Acetylation Blocks cGAS Activity and Inhibits Self-DNA-Induced Autoimmunity.

The presence of DNA in the cytoplasm is normally a sign of microbial infections and is quickly detected by cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) to elicit anti-infection immune responses. However, chronic activation of cGAS by self-DNA leads to severe autoimmune diseases for which no effective treatment is available yet. Here we report that acetylation inhibits cGAS activation and that the enforced acetylation of cGAS by aspirin robustly suppresses self-DNA-induced autoimmunity. We find that cGAS acetylation on either Lys384, Lys394, or Lys414 contributes to keeping cGAS inactive. cGAS is deacetylated in response to DNA challenges. Importantly, we show that aspirin can directly acetylate cGAS and efficiently inhibit cGAS-mediated immune responses. Finally, we demonstrate that aspirin can effectively suppress self-DNA-induced autoimmunity in Aicardi-Goutières syndrome (AGS) patient cells and in an AGS mouse model. Thus, our study reveals that acetylation contributes to cGAS activity regulation and provides a potential therapy for treating DNA-mediated autoimmune diseases.

G3BP1 promotes DNA binding and activation of cGAS.

Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) is a key sensor responsible for cytosolic DNA detection. Here we report that GTPase-activating protein SH3 domain-binding protein 1 (G3BP1) is critical for DNA sensing and efficient activation of cGAS. G3BP1 enhanced DNA binding of cGAS by promoting the formation of large cGAS complexes. G3BP1 deficiency led to inefficient DNA binding by cGAS and inhibited cGAS-dependent interferon (IFN) production. The G3BP1 inhibitor epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) disrupted existing G3BP1-cGAS complexes and inhibited DNA-triggered cGAS activation, thereby blocking DNA-induced IFN production both in vivo and in vitro. EGCG administration blunted self DNA-induced autoinflammatory responses in an Aicardi-Goutières syndrome (AGS) mouse model and reduced IFN-stimulated gene expression in cells from a patient with AGS. Thus, our study reveals that G3BP1 physically interacts with and primes cGAS for efficient activation. Furthermore, EGCG-mediated inhibition of G3BP1 provides a potential treatment for cGAS-related autoimmune diseases.

NLRP3 Phosphorylation Is an Essential Priming Event for Inflammasome Activation.

Many infections and stress signals can rapidly activate the NLRP3 inflammasome to elicit robust inflammatory responses. This activation requires a priming step, which is thought to be mainly for upregulating NLRP3 transcription. However, recent studies report that the NLRP3 inflammasome can be activated independently of transcription, suggesting that the priming process has unknown essential regulatory steps. Here, we report that JNK1-mediated NLRP3 phosphorylation at S194 is a critical priming event and is essential for NLRP3 inflammasome activation. We show that NLRP3 inflammasome activation is disrupted in NLRP3-S194A knockin mice. JNK1-mediated NLRP3 S194 phosphorylation is critical for NLRP3 deubiquitination and facilitates its self-association and the subsequent inflammasome assembly. Importantly, we demonstrate that blocking S194 phosphorylation prevents NLRP3 inflammasome activation in cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (CAPS). Thus, our study reveals a key priming molecular event that is a prerequisite for NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Inhibiting NLRP3 phosphorylation could be an effective treatment for NLRP3-related diseases.

Three-dimensional laser micromachining system with integrated sub-100†nm resolution in-situ measurement.

In this study, a three-dimensional (3D) laser micromachining system with an integrated sub-100 nm resolution in-situ measurement system was proposed. The system used the same femtosecond laser source for in-situ measurement and machining, avoiding errors between the measurement and the machining positions. It could measure the profile of surfaces with an inclination angle of less than 10°, and the measurement resolution was greater than 100 nm. Consequently, the precise and stable movement of the laser focus could be controlled, enabling highly stable 3D micromachining. The results showed that needed patterns could be machined on continuous surfaces using the proposed system. The proposed machining system is of great significance for broadening the application scenarios of laser machining.

GSK-3ß/ß-catenin pathway plays crucial roles in the regulation of NK cell cytotoxicity against myeloma cells.

The plasma cell malignancy, multiple myeloma (MM), has significantly improved by the application of new drugs and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. However, MM remains incurable. A number of studies have revealed an anti-MM effect of natural killer (NK) cells; however, their clinical efficacy is limited. Furthermore, glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3ß inhibitors show an antitumor function. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the potential roles of a GSK-3ß inhibitor (TWS119) in the regulation of NK cell cytotoxicity against MM. Our results showed that, in the presence of TWS119, the NK cell line, NK-92, and in vitro-expanded primary NK cells exhibited a significantly higher degranulation activity, expression of activating receptors, cellular cytotoxicity, and cytokine secretion when they were exposed to MM cells. Mechanistic studies indicated that TWS119 treatment markedly upregulated RAB27A expression, a key molecule for NK cell degranulation, and induced the colocalization of ß-catenin with NF-κB in the nucleus of NK cells. More importantly, GSK-3ß inhibition combined with the adoptive transfer of TWS119-treated NK-92 cells significantly reduced tumor volume and prolonged the survival time of myeloma-bearing mice. In summary, our novel findings suggest that targeting GSK-3ß through the activation of ß-catenin/NF-κB pathway may be an important approach to improve therapeutic efficacy of NK cell transfusion for MM.

Antibody-secreting cells as a source of NR1-IgGs in N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-antibody encephalitis.

BACKGROUND: The pathogenicity of NR1-IgGs in N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-antibody encephalitis is known, but the immunobiological mechanisms underlying their production remain unclear. METHODS: For the first time, we explore the origin of NR1-IgGs and evaluate the contribution of B-cells to serum NR1-IgGs levels. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were obtained from patients and healthy controls (HCs). Naïve, unswitched memory (USM), switched memory B cells (SM), antibody-secreting cells (ASCs), and PBMC depleted of ASCs were obtained by fluorescence-activated cell sorting and cultured in vitro. RESULTS: For some patients, PBMCs spontaneously produced NR1-IgGs. Compared to the patients in PBMC negative group, the positive group had higher NR1-IgG titers in cerebrospinal fluid and Modified Rankin scale scores. The proportions of NR1-IgG positive wells in PBMCs cultures were correlated with NR1-IgGs titers in serum and CSF. The purified ASCs, SM, USM B cells produced NR1-IgGs in vitro. Compared to the patients in ASCs negative group, the positive group exhibited a worse response to second-line IT at 3-month follow-up. Naïve B cells also produce NR1-IgGs, implicating that NR1-IgGs originate from naïve B cells and a pre-germinal centres defect in B cell tolerance checkpoint in some patients. For HCs, no NR1-IgG from cultures was observed. PBMC depleted of ASCs almost eliminated the production of NR1-IgGs. CONCLUSIONS: These collective findings suggested that ASCs might mainly contribute to the production of peripheral NR1-IgG in patients with NMDAR-antibody encephalitis in the acute phase. Our study reveals the pathogenesis and helps develop tailored treatments (eg, anti-CD38) for NMDAR-antibody encephalitis.

The stress granule protein G3BP1 promotes pre-condensation of cGAS to allow rapid responses to DNA.

Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) functions as a key sensor for microbial invasion and cellular damage by detecting emerging cytosolic DNA. Here, we report that GTPase-activating protein-(SH3 domain)-binding protein 1 (G3BP1) primes cGAS for its prompt activation by engaging cGAS in a primary liquid-phase condensation state. Using high-resolution microscopy, we show that in resting cells, cGAS exhibits particle-like morphological characteristics, which are markedly weakened when G3BP1 is deleted. Upon DNA challenge, the pre-condensed cGAS undergoes liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) more efficiently. Importantly, G3BP1 deficiency or its inhibition dramatically diminishes DNA-induced LLPS and the subsequent activation of cGAS. Interestingly, RNA, previously reported to form condensates with cGAS, does not activate cGAS. Accordingly, we find that DNA - but not RNA - treatment leads to the dissociation of G3BP1 from cGAS. Taken together, our study shows that the primary condensation state of cGAS is critical for its rapid response to DNA.

Antidepressant use and the risk of seizure: a meta-analysis of observational studies.

PURPOSE: The association between antidepressant use and the risk of seizures remains controversial. Therefore, this meta-analysis examined whether antidepressant use affects the risk of seizures. METHODS: To identify relevant observational studies, we conducted systematic searches in PubMed and Embase of studies published through May 2023. Random-effects models were used to estimate overall relative risk. RESULTS: Our meta-analysis included eight studies involving 1,709,878 individuals. Our results showed that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) (odds ratio [OR] 1.48, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.32-1.66; P < 0.001) and selective noradrenalin reuptake inhibitors (SNRI) (OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.24-2.19; P = 0.001), but not tricyclic antidepressants (TCA) (OR 1.27, 95% CI 0.84-1.92; P = 0.249), were associated with an increased risk of seizures. Subgroup analyses revealed an OR of 2.35 (95% CI 1.7, 3.24; P < 0.001) among short-term (< 30 days) antidepressant users. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this meta-analysis support an increased risk of seizures in new-generation antidepressant users, expanding previous knowledge by demonstrating a more pronounced risk in short-term users.

Depressive symptoms and daily living dependence in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus: the mediating role of positive and negative perceived stress.

BACKGROUND: Higher stress is associated with higher levels of depression and instrumental-activities-of-daily-living (IADL) dependence, and depression is strongly associated with specific IADL disabilities. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to investigate the mediating effect of perceived stress on the association between depression and IADL dependence among older adults with diabetes mellitus (DM). METHODS: We examined baseline data collected from a longitudinal study that recruited 110 patients with DM aged ≥ 65 years from the endocrinology outpatient clinic of a district hospital. The instruments used for our measurement processes comprised a demographic data sheet and Chinese versions of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the short form of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-S), and the Lawton IADL Scale. We assessed the mediating effects of positive perceived stress (PPS) and negative perceived stress (NPS) after controlling for five covariates by using a regression-based model run through the SPSS macro PROCESS. RESULTS: We observed negative correlations between GDS-S scores and PPS and between PPS and IADL dependence; we noted positive correlations between GDS-S scores and NPS and between NPS and IADL dependence (all P < 0.01). The indirect effect is coefficient = 0.12, [95% confidence interval = (0.0, 0.33)], suggesting that PPS achieves a mediating effect between depressive symptoms and IADL dependence. However, the NPS does not achieve a mediating effect in the relationship between depressive symptoms and IADL dependence (coefficient = 0.06, 95% CI = - 0.03, 0.15). CONCLUSIONS: Personal PPS mediates the association between depression and IADL dependence in older adults with DM. This finding suggests that providing patients with psychological education to promote their PPS may help prevent their functional decline.

Polypyridyl Ru(II) or cyclometalated Ir(III) functionalized architectures for photocatalysis.

The chemistry of polypyridyl Ru(II) and cyclometalated Ir(III) derivatives provides long-lasting interest to researchers due to the inherent advantage of their triplet states in a variety of photoactivities. The introduction of Ru(N^N)3 and Ir(C^N)2(X^N) modules into well-defined architectures extends the research areas of both photoactive metal complexes and network chemistry, generating a lot of new opportunities with interesting structural aesthetics and profound functional possibilities. The rapid development of research in integrating Ru(II) or Ir(III) metallotecons into the architectures has been apparent in recent years which makes this a fascinating subject for reviewing. This review focuses on the design and syntheses of Ru(N^N)3 and Ir(C^N)2(X^N) functionalized architectures of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent-organic frameworks (COFs), metallasupramolecules, organic supramolecules and supramolecular organic frameworks (SOFs). Furthermore, the photocatalytic applications including the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR), photocatalytic oxidation and photoredox catalysis of organic transformation are also presented.

Modeling and biological evaluation of pegmolesatide, a novel and potent erythropoiesis-stimulating agent.

Pegmolesatide, a synthetic, polyethylene-glycolylated, peptide-based erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA), has been recently approved in China. Pegmolesatide is derived from the structure of endogenous erythropoietin (EPO), a natural product in mammals. This study compared the in vitro effects and selectivity of pegmolesatide to those of recombinant EPO and carbamylated EPO (CEPO) through computer-aided analyses and biological tests. The findings indicate that pegmolesatide exhibited the same stimulating effect on erythropoiesis as EPO with fewer side effects than EPO and CEPO.

Roles of quorum-sensing molecules in methane production from anaerobic digestion aided by biochar.

Biochar has been used to enhance methane generation from anaerobic digestion through establishing direct interspecific electron transfer between microorganisms. However, the microbial communication is still inadequate, thereby limiting further methane production improvement contributed by biochar. This study investigated the roles of quorum-sensing molecules, acylated homoserine lactone (AHL), in anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge aided by biochar. Results showed that the co-addition of separated biochar and AHL achieved best methane production performance, with the maximal methane yield of 154.7 mL/g volatile suspended solids, which increased by 51.9%, 47.2%, 17.9%, and 39.4% respectively compared to that of control, AHL-loaded biochar, sole AHL, and sole biochar groups. The reason was that the co-addition of separated biochar and AHL promoted the stages of hydrolysis and acidification, promoting the conversion of organic matters and short-chain fatty acids, and optimizing the accumulation of acetate acid. Moreover, the methanogenesis stage also performed best among experimental groups. Correspondingly, the highest activities of electron transfer and coenzyme F420 were obtained, with increase ratios of 33.2% and 27.2% respectively compared to that of control. Furthermore, biochar did more significant effects on the evolution of microbial communities than AHL, and the direct interspecific electron transfer between fermentative bacteria and methanogens were possibly promoted.

Thriving at work as a mediator of the relationship between psychological resilience and the work performance of clinical nurses.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the relationship between psychological resilience, thriving at work, and work performance among nurses, as well as analyse the mediating role of thriving at work in the relationship between psychological resilience and the work performance of nurses. The findings are intended to serve as a reference for nursing managers to design tailored work performance intervention programs. METHOD: Using convenience sampling, 308 clinical nurses were selected from a tertiary hospital in Changsha City, Hunan Province, China, from February to April 2023. The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), the Thriving at Work Scale, and the Work Performance Scale were employed for the questionnaire survey. Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore the relationship between psychological resilience, thriving at work and work performance. The SPSS 26.0 software's 'Process' plugin was utilised for mediation effect analysis. RESULTS: Significantly positive correlations were found between psychological resilience and thriving at work (r = 0.806, P < 0.01), thriving at work and work performance (r = 0.571, P < 0.01) as well as psychological resilience and work performance (r = 0.572, P < 0.01). Psychological resilience significantly predicted work performance positively (ß = 0.558, t = 11.165, P < 0.01), and this prediction remained significant when thriving at work (the mediating variable), was introduced (ß = 0.371, t = 4.772, P < 0.01). Psychological resilience significantly predicted thriving at work positively (ß = 0.731, t = 20.779, P < 0.01), and thriving at work significantly predicted work performance positively (ß = 0.256, t = 3.105, P < 0.05). The mediating effect size of thriving at work between psychological resilience and work performance was 33.49% (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Thriving at work plays a partial mediating role between psychological resilience and work performance. The level of work performance among clinical nurses was relatively high. Nursing managers can enhance thriving at work by fostering psychological resilience among clinical nurses, thereby further improving their work performance to ensure high-quality and efficient nursing care.

Chemogenetic activation of ventral medullary astrocytes enhances feeding and corticosterone release in response to mild glucoprivation.

To investigate the role of glial cells in the regulation of glucoprivic responses in rats, a chemogenetic approach was used to activate astrocytes neighboring catecholamine (CA) neurons in the ventromedial medulla (VLM) where A1 and C1 CA cell groups overlap (A1/C1). Previous results indicate that activation of CA neurons in this region is necessary and sufficient for feeding and corticosterone release in response to glucoprivation. However, it is not known whether astrocyte neighbors of CA neurons contribute to glucoregulatory responses. Hence, we made nanoinjections of AAV5-GFAP-hM3D(Gq)-mCherry to selectively transfect astrocytes in the A1/C1 region with the excitatory designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs), hM3D(Gq). After allowing time for DREADD expression, we evaluated the rats for increased food intake and corticosterone release in response to low systemic doses of the antiglycolytic agent, 2-deoxy-d-glucose (2DG), alone and in combination with the hM3D(Gq) activator clozapine-n-oxide (CNO). We found that DREADD-transfected rats ate significantly more food when 2DG and CNO were coadministered than when either 2DG or CNO was injected alone. We also found that CNO significantly enhanced 2DG-induced FOS expression in the A1/C1 CA neurons, and that corticosterone release also was enhanced when CNO and 2DG were administered together. Importantly, CNO-induced activation of astrocytes in the absence of 2DG did not trigger food intake or corticosterone release. Our results indicate that during glucoprivation, activation of VLM astrocytes cells markedly increases the sensitivity or responsiveness of neighboring A1/C1 CA neurons to glucose deficit, suggesting a potentially important role for VLM astrocytes in glucoregulation.

Development of a Perioperative Enteral Nutrition Program for Gastric Cancer Surgery.

Objective: This study aimed to summarize the current evidence-based approach to perioperative enteral nutritional (EN) program for gastric cancer (GC) surgery and to develop a staged and operable EN management scheme based on the evidence to provide clinical guidance for improving perioperative EN management in patients with GC.Methods: First, we synthesized expert consensuses, systematic reviews, and guidelines related to GC patients who had undergone surgery, based on a review of the literature and expert meetings. Subsequently, after carefully evaluating and selecting relevant EN management data, we created a preliminary draft of a perioperative EN program. Following Delphi expert consultations, the final version of the perioperative EN program was constructed after revision.Results: After two rounds of consultation, the expert opinions tended to be consistent. The expert positive coefficient was 1.00, and the expert authority coefficient was 0.90. After the second round of consultation, the coefficient of variation of the importance score ranged from 0.05 to 0.20, and the coefficient of variation of the feasibility score ranged from 0.09 to 0.23. The Kendall harmony coefficients were 0.338 and 0.392, and the difference between them was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The final practice plan includes 4 first-level, 16 s-level, and 64 third-level items.Conclusions: The perioperative EN program constructed in this study is comprehensive in content, feasible, and evidence-based, and can provide insights for clinical improvement.

Parapedobacter tibetensis sp. nov., isolated from shore soil of saline lake in Tibet of China and its genome mining of secondary metabolite.

Five aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, non-spore-forming, short rod bacteria strains, designated as C3-1-R+6T, C3-2-M9, B3-2-R-7, B3-2-R-21 and C3-2-M2, were isolated from shore soil of LungmuCo Lake in Tibet of China. The 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons confirmed their affiliation to the genus Parapedobacter of the family Sphingobacteriaceae, and showed that they were most closely related to Parapedobacter lycopersici KACC 18788T with 94.26 % similarities. The average nucleotide identity (ANI), average amino acid identity (AAI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between them and the validly published Parapedobacter species were all below the thresholds for delineating species, supporting that they were novel species of genus Parapedobacter. The ANI, AAI and dDDH values between strains C3-1-R+6T and Parapedobacter lycopersici KACC 18788T were 72, 75, and 18% respectively. Meanwhile, the ANI/AAI and dDDH values between these five isolates were higher than the threshold values, showing that they belonged to the same species of Parapedobacter. According to genome comparison, the novel isolates have some special biosynthetic gene clusters of secondary metabolites including bacteriton, aryl-polyene, lantipeptide and t1pks, which were absent from their most related phylogenetic neighbours P. lycopersici KACC 18788T and P. pyrenivorans CGMCC 1.12195T. The main polar lipids contained phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified phospholipid, one unidentified aminolipid, one unidentified glycolipid and five unidentified lipids. The predominant respiratory quinone was MK-7. The major cellular fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω7c and/or C16 : 1 ω6c) and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH. The genome size of strain C3-1-R+6T was 5 984 948 bp, and its genomic DNA G+C content was 46.21 mol%. To sum up, the five strains were identified as a novel species of the genus Parapedobacter, for which the name Parapedobacter tibetensis sp. nov. was proposed. The type strain was C3-1-R+6T (=CGMCC 1.19194T=KCTC 92150T).

Psittacosis caused severe community-acquired pneumonia accompanied by acute hypoxic respiratory failure: a multicenter retrospective cohort study from China.

INTRODUCTION: Psittacosis can cause severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). The clinical manifestations of psittacosis range from subclinical to fulminant psittacosis with multi-organ failure. It is essential to summarize the clinical characteristic of patients with severe psittacosis accompanied by acute hypoxic respiratory failure (AHRF). METHODS: This retrospective study included patients with severe psittacosis caused CAP accompanied by AHRF from 19 tertiary hospitals of China. We recorded the clinical data, antimicrobial therapy, respiratory support, complications, and outcomes. Chlamydia psittaci was detected on the basis of metagenomic next-generation sequencing performed on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples. Patient outcomes were compared between the treatment methods. RESULTS: This study included 45 patients with severe CAP and AHRF caused by psittacosis from April 2018 to May 2021. The highest incidence of these infections was between September and April. There was a history of poultry contact in 64.4% of the patients. The median PaO2/FiO2 of the patients was 119.8 (interquartile range, 73.2 to 183.6) mmHg. Four of 45 patients (8.9%) died in the ICU, and the median ICU duration was 12 days (interquartile range, 8 to 21) days. There were no significant differences between patients treated with fluoroquinolone initially and continued after the diagnosis, fluoroquinolone initially followed by tetracycline, and fluoroquinolone combined with tetracycline. CONCLUSION: Psittacosis caused severe CAP seems not rare, especially in the patients with the history of exposure to poultry or birds. Empirical treatment that covers atypical pathogens may benefit such patients, which fluoroquinolones might be considered as an alternative.

GPR40 deficiency worsens metabolic syndrome-associated periodontitis in mice.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: G protein-coupled receptor 40 (GPR40) is a receptor for medium- and long-chain free fatty acids (FFAs). GPR40 activation improves type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), metabolic syndrome (MetS), and the complications of T2DM and MetS. Periodontitis, a common oral inflammatory disease initiated by periodontal pathogens, is another complication of T2DM and MetS. Since FFAs play a key role in the pathogenesis of MetS which exacerbates periodontal inflammation and GPR40 is a FFA receptor with anti-inflammatory properties, it is important to define the role of GPR40 in MetS-associated periodontitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We induced MetS and periodontitis by high-fat diet and periodontal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), respectively, in wild-type and GPR40-deficient mice and determined alveolar bone loss and periodontal inflammation using micro-computed tomography, histology, and osteoclast staining. We also performed in vitro study to determine the role of GPR40 in the expression of proinflammatory genes. RESULTS: The primary outcome of the study is that GPR40 deficiency increased alveolar bone loss and enhanced osteoclastogenesis in control mice and the mice with both MetS and periodontitis. GPR40 deficiency also augmented periodontal inflammation in control mice and the mice with both MetS and periodontitis. Furthermore, GPR40 deficiency led to increased plasma lipids and insulin resistance in control mice but had no effect on the metabolic parameters in mice with MetS alone. For mice with both MetS and periodontitis, GPR40 deficiency increased insulin resistance. Finally, in vitro studies with macrophages showed that deficiency or inhibition of GPR40 upregulated proinflammatory genes while activation of GPR40 downregulated proinflammatory gene expression stimulated synergistically by LPS and palmitic acid. CONCLUSION: GPR40 deficiency worsens alveolar bone loss and periodontal inflammation in mice with both periodontitis and MetS, suggesting that GPR40 plays a favorable role in MetS-associated periodontitis. Furthermore, GPR40 deficiency or inhibition in macrophages further upregulated proinflammatory and pro-osteoclastogenic genes induced by LPS and palmitic acid, suggesting that GPR40 has anti-inflammatory and anti-osteoclastogenic properties.

G3BP1 Inhibition Alleviates Intracellular Nucleic Acid-Induced Autoimmune Responses.

The detection of intracellular nucleic acids is a fundamental mechanism of host defense against infections. The dysregulated nucleic acid sensing, however, is a major cause for a number of autoimmune diseases. In this study, we report that GTPase-activating protein SH3 domain-binding protein 1 (G3BP1) is critical for both intracellular DNA- and RNA-induced immune responses. We found that in both human and mouse cells, the deletion of G3BP1 led to the dampened cGAS activation by DNA and the insufficient binding of RNA by RIG-I. We further found that resveratrol (RSVL), a natural compound found in grape skin, suppressed both intracellular DNA- and RNA-induced type I IFN production through inhibiting G3BP1. Importantly, using experimental mouse models for Aicardi-Goutières syndrome, an autoimmune disorder found in humans, we demonstrated that RSVL effectively alleviated intracellular nucleic acid-stimulated autoimmune responses. Thus, our study demonstrated a broader role of G3BP1 in sensing different kinds of intracellular nucleic acids and presented RSVL as a potential treatment for autoimmune conditions caused by dysregulated nucleic acid sensing.

Laser defined and driven bio-inspired soft robots toward complex motion control.

The design and actuation of soft robots are targeted at extreme motion control as well as high functionalization. In spite of robot construction optimized by bio-concepts, its motion system is still hindered by multiple actuator assembly and reprogrammable control for complex motions. Herein, our recent work is summarized and an all-light solution is proposed and demonstrated using graphene-oxide-based soft robots. It will be shown that, with a highly localized light field, lasers can define actuators precisely to form "joints" and facilitate efficient energy storage and release to realize genuine complex motions.