Two-Dimensional Materials/Biopolymer-Based Antimicrobial Coatings to Thwart Biofilm Formation on Medical Implants.

Infections associated with medical implants due to bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation are a serious problem, leading to acute health risks to patients by compromising their immune system. Therefore, suppressing biofilm formation on biomedical implants is a challenging task, especially for overcoming the drug resistance of bacterial biofilms. Herein, a synergistic efficient surface coating method was developed to inhibit biofilm formation on a model medical implant by combining the antimicrobial property of trimethyl chitosan (TMC) with either 2D material graphene oxide (GO) or black phosphorus (BP) sheets using layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly. The multilayer coatings of TMC/GO and TMC/BP were optimized on the glass surface (a model implant) and characterized by using spectroscopic and microscopy techniques. Next, we investigated the antibiofilm formation properties of the TMC/GO and TMC/BP coatings on glass surfaces against both Gram-negative, Escherichia coli (E. coli), and Gram-positive, Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis), bacteria. The antibiofilm formation was studied using crystal violet (CV) and live/dead assays. Both the live/dead and the CV assays confirmed that the TMC/2D material (2DM)-coated surfaces prevented biofilm formation much more effectively compared to the uncoated surfaces. Scanning electron microscopy analyses revealed that the bacteria were affected physically by incubating with TMC/2DM-coated surfaces due to membrane perturbation, thereby preventing cell attachment and biofilm formation. Further, BP composite coatings (TMC/BP) showed a much better ability to thwart biofilm formation than GO composite coatings (TMC/GO). Also, multilayer coatings showed superior cytocompatibility with human foreskin fibroblast (HFF). Our results demonstrate that the developed coatings TMC/2DMs could be potential candidates for thwarting biofilm formation on medical implants.

p300/CBP KATs Are Critical for Maturation and Differentiation of Adult Neural Progenitors.

Epigenetic modifications play a pivotal role in the process of neurogenesis. Among these modifications, reversible acetylation fine-tunes gene expression for both embryonic and adult neurogenesis. The CBP/KAT3A and its paralogue p300/KAT3B are well-known lysine acetyltransferases with transcriptional coactivation ability that engage in neural plasticity and memory. The exclusive role of their KAT activity in neurogenesis and memory could not be addressed due to the absence of a p300/CBP modulator, which can cross the blood-brain barrier. Previous work from our laboratory has shown that a small molecule activator, TTK21, specific to CBP/p300, when conjugated to glucose-derived carbon nanospheres (CSP), is efficiently delivered to the mouse brain and could induce dendritic branching and extend long-term memory. However, the molecular mechanisms of p300 acetyltransferase activity-dependent enhanced dendritogenesis are yet to be understood. Here, we report that CSP-TTK21 treatment to primary neuronal culture derived from mouse embryo enhances the expression of five critical genes: Neurod1 (central nervous system development), Tubb3 (immature neural marker), Camk2a (synaptic plasticity and LTP), Snap25 (spine morphogenesis plasticity), and Scn2a (propagation of the action potential). Activation of these genes by inducing the p300/CBP KAT activity presumably promotes the maturation and differentiation of adult neuronal progenitors and thereby the formation of long and highly branched doublecortin-positive functional neurons in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus.

One-pot synthesis of tetrahydropyrimidinecarboxamides enabling in vitro anticancer activity: a combinative study with clinically relevant brain-penetrant drugs.

In this study, we describe a one-pot three-component synthesis of bioactive tetrahydopyrimidinecarboxamide derivatives employing lanthanum triflate as a catalyst. Out of the synthesized compounds, 4f had the most potent anti-cancer activity and impeded cell cycle progression effectively. Anti-cancer bioactivity was observed in 4f against liver, breast, and lung cancers as well as primary patient-derived glioblastoma cell lines. Compound 4f effectively inhibited the 3D neurosphere formation in primary patient-derived glioma stem cells. Specifically, 4f exhibited synergistic cytotoxicity with the EGFR inhibitor that is the clinical epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor osimertinib. 4f does not exhibit anti-kinase activity and is cytostatic in nature, and further work is needed to understand the true molecular target of 4f and its derivatives. Through our current work, we establish a promising tetrahydopyrimidinecarboxamide-based lead compound with anti-cancer activity, which may exhibit potent anti-cancer activity in combination with specific clinically relevant small molecule kinase inhibitors.

Vibration-Induced Alteration in Trunk Extensor Muscle Proprioception as a Model for Impaired Trunk Control in Low Back Pain.

This study examined the impact of personalizing muscle vibration parameters on trunk control. We assessed how altered trunk extensor muscle (TEM) proprioception affects seated trunk control in healthy controls (HCs). To explore the link between altered TEM proprioception and impaired trunk control in chronic low back pain (cLBP), we performed equivalence testing between HCs undergoing TEM vibration and cLBP without vibration. Twenty HCs performed active joint reposition error (AJRE) testing to determine personalized vibration parameters. Each participant maintained balance on an unstable chair with eyes open and closed, with and without TEM vibration. We compared trunk control between HCs and twenty age- and sex-matched cLBP participants, using mean velocity and 95% confidence ellipse area of center-of-pressure changes to quantify trunk postural control. Equivalence was examined by comparing mean difference scores to minimal detectable change values and calculating between-group effect sizes. Personalized vibration parameters led to larger lumbopelvic repositioning errors (d = 0.89) than any single vibration frequency (d = 0.31-0.36). In healthy adults with no back pain, vision had large effects on postural control (ηp2 = 0.604-0.842), but TEM vibration had no significant effects (p > 0.105) or interactions with vision (p > 0.423). Between-group effect sizes (d = 0.32-0.51) exceeded our threshold for performance equivalence (d < 0.2). Muscle vibration altered position sense during AJRE testing, and personalizing parameters amplified this effect. However, TEM vibration had minimal impact on seated trunk postural control in adults with no back pain and did not lead to performance degradation comparable to that in cLBP.

Gas5 regulates early-life stress-induced anxiety and spatial memory.

Early-life stress (ES) induced by maternal separation (MS) remains a proven causality of anxiety and memory deficits at later stages of life. Emerging studies have shown that MS-induced gene expression in the hippocampus is operated at the level of transcription. However, the extent of involvement of non-coding RNAs in MS-induced behavioural deficits remains unexplored. Here, we have investigated the role of synapse-enriched long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in anxiety and memory upon MS. We observed that MS led to an enhancement of expression of the lncRNA growth arrest specific 5 (Gas5) in the hippocampus; accompanied by increased levels of anxiety and deficits in spatial memory. Gas5 knockdown in early life was able to reduce anxiety and partially rescue the spatial memory deficits of maternally separated adult mice. However, the reversal of MS-induced anxiety and memory deficits is not attributed to Gas5 activity during neuronal development as Gas5 RNAi did not influence spine development. Gene Ontology analysis revealed that Gas5 exerts its function by regulating RNA metabolism and translation. Our study highlights the importance of MS-regulated lncRNA in anxiety and spatial memory.

Alkoxy-functionalised dihydropyrimido[4,5-b]quinolinones enabling anti-proliferative and anti-invasive agents.

In this communication, we explored the synthesis of novel alkoxy-functionalised dihydropyrimido[4,5-b]quinolinones using a microwave-assisted multicomponent reaction. All the synthesized molecules were screened for anti-proliferative and anti-invasive activity against glioblastoma cells. 5c shows the most potent anti-proliferative activity with a half maximal effective concentration of less than 3 µM against primary patient-derived glioblastoma cells. 5c effectively inhibited invasion and tumor growth of 3D primary glioma cultures in a basement membrane matrix. This suggests that the novel compounds could inhibit both the proliferation and invasive spread of glioma and they were selected for further study.

Click-chemistry mediated synthesis of OTBN-1,2,3-Triazole derivatives exhibiting STK33 inhibition with diverse anti-cancer activities.

There is a continuous and pressing need to establish new brain-penetrant bioactive compounds with anti-cancer properties. To this end, a new series of 4'-((4-substituted-4,5-dihydro-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)methyl)-[1,1'-biphenyl]-2-carbonitrile (OTBN-1,2,3-triazole) derivatives were synthesized by click chemistry. The series of bioactive compounds were designed and synthesized from diverse alkynes and N3-OTBN, using copper (II) acetate monohydrate in aqueous dimethylformamide at room temperature. Besides being highly cost-effective and significantly reducing synthesis, the reaction yielded 91-98 % of the target products without the need of any additional steps or chromatographic techniques. Two analogues exhibit promising anti-cancer biological activities. Analogue 4l shows highly specific cytostatic activity against lung cancer cells, while analogue 4k exhibits pan-cancer anti-growth activity. A kinase screen suggests compound 4k has single-digit micromolar activity against kinase STK33. High STK33 RNA expression correlates strongly with poorer patient outcomes in both adult and pediatric glioma. Compound 4k potently inhibits cell proliferation, invasion, and 3D neurosphere formation in primary patient-derived glioma cell lines. The observed anti-cancer activity is enhanced in combination with specific clinically relevant small molecule inhibitors. Herein we establish a novel biochemical kinase inhibitory function for click-chemistry-derived OTBN-1,2,3-triazole analogues and further report their anti-cancer activity in vitro for the first time.

Different Bacteria and their Antibiotic Sensitivity Patterns in Patients of Chronic Otitis Media-Active Mucosal Disease at a Secondary Care Centre in Delhi.

Chronic Otitis Media is characterized by distinct bacteriology compared with Acute Otitis Media, with COM being highly likely to harbor multiple bacteria of anaerobic and aerobic types of organisms (Cameron and Hussam K. El-Kashlan, xxx). In some patients, chronic infection with otorrhea will persist despite aggressive medical therapy. With the large number of cases of COM which presents to Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, and a majority being resistant to the common medications, we decided to undertake this study to have a better understanding of the bacterial epidemiology, the resistance, and what antibiotic to use in such cases. To determine the prevalence of different bacteriological agents and their antibiotic sensitivity pattern in patients of Chronic Otitis Media-Active Mucosal Disease presenting to ENT OPD at Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Mangolpuri, Delhi. An observational cross-sectional study of 200 patients. After an initial examination, two sterile cotton swab sticks were introduced to collect pus samples from the medial part of the external auditory canal. The swabs were sent to the microbiology lab for Gram Staining, Culture, and Biochemical Tests, for identification of the different bacteriological agents and their antibiotic sensitivity patterns. Most common organism seen was Pseudomonas aeruginosa, followed by Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, mixed bacterial growth, and Candida spp. If regular monitoring of bacteriological profile is done in each hospital, this will help us to choose the antibiotics in a better manner and hence prevent the appearance of newer resistant strains.

How are Trypanosoma brucei receptors protected from host antibody-mediated attack?

Trypanosoma brucei is the causal agent of African Trypanosomiasis in humans and other animals. It maintains a long-term infection through an antigenic variation based population survival strategy. To proliferate in a mammal, T. brucei acquires iron and haem through the receptor mediated uptake of host transferrin and haptoglobin-hemoglobin respectively. The receptors are exposed to host antibodies but this does not lead to clearance of the infection. Here we discuss how the trypanosome avoids this fate in the context of recent findings on the structure and cell biology of the receptors.

Role of Macrophage PIST Protein in Regulating Leishmania major Infection.

PDZ protein interacting specifically with Tc10 or PIST is a mammalian trans-Golgi resident protein that regulates subcellular sorting of plasma membrane receptors. PIST has recently emerged as a key player in regulating viral pathogenesis. Nevertheless, the involvement of PIST in parasitic infections remains unexplored. Leishmania parasites infiltrate their host macrophage cells through phagocytosis, where they subsequently multiply within the parasitophorous vacuole (PV). Host cell autophagy has been found to be important in regulating this parasite infection. Since PIST plays a pivotal role in triggering autophagy through the Beclin 1-PI3KC3 pathway, it becomes interesting to identify the status of PIST during Leishmania infection. We found that while macrophage cells are infected with Leishmania major (L. major), the expression of PIST protein remains unaltered; however, it traffics from the Golgi compartment to PV. Further, we identified that in L. major-infected macrophage cells, PIST associates with the autophagy regulatory protein Beclin 1 within the PVs; however, PIST does not interact with LC3. Reduction in PIST protein through siRNA silencing significantly increased parasite burden, whereas overexpression of PIST in macrophages restricted L. major infectivity. Together, our study reports that the macrophage PIST protein is essential in regulating L. major infectivity.

A green bio-organic catalyst (taurine) promoted one-pot synthesis of (R/S)-2-thioxo-3,4-dihydropyrimidine(TDHPM)-5-carboxanilides: chiral investigations using circular dichroism and validation by computational approaches.

Owing to the massive importance of dihydropyrimidine (DHPMs) scaffolds in the pharmaceutical industry and other areas, we developed an effective and sustainable one-pot reaction protocol for the synthesis of (R/S)-2-thioxo-DHPM-5-carboxanilides via the Biginelli-type cyclo-condensation reaction of aryl aldehydes, thiourea and various acetoacetanilide derivatives in ethanol at 100 °C. In this protocol, taurine was used as a green and reusable bio-organic catalyst. Twenty-three novel derivatives of (R/S)-TDHPM-5-carboxanilides and their structures were confirmed by various spectroscopy techniques. The aforementioned compounds were synthesized via the formation of one asymmetric centre, one new C-C bond, and two new C-N bonds in the final product. All the newly synthesized compounds were obtained in their racemic form with up to 99% yield. In addition, the separation of the racemic mixture of all the newly synthesized compounds was carried out by chiral HPLC (Prep LC), which provided up to 99.99% purity. The absolute configuration of all the enantiomerically pure isomers was determined using a circular dichroism study and validated by a computational approach. With up to 99% yield of 4d, this one-pot synthetic approach can also be useful for large-scale industrial production. One of the separated isomers (4R)-(+)-4S developed as a single crystal, and it was found that this crystal structure was orthorhombic.

Spin resolved topological bulk state in acoustics.

Extremely rare topologically protected acoustic energy sink is presented in this article. Acoustic topological phenomena are generally described using quantum anomalous hall effects (QAHE), quantum valley hall effects (QVHE), and quantum spin hall effects (QSHE) where spin orbit coupling is predominant. Topological edge states are demonstrated by bulk-boundary distinction when the bulk is insulated. In this article topological acoustic conductor and its phenomena are theoretically demonstrated where the boundaries are insulated. This is exactly opposite to the behavior of a topological acoustic insulator. Phenomena presented in this article could not be explained by any of the trio Quantum Hall effects. To explain the phenomenon phononic crystals or PnCs were designed to obtain accidental triple degeneracies, resulting a Dirac-like cone at the Γ point ([Formula: see text]). The phenomenon is microarchitecture and microrotation field independent. Here time reversal symmetry or the space inversion symmetry is not broken, and the degenerated 'Deaf band' dominates the local dispersion with a syncline top band. This scenario results in continuously changing 'up spin' and 'down spin' of the wave energy in the media and remain trapped without specific preferential direction of wave transport. The spin was found to generate the spin angular momentum, causing the switching in geometric phase from [Formula: see text] in cyclic pattern, keeping the energy trapped inside the bulk media.

Surface Acoustic Waves (SAW) Sensors: Tone-Burst Sensing for Lab-on-a-Chip Devices.

The article presents the design concept of a surface acoustic wave (SAW)-based lab-on-a-chip sensor with multifrequency and multidirectional sensitivity. The conventional SAW sensors use delay lines that suffer from multiple signal losses such as insertion, reflection, transmission losses, etc. Most delay lines are designed to transmit and receive continuous signal at a fixed frequency. Thus, the delay lines are limited to only a few features, like frequency shift and change in wave velocity, during the signal analysis. These facts lead to limited sensitivity and a lack of opportunity to utilize the multi-directional variability of the sensing platform at different frequencies. Motivated by these facts, a guided wave sensing platform that utilizes simultaneous tone burst-based excitation in multiple directions is proposed in this article. The design incorporates a five-count tone burst signal for the omnidirectional actuation. This helps the acquisition of sensitive long part of the coda wave (CW) signals from multiple directions, which is hypothesized to enhance sensitivity through improved signal analysis. In this article, the design methodology and implementation of unique tone burst interdigitated electrodes (TB-IDT) are presented. Sensing using TB-IDT enables accessing multiple frequencies simultaneously. This results in a wider frequency spectrum and allows better scope for the detection of different target analytes. The novel design process utilized guided wave analysis of the substrate, and selective directional focused interdigitated electrodes (F-IDT) were implemented. The article demonstrates computational simulation along with experimental results with validation of multifrequency and multidirectional sensing capability.

Indole clubbed 2,4-thiazolidinedione linked 1,2,3-triazole as a potent antimalarial and antibacterial agent against drug-resistant strain and molecular modeling studies.

In the face of escalating challenges of microbial resistance strains, this study describes the design and synthesis of 5-({1-[(1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methyl]-1H-indol-3-yl}methylene)thiazolidine-2,4-dione derivatives, which have demonstrated significant antimicrobial properties. Compared with the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) values of ciprofloxacin on the respective strains, compounds 5a, 5d, 5g, 5l, and 5m exhibited potent antibacterial activity with MIC values ranging from 16 to 25 µM. Almost all the synthesized compounds showed lower MIC compared to standards against vancomycin-resistant enterococcus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains. Additionally, the majority of the synthesized compounds demonstrated remarkable antifungal activity, against Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger, as compared to nystatin, griseofulvin, and fluconazole. Furthermore, the majority of compounds exhibited notable inhibitory effects against the Plasmodium falciparum strain, having IC50 values ranging from 1.31 to 2.79 µM as compared to standard quinine (2.71 µM). Cytotoxicity evaluation of compounds 5a-q on SHSY-5Y cells at up to 100 µg/mL showed no adverse effects. Comparison with control groups highlights their noncytotoxic characteristics. Molecular docking confirmed compound binding to target active sites, with stable protein-ligand complexes displaying drug-like molecules. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed dynamic stability and interactions. Rigorous tests and molecular modeling unveil the effectiveness of the compounds against drug-resistant microbes, providing hope for new antimicrobial compounds with potential safety.

Fear extinction is regulated by the activity of long noncoding RNAs at the synapse.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) represent a multidimensional class of regulatory molecules that are involved in many aspects of brain function. Emerging evidence indicates that lncRNAs are localized to the synapse; however, a direct role for their activity in this subcellular compartment in memory formation has yet to be demonstrated. Using lncRNA capture-seq, we identified a specific set of lncRNAs that accumulate in the synaptic compartment within the infralimbic prefrontal cortex of adult male C57/Bl6 mice. Among these was a splice variant related to the stress-associated lncRNA, Gas5. RNA immunoprecipitation followed by mass spectrometry and single-molecule imaging revealed that this Gas5 isoform, in association with the RNA binding proteins G3BP2 and CAPRIN1, regulates the activity-dependent trafficking and clustering of RNA granules. In addition, we found that cell-type-specific, activity-dependent, and synapse-specific knockdown of the Gas5 variant led to impaired fear extinction memory. These findings identify a new mechanism of fear extinction that involves the dynamic interaction between local lncRNA activity and RNA condensates in the synaptic compartment.

Development and optimisation of in vitro sonodynamic therapy for glioblastoma.

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is currently on critical path for glioblastoma therapeutics. SDT is a non-invasive approach utilising focused ultrasound to activate photosensitisers like 5-ALA to impede tumour growth. Unfortunately, the molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic functions of SDT remain enigmatic. This is primarily due to the lack of intricately optimised instrumentation capable of modulating SDT delivery to glioma cells in vitro. Consequently, very little information is available on the effects of SDT on glioma stem cells which are key drivers of gliomagenesis and recurrence. To address this, the current study has developed and validated an automated in vitro SDT system to allow the application and mapping of focused ultrasound fields under varied exposure conditions and setup configurations. The study optimizes ultrasound frequency, intensity, plate base material, thermal effect, and the integration of live cells. Indeed, in the presence of 5-ALA, focused ultrasound induces apoptotic cell death in primary patient-derived glioma cells with concurrent upregulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species. Intriguingly, primary glioma stem neurospheres also exhibit remarkably reduced 3D growth upon SDT exposure. Taken together, the study reports an in vitro system for SDT applications on tissue culture-based disease models to potentially benchmark the novel approach to the current standard-of-care.

Sacral ependymoma presents 20 years after initial posterior fossa lesion.

Posterior fossa ependymomas (PFEs) are designated histologically as low-grade neoplasms. Despite being characterised as benign, cases of metastasis have been reported only a few times with the patients concurrently diagnosed with the primary tumour. Interval drop metastasis or spontaneous second distal tumours are extremely rare and, in most cases, are diagnosed within a few months of primary tumour resection. Here, we report a patient with a grade 2 paediatric PFE exhibiting a 20-year interval to a second sacral ependymoma. The patient was initially diagnosed with a PFE at the age of 10 years and underwent tumour resection and postoperative radiotherapy. In their late 20s, the patient presented with basilar artery occlusion complicated by life-threatening epistaxis. Post-thrombolysis, the patient presented with a large sacral grade 1 myxopapillary ependymoma with cauda equina syndrome-like symptoms. Here, we present a rare case of two ependymomas with a 20-year interval in the same patient with compounding comorbidities.

CRISPR Based Programmable RNA Editing in Primary Hippocampal Neurons.

Investigating the RNA regulation landscape primarily relies on understanding how RNA-protein interactions are governed in various cell types, including neurons. Analysis of RNA-protein interactions in physiological environments warrants the development of new tools that rely on RNA manipulation. Recently, a CRISPR-based RNA-editing tool (dCas13b-ADAR2DD ) was developed to mitigate disease-associated point mutations in cell lines. Here, we explored the targeted sequence editing potential of the tool (dCas13b-ADAR2DD system) by adapting it to manipulate RNA function to visualize RNA editing in primary hippocampal neurons. This two-component system includes a programmable guide RNA (gRNA) complementary to the target RNA and a catalytically dead version of the Cas13b enzyme fused to ADAR. The RNA editing protocol outlined in this article relies on gRNA-dependent targeting of the dCas13b-ADAR fusion protein to the mutant form of the Dendra2 transcript. Dendra2 is not required for intrinsic cellular functioning. It was ectopically expressed for fluorescent detection as a proof-of-principle demonstration of targeted RNA editing. We first abrogated the fluorescence of Dendra2 by introducing a nonsense mutation that precludes the formation of the functional protein. To visualize the efficacy of the RNA editing in neurons, we used the dCas13b-ADAR2DD system to edit specific nucleotides within the Dendra2 mRNA to restore the amino acid codes critical for Dendra2 fluorescence. This method lays the foundation for future studies on the dynamics of activity-induced RNA-protein interactions in neurons and can be extended to manipulate the endogenous RNome in diverse neuronal subtypes. Furthermore, this methodology will enable investigators to visualize the spatial and temporal resolution of RNA-protein interactions without altering the genomes via conventional methods. © 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Support Protocol: Preparation of mouse primary hippocampal culture Basic Protocol: Targeted editing of RNA.

Defective quality control autophagy in Hyperhomocysteinemia promotes ER stress and consequent neuronal apoptosis through proteotoxicity.

Homocysteine (Hcy), produced physiologically in all cells, is an intermediate metabolite of methionine and cysteine metabolism. Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) resulting from an in-born error of metabolism that leads to accumulation of high levels of Hcy, is associated with vascular damage, neurodegeneration and cognitive decline. Using a HHcy model in neuronal cells, primary cortical neurons and transgenic zebrafish, we demonstrate diminished autophagy and Hcy-induced neurotoxicity associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, fragmentation and apoptosis. We find this mitochondrial dysfunction is due to Hcy-induced proteotoxicity leading to ER stress. We show this sustained proteotoxicity originates from the perturbation of upstream autophagic pathways through an aberrant activation of mTOR and that protetoxic stress act as a feedforward cues to aggravate a sustained ER stress that culminate to mitochondrial apoptosis in HHcy model systems. Using chemical chaperones to mitigate sustained ER stress, Hcy-induced proteotoxicity and consequent neurotoxicity were rescued. We also rescue neuronal lethality by activation of autophagy and thereby reducing proteotoxicity and ER stress. Our findings pave the way to devise new strategies for the treatment of neural and cognitive pathologies reported in HHcy, by either activation of upstream autophagy or by suppression of downstream ER stress. Video Abstract.

Muscleblind-1 interacts with tubulin mRNAs to regulate the microtubule cytoskeleton in C. elegans mechanosensory neurons.

Regulation of the microtubule cytoskeleton is crucial for the development and maintenance of neuronal architecture, and recent studies have highlighted the significance of regulated RNA processing in the establishment and maintenance of neural circuits. In a genetic screen conducted using mechanosensory neurons of C. elegans, we identified a mutation in muscleblind-1/mbl-1 as a suppressor of loss of kinesin-13 family microtubule destabilizing factor klp-7. Muscleblind-1(MBL-1) is an RNA-binding protein that regulates the splicing, localization, and stability of RNA. Our findings demonstrate that mbl-1 is required cell-autonomously for axon growth and proper synapse positioning in the posterior lateral microtubule (PLM) neuron. Loss of mbl-1 leads to increased microtubule dynamics and mixed orientation of microtubules in the anterior neurite of PLM. These defects are also accompanied by abnormal axonal transport of the synaptic protein RAB-3 and reduction of gentle touch sensation in mbl-1 mutant. Our data also revealed that mbl-1 is genetically epistatic to mec-7 (ß tubulin) and mec-12 (α tubulin) in regulating axon growth. Furthermore, mbl-1 is epistatic to sad-1, an ortholog of BRSK/Brain specific-serine/threonine kinase and a known regulator of synaptic machinery, for synapse formation at the correct location of the PLM neurite. Notably, the immunoprecipitation of MBL-1 resulted in the co-purification of mec-7, mec-12, and sad-1 mRNAs, suggesting a direct interaction between MBL-1 and these transcripts. Additionally, mbl-1 mutants exhibited reduced levels and stability of mec-7 and mec-12 transcripts. Our study establishes a previously unknown link between RNA-binding proteins and cytoskeletal machinery, highlighting their crucial roles in the development and maintenance of the nervous system.