Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Guangna Chen, Hongliang Hu, Xinhui Chen, Jialuo Chen, Siyi Wang, He Ning, Cheng Zhu, Su Yang
Summary: TFIIB is a general transcription factor that plays a crucial role in RNA polymerase II activity. In plants, the TFIIB-related protein family, including BRP5/PTF2, has expanded greatly. This study revealed the essential role of BRP5/PTF2 in pollen germination and embryogenesis in Arabidopsis and its impact on pollen development and grain formation in rice. These findings highlight the importance of BRP5/PTF2 in plant sexual reproduction.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Plant Sciences
Meijie Li, Shunsuke Watanabe, Fei Gao, Christian Dubos
Summary: Iron is an essential micronutrient for plant growth and development. Plants have evolved two different strategies, Strategy I and Strategy II, to acquire iron from soils. Recent findings show that the choice of strategy is influenced by soil characteristics, such as pH and oxygen concentration. This review summarizes recent research on plant iron uptake and discusses its impact on our understanding of plant iron nutrition.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Vu Q. Nguyen, Anand Ranjan, Sheng Liu, Xiaona Tang, Yick Hin Ling, Jan Wisniewski, Gaku Mizuguchi, Kai Yu Li, Vivian Jou, Qinsi Zheng, Luke D. Lavis, Timothee Lionnet, Carl Wu
Summary: The study reveals that transcription initiation by RNA Pol II at gene promoters requires formation of the PIC, with a key role played by the Mediator complex. On chromatin, TFIID/TBP, Mediator, and RNA Pol II efficiently assemble into a short-lived PIC within seconds. Nucleosome exclusion of PIC highlights the importance of chromatin remodeling in regulating promoter accessibility.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Bryan T. Gemler, Chiranjit Mukherjee, Carrie A. Howland, Danielle Huk, Zachary Shank, Lela Johnson Harbo, Omar P. Tabbaa, Craig M. Bartling
Summary: This study presents a novel methodology for classifying biological hazards at the individual sequence level and distinguishing biohazardous properties at the whole genome level. The methodology is rooted in compiling hazardous functions and is demonstrated to be effective in developing hazardous fingerprints. The resulting database can be used to improve and standardize biosecurity and biosafety practices by classifying biological hazards at the organism level.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Physiology
Michael J. Trites, Brynne M. Stebbings, Hiroyuki Aoki, Sadhna Phanse, May G. Akl, Lei Li, Mohan Babu, Scott B. Widenmaier
Summary: High density lipoproteins (HDL) promote homeostasis and counteract tissue damage by reducing inflammation and oxidative damage. However, atherosclerosis can impair these effects. In this study, the authors investigated the role of transcription factors Nrf1 and Nrf2 in promoting production of functional HDL by hepatocytes. Deletion of both factors resulted in reduced levels of HDL cholesterol and compromised function. The findings suggest that enhancing stress defense programming in the liver may improve the actions of HDL in protecting against atherosclerosis and promoting health.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
He Ning, Su Yang, Baofang Fan, Cheng Zhu, Zhixiang Chen
Summary: Plants, as sessile organisms, have evolved unique growth and development patterns, elaborate metabolism, and special transcriptional control mechanisms, with TFIIB-like factors playing important roles in various biological processes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Zhen Wang, Jiajia Wang, Xiang Shi, Zhengfeng Zhu, Peining Chen, Huisheng Peng
Summary: Learning is essential for human growth, but traditional methods are insufficient for the abundant knowledge explosion. To improve efficiency, electronic neurons (E-neurons) inspired by cloud storage are proposed to transfer knowledge to humans without training. Feasibility of this concept is demonstrated through experiments.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Yasaman Aghazadeh, Frankie Poon, Farida Sarangi, Frances T. M. Wong, Safwat T. Khan, Xuetao Sun, Rupal Hatkar, Brian J. Cox, Sara S. Nunes, M. Cristina Nostro
Summary: This study enhanced islet transplantation by using microvessels from adipose tissue, resulting in improved cell survival and glucose response in both human islets and hESC-derived pancreatic cells, ameliorating preexisting diabetes in three mouse models of T1D.
Article
Ecology
Andrew P. Woolnough, Lloyd C. L. Hollenberg, Phillip Cassey, Thomas A. A. Prowse
Summary: There is a global race to build more powerful and precise quantum computers, which have the potential to solve certain quantitative problems faster than classical computers. The current focus of quantum computing is on expanding the boundaries of fundamental quantum information and commercial applications, especially in profit-driven sectors like industry and finance. Ecologists can potentially benefit from the computational power of quantum computers, as the statistical approaches commonly used in ecology have already shown promise on quantum computers. If the hardware, opportunity, and creativity of quantitative ecologists align, quantum computing could greatly advance our understanding of complex ecological systems.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rafael M. Fernandes, Amalia I. Coldea, Hong Ding, Ian R. Fisher, P. J. Hirschfeld, Gabriel Kotliar
Summary: Superconductivity is a widespread phenomenon observed in most metals at very low temperatures. While conventional superconductors can be explained by the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory, unconventional superconductors like iron-based materials challenge our understanding. The study of iron-based superconductors has served as a testing ground for novel experimental tools and theoretical approaches, greatly influencing the field of quantum materials.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Keun-Yeong Jeong, Min Hee Park
Summary: Genome-wide studies have identified a subpopulation of pancreatic cancer cells with unstable genomic characteristics, leading to a focus on the deleterious effects of PARP-1 in oncology. PARP-1 plays a crucial role in DNA repair, oxidative stress regulation, and mitosis in cancer cells, impacting their survival and growth. Targeting PARP-1 in the treatment of pancreatic cancer through recent approaches may offer promising prospects for clinical and non-clinical research.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Malgorzata Majewska, Lukasz Kuzma, Piotr Szymczyk
Summary: Salvia miltiorrhiza synthesises tanshinones with multidirectional therapeutic effects. In this study, a new sequence of the HMGR4 gene in S. miltiorrhiza was isolated and characterised, providing valuable information for understanding the transcription regulation of this gene and further exploring the medicinal value of S. miltiorrhiza.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Guoqi Dang, Weida Wu, Hongfu Zhang, Nadia Everaert
Summary: Butyrate plays a significant role in regulating host immunity through various pathways, promoting the expression of anti-inflammatory factors, inhibiting proinflammatory factors, and maintaining host homeostasis.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michael J. O'Brien, Athar Ansari
Summary: Viral infections depend on host transcription and translation machinery to replicate viral genes and express proteins, with the transcription factor TFIIB frequently targeted by viruses. Direct interactions between viral transcriptional regulators and host TFIIB may offer potential for antiviral therapies.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
M. Florencia Sanchez, Robert Tampe
Summary: Cell-surface receptors play a crucial role in mediating communication between cells and their environment. The organization of receptors on the cell membrane and the formation of dynamic receptor clusters are important for signal transduction and cell signaling. Recent studies have shown that receptor clustering can modulate transmembrane signaling even in the absence of natural ligands. This review discusses the latest findings on how ligand-independent receptor clustering regulates signaling, focusing on the biological relevance and unraveling of this phenomenon using advanced technologies such as DNA nanotechnology, optogenetics, and optochemistry.
TRENDS IN BIOCHEMICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Colas Droin, Eric R. Paquet, Felix Naef
Article
Immunology
Steffen Mueller, Charles B. Stauft, Raj Kalkeri, Fusataka Koidei, Anna Kushnir, Sybil Tasker, J. Robert Coleman
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sadia Mehdi, Magdalena Bachvarova, Marie-Pier Scott-Boyer, Arnaud Droit, Dimcho Bachvarov
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2020)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Razan Sheta, Magdalena Bachvarova, Marie Plante, Marie-Claude Renaud, Alexandra Sebastianelli, Jean Gregoire, Jamilet Miranda Navarro, Ricardo Bringas Perez, Jean-Yves Masson, Dimcho Bachvarov
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Abhinav Dubey, Nikolay Stoyanov, Thibault Viennet, Sandeep Chhabra, Shantha Elter, Jan Borggraefe, Aldino Viegas, Radoslaw P. Nowak, Nikola Burdziev, Ognyan Petrov, Eric S. Fischer, Manuel Etzkorn, Vladimir Gelev, Haribabu Arthanari
Summary: Methyl-group NMR spectroscopy is beneficial for structural studies of complex biological systems, but labeling requirements have hindered its use in new protein expression systems. Researchers have developed a five-step synthesis method for stereo-selective methyl-labeled leucine, enabling applications in eucaryotic or cell-free expression systems and providing NMR sensors for previously inaccessible protein systems.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Patrick D. Fischer, Evangelos Papadopoulos, Jon M. Dempersmier, Zi-Fu Wang, Radoslaw P. Nowak, Katherine A. Donovan, Joann Kalabathula, Christoph Gorgulla, Pierre P. M. Junghanns, Eihab Kabha, Nikolaos Dimitrakakis, Ognyan Petrov, Constantine Mitsiades, Christian Ducho, Vladimir Gelev, Eric S. Fischer, Gerhard Wagner, Haribabu Arthanari
Summary: The translation initiation factor eIF4E is a key regulator of cap-dependent protein synthesis, with overexpression implicated in diseases like cancer. A novel inhibitor, i4EG-BiP, has been shown to displace eIF4G and inhibit cancer cell proliferation. Efforts to design PROTACs targeting eIF4E for proteasomal degradation have faced challenges, such as competitive effects from 4E-BP1 binding.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ying Wang, Chen Yang, Yutong Song, J. Robert Coleman, Marcin Stawowczyk, Juliana Tafrova, Sybil Tasker, David Boltz, Robert Baker, Liliana Garcia, Olivia Seale, Anna Kushnir, Eckard Wimmer, Steffen Mueller
Summary: COVI-VAC is an attenuated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine currently in development, which was engineered by recoding a segment of the viral spike protein and deleting the furin cleavage site for added safety. Studies have shown that intranasal vaccination with COVI-VAC in Syrian golden hamsters resulted in lower tissue viral loads, milder lung pathology, and reduced weight loss compared to those inoculated with wild-type virus. Additionally, COVI-VAC generated similar levels of spike IgG antibodies and plaque reduction neutralization titers as wild-type virus inoculation, and provided protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection in hamsters.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Correction
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Olivia Ziegler, Nivedita Sriram, Vladimir Gelev, Denitsa Radeva, Kostadin Todorov, Jun Feng, Frank W. Sellke, Simon C. Robson, Makoto Hiromura, Boian S. Alexandrov, Anny Usheva
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Olivia Ziegler, Nivedita Sriram, Vladimir Gelev, Denitsa Radeva, Kostadin Todorov, Jun Feng, Frank W. Selke, Simon C. Robson, Makoto Hiromura, Boian S. Alexandrov, Anny Usheva
Summary: The study used obese Yorkshire pigs as an animal model of human metabolic syndrome, revealing specific metabolites and proteins in the myocardium through mass spectroscopy data, showing deregulation of inflammation markers, arterial thrombosis tendency, and platelet aggregation in the myocardium of these animals. Blood tests do not fully capture the metabolic changes in the myocardium, highlighting the need for a multi-modal therapeutic approach.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Gjorgji Atanasov, Rusi I. Rusew, Vladimir M. Gelev, Christo D. Chanev, Rosica Nikolova, Boris L. Shivachev, Ognyan I. Petrov, Margarita D. Apostolova
Summary: In this study, a series of 26 new styryl-2(3H)-benzothiazolone analogs of combretastatin-A4 (CA-4) were synthesized, characterized, and tested for their biological activities. Compound 26Z showed the most potent cytotoxic activity against EA.hy926 cells and demonstrated anti-vasculogenic effects. Furthermore, 26Z exhibited anti-proliferative activity in CA-4 resistant cells and induced G2/M arrest and mitotic spindle multipolarity, suggesting its potential as a new chemotherapeutic agent with further investigation needed.
Article
Developmental Biology
Martin Lange, Nils Ohnesorge, Dennis Hoffmann, Susana F. Rocha, Rui Benedito, Arndt F. Siekmann
Summary: Studies in zebrafish show that vegfaa and vegfab have different effects on endothelial cell migration and proliferation. Mutations in vegfaa impact both migration and proliferation, while mutations in vegfab more strongly affect the proliferation of endothelial cells in specific blood vessels, potentially through the PI3K signaling pathway.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cheng-Chieh Lin, Shing-Jong Huang, Pei-Hao Wu, Tzu-Pei Chen, Chih-Ying Huang, Ying-Chiao Wang, Po-Tuan Chen, Denitsa Radeva, Ognyan Petrov, Vladimir M. Gelev, Raman Sankar, Chia-Chun Chen, Chun-Wei Chen, Tsyr-Yan Yu
Summary: This study investigates the dynamics of A-site cations in two-dimensional organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites using solid-state NMR and stable isotope labelling. The results reveal the interplay between the A-site cation dynamics and the structural rigidity of the organic spacers.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
F. Huot, S. Claveau, A. Bunel, D. E. Santschi, R. Gervais, E. R. Paquet
Summary: Low reticuloruminal pH (rpH) in cows can lead to sub-acute ruminal acidosis (SARA), which can negatively impact rumen health and animal performance. Through an observational study on 110 early-lactation Holstein cows from 12 commercial farms, we found that rpH variability is influenced by farm management factors such as automatic milking system and presence of corn silage in the ration. The study also showed that rpH is highly variable among animals on the same farm.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Anais Chancy, Debora E. Santschi, Eric R. Paquet, David L. Renaud, Marie-Lou Gauthier, Edith Charbonneau, Nicolas Barbeau-Gregoire, Laura Van Driessche, Sebastien Buczinski
Summary: The objective of this study was to standardize a reliable and repeatable swabbing technique using ATP luminometry to assess the cleanliness of feeding equipment for preweaning calves. The results showed excellent reliability of the direct swabbing technique and a positive correlation between luminometer values and visual scores and bacterial culture results.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bahar Ahani, Kevin M. Tuffy, Anastasia A. Aksyuk, Deidre Wilkins, Michael E. Abram, Ron Dagan, Joseph B. Domachowske, Johnathan D. Guest, Hong Ji, Anna Kushnir, Amanda Leach, Shabir A. Madhi, Vaishali S. Mankad, Eric A. F. Simoes, Benjamin Sparklin, Scott D. Speer, Ann Marie Stanley, David E. Tabor, Ulrika Wahlby Hamren, Elizabeth J. Kelly, Tonya Villafana
Summary: In this study, researchers analyzed RSV infections and found that the monoclonal antibody nirsevimab remains highly effective, with over 99% of isolates retaining susceptibility to it.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
