Review
Cell Biology
Diogo S. Soares, Catarina C. F. Homem, Diogo S. Castro
Summary: Proneural genes play different roles in neural development between flies and vertebrates. In flies, they have an early neural induction function, while in vertebrates, they regulate quiescence, proliferation, and neuronal differentiation in neural stem and progenitor cells. The Drosophila proneural gene asense shows a similar expression pattern to its vertebrate counterparts, suggesting similar functions. The understanding of Asense and its vertebrate homologue, Ascl1, in neural stem/progenitor cell biology and neurogenesis regulation is discussed.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Neurosciences
Niharika Singh, Florian A. A. Siebzehnrubl, Isabel Martinez-Garay
Summary: Neural precursors generate neurons in the embryonic brain and adult brain niches through a process called neurogenesis. The precise control of gene transcription in neural precursor cells plays a crucial role in regulating cell proliferation and differentiation for neurogenesis. This review focuses on the transcription factors involved in neurogenesis in the embryonic cortex and adult neurogenic niches, comparing their functions and properties.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Developmental Biology
Neda Masoudi, Ralf Schnabel, Eviatar Yemini, Eduardo Leyva-Diaz, Oliver Hobert
Summary: We investigated whether there are common mechanisms of neurogenesis throughout the entire nervous system of C. elegans. Our findings suggest that while distinct proneural class II bHLH factors play a role in neurogenesis, their function is not universal and is instead limited by lineage, cell type, and differentiation programs affected. Genetic removal of the hlh-2 gene activity showed broad effects on neurogenesis but still allowed for normal neurogenesis in many neuron-producing lineages.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xiaobao Xu, Anthony K. N. Chan, Mingli Li, Qiao Liu, Nicole Mattson, Sheela Pangeni Pokharel, Wen-Han Chang, Yate-Ching Yuan, Jinhui Wang, Roger E. Moore, Patrick Pirrotte, Jun Wu, Rui Su, Markus Muschen, Steven T. Rosen, Jianjun Chen, Lu Yang, Chun-Wei Chen
Summary: Epigenetic dysregulation of cell cycle is a characteristic of tumorigenesis in various cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma. The study identified ACTR5 as an essential component for HCC tumor progression. Suppression of ACTR5 affected cell cycle signaling and inhibited HCC tumor growth. The study also revealed a distinct usage of ACTR5 and IES6 in HCC compared to other INO80 complex members, suggesting a unique mechanism for ACTR5/IES6 in supporting HCC proliferation. The findings suggest that targeting ACTR5/IES6 in combination with CDK inhibition may be a promising approach for HCC therapy.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shayan Sarkar, Natalia Stefanik, Tadashi Kunieda, Ikuko Hara-Nishimura, Kenji Yamada
Summary: Brassicaceae plants, such as Arabidopsis thaliana, develop ER bodies for chemical defense against herbivores, regulated by the transcription factor NAI1. NAI1 binds to specific DNA motifs in the promoters of NAI2 and BGLU23 genes, activating their expression and influencing ER body formation and function. The study demonstrates that NAI1 has motif-dependent DNA binding activity in the nucleus, suggesting its role in gene regulation within the ER body pathway.
PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR
(2021)
Review
Oncology
Yuanzhong Pan, Pauline J. J. van der Watt, Steve A. A. Kay
Summary: E-boxes are important elements in regulating gene transcription, and E-box-binding transcription factors (EBTFs) play essential roles in development and cellular activities. Studies have shown the fundamental role of EBTFs in cancer, but there is a lack of comprehensive analysis on TFs that bind to E-boxes. This review focuses on the structure and function of EBTFs, their common features, their regulation, their roles in cancer biology, potential as a regulatory network, and recent progress in drug development targeting these factors in cancer therapy.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xabier de Martin, Reza Sodaei, Gabriel Santpere
Summary: The transcriptome of every cell is controlled by a complex network of interactions between transcription factors and their binding sites on DNA. Disruption of this network can lead to organism malfunction or serve as a substrate for positive natural selection. Understanding the specific determinants of TF-DNA interactions is challenging, as it involves integrating multiple mechanisms such as DNA motif preferences, post-translational modifications, and epigenetic modifications.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Nanxuan Luo, Changqing Yang, Yurong Zhu, Qianfeng Chen, Baoshun Zhang
Summary: Diosmetin has been shown to alleviate liver lipid accumulation and inflammatory injury in NASH by regulating the STAT1/CXCL10 signal pathway. The study suggests that Diosmetin can alleviate NASH by suppressing lipogenesis and inflammation.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ana Lilia Torres-Machorro
Summary: The bHLH transcription factor family plays essential roles in tissue development, cell differentiation, and disease, with positive, negative, and inactive transcriptional functions. Dimeric interactions among family members, such as E-protein homodimers and heterodimers with tissue-specific TFs or ID proteins, contribute to a complex transcriptional network defining cell fate. The central role of homodimers of tissue-specific bHLH TFs in the regulatory network, as well as the formation of transcriptionally inactive heterodimers, are highlighted. Detailed information on function, classification, and developmental roles of vertebrate bHLH TFs in four major classes is provided.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lin Wang, Da Li, Xueting Su, Yuechao Zhao, Aixue Huang, Hui Li, Jie Li, Wei Xia, Tianqi Jia, Hongwen Zhang, Jie Dong, Xuemei Liu, Ningsheng Shao
Summary: This study discovered that AGO4 had low expression in non-small cell lung cancer patient tumor tissues and could suppress NSCLC cell proliferation and metastasis. The mechanism showed that AGO4 could interact with TRIM21 and GRP78, promoting ubiquitination of GRP78 and resulting in induced cell apoptosis and inhibited autophagy. Furthermore, p53 was found to have dominant effects on the TRIM21-GRP78 axis, and AGO4 may alternatively regulate this axis in p53-deficient cells. The study suggests that the AGO4-TRIM21-GRP78 axis may be a potential therapeutic target for p53-deficient tumor treatment.
Review
Immunology
Michele K. K. Anderson
Summary: Shifting levels of E proteins and Id factors are crucial in T cell commitment and differentiation, and understanding their roles and mechanisms can provide insights into the process of T cell development and differentiation. The Clutch model of differentiation describes how Id factors regulate E protein activity and chromatin remodeling to control T cell fate.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Shuo Wang, Li-Xian Li, Yue Fang, Dan Li, Zuolin Mao, Zihao Zhu, Xue-Sen Chen, Shou-Qian Feng
Summary: Ethylene and jasmonic acid are crucial hormones in promoting anthocyanin synthesis in apple. This study identified MdERF1B as a core gene in response to JA and ethylene signals, and its encoded protein modulates anthocyanin synthesis together with other signaling molecules.
HORTICULTURE RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Hussein Ghazale, EunJee Park, Lakshmy Vasan, James Mester, Fermisk Saleh, Andrea Trevisiol, Dawn Zinyk, Vorapin Chinchalongporn, Mingzhe Liu, Taylor Fleming, Oleksandr Prokopchuk, Natalia Klenin, Deborah Kurrasch, Maryam Faiz, Bojana Stefanovic, JoAnne McLaurin, Carol Schuurmans
Summary: This study enhances the efficiency of converting adult astrocytes into neurons by optimizing the neurogenic capacity of the transcription factor Ascl1. The mutated Ascl1(SA)(6) shows superior conversion efficiency compared to native Ascl1, positioning it as a critical factor for future studies on treating diseases.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Urszula Talar, Agnieszka Kielbowicz-Matuk
Summary: B-box proteins in plants are diverse zinc finger transcription factors and regulators playing important roles in plant growth and development, including seedling photomorphogenesis, anthocyanins biosynthesis, flowering photoperiodic regulation, hormonal pathways, and stress responses. Overexpression of certain BBX genes can enhance plant tolerance to different stresses. There is evidence of crosstalk between B-box proteins and the circadian clock mechanism.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Kyungyoon Kim, Bae Young Choi, Joohyun Kang, Donghwan Shim, Enrico Martinoia, Youngsook Lee
Summary: The ABCG27 protein functions as an ABA transporter at the plasma membrane and regulates the development of pistils and leaves under normal conditions. Its knockout leads to developmental defects, increased ABA content, and altered expression of regulatory factors.
PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Natalia Busto, Jose Garcia-Calvo, Jose Vicente Cuevas, Antonio Herrera, Jean-Louis Mergny, Sebastian Pons, Tomas Torroba, Begona Garcia
Summary: This study highlights the importance of positive charge and PEG chains in the G-quadruplex binding ability and antiproliferative activity of PMIs, with PMI6 showing the most promising potential. The cationic PMI6 with two PEG chains exhibits enhanced fluorescence in the presence of G-quadruplex structures and high affinity towards human telomeric G-quadruplex hTelo, as well as high antiproliferative potential against certain cancer cells.
BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Elena Gonzalez-Gobartt, Jose Blanco-Ameijeiras, Susana Usieto, Guillaume Allio, Bertrand Benazeraf, Elisa Marti
Summary: This study elucidates the necessity of cell intercalation downstream of TGF-beta/SMAD3 signaling for secondary neural tube formation, as well as the lineage restriction of NMPs, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and lumen formation process.
DEVELOPMENTAL CELL
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Antonio Herrera, Anghara Menendez, Blanca Torroba, Andrea Ochoa, Sebastian Pons
Summary: The study reveals that β-catenin interacts with phosphorylated pro-N-cadherin in the early Golgi transit, promoting the maturation of N-cadherin. It is shown that β-catenin and Dbnl assist in the maturation of pro-N-cadherin, which is crucial for adherens junction formation and apico-basal polarity maintenance.
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Simona Gradari, Antonio Herrera, Patricia Tezanos, Angela Fontan-Lozano, Sebastian Pons, Jose Luis Trejo
Summary: This study investigates the role of Smad2 in adult neural plasticity, revealing its influence on the proliferation and maturation of dentate gyrus neurons in mice, ultimately affecting learning and memory abilities.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Carlos Perez-Gonzalez, Gerardo Ceada, Francesco Greco, Marija Matejcic, Manuel Gomez-Gonzalez, Natalia Castro, Anghara Menendez, Sohan Kale, Denis Krndija, Andrew G. Clark, Venkata Ram Gannavarapu, Adrian Alvarez-Varela, Pere Roca-Cusachs, Eduard Batlle, Danijela Matic Vignjevic, Marino Arroyo, Xavier Trepat
Summary: Intestinal organoids exhibit non-monotonic stress distribution, with distinct mechanical domains affecting cell folding and migration along a gradient of increasing tension.
NATURE CELL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Jose Blanco-Ameijeiras, Pilar Lozano-Fernandez, Elisa Marti
Summary: Centrosomes are essential for organizing the cytoskeleton and controlling chromosome segregation during cell division. They also play a role in cilium regulation and signal reception. Understanding the process of centrosome duplication and centriole maturation is crucial for understanding cell division and cilium function.
JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biology
Ilaria Dutto, Julian Gerhards, Antonio Herrera, Olga Souckova, Vaclava Skopova, Jordann A. Smak, Alexandra Junza, Oscar Yanes, Cedric Boeckx, Martin D. Burkhalter, Marie Zikanova, Sebastian Pons, Melanie Philipp, Jens Luders, Travis H. Stracker
Summary: ADSL deficiency causes neurodevelopmental pathologies, including microcephaly and autism spectrum disorder. Reduced purine levels and impaired de novo purine synthesis contribute to the pathology, while defective ciliogenesis may influence the phenotypic spectrum of ADSLD.
Review
Neurosciences
Gwenvael Le Dreau
Summary: This mini-review summarizes the impact of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) on various aspects of vertebrate central nervous system (CNS) formation and highlights the crucial role of canonical BMP activity in the amplification and maintenance of neural stem cells. These findings suggest the evolutionary conservation of this function.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marta Vicioso-Mantis, Samuel Aguirre, Marian A. Martinez-Balbas
Summary: JMJC-KDMs family proteins contain low-complexity domains and intrinsically disordered regions, which may contribute to functions beyond demethylase activity. Proteins like PHF2, KDM2A, and KDM4B cluster via phase separation, with PHF2 IDR contributing to transcription regulation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lucia Fanlo, Soledad Gomez-Gonzalez, Catalina Rozalen, Ivan Perez-Nunez, Irene Sangrador, Laureano Tomas-Daza, Emmanuel L. Gautier, Susana Usieto, Elena Rebollo, Monica Vila-Ubach, Angel M. Carcaboso, Biola M. Javierre, Toni Celia-Terrassa, Cinzia Lavarino, Elisa Marti, Gwenvael Le Dreau
Summary: In this study, we identified the transcriptional signature distinguishing low-risk and high-risk neuroblastomas, which consists mainly of genes that belong to the core sympatho-adrenal developmental program and are associated with favorable patient prognosis and with diminished disease progression. Our findings uncover a transcriptional module of the sympatho-adrenal program that opposes neuroblastoma malignancy by impeding metastasis, and pinpoint NXPH1/alpha-NRXN signaling as a promising target to treat high-risk neuroblastomas.
Article
Developmental Biology
Antonio Herrera, Anghara Menendez, Andrea Ochoa, Lidia Bardia, Julien Colombelli, Sebastian Pons
Summary: In the developing spinal cord, neurogenesis stimulates Tcf-dependent transcription through the nuclear accumulation of beta-catenin, independently of Wnt signaling. This process regulates genes involved in contralateral axon growth, including axon guidance and adhesion. These findings demonstrate the importance of Wnt-independent Tcf/beta-catenin regulation in controlling commissural axon growth in the chick spinal cord.
Article
Cell Biology
Andrea Ochoa, Antonio Herrera, Anghara Menendez, Maria Estefanell, Carlota Ramos, Sebastian Pons
Summary: Vinculin is an actin-binding protein that plays a crucial role in cell adhesion and cytoskeleton connection. Beta-catenin targets vinculin to the apical adherens junctions and centrosome in the embryonic neural tube. Suppression of vinculin affects neural stem cell division and disrupts the integrity of the cell cytoskeleton.
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2023)