Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Nikunj M. Shukla, Fumi Sato-Kaneko, Shiyin Yao, Minya Pu, Michael Chan, Fitzgerald S. Lao, Yukiya Sako, Tetsuya Saito, Karen Messer, Tomoko Hayashi, Howard B. Cottam, Maripat Corr, Dennis A. Carson
Summary: Extracellular vesicles play a crucial role in intercellular communication and immune regulation. Researchers have identified small molecule compounds that can enhance the immunogenicity of vaccines by increasing the release of extracellular vesicles. The compounds were screened and validated through multiple assays, leading to the discovery of potential vaccine adjuvants.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lei Luo, Qing Zhou, Yingkui Hu, Qiang Ding, Zongbao Zhou, Chuang Wang, Xiaoying Wang, Hang Li, Shunqing Tang
Summary: The structure of curdlan can be modified by grafting methoxypolyethylene glycol (mPEG), which enhances its water solubility and immunostimulatory activity. Macrophages treated with curdlan-g-mPEG show increased immune response and improved phagocytosis of bacteria.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
A-Ra Cho, Eunkyung Suh, Hyoju Oh, Baek Hwan Cho, Minchan Gil, Yun-Kyong Lee
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the association between body fat and muscle percentages and natural killer cell activity (NKA). The study conducted a cross-sectional analysis on 8058 subjects in a medical center in Korea. The results showed that low NKA was significantly associated with low muscle mass and muscle percentage in both men and women, while high fat percentage was associated with low NKA in men.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Seyoum Gizachew, Wannes Van Beeck, Irina Spacova, Max Dekeukeleire, Ashenafi Alemu, Wude Mihret Woldemedhin, Solomon H. Mariam, Sarah Lebeer, Ephrem Engidawork
Summary: In this study, 43 LAB were isolated from Ethiopian traditional cottage cheese, cheese, and yogurt and evaluated for their functional and safety properties as candidate probiotics. The predominant species found was Limosilactobacillus fermentum. All 27 isolates tested showed resistance to bile salt and low pH, and exhibited antimicrobial and immunomodulatory effects. Five strains showed promising results and are potential probiotic candidates for clinical trials.
FERMENTATION-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Longlong Si, Haiqing Bai, Crystal Yuri Oh, Amanda Jiang, Fan Hong, Tian Zhang, Yongxin Ye, Tristan X. Jordan, James Logue, Marisa McGrath, Chaitra Belgur, Karina Calderon, Atiq Nurani, Wuji Cao, Kenneth E. Carlson, Rachelle Prantil-Baun, Steven P. Gygi, Dong Yang, Colleen B. Jonsson, Benjamin R. tenOever, Matthew Frieman, Donald E. Ingber
Summary: This study describes a new class of immunostimulatory short duplex RNAs that can induce the production of interferons and exhibit broad-spectrum inhibition against respiratory viruses with pandemic potential. These short double-stranded RNAs are easily manufacturable and have the potential to serve as broad-spectrum antiviral therapeutics.
MOLECULAR THERAPY-NUCLEIC ACIDS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Gilberto Betancor, Madeleine Bangham, Jun Ki Jeon, Kanisha Shah, Steven Lynham, Jose M. Jimenez-Guardeno, Michael H. Malim
Summary: Phosphorylation of MX2 plays a crucial role in regulating its antiviral activity and determining susceptible viral substrates.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Varda Shoshan-Barmatz, Tasleem Arif, Anna Shteinfer-Kuzmine
Summary: Apoptosis is a regulated cell death process that maintains tissue integrity. It involves two major pathways: the extrinsic pathway, activated by external signals, and the intrinsic pathway, activated by DNA damage or stress. However, apoptotic proteins also have non-death-related functions, particularly in non-cancer cells. This review highlights the unconventional roles of apoptotic proteins, focusing on VDAC1 and SMAC/Diablo, mitochondrial proteins that are overexpressed in cancer cells.
Article
Cell Biology
Lisa Wohlgemuth, Alexander Elias Paul Stratmann, Frederik Muennich, Stefan Bernhard, Bertram Dietrich Thomass, Finn Munnich, Adam Omar Khalaf Mohamed, Marco Mannes, Christoph Quirin Schmidt, Kristina Nilsson Ekdahl, Bo Nilsson, Michael Fauler, Karl Josef Fohr, Markus Huber-Lang, David Alexander Christian Messerer
Summary: The early interactions between neutrophil granulocytes and complement cleavage products play a crucial role in neutrophil activity. While C3a and C4a have no significant effects, C5a and C5a des-Arg stimulate neutrophil activity and alter the expression of various receptors and activation markers.
Article
Plant Sciences
Misato Ota, Toshiaki Makino
Summary: This study reviews the effectiveness of processing licorice root and finds that the traditional Chinese medicine method is more effective than the Japanese Kampo medicine method. Heating honey as a drug adjuvant can enhance the immunostimulatory effects of licorice root.
JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Caio de Oliveira Gorgulho Silva, Marlene Vuillemin, Mirjam A. A. Kabel, Willem J. H. van Berkel, Anne S. S. Meyer, Jane W. W. Agger
Summary: Polyphenol oxidases (PPOs) catalyze the conversion of monophenols to diphenols, which act as reducing agents for lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs). The role of the catalytic products of the PPO MtPPO7 in priming and fueling the activity of the LPMO NcAA9C is investigated. It is found that the catalytic products of MtPPO7 provide the initial electron for the reduction of Cu(II) to Cu(I), but cannot provide sufficient reducing power for continuous fueling of the LPMO activity. This priming reaction occurs with low amounts of MtPPO7 products and does not generate significant levels of H2O2 to fuel the LPMO peroxygenase activity.
Article
Immunology
J. Michael Stolley, Milcah C. C. Scott, Vineet Joag, Alexander J. J. Dale, Timothy S. S. Johnston, Flavia Saavedra, Noah V. V. Gavil, Sahar Lotfi-Emran, Andrew G. G. Soerens, Eyob Weyu, Mark J. J. Pierson, Mark C. C. Herzberg, Nu Zhang, Vaiva Vezys, David Masopust
Summary: The oral mucosa is a frontline for microbial exposure and harbors CD8(+) CD103(+) resident memory T cells (T-RM) that locally survey tissues without recirculating. Oral antigen re-encounter enhances T-RM establishment and triggers changes in gene expression. These T-RM putatively protect against local viral infection.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Adam M. Weiss, Samir Hossainy, Stuart J. Rowan, Jeffrey A. Hubbell, Aaron P. Esser-Kahn
Summary: This study discusses the application of immunostimulatory polymers in therapeutics and their ability to activate the immune system, as well as the design and delivery methods involved.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Yuan Gao, Wei Shi, Can Tu, Peng Li, Guanyu Zhao, Xiaohe Xiao, Jiabo Wang, Zhaofang Bai
Summary: The active constituents of Epimedii Folium enhance the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and may be involved in the pathogenesis of drug-induced liver injury. This finding changes our conventional understanding of the relationship between immunostimulatory activity and glycogen content.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xianglei Yan, Sebastian Ols, Rodrigo Arcoverde Cerveira, Klara Lenart, Fredrika Hellgren, Kewei Ye, Alberto Cagigi, Marcus Buggert, Falk Nimmerjahn, Jesper Falkesgaard Hojen, Daniel Parera, Ulrich Pessara, Stephan Fischer, Karin Lore
Summary: Targeting CD40 with agonistic antibodies can stimulate immune responses and be used as vaccine adjuvants or for cancer immunotherapy. A specific agonistic anti-human CD40 monoclonal IgG1 antibody (MAB273) lacking Fc gamma-receptor binding was introduced. MAB273 rapidly bound to B cells and dendritic cells, resulting in activation in vitro and in vivo. It enhanced antigen-specific T cell responses and could be a promising immunostimulatory adjuvant for therapeutic and prophylactic vaccination strategies.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Moriya Tsuji, Manoj S. S. Nair, Kazuya Masuda, Candace Castagna, Zhenlu Chong, Tamarand L. L. Darling, Kuljeet Seehra, Youngmin Hwang, agata Lopes Ribeiro, Geovane Marques Ferreira, Laura Corredor, Jordana Grazziela Alves Coelho-dos-Reis, Yukiko Tsuji, Munemasa Mori, Adrianus C. M. Boon, Michael S. Diamond, Yaoxing Huang, David D. Ho
Summary: A glycolipid called 7DW8-5 has been found to stimulate NKT cells to release cytokines and chemokines, enabling rapid control of viral infections. Intranasal administration of 7DW8-5 effectively blocked infections by various variants of SARS-CoV-2, respiratory syncytial virus, and influenza virus. This glycolipid could be a useful tool in preventing virus spread and responding to future pandemics.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Correction
Genetics & Heredity
Zhiyuan Chen, Mohamed Nadhir Djekidel, Yi Zhang
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jie Shen, Wei Sun, Di Liu, Thomas Schaus, Peng Yin
Summary: Utilizing 3D DNA nanostructures, the line pitch has been scaled down to 16.2 nm with a critical dimension size of 7.2 nm, demonstrating an improvement in nanolithography resolution achieved through DNA modular epitaxy.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chunxia Zhang, Meng Wang, Yisi Li, Yi Zhang
Summary: Transcriptional regulation is important in early mouse embryo development. Using a new technique, the mRNA translation landscape of mouse preimplantation embryos was revealed, showing the critical role of active translation of maternal mRNAs in maternal-to-zygotic transition. The study also identified two maternal factors required for chromatin reprogramming and zygotic genome activation.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yuen Gao, Natalia Duque-Wilckens, Mohammad B. Aljazi, Adam J. Moeser, George I. Mias, Alfred J. Robison, Yi Zhang, Jin He
Summary: Recent clinical studies have shown that chromosomal 12q24.31 microdeletions are associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID). This study reveals that the gene Kdm2b, located in the chromosomal region 12q24.31, plays a critical role in maintaining neural stem cells in the mouse brain. Additionally, the Kdm2b mutation is found to induce ASD/ID-like behavioral and memory deficits.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Di Liu, Francois A. Thelot, Joseph A. Piccirilli, Maofu Liao, Peng Yin
Summary: This study presents a nanoarchitectural engineering strategy, called ROCK, which enables efficient structural determination of RNA using cryo-EM. By installing kissing-loop sequences onto RNAs, ROCK allows for better self-assembly and higher resolution reconstruction. The application of ROCK to different RNA structures demonstrates its potential in enabling high-quality cryo-EM studies.
Article
Cell Biology
Zhenfei Xie, Wenhao Zhang, Yi Zhang
Summary: Placenta hyperplasia is a common issue in cloned animals and negatively affects the development of cloned embryos. The underlying mechanism behind this phenomenon is largely unknown. In this study, the authors found that placenta hyperplasia occurs in both middle and late gestation in cloned mouse embryos. They further discovered that restoring the expression of a specific amino acid transporter, Slc38a4, can rescue the overgrowth of cloned placentae in late gestation. Molecular analyses revealed that loss of Slc38a4 imprinting leads to over-activation of the mTORC1 signaling pathway, likely due to increased amino acid transport. The findings suggest that loss of Slc38a4 imprinting is responsible for the overgrowth of cloned placentae, and the underlying mechanism involves increased amino acid transport and over-activation of mTORC1.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Renchao Chen, Yiqiong Liu, Mohamed N. Djekidel, Wenqiang Chen, Aritra Bhattacherjee, Zhiyuan Chen, Ed Scolnick, Yi Zhang
Summary: In this study, a Setd1a haploinsufficiency mouse model was generated to investigate the effect of this SCZ-associated epigenetic factor on gene expression in brain regions relevant to SCZ. The results showed that Setd1a heterozygosity leads to highly variable transcriptional adaptations in different cell types in the prefrontal cortex and striatum, and the Foxp2(+) neurons exhibit the most prominent gene expression changes. Additionally, Setd1a(+/-) mice display behavioral features similar to SCZ patients, suggesting a potential role of Setd1a in SCZ pathogenesis.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Meng Wang, Zhiyuan Chen, Yi Zhang
Summary: Epigenome reprogramming after fertilization is crucial for early embryonic development. The chromatin marker H3K27ac undergoes three waves of global transitions during this process. CBP/p300 acetyltransferase deposits H3K27ac and promotes chromatin opening, while HDAC prevents premature expression of developmental genes.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Yuangao Wang, Meng Wang, Yi Zhang
Summary: A new three-step eccDNA purification (3SEP) procedure is proposed to efficiently purify eccDNA with high purity. In addition, a full-length eccDNA sequencing technique is developed, along with an eccDNA caller software, for accurate identification and mapping of eccDNA. These methods will facilitate the study of eccDNA and have potential diagnostic and clinical applications.
Article
Neurosciences
Aritra Bhattacherjee, Chao Zhang, Brianna R. Watson, Mohamed Nadhir Djekidel, Jeffrey R. Moffitt, Yi Zhang
Summary: The prefrontal cortex (PFC) shows distinct cellular and molecular features, as well as circuit organization, which are associated with its diverse functions. This study provides insights into the specific mechanisms underlying PFC functions, including chronic pain.
NATURE NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yurika Matsui, Mohamed Nadhir Djekidel, Katherine Lindsay, Parimal Samir, Nina Connolly, Gang Wu, Xiaoyang Yang, Yiping Fan, Beisi Xu, Jamy C. Peng
Summary: The study shows that SNIP1 is critical for the survival and differentiation of stem cells in the developing brain. It regulates PRC2 activities downstream of TGFb and NFkB, influencing cell fates. Understanding the role of SNIP1 in brain development can provide insights into cell survival and death during development.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Judith Hyle, Mohamed Nadhir Djekidel, Justin Williams, Shaela Wright, Ying Shao, Beisi Xu, Chunliang Li
Summary: This study employs the AID2 technology to investigate the role of CTCF in transcriptional regulation. The zinc finger domains in CTCF are found to be the most functionally relevant, and each domain has unique functions in DNA binding and transcriptional regulation. A model is created to explain how CTCF orchestrates transcriptional regulation in a cellular context.