Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Matteo Hirsch, Lorenzo Lucherini, Ran Zhao, Alexandra Clara Saracho, Esther Amstad
Summary: Nature can control the structure and composition of materials, resulting in organic/inorganic composites with superior mechanical properties. Inspired by this, researchers have developed a process that utilizes compartmentalization to fabricate high-strength porous CaCO3-based composites using nature-derived materials. This system has potential applications in art restoration, coral regeneration, and repair of natural mineral-based materials.
Article
Microbiology
Alexis Dereeper, Nina Allouch, Vincent Guerlais, Maelle Garnier, Laurence Ma, Johan F. F. De Jonckheere, Sandeep J. J. Joseph, Ibne Karim M. Ali, Antoine Talarmin, Isabel Marcelino
Summary: In this study, a high-quality Naegleria pangenome was constructed, revealing that Naegleria may use genome plasticity features to modulate their behavior in different environments. Comparing 14 near-to-complete genome sequences, it was estimated that the Naegleria pangenome consists of 13,943 genes, including 3,563 core and 10,380 accessory genes. Functional annotations showed that a large fraction of Naegleria genes have significant sequence similarity with those in other kingdoms. Comparative analyses showed remarkable genomic heterogeneity in Naegleria, even among closely related strains, indicating extensive genome variability.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Cell Biology
Joao Barbosa, Claudio E. Sunkel, Carlos Conde
Summary: This review provides an overview of the molecular strategies that monitor and fine-tune KT-MT attachment formation during mitosis, to ensure accurate segregation of sister chromatids. This process is crucial for safe mitotic progression.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Poornima D. E. Weerasinghe-Mudiyanselage, Mary Jasmin Ang, Sohi Kang, Joong-Sun Kim, Changjong Moon
Summary: This article reviews the role of structural plasticity in the hippocampus in neurodegenerative diseases, exploring the underlying mechanisms and knowledge gaps. The information presented will be important for future research on the mechanisms and therapeutics of neurodegenerative diseases.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Tian Tian, Lili Chen, Zhen Dou, Zhisen Yang, Xinjiao Gao, Xiao Yuan, Chengliang Wang, Ran Liu, Zuojun Shen, Ping Gui, Maikun Teng, Xianlei Meng, Donald L. Hill, Lin Li, Xuan Zhang, Xing Liu, Linfeng Sun, Jianye Zang, Xuebiao Yao
Summary: This study reveals the molecular basis of how human CCAN interacts with duplex DNA and its importance in accurate chromosome segregation through cryo-electron microscopy and functional analyses.
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Dongming Liu, Jiu Chen, Honglin Ge, Zhen Yan, Bei Luo, Xinhua Hu, Kun Yang, Yong Liu, Chaoyong Xiao, Wenbin Zhang, Hongyi Liu
Summary: The study aims to characterize the structural plasticity of the contralesional hippocampus and its subfields in patients with unilateral glioma. The results showed significantly larger gray matter volume in the contralesional hippocampus and parahippocampal regions, while no significant alterations were found in control regions. The volumetric analyses also revealed similar trends in the contralesional hippocampal subregions for both patient groups.
EUROPEAN RADIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Silvio Schmidt, Sidra Gull, Karl-Heinz Herrmann, Marcus Boehme, Andrey Irintchev, Anja Urbach, Juergen R. Reichenbach, Carsten M. Klingner, Christian Gaser, Otto W. Witte
Summary: Volumetric magnetic resonance imaging studies have shown that intense learning can lead to grey matter volume increases in adult brains. In a study with rats, it was found that use-dependent grey matter increases were primarily associated with swelling of astrocytes rather than other mechanisms, indicating structural plasticity involving synaptic and astrocytic remodeling.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shreyas Sridhar, Tetsuya Hori, Reiko Nakagawa, Tatsuo Fukagawa, Kaustuv Sanyal
Summary: This study reveals the recurrent loss of conventional kinetochore linker proteins during fungal evolution, with the discovery of a bridgin protein that plays a role in connecting the outer kinetochore to centromeric chromatin for accurate chromosome segregation. Bridgin, identified in a basidiomycete and human pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, represents a new family of kinetochore proteins and suggests an ancient divergent strategy to bridge these two structures.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pavel Neumann, Ludmila Oliveira, Tae-Soo Jang, Petr Novak, Andrea Koblizkova, Veit Schubert, Andreas Houben, Jiri Macas
Summary: The transition from monocentric to holocentric organization in Cuscuta was associated with loss or truncation of kinetochore-related genes, disruption of centromeric localization of kinetochore proteins, and degeneration of the spindle assembly checkpoint. This indicates that holocentric Cuscuta species lack a standard kinetochore and do not employ the SAC to control microtubule attachment to chromosomes.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Youyi Zhang, Fei Ye, Tongtong Zhang, Shiyun Lv, Liping Zhou, Daohai Du, He Lin, Fei Guo, Cheng Luo, Shujia Zhu
Summary: Ketamine, as a non-competitive channel blocker of NMDA receptors, can produce rapid and long-lasting antidepressant effects. The S-ketamine enantiomer is found to be the more active antidepressant, with its binding pocket in the NMDA receptor involving key amino acids for interaction.
Review
Cell Biology
Fioranna Renda, Alexey Khodjakov
Summary: The kinetochore plays a crucial role in facilitating chromosome segregation during cell division by attaching chromosomes to spindle microtubules. It also acts as a signaling hub to regulate cell cycle progression and ensures the accuracy of chromosome segregation. Despite being large and robust molecular assemblies, kinetochores undergo dynamic structural and organizational changes throughout the cell cycle.
SEMINARS IN CELL & DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Yunjie Chang, Hui Xu, Md A. Motaleb, Jun Liu
Summary: Researchers have discovered a multiprotein collar complex in Lyme disease spirochetes, which exhibits remarkable structural plasticity to accommodate the highly curved membrane and generate the high torque necessary for spirochete motility.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Melissa J. Ruggiero, Shipra Malhotra, Aron W. Fenton, Liskin Swint-Kruse, John Karanicolas, Bruno Hagenbuch
Summary: The S267F polymorphism in the Na+/taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP) protein has been shown to have a wide range of functional outcomes. This study investigated whether other buried positions in NTCP exhibit similar structural tolerance to substitutions. The results showed that substitutions at these positions also had minimal impact on stability and structure. The study also identified the N271 position as another important rheostat position. Understanding the presence of rheostat positions and their role in protein evolution may have implications for predicting missense variants in membrane transport proteins.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carolina Urrutia-Ruiz, Daniel Rombach, Silvia Cursano, Susanne Gerlach-Arbeiter, Michael Schoen, Juergen Bockmann, Maria Demestre, Tobias M. Boeckers
Summary: This study reveals the lack of structural synaptic plasticity in Shank3 knockout mice, which may partially explain the behavioral rigidity, difficulty in adapting to new situations, and cognitive deficits observed in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs).
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maria J. Martinez, Rolando D. Z. Lyles, Nahuel Peinetti, Alex M. Grunfeld, Kerry L. Burnstein
Summary: This study found that BUB1 kinase is over-expressed in taxane resistant prostate cancer and a specific BUB1 kinase inhibitor can overcome this resistance. The study also found that androgen receptor variant AR-V7 can increase BUB1 levels and reduce sensitivity to taxanes.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Manjunatha Shivaraju, Udbhav K. Chitta, Robert M. H. Grange, Isha H. Jain, Diane Capen, Lan Liao, Jianming Xu, Fumito Ichinose, Warren M. Zapol, Vamsi K. Mootha, Jayaraj Rajagopal
Summary: Recent research has shown that airway basal stem cells have the ability to sense hypoxia and differentiate into solitary NE cells, which secrete a protective peptide called CGRP to mitigate hypoxic injury. This mechanism helps to explain the role of NE cells in the respiratory system and their response to environmental stimuli.
Review
Immunology
Karthik Dhatchinamoorthy, Jeff D. Colbert, Kenneth L. Rock
Summary: Loss of MHC I antigen presentation is common in many cancers, which may impair immune responses and affect the efficacy of immunotherapy. Studies have discussed underlying mechanisms through which some cancers evade immune killing by shutting down the MHC I pathway, and proposed potential strategies to overcome this limitation.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Soon-Keat Ooi, Shigeo Sato, Chieri Tomomori-Sato, Ying Zhang, Zhihui Wen, Charles A. S. Banks, Michael P. Washburn, Jay R. Unruh, Laurence Florens, Ronald C. Conaway, Joan W. Conaway
Summary: PARP1 has multiple functions in ALC1-dependent nucleosome remodeling beyond simply synthesizing PAR chains, as shown by investigation of separation-of-function mutants that activate ALC1 ATPase but do not support nucleosome remodeling by ALC1.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Xi He, Sarah E. Smith, Shiyuan Chen, Hua Li, Di Wu, Paloma Meneses-Giles, Yongfu Wang, Mark Hembree, Kexi Yi, Xia Zhao, Fengli Guo, Jay R. Unruh, Lucinda E. Maddera, Zulin Yu, Allison Scott, Anoja Perera, Yan Wang, Chongbei Zhao, KyeongMin Bae, Andrew Box, Jeffrey S. Haug, Fang Tao, Deqing Hu, Darrick M. Hansen, Pengxu Qian, Subhrajit Saha, Dan Dixon, Shrikant Anant, Da Zhang, Edward H. Lin, Weijing Sun, Leanne M. Wiedemann, Linheng Li
Summary: The study reveals a bidirectional crosstalk between treatment-resistant tumor-initiating stem cells (TrTSC) and the tumor microenvironment (TME), leading to a contexture that promotes tumor growth and immunosuppression.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Fengli Guo, Melainia McClain, Xia Zhao, Kexi Yi, Tari Parmely, Jay Unruh, Brian Slaughter, Leonid Kruglyak, Longhua Guo, Alejandro Sanchez Alvarado
Summary: This research protocol utilizes a brief fixation step to facilitate the localization and dissection of planarian ovaries for downstream analysis. The dissected ovaries are suitable for ultrastructural examination using transmission electron microscopy and antibody immunostaining.
JOVE-JOURNAL OF VISUALIZED EXPERIMENTS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christopher W. Akey, Digvijay Singh, Christna Ouch, Ignacia Echeverria, Ilona Nudelman, Joseph M. Varberg, Zulin Yu, Fei Fang, Yi Shi, Junjie Wang, Daniel Salzberg, Kangkang Song, Chen Xu, James C. Gumbart, Sergey Suslov, Jay Unruh, Sue L. Jaspersen, Brian T. Chait, Andrej Sali, Javier Fernandez-Martinez, Steven J. Ludtke, Elizabeth Villa, Michael P. Rout
Summary: This study provides a structure of the isolated yeast NPC and reveals how flexible connectors tie together different structural and functional layers. It also suggests an evolutionary and mechanistic link between assembly and transport. Additionally, the study identifies three major NPC variants that may signify functional specializations at the nuclear periphery.
Article
Biology
Joseph M. Varberg, Jay R. Unruh, Andrew J. Bestul, Azqa A. Khan, Sue L. Jaspersen
Summary: The number and distribution of nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) in the nuclear envelope vary between cell types and change in cellular differentiation and disease. In this study, the researchers used structured illumination microscopy to analyze the NPC number and distribution in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. They found that NPC density is maintained across a wide range of nuclear sizes, and regions of reduced NPC density are observed over the nucleolus and surrounding the spindle pole body (SPB). They also discovered that Lem2-mediated tethering of the centromeres to the SPB is required to maintain NPC exclusion near SPB.
LIFE SCIENCE ALLIANCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Karla T. Falcon, Kristin E. N. Watt, Soma Dash, Ruonan Zhao, Daisuke Sakai, Emma L. Moore, Sharien Fitriasari, Melissa Childers, Mihaela E. Sardiu, Selene Swanson, Dai Tsuchiya, Jay Unruh, George Bugarinovic, Lin Li, Rita Shiang, Annita Achilleos, Jill Dixon, Michael J. Dixon, Paul A. Trainor
Summary: This study investigates the importance of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) transcription in craniofacial development and the implications of disruptions in this process. The researchers discovered that high expression of Pol I subunits in neuroepithelium and neural crest cells (NCCs) sustains elevated rRNA transcription, supporting the high levels of protein translation in these cells. However, disruptions in rRNA synthesis in NCCs can lead to p53 protein accumulation, NCC apoptosis, and craniofacial anomalies. Compound mutations in Pol I subunits further exacerbate these anomalies. Mechanistically, diminished rRNA synthesis causes an imbalance between rRNA and ribosomal proteins, affecting the binding of these proteins with Mdm2 and p53. This study highlights the critical role of rRNA transcription in craniofacial development and its specific sensitivities to disruptions in certain congenital craniofacial disorders.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Biology
Alejandro Rodriguez Gama, Tayla Miller, Jeffrey J. Lange, Jay R. Unruh, Randal Halfmann
Summary: This study investigates the molecular mechanism of immune cell activation and the assembly mechanism of the signalosome. The researchers discovered that the switch-like activation of immune cells is achieved through large protein assemblies known as signalosomes. They also found that the assembly of the signalosome involves a nucleation barrier and that the structure of the proteins in the signalosome is not critical for its activity.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Hsiao Ju Chiang, Daniel E. S. Koo, Masahiro Kitano, Sean Burkitt, Jay R. R. Unruh, Cristina Zavaleta, Le A. A. Trinh, Scott E. E. Fraser, Francesco Cutrale
Summary: Hybrid Unmixing enables enhanced imaging of multiplexed fluorescence labels by reducing illumination intensities. It can cleanly separate and distinguish multiple fluorescent labels from background autofluorescence, enabling dynamic imaging in complex systems. HyU permits high dynamic range imaging, allowing simultaneous imaging of bright exogenous labels and dim endogenous labels, providing more accurate insights into the complexity of biological systems.
Article
Developmental Biology
Zainab Afzal, Jeffrey J. Lange, Christof Nolte, Sean McKinney, Christopher Wood, Ariel Paulson, Bony De Kumar, Jay Unruh, Brian D. Slaughter, Robb Krumlauf
Summary: Signaling pathways regulate the patterns of Hox gene expression in axial identity specification. Little is known about the properties of cis-regulatory elements and transcriptional mechanisms that control Hox expression through graded signaling inputs. This study optimized a single molecule fluorescent in situ hybridization (smFISH) technique to evaluate the role of three retinoic acid response element (RARE)-dependent enhancers in regulating nascent transcription patterns of Hoxb genes. The results suggest that these enhancers have differential impacts on global and local patterns of transcription, and their competitive interactions are important for maintaining proper levels and patterns of Hoxb transcription.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Qingqing Liu, Benjamin Fong, Seungmin Yoo, Jay R. Unruh, Fengli Guo, Zulin Yu, Jingjing Chen, Kausik Si, Rong Li, Chuankai Zhou
Summary: Eukaryotic cells organize cellular contents into membrane-bound organelles and membrane-less condensates. However, the mechanism behind the spatially localized protein aggregates on organellar surfaces, like mitochondria, remains unknown. In this study, it was found that the mitochondrial import receptor Tom70 is involved in the localized condensation of protein aggregates in yeast and human cells. Misfolded cytosolic proteins are recruited to the condensation sites initiated by Tom70's substrates on the organellar membrane using multivalent hydrophobic interactions. Disruption of the mitochondrial association of aggregates impairs their asymmetric retention during mitosis and reduces the mitochondrial import of misfolded proteins, suggesting a proteostasis role of the organelle-condensate interactions.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Vivekanandan Ramalingam, Xinyang Yu, Brian D. Slaughter, Jay R. Unruh, Kaelan J. Brennan, Anastasiia Onyshchenko, Jeffrey J. Lange, Malini Natarajan, Michael Buck, Julia Zeitlinger
Summary: Lola-I, a Drosophila zinc finger transcription factor, can regulate the promoter state independently of gene activation. It makes the target promoters accessible and acquire paused RNA polymerase II throughout the embryo. This promoter transition is crucial for tissue-specific target gene activation. Lola-I mediates this function by depleting promoter nucleosomes.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Juliana Conkright-Finchaml, Chieri Tomomori-Sato, Rich McGhee, Ella M. Leslie, Carolyn J. Beucherl, Lauren E. Weems, Shigeo Sato, William B. Redwine, Kyle J. Weaver, Brandon D. Miller, Kym M. Delventhal, John J. Kary, Andrew B. Koebbe, Alexander Deans, Jessica L. Witt, Laura M. Remy, Tani J. Parmely, Chongbei Zhao, Yan Wang, Joan W. Conaway, Jay R. Unruh
Summary: This article presents a protocol for a high-throughput colorimetric ELISA assay to detect IgG antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The assay reliably measures antibody levels quantitatively and improves sensitivity by controlling for non-specific binding and eliminating background contributions.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Shary N. Shelton, Sarah E. Smith, Jay R. Unruh, Sue L. Jaspersen
Summary: The INM proteome differs between gametes and mitotic cells, with gametes requiring a unique set of INM proteins for gamete formation, synthesized de novo. This suggests changes in the nuclear permeability barrier and inheritance pattern of INM components during gametogenesis.
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2021)