Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Mike R. Wilson, Hilary Skalski, Jake J. Reske, Marc Wegener, Marie Adams, Galen Hostetter, Hanne M. Hoffmann, Jamie J. Bernard, Victoria L. Bae-Jump, Jose M. Teixeira, Ronald L. Chandler
Summary: Obesity affects fertility and is associated with endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial cancer. This study investigates the transcriptome changes in individual cell types in the obese mouse uterus. Differential gene expression was found in obese mouse epithelia related to innate immunity and leukocyte chemotaxis, while the obese mouse stroma showed differential expression related to circadian rhythm. Macrophages were dysregulated in the context of apoptotic epithelia. The findings suggest the important role of differential response of epithelia and stroma to obesity, and the influence of obesity-related gene expression programs on the uterine microenvironment.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY AND ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Julia Rodriguez-Comas, Carlos Castano, Maria Alejandra Ortega, Ainoa Tejedera, Miriam Fernandez-Gonzalez, Anna Novials, Marcelina Parrizas, Javier Ramon-Azcon
Summary: A new method of intercellular communication is demonstrated by releasing controlled vesicles loaded with bioactive factors to the extracellular space. These extracellular vesicles (EVs), including microvesicles and exosomes, play a crucial role in regulating physiological processes and can be used as biomarkers for diagnosing diseases. However, current techniques to isolate EVs lack reproducibility and effectiveness, hindering their use in clinical practice. This study aims to develop a simple microfluidic platform for capturing and quantifying specific subpopulations of EVs from a small volume of plasma, allowing for easy detection and analysis in a clinical setting.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Paola A. Ramos, Kelli A. Lytle, Danae Delivanis, Soren Nielsen, Nathan K. LeBrasseur, Michael D. Jensen
Summary: The study found that there were no defects in insulin receptor signaling at the Akt/AS160 level in the muscles of obese individuals, indicating uncertainties in the mechanism of muscle insulin resistance in obesity.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Pia Apablaza, Juan Carlos Borquez, Rodrigo Mendoza, Monica Silva, Gladys Tapia, Alejandra Espinosa, Rodrigo Troncoso, Luis A. Videla, Nevenka Juretic, Andrea del Campo
Summary: Increase in body fat leads to changes in skeletal muscle and accelerates sarcopenia, known as sarco-obesity or sarcopenic obesity. Obesity affects the skeletal muscle's ability to oxidize glucose and causes mitochondrial dysfunction. Exercise improves mitochondrial dysfunction, but the effects on the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt) in the skeletal muscle are not well understood. This study aimed to investigate the UPRmt response to exercise in obese mice and its association with skeletal muscle function improvement.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Magdalena J. M. Marschall, Robert Ringseis, Denise K. Gessner, Sarah M. Grundmann, Erika Most, Gaiping Wen, Garima Maheshwari, Holger Zorn, Klaus Eder
Summary: The study demonstrates that ecdysterone supplementation does not reduce lipid levels in the liver and plasma of lean and obese Zucker rats.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Sunmin Park, Hye Jeong Yang, Min Jung Kim, Haeng Jeon Hur, Soon-Hee Kim, Myung-Sunny Kim
Summary: Obese Asians have a higher risk of metabolic diseases than obese Caucasians with the same BMI. This study suggests that genetic variants associated with obesity interact with lifestyle factors in middle-aged and elderly adults, potentially allowing for personalized interventions based on genotype.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Beegum Noorjahan Shijina, Achuthan Radhika, Sainulabdeen Sherin, Prabath Gopalakrishnan Biju
Summary: The indole alkaloid vindoline from Catharanthus roseus was found to have significant improvements in insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and inflammatory responses. It enhanced glucose metabolism and increased the expression of insulin receptors, alleviating symptoms of insulin resistance.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jiehan Li, Christopher Jin, Stefan Gustafsson, Abhiram Rao, Martin Wabitsch, Chong Y. Park, Thomas Quertermous, Joshua W. Knowles, Ewa Bielczyk-Maczynska
Summary: Adipogenesis is the process of fat-specific progenitor cells differentiating into adipocytes that perform key metabolic functions of adipose tissue. This study provides a single-cell RNA-Sequencing dataset of adipogenic differentiation in 3T3-L1 and SGBS cells, allowing for comparative analysis and understanding of cell-to-cell variability in these widely used in vitro models.
Article
Cell Biology
Yong-Kook Kang, Byungkuk Min, Jaemin Eom, Jung Sun Park
Summary: With an aging population, it is important to study the life transition and heterogeneity among older people. This study investigated the skeletal muscle transcriptomes of young-old and old-old mice, identifying distinct stages of aging and providing a transcriptomic muscle signature that distinguishes between the two groups. These findings have implications for studying age-related illnesses and muscle disorders in the elderly.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Zhixiu Wang, Wenshuang Liang, Dan Yan, Huiyue Tian, Bingqiang Dong, Wenming Zhao, Guobin Chang, Guohong Chen
Summary: This study identified candidate genes related to duck skeletal muscle growth using RNA-sequencing technology and found that these genes are mainly involved in biological processes and pathways of fat metabolism and muscle growth. These findings deepen our understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in muscle growth in ducks.
ANIMAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Zengqiang Xia, Li Liu, Zuoying Wei, Faguo Wang, Hui Shen, Yuehong Yan
Summary: This study provides insights into the adaptive evolution of whisk fern morphologies through comparative transcriptomic analyses. Whisk ferns exhibit positively selected genes involved in transmembrane transporter activities and stress response, potentially related to their adaptation to epiphytic environments. The study also suggests that certain gene families associated with the development of morphological organs are commonly reduced in whisk ferns and ophioglossoid ferns, while gene families associated with root and leaf development are phylogenetically conserved.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Peili Wu, Lei Guo, Xuelin Li, Yuejun Du, Xiaochun Lin, Xiaoqin Ma, Yingbei Lin, Churan Wen, Chuyi Yang, Nannan Liu, Qijian Feng, Yaoming Xue, Meiping Guan
Summary: This study identified key genes associated with obesity through DNA methylation and transcriptome analysis and explored the potential molecular mechanisms involved in obesity pathogenesis. The study also revealed changes in the immune microenvironment of adipose tissue in the obese group and the relationship between key genes and the immune microenvironment. Additionally, the study calculated the metabolic pathway activity and constructed a key gene-metabolic network, as well as screened for potentially effective drugs for obesity treatment based on differential genes.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Yangyang Pan, Sijia Chen, Shu Niu, Xilin Bi, Liying Qiao, Kaijie Yang, Jianhua Liu, Wenzhong Liu
Summary: By combining second- and third-generation sequencing technologies, this study identified genes and transcript isoforms regulating meat quality and muscle development of goats, revealing a large number of novel loci and isoforms associated with skeletal muscle development and lipid metabolism. The findings contribute to understanding the transcriptomic diversity underlying meat quality and muscle development of goats.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Asep Gunawan, Kasita Listyarini, Ratna Sholatia Harahap, Jakaria, Katrin Roosita, Cece Sumantri, Ismeth Inounu, Syeda Hasina Akter, Md Aminul Islam, Muhammad Jasim Uddin
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the transcriptome profiling in liver tissues of sheep with different USFA content in muscles, identifying key genes related to FA metabolism for the selection of sheep with desired FA composition. Pathway analysis revealed important roles of different pathways in regulating FA metabolism, and potential markers for FA composition in sheep were identified for further genetic improvement.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wenxia Li, Yufen Chen, Yunting Zhang, Ning Zhao, Wanfeng Zhang, Mingyue Shi, Yan Zhao, Chunbo Cai, Chang Lu, Pengfei Gao, Xiaohong Guo, Bugao Li, Sung-Woo Kim, Yang Yang, Guoqing Cao
Summary: Pigs, especially the Mashen and Large White breeds, exhibit diverse transcriptional responses in skeletal muscle under cold stress. The Mashen pigs demonstrate stable physiological homeostasis and a strong immune response, while the Large White pigs primarily regulate heat production and energy metabolism. The PRSS8 gene plays a role in cellular energy metabolism and thermogenesis. These findings provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying cold adaptation in pigs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Jure Bedenk, Tadeja Rezen, Taja Zeleznik Ramuta, Nina Jancar, Eda Vrtacnik Bokal, Ksenija Gersak, Irma Virant Klun
Summary: The study found that human oocytes express the AMHR2 receptor, allowing AMH to directly act on oocytes. The addition of recombinant AMH in the maturation medium improved GV oocyte maturation in vitro, indicating the potential clinical application of recombinant AMH for improving IVM of human oocytes.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY AND ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Benjamin Deckmyn, Dorothee Domenger, Chloe Blondel, Sarah Ducastel, Emilie Nicolas, Emilie Dorchies, Emilie Caron, Julie Charton, Emmanuelle Vallez, Benoit Deprez, Jean-Sebastien Annicotte, Sophie Lestavel, Anne Tailleux, Christophe Magnan, Bart Staels, Kadiombo Bantubungi
Summary: A study found that activation of the nuclear bile acid receptor in the brain can modify energy homeostasis by affecting the function of brown adipose tissue. Activation of brain FXR decreases the rate-limiting enzyme in catecholamine synthesis, which in turn reduces sympathetic tone. This research sheds new light on the complex control of energy homeostasis by bile acids through FXR.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Bilal Demir, Lea Rosselle, Anna Voronova, Quentin Pagneux, Audrey Quenon, Valery Gmyr, Dorothee Jary, Nathalie Hennuyer, Bart Staels, Thomas Hubert, Amar Abderrahmani, Valerie Plaisance, Valerie Pawlowski, Rabah Boukherroub, Severine Vignoud, Sabine Szunerits
Summary: Through engineering non-dissolving microneedle arrays and incorporating MoS2 nanosheets as a photothermal component into hydrogels, on-demand release of macromolecular therapeutic drugs such as insulin has been achieved for skin penetration and therapeutic purposes. This system successfully reduced blood glucose levels in mice and pigs, potentially altering current insulin therapies.
NANOSCALE HORIZONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Oihane Garcia-Irigoyen, Fabiola Bovenga, Marilidia Piglionica, Elena Piccinin, Marica Cariello, Maria Arconzo, Claudia Peres, Paola Antonia Corsetto, Angela Maria Rizzo, Marta Ballanti, Rossella Menghini, Geltrude Mingrone, Philippe Lefebvre, Bart Staels, Takuji Shirasawa, Carlo Sabba, Gaetano Villani, Massimo Federici, Antonio Moschetta
Summary: This study provides compelling evidence supporting the involvement of oxidative stress and intestinal inflammation in obesity and its related comorbidities. The deficiency of the antioxidant enzyme SOD2 in the gastrointestinal tract leads to spontaneous obesity in mice. This obesity phenotype is driven by PLA2 activation and increased release of arachidonic acid. The negative correlation between intestinal SOD2 mRNA levels and obesity features is conserved between mice and humans, suggesting potential therapeutic targets for this metabolic disorder.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tadeja Rezen, Damjana Rozman, Tunde Kovacs, Patrik Kovacs, Adrienn Sipos, Peter Bai, Edit Miko
Summary: Bile acids are soluble derivatives of cholesterol produced in the liver that undergo bacterial transformation to yield various metabolites. Most bile acid synthesis occurs in the liver, but other tissues, such as the ovaries, can also generate bile acids. After synthesis, hepatic bile acids are transported to bile and released into the intestines. In the large intestine, primary bile acids are converted to secondary bile acids by gut bacteria. The majority of intestinal bile acids are reabsorbed and return to the liver, while a small fraction remains in circulation and has effects on cancer cells. This review discusses the involvement of bile acids in various cancers and emphasizes the importance of using physiologically relevant concentrations of bile acids in research.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biology
Tadeja Rezen, Alexandre Martins, Miha Mraz, Nikolaj Zimic, Damjana Rozman, Miha Moskon
Summary: This study reconstructed metabolic models related to COVID-19 using multiple model extraction methods and datasets. The results show that the GIMME and tINIT models provided the most biologically relevant predictions and should be emphasized in further analyses. Specifically, the tINIT model identified metabolic pathways that are part of the host response and potential targets for antiviral treatment.
COMPUTERS IN BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fanny Lassalle, Mickael Rosa, Bart Staels, Eric Van Belle, Sophie Susen, Annabelle Dupont
Summary: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has revolutionized the treatment of severe aortic valve stenosis (AVS) and is considered an alternative to open heart surgery. TAVR has shown good prognosis for patients, but is still associated with postprocedural complications like bleeding or thrombosis. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the impact of TAVR on monocyte phenotype and subset distribution and their association with clinical outcomes in patients with severe AVS who underwent TAVR.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Monica Imbernon, Chiara Saponaro, Hans Christian Cederberg Helms, Manon Duquenne, Daniela Fernandois, Eleonora Deligia, Raphael G. P. Denis, Daniela Herrera Moro Chao, Sowmyalakshmi Rasika, Bart Staels, Francois Pattou, Frank W. Pfrieger, Birger Brodin, Serge Luquet, Caroline Bonner, Vincent Prevot
Summary: Liraglutide is transported to the hypothalamus by specialized ependymoglial cells called tanycytes, bypassing the blood-brain barrier. Silencing GLP1R in tanycytes or inhibiting tanycytic transport blocks the effects of liraglutide on hypothalamic neurons and its anti-obesity effects.
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Jure Bedenk, Tadeja Rezen, Nina Jancar, Ksenija Gersak, Irma Virant Klun
Summary: This study analyzed the expression of important development- and zona pellucida-related genes in matured human oocytes using in vitro maturation (IVM) and found interesting correlations among the analyzed genes that were not present in in vivo matured and immature oocytes.
REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES
(2023)
Correction
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Jure Bedenk, Tadeja Rezen, Nina Jancar, Ksenija Gersak, Irma Virant Klun
REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Katja Kramberger, Darja Barlic-Maganja, Zala Jenko Praznikar, Tadeja Rezen, Damjana Rozman, Jure Praznikar, Sasa Kenig
Summary: The study aimed to explain the previously demonstrated effects of Helichrysum italicum (HI) and justify its use in traditional medicine. Transcriptome analysis revealed that HI infusion altered gene expression related to cytoskeletal rearrangement, cell growth, interleukin signaling, and transcriptional regulation. This indicates the main mode of HI action is wound healing through genes such as SERPING1, ARHGAP1, IL33 and CDKN1A.
JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Rok Razpotnik, Robert Vidmar, Marko Fonovic, Damjana Rozman, Tadeja Rezen
Summary: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play an important role in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Through transcriptomic analyses, an upregulated circRNA hsa_circ_0062682 was identified. Stable perturbations of hsa_circ_0062682 influenced various aspects of oncogenesis, including colony formation, migration, cell proliferation, and sorafenib sensitivity. Pathway and gene set enrichment analyses explained the observed phenotypes and potential downstream targets were identified. Furthermore, YBX1, a known oncogene, was found to be a binding partner. The complex cell-type-specific response to hsa_circ_0062682's oncogenic potential is consistent with the heterogeneity of HCC subtypes.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Miha Moskon, Tadeja Rezen, Matevz Juvancic, Spela Verovsek
Summary: From biological to socio-technical systems, rhythmic processes are pervasive in our environment. However, methods for their comprehensive analysis are prevalent only in specific fields, hindering interdisciplinary research and integrative analyses. In this paper, recent developments in cross-disciplinary rhythmicity research are reviewed, with a focus on urban planning and biomedical research. The current state of the art of computational methods for investigating rhythmic data is described, along with the potential and necessary future developments for cross-disciplinary rhythmicity analysis.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Miha Moskon, Tadeja Rezen
Summary: Genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) have various applications in different fields, from biotechnology to systems medicine. This article provides an overview of popular algorithms for automated reconstruction of context-specific GEMs using high-throughput experimental data. It also discusses different datasets used in the process and protocols for further automating model reconstruction and validation. Furthermore, recent COVID-19 applications of context-specific GEMs are described, focusing on the analysis of metabolic implications, identification of biomarkers, and potential drug targets.
Article
Biology
Andrew Walakira, Cene Skubic, Nejc Nadizar, Damjana Rozman, Tadeja Rezen, Miha Mraz, Miha Moskon
Summary: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a global health problem with limited diagnostic tools and treatment options. Early detection is crucial for better clinical outcomes, but symptoms often appear late. This study identifies novel genes and key pathways involved in HCC through meta-analysis and network analysis. Fatty acid metabolism, complement and coagulation cascade, chemical carcinogenesis, and retinol metabolism are key pathways, and fatty acid activation, purine metabolism, vitamin D, and E metabolism are key processes in HCC development, suggesting potential targets for new therapies.
COMPUTERS IN BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2023)