Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Dingkang Liu, Haibo Rong, Ye Chen, Qun Wang, Sijia Qian, Yue Ji, Wenbing Yao, Jun Yin, Xiangdong Gao
Summary: The engineered therapeutic protein PAK has been found to reverse multidrug resistance in cancer cells, enhancing their sensitivity to chemotherapy. PAK induces mitochondrial injury by selectively inhibiting mitochondrial complex V, leading to redistribution of ABC transporters and reversal of drug resistance.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Susanna Seppala, Taylor Gierke, Elizabeth E. E. Schauer, Jennifer L. L. Brown, Michelle A. A. O'Malley
Summary: Membrane-embedded transporters play essential roles in cellular functions such as nutrient uptake and waste product extrusion. Multidrug exporters are important for resistance mechanisms and enhancing tolerance to hydrophobic bioproducts in microbial engineering. In this study, we identified small multidrug resistance (SMR) transporters in anaerobic fungi, which have not been reported in eukaryotes before. We demonstrated the potential of these SMR transporters as targets for further characterization by heterologously producing them in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These novel anaerobic fungal SMR transporters offer a promising approach to enhance bioproduction in engineered microbial strains.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Albert Suades, Aziz Qureshi, Sarah E. McComas, Mathieu Coincon, Axel Rudling, Yurie Chatzikyriakidou, Michael Landreh, Jens Carlsson, David Drew
Summary: The authors have optimized a transport assay in liposomes to study glucose transporters (GLUTs) and provide insights into other membrane transport proteins. GLUTs play a crucial role in glucose homeostasis and their dysfunction is linked to diseases like diabetes and cancer. However, transport assays using purified GLUTs have been challenging, which hampers in-depth mechanistic investigations.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ganesh Venkatraman, Xiaoyun Tang, Guangwei Du, Amadeo M. Parisentti, Denise G. Hemmings, David N. Brindley
Summary: Lysophosphatidate (LPA) and sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) promote vasculogenesis, angiogenesis, and wound healing by activating overlapping signaling pathways that stimulate cell growth, survival, and migration. Maladaptive signaling by LPA and S1P can increase tumor progression and reduce patient outcomes post-chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The study found that LPA can impact S1P metabolism and signaling in breast cancer cells, potentially influencing tumor growth, metastasis, and response to treatment.
CELL BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Physics, Applied
Ryugo Tero, Natsumi Kobayashi
Summary: Supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) are artificial lipid bilayers used as cell membrane model systems. This study investigated the effect of electrostatic interaction between the substrate surface and the lipid bilayer on the composition of SLBs. It was found that the lipid composition in SLBs can be controlled by modulating the substrate-induced electrostatic potential.
JAPANESE JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Adam Wronski, Izabela Dobrzynska, Szymon Sekowski, Wojciech Luczaj, Ewa Olchowik-Grabarek, Elzbieta Skrzydlewska
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of phytocannabinoids (CBD and CBG), used singly and in combination, on the composition and function of keratinocyte membranes exposed to UVA radiation. The results showed that the combined use of CBD and CBG partially prevented the increase in phosphatidylinositols, sialic acid, and sphingomyelinase activity induced by UVA radiation in keratinocytes. Simultaneous use of these phytocannabinoids also reduced the formation of lipid rafts and malondialdehyde, preserving the integrity and functionality of keratinocyte membranes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Jan Viglas, Petra Olejnikova
Summary: The ABC transporter superfamily plays a crucial role in transporting various molecules across biological membranes, including antifungal compounds in filamentous fungi. Understanding the physiological substrates and roles of individual subfamilies of ABC transporters in fungi is important for clarifying their significance in clinical and agricultural settings.
MICROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Tapan Behl, Aayush Sehgal, Madhuri Grover, Sukhbir Singh, Neelam Sharma, Saurabh Bhatia, Ahmed Al-Harrasi, Lotfi Aleya, Simona Bungau
Summary: Metabolic disorders such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular complications are increasing worldwide. The dysregulation of lipid and glucose transporters plays a critical role in the onset of diabetes mellitus which requires the search for new therapeutic targets. Studies suggest the involvement of ATP-binding cassette transporters in different diseases, highlighting their potential as treatment targets for insulin resistance and dysregulated glucose metabolism in diabetes.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
James C. S. Ho, Sartaj Ahmad Mir, Michele Cavalera, Parisa Esmaeili, Tuan Hiep Tran, Zandra Chew Yann, Thi Hien Tran, Arunima Chaudhuri, Anne K. Bendt, Markus R. Wenk, Catharina Svanborg
Summary: This study found that bladder cancer tissue has a higher abundance of unsaturated lipids, which can enhance the tumor cell response to alpha1-oleate, compared to healthy tissue. This highlights the functional importance of membrane lipid composition in tumor cell reactivity.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Tun Naw Sut, Bo Kyeong Yoon, Won-Yong Jeon, Joshua A. Jackman, Nam-Joon Cho
Summary: Supported lipid bilayer (SLB) coatings, versatile cell-membrane-mimicking biointerfaces, have been expanded for medical and biotechnology applications, facilitating various studies and applications like biosensors, diagnostics, and antifouling surfaces.
APPLIED MATERIALS TODAY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Christopher M. Siwy, Bryan M. Delfing, Christopher Lockhart, Amy K. Smith, Dmitri K. Klimov
Summary: The study used all-atom replica-exchange umbrella sampling molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the partitioning of the charged tetrapeptide KLVF and its neutral apolar counterpart VVIA into the blood-brain barrier (BBB) -mimetic bilayer. Despite dissimilar sequences, their permeation shares significant common features, and both peptides experience unfavorable partitioning ruling out passive transport.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Jun Zhang, Jia Nie, Haoran Sun, Jie Li, John-Paul Andersen, Yuguang Shi
Summary: This study reports a novel lipid labeling method for individual lipid species with precise acyl compositions in live cells. The method provides a powerful tool for functional analysis and uncovers unexpected features of remodeled lipids and their transporters.
MOLECULAR METABOLISM
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Emanuela Efodili, Ashlynn Knight, Maryem Mirza, Cedric Briones, Il-Hyung Lee
Summary: This study demonstrates the spontaneous transfer of small membrane-bound peptides between a supported lipid bilayer and giant unilamellar vesicles in vitro. The transfer occurs through the formation of hemi-fusion stalks and is limited to small peptides due to the highly curved structure of the stalk. This system provides a synthetic platform for studying peptide trafficking between synthetic membranes.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES
(2024)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Chenghao Wang, Jia Wang, Xinyu Han, Jiaxin Liu, Mengchao Ma, Siyu Tian, Liying Zhang, Jingling Tang
Summary: This study successfully developed a tunable controlled release lipid platform (PT@usNLC) for coordinated delivery of paclitaxel and tetrandrine, which showed improved therapeutic effects and provided a new strategy for resistant ovarian cancer therapy.
Editorial Material
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kanudha Sharda
Summary: The study describes a scalable method to synthesize twisted bilayer graphene, resulting in growth over the largest lateral surface areas reported so far, which has attracted significant interest in the field.
