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1.
Cell ; 175(5): 1430-1442.e17, 2018 11 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30454650

ABSTRACT

In eukaryotic cells, organelles and the cytoskeleton undergo highly dynamic yet organized interactions capable of orchestrating complex cellular functions. Visualizing these interactions requires noninvasive, long-duration imaging of the intracellular environment at high spatiotemporal resolution and low background. To achieve these normally opposing goals, we developed grazing incidence structured illumination microscopy (GI-SIM) that is capable of imaging dynamic events near the basal cell cortex at 97-nm resolution and 266 frames/s over thousands of time points. We employed multi-color GI-SIM to characterize the fast dynamic interactions of diverse organelles and the cytoskeleton, shedding new light on the complex behaviors of these structures. Precise measurements of microtubule growth or shrinkage events helped distinguish among models of microtubule dynamic instability. Analysis of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) interactions with other organelles or microtubules uncovered new ER remodeling mechanisms, such as hitchhiking of the ER on motile organelles. Finally, ER-mitochondria contact sites were found to promote both mitochondrial fission and fusion.


Subject(s)
Endoplasmic Reticulum/metabolism , Microtubules/metabolism , Mitochondria/metabolism , Mitochondrial Dynamics , Animals , COS Cells , Cell Line, Tumor , Chlorocebus aethiops , Humans , Microscopy, Fluorescence
2.
Mol Cell ; 84(2): 375-385.e7, 2024 Jan 18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38103556

ABSTRACT

Cyclic-oligonucleotide-based anti-phage signaling system (CBASS) is a common immune system that uses cyclic oligonucleotide signals to limit phage replication. In turn, phages encode anti-CBASS (Acb) proteins such as Acb2, which can sequester some cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) and limit downstream effector activation. Here, we identified that Acb2 sequesters many CDNs produced by CBASS systems and inhibits stimulator of interferon genes (STING) activity in human cells. Surprisingly, the Acb2 hexamer also binds with high affinity to CBASS cyclic trinucleotides (CTNs) 3'3'3'-cyclic AMP-AMP-AMP and 3'3'3'-cAAG at a distinct site from CDNs. One Acb2 hexamer can simultaneously bind two CTNs and three CDNs. Phage-encoded Acb2 provides protection from type III-C CBASS that uses cA3 signaling molecules. Moreover, phylogenetic analysis of >2,000 Acb2 homologs encoded by diverse phages and prophages revealed that most are expected to bind both CTNs and CDNs. Altogether, Acb2 sequesters nearly all known CBASS signaling molecules through two distinct binding pockets and therefore serves as a broad-spectrum inhibitor of cGAS-based immunity.


Subject(s)
Bacteriophages , Nucleotides, Cyclic , Humans , Nucleotides, Cyclic/metabolism , Bacteriophages/genetics , Bacteriophages/metabolism , Phylogeny , Cyclic AMP , Oligonucleotides
3.
Mol Cell ; 84(4): 760-775.e7, 2024 Feb 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38215751

ABSTRACT

Apart from the canonical serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT])-receptor signaling transduction pattern, 5-HT-involved post-translational serotonylation has recently been noted. Here, we report a glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) serotonylation system that promotes the glycolytic metabolism and antitumor immune activity of CD8+ T cells. Tissue transglutaminase 2 (TGM2) transfers 5-HT to GAPDH glutamine 262 and catalyzes the serotonylation reaction. Serotonylation supports the cytoplasmic localization of GAPDH, which induces a glycolytic metabolic shift in CD8+ T cells and contributes to antitumor immunity. CD8+ T cells accumulate intracellular 5-HT for serotonylation through both synthesis by tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1) and uptake from the extracellular compartment via serotonin transporter (SERT). Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) degrades 5-HT and acts as an intrinsic negative regulator of CD8+ T cells. The adoptive transfer of 5-HT-producing TPH1-overexpressing chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells induced a robust antitumor response. Our findings expand the known range of neuroimmune interaction patterns by providing evidence of receptor-independent serotonylation post-translational modification.


Subject(s)
CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes , Serotonin , CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/metabolism , Serotonin/metabolism , Serotonin/pharmacology , Protein Processing, Post-Translational , Signal Transduction
4.
Nature ; 626(7997): 72-78, 2024 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38297173

ABSTRACT

Recent breakthroughs in fibre technology have enabled the assembly of functional materials with intimate interfaces into a single fibre with specific geometries1-11, delivering diverse functionalities over a large area, for example, serving as sensors, actuators, energy harvesting and storage, display, and healthcare apparatus12-17. As semiconductors are the critical component that governs device performance, the selection, control and engineering of semiconductors inside fibres are the key pathways to enabling high-performance functional fibres. However, owing to stress development and capillary instability in the high-yield fibre thermal drawing, both cracks and deformations in the semiconductor cores considerably affect the performance of these fibres. Here we report a mechanical design to achieve ultralong, fracture-free and perturbation-free semiconductor fibres, guided by a study on stress development and capillary instability at three stages of the fibre formation: the viscous flow, the core crystallization and the subsequent cooling stage. Then, the exposed semiconductor wires can be integrated into a single flexible fibre with well-defined interfaces with metal electrodes, thereby achieving optoelectronic fibres and large-scale optoelectronic fabrics. This work provides fundamental insights into extreme mechanics and fluid dynamics with geometries that are inaccessible in traditional platforms, essentially addressing the increasing demand for flexible and wearable optoelectronics.

5.
Nature ; 628(8008): 630-638, 2024 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38538795

ABSTRACT

Lysosomes are degradation and signalling centres crucial for homeostasis, development and ageing1. To meet diverse cellular demands, lysosomes remodel their morphology and function through constant fusion and fission2,3. Little is known about the molecular basis of fission. Here we identify HPO-27, a conserved HEAT repeat protein, as a lysosome scission factor in Caenorhabditis elegans. Loss of HPO-27 impairs lysosome fission and leads to an excessive tubular network that ultimately collapses. HPO-27 and its human homologue MROH1 are recruited to lysosomes by RAB-7 and enriched at scission sites. Super-resolution imaging, negative-staining electron microscopy and in vitro reconstitution assays reveal that HPO-27 and MROH1 self-assemble to mediate the constriction and scission of lysosomal tubules in worms and mammalian cells, respectively, and assemble to sever supported membrane tubes in vitro. Loss of HPO-27 affects lysosomal morphology, integrity and degradation activity, which impairs animal development and longevity. Thus, HPO-27 and MROH1 act as self-assembling scission factors to maintain lysosomal homeostasis and function.


Subject(s)
Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins , Caenorhabditis elegans , Lysosomes , Animals , Humans , Caenorhabditis elegans/cytology , Caenorhabditis elegans/metabolism , Caenorhabditis elegans/ultrastructure , Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins/chemistry , Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins/genetics , Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins/metabolism , Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins/ultrastructure , Homeostasis , Longevity , Lysosomes/metabolism , Lysosomes/ultrastructure , Amino Acid Motifs , Microscopy, Electron
6.
Mol Cell ; 81(13): 2823-2837.e9, 2021 07 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34015248

ABSTRACT

DNA-induced liquid-liquid phase separation of cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) triggers a potent response to detect pathogen infection and promote innate immune signaling. Whether and how pathogens manipulate cGAS-DNA condensation to mediate immune evasion is unknown. We report the identification of a structurally related viral tegument protein family, represented by ORF52 and VP22 from gamma- and alpha-herpesvirinae, respectively, that employs a conserved mechanism to restrict cGAS-DNA phase separation. ORF52/VP22 proteins accumulate into, and effectively disrupt, the pre-formed cGAS-DNA condensation both in vitro and in cells. The inhibition process is dependent on DNA-induced liquid-liquid phase separation of the viral protein rather than a direct interaction with cGAS. Moreover, highly abundant ORF52 proteins carried within viral particles are able to target cGAS-DNA phase separation in early infection stage. Our results define ORF52/VP22-type tegument proteins as a family of inhibitors targeting cGAS-DNA phase separation and demonstrate a mechanism for how viruses overcome innate immunity.


Subject(s)
Alphaherpesvirinae , Betaherpesvirinae , DNA , Herpesviridae Infections , Immune Evasion , Nucleotidyltransferases , Viral Structural Proteins , Alphaherpesvirinae/chemistry , Alphaherpesvirinae/genetics , Alphaherpesvirinae/immunology , Betaherpesvirinae/chemistry , Betaherpesvirinae/genetics , Betaherpesvirinae/immunology , DNA/chemistry , DNA/genetics , DNA/immunology , HEK293 Cells , HeLa Cells , Herpesviridae Infections/genetics , Herpesviridae Infections/immunology , Humans , Immunity, Innate , Nucleotidyltransferases/chemistry , Nucleotidyltransferases/genetics , Nucleotidyltransferases/immunology , Viral Structural Proteins/chemistry , Viral Structural Proteins/genetics , Viral Structural Proteins/immunology
7.
EMBO J ; 43(13): 2606-2635, 2024 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38806659

ABSTRACT

Microtubule-based kinesin motor proteins are crucial for intracellular transport, but their hyperactivation can be detrimental for cellular functions. This study investigated the impact of a constitutively active ciliary kinesin mutant, OSM-3CA, on sensory cilia in C. elegans. Surprisingly, we found that OSM-3CA was absent from cilia but underwent disposal through membrane abscission at the tips of aberrant neurites. Neighboring glial cells engulf and eliminate the released OSM-3CA, a process that depends on the engulfment receptor CED-1. Through genetic suppressor screens, we identified intragenic mutations in the OSM-3CA motor domain and mutations inhibiting the ciliary kinase DYF-5, both of which restored normal cilia in OSM-3CA-expressing animals. We showed that conformational changes in OSM-3CA prevent its entry into cilia, and OSM-3CA disposal requires its hyperactivity. Finally, we provide evidence that neurons also dispose of hyperactive kinesin-1 resulting from a clinic variant associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, suggesting a widespread mechanism for regulating hyperactive kinesins.


Subject(s)
Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins , Caenorhabditis elegans , Cilia , Kinesins , Neuroglia , Animals , Caenorhabditis elegans/metabolism , Caenorhabditis elegans/genetics , Kinesins/metabolism , Kinesins/genetics , Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins/metabolism , Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins/genetics , Neuroglia/metabolism , Cilia/metabolism , Neurons/metabolism , Mutation , Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/metabolism , Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/genetics , Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/pathology
8.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A ; 121(5): e2311936121, 2024 Jan 30.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38271337

ABSTRACT

KIF1A, a microtubule-based motor protein responsible for axonal transport, is linked to a group of neurological disorders known as KIF1A-associated neurological disorder (KAND). Current therapeutic options for KAND are limited. Here, we introduced the clinically relevant KIF1A(R11Q) variant into the Caenorhabditis elegans homolog UNC-104, resulting in uncoordinated animal behaviors. Through genetic suppressor screens, we identified intragenic mutations in UNC-104's motor domain that rescued synaptic vesicle localization and coordinated movement. We showed that two suppressor mutations partially recovered motor activity in vitro by counteracting the structural defect caused by R11Q at KIF1A's nucleotide-binding pocket. We found that supplementation with fisetin, a plant flavonol, improved KIF1A(R11Q) worms' movement and morphology. Notably, our biochemical and single-molecule assays revealed that fisetin directly restored the ATPase activity and processive movement of human KIF1A(R11Q) without affecting wild-type KIF1A. These findings suggest fisetin as a potential intervention for enhancing KIF1A(R11Q) activity and alleviating associated defects in KAND.


Subject(s)
Kinesins , Synaptic Vesicles , Animals , Humans , Kinesins/metabolism , Synaptic Vesicles/metabolism , Neurons/metabolism , Caenorhabditis elegans/genetics , Caenorhabditis elegans/metabolism , Mutation
9.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A ; 121(14): e2321645121, 2024 Apr 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38527201

ABSTRACT

Central Asia (CA) is one of the world's most significant arid regions, which is markedly impacted by global warming. A better understanding of the dynamical processes governing its Holocene climate variability is critical for a better understanding of possible future impacts of climate change in the region. To date, most of the existing CA paleoclimate records are from the summer precipitation-dominated eastern CA (ECA), with few records from the winter precipitation-dominated western CA (WCA). Here, we present a precisely dated (~6‰) and highly resolved (<4-y) record of hydroclimatic variations from the WCA covering the period between 7,774 and 656 y BP. Utilizing multiple proxies (δ18O, δ13C, and Sr/Ca) derived from a stalagmite from the Fergana Valley, Kyrgyzstan, we reveal a long-term drying trend in WCA, which is in contrast with the wetting trend in ECA. We propose that different responses of winter and summer westerly jets to seasonal solar insolation over the past 8,000 y may have resulted in an antiphased precipitation relationship between the WCA and ECA. Our data contain dominant quasiperiodicities of 1,400, 50 to 70, and 20 to 30 y, indicating close connections between the WCA climate and the North Atlantic. We further identified a series of droughts and pluvials on centennial-to-decadal timescales, which may have influenced regional societies and trans-Eurasian culture exchanges during historical and prehistorical times.

10.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A ; 121(4): e2312556121, 2024 Jan 23.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38227655

ABSTRACT

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a zoonotic disease caused by the rodent-transmitted orthohantaviruses (HVs), with China possessing the most cases globally. The virus hosts in China are Apodemus agrarius and Rattus norvegicus, and the disease spread is strongly influenced by global climate dynamics. To assess and predict the spatiotemporal trends of HFRS from 2005 to 2098, we collected historical HFRS data in mainland China (2005-2020), historical and projected climate and population data (2005-2098), and spatial variables including biotic, environmental, topographical, and socioeconomic. Spatiotemporal predictions and mapping were conducted under 27 scenarios incorporating multiple integrated representative concentration pathway models and population scenarios. We identify the type of magistral HVs host species as the best spatial division, including four region categories. Seven extreme climate indices associated with temperature and precipitation have been pinpointed as key factors affecting the trends of HFRS. Our predictions indicate that annual HFRS cases will increase significantly in 62 of 356 cities in mainland China. Rattus regions are predicted to be the most active, surpassing Apodemus and Mixed regions. Eighty cities are identified as at severe risk level for HFRS, each with over 50 reported cases annually, including 22 new cities primarily located in East China and Rattus regions after 2020, while 6 others develop new risk. Our results suggest that the risk of HFRS will remain high through the end of this century, with Rattus norvegicus being the most active host, and that extreme climate indices are significant risk factors. Our findings can inform evidence-based policymaking regarding future risk of HFRS.


Subject(s)
Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome , Rats , Animals , Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome/epidemiology , Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome/etiology , Climate , Zoonoses , China/epidemiology , Murinae , Incidence
11.
Brief Bioinform ; 25(4)2024 May 23.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38851299

ABSTRACT

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are the basis of many important biological processes, with protein complexes being the key forms implementing these interactions. Understanding protein complexes and their functions is critical for elucidating mechanisms of life processes, disease diagnosis and treatment and drug development. However, experimental methods for identifying protein complexes have many limitations. Therefore, it is necessary to use computational methods to predict protein complexes. Protein sequences can indicate the structure and biological functions of proteins, while also determining their binding abilities with other proteins, influencing the formation of protein complexes. Integrating these characteristics to predict protein complexes is very promising, but currently there is no effective framework that can utilize both protein sequence and PPI network topology for complex prediction. To address this challenge, we have developed HyperGraphComplex, a method based on hypergraph variational autoencoder that can capture expressive features from protein sequences without feature engineering, while also considering topological properties in PPI networks, to predict protein complexes. Experiment results demonstrated that HyperGraphComplex achieves satisfactory predictive performance when compared with state-of-art methods. Further bioinformatics analysis shows that the predicted protein complexes have similar attributes to known ones. Moreover, case studies corroborated the remarkable predictive capability of our model in identifying protein complexes, including 3 that were not only experimentally validated by recent studies but also exhibited high-confidence structural predictions from AlphaFold-Multimer. We believe that the HyperGraphComplex algorithm and our provided proteome-wide high-confidence protein complex prediction dataset will help elucidate how proteins regulate cellular processes in the form of complexes, and facilitate disease diagnosis and treatment and drug development. Source codes are available at https://github.com/LiDlab/HyperGraphComplex.


Subject(s)
Computational Biology , Protein Interaction Mapping , Computational Biology/methods , Protein Interaction Mapping/methods , Proteins/metabolism , Proteins/chemistry , Algorithms , Protein Interaction Maps , Databases, Protein , Humans , Sequence Analysis, Protein/methods , Amino Acid Sequence
12.
Brief Bioinform ; 25(2)2024 Jan 22.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38517698

ABSTRACT

The high-throughput genomic and proteomic scanning approaches allow investigators to measure the quantification of genome-wide genes (or gene products) for certain disease conditions, which plays an essential role in promoting the discovery of disease mechanisms. The high-throughput approaches often generate a large gene list of interest (GOIs), such as differentially expressed genes/proteins. However, researchers have to perform manual triage and validation to explore the most promising, biologically plausible linkages between the known disease genes and GOIs (disease signals) for further study. Here, to address this challenge, we proposed a network-based strategy DDK-Linker to facilitate the exploration of disease signals hidden in omics data by linking GOIs to disease knowns genes. Specifically, it reconstructed gene distances in the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network through six network methods (random walk with restart, Deepwalk, Node2Vec, LINE, HOPE, Laplacian) to discover disease signals in omics data that have shorter distances to disease genes. Furthermore, benefiting from the establishment of knowledge base we established, the abundant bioinformatics annotations were provided for each candidate disease signal. To assist in omics data interpretation and facilitate the usage, we have developed this strategy into an application that users can access through a website or download the R package. We believe DDK-Linker will accelerate the exploring of disease genes and drug targets in a variety of omics data, such as genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics data, and provide clues for complex disease mechanism and pharmacological research. DDK-Linker is freely accessible at http://ddklinker.ncpsb.org.cn/.


Subject(s)
Proteomics , Software , Proteomics/methods , Genomics/methods , Computational Biology/methods , Protein Interaction Maps
13.
Cell ; 145(7): 1049-61, 2011 Jun 24.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21703449

ABSTRACT

Atf1, the fission yeast homolog of activation transcription factor-2 (ATF-2), contributes to heterochromatin formation. However, the role of ATF-2 in chromatin assembly in higher organisms remains unknown. This study reveals that Drosophila ATF-2 (dATF-2) is required for heterochromatin assembly, whereas the stress-induced phosphorylation of dATF-2, via Mekk1-p38, disrupts heterochromatin. The dATF-2 protein colocalized with HP1, not only on heterochromatin but also at specific loci in euchromatin. Heat shock or osmotic stress induced phosphorylation of dATF-2 and resulted in its release from heterochromatin. This heterochromatic disruption was an epigenetic event that was transmitted to the next generation in a non-Mendelian fashion. When embryos were exposed to heat stress over multiple generations, the defective chromatin state was maintained over multiple successive generations, though it gradually returned to the normal state. The results suggest a mechanism by which the effects of stress are inherited epigenetically via the regulation of a tight chromatin structure.


Subject(s)
Activating Transcription Factor 2/metabolism , Drosophila Proteins/metabolism , Drosophila melanogaster/growth & development , Drosophila melanogaster/genetics , Heterochromatin/metabolism , Activating Transcription Factor 2/analysis , Activating Transcription Factor 2/genetics , Animals , Drosophila Proteins/analysis , Drosophila Proteins/genetics , Drosophila melanogaster/metabolism , Epigenomics , Euchromatin/metabolism , Female , Heterochromatin/chemistry , MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 1/metabolism , Male , Mutagenesis , Phosphorylation , Signal Transduction , Stress, Physiological , p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism
14.
Mol Cell Proteomics ; 23(1): 100686, 2024 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38008179

ABSTRACT

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, ranking fourth in frequency. The relationship between metabolic reprogramming and immune infiltration has been identified as having a crucial impact on HCC progression. However, a deeper understanding of the interplay between the immune system and metabolism in the HCC microenvironment is required. In this study, we used a proteomic dataset to identify three immune subtypes (IM1-IM3) in HCC, each of which has distinctive clinical, immune, and metabolic characteristics. Among these subtypes, IM3 was found to have the poorest prognosis, with the highest levels of immune infiltration and T-cell exhaustion. Furthermore, IM3 showed elevated glycolysis and reduced bile acid metabolism, which was strongly correlated with CD8 T cell exhaustion and regulatory T cell accumulation. Our study presents the proteomic immune stratification of HCC, revealing the possible link between immune cells and reprogramming of HCC glycolysis and bile acid metabolism, which may be a viable therapeutic strategy to improve HCC immunotherapy.


Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular , Liver Neoplasms , Humans , Proteome , Proteomics , Tumor Microenvironment , Bile Acids and Salts
15.
Nucleic Acids Res ; 52(D1): D1163-D1179, 2024 Jan 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37889038

ABSTRACT

Patient-derived gene expression signatures induced by cancer treatment, obtained from paired pre- and post-treatment clinical transcriptomes, can help reveal drug mechanisms of action (MOAs) in cancer patients and understand the molecular response mechanism of tumor sensitivity or resistance. Their integration and reuse may bring new insights. Paired pre- and post-treatment clinical transcriptomic data are rapidly accumulating. However, a lack of systematic collection makes data access, integration, and reuse challenging. We therefore present the Cancer Drug-induced gene expression Signature DataBase (CDS-DB). CDS-DB has collected 78 patient-derived, paired pre- and post-treatment transcriptomic source datasets with uniformly reprocessed expression profiles and manually curated metadata such as drug administration dosage, sampling time and location, and intrinsic drug response status. From these source datasets, 2012 patient-level gene perturbation signatures were obtained, covering 85 therapeutic regimens, 39 cancer subtypes and 3628 patient samples. Besides data browsing, download and search, CDS-DB also supports single signature analysis (including differential gene expression, functional enrichment, tumor microenvironment and correlation analyses), signature comparative analysis and signature connectivity analysis. This provides insights into drug MOA and its heterogeneity in patients, drug resistance mechanisms, drug repositioning and drug (combination) discovery, etc. CDS-DB is available at http://cdsdb.ncpsb.org.cn/.


Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents , Databases, Genetic , Gene Expression Profiling , Neoplasms , Humans , Antineoplastic Agents/administration & dosage , Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use , Neoplasms/drug therapy , Neoplasms/genetics , Transcriptome/genetics , Tumor Microenvironment , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/genetics
16.
Nucleic Acids Res ; 52(D1): D1110-D1120, 2024 Jan 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37904598

ABSTRACT

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is increasingly recognized and utilized worldwide. However, the complex ingredients of TCM and their interactions with the human body make elucidating molecular mechanisms challenging, which greatly hinders the modernization of TCM. In 2016, we developed BATMAN-TCM 1.0, which is an integrated database of TCM ingredient-target protein interaction (TTI) for pharmacology research. Here, to address the growing need for a higher coverage TTI dataset, and using omics data to screen active TCM ingredients or herbs for complex disease treatment, we updated BATMAN-TCM to version 2.0 (http://bionet.ncpsb.org.cn/batman-tcm/). Using the same protocol as version 1.0, we collected 17 068 known TTIs by manual curation (with a 62.3-fold increase), and predicted ∼2.3 million high-confidence TTIs. In addition, we incorporated three new features into the updated version: (i) it enables simultaneous exploration of the target of TCM ingredient for pharmacology research and TCM ingredients binding to target proteins for drug discovery; (ii) it has significantly expanded TTI coverage; and (iii) the website was redesigned for better user experience and higher speed. We believe that BATMAN-TCM 2.0, as a discovery repository, will contribute to the study of TCM molecular mechanisms and the development of new drugs for complex diseases.


Subject(s)
Databases, Pharmaceutical , Drugs, Chinese Herbal , Medicine, Chinese Traditional , Network Pharmacology , Humans , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry , Proteins
17.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A ; 120(13): e2221049120, 2023 Mar 28.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36940332

ABSTRACT

Smart adhesives that can be applied and removed on demand play an important role in modern life and manufacturing. However, current smart adhesives made of elastomers suffer from the long-standing challenges of the adhesion paradox (rapid decrease in adhesion strength on rough surfaces despite adhesive molecular interactions) and the switchability conflict (trade-off between adhesion strength and easy detachment). Here, we report the use of shape-memory polymers (SMPs) to overcome the adhesion paradox and switchability conflict on rough surfaces. Utilizing the rubbery-glassy phase transition in SMPs, we demonstrate, through mechanical testing and mechanics modeling, that the conformal contact in the rubbery state followed by the shape-locking effect in the glassy state results in the so-called rubber-to-glass (R2G) adhesion (defined as making contact in the rubbery state to a certain indentation depth followed by detachment in the glassy state), with extraordinary adhesion strength (>1 MPa) proportional to the true surface area of a rough surface, overcoming the classic adhesion paradox. Furthermore, upon transitioning back to the rubbery state, the SMP adhesives can detach easily due to the shape-memory effect, leading to a simultaneous improvement in adhesion switchability (up to 103, defined as the ratio of the SMP R2G adhesion to its rubbery-state adhesion) as the surface roughness increases. The working principle and the mechanics model of R2G adhesion provide guidelines for developing stronger and more switchable adhesives adaptable to rough surfaces, thereby enhancing the capabilities of smart adhesives, and impacting various fields such as adhesive grippers and climbing robots.

18.
J Biol Chem ; 300(1): 105487, 2024 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37995941

ABSTRACT

Oligodendrocyte precursor cells are present in the adult central nervous system, and their impaired ability to differentiate into myelinating oligodendrocytes can lead to demyelination in patients with multiple sclerosis, accompanied by neurological deficits and cognitive impairment. Exosomes, small vesicles released by cells, are known to facilitate intercellular communication by carrying bioactive molecules. In this study, we utilized exosomes derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUMSCs-Exos). We performed sequencing and bioinformatics analysis of exosome-treated cells to demonstrate that HUMSCs-Exos can stimulate myelin gene expression in oigodendrocyte precursor cells. Functional investigations revealed that HUMSCs-Exos activate the Pi3k/Akt pathway and regulate the Tbr1/Wnt signaling molecules through the transfer of miR-23a-3p, promoting oligodendrocytes differentiation and enhancing the expression of myelin-related proteins. In an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis model, treatment with HUMSCs-Exos significantly improved neurological function and facilitated remyelination. This study provides cellular and molecular insights into the use of cell-free exosome therapy for central nervous system demyelination associated with multiple sclerosis, demonstrating its great potential for treating demyelinating and neurodegenerative diseases.


Subject(s)
Exosomes , Mesenchymal Stem Cells , MicroRNAs , Multiple Sclerosis , Remyelination , Adult , Humans , Cell Differentiation/genetics , Exosomes/metabolism , Mesenchymal Stem Cells/cytology , Mesenchymal Stem Cells/metabolism , MicroRNAs/metabolism , MicroRNAs/pharmacology , MicroRNAs/therapeutic use , Multiple Sclerosis/genetics , Multiple Sclerosis/therapy , Multiple Sclerosis/metabolism , Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism , Remyelination/drug effects , Remyelination/genetics , Umbilical Cord/cytology , Umbilical Cord/metabolism , Wnt Signaling Pathway/drug effects , Signal Transduction/drug effects , Signal Transduction/genetics , T-Box Domain Proteins/metabolism , Disease Models, Animal , Cells, Cultured
19.
J Cell Sci ; 136(15)2023 08 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37461827

ABSTRACT

Protein palmitoylation is a post-translational lipid modification of proteins. Accumulating evidence reveals that palmitoylation functions as a sorting signal to direct proteins to destinations; however, the sorting mechanism remains largely unknown. Here, we show that ARF6 plays a general role in targeting palmitoylated proteins from the Golgi to the plasma membrane (PM). Through shRNA screening, we identified ARF6 as the key small GTPase in targeting CD36, a palmitoylated protein, from the Golgi to the PM. We found that the N-terminal myristoylation of ARF6 is required for its binding with palmitoylated CD36, and the GTP-bound form of ARF6 facilitates the delivery of CD36 to the PM. Analysis of stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture revealed that ARF6 might facilitate the sorting of 359 of the 531 palmitoylated PM proteins, indicating a general role of ARF6. Our study has thus identified a sorting mechanism for targeting palmitoylated proteins from the Golgi to the PM.


Subject(s)
Golgi Apparatus , Membrane Proteins , Cell Membrane/metabolism , Golgi Apparatus/metabolism , Membrane Proteins/metabolism , Protein Transport
20.
Nucleic Acids Res ; 51(13): 6634-6653, 2023 07 21.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37254808

ABSTRACT

Mammalian erythroid development can be divided into three stages: hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC), erythroid progenitor (Ery-Pro), and erythroid precursor (Ery-Pre). However, the mechanisms by which the 3D genome changes to establish the stage-specific transcription programs that are critical for erythropoiesis remain unclear. Here, we analyze the chromatin landscape at multiple levels in defined populations from primary human erythroid culture. While compartments and topologically associating domains remain largely unchanged, ∼50% of H3K27Ac-marked enhancers are dynamic in HSPC versus Ery-Pre. The enhancer anchors of enhancer-promoter loops are enriched for occupancy of respective stage-specific transcription factors (TFs), indicating these TFs orchestrate the enhancer connectome rewiring. The master TF of erythropoiesis, GATA1, is found to occupy most erythroid gene promoters at the Ery-Pro stage, and mediate conspicuous local rewiring through acquiring binding at the distal regions in Ery-Pre, promoting productive erythroid transcription output. Knocking out GATA1 binding sites precisely abrogates local rewiring and corresponding gene expression. Interestingly, knocking down GATA1 can transiently revert the cell state to an earlier stage and prolong the window of progenitor state. This study reveals mechanistic insights underlying chromatin rearrangements during development by integrating multidimensional chromatin landscape analyses to associate with transcription output and cellular states.


Subject(s)
Chromatin , Erythropoiesis , GATA1 Transcription Factor , Animals , Humans , Cell Differentiation , Chromatin/genetics , GATA1 Transcription Factor/genetics , GATA1 Transcription Factor/metabolism , Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid , Transcription Factors/genetics
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