Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Elizabeth K. M. Johnstone, Mohammed Akli Ayoub, Rebecca J. Hertzman, Heng B. See, Rekhati S. Abhayawardana, Ruth M. Seeber, Kevin D. G. Pfleger
Summary: This study investigated the heteromerization of AT(2) and B-2 receptors in HEK293FT cells. The results demonstrated the functional interaction between these receptors and the differences in signaling, providing important evidence for studying GPCR pharmacology and signaling diversity.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Mauro G. Silva, Nora L. Falcoff, Gerardo R. Corradi, Jose Alfie, Rolando F. Seguel, Gabriela C. Tabaj, Laura I. Iglesias, Myriam Nunez, Gabriela R. Guman, Mariela M. Gironacci
Summary: ACEI/ARB treatment affects the protein content of TMPRSS2 in the human lungs, but not ACE2. This finding may explain why smokers and older patients receiving treatment for cardiovascular-related pathologies are more susceptible to COVID-19.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ilaria Caputo, Brasilina Caroccia, Ilaria Frasson, Elena Poggio, Stefania Zamberlan, Margherita Morpurgo, Teresa M. Seccia, Tito Cali, Marisa Brini, Sara N. Richter, Gian Paolo Rossi
Summary: Blockers of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) can increase the expression of ACE2, the cellular receptor of SARS-CoV-2, and thus increase the risk of COVID-19. This study found that angiotensin II (Ang II) significantly increased the levels of ACE2 expression by acting on the angiotensin type 1 receptor, resulting in enhanced viral entry into cells. However, the blockade of ACE-1-mediated Ang II formation and ACE2-mediated Ang II conversion did not have any effect. Therefore, increased production of Ang II in patients with an activated RAS may lead to a greater spread of COVID-19 infection in lung cells.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Hikari Takeshita, Koichi Yamamoto, Masaki Mogi, Yu Wang, Yoichi Nozato, Taku Fujimoto, Serina Yokoyama, Kazuhiro Hongyo, Futoshi Nakagami, Hiroshi Akasaka, Yoichi Takami, Yasushi Takeya, Ken Sugimoto, Masatsugu Horiuchi, Hiromi Rakugi
Summary: The dual deletion of AT2 and Mas in mice exacerbates aging-associated muscle weakness, with increased activation of RAS, inflammation, and aging-related gene expression in skeletal muscles. Specific muscle phenotypes were absent in single deletions of the receptors, indicating a complementary role of AT2 and Mas in preventing local RAS activation during aging.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Liina Laukkanen, Cassiano R. A. F. Diniz, Sebastien Foulquier, Jos Prickaerts, Eero Castren, Plinio C. Casarotto
Summary: Our study demonstrated that C21 facilitated the effect of BDNF by increasing TRKB levels on the cell surface, leading to reduced freezing time in mice in a BDNF-dependent manner, without a general anxiolytic-like effect.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Richard Perryman, Alexander Renziehausen, Hamidreza Shaye, Androniki D. Kostagianni, Antonis D. Tsiailanis, Thomas Thorne, Maria Chatziathanasiadou, Gregory B. Sivolapenko, Mohamed Ahmed El Mubarak, Gye Won Han, Barbara Zarzycka, Vsevolod Katritch, Guillaume Lebon, Cristiana Lo Nigro, Laura Lattanzio, Sophie Morse, James J. Choi, Kevin O'Neill, Zoi Kanaki, Apostolos Klinakis, Tim Crook, Vadim Cherezov, Andreas G. Tzakos, Nelofer Syed
Summary: This study reveals that AT(2)R is a therapeutic target for GBM and AngII promotes proliferation through this receptor. EMA401 and its derivative A3E can inhibit the proliferation and invasiveness of GBM, and show enhanced penetration in the CNS.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Goeran Tornling, Rohit Batta, Dan Salvail, Johan Raud, Christopher P. Denton
Summary: Substantial evidence suggests that the renin-angiotensin system and the angiotensin II type 2 receptor play a role in pulmonary hypertension. The study evaluated the effect of the AT(2)R agonist C21 in a rat model of hypoxia-induced PH. The results showed that C21 improved cardiac function, reduced right ventricular hypertrophy, and decreased vessel wall thickness.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Michelle Lin, Robyn A. Roth, Beth A. Kozel, Robert P. Mecham, Carmen M. Halabi
Summary: The study found evidence suggesting a vasoconstrictive role for AT(2)R in elastin insufficiency, which may have implications for the potential use of AT(2)R agonists in clinical settings. Further investigation is needed to determine the specific patient populations that could benefit from this approach.
FRONTIERS IN CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Urology & Nephrology
Daniel E. Leisman, Tiago D. Fernandes, Vanesa Bijol, Mabel N. Abraham, Jake R. Lehman, Matthew D. Taylor, Christine Capone, Omar Yaipan, Rinaldo Bellomo, Clifford S. Deutschman
Summary: The study found that sepsis reduces the expression of renal angiotensin II receptors, leading to changes in kidney blood flow and creatinine levels. Both mouse models and clinical observations suggest that angiotensin II prevents these functional changes, while AT1R blockade exacerbates them.
KIDNEY INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Tlili Barhoumi, Fatmah A. Mansour, Maroua Jalouli, Hassan S. Alamri, Rizwan Ali, Abdel Halim Harrath, Maha Aljumaa, Mohamed Boudjelal
Summary: Angiotensin II (Ang II) is a key component of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and is associated with cardiopathology. High levels of Ang II have been linked to inflammatory conditions such as coronary heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. This study evaluated the cellular effects of Ang II on THP-1-derived macrophages, showing that it stimulates differentiation markers and proinflammatory markers while decreasing an M2 marker. Ang II also induces calcium overload, increases reactive oxygen species, and arrests cells in the G1 phase, primarily through the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R).
FRONTIERS IN CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Konstantinos Papadopoulos, Alexandra Papadopoulou, Tar-Choon Aw
Summary: Type 2 diabetes is a lifelong disease that requires innovative pharmacological interventions. Understanding the role of miRNA, particularly miR-155, is crucial in the pathogenesis of T2DM. Reduced levels of miR-155 in aging, obesity, and T2DM contribute to insulin resistance and glucose dysregulation. Restoring miR-155 levels through various treatments may be a potential therapeutic option.
WORLD JOURNAL OF DIABETES
(2023)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Robert Eckenstaler, Jana Sandori, Michael Gekle, Ralf A. Benndorf
Summary: The AT(1) receptor plays a significant role in cardiovascular and renal diseases, and is a major target for angiotensin receptor blockers such as sartans. Recent studies have provided new insights into the structure and biased signaling of this receptor, which could lead to the development of novel therapeutic approaches.
BIOCHEMICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Rheumatology
Ariane L. Herrick, Rohit Batta, Kamilla Overbeck, Johan Raud, Joanne Manning, Andrea Murray, Graham Dinsdale, Goeran Tornling
Summary: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of a single oral dose of C21 on cold-induced vasoconstriction in patients with SSc-related RP. The results showed that C21 treatment resulted in slightly higher AUC for rewarming and maximum finger temperature compared to placebo but the difference was not statistically significant. The study suggested that C21 may have potential benefits for patients with SSc-related RP and further investigation is warranted.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Tasia Amelia, Jacobus P. D. van Veldhoven, Matteo Falsini, Rongfang Liu, Laura H. Heitman, Gerard J. P. van Westen, Elena Segala, Gregory Verdon, Robert K. Y. Cheng, Robert M. Cooke, Daan van der Es, Adriaan P. IJzerman
Summary: In this study, the crystal structure of an engineered human adenosine A(2A) receptor bound to a partial agonist was determined and compared to structures bound to a full agonist or antagonist/inverse agonist. Interaction between the partial agonist and amino acids in the ligand binding pocket led to the development of a library of derivatives with varied activities. Some derivatives showed partial agonist properties while others acted as inverse agonists, with additional computational docking studies providing insights into this behavior.
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Wei Gao, Liang Shen, Dan-dan Long, Ting-ting Pan, Di Wang, Xiao-qing Chai, Shan-shan Hu
Summary: This study revealed a beneficial role of AT(2)R activation in alleviating primary and secondary hyperalgesia in joint inflammatory pain, potentially through modulation of synovial macrophage and spinal microglial activity.
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hidetsugu Asada, Asuka Inoue, Francois Marie Ngako Kadji, Kunio Hirata, Yuki Shiimura, Dohyun Im, Tatsuro Shimamura, Norimichi Nomura, Hiroko Iwanari, Takao Hamakubo, Osamu Kusano-Arai, Hiromi Hisano, Tomoko Uemura, Chiyo Suno, Junken Aoki, So Iwata
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hikaru Miyagi, Hidetsugu Asada, Michihiko Suzuki, Yuichi Takahashi, Mai Yasunaga, Chiyo Suno, So Iwata, Jun-ichi Saito
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2020)
Article
Cell Biology
Xinyu Xu, Jonas Kaindl, Mary J. Clark, Harald Hubner, Kunio Hirata, Roger K. Sunahara, Peter Gmeiner, Brian K. Kobilka, Xiangyu Liu
Summary: Beta adrenergic receptors mediate physiological responses to catecholamines epinephrine and norepinephrine, and norepinephrine shows higher affinity for beta(1)AR. Crystal structure analysis revealed identical catecholamine-binding pockets but differences in extracellular vestibules between beta(1)AR and beta(2)AR, influencing norepinephrine binding path and affinity.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Samuel L. Rose, Svetlana Antonyuk, Daisuke Sasaki, Keitaro Yamashita, Kunio Hirata, Go Ueno, Hideo Ago, Robert R. Eady, Takehiko Tosha, Masaki Yamamoto, S. Samar Hasnain
Summary: Two copies of nirK genes were identified in several rhizobia, including Bradyrhizobium sp. ORS 375, which encode a four-domain heme-CuNiR and a two-domain CuNiR. Despite a 70% sequence identity, the blue CuNiR showed substantially lower catalytic efficiency compared to other well-studied CuNiRs. Advanced synchrotron radiation and x-ray free-electron laser techniques were used to reveal the difference in catalytic efficiency among CuNiRs.
Article
Instruments & Instrumentation
Seiki Baba, Hiroaki Matsuura, Takashi Kawamura, Naoki Sakai, Yuki Nakamura, Yoshiaki Kawano, Nobuhiro Mizuno, Takashi Kumasaka, Masaki Yamamoto, Kunio Hirata
Summary: This study demonstrates the importance of selecting a radiation dose lower than 10 MGy for de novo structure determination using SWSX. Data collection at a dose of 5 MGy is shown to be optimal for balancing signal availability while minimizing damage.
JOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shintaro Maeda, Yuki Shiimura, Hidetsugu Asada, Kunio Hirata, Fangjia Luo, Eriko Nango, Nobuo Tanaka, Masayasu Toyomoto, Asuka Inoue, Junken Aoki, So Iwata, Masatoshi Hagiwara
Summary: Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) regulates various important physiological functions through its receptors, with the crystal structure of active human S1PR3 in complex with S1P revealing insights into its activation mechanism and G protein selectivity. These findings could aid in the development of optimized therapeutic strategies.
Article
Biology
Yuya Taguchi, Takahiro Yamasaki, Marie Ishikawa, Yuki Kawasaki, Ryuji Yukimura, Maki Mitani, Kunio Hirata, Daisuke Kohda
Summary: The study elucidates the structural basis for the exclusion of proline residues from N-glycosylation sequons by oligosaccharyltransferase, highlighting the essential role of the TIXE motif and its adjacent regions in this process. This provides valuable insight into the sequon specificity of N-glycosylation, a major posttranslational modification in eukaryotes.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Correction
Instruments & Instrumentation
Seiki Baba, Hiroaki Matsuura, Takashi Kawamura, Naoki Sakai, Yuki Nakamura, Yoshiaki Kawano, Nobuhiro Mizuno, Takashi Kumasaka, Masaki Yamamoto, Kunio Hirata
JOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Taisei Yamamoto, Satoshi Yasuda, Rinshi S. Kasai, Ryosuke Nakano, Simon Hikiri, Kanna Sugaya, Tomohiko Hayashi, Satoshi Ogasawara, Mitsunori Shiroishi, Takahiro K. Fujiwara, Masahiro Kinoshita, Takeshi Murata
Summary: The study challenged the stabilization of a GPCR in the active state solely by multiple amino-acid mutations, revealing that stabilizing the inactive state leads to a significant increase in thermal denaturation midpoint temperature T-m, but this is not always the case for the active state. The methodology involving statistical thermodynamics and evolutionary molecular engineering was able to identify mutants with higher binding affinity for G protein, shifting structural characteristics towards the active state, although only slight increases in T-m were observed, indicating its unsuitability as a stability measure for the active state.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yuki Imaizumi, Kazunori Takanuki, Takuya Miyake, Mizuki Takemoto, Kunio Hirata, Mika Hirose, Rika Oi, Tatsuya Kobayashi, Kenichi Miyoshi, Rie Aruga, Tatsuhiko Yokoyama, Shizuka Katagiri, Hiroaki Matsuura, Kenji Iwasaki, Takayuki Kato, Mika K. Kaneko, Yukinari Kato, Michiko Tajiri, Satoko Akashi, Osamu Nureki, Yohei Hizukuri, Yoshinori Akiyama, Terukazu Nogi
Summary: Site-2 proteases are a conserved family of intramembrane proteases that regulate signal transduction and maintain proteostasis by cleaving transmembrane substrates. The crystal structures of inhibitor-bound forms of bacterial site-2 proteases were determined, revealing that conformational changes in the RseP domains expose the substrate-binding site. Mutational analysis showed that the conformational changes are mediated by a conserved electrostatic linkage between transmembrane and peripheral membrane-associated domains. In vivo cleavage assays supported the model that the substrate transmembrane helix is unwound and clamped by the active center of RseP for efficient cleavage.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mafuka Suzuki, Haruka Fujimori, Kakeru Wakatsuki, Yuya Manaka, Haruka Asai, Mai Hyodo, Yusuke Matsuno, Rika Kusumoto-Matsuo, Mitsunori Shiroishi, Ken-ichi Yoshioka
Summary: Malignancy is often accompanied by therapeutic resistance and metastasis, which typically occur after treatment. It has been found that DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) induced by camptothecin (CPT) and radiation can endanger genome stability in surviving cancer cells, leading to the development of resistance. Accumulation of cytosolic DNA due to genomic destabilization activates the cGAS/STING pathway, ultimately resulting in increased cell migration and metastasis. Interestingly, the PARP inhibitor Olaparib can suppress these genomic destabilization-associated phenotypes, reducing the risk of therapeutic resistance and cell migration.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hidetsugu Asada, Dohyun Im, Yunhon Hotta, Satoshi Yasuda, Takeshi Murata, Ryoji Suno, So Iwata
Summary: The study uncovers the importance of orexin receptors in regulating the sleep-wake cycle and highlights the potential of developing antagonists for these receptors as novel treatments for sleep-related diseases. The determination of the structure of OX2R bound to lemborexant provides valuable insights into the binding mechanism and furthers our understanding of the pharmacophore models and target selectivity to OXRs.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Hiroaki Matsuura, Naoki Sakai, Sachiko Toma-Fukai, Norifumi Muraki, Koki Hayama, Hironari Kamikubo, Shigetoshi Aono, Yoshiaki Kawano, Masaki Yamamoto, Kunio Hirata
Summary: In macromolecular structure determination using X-ray diffraction from multiple crystals, hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) has been effective in classifying polymorphous data sets with a certain threshold, allowing for the identification of polymorphs in data sets with unknown structural heterogeneity. Additionally, polymorphs can also be detected in single crystals using the continuous helical scheme.
ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D-STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY
(2023)