf54 plays a critical role in controlling both the level and activity of CycI, while another gene encoding an esterase, Slr1916, can up-regulate the entire Chl biosynthetic pathway, enhancing cyclase activity.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Claudine Bisson, Robert C. Salmon, Laura West, John B. Rafferty, Andrew Hitchcock, Gavin H. Thomas, David J. Kelly
Summary: Lignin, an organic polymer found in plant cell walls, is abundant in nature and resistant to degradation, but can be cleaved by enzymes released by microbial consortia. The degradation of lignin is important in global carbon cycling and has potential for industrial biotechnological applications. The high-resolution crystal structures of proteins involved in the recognition and uptake of phenylpropanoids shed light on the molecular basis for their high-affinity binding by transporters, offering insights into potential improvements in lignin biotechnological transformations.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
George M. Taylor, Andrew Hitchcock, John T. Heap
Summary: Researchers have successfully overcome genetic instability in engineered cyanobacteria using large-scale parallel metabolic engineering, achieving the production of target products from atmospheric CO2. This approach provides a new platform for developing genetically stable cyanobacterial biocatalysts for sustainable light-driven production, avoiding the use of fossil carbon or competition with food production.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Pu Qian, Tristan I. Croll, Andrew Hitchcock, Philip J. Jackson, Jack H. Salisbury, Pablo Castro-Hartmann, Kasim Sader, David J. K. Swainsbury, C. Neil Hunter
Summary: The dimeric reaction centre light-harvesting 1 (RC-LH1) core complex of Rhodobacter sphaeroides converts absorbed light energy to a charge separation, and then it reduces a quinone electron and proton acceptor to a quinol. The interaction between the two monomers influences the curvature of the membrane vesicles where photosynthetic reactions occur. The dimerisation interface of two RC-LH1 monomers is crucial for quinones to enter and leave the complex, and for energy migration across the dimer interface.
BIOCHEMICAL JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Andrew Hitchcock, Christopher Neil Hunter, Roman Sobotka, Josef Komenda, Marcel Dann, Dario Leister
Summary: The Perspective article discusses the plans of the PhotoRedesign consortium funded by the European Research Council to enhance photosynthesis by redesigning the light reactions. The goal is to improve the efficiency and resilience of photosynthesis by combining synthetic biology approaches and adaptive laboratory evolution to create a mechanism that can better utilize solar energy.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ian D. E. A. Lidbury, David J. Scanlan, Andrew R. J. Murphy, Joseph A. Christie-Oleza, Maria M. Aguilo-Ferretjans, Andrew Hitchcock, Tim J. Daniell
Summary: Phosphatase activity is inhibited by phosphate availability, however, the PafA phosphatase is highly active even in the absence of phosphate and plays a significant role in environmental phosphate regeneration.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Pat Adkin, Andrew Hitchcock, Laura J. Smith, Susannah E. Walsh
Summary: This study investigates the effects of sub-inhibitory concentrations of biocides on antibiotic resistance in bacteria. The results show that even in the absence of stable biocide tolerance, bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics when primed with low-level exposure to biocides. The activation of efflux mechanisms may play a role in this process.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Matthew S. Proctor, Felix S. Morey-Burrows, Daniel P. Canniffe, Elizabeth C. Martin, David J. K. Swainsbury, Matthew P. Johnson, C. Neil Hunter, George A. Sutherland, Andrew Hitchcock
Summary: Carotenoids are important pigments involved in photosynthesis, and the enzyme Z-ISO plays a crucial role in their biosynthesis. This study confirmed the presence of Z-ISO in a cyanobacterium and demonstrated its requirement for carotenoid synthesis during periods of darkness. Analysis of enzyme models provided insights into the potential protein ligands for the heme B cofactor and substrate-binding site.
Article
Plant Sciences
Philip J. Jackson, Andrew Hitchcock, Amanda A. Brindley, Mark J. Dickman, C. Neil Hunter
Summary: Quantifying cellular components is crucial for understanding cellular processes and re-engineering cells. In this study, proteins in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 were quantified using mass spectrometry, revealing important insights into chlorophyll biosynthesis, photosynthesis, and other metabolic processes. The abundance and disparities of different components suggest potential control points for biosynthetic processes and complex assembly.
PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Noah Hitchcock, David J. Kelly, Andrew Hitchcock, Aidan J. Taylor
Summary: This study found that the cysM gene of Campylobacter jejuni encodes an O-acetyl-L-serine sulfhydrylase with high selectivity for sulfide, enabling it to efficiently utilize sulfide as a sulfur source in locations such as the intestine. However, high concentrations of sulfide inhibit the growth of C. jejuni, and further research is needed to identify the cellular targets responsible for sulfide toxicity.
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Andrew Hitchcock, David J. K. Swainsbury, C. Neil Hunter
Summary: The RC-LH1 core complex in purple bacteria is surrounded by the LH1 antenna, and the red-shifted absorption of Blastochloris viridis LH1 is partly due to the presence of the ? subunit. The study provides evidence for the role of the ? subunit in the red shift and its evolutionary rationale. These findings offer insights into photosynthesis in low energy phototrophs and the modification of absorption properties in light-harvesting complexes.
BIOCHEMICAL JOURNAL
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
David J. K. Swainsbury, Pu Qian, Andrew Hitchcock, C. Neil Hunter
Summary: Chlorophototrophic organisms have a charge-separating reaction centre (RC) complex combined with a light-harvesting (LH) antenna, known as RC-LH1 complex. Recent studies on RC-LH1 structures have provided detailed molecular arrangements of pigments and proteins, offering insights into the molecular mechanisms of photosynthesis in purple phototrophic bacteria.
BIOSCIENCE REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Siddhartha Sohoni, Lawson T. Lloyd, Andrew Hitchcock, Craig MacGregor-Chatwin, Ainsley Iwanicki, Indranil Ghosh, Qijie Shen, C. Neil Hunter, Gregory S. Engel
Summary: By using a two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy polarization scheme, researchers directly observed the approximately 8 ps energy transfer rate in the cyanobacterial and red algal photosynthetic system, which is attributed to interactions between rod-core linker proteins and terminal rod chromophores. This mechanism drives the high energy transfer efficiency in the phycobilisome and suggests that linker protein-chromophore interactions have likely evolved to shape its energetic landscape.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
George A. Sutherland, James P. Pidgeon, Harrison Ka Hin Lee, Matthew S. Proctor, Andrew Hitchcock, Shuangqing Wang, Dimitri Chekulaev, Wing Chung Tsoi, Matthew P. Johnson, C. Neil Hunter, Jenny Clark
Summary: Singlet exciton fission is the process of generating two triplet excited states from a singlet state. Previous studies suggested that intramolecular singlet fission occurs only in protein complexes with twisted carotenoid molecules. In this research, we studied a one-carotenoid system, the orange carotenoid protein (OCP), and found no evidence of intramolecular singlet fission despite the twist in the carotenoid molecule.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Craig MacGregor-Chatwin, Dennis J. Nurnberg, Philip J. Jackson, Cvetelin Vasilev, Andrew Hitchcock, Ming-Yang Ho, Gaozhong Shen, Christopher J. Gisriel, William H. J. Wood, Moontaha Mahbub, Vera M. Selinger, Matthew P. Johnson, Mark J. Dickman, Alfred William Rutherford, Donald A. Bryant, C. Neil Hunter
Summary: Cyanobacteria have developed strategies to adapt to different environments and utilize various strategies for photosynthesis. The study characterizes the molecular changes involved in FaRLiP and the supramolecular organization of photosystem I under FRL light, showing altered cellular distribution.
