Magnetite particles accelerate methanogenic degradation of highly concentrated acetic acid in anaerobic digestion process.

The anaerobic digestion (AD) process has become significant for its capability to convert organic wastewater into biogas, a valuable energy source. Excessive acetic acid accumulation in the anaerobic digester can inhibit methanogens, ultimately leading to the deterioration of process performance. Herein, the effect of magnetite particles (MP) as an enhancer on the methanogenic degradation of highly-concentrated acetate (6 g COD/L) was examined through long-term sequential AD batch tests. Bioreactors with (AM) and without (AO) MP were compared. AO experienced inhibition and its methane production rate (qm) converged to 0.45 L CH4/g VSS/d after 10 sequential batches (AO10, the 10th batch in a series of the sequential batch tests conducted using bioreactors without MP addition). In contrast, AM achieved 3-425% higher qm through the sequential batches, indicating that MP could counteract the inhibition caused by the highly-concentrated acetate. MP addition to inhibited bioreactors (AO10) successfully restored them, achieving qm of 1.53 L CH4/g VSS/d, 3.4 times increase from AO10 after 8 days lag time, validating its potential as a recovery strategy for inhibited digesters with acetate accumulation. AM exhibited higher microbial populations (1.8-3.8 times) and intracellular activity (9.3 times) compared to AO. MP enriched Methanosaeta, Peptoclostridium, Paraclostridium, OPB41, and genes related to direct interspecies electron transfer and acetate oxidation, potentially driving the improvement of qm through MP-mediated methanogenesis. These findings demonstrated the potential of MP supplementation as an effective strategy to accelerate acetate-utilizing methanogenesis and restore an inhibited anaerobic digester with high acetate accumulation.

Tannylated Calcium Carbonate Materials with Antacid, Anti-Inflammatory, and Antioxidant Effects.

Calcium carbonate (CaCO3)-based materials have received notable attention for biomedical applications owing to their safety and beneficial characteristics, such as pH sensitivity, carbon dioxide (CO2) gas generation, and antacid properties. Herein, to additionally incorporate antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions, we prepared tannylated CaCO3 (TA-CaCO3) materials using a simple reaction between tannic acid (TA), calcium (Ca2+), and carbonate (CO32-) ions. TA-CaCO3 synthesized at a molar ratio of 1:75 (TA:calcium chloride (CaCl2)/sodium carbonate (Na2CO3)) showed 3-6 µm particles, comprising small nanoparticles in a size range of 17-41 nm. The TA-CaCO3 materials could efficiently neutralize the acid solution and scavenge free radicals. In addition, these materials could significantly reduce the mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory factors and intracellular reactive oxygen species, and protect chondrocytes from toxic hydrogen peroxide conditions. Thus, in addition to their antacid property, the prepared TA-CaCO3 materials exert excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects through the introduction of TA molecules. Therefore, TA-CaCO3 materials can potentially be used to treat inflammatory cells or diseases.

Clinical Implication of 'Obesity Paradox' in Elderly Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND: The clinical impact of body mass index (BMI), especially in the elderly with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), has not been sufficiently evaluated. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the clinical impact of BMI in very old patients (≥80 years) with AMI. METHODS: The study analysed 2,489 AMI patients aged ≥80 years from the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry and the Korea Working Group on Myocardial Infarction (KAMIR/KorMI) registries between November 2005 and March 2012. The study population was categorised into four groups based on their BMI: underweight (n=301), normal weight (n=1,150), overweight (n=890), and obese (n=148). The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE), a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, target lesion revascularisation, and target vessel revascularisation. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics among the four groups were similar, except for hypertension (45.1 vs 58.4 vs 66.2 vs 69.9%, respectively; p<0.001) and diabetes (16.6 vs 23.6 vs 30.7 vs 35.1%, respectively; p<0.001). Coronary care unit length of stay was significantly different among the four groups during hospitalisation (5.3±5.9 vs 4.8±6.8 vs 4.2±4.0 vs 3.5±2.1 days; p=0.007). MACE (16.9 vs 14.9 vs 13.7 vs 8.8%; p=0.115) and cardiac death (10.3 vs 8.4 vs 7.9 vs 4.1%; p=0.043) less frequently occurred in the obese group than in other groups during the 1-year follow-up. A multivariate regression model showed obese status (BMI ≥27.5 kg/m2) as an independent predictor of reduced MACE (hazard ratio [HR], 0.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.06-0.69; p=0.010) along with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (≤40%) as a predictor of increased MACE (HR,1.87; 95% CI, 1.31-2.68; p=0.001). CONCLUSION: Body mass index in elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction was significantly associated with coronary care unit stay and clinical cardiovascular outcomes.

ROCK1 activates mitochondrial fission leading to oxidative stress and muscle atrophy.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is often associated with protein-energy wasting (PEW), which is characterized by a reduction in muscle mass and strength. Although mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress have been implicated to play a role in the pathogenesis of muscle wasting, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we used transcriptomics, metabolomics analyses and mouse gene manipulating approaches to investigate the effects of mitochondrial plasticity and oxidative stress on muscle wasting in mouse CKD models. Our results showed that the expression of oxidative stress response genes was increased, and that of oxidative phosphorylation genes was decreased in the muscles of mice with CKD. This was accompanied by reduced oxygen consumption rates, decreased levels of mitochondrial electron transport chain proteins, and increased cellular oxidative damage. Excessive mitochondrial fission was also observed, and we found that the activation of ROCK1 was responsible for this process. Inducible expression of muscle-specific constitutively active ROCK1(mROCK1ca)exacerbated mitochondrial fragmentation and muscle wasting in CKD mice. Conversely, ROCK1 depletion (ROCK1-/-) alleviated these phenomena. Mechanistically, ROCK1 activation promoted the recruitment of Drp1 to mitochondria, thereby facilitating fragmentation. Notably, the pharmacological inhibition of ROCK1 mitigated muscle wasting by suppressing mitochondrial fission and oxidative stress. Our findings demonstrate that ROCK1 participates in CKD-induced muscle wasting by promoting mitochondrial fission and oxidative stress, and pharmacological suppression of ROCK1 could be a therapeutic strategy for combating muscle wasting in CKD conditions.

Effect of magnetite supplementation on mesophilic anaerobic digestion of phenol and benzoate: Methane production rate and microbial communities.

Anaerobic sequential batch tests treating phenol and benzoate were conducted to evaluate the potential of magnetite supplementation to improve methanogenic degradation of phenol and benzoate, and to identify active microbial communities under each condition. Specific CH4 production rates during anaerobic digestion were 218.5 mL CH4/g VSS/d on phenol and 517.6 mL CH4/g VSS/d on benzoate. Magnetite supplementation significantly increased methanogenic degradation of phenol by 9.0-68.0% in CH4 production rate, and decreased lag time by 7.9-48.0%, with no significant reduction in CH4 yield. Syntrophorhabdus, Sporotomaculum, Syntrophus, Syntrophomonas, Peptoclostridium, Soehngenia, Mesotoga, Geobacter, Methanosaeta, Methanoculleus, and Methanospirillum were revealed as active microbial communities involved in anaerobic digestion of phenol and benzoate. Magnetite-mediated direct interspecies electron transfer between Geobacter, Peptoclostridium, and Methanosaeta harundinacea could contribute to this improvement.

Biochemical control of CARM1 enzymatic activity by phosphorylation.

Coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1) is a dual functional coregulator that facilitates transcription initiation by methylation of Arg(17) and Arg(26) of histone H3 and also dictates the subsequent coactivator complex disassembly by methylation of the steroid receptor coactivator family coactivators and p300/cAMP-response element-binding protein-binding protein. However, the regulation of CARM1 enzymatic activity and substrate specificity remains largely unknown. In this study, we report that CARM1 function is regulated by phosphorylation at Ser(217), a residue completely conserved in the type I protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT) family of enzymes. Comparative analysis of the published CARM1 crystal structures reveals that the hydroxyl group of Ser(217) forms a strong hydrogen bond with the carbonyl oxygen atom of Tyr(154) to lock the cofactor S-adenosylmethionine inside the binding cavity. Phosphorylation of Ser(217) disrupts this hydrogen bond and subsequently abolishes S-adenosylmethionine binding and its methyltransferase activity. Importantly, Tyr(154) is also conserved in the type I PRMT family of enzymes, suggesting a general role of this hydrogen bond in maintaining the holo structure of the type I PRMT catalytic domain. Moreover, we found that phosphorylation at Ser(217) also promoted CARM1 cytoplasmic localization and that this translocation occurred mainly during mitosis. We propose that phosphorylation at Ser(217) serves as a molecular switch for controlling CARM1 enzymatic activity during the cell cycle.

Novel transcription coactivator complex containing activating signal cointegrator 1.

Human activating signal cointegrator 1 (hASC-1) was originally isolated as a transcriptional coactivator of nuclear receptors. Here we report that ASC-1 exists as a steady-state complex associated with three polypeptides, P200, P100, and P50, in HeLa nuclei; stimulates transactivation by serum response factor (SRF), activating protein 1 (AP-1), and nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) through direct binding to SRF, c-Jun, p50, and p65; and relieves the previously described transrepression between nuclear receptors and either AP-1 or NF-kappaB. Interestingly, ectopic expression of Caenorhabditis elegans ASC-1 (ceASC-1), an ASC-1 homologue that binds P200 and P100, like hASC-1, while weakly interacting only with p65, in HeLa cells appears to replace endogenous hASC-1 from the hASC-1 complex and exerts potent dominant-negative effects on AP-1, NF-kappaB, and SRF transactivation. In addition, neutralization of endogenous P50 by single-cell microinjection of a P50 antibody inhibits AP-1 transactivation; the inhibition is relieved by coexpression of wild-type P50, but not of P50DeltaKH, a mutant form that does not interact with P200. Overall, these results suggest that the endogenous hASC-1 complex appears to play an essential role in AP-1, SRF, and NF-kappaB transactivation and to mediate the transrepression between nuclear receptors and either AP-1 or NF-kappaB in vivo.

Myokine mediated muscle-kidney crosstalk suppresses metabolic reprogramming and fibrosis in damaged kidneys.

Kidney injury initiates metabolic reprogramming in tubule cells that contributes to the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Exercise has been associated with beneficial effects in patients with CKD. Here we show that the induction of a myokine, irisin, improves kidney energy metabolism and prevents kidney damage. In response to kidney injury, mice with muscle-specific PGC-1α overexpression (mPGC-1α) exhibit reduced kidney damage and fibrosis. Metabolomics analysis reveals increased ATP production and improved energy metabolism in injured kidneys from mPGC-1α mice. We identify irisin as a serum factor that mediates these metabolic effects during progressive kidney injury by inhibiting TGF-ß type 1 receptor. Irisin depletion from serum blunts the induction of oxygen consumption rate observed in tubule cells treated with mPGC-1α serum. In mice, recombinant irisin administration attenuates kidney damage and fibrosis and improves kidney functions. We suggest that myokine-mediated muscle-kidney crosstalk can suppress metabolic reprograming and fibrogenesis during kidney disease.

ERK3 regulates TDP2-mediated DNA damage response and chemoresistance in lung cancer cells.

Posttranslational modifications (PTMs), such as phosphorylation and ubiquitination, play critical regulatory roles in the assembly of DNA damage response proteins on the DNA damage site and their activities in DNA damage repair. Tyrosyl DNA phosphodiesterase 2 (TDP2) repairs Topoisomerase 2 (Top2)-linked DNA damage, thereby protecting cancer cells against Top2 inhibitors-induced growth inhibition and cell death. The regulation of TDP2 activity by post-translational modifications in DNA repair, however, remains unclear. In the current study, we have found that ERK3, an atypical MAPK, phosphorylates TDP2 at S60 and regulates TDP2's phosphodiesterase activity, thereby cooperatively protecting lung cancer cells against Top2 inhibitors-induced DNA damage and growth inhibition. As such, our study revealed a post-translational regulation of TDP2 activity and discovered a new role of ERK3 in increasing cancer cells' DNA damage response and chemoresistance to Top2 inhibitors.

Identification of Heat Shock Protein 60 as a Regulator of Neutral Sphingomyelinase 2 and Its Role in Dopamine Uptake.

Activation of sphingomyelinase (SMase) by extracellular stimuli is the major pathway for cellular production of ceramide, a bioactive lipid mediator acting through sphingomyelin (SM) hydrolysis. Previously, we reported the existence of six forms of neutral pH-optimum and Mg(2+)-dependent SMase (N-SMase) in the membrane fractions of bovine brain. Here, we focus on N-SMase ε from salt-extracted membranes. After extensive purification by 12,780-fold with a yield of 1.3%, this enzyme was eventually characterized as N-SMase2. The major single band of 60-kDa molecular mass in the active fractions of the final purification step was identified as heat shock protein 60 (Hsp60) by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometric analysis. Proximity ligation assay and immunoprecipitation study showed that Hsp60 interacted with N-SMase2, prompting us to examine the effect of Hsp60 on N-SMase2 and ceramide production. Interestingly, Hsp60 siRNA treatment significantly increased the protein level of N-SMase2 in N-SMase2-overexpressed HEK293 cells. Furthermore, transfection of Hsp60 siRNA into PC12 cells effectively increased both N-SMase activity and ceramide production and increased dopamine re-uptake with paralleled increase. Taken together, these results show that Hsp60 may serve as a negative regulator in N-SMase2-induced dopamine re-uptake by decreasing the protein level of N-SMase2.