Article
Developmental Biology
Pei Zhang, Jiwei Chen, Xiangchuan Wang, Yingchao Geng, Liangyu Sun, Hongjie Zhang
Summary: Organ morphogenesis requires coordination of cellular events, including cell division, shape change, rearrangement, and death. However, the regulatory mechanism of cytokinesis in organ size and shape remains unclear. This study demonstrates that the centralspindlin complex regulates cytokinesis and epithelial morphogenesis, affecting cell division and causing malformation in Caenorhabditis elegans spermatheca. Analysis shows that CYK-4 regulates cytokinesis of spermathecal cells in a GTPase activator activity-independent manner. Furthermore, the centralspindlin components CYK-4 and ZEN-4, along with RHO-1 and CDC-42, play crucial roles in a signaling network that guides spermathecal morphogenesis by enabling completion of cytokinesis.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Phillip A. Frankino, Talha F. Siddiqi, Theodore Bolas, Raz Bar-Ziv, Holly K. Gildea, Hanlin Zhang, Ryo Higuchi-Sanabria, Andrew Dillin
Summary: The transcription factor SKN-1/NRF2 can sense and respond to changes in metabolic state. Knockdown of the amidohydrolase T12A2.1/amdh-1 activates a unique subset of SKN-1 regulated genes, independent of P38-MAPK signaling components. Histidine catabolism genes are required for this activation, possibly through accumulation of a specific catabolite. Activating SKN-1 results in increased oxidative stress resistance but decreased survival to heat stress.
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Hui Chong, Chuan Tan, Siyu Fang, Xichen Chen, Qi Tao, Xiaohui Yuan, Jinzhi Li, Cunhui Zhai, Chengxin Fei, Di Yang, Hongying Fan, Hongxia Shao, Aijian Qin, Guoxiu Wang, Zhonghua Shi, Ting Z'hang, Hang Yao, Hualing Li, Chengyin Wang
Summary: Two novel BODIPY-bearing complexes with pyridine and pyrimidine motifs showed stronger interactions with DNA compared to cisplatin. They exhibited improved anti-chemoresistance capabilities and significantly decreased lifespan and body length in a cisplatin-resistant model. Upregulation of certain genes related to chemoresistance was observed upon exposure to cisplatin, but not to the synthesized Pt(II) complexes.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kwangjin Park, Chunmei Li, Sofia Tsiropoulou, Joao Goncalves, Christine Kondratev, Laurence Pelletier, Oliver E. Blacque, Michel R. Leroux
Summary: Cilia play essential roles in cell motility, fluid flow, and signaling, and are divided into subcompartments with variable structures and functions. CDKL-1, a kinase related to the human CDKL family, controls the length of a specific ciliary subdomain and influences cilium-dependent processes. Overall, cilium length is regulated by various pathways and CDKL-1 is crucial for the construction of a specific ciliary compartment and contributes to development and sensory physiology.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chun Li, Bohyung Yoon, Giovanni Stefani, Frank J. Slack
Summary: This study reveals a novel role for lipid kinase PPK-1/PIP5K1A in regulating miRNA levels. PPK-1/PIP5K1A is able to control the levels of let-7 miRNA in C. elegans and human cells. It interacts with nuclear export protein XPO5 to block the binding of XPO5 to pre-let-7 miRNA, thus regulating the levels of mature miRNA.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Meihua Xie, Ni Ma, Na Bai, Meichen Zhu, Ke-Qin Zhang, Jinkui Yang
Summary: This study elucidates the diverse functions of phospholipase C in Arthrobotrys oligospora, including its role in the development of hyphae, spores, and cell nuclei, responses to stress, formation of traps, and predation of nematodes. The study also highlights the involvement of phospholipase C in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites and regulation of trap morphogenesis in nematode-trapping fungi.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Pu Zhang, Taylor N. Medwig-Kinney, Bob Goldstein
Summary: Zhang, Medwig-Kinney, and Goldstein show that the medioapical actomyosin network driving apical constriction in C. elegans gastrulation has a diffuse organization with a mixed-polarity actin filament network. This differs from the sarcomere-like architecture observed in the Drosophila ventral furrow. They further demonstrate that C. elegans endodermal precursor cells apically constrict using a mixed-polarity actin filament network and with myosin and myosin activator distributed throughout the network. These results suggest that diverse actomyosin architectures are used in animal cells to accomplish apical constriction.
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Yoshiki Sakai, Hiroshi Hanafusa, Tatsuhiro Shimizu, Strahil I. Pastuhov, Naoki Hisamoto, Kunihiro Matsumoto
Summary: This study reveals a novel role for BRCA1 and its partner BARD1 in neuronal cells, showing their involvement in regulating axon regeneration through the Gq alpha-DAG signaling network.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shalini Trivedi, Jitka Blazickova, Nicola Silva
Summary: This study reveals the important role of the BRC-1/BRCA1-BRD-1/BARD1 and PARG-1/PARG complex in meiotic cells for accurate DNA repair and genome integrity. Depletion of both BRC-1 and PARG-1 leads to synthetic lethality and reduces crossover formation and break repair. These factors function independently in developing oocytes, operating in different pathways. The study also highlights the influence of BRC-1-PARG-1 in DNA repair pathway choice.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2022)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Patrick J. Hu
Summary: The study in C. elegans model showed that a conserved insulin-like signaling pathway plays an important role in shaping the phylogenetic composition of the gut microbiome.
Article
Developmental Biology
Shinjini Ray, Priti Agarwal, Anat Nitzan, Francois Nedelec, Ronen Zaidel-Bar
Summary: This study reports an in vivo role of actin-capping protein CAP-1 in the Caenorhabditis elegans germline, showing its association with actomyosin structures and its involvement in the maintenance of reproductive tissue architecture. Depletion or overexpression of CAP-1 led to severe structural defects in the syncytial germline and oocytes. Reduction in CAP-1 levels increased F-actin and non-muscle myosin II activity, and simulations suggested increased myosin as the main driver of enhanced contractility.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Changnan Wang, Bingying Wang, Taruna Pandey, Yong Long, Jianxiu Zhang, Fiona Oh, Jessica Sima, Ruyin Guo, Yun Liu, Chao Zhang, Shaeri Mukherjee, Michael Bassik, Weichun Lin, Huichao Deng, Goncalo Vale, Jeffrey McDonald, Kang Shen, Dengke K. Ma
Summary: The megaprotein LPD-3 is critical for normal phospholipid distribution and cold resilience in C. elegans.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Erin J. Cram
Summary: Cells release extracellular vesicles containing proteins, lipids, and RNAs to communicate with other cells and remove damaged components. In C. elegans, neuronal cells release large extracellular vesicles called exophers to clear damaged organelles and protein aggregates. Researchers have now shown that embryos in the uterus can stimulate body wall muscle cells to release exophers loaded with yolk, which are then absorbed by oocytes to nourish the next generation of embryos.
Article
Biology
Xinwei Yu, Matthew S. Creamer, Francesco Randi, Anuj K. Sharma, Scott W. Linderman, Andrew M. Leifer
Summary: A method called fDNC, based on the transformer network architecture, is proposed for automated tracking and identifying neurons in C. elegans. This method predicts neural correspondence quickly without requiring straightening or transforming the animal into a canonical coordinate system, making it suitable for future real-time applications.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Jing-Shan Wu, Chun-Guo Lin, Chang-Long Jin, Yan-Xia Zhou, Ying-Xiu Li
Summary: The marine bacterium Planococcus maritimu ML1206 was found to have antioxidant properties and could enhance the ability of nematodes to resist oxidative stress and extend their lifespan. These findings suggest that ML1206 has potential anti-aging and antioxidant functions and could be used in aquaculture and as a dietary supplement.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Aniko I. Nagy, Rafael P. Vazquez-Manrique, Marie Lopez, Christo P. Christov, Maria Dolores Sequedo, Mareike Herzog, Anna E. Herlihy, Maxime Bodak, Roxani Gatsi, Howard A. Baylis
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rafael P. Vazquez-Manrique, Francesca Farina, Karine Cambon, Maria Dolores Sequedo, Alex J. Parker, Jose Maria Millan, Andreas Weiss, Nicole Deglon, Christian Neri
HUMAN MOLECULAR GENETICS
(2016)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Carla Fuster-Garcia, Gema Garcia-Garcia, Elisa Gonzalez-Romero, Teresa Jaijo, Maria D. Sequedo, Carmen Ayuso, Rafael P. Vazquez-Manrique, Jose M. Millan, Elena Aller
MOLECULAR THERAPY-NUCLEIC ACIDS
(2017)
Meeting Abstract
Clinical Neurology
C. Tourette, F. Farina, R. P. Vazquez-Manrique, A. M. Orfila, J. Voisin, S. Hernandez, N. Offner, J. A. Parker, S. Menet, J. Kim, J. Lyu, S. H. Choi, K. Cormier, C. K. Edgerly, O. L. Bordiuk, K. Smith, A. Louise, M. Halford, S. Stacker, J. P. Vert, R. J. Ferrante, W. Lu, C. Neri
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY NEUROSURGERY AND PSYCHIATRY
(2014)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Maria J. Aparisi, Elena Aller, Carla Fuster-Garcia, Gema Garcia-Garcia, Regina Rodrigo, Rafael P. Vazquez-Manrique, Fiona Blanco-Kelly, Carmen Ayuso, Anne-Francoise Roux, Teresa Jaijo, Jose M. Millan
ORPHANET JOURNAL OF RARE DISEASES
(2014)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
David Hervas, Victoria Fornes-Ferrer, Ana Pilar Gomez-Escribano, Maria Dolores Sequedo, Carmen Peiro, Jose Maria Millan, Rafael P. Vazquez-Manrique
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ana Sanchis, Maria Adelaida Garcia-Gimeno, Antonio Jose Canada-Martinez, Maria Dolores Sequedo, Jose Maria Millan, Pascual Sanz, Rafael P. Vazquez-Manrique
EXPERIMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2019)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jose Bono-Yague, Ana Pilar Gomez-Escribano, Jose Maria Millan, Rafael Pascual Vazquez-Manrique
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Emma Koehorst, Judit Nunez-Manchon, Alfonsina Ballester-Lopez, Miriam Almendrote, Giuseppe Lucente, Andrea Arbex, Jakub Chojnacki, Rafael P. Vazquez-Manrique, Ana Pilar Gomez-Escribano, Guillem Pintos-Morell, Jaume Coll-Canti, Alba Ramos-Fransi, Alicia Martinez-Pineiro, Monica Suelves, Gisela Nogales-Gadea
Summary: Research on DM1 cells revealed the presence of DM1-AS transcripts in all patients with lower expression levels compared to controls, and the existence of antisense RNA foci in some DM1 cells. However, RAN translation was not detected in patient-derived DM1 cells.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marian Merino, Maria Dolores Sequedo, Ana Virginia Sanchez-Sanchez, Ma Paz Clares, Enrique Garcia-Espana, Rafael P. Vazquez-Manrique, Jose L. Mullor
Summary: Huntington's disease (HD) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder caused by an abnormally long track of glutamines in a mutant huntingtin protein. This study found that a manganese quinone complex (4QMn) can activate protein clearance pathways, leading to degradation of the mutant protein and restoration of protein homeostasis in HD models. The results suggest that 4QMn could be a potential drug for HD therapy.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Elisa Gonzalez-Romero, Cristina Martinez-Valiente, Gema Garcia-Garcia, Antonio Rosal-Vela, Jose Maria Millan, Miguel Angel Sanz, Guillermo Sanz, Alessandro Liquori, Jose Vicente Cervera, Rafael P. Vazquez-Manrique
Summary: We developed a PCR-based alternative strategy for generating CRISPR constructs and successfully edited two genes (IDH2 and MYBL2) in hard-to-transfect leukemic cells. The efficiency of our methodology was similar to that of ribonucleoprotein strategies, without any off-target events. Our strategy provides a valid and intuitive alternative for introducing desired mutations into hard-to-transfect leukemic cells without viral transduction.
Article
Cell Biology
Ignasi Mora, Alejandra Perez-Santamaria, Julia Tortajada-Perez, Rafael P. P. Vazquez-Manrique, Lluis Arola, Francesc Puiggros
Summary: The human lifespan has increased over the past century, but cognitive health has not improved accordingly. A study investigated the effect of a structured triglyceride form of DHA (DHA-TG) on the healthspan of aged C. elegans. The results showed that DHA-TG improved the motility and antioxidant capacity of the nematodes, and this effect might require DAF-16/FOXO as an intermediary.
Meeting Abstract
Clinical Neurology
Jose Bono-Yague, Ana Pilar Gomez-Escribano, M. Dolores Sequedo, David Hervas, Victoria Fornes-Ferrer, Juan Burguera, Carmen Peiro, Jose Maria Millan, Rafael Vazquez-Manrique
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY NEUROSURGERY AND PSYCHIATRY
(2018)
Meeting Abstract
Clinical Neurology
A. P. Gomez-Escribano, J. Bono-Yague, I. Real-Arevalo, Q. Cheng-Zhang, M. Seco, M. D. Sequedo, J. Blanca, J. Canizares, J. Burguera, C. Peiro, A. Laoz, O. Burton Nicholas, J. M. Millan, R. Vazquez-Manrique
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY NEUROSURGERY AND PSYCHIATRY
(2018)
Meeting Abstract
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
C. Fuster-Garcia, E. Gonzalez-Romero, G. Garcia-Garcia, T. Jaijo, R. P. Vazquez-Manrique, J. M. Millan, E. Aller
HUMAN GENE THERAPY
(2016)