Lrp10 suppresses IL7R limiting CD8 T cell homeostatic expansion and anti-tumor immunity.

Signals emanating from the T-cell receptor (TCR), co-stimulatory receptors, and cytokine receptors each influence CD8 T-cell fate. Understanding how these signals respond to homeostatic and microenvironmental cues can reveal new ways to therapeutically direct T-cell function. Through forward genetic screening in mice, we discover that loss-of-function mutations in LDL receptor-related protein 10 (Lrp10) cause naive and central memory CD8 T cells to accumulate in peripheral lymphoid organs. Lrp10 encodes a conserved cell surface protein of unknown immunological function. T-cell activation induces Lrp10 expression, which post-translationally suppresses IL7 receptor (IL7R) levels. Accordingly, Lrp10 deletion enhances T-cell homeostatic expansion through IL7R signaling. Lrp10-deficient mice are also intrinsically resistant to syngeneic tumors. This phenotype depends on dense tumor infiltration of CD8 T cells, which display increased memory cell characteristics, reduced terminal exhaustion, and augmented responses to immune checkpoint inhibition. Here, we present Lrp10 as a new negative regulator of CD8 T-cell homeostasis and a host factor that controls tumor resistance with implications for immunotherapy.

Calcium flux control by Pacs1-Wdr37 promotes lymphocyte quiescence and lymphoproliferative diseases.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) calcium (Ca2+ ) stores are critical to proteostasis, intracellular signaling, and cellular bioenergetics. Through forward genetic screening in mice, we identified two members of a new complex, Pacs1 and Wdr37, which are required for normal ER Ca2+ handling in lymphocytes. Deletion of Pacs1 or Wdr37 caused peripheral lymphopenia that was linked to blunted Ca2+ release from the ER after antigen receptor stimulation. Pacs1-deficient cells showed diminished inositol triphosphate receptor expression together with increased ER and oxidative stress. Mature Pacs1-/- B cells proliferated and died in vivo under lymphocyte replete conditions, indicating spontaneous loss of cellular quiescence. Disruption of Pacs1-Wdr37 did not diminish adaptive immune responses, but potently suppressed lymphoproliferative disease models by forcing loss of quiescence. Thus, Pacs1-Wdr37 plays a critical role in stabilizing lymphocyte populations through ER Ca2+ handling and presents a new target for lymphoproliferative disease therapy.

RNPS1 inhibits excessive tumor necrosis factor/tumor necrosis factor receptor signaling to support hematopoiesis in mice.

Null mutations of spliceosome components or cofactors are homozygous lethal in eukaryotes, but viable hypomorphic mutations provide an opportunity to understand the physiological impact of individual splicing proteins. We describe a viable missense allele (F181I) of Rnps1 encoding an essential regulator of splicing and nonsense-mediated decay (NMD), identified in a mouse genetic screen for altered immune cell development. Homozygous mice displayed a stem cell­intrinsic defect in hematopoiesis of all lineages due to excessive apoptosis induced by tumor necrosis factor (TNF)­dependent death signaling. Numerous transcript splice variants containing retained introns and skipped exons were detected at elevated frequencies in Rnps1F181I/F181I splenic CD8+ T cells and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), but NMD appeared normal. Strikingly, Tnf knockout rescued all hematopoietic cells to normal or near-normal levels in Rnps1F181I/F181I mice and dramatically reduced intron retention in Rnps1F181I/F181I CD8+ T cells and HSCs. Thus, RNPS1 is necessary for accurate splicing, without which disinhibited TNF signaling triggers hematopoietic cell death.

Association between predicted fat mass, predicted lean mass, predicted percent fat and type 2 diabetes mellitus in Japanese adults: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is known to have obesity as a risk factor. Body mass index cannot distinguish between lean mass and fat mass. We aimed to examine the association between predicted fat mass, predicted lean mass, predicted percent fat and risk of T2DM in Japanese adults. We also explored whether these three new parameters could predict T2DM better than other obesity markers. METHODS: This present study is a secondary data analysis. The study enrolled 20,944 Japanese individuals who participated in the NAGALA medical assessment program between 2004 and 2015. 15,453 participants who are eligible and have complete information were included to our analysis. Through the use of Kaplan-Meier curve, restricted cubic spline and univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis, the relationship between predicted fat mass, predicted lean mass, predicted percent fat and T2DM risk was examined. The area under the curve method was used to assess the differences between these markers of obesity. RESULTS: A total of 373 cases of T2DM occurred over a median time of 5.4 years. In the male group, we found a U-shaped connection between predicted fat mass, predicted lean mass, and T2DM onset (p value, non-linearity < 0.05). A linear relationship was found between predicted percent fat and T2DM onset. The linear relationship was also found in the female group for predicted fat mass, and predicted percent fat. And for women, predicted lean mass was not an independent predictor. The area under the curve (AUC) for predicted fat mass, predicted lean mass, predicted percent fat in men was 0.673 (95%CI: 0.639 ~ 0.707), 0.598 (95%CI: 0.561 ~ 0.635), 0.715 (95%CI: 0.684 ~ 0.745), respectively. In males, WHtR was the strongest predictor (AUC 0.7151, 95%CI: 0.684 ~ 0.746), followed by predicted percent fat (AUC 0.7150, 95%CI: 0.684 ~ 0.745). In the females, WHtR was also the strongest predictor (AUC 0.758, 95%CI: 0.703 ~ 0.813), followed by body mass index (AUC 0.757, 95%CI: 0.704 ~ 0.811) and predicted percent fat (AUC 0.742, 95%CI: 0.687 ~ 0.798). CONCLUSION: Predicted fat mass, predicted lean mass, predicted percent fat were strongly connected with an increased risk for developing T2DM in Japanese, particularly in males. WHtR and predicted percent fat had a slightly better discrimination than other common obesity indicators in males. In the females, predicted fat mass and predicted percent fat were associated with T2DM risk, WHtR and body mass index had the slightly higher predictive power.

Thousands of induced germline mutations affecting immune cells identified by automated meiotic mapping coupled with machine learning.

Forward genetic studies use meiotic mapping to adduce evidence that a particular mutation, normally induced by a germline mutagen, is causative of a particular phenotype. Particularly in small pedigrees, cosegregation of multiple mutations, occasional unawareness of mutations, and paucity of homozygotes may lead to erroneous declarations of cause and effect. We sought to improve the identification of mutations causing immune phenotypes in mice by creating Candidate Explorer (CE), a machine-learning software program that integrates 67 features of genetic mapping data into a single numeric score, mathematically convertible to the probability of verification of any putative mutation-phenotype association. At this time, CE has evaluated putative mutation-phenotype associations arising from screening damaging mutations in ∼55% of mouse genes for effects on flow cytometry measurements of immune cells in the blood. CE has therefore identified more than half of genes within which mutations can be causative of flow cytometric phenovariation in Mus musculus The majority of these genes were not previously known to support immune function or homeostasis. Mouse geneticists will find CE data informative in identifying causative mutations within quantitative trait loci, while clinical geneticists may use CE to help connect causative variants with rare heritable diseases of immunity, even in the absence of linkage information. CE displays integrated mutation, phenotype, and linkage data, and is freely available for query online.

The prophylaxis functions of Lactobacillus fermentum GLF-217 and Lactobacillus plantarum FLP-215 on ulcerative colitis via modulating gut microbiota of mice.

BACKGROUND: The strong connection between gut microbes and human health has been confirmed by an increasing number of studies. Although probiotics have been found to relieve ulcerative colitis, the mechanism varies by the species involved. In this study, the physiological, immune and pathological factors of mice were measured and shotgun metagenomic sequencing was conducted to investigate the potential mechanisms in preventing ulcerative colitis. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that ingestion of Lactobacillus fermentum GLF-217 and Lactobacillus plantarum FLP-215 significantly alleviated ulcerative colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS), as evidenced by the increase in body weight, food intake, water intake and colon length as well as the decrease in disease activity index, histopathological score and inflammatory factor. Both strains not only improved intestinal mucosa by increasing mucin-2 and zonula occludens-1, but also improved the immune system response by elevating interleukin-10 levels and decreasing the levels of interleukin-1ß, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α and interferon-γ. Moreover, L. fermentum GLF-217 and L. plantarum FLP-215 play a role in preventing DSS-induced colitis by regulating the structure of gut microbiota and promoting the formation of short-chain fatty acids. CONCLUSIONS: This study may provide a reference for the prevention strategy of ulcerative colitis. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Detecting genomic mosaicism in "de novo" genetic epilepsy by amplicon-based deep sequencing.

AIM: To investigate the occurrence of mosaicism in epilepsy probands and their parents using amplicon-based deep sequencing (ADS). METHODS: Patients were recruited from the outpatient of Peking University First Hospital. Two hundred and sixty-four probands with pathogenic variants tested by next-generation sequencing (NGS) were enrolled. RESULTS: Mosaic variants were detected in seventeen disease-associated genes from 20 probands, 5 paternal, and 6 maternal parents. The frequency of mosaicism was 11.74% (31/264). Mosaicism in 11 genes was identified from 20 probands with the mutant allelic fractions (MAFs) of 12.95-38.00% in autosomal dominant genes. Five paternal mosaicisms were identified in genes with a MAF of 6.30-20.99%, and six maternal mosaic individuals with a MAF of 2.07-21.90%. Only four mosaic parents had milder seizure history. The affected sibling had the same phenotype consistent with that of the proband, who inherited the variant of SLC1A2 or STXBP1 from their unaffected mosaic mothers, respectively. INTERPRETATION: Mosaic phenomenon is not rare in families with epilepsy. Phenotypes of mosaic parents were milder or normal. Mosaicism detection is helpful to identify the mutation origin and it provides a theoretical basis for prenatal diagnosis of family reproduction. ADS is a reliable way of mosaicism detection for clinical application.

Excited-state and charge-carrier dynamics in binary conjugated polymer dots towards efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

Aqueous dispersed conjugated polymer dots (Pdots) have shown promising application in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. To efficiently extract photogenerated charges from type-II heterojunction Pdots for hydrogen evolution, the mechanistic study of photophysical processes is essential for Pdot optimization. Within this work, we use a PFODTBT donor (D) polymer and an ITIC small molecule acceptor (A) as a donor/acceptor (D/A) model system to study their excited states and charge/energy transfer dynamics via steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy, respectively. Charge-carrier generation and the recombination dynamics of binary Pdots with different D/A ratios were followed using femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. A significant spectral relaxation of photoluminescence was observed for individual D Pdots, implying an energetic disorder by nature. However, this was not seen for charge carriers in binary Pdots, probably due to the ultrafast charge generation process at an early time (<200 fs). The results showed slower charge recombination upon increasing the ratio of ITIC in binary Pdots, which further resulted in an enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, twice that as compared to individual D Pdots. Although binary Pdots prepared via the nanoprecipitation method exhibit a large interfacial area that allows high charge generation efficiencies, it also provides a high possibility for charge recombination and limits the further utilization of free charges. Therefore, for the future design of type-II heterojunction Pdots, suppressing the charge carrier recombination via increasing the crystallinity and proper phase segregation is necessary for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

Seizure course of PCDH19 clustering epilepsy in female children: A multicentre cohort study in China.

AIM: To investigate the seizure course of PCDH19 clustering epilepsy (PCDH19-CE) in a cohort of female children in China. METHOD: This ambidirectional cohort study examined 113 female patients with PCDH19-CE through multicentre collaboration. Prognostic factors for seizure freedom were evaluated by multivariate Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: The median seizure course period from seizure onset was 6 years 6 months. Of 113 patients, 78% and 56% experienced seizure freedom for at least 1 year and at least 2 years respectively. In patients younger than 5 years (n = 30), 5 to 10 years (n = 52), and older than 10 years (n = 31), 57%, 81%, and 94% experienced at least 1 year of seizure freedom, and 32%, 52%, and 84% experienced at least 2 years of seizure freedom, respectively. However, 58% (65 out of 113) relapsed at least once after more than 1 year of seizure freedom without trigger exposure (40%) or because of common triggers, including fever (43%) and antiseizure medication (ASM) reduction (29%). There was an 84% risk of seizure relapse after ASM reduction attempts. The likelihood of seizure freedom decreased with early age at seizure onset and developmental delay. INTERPRETATION: Patients with PCDH19-CE exhibit increasing seizure freedom with age, but there is a risk of relapse. ASM reduction in children younger than 10 years old requires caution. Patients with early seizure onset and developmental delay have a reduced chance of seizure freedom.

Preparation, characterization, evaluation and mechanistic study of organic polymer nano-photocatalysts for solar fuel production.

Production of renewable fuels from solar energy and abundant resourses, such as water and carbon dioxide, via photocatalytic reactions is seen as a promising strategy to adequately address the climate challenge. Photocatalytic systems based on organic polymer nanoparticles (PNPs) are seen as one avenue to transform solar energy into hydrogen and other solar fuels. Semiconducting PNPs are light-harvesting materials with exceptional optical properties, photostability, low cost and low cytotoxity, whose performance surpasses conventional organic dyes and inorganic semiconductors. This review introduces the optimization strategies for the preparation methods of PNP via cocatalyst loading and morphology tuning. We present an analysis on how the preparative methods will impact the physico-chemical properties of these materials, and thus the catalytic activity. A list of experimental techniques is presented for characterization of the physico-chemical properties (optical, morphological, electrochemical and catalytic properties) of PNPs. We provide detailed analysis of PNP photochemistry during photocatalysis with focus on the mechanistic understanding of processes of internal charge generation and transport to the catalyst. This tutorial review provides the reader with the guidelines on current strategies used to optimize PNP performance highlighting the future directions of polymer nano-photocatalysts development.

Polymer Dots as Photoactive Membrane Vesicles for [FeFe]-Hydrogenase Self-Assembly and Solar-Driven Hydrogen Evolution.

A semiartificial photosynthesis approach that utilizes enzymes for solar fuel production relies on efficient photosensitizers that should match the enzyme activity and enable long-term stability. Polymer dots (Pdots) are biocompatible photosensitizers that are stable at pH 7 and have a readily modifiable surface morphology. Therefore, Pdots can be considered potential photosensitizers to drive such enzyme-based systems for solar fuel formation. This work introduces and unveils in detail the interaction within the biohybrid assembly composed of binary Pdots and the HydA1 [FeFe]-hydrogenase from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The direct attachment of hydrogenase on the surface of toroid-shaped Pdots was confirmed by agarose gel electrophoresis, cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (Cryo-TEM), and cryogenic electron tomography (Cryo-ET). Ultrafast transient spectroscopic techniques were used to characterize photoinduced excitation and dissociation into charges within Pdots. The study reveals that implementation of a donor-acceptor architecture for heterojunction Pdots leads to efficient subpicosecond charge separation and thus enhances hydrogen evolution (88 460 µmolH2·gH2ase-1·h-1). Adsorption of [FeFe]-hydrogenase onto Pdots resulted in a stable biohybrid assembly, where hydrogen production persisted for days, reaching a TON of 37 500 ± 1290 in the presence of a redox mediator. This work represents an example of a homogeneous biohybrid system combining polymer nanoparticles and an enzyme. Detailed spectroscopic studies provide a mechanistic understanding of light harvesting, charge separation, and transport studied, which is essential for building semiartificial photosynthetic systems with efficiencies beyond natural and artificial systems.

Panchromatic Ternary Polymer Dots Involving Sub-Picosecond Energy and Charge Transfer for Efficient and Stable Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

Panchromatic ternary polymer dots (Pdots) consisting of two conjugated polymers (PFBT and PFODTBT) based on fluorene and benzothiadiazole groups, and one small molecular acceptor (ITIC) have been prepared and assessed for photocatalytic hydrogen production with the assistance of a Pt cocatalyst. Femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopic studies of the ternary Pdots have revealed both energy and charge transfer processes that occur on the time scale of sub-picosecond between the different components. They result in photogenerated electrons being located mainly at ITIC, which acts as both electron and energy acceptor. Results from cryo-transmission electron microscopy suggest that ITIC forms crystalline phases in the ternary Pdots, facilitating electron transfer from ITIC to the Pt cocatalyst and promoting the final photocatalytic reaction yield. Enhanced light absorption, efficient charge separation, and the ideal morphology of the ternary Pdots have rendered an external quantum efficiency up to 7% at 600 nm. Moreover, the system has shown a high stability over 120 h without obvious degradation of the photocatalysts.

Pattern recognition receptor-initiated innate immune responses in mouse prostatic epithelial cells‡.

Three major pathogenic states of the prostate, including benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostate cancer, and prostatitis, are related to the local inflammation. However, the mechanisms underlying the initiation of prostate inflammation remain largely unknown. Given that the innate immune responses of the tissue-specific cells to microbial infection or autoantigens contribute to local inflammation, this study focused on pattern recognition receptor (PRR)-initiated innate immune responses in mouse prostatic epithelial cells (PECs). Primary mouse PECs abundantly expressed Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3), TLR4, TLR5, melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5), and IFN-inducible protein 16 (p204 in mouse). These PRRs can be activated by their respective ligands: lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and flagellin of Gram-negative bacteria for TLR4 and TLR5, polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)) for TLR3 and MDA5, and herpes simplex virus DNA analog (HSV60) for p204. LPS and flagellin predominantly induced the expression of inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFA), interleukin 6 (IL6), chemokines monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP1), and C-X-C motif chemokine 10 (CXCL10). Poly(I:C) and HSV60 predominantly induced the expression of type 1 interferons (IFNA and IFNB) and antiviral proteins: Mx GTPase 1, 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase 1, and IFN-stimulated gene 15. The replication of mumps virus in PECs was inhibited by type 1 IFN signaling. These findings provide insights into the mechanisms underlying innate immune response in the prostate.

Excessive endosomal TLR signaling causes inflammatory disease in mice with defective SMCR8-WDR41-C9ORF72 complex function.

The SMCR8-WDR41-C9ORF72 complex is a regulator of autophagy and lysosomal function. Autoimmunity and inflammatory disease have been ascribed to loss-of-function mutations of Smcr8 or C9orf72 in mice. In humans, autoimmunity has been reported to precede amyotrophic lateral sclerosis caused by mutations of C9ORF72 However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying autoimmunity and inflammation caused by C9ORF72 or SMCR8 deficiencies remain unknown. Here, we show that splenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, and activated circulating T cells observed in Smcr8-/- mice were rescued by triple knockout of the endosomal Toll-like receptors (TLRs) TLR3, TLR7, and TLR9. Myeloid cells from Smcr8-/- mice produced excessive inflammatory cytokines in response to endocytosed TLR3, TLR7, or TLR9 ligands administered in the growth medium and in response to TLR2 or TLR4 ligands internalized by phagocytosis. These defects likely stem from prolonged TLR signaling caused by accumulation of LysoTracker-positive vesicles and by delayed phagosome maturation, both of which were observed in Smcr8-/- macrophages. Smcr8-/- mice also showed elevated susceptibility to dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis, which was not associated with increased TLR3, TLR7, or TLR9 signaling. Deficiency of WDR41 phenocopied loss of SMCR8. Our findings provide evidence that excessive endosomal TLR signaling resulting from prolonged ligand-receptor contact causes inflammatory disease in SMCR8-deficient mice.

Adjuvant effect of the novel TLR1/TLR2 agonist Diprovocim synergizes with anti-PD-L1 to eliminate melanoma in mice.

Successful cancer immunotherapy entails activation of innate immune receptors to promote dendritic cell (DC) maturation, antigen presentation, up-regulation of costimulatory molecules, and cytokine secretion, leading to activation of tumor antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). Here we screened a synthetic library of 100,000 compounds for innate immune activators using TNF production by THP-1 cells as a readout. We identified and optimized a potent human and mouse Toll-like receptor (TLR)1/TLR2 agonist, Diprovocim, which exhibited an EC50 of 110 pM in human THP-1 cells and 1.3 nM in primary mouse peritoneal macrophages. In mice, Diprovocim-adjuvanted ovalbumin immunization promoted antigen-specific humoral and CTL responses and synergized with anti-PD-L1 treatment to inhibit tumor growth, generating long-term antitumor memory, curing or prolonging survival of mice engrafted with the murine melanoma B16-OVA. Diprovocim induced greater frequencies of tumor-infiltrating leukocytes than alum, of which CD8 T cells were necessary for the antitumor effect of immunization plus anti-PD-L1 treatment.

Highly secretory expression of recombinant cowpea chlorotic mottle virus capsid proteins in Pichia pastoris and in-vitro encapsulation of ruthenium nanoparticles for catalysis.

The applications of viral protein cages have expanded rapidly into the fields of bionanotechnology and materials science. However, the low-cost production of viral capsid proteins (CPs) on a large scale is always a challenge. Herein, we develop a highly efficient expression system by constructing recombinant Pichia pastoris cells as a "factory" for the secretion of soluble cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV) CPs. Under optimal induction conditions (0.9 mg/mL of methanol concentration at 30 °C for 96 h), a high yield of approximately 95 mg/L of CCMV CPs was harvested from the fermentation supernatant with CPs purity >90%, which has significantly simplified the rest of the purification process. The resultant CPs are employed to encapsulate Ruthenium (Ru) nanoparticles (NPs) via in-vitro self-assembly to prepare hybrid nanocatalyst, i.e. Ru@virus-like particles (VLPs). The catalytic activity over Ru@VLPs was evaluated by reducing 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP). The results indicate that, with the protection of protein cages, Ru NPs were highly stabilized during the catalytic reaction. This results in enhanced catalytic activity (reaction rate constant k = 0.14 min-1) in comparison with unsupported citrate-stabilized Ru NPs (Ru-CA) (k = 0.08 min-1). Additionally, comparatively lower activation energy over Ru@VLPs (approximately 32 kJ/mol) than that over Ru-CA (approximately 39 kJ/mol) could be attributed to the synergistic effect between Ru NPs and some functional groups such as amino groups (-NH2) on CPs that weakened the activation barrier of 4-NP reduction. Therefore, enhanced activity and decreased activation energy over Ru@VLPs demonstrated the superiority of Ru@VLPs to unsupported Ru-CA.

CHD2-related epilepsy: novel mutations and new phenotypes.

The aim of this report was to refine the genotypes and phenotypes of chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 2 (CHD2)-related epilepsy. Seventeen patients with CHD2 mutations were enrolled. CHD2 mutations were identified by application of next-generation sequencing of epilepsy or whole exome sequencing. Sixteen mutations were identified, among which 15 have not yet been reported. Thirteen mutations were de novo. Age at seizure onset ranged from 3 months to 10 years 5 months. Seizures observed were generalized tonic-clonic, myoclonic, atonic, atypical absence, focal, and myoclonic-atonic. Epileptic spasms occurred in two patients. Developmental disability was present in 14 patients. Autism features were observed in seven patients. Video electroencephalogram was abnormal in 15 patients. Five patients were diagnosed with non-specific epileptic encephalopathy, two with epilepsy with myoclonic-atonic seizures, two with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, two with febrile seizures plus, and one with West syndrome. Seizures were controlled in nine patients. Q1392TfsX17 may be a hot-spot mutation of CHD2. West syndrome was observed as a new phenotype of CHD2 mutation. The severity of the phenotypes of CHD2 mutations ranged from mild febrile seizures to severe epileptic encephalopathy. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: Q1392TfsX17 maybe the hot-spot mutation of CHD2. West syndrome could be a new phenotype of CHD2 mutation.

Mosaicism and incomplete penetrance of PCDH19 mutations.

BACKGROUND: Mutations in the PCDH19 gene have mainly been reported in female patients with epilepsy. To date, PCDH19 mutations have been reported in hundreds of females and only in 10 mosaic male epileptic patients with mosaicism. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the occurrence of mosaic PCDH19 mutations in 42 families comprising at least one patient with PCDH19-related epilepsy. METHODS: Two male patients with mosaic PCDH19 variants were identified using targeted next-generation sequencing. Forty female patients with PCDH19 variants were identified by Sanger sequencing and Multiple Ligation Probe Amplification (MLPA). Microdroplet digital PCR was used to quantify the mutant allelic fractions (MAFs) in 20 families with PCDH19 variants. RESULTS: Five mosaic individuals, four males and one female, were identified in total. Mosaic variant was confirmed in multiple somatic tissues from one male patient and in blood from the other male patient. Among 22 female patients harbouring a newly occurred PCDH19 variant identified by Sanger sequencing and MLPA, Sanger sequencing revealed two mosaic fathers (9%, 2/22), one with two affected daughters and the other with an affected child. Two asymptomatic mosaic fathers were confirmed as gonosomal mosaicism, with MAFs ranging from 4.16% to 37.38% and from 1.27% to 19.13%, respectively. In 11 families with apparent de novo variants, 1 female patient was identified as a mosaic with a blood MAF of 26.72%. CONCLUSION: Our study provides new insights into phenotype-genotype correlations in PCDH19 related epilepsy and the finding of high-frequency mosaicism has important implications for genetic counselling.

Pattern recognition receptor-mediated innate immune responses in seminal vesicle epithelial cell and their impacts on cellular function†.

The seminal vesicles can be infected by microorganisms, thereby resulting in vesiculitis and impairment in male fertility. Innate immune responses in seminal vesicles cells to microbial infections, which facilitate vesiculitis, have yet to be investigated. The present study aims to elucidate pattern recognition receptor-mediated innate immune responses in seminal vesicles epithelial cells. Various pattern recognition receptors, including Toll-like receptor 3, Toll-like receptor 4, cytosolic ribonucleic acid, and deoxyribonucleic acid sensors, are abundantly expressed in seminal vesicles epithelial cells. These pattern recognition receptors can recognize their respective ligands, thus activating nuclear factor kappa B and interferon regulatory factor 3. The pattern recognition receptor signaling induces expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (Tnfa) and interleukin 6 (Il6), chemokines monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (Mcp1) and C-X-C motif chemokine 10 (Cxcl10), and type 1 interferons Ifna and Ifnb. Moreover, pattern recognition receptor-mediated innate immune responses up-regulated the expression of microsomal prostaglandin E synthase and cyclooxygenase 2, but they down-regulated semenogelin-1 expression. These results provide novel insights into the mechanism underlying vesiculitis and its impact on the functions of the seminal vesicles.

Ameliorative effect of sevoflurane on endoplasmic reticulum stress mediates cardioprotection against ischemia-reperfusion injury 1.

We aimed to investigate whether the cardioprotection of sevoflurane against ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury is via inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress. The rat in vivo model of myocardial IR injury was induced by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Sevoflurane significantly ameliorated the reduced cardiac function, increased infarct size, and elevated troponin I level and lactate dehydrogenase activity in plasma induced by IR injury. Sevoflurane suppressed the IR-induced myocardial apoptosis. The increased protein levels of glucose-regulated protein 78 and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) after myocardial IR were significantly reduced by sevoflurane. The protein levels of phosphorylated protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), phosphorylated eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2α), and activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) were significantly increased in rats with IR and attenuated by sevoflurane treatment. The phosphorylation of Akt was further activated by sevoflurane. The cardioprotection of sevoflurane could be blocked by wortmannin, a PI3K/Akt inhibitor. Our results suggest that the cardioprotection of sevoflurane against IR injury might be mediated by suppressing PERK/eIF2a/ATF4/CHOP signaling via activating the Akt pathway, which helps in understanding the novel mechanism of the cardioprotection of sevoflurane.