Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Harry MacKay, Chathura J. Gunasekara, Kit-Yi Yam, Dollada Srisai, Hari Krishna Yalamanchili, Yumei Li, Rui Chen, Cristian Coarfa, Robert A. Waterland
Summary: Recent studies have confirmed that obesity is primarily a neurodevelopmental disease influenced by nutrition during critical ontogenic windows. This study examines the role of epigenetic mechanisms in establishing and maintaining the brain's energy balance circuitry, specifically in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus. The results indicate that postnatal epigenetic maturation is cell type and sex specific, occurring in genomic regions associated with body mass index heritability. These findings provide valuable insights into the limited ontogenic windows for developmental programming of obesity and the sex differences in sensitivity, and offer a resource for epigenetic analysis of energy balance programming.
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Deborah Simao Souza, Carla Macheroni, Gustavo Jose Silva Pereira, Carolina Meloni Vicente, Catarina Segreti Porto
Summary: Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men worldwide, and hormone-related factors, such as androgens, estrogens, and their receptors, play a crucial role in its development and progression. Galectin-3, a family of proteins, is involved in various stages of tumor development and progression, but its expression regulation is still poorly understood. This review focuses on the interplay between Galectin-3 and estrogen receptor signaling pathways in prostate cancer cells and proposes a molecular mechanism involving ER, Galectin-3, and beta-catenin in the modulation of nuclear transcriptional events. Further understanding of the role of Galectin-3 and ER in prostate cancer could lead to the discovery of new drug targets to treat castration-resistant prostate cancer.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tatiana L. Fonseca, Tzintzuni Garcia, Gustavo W. Fernandes, T. Murlidharan Nair, Antonio C. Bianco
Summary: The study demonstrates that type 2 deiodinase (D2) in neonatal liver accelerates T3 production, permanently modifying hepatic gene expression. Lack of D2 leads to DNA methylation at specific sites in the liver, resulting in reduced expression of multiple genes in Alb-D2KO mice.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Reilly A. Sample, Marina F. Nogueira, Robi D. Mitra, Sidharth V. Puram
Summary: Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process in cancer where cells lose their epithelial characteristics and gain mesenchymal phenotypes, driving tumor invasion and metastasis. Recent studies have identified intermediate hybrid E/M states along an epithelial-mesenchymal continuum during EMT. This summary focuses on the involvement of epigenetic regulators, chromatin remodelers, and DNA methylation in hybrid E/M states, while also addressing the challenges of pharmacologically targeting EMT and proposing future research directions.
Review
Immunology
Miaoran Xia, Bingbing Wang, Zihan Wang, Xulong Zhang, Xi Wang
Summary: NK cells are a heterogeneous and plastic population that can directly kill target cells without prior immunization, with their activation controlled by the balance of multiple germline-encoded activating and inhibitory receptors. Epigenetic regulation plays an important role in NK cell-mediated antitumor immunity, and NK cell-based immunotherapy is considered a promising strategy for cancer treatment. By targeting intrinsic epigenetic regulators alone or in combination with other strategies, there is potential to enhance NK cell-mediated antitumor cytotoxicity.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ruijie Cai, Runyu Lv, Xin'e Shi, Gongshe Yang, Jianjun Jin
Summary: CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing has been widely used due to its programmability and specificity, but can also affect genome stability. Recently, fusion proteins with transcriptional activator/inhibitor effects have been developed by linking proteins to dCas9 to regulate gene transcription. These tools have important applications in gene regulation, functional studies, target gene screening, and disease treatment.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Aysegul Ors, Alex Daniel Chitsazan, Aaron Reid Doe, Ryan M. Mulqueen, Cigdem Ak, Yahong Wen, Syber Haverlack, Mithila Handu, Spandana Naldiga, Joshua C. Saldivar, Hisham Mohammed
Summary: This study systematically tracked the response of breast cancer cells to estrogen at a single-cell level and uncovered the non-uniform nature of gene expression response. Different cell groups were found to express distinct transcriptional networks and have different chromatin accessibility states.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Xiaoqiang Sun, Liu Wang, S. M. Bukola Obayomi, Zong Wei
Summary: Epigenetic signatures play a crucial role in defining beta cell identity during development and maintaining function in homeostatic states, but they are disrupted during the progression of T2DM.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Lemeng Feng, Chao Wang, Cheng Zhang, Wulong Zhang, Weitao Song
Summary: Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, and lowering intraocular pressure is currently the only effective clinical treatment. However, there is a lack of long-acting drugs to lower intraocular pressure, and some patients still experience loss of retinal ganglion cells despite good control of intraocular pressure. Currently, there are no effective clinical methods for neuroprotection and regeneration in glaucoma. Recent studies have shown that epigenetics plays a crucial role in neuroprotection and regeneration in glaucoma.
BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Pauline Brochet, Barbara Maria Ianni, Laurie Laugier, Amanda Farage Frade, Joao Paulo Silva Nunes, Priscila Camillo Teixeira, Charles Mady, Ludmila Rodrigues Pinto Ferreira, Quentin Ferre, Ronaldo Honorato Barros Santos, Andreia Kuramoto, Sandrine Cabantous, Samuel Steffen, Antonio Noedir Stolf, Pablo Pomerantzeff, Alfredo Inacio Fiorelli, Edimar Alcides Bocchi, Cristina Wide Pissetti, Bruno Saba, Darlan da Silva Candido, Fabricio C. Dias, Marcelo Ferraz Sampaio, Fabio Antonio Gaiotto, Jose Antonio Marin-Neto, Abilio Fragata, Ricardo Costa Fernandes Zaniratto, Sergio Siqueira, Giselle De Lima Peixoto, Vagner Oliveira-Carvalho Rigaud, Fernando Bacal, Paula Buck, Rafael Ribeiro Almeida, Hui Tzu Lin-Wang, Andre Schmidt, Martino Martinelli, Mario Hiroyuki Hirata, Eduardo Antonio Donadi, Alexandre Costa Pereira, Virmondes Rodrigues Junior, Denis Puthier, Jorge Kalil, Lionel Spinelli, Edecio Cunha-Neto, Christophe Chevillard
Summary: In this study, the genetic and epigenetic deregulations associated with moderate and severe stages of Chagas disease were investigated using bulk RNA-seq and DNA methylation analysis. The results revealed differentially expressed transcripts and regulatory differentially methylated regions in the heart tissue of CCC patients. Transcription factors binding sites affected by DNA methylation were also identified. The study identified biological processes affected by severe CCC and highlighted the importance of ion transport and the nervous system in the development of the disease.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michelle M. Mitchener, Tom W. Muir
Summary: Research over the past decade has revealed a new layer of epigenetic dysregulation, uncovering the association between somatic missense mutations in histones and human pathologies, especially cancer. While some of these mutations are believed to be key drivers of cancer, the effects of the majority of them on disease onset and progression are still unclear. Studies have shown that even at low dosage, histone mutants can corrupt chromatin states, providing insights into the intricate mechanisms of epigenetic control.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kosaku Okuda, Kengo Nakahara, Akihiro Ito, Yuta Iijima, Ryosuke Nomura, Ashutosh Kumar, Kana Fujikawa, Kazuya Adachi, Yuki Shimada, Satoshi Fujio, Reina Yamamoto, Nobumasa Takasugi, Kunishige Onuma, Mitsuhiko Osaki, Futoshi Okada, Taichi Ukegawa, Yasuo Takeuchi, Norihisa Yasui, Atsuko Yamashita, Hiroyuki Marusawa, Yosuke Matsushita, Toyomasa Katagiri, Takahiro Shibata, Koji Uchida, Sheng-Yong Niu, Nhi B. Lang, Tomohiro Nakamura, Kam Y. J. Zhang, Stuart A. Lipton, Takashi Uehara
Summary: DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) catalyze methylation at the C5 position of cytosine and regulate gene expression. This study shows that S-nitrosylation of a cysteine residue in DNMT3B reduces its enzymatic activity and leads to aberrant upregulation of gene expression, including Cyclin D2 (Ccnd2) involved in tumor cell proliferation. By screening chemical compounds, a lead compound called DBIC is discovered to specifically inhibit S-nitrosylation of DNMT3B without affecting its enzymatic activity. Treatment with DBIC prevents NO-induced cancerous transformation and attenuates tumor development in a mouse model. These findings suggest that DNMT3B-mediated DNA methylation is regulated by NO and DBIC protects against tumor formation by preventing aberrant S-nitrosylation of DNMT3B.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yating Cheng, Hongjun Song, Guo-li Ming, Yi-Lan Weng
Summary: Effective axonal regeneration in the adult mammalian nervous system requires coordination of gene regulatory networks, protein translation mechanisms, and epigenetic modifications. Understanding the alterations in these processes upon brain injury can provide insights into injury-associated psychiatric disorders and facilitate the development of therapeutic interventions to restore brain function.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Review
Cell Biology
Shihang Zhou, Hongliang Zeng, Jinhua Huang, Li Lei, Xiaoliang Tong, Si Li, Ying Zhou, Haoran Guo, Manal Khan, Liping Luo, Rong Xiao, Jing Chen, Qinghai Zeng
Summary: Melanogenesis is a complex process involving multiple genes and signaling pathways, with epigenetics playing a key role in regulating the expression of key genes. Epigenetic-based therapy provides novel opportunities for treating dermatoses caused by pigmentation disturbances.
AGEING RESEARCH REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Nancy Santos-Martinez, Lorenza Diaz, Victor M. Ortiz-Ortega, David Ordaz-Rosado, Heriberto Prado-Garcia, Euclides Avila, Fernando Larrea, Rocio Garcia-Becerra
Summary: Calcitriol induces ER alpha expression in ER-negative breast cancer cells through binding of the VDR-RXR complex to VDREs in the ER alpha gene promoter region, including downregulation of chromatin-remodeling enzymes. Co-treatment of calcitriol with inhibitors of histone deacetylase and DNA methyltransferase significantly increases ER alpha expression, providing new mechanistic insights into the actions of calcitriol in ER-negative breast cancer.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CANCER RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Xiuhua Xu, J. Julie Kim, Yinuo Li, Jia Xie, Changshun Shao, Jian-Jun Wei
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR MEDICINE-JMM
(2018)
Article
Oncology
Oukseub Lee, Megan E. Sullivan, Yanfei Xu, Chiara Rogers, Miguel Muzzio, Irene Helenowski, Ali Shidfar, Zexian Zeng, Hari Singhal, Borko Jovanovic, Nora Hansen, Kevin P. Bethke, Peter H. Gann, William Gradishar, J. Julie Kim, Susan E. Clare, Seema A. Khan
CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
(2020)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Teerawat Wiwatpanit, Alina R. Murphy, Zhenxiao Lu, Margrit Urbanek, Joanna E. Burdette, Teresa K. Woodruff, J. Julie Kim
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alina R. Murphy, Teerawat Wiwatpanit, Zhenxiao Lu, Batzaya Davaadelger, J. Julie Kim
JOVE-JOURNAL OF VISUALIZED EXPERIMENTS
(2019)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Hannes Campo, Alina Murphy, Sule Yildiz, Teresa Woodruff, Irene Cervello, J. Julie Kim
TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A
(2020)
Review
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Hilary O. D. Critchley, Elnur Babayev, Serdar E. Bulun, Sandy Clark, Iolanda Garcia-Grau, Peter K. Gregersen, Aoife Kilcoyne, Ji-Yong Julie Kim, Missy Lavender, Erica E. Marsh, Kristen A. Matteson, Jacqueline A. Maybin, Christine N. Metz, Inmaculada Moreno, Kami Silk, Marni Sommer, Carlos Simon, Ridhi Tariyal, Hugh S. Taylor, Gunter P. Wagner, Linda G. Griffith
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Tia Jackson-Bey, Jose Colina, Brett C. Isenberg, Jonathan Coppeta, Margrit Urbanek, J. Julie Kim, Teresa K. Woodruff, Joanna E. Burdette, Angela Russo
HUMAN REPRODUCTION
(2020)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Yinuo Li, Wenan Qiang, Brannan Brooks Griffin, Tingting Gao, Debabrata Chakravarti, Serdar Bulun, J. Julie Kim, Jian-Jun Wei
FERTILITY AND STERILITY
(2020)
Letter
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Tia Jackson-Bey, Jose Prime Colina, Brett C. Isenberg, Jonathan Coppeta, Margrit Urbanek, J. Julie Kim, Teresa K. Woodruff, Joanna E. Burdette, Angela Russo
HUMAN REPRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Oukseub Lee, Maarten C. Bosland, Minhua Wang, Ali Shidfar, Omid Hosseini, Xiaoling Xuei, Priyam Patel, Matthew J. Schipma, Irene Helenowski, J. Julie Kim, Susan E. Clare, Seema A. Khan
Summary: Results show that ulipristal acetate is the most effective among the selective progesterone receptor modulators studied, while mifepristone is ineffective and telapristone acetate is less effective. Ulipristal acetate reduces tumor incidence and delays tumor onset, and also affects gene expression in benign mammary glands.
Editorial Material
Biology
J. Julie Kim
Summary: A new laboratory model helps to study the role of senescent cells in fostering a uterine environment that can support an embryo.
Review
Oncology
Mary Towner, J. Julie Kim, Melissa A. Simon, Daniela Matei, Dario Roque
Summary: This review explores the survival rate disparities between black and white women in ovarian, uterine, and cervical cancers, and proposes a theoretical framework to explain how racial differences in experience of preventive strategies, implementation of screening efforts, early detection of symptomatic disease, and appropriate treatment contribute to these disparities.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GYNECOLOGICAL CANCER
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Manish Ranjan, Oukseub Lee, Gannon Cottone, Elnaz Mirzaei Mehrabad, Benjamin T. Spike, Zexian Zeng, Shivangi Yadav, Robert Chatterton, J. Julie Kim, Susan E. Clare, Seema A. Khan
Summary: Research in mouse model shows that exposure to progesterone leads to an increase in mammary stem cells and luminal mature cells, while reducing luminal progenitor cells. However, these effects can be reversed by progesterone receptor antagonists.
BREAST CANCER RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Batzaya Davaadelger, Mi-Ran Choi, Hari Singhal, Susan E. Clare, Seema A. Khan, J. Julie Kim
BREAST CANCER RESEARCH
(2019)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Vania Vidimar, Debabrata Chakravarti, Serdar E. Bulun, Ping Yin, Romana Nowak, Jian-Jun Wei, J. Julie Kim
