Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Berengere Villeret, Reem Ghinnagow, Saade Kheir, Maelys Born-Bony, Jay K. Kolls, Ignacio Garcia-Verdugo, Jean-Michel Sallenave
Summary: This study reveals the importance of lymphocytes in fighting against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. The bacterium down-regulates IL-23 and IL-22 protein accumulation in the lungs, but up-regulates their RNA production. Adenovirus-mediated over-expression of IL-1, IL-23, and IL-7 can rescue mice from Pseudomonas aeruginosa-induced lethality, suggesting its potential value in locally immunosuppressed individuals like cystic fibrosis patients.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Biochemical Research Methods
Mattia Furlan, Stefano de Pretis, Mattia Pelizzola
Summary: Despite RNA abundance being commonly assumed as a proxy for transcriptional activity, it is now possible to calculate how synthesis, processing, and degradation rates collectively determine the abundance of each gene's RNA. Different transcriptional outputs can correspond to different combinations of kinetic rates, indicating the existence of markedly different modes of gene expression regulation and their profound effects on gene self-expression regulation.
BRIEFINGS IN BIOINFORMATICS
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Qiuqin Ma, Shihui Long, Zhending Gan, Gianluca Tettamanti, Kang Li, Ling Tian
Summary: Autophagy, a widely conserved process in eukaryotes, is regulated by nutrient deprivation, energy stress, and other unfavorable conditions through multiple pathways. It is primarily governed at the RNA and protein levels in a synergistic manner.
Article
Biology
Vivek Kumar Raxwal, Somya Singh, Manu Agarwal, Karel Riha
Summary: The study revealed that new genes in rice have relatively low expression levels, possibly controlled by distal enhancers and chromatin conformation at their TSS; the chromatin in TSS regions may be remodeled in response to abiotic stress, indicating conditional expression of young genes. Furthermore, transcripts of young genes in Arabidopsis are prone to nonsense-mediated RNA decay, restricting their expression.
Editorial Material
Plant Sciences
Rodrigo S. Reis
Summary: There is a significant gap in our understanding of thermomorphogenesis regulation, specifically in processes involving RNA. This gap presents opportunities for exciting new discoveries in post-transcriptional regulation, while also posing manageable challenges.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Review
Plant Sciences
William Agbemafle, Min May Wong, Diane C. Bassham
Summary: This review summarizes key regulatory mechanisms for modulating autophagy through post-translational modification or transcriptional regulation. Plants activate cellular responses to adapt to changing environmental conditions, one of which is autophagy, where cellular components are delivered to the vacuole for degradation. Autophagy is activated by various conditions, and the pathways controlling its activation are being elucidated. However, there is still much to discover regarding how these factors work together to properly modulate autophagy in response to specific signals.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tamiris Gago Colares, Camila Saggioro de Figueiredo, Lucienne de Oliveira Jesus Souza, Aline Araujo dos Santos, Elizabeth Giestal-de-Araujo
Summary: Interleukin-2 (IL-2) displays neuroprotective roles in retinal ganglion cells (RGC), involving MAPKs, JAK/STAT, and cAMP/PKA signaling pathways, and depending on the involvement of IL-10 and dopamine D1 receptors (D1R).
NEUROCHEMICAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Estefania Lozano-Velasco, Carlos Garcia-Padilla, Maria del Mar Munoz-Gallardo, Francisco Jose Martinez-Amaro, Sheila Cano-Carrillo, Juan Manuel Castillo-Casas, Cristina Sanchez-Fernandez, Amelia E. Aranega, Diego Franco
Summary: This article reviews the contribution of non-coding RNAs, including miRNAs and lncRNAs, to cardiac development. These non-coding RNAs modulate major growth factor signaling pathways and transcriptional regulators involved in cardiac morphogenesis.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Shirong Zhou, Shanshan Zhu, Song Cui, Haigang Hou, Haoqin Wu, Benyuan Hao, Liang Cai, Zhuang Xu, Linglong Liu, Ling Jiang, Haiyang Wang, Jianmin Wan
Summary: Rice, as a facultative short day plant, plays a vital role as both a model plant for genetic studies and a staple crop for much of the world's population. Recent research has focused on the transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of heading date genes in rice, with an emphasis on post-translational modifications. Efforts are being made to collect genetic resources in a common background to improve breeding strategies for rice cultivars that can adapt to diverse environments.
Article
Cell Biology
Matthew A. Reyer, Shriram Chennakesavalu, Emily M. Heideman, Xiangqian Ma, Magda Bujnowska, Lu Hong, Aaron R. Dinner, Carin K. Vanderpool, Jingyi Fei
Summary: Small RNAs (sRNAs) are important gene regulators in bacteria, acting post-transcriptionally by affecting translation and degradation of target mRNAs. Some sRNAs can regulate targets co-transcriptionally early in an mRNA's lifetime, potentially mediated by Rho-dependent termination. Data also reveals that certain kinetic steps and sRNA binding to target mRNA may dictate the regulation hierarchy within sRNA regulons.
Review
Cell Biology
Monika Vilimova, Sebastien Pfeffer
Summary: A significant portion of miRNA genes in animal genomes tend to cluster together. These miRNA clusters are transcribed as polycistronic transcripts, benefiting from common transcriptional regulation. However, there are discrepancies in the accumulation of mature miRNAs produced from the same cluster, suggesting unforeseen post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms.
WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-RNA
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Weijin Xu, Jeetayu Biswas, Robert H. Singer, Michael Rosbash
Summary: RNA binding proteins (RBPs) regulate post-transcriptional processes in cells, and it is crucial to identify their in vivo targets for understanding their function. Standard techniques for profiling RBP targets have limitations in certain situations, but new genetic approaches have been developed for such circumstances. These approaches, including TRIBE, RNA tagging, and STAMP, provide useful tools for studying post-transcriptional regulation and RBP identification, with potential therapeutic implications.
Article
Plant Sciences
Madhushree Dutta, Surbhi Mali, Vidhi Raturi, Gaurav Zinta
Summary: The transition from juvenile to adult stage is an important switch in the plant's life cycle. Potato tuberization is influenced by various environmental factors and regulated by a complex signaling network involving hormones, sugars, phloem mobile signals, and transcriptional/post-transcriptional regulators. This review provides mechanistic insights into the signaling networks that coordinate potato tuberization under different conditions and highlights the importance of genetic and epigenetic regulation.
JOURNAL OF PLANT GROWTH REGULATION
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alison C. Greenlaw, Kris G. Alavattam, Toshio Tsukiyama
Summary: To ensure cell survival during quiescence, cells modulate their gene expression and transcription. By studying the nascent transcriptome, researchers identified over a thousand noncoding RNAs in quiescent and G1 yeast cells, revealing that noncoding transcription plays a larger role in the quiescent state. Furthermore, post-transcriptional regulation is increased in quiescence, affecting both mRNA and ncRNA. The nuclear exosome-NNS pathway was found to regulate the abundance of mRNAs involved in various cellular processes during quiescent entry, highlighting its important biological role in mRNA regulation.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Michael J. McFadden, Alexa B. R. McIntyre, Haralambos Mourelatos, Nathan S. Abell, Nandan S. Gokhale, Helene Ipas, Blerta Xhemalce, Christopher E. Mason, Stacy M. Horner
Summary: The RNA base modification N6-methyladenosine (m(6)A) plays a role in post-transcriptional control of ISG translation during type I IFN response for antiviral restriction. m(6)A and m(6)A methyltransferase proteins METTL3, METTL14, along with m(6)A reader YTHDF1, significantly affect the expression of IFITM1. The m(6)A methyltransferase complex promotes the antiviral activity of type I IFN.
Article
Pathology
Chandra S. Bathula, Jian Chen, Rahul Kumar, Perry J. Blackshear, Yogesh Saini, Sonika Patial
Summary: The study reveals that inactivation of ZFP36L1 can protect the liver from alcohol-induced hepatic steatosis, injury, and inflammation, possibly by stabilizing Fgf21 mRNA. Modulation of ZFP36L1 may be beneficial in the prevention and treatment of alcoholic liver disease.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sonia Andre, Morgane Picard, Renaud Cezar, Florence Roux-Dalvai, Aurelie Alleaume-Butaux, Calaiselvy Soundaramourty, Andre Santa Cruz, Ana Mendes-Frias, Clarisse Gotti, Mickael Leclercq, Alexandre Nicolas, Alexandra Tauzin, Alexandre Carvalho, Carlos Capela, Jorge Pedrosa, Antonio Gil Castro, Lucy Kundura, Paul Loubet, Albert Sotto, Laurent Muller, Jean-Yves Lefrant, Claire Roger, Pierre-Geraud Claret, Sandra Duvnjak, Tu-Anh Tran, Gina Racine, Ouafa Zghidi-Abouzid, Pierre Nioche, Ricardo Silvestre, Arnaud Droit, Fabrizio Mammano, Pierre Corbeau, Jerome Estaquier
Summary: By comparing COVID-19 patients with healthy donors, the study found a strong correlation between T cell apoptosis and lymphopenia in severe cases. The plasma levels of soluble FasL (sFasL) and T cell surface expression of Fas/CD95 were positively correlated with T cell death and CD4 T cell counts. The study also identified modulations in the Bcl-2 family and demonstrated the potential of a pan-caspase inhibitor, Q-VD, to prevent T cell apoptosis and enhance Th1 transcripts.
CELL DEATH AND DIFFERENTIATION
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Marta L. Silva, Baltazar Ca, Nuno S. Osorio, Pedro N. S. Rodrigues, Ana Raquel Maceiras, Margarida Saraiva
Summary: The article discusses the genetic, phenotypic, and clinical similarities and differences between strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium africanum. It also discusses the immune response to M. africanum and how it relates to disease progression and geographical restriction.
Article
Immunology
Catarina M. Ferreira, Consuelo Micheli, Palmira Barreira-Silva, Ana Margarida Barbosa, Mariana Resende, Manuel Vilanova, Ricardo Silvestre, Cristina Cunha, Agostinho Carvalho, Fernando Rodrigues, Margarida Correia-Neves, Antonio Gil Castro, Egidio Torrado
Summary: The control of tuberculosis relies on the rapid activation of protective CD4(+) T-cell responses in the lungs. The immunomodulatory cytokine IL-10 hinders this response by impairing the migratory capacity of CD4(+) T cells. However, BCG vaccination can prevent the immunosuppressive effects of IL-10 and accelerate the CD4(+) T-cell response, leading to better control of tuberculosis infection.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Sonia Andre, Marne Azarias da Silva, Morgane Picard, Aurelie Alleaume-Buteau, Lucy Kundura, Renaud Cezar, Calaiselvy Soudaramourty, Santa Cruz Andre, Ana Mendes-Frias, Alexandre Carvalho, Carlos Capela, Jorge Pedrosa, Antonio Gil Castro, Paul Loubet, Albert Sotto, Laurent Muller, Jean-Yves Lefrant, Claire Roger, Pierre-Geraud Claret, Sandra Duvnjak, Tu-Anh Tran, Ouafa Zghidi-Abouzid, Pierre Nioche, Ricardo Silvestre, Pierre Corbeau, Fabrizio Mammano, Jerome Estaquier
Summary: CD4 T-cell apoptosis affects the quality and quantity of humoral response in COVID-19 patients. Early in the infection, most patients exhibit a predominant IgA antibody response. Apoptotic CD4 T cells are inversely correlated with specific IgG antibody levels.
CELL DEATH & DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Daniela Antunes, Samuel M. Goncalves, Vasiliki Matzaraki, Claudia S. Rodrigues, Relber A. Goncales, Joana Rocha, Jorge Saiz, Antonio Marques, Egidio Torrado, Ricardo Silvestre, Fernando Rodrigues, Frank L. van de Veerdonk, Coral Barbas, Mihai G. Netea, Vinod Kumar, Cristina Cunha, Agostinho Carvalho
Summary: The fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus can cause severe infections in immunocompromised patients. Cellular metabolism plays a crucial role in the immune response to this pathogen. This study highlights the importance of glutamine metabolism in macrophage activation and defense against A. fumigatus. Glutamine metabolism is essential for phagocytosis and cytokine production, and genetic variation in glutamine metabolism genes affects the response to fungal stimulation.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rute Goncalves, Joana Couto, Pedro Ferreirinha, Jose Maria Costa, Diogo Silverio, Marta L. Silva, Ana Isabel Fernandes, Pedro Madureira, Nuno L. Alves, Sofia Lamas, Margarida Saraiva
Summary: In this study, the k18-hACE2 mouse model was used to investigate the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 variants alpha, delta, and omicron and tissue pathology and immune response. We found that different variants had distinct patterns of infection severity, affecting lung and blood immune responses and primary lymphoid organs differently. Infections with alpha and delta variants promoted bone marrow emergency myelopoiesis, resulting in increased levels of neutrophils in the blood and lungs. Importantly, the changes in immune responses correlated with the severity of infection. This study provides a comprehensive platform to study the modulation of disease by SARS-CoV-2 variants and highlights the impact of this infection on the function of primary lymphoid organs.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Joao Moreria, Helena Martins, Margarida Saraiva, Maria Joao Saraiva
Summary: Hereditary amyloid transthyretin (ATTRv) amyloidosis is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by extracellular deposition of mutant transthyretin (TTR) forms in the peripheral nervous system. This study shows a down-regulation of chemokine expression and p38 MAP kinase phosphorylation in V30M macrophages, contributing to the impaired inflammatory responses observed in ATTRv patients. These findings provide new insights for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying ATTRv and may aid in the development of immune therapeutic strategies.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andre Santa Cruz, Ana Mendes-Frias, Marne Azarias-da-Silva, Sonia Andre, Ana Isabel Oliveira, Olga Pires, Marta Mendes, Barbara Oliveira, Marta Braga, Joana Rita Lopes, Rui Domingues, Ricardo Costa, Luis Neves Silva, Ana Rita Matos, Cristina Angela, Patricio Costa, Alexandre Carvalho, Carlos Capela, Jorge Pedrosa, Antonio Gil Castro, Jerome Estaquier, Ricardo Silvestre
Summary: Based on our study, individuals with post-acute sequelae SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) exhibit persisting immunological dysfunction, including changes in mucosal immune parameters, redistribution of mucosal CD8(+)beta 7Integrin(+) T cells, and IgA, indicating potential viral persistence and mucosal involvement in the etiopathology of PASC at six months following infection.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Matheus Tavares, Jorge Carlos Sousa-Filho, Ian Alves Machado, Relber Aguiar Goncales, Daniela Antunes, Ana Mendes-Frias, Ricardo Silvestre, Agostinho Carvalho, Egidio Torrado, Cristina Cunha, Fernando Rodrigues
Summary: This study established a transformation system to manipulate different strains of S. brasiliensis, allowing for further research on host-pathogen interactions and gene function. The results showed that the system was efficient and easy to use, enabling stable transfer of a single-copy transgene to 99% of cells without selective pressure. Additionally, a plasmid toolkit was created, enabling fusion of any desired S. brasiliensis gene with sGFP or mCherry and assessment of phagocytosis using fluorescence-tagged strains.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Juan Dominguez, Ana I. Mendes, Ana R. Pacheco, Maria J. Peixoto, Jorge Pedrosa, Alexandra G. Fraga
Summary: Buruli Ulcer is a common infectious skin disease that can cause severe disfigurement and disability if not treated in a timely manner. The standard antibiotic regimen for treatment has limitations, leading researchers to explore new drug candidates. This study found that statins have the potential to be effective in treating Buruli Ulcer.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marne Azarias Da Silva, Pierre Nioche, Calaiselvy Soudaramourty, Anne Bull-Maurer, Mounira Tiouajni, Dechuan Kong, Ouafa Zghidi-Abouzid, Morgane Picard, Ana Mendes-Frias, Andre Santa-Cruz, Alexandre Carvalho, Carlos Capela, Jorge Pedrosa, Antonio Gil Castro, Paul Loubet, Albert Sotto, Laurent Muller, Jean-Yves Lefrant, Claire Roger, Pierre-Geraud Claret, Sandra Duvnjak, Tu-Anh Tran, Kenzo Tokunaga, Ricardo Silvestre, Pierre Corbeau, Fabrizio Mammano, Jerome Estaquier
Summary: This study evaluated the quantity, quality, and persistence of antibodies in individuals who received mRNA vaccines and compared them with previously infected individuals who were also vaccinated. The findings showed that three doses of mRNA vaccine were needed to match the immune responses of preinfected individuals. Additionally, repeated vaccination significantly improved the cross-reactivity of antibodies against spike variants. The study also reported lower levels of germinal center activation and formation in vaccinated individuals, potentially explaining the shorter duration and lower quality of induced antibodies.
Article
Biology
Brittany L. Snyder, Rui Huang, Adam B. Burkholder, Danielle R. Donahue, Beth W. Mahler, Carl D. Bortner, Wi S. Lai, Perry J. Blackshear
Summary: This study reveals the importance of the tristetraprolin (TTP) family of RNA-binding proteins in controlling inflammation. All three family members play critical roles in myeloid cell function and prevent inflammation. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the regulation of inflammation.
LIFE SCIENCE ALLIANCE
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Robert S. Wallis, Anne O'Garra, Alan Sher, Andreas Wack
Summary: This Perspective reflects on the historical development of host-directed immunotherapeutic interventions for viral and bacterial infections, and discusses their application to current approaches to therapy of SARS-CoV-2 and Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections.
NATURE REVIEWS IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Hidemichi Kouzu, Yuki Tatekoshi, Hsiang-Chun Chang, Jason S. Shapiro, Warren A. McGee, Adam De Jesus, Issam Ben-Sahra, Zoltan Arany, Jonathan Leor, Chunlei Chen, Perry J. Blackshear, Hossein Ardehali
Summary: Pregnancy is associated with significant physiological changes in the heart, and disruptions in these changes can lead to peripartum cardiomyopathy. A novel pathway for the regulation of mTORC1 through mRNA stabilization was discovered, which plays a role in inhibiting cardiomyocyte hypertrophy during pregnancy and is critical for normal cardiac growth.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION
(2022)