Article
Biology
Baojun Wu, Weilong Hao, Murray P. Cox
Summary: Our systematic analysis of 304 genomes from major fungal groups has identified 188 novel orthogroups associated with major evolutionary changes in fungi. These orthogroups were found to play key roles in trait innovations in extant fungi, such as cell wall formation, hyphal growth, and mating signaling. Prokaryote-derived horizontal gene transfer was also identified as a small additional source of evolutionary novelty.
Review
Plant Sciences
Rodrigo Siqueira Reis, Yves Poirier
Summary: In plants, thousands of genes are associated with antisense transcription, producing noncoding RNAs that play diverse roles in gene regulation. The evidence suggests that antisense transcription is not primarily involved in gene silencing, but has a broad and diverse function in gene regulation. A framework for the functional dissection of antisense transcripts is proposed to move beyond the gene silencing paradigm.
TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria Maldonado, Kaitlyn Madison Abe, James Anthony Letts
Summary: This study uses the structures of plant respiratory complexes to analyze the impact of RNA editing on amino acid changes, providing a molecular explanation for the phenotypes of RNA editing mutants. The research bridges the gap between sequence and phenotype and offers a framework for further analysis of RNA editing mutants in plant mitochondria and chloroplasts.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biology
Clement Karsenty, Celine Guilbeau-Frugier, Gael Genet, Marie-Helene Seguelas, Philippe Alzieu, Olivier Cazorla, Alexandra Montagner, Yuna Blum, Caroline Dubroca, Julile Maupoint, Blandine Tramunt, Marie Cauquil, Thierry Sulpice, Sylvain Richard, Silvia Arcucci, Remy Flores-Flores, Nicolas Pataluch, Romain Montoriol, Pierre Sicard, Antoine Deney, Thierry Couffinhal, Jean-Michel Senard, Celine Gales
Summary: The study found that the development of cardiac crests in cardiomyocytes occurs between postnatal day 20 and day 60, and plays a role in relaxation function of the heart. They identified ephrin-B1 as a molecular determinant of crest maturation and diastolic function. This research highlights the importance of crest maturity in the heart and its implications for cardiac function.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Maike Stentenbach, Judith A. Ermer, Danielle L. Rudler, Kara L. Perks, Samuel A. Raven, Richard G. Lee, Tim McCubbin, Esteban Marcellin, Stefan J. Siira, Oliver Rackham, Aleksandra Filipovska
Summary: Prostate cancer is a common and deadly malignancy. Using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing, researchers introduced a missense variant in the ELAC2 gene into mice, causing prostate enlargement, inflammation, and nodule formation. The study also showed that Elac2 mutation exacerbated the onset and progression of prostate cancer in transgenic mice models.
EMBO MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Jiaxi Yu, Jianwen Deng, Xueyu Guo, Jingli Shan, Xinghua Luan, Li Cao, Juan Zhao, Meng Yu, Wei Zhang, He Lv, Zhiying Xie, LingChao Meng, Yiming Zheng, Yawen Zhao, Qiang Gang, Qingqing Wang, Jing Liu, Min Zhu, Binbin Zhou, Pidong Li, Yinzhe Liu, Yang Wang, Chuanzhu Yan, Daojun Hong, Yun Yuan, Zhaoxia Wang
Summary: This study identified GGC repeat expansions in the NOTCH2NLC gene in a subset of Chinese OPDM patients, designated as OPDM3, suggesting a possible toxic protein gain-of-function and RNA gain-of-function mechanism in the pathogenesis of the disease. The findings indicate a potential link between NOTCH2NLC repeat expansion-related diseases and myopathy phenotypes, providing insights into the pathogenesis of OPDM.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hauke S. Hillen, Dmitriy A. Markov, Ireneusz D. Wojtas, Katharina B. Hofmann, Michael Lidschreiber, Andrew T. Cowan, Julia L. Jones, Dmitry Temiakov, Patrick Cramer, Michael Anikin
Summary: Stabilization of messenger RNA in eukaryotic cells is generally achieved through 5' capping and 3' polyadenylation, while yeast mitochondrial mRNAs have a dodecamer sequence element that provides stability and processing capability. Rmd9 protein binds to this dodecamer element and protects RNA from degradation, indicating a unique mode of specific RNA recognition that confers stability to yeast mitochondrial mRNAs.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Yi-Chun Cheng, Li-Yu Su, Li-Han Chen, Tzu-Pin Lu, Eric Y. Chuang, Mong-Hsun Tsai, Li-Ling Chuang, Liang-Chuan Lai
Summary: This study identified a novel mitochondria-encoded lncRNA, MTORT1, which functions as a tumor suppressor by regulating proliferation and migration in breast cancer cells. MTORT1 acts as a sponge for miR-26a-5p, leading to upregulation of target genes CREB1 and STK4. These findings suggest that MTORT1 may serve as a potential therapeutic target to inhibit breast cancer progression.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Siren Berland, Bjorn Ivar Haukanes, Petur Benedikt Juliusson, Gunnar Houge
Summary: This study reports on a boy with a mixture of Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) and IMAGe syndrome, along with additional features of developmental delay and microcephaly. The researchers identified a variant in the CDKN1C gene that resulted in the production of three different RNA products, explaining the co-occurring features of both syndromes.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Shilpi Chaudhary, Shuvadeep Ganguly, Jayanth Kumar Palanichamy, Archna Singh, Dibyabhaba Pradhan, Radhika Bakhshi, Anita Chopra, Sameer Bakhshi
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the gene expression profile of mitochondria-related genes in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and evaluate their prognostic significance. A set of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to mitochondria were identified and validated, among which upregulation of SDHC, upregulation of CLIC1, and downregulation of SLC25A29 were found to be associated with poor prognosis. A risk score model based on these genes was developed and showed independent predictive ability for overall survival in pediatric AML patients. External validation confirmed the predictive power of this risk score model.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Christopher Hernandez, Laura Cadenillas, Anwar El Maghubi, Isaura Caceres, Vanessa Durrieu, Celine Mathieu, Jean-Denis Bailly
Summary: The aqueous extract of Mimosa tenuiflora bark inhibits AFB1 production by down-regulating cluster genes of the biosynthetic pathway in Aspergillus flavus, without affecting fungal growth. Its anti-oxidative activity modulates gene expression involved in fungal oxidative-stress response, and condensed tannins play a major role in the anti-aflatoxin activity.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tao Zheng, Wentao Wang, Mohsen Mohammadniaei, Jon Ashley, Ming Zhang, Ninglin Zhou, Jian Shen, Yi Sun
Summary: This study developed a targeted delivery system for miRNA-21 using ligand-modified nanoparticles, which temporarily opened the blood-tumor barrier to achieve effective transportation and controlled release in glioblastoma treatment, leading to the inhibition of tumor growth and angiogenesis.
Article
Microbiology
Maryam Hajikarimlou, Mohsen Hooshyar, Noor Sunba, Nazila Nazemof, Mohamed Taha Moutaoufik, Sadhena Phanse, Kamaledin B. B. Said, Mohan Babu, Martin Holcik, Bahram Samanfar, Myron Smith, Ashkan Golshani
Summary: Mitochondria possess their own DNA (mtDNA) and are capable of carrying out their transcription and translation. The presence of the 3'-UTR from OXA1 gene is correlated with mitochondrial translation in yeast.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Md Touhiduzzaman Sarker, Xiaoli Wan, Haiming Yang, Zhiyue Wang
Summary: This study evaluated the effects of lycopene (LYC) supplementation on the intestinal immune function, barrier function, and antioxidant capacity of broilers fed with aflatoxin B1 (AFB(1)) contaminated diet. The results showed that dietary LYC supplementation improved AFB(1) induced intestinal changes, decreased inflammatory cytokines, and enhanced the antioxidant status in broilers.
Article
Biology
Marleen Klann, Magdalena Ines Schacht, Matthew Alan Benton, Angelika Stollewerk
Summary: Insects and other arthropods use external sensory structures for mechanosensory, olfactory, and gustatory reception, with sense organs having characteristic shapes related to their functions. While Drosophila melanogaster regulates sense organ identity through specific combinations of transcription factors, other arthropods do not link sense organ subtypes to the same gene expression code. Sense organ diversity may have evolved differently across insect species, with recruitment of sensory genes to distinct sensory organ specification mechanisms playing a role.
Article
Virology
Naiqing Xu, Xinen Tang, Xin Wang, Miao Cai, Xiaowen Liu, Xiaolong Lu, Shunlin Hu, Min Gu, Jiao Hu, Ruyi Gao, Kaituo Liu, Yu Chen, Xiufan Liu, Xiaoquan Wang
Summary: This study found that the H9N2 subtype avian influenza virus has a high airborne transmissibility, while the H7N9 virus does not. The Hemagglutinin protein of the H9N2 virus was found to play a key role in replication, stability, and airborne transmission.
Article
Virology
Samar S. Ewies, Sabry M. Tamam, Ahmed S. Abdel-Moneim, Sherin R. Rouby
Summary: Contagious ecthyma (CE) is a highly contagious viral disease of sheep and goats worldwide. The study provided a clinical description of CE and screened for genetic variation in the B2L gene. Infected sheep exhibited anorexia and oral lesions, while inoculated chicken embryos showed pock lesions. The B2L gene was successfully amplified and found to be highly conserved.
Article
Virology
Yigal Farnoushi, Dan Heller, Avishai Lublin
Summary: In recent years, new variants of avian reovirus (ARV) have caused a variety of symptoms in chickens worldwide, including viral arthritis/tenosynovitis. This study analyzed emerging ARV variants in Israel and found significant genetic diversity. Most ARV isolates in Israel belonged to genotypic cluster 5 (GC5). The study suggests that Israel has not experienced the emergence of new ARV variants since the introduction of the live vaccine (ISR-7585), but ongoing monitoring is needed due to the continuous emergence of ARV variants.
Article
Virology
Shigeru Tajima, Michiyo Kataoka, Yuki Takamatsu, Hideki Ebihara, Chang-Kweng Lim
Summary: Yokose virus (YOKV), a bat-associated flavivirus, was found to replicate at a slower rate in mosquito cells compared to other mosquito-borne flaviviruses. Specific nucleotide mutations in the virus were identified to enhance its proliferation ability in mosquito cells.
Article
Virology
Alejandra Borjabad, Baojun Dong, Wei Chao, David J. Volsky, Mary Jane Potash
Summary: This study investigated HIV brain disease using a mouse model, and found that poly I:C can reverse associated cognitive impairment and reduce virus burden. The results also revealed transcriptional changes related to neuronal function and innate immune responses.
Article
Virology
Ching-Hung Lin, Feng-Cheng Hsieh, Meilin Wang, Chieh Hsu, Hsuan-Wei Hsu, Chun-Chun Yang, Cheng-Yao Yang, Hung-Yi Wu
Summary: This study demonstrates that the synthesis of coronavirus subgenomic mRNA is not solely determined by the sequence homology between the leader TRS and TRS-B, but also by the disassociation of the coronavirus polymerase from the viral genome. This finding provides a new insight into the transcription mechanism of coronaviruses.
Article
Virology
Nicholas S. Kron, Benjamin W. Neuman, Sathish Kumar, Patricia L. Blackwelder, Dayana Vidal, Delphina Z. Walker-Phelan, Patrick D. I. Gibbs, Lynne A. Fieber, Michael C. Schmale
Summary: Two recent studies documented the genome of a novel virus in marine animals, finding that the virus is widespread in apparently healthy animals but not highly expressed in neurons. The studies also identified viral replication factories and high levels of defective genomes in chronically infected animals.
Article
Virology
Andrew M. Ramey, Laura C. Scott, Christina A. Ahlstrom, Evan J. Buck, Alison R. Williams, Mia Kim Torchetti, David E. Stallknecht, Rebecca L. Poulson
Summary: We successfully detected and characterized highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses in hunter-harvested wild waterfowl samples from western Alaska. Genomic analysis revealed three independent viral introductions into Alaska. Our findings demonstrate the utility and potential limitations of using molecular processing approaches directly on original swab samples for viral research and monitoring.
Article
Virology
Ting Gong, Dongdong Wu, Yongzhi Feng, Xing Liu, Qi Gao, Xiaoyu Zheng, Zebu Song, Heng Wang, Guihong Zhang, Lang Gong
Summary: This study discovered that quercetin can inhibit PEDV replication both in vivo and in vitro, and alleviate the clinical symptoms and intestinal injury caused by the virus. This provides a new direction for the development of PED antiviral drugs.
Article
Virology
Min Zhu, Hao Zeng, Jianqiao He, Yaohui Zhu, Pingping Wang, Jianing Guo, Jinfan Guo, Huabo Zhou, Yifeng Qin, Kang Ouyang, Zuzhang Wei, Weijian Huang, Ying Chen
Summary: The reassortment between avian H9N2 and Eurasian avian-like (EA) H1N1 viruses may have potentially changed from avian-to-mammals adaptation. This study found that the introduction of EA H1N1 internal genes into H9N2 virus restored the replication capability and resulted in extreme virulence in some cases. This raises new concerns for public health due to the possible coexistence of H9N2 and EA H1N1 viruses in dogs.