Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kai Ye, Xi Liu, Danping Li, Lili Gao, Kang Zheng, Jicheng Qu, Nianhong Xing, Fengtang Yang, Baohua Liu, Ao Li, Qiuxiang Pang
Summary: This study cloned 5 MMP genes from Dugesia japonica, and found that DjMMPA is associated with regeneration, maintenance and destruction of neoblast cells. Loss of DjMMPA leads to neoblasts proliferation disorder and eventual death. Knockdown of DjMMPA also impairs regeneration and affects cell differentiation, particularly in ectoderm, possibly by inhibiting Wnt signaling.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Peter W. Reddien
Summary: Research has shown that in planarian eye regeneration, the production of eye progenitors is not dependent on the presence of the eye, but mainly influenced by stem cells and self-organization. Eye progenitors target migratory locations based on external cues and differentiated eye cells, while guidepost-like cells influence axon regeneration to facilitate the restoration of eye circuitry.
CURRENT OPINION IN CELL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Christopher Noyes, Shunsuke Kitajima, Fengkai Li, Yusuke Suita, Saradha Miriyala, Shakson Isaac, Nagib Ahsan, Erik Knelson, Amir Vajdi, Tetsuo Tani, Tran C. Thai, Derek Xu, Junko Murai, Nikos Tapinos, Chiaki Takahashi, David A. Barbie, Mamiko Yajima
Summary: DDX4, a conserved germline factor and RNA helicase, promotes small cell lung cancer cell survival by regulating DNA damage and immune response pathways, and contributes to cisplatin-mediated drug resistance. Proteomic analysis suggests that DDX4 expression upregulates proteins related to DNA repair and immune/inflammatory response. The relatively higher DDX4 expression in SCLC patients correlates with decreased survival and increased expression of immune/inflammatory response markers. Thus, DDX4 may be an important therapeutic target in SCLC.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Devon Davidian, Melanie LeGro, Paul G. Barghouth, Salvador Rojas, Benjamin Ziman, Eli Isael Maciel, David Ardell, Ariel L. Escobar, Nestor J. Oviedo
Summary: Exogenous electric stimulation can restore stem cell activity in tissues damaged by high levels of ionizing radiation. This response involves activation of specific Ca2+ channels and stores, promoting DNA repair, transcriptional activity, and cell cycle progression.
JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Pei-Jung Shao, Yi-Ling Chiu, Pin-Hsuan Tsai, Shinya Shikina
Summary: Many anthozoans, such as sea anemones and corals, have remarkable abilities for asexual reproduction and regeneration. By studying a sea anemone, researchers have discovered the presence of potential germline progenitor cells in non-gonadal tissues, which can differentiate into new individuals during asexual reproduction/regeneration.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biology
Sounak Sahu, Divya Sridhar, Prasad Abnave, Noboyoshi Kosaka, Anish Dattani, James M. Thompson, Mark A. Hill, Aziz Aboobaker
Summary: The study found that adult stem cells of planarian flatworms undergo changes in nuclear shape and increased DNA damage during migration, but this damage reduces once they reach the wound site. Stem cells with induced DNA damage prior to migration have delayed initiation and migrating cells are more sensitive to further DNA damage. RNAi-mediated knockdown of DNA repair pathway components impairs normal stem cell migration, showing that active DNA repair mechanisms are essential for successful migration.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Yin Ho Vong, Lavanya Sivashanmugam, Rebecca Leech, Andreas Zaucker, Alex Jones, Karuna Sampath
Summary: Animals develop from a single fertilized egg cell to form various tissues and organs, and the factors that determine balanced sex ratios in populations are crucial for survival. Igf2bp3 has been identified as an essential protein for normal development and balanced sex ratios in fish, shedding light on similar processes in other organisms.
Editorial Material
Biology
Bret J. Pearson
Summary: Planarian flatworms are known for their regenerative ability, which relies on the presence of neoblasts. Recent studies have started to investigate whether all neoblasts are pluripotent or only some of them.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xue-Ying He, Xiang Fang, Bi-Yun Luo, Gao-Feng Qiu
Summary: This study identified a new germline-specific marker, Mrvasa, in the prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii. Mrvasa mRNA was specifically expressed in gonads, with higher expression in the testis than in the ovary. The mRNA was localized in germline cells in the testes and ovary. The study also isolated the Mrvasa promoter and determined its transcription core region.
COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY B-BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hui Shen, Min Yang, Shiyu Li, Jing Zhang, Bing Peng, Chunhui Wang, Zai Chang, Jennie Ong, Peng Du
Summary: This study demonstrates that spliceosomal repression in mouse ESCs can drive a transition from pluripotent state to totipotent state, allowing for stable in vitro culture of totipotent ESCs comparable to 2- and 4-cell blastomeres at molecular levels. These cells, named totipotent blastomere-like cells (TBLCs), exhibit a robust bidirectional developmental capability to generate multiple embryonic and extraembryonic cell lineages.
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Jianfeng Cai, Huifang Chen, Shiting Xie, Zhichao Hu, Yinshan Bai
Summary: This review summarizes the totipotent stage of early embryos, the establishment and cultivation of TSCs, and the exploration of the developmental ability of TSCs, providing references for further research on TSCs.
STEM CELLS AND DEVELOPMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Luiza Moore, Alex Cagan, Tim H. H. Coorens, Matthew D. C. Neville, Rashesh Sanghvi, Mathijs A. Sanders, Thomas R. W. Oliver, Daniel Leongamornlert, Peter Ellis, Ayesha Noorani, Thomas J. Mitchell, Timothy M. Butler, Yvette Hooks, Anne Y. Warren, Mette Jorgensen, Kevin J. Dawson, Andrew Menzies, Laura O'Neill, Calli Latimer, Mabel Teng, Ruben van Boxtel, Christine A. Iacobuzio-Donahue, Inigo Martincorena, Rakesh Heer, Peter J. Campbell, Rebecca C. Fitzgerald, Michael R. Stratton, Raheleh Rahbari
Summary: Mutations accumulate in normal human cells over a lifetime. This study compared mutational landscapes in 29 cell types from the soma and germline, revealing similarities and differences in the maintenance of these cell types. Spermatogonia, the stem cells generating sperm and origins of most genetic variation in humans, showed the lowest mutation rate potentially due to low rates of mutational processes and cell division.
Editorial Material
Genetics & Heredity
Vikas Malik, Jianlong Wang
Summary: This article summarizes the current progress in capturing totipotent stem cells in culture.
TRENDS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yanyan Hu, Yuanyuan Yang, Pengcheng Tan, Yuxia Zhang, Mengxia Han, Jiawei Yu, Xin Zhang, Zeran Jia, Dan Wang, Ke Yao, Huanhuan Pang, Zeping Hu, Yinqing Li, Tianhua Ma, Kang Liu, Sheng Ding
Summary: Researchers have successfully induced and maintained totipotent stem cells in mice using a combination of three small molecules. These chemically induced totipotent stem cells resembled early mouse embryo cells at the transcriptome, epigenome, and metabolome levels. They were able to produce both embryonic and extraembryonic cells in vitro and in teratoma, and when injected into 8-cell embryos, they contributed to both embryonic and extraembryonic lineages with high efficiency. This study provides a defined in vitro system for manipulating and understanding the totipotent state and the development of multicellular organisms from non-germline cells.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kai Lei, Wenya Zhang, Jiajia Chen, Sean A. McKinney, Eric J. Ross, Heng-Chi Lee, Alejandro Sanchez Alvarado
Summary: Planarians possess natural pluripotent adult somatic stem cells required for homeostasis and whole-body regeneration. Reliable neoblast culture methods are currently unavailable, hindering pluripotency studies and transgenic tool development. This study reports robust neoblast culture and exogenous mRNA delivery methods, enabling introduction and expression of foreign mRNA in neoblasts. These advances provide opportunities for mechanistic studies of pluripotency and the development of cell culture techniques in other research organisms.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jeremias N. Brand, R. Axel W. Wiberg, Robert Pjeta, Philip Bertemes, Christian Beisel, Peter Ladurner, Lukas Schaerer
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Andras Czajlik, Jeanett Holzknecht, Laszlo Galgoczy, Liliana Toth, Peter Poor, Attila Ordog, Gyorgyi Varadi, Alexander Kuehbacher, Attila Borics, Gabor K. Toth, Florentine Marx, Gyula Batta
Summary: The genome of Penicillium chrysogenum Q176 contains a gene for P. chrysogenum antifungal protein C (PAFC), and through nuclear magnetic resonance experiments, the solution structure and molecular dynamics of PAFC have been determined. PAFC has a unique structure and antifungal activity, making it a potential candidate for new antifungal strategies in agriculture.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jules Duruz, Cyrielle Kaltenrieder, Peter Ladurner, Remy Bruggmann, Pedro Martinez, Simon G. Sprecher
Summary: By utilizing whole-body single-cell transcriptomics on the acoel Isodiametra pulchra, researchers identified ten major cell type categories contributing to main biological functions, as well as a large number of clade-specific marker genes, indicating the emergence of clade-specific common molecular machineries functioning in distinct cell types. These results offer novel insights into the evolution of bilaterian cell types.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biology
Peter A. Davey, Anne Marie Power, Romana Santos, Philip Bertemes, Peter Ladurner, Pawel Palmowski, Jessica Clarke, Patrick Flammang, Birgit Lengerer, Elise Hennebert, Ute Rothbacher, Robert Pjeta, Julia Wunderer, Michal Zurovec, Nick Aldred
Summary: Many aquatic invertebrates use biological adhesives to attach themselves to surfaces, and omics technologies have revolutionized the study of bioadhesion. However, challenges remain and priorities for future research have been suggested.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Francesca Guagnini, Anna Huber, Jimi M. Alex, Florentine Marx, Peter B. Crowley
Summary: Controlled protein assembly is critical in biohybrid materials fabrication, but the complexity of protein structure can be a challenge. Supramolecular chemistry offers a solution for precise self-assembly. This study investigates the assembly and crystallization of PAFB using calixarene and zinc mediation, revealing structural plasticity and novel molecular recognition features in the resulting protein frameworks.
JOURNAL OF STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Monica Gandia, Anant Kakar, Moises Giner-Llorca, Jeanett Holzknecht, Pedro Martinez-Culebras, Laszlo Galgoczy, Florentine Marx, Jose F. Marcos, Paloma Manzanares
Summary: This study evaluated the potential application of different antifungal proteins (AFPs) in controlling Penicillium decay, and found that PAFB was the most potent AFP against P. digitatum, P. italicum, and P. expansum. The combination of different AFPs did not result in an increase in disease control efficacy.
Article
Microbiology
Anant Kakar, Jeanett Holzknecht, Sandrine Dubrac, Maria Luisa Gelmi, Alessandra Romanelli, Florentine Marx
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the antifungal potential of TB_KKG6K analog and D-Lys_TB_KKG6K, both of which demonstrated promising therapeutic options for Candida infections. The peptides showed similar tolerance, antibacterial efficacy, and superior proteolytic stability, without any adverse effects in human cells. This opens up new possibilities for research into anti-Candida therapeutic options using amphibian TB analogs.
Article
Entomology
Liliana Toth, Peter Poor, Attila ordog, Gyorgyi Varadi, Attila Farkas, Csaba Papp, Gabor Bende, Gabor K. Toth, Gabor Rakhely, Florentine Marx, Laszlo Galgoczy
Summary: Plant pathogenic fungi cause significant losses in crop production worldwide. Developing new strategies for plant and crop protection is crucial due to the resistance of these fungi to approved chemical fungicides. A study investigated the potential of using extracellular antifungal proteins (AFPs) and their peptide derivatives (PDs) as combinatorial biofungicides for plant and crop protection. The study found that the combination of AFPs and PDs can effectively inhibit the growth of various fungi and mitigate the symptoms of fungal infection on tomato plants.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Philip Bertemes, Robert Pjeta, Julia Wunderer, Alexandra L. Grosbusch, Birgit Lengerer, Kevin Gruener, Magdalena Knapp, Birte Mertens, Nikolas Andresen, Michael W. Hess, Sara Tomaiuolo, Armin Zankel, Patrik Holzer, Willi Salvenmoser, Bernhard Egger, Peter Ladurner
Summary: The study revealed that there are almost no differences in morphology, protein regions, and gene expression among different Macrostomum species inhabiting marine, brackish, and freshwater environments, indicating conservation of glue components produced by macrostomids.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Jeanett Holzknecht, Sandrine Dubrac, Sarah Hedtrich, Laszlo Galgoczy, Florentine Marx
Summary: Candida albicans is a common opportunistic fungal pathogen in humans, causing superficial skin and mucosal infections as well as life-threatening systemic infections. To combat emerging drug resistance, there is an urgent need to identify new antifungal compounds with novel mechanisms of action. In this study, small cationic antifungal proteins from filamentous fungi show promise as next-generation antifungals for topical application, demonstrating efficacy against cutaneous C. albicans infection in a 3D skin model.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Anant Kakar, Luis Enrique Sastre-Velasquez, Michael Hess, Laszlo Galgoczy, Csaba Papp, Jeanett Holzknecht, Alessandra Romanelli, Gyorgyi Varadi, Nermina Malanovic, Florentine Marx
Summary: This study reveals the mechanism of action of TB_KKG6K on the membrane of C. albicans. The peptide compromises membrane function and enters the cells, resulting in rapid fungal cell death. This provides strong support for TB_KKG6K as a future anti-Candida therapeutic.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Dennis To, Anant Kakar, Gergely Kali, Richard Wibel, Patrick Knoll, Florentine Marx, Andreas Bernkop-Schnuerch
Summary: The study demonstrates the improved biofilm eradication of aminoglycosides by incorporating imine derivatives into self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS). The iminated aminoglycosides successfully formed nanoemulsions with antimicrobial efficacy while maintaining their antimicrobial potency. Compared to native aminoglycosides, the combination of iminated aminoglycosides with SEDDS exhibited superior anti-biofilm properties.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Gyorgyi Varadi, Gyula Batta, Laszlo Galgoczy, Dorottya Hajdu, Adam Fizil, Andras Czajlik, Mate Viragh, Zoltan Kele, Vera Meyer, Sascha Jung, Florentine Marx, Gabor K. Toth
Summary: Emerging fungal infections call for new and improved antifungal agents and therapies. AFP, a protein derived from Aspergillus giganteus, shows promise as it selectively inhibits the growth of filamentous fungi. This study successfully prepared the reduced form of AFP using native chemical ligation, and confirmed the interlocking disulfide topology (abcdabcd) that was previously assumed. By designing a semi-orthogonal thiol protection method, only 6 out of 105 possible disulfide isomers were formed, and one of them proved to be identical to the native protein. This approach allows for the synthesis of AFP variants with higher antifungal activity for further structure-activity relationship studies.
JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zeynep Burcu Akkus-Dagdeviren, Ahmad Saleh, Cristina Schoepf, Martyna Truszkowska, Doris Bratschun-Khan, Andrea Furst, Anna Seybold, Martin Offterdinger, Florentine Marx, Andreas Bernkop-Schnuerch
Summary: PAF-polyphosphate (PP) nanoparticles (PAF-PP NPs) were obtained through ionic gelation and characterized for their size, distribution, and zeta potential. Biocompatibility and safety were evaluated through in vitro cell viability and hemolysis studies. Enzymatic degradation and response of NPs to phosphatase stimuli were investigated. Diffusion and antifungal activity of PAF and PAF-PP NPs against C. albicans biofilm were analyzed through fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and colony forming unit determination.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Reinhard Dallinger, Oliver Zerbe, Christian Baumann, Bernhard Egger, Merce Capdevila, Oscar Palacios, Ricard Albalat, Sara Calatayud, Peter Ladurner, Birgit C. Schlick-Steiner, Florian M. Steiner, Veronika Pedrini-Martha, Reinhard Lackner, Herbert Lindner, Martin Dvorak, Michael Niederwanger, Raimund Schnegg, Silvia Atrian
Review
Developmental Biology
Cheng Shi, Pengfei Jiao, Zhiyi Chen, Lan Ma, Siyue Yao
Summary: This review discusses the molecular etiology of congenital craniofacial abnormalities, with a focus on the role and mechanism of noncoding RNAs in regulating craniofacial development. Aberrant expression of noncoding RNAs has been implicated in the pathogenesis of craniofacial abnormalities, providing potential therapeutic targets.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Developmental Biology
Hideru Togashi, Steven Ray Davis, Makoto Sato
Summary: Tile patterns, regulated by cell adhesion molecules, are regular arrangements of cells that play important functional roles in multicellular organisms. The physical constraints and cell adhesion regulate both cell shape and tissue morphogenesis.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Developmental Biology
Armen Khanbabei, Lina Segura, Cynthia Petrossian, Aaron Lemus, Ithan Cano, Courtney Frazier, Armen Halajyan, Donnie Ca, Mariano Loza-Coll
Summary: This article investigates the genetic regulatory mechanisms of Drosophila intestinal stem cells. The study found that most target genes co-regulated by Esg and STAT show a consistent gene expression pattern. However, manipulating these validated targets in vivo rarely replicated the effects of manipulating Esg and STAT, suggesting the presence of complex genetic interactions among the downstream targets of these two master regulator genes.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Developmental Biology
Bayley J. Waters, Zoe R. Birman, Matthew R. Wagner, Julia Lemanski, Barak Blum
Summary: Researchers found that conditional deletion of Robo2 in adult mice led to a significant loss of islet architecture without affecting beta cell identity or function, suggesting that Robo2 plays a role in actively maintaining adult islet architecture. Understanding the factors required for islet architecture maintenance is crucial for developing future diabetes therapies.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Developmental Biology
Rhiannon Clements, Tyler Smith, Luke Cowart, Jennifer Zhumi, Alan Sherrod, Aidan Cahill, Ginger L. Hunter
Summary: Cell protrusions play a crucial role in regulating cell activities during development. By studying the regulation mechanism in fruit fly sensory bristle patterning, it was found that Myosin XV is essential for the dynamics of signaling filopodia and promotes long-range Notch signaling.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Developmental Biology
Margaret Keating, Ryan Hagle, Daniel Osorio-Mendez, Anjelica Rodriguez-Parks, Sarah I. Almutawa, Junsu Kang
Summary: Knock-in reporter (KI) animals are essential for studying gene expression in biomedical research. This study developed a new strategy using minicircle technology and a minimal promoter to enhance knock-in events and establish stable KI transgenic reporter lines. The study also highlighted the importance of selecting the proper KI line due to potential inappropriate influence of genome editing on reporter gene expression.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Developmental Biology
Christian Altbuerger, Meta Rath, Daniel Armbruster, Wolfgang Driever
Summary: This study reveals that Neurog1 and Olig2 transcription factors have differential requirements for the development of dopaminergic neurons, and they integrate local patterning signals and Notch neurogenic selection signaling to specify the progenitor population and initiate neurogenesis and differentiation.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
