Loss of UBE2S causes meiosis I arrest with normal spindle assembly checkpoint dynamics in mouse oocytes.

The timely degradation of proteins that regulate the cell cycle is essential for oocyte maturation. Oocytes are equipped to degrade proteins via the ubiquitin-proteasome system. In meiosis, anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C), an E3 ubiquitin-ligase, is responsible for the degradation of proteins. Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 S (UBE2S), an E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, delivers ubiquitin to APC/C. APC/C has been extensively studied, but the functions of UBE2S in oocyte maturation and mouse fertility are not clear. In this study, we used Ube2s knockout mice to explore the role of UBE2S in mouse oocytes. Ube2s-deleted oocytes were characterized by meiosis I arrest with normal spindle assembly and spindle assembly checkpoint dynamics. However, the absence of UBE2S affected the activity of APC/C. Cyclin B1 and securin are two substrates of APC/C, and their levels were consistently high, resulting in the failure of homologous chromosome separation. Unexpectedly, the oocytes arrested in meiosis I could be fertilized and the embryos could become implanted normally, but died before embryonic day 10.5. In conclusion, our findings reveal an indispensable regulatory role of UBE2S in mouse oocyte meiosis and female fertility.

An additional proofreader contributes to DNA replication fidelity in mycobacteria.

The removal of mis-incorporated nucleotides by proofreading activity ensures DNA replication fidelity. Whereas the ε-exonuclease DnaQ is a well-established proofreader in the model organism Escherichia coli, it has been shown that proofreading in a majority of bacteria relies on the polymerase and histidinol phosphatase (PHP) domain of replicative polymerase, despite the presence of a DnaQ homolog that is structurally and functionally distinct from E. coli DnaQ. However, the biological functions of this type of noncanonical DnaQ remain unclear. Here, we provide independent evidence that noncanonical DnaQ functions as an additional proofreader for mycobacteria. Using the mutation accumulation assay in combination with whole-genome sequencing, we showed that depletion of DnaQ in Mycolicibacterium smegmatis leads to an increased mutation rate, resulting in AT-biased mutagenesis and increased insertions/deletions in the homopolymer tract. Our results showed that mycobacterial DnaQ binds to the ß clamp and functions synergistically with the PHP domain proofreader to correct replication errors. Furthermore, the loss of dnaQ results in replication fork dysfunction, leading to attenuated growth and increased mutagenesis on subinhibitory fluoroquinolones potentially due to increased vulnerability to fork collapse. By analyzing the sequence polymorphism of dnaQ in clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), we demonstrated that a naturally evolved DnaQ variant prevalent in Mtb lineage 4.3 may enable hypermutability and is associated with drug resistance. These results establish a coproofreading model and suggest a division of labor between DnaQ and PHP domain proofreader. This study also provides real-world evidence that a mutator-driven evolutionary pathway may exist during the adaptation of Mtb.

Recovering intestinal redox homeostasis to resolve systemic inflammation for preventing remote myocardial injury by oral fullerenes.

The unbalanced immune state is the dominant feature of myocardial injury. However, the complicated pathology of cardiovascular diseases and the unique structure of cardiac tissue lead to challenges for effective immunoregulation therapy. Here, we exploited oral fullerene nanoscavenger (OFNS) to maintain intestinal redox homeostasis to resolve systemic inflammation for effectively preventing distal myocardial injury through bidirectional communication along the heart-gut immune axis. Observably, OFNS regulated redox microenvironment to repair cellular injury and reduce inflammation in vitro. Subsequently, OFNS prevented myocardial injury by regulating intestinal redox homeostasis and recovering epithelium barrier integrity in vivo. Based on the profiles of transcriptomics and proteomics, we demonstrated that OFNS balanced intestinal and systemic immune homeostasis for remote cardioprotection. Of note, we applied this principle to intervene myocardial infarction in mice and mini-pigs. These findings highlight that locally addressing intestinal redox to inhibit systemic inflammation could be a potent strategy for resolving remote tissue injury.

FOXS1 acts as an oncogene and induces EMT through FAK/PI3K/AKT pathway by upregulating HILPDA in prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a widespread global health concern characterized by elevated rates of occurrence, and there is a need for novel therapeutic targets to enhance patient outcomes. FOXS1 is closely linked to different cancers, but its function in PCa is still unknown. The expression of FOXS1, its prognostic role, clinical significance in PCa, and the potential mechanism by which FOXS1 affects PCa progression were investigated through bioinformatics analysis utilizing public data. The levels of FOXS1 and HILPDA were evaluated in clinical PCa samples using various methods, such as western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and qRT-PCR. To examine the function and molecular mechanisms of FOXS1 in PCa, a combination of experimental techniques including CCK-8 assay, flow cytometry, wound-healing assay, Transwell assay, and Co-IP assay were employed. The FOXS1 expression levels were significantly raised in PCa, correlating strongly with tumor aggressiveness and an unfavorable prognosis. Regulating FOXS1 expression, whether upregulating or downregulating it, correspondingly enhanced or inhibited the growth, migration, and invasion capabilities of PCa cells. Mechanistically, we detected a direct interaction between FOXS1 and HILPDA, resulting in the pathway activation of FAK/PI3K/AKT and facilitation EMT in PCa cells. FOXS1 collaborates with HILPDA to initiate EMT, thereby facilitating the PCa progression through the FAK/PI3K/AKT pathway activation.

UCHL3 induces radiation resistance and acquisition of mesenchymal phenotypes by deubiquitinating POLD4 in glioma stem cells.

BACKGROUND: The high degree of intratumoral genomic heterogeneity is a major obstacle for glioblastoma (GBM) tumors, one of the most lethal human malignancies, and is thought to influence conventional therapeutic outcomes negatively. The proneural-to-mesenchymal transition (PMT) of glioma stem cells (GSCs) confers resistance to radiation therapy in glioblastoma patients. POLD4 is associated with cancer progression, while the mechanisms underlying PMT and tumor radiation resistance have remained elusive. METHOD: Expression and prognosis of the POLD family were analyzed in TCGA, the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) and GEO datasets. Tumorsphere formation and in vitro limiting dilution assay were performed to investigate the effect of UCHL3-POLD4 on GSC self-renewal. Apoptosis, TUNEL, cell cycle phase distribution, modification of the Single Cell Gel Electrophoresis (Comet), γ-H2AX immunofluorescence, and colony formation assays were conducted to evaluate the influence of UCHL3-POLD4 on GSC in ionizing radiation. Coimmunoprecipitation and GST pull-down assays were performed to identify POLD4 protein interactors. In vivo, intracranial xenograft mouse models were used to investigate the molecular effect of UCHL3, POLD4 or TCID on GCS. RESULT: We determined that POLD4 was considerably upregulated in MES-GSCs and was associated with a meagre prognosis. Ubiquitin carboxyl terminal hydrolase L3 (UCHL3), a DUB enzyme in the UCH protease family, is a bona fide deubiquitinase of POLD4 in GSCs. UCHL3 interacted with, depolyubiquitinated, and stabilized POLD4. Both in vitro and in vivo assays indicated that targeted depletion of the UCHL3-POLD4 axis reduced GSC self-renewal and tumorigenic capacity and resistance to IR treatment by impairing homologous recombination (HR) and nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ). Additionally, we proved that the UCHL3 inhibitor TCID induced POLD4 degradation and can significantly enhance the therapeutic effect of IR in a gsc-derived in situ xenograft model. CONCLUSION: These findings reveal a new signaling axis for GSC PMT regulation and highlight UCHL3-POLD4 as a potential therapeutic target in GBM. TCID, targeted for reducing the deubiquitinase activity of UCHL3, exhibited significant synergy against MES GSCs in combination with radiation.

Metabolomic Profiling of Tumor Tissues Unveils Metabolic Shifts in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients with Concurrent Diabetes Mellitus.

A comprehensive understanding of the exact influence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) on the metabolic status of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still lacking. This study explores metabolic alterations in tumor tissues among patients with coexisting NSCLC and T2DM in comparison with NSCLC patients. A combined approach of clinical analysis and metabolomics was employed, including 20 NSCLC patients and 20 NSCLC+T2DM patients. Targeted metabolomics analysis was performed on tumor tissues using the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) approach. A clear segregation was observed between NSCLC+T2DM and matched NSCLC tissue samples in Orthogonal Partial Least Squares Discrimination Analysis (OPLS-DA). Furthermore, the levels of 7 metabolites are found to be significantly different between diabetes/nondiabetes tumor tissue samples. The related pathways included arginine biosynthesis, glutathione metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, purine metabolism, biotin metabolism, and histidine metabolism. 3-Phenyllactic acid, carnitine-C5, carnitine-C12, and serotonin showed a positive linear correlation with fasting blood glucose levels in NSCLC patients. Uridine, pipecolic acid, cytosine, and fasting blood glucose levels were found to have a negative correlation. Our results suggest that NSCLC patients with concurrent T2DM exhibit distinct metabolic shifts in tumor tissues compared to those of solely NSCLC patients.

MCM8 promotes lung cancer progression through upregulating DNAJC10.

MCM8 is a helicase, which participates in DNA replication and tumorigenesis and is upregulated in many human cancers, including lung cancer (LC); however, the function of MCM8 in LC tumour progression is unclear. In this study, we found that MCM8 was expressed at high levels in LC cells and tissues. Further, MCM8 upregulation was associated with advanced tumour grade and lymph node metastasis, and indicated poor prognosis. Silencing of MCM8 suppressed cell growth and migration in vitro and in vivo, while ectopic MCM8 expression promoted cell cycle progression, as well as cell migration, proliferation, and apoptosis. Mechanistically, DNAJC10 was identified as a downstream target of MCM8, using gene array and CO-IP assays. DNAJC10 overexpression combatted the inhibitory activity of MCM8 knockdown on LC progression, while silencing DNAJC10 alleviated the oncogenic function of MCM8 overexpression. MCM8 expression was positively correlated with that of DNAJC10 in LC samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas database, and DNAJC10 upregulation was also associated with poor overall survival of patients with LC. This study indicated that MCM8/DNAJC10 axis plays an important role in in LC development, and maybe as a new potential therapeutic target or a diagnostic biomarker for treating patients with LC.

GlcNAc-1,6-anhydro-MurNAc Moiety Affords Unusual Glycosyl Acceptor that Terminates Peptidoglycan Elongation.

Peptidoglycan (PG), an essential exoskeletal polymer in bacteria, is a well-known antibiotic target. PG polymerization requires the action of bacterial transglycosylases (TGases), which couple the incoming glycosyl acceptor to the donor. Interfering with the TGase activity can interrupt the PG assembly. Existing TGase inhibitors like moenomycin and Lipid II analogues always occupy the TGase active sites; other strategies to interfere with proper PG elongation have not been widely exploited. Inspired by the natural 1,6-anhydro-MurNAc termini that mark the ends of PG strands in bacteria, we hypothesized that the incorporation of an anhydromuramyl-containing glycosyl acceptor by TGase into the growing PG may effectively inhibit PG elongation. To explore this possibility, we synthesized 4-O-(N-acetyl-ß-d-glucosaminyl)-1,6-anhydro-N-acetyl-ß-d-muramyl-l-Ala-γ-d-Glu-l-Lys-d-Ala-d-Ala, 1, within 15 steps, and demonstrated that this anhydromuropeptide and its analogue lacking the peptide, 1-deAA, were both utilized by bacterial TGase as noncanonical anhydro glycosyl acceptors in vitro. The incorporation of an anhydromuramyl moiety into PG strands by TGases afforded efficient termination of glycan chain extension. Moreover, the preliminary in vitro studies of 1-deAA against Staphylococcus aureus showed that 1-deAA served as a reasonable antimicrobial adjunct of vancomycin. These insights imply the potential application of such anhydromuropeptides as novel classes of PG-terminating inhibitors, pointing toward novel strategies in antibacterial agent development.

Asymmetric Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Platensilin, Platensimycin, Platencin, and Their Analogs via a Bioinspired Skeletal Reconstruction Approach.

Platensilin, platensimycin, and platencin are potent inhibitors of ß-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein synthase (FabF) in the bacterial and mammalian fatty acid synthesis system, presenting promising drug leads for both antibacterial and antidiabetic therapies. Herein, a bioinspired skeleton reconstruction approach is reported, which enables the unified synthesis of these three natural FabF inhibitors and their skeletally diverse analogs, all stemming from a common ent-pimarane core. The synthesis features a diastereoselective biocatalytic reduction and an intermolecular Diels-Alder reaction to prepare the common ent-pimarane core. From this intermediate, stereoselective Mn-catalyzed hydrogen atom-transfer hydrogenation and subsequent Cu-catalyzed carbenoid C-H insertion afford platensilin. Furthermore, the intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction succeeded by regioselective ring opening of the newly formed cyclopropane enables the construction of the bicyclo[3.2.1]-octane and bicyclo[2.2.2]-octane ring systems of platensimycin and platencin, respectively. This skeletal reconstruction approach of the ent-pimarane core facilitates the preparation of analogs bearing different polycyclic scaffolds. Among these analogs, the previously unexplored cyclopropyl analog 47 exhibits improved antibacterial activity (MIC80 = 0.0625 µg/mL) against S. aureus compared to platensimycin.

TSLP enhances progestin response in endometrial cancer via androgen receptor signal pathway.

BACKGROUND: The enriched proteins within in vitro fertilisation (IVF)-generated human embryonic microenvironment could reverse progestin resistance in endometrial cancer (EC). METHODS: The expression of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) in EC was evaluated by immunoblot and IHC analysis. Transcriptome sequencing screened out the downstream pathway regulated by TSLP. The role of TSLP, androgen receptor (AR) and KANK1 in regulating the sensitivity of EC to progestin was verified through a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments. RESULTS: TSLP facilitates the formation of a BMP4/BMP7 heterodimer, resulting in activation of Smad5, augmenting AR signalling. AR in turn sensitises EC cells to progestin via KANK1. Downregulation of TSLP, loss of AR and KANK1 in EC patients are associated with tumour malignant progress. Moreover, exogenous TSLP could rescue the anti-tumour effect of progestin on mouse in vivo xenograft tumour. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that TSLP enhances the sensitivity of EC to progestin through the BMP4/Smad5/AR/KANK1 axis, and provide a link between embryo development and cancer progress, paving the way for the establishment of novel strategy overcoming progestin resistance using embryo original factors.

Hypoxia-induced ALKBH5 aggravates synovial aggression and inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis by regulating the m6A modification of CH25H.

Previous studies have shown that epigenetic factors are involved in the occurrence and development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the role of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation in RA has not been determined. The aim of this study was to investigate the role and regulatory mechanisms of hypoxia-induced expression of the m6A demethylase alkB homolog 5 (ALKBH5) in RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs). Synovial tissues were collected from RA and osteoarthritis (OA) patients, and RA FLSs were obtained. ALKBH5 expression in RA FLSs and collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model rats was determined using quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR), western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Using ALKBH5 overexpression and knockdown, we determined the role of ALKBH5 in RA FLS aggression and inflammation. The role of ALKBH5 in RA FLS regulation was explored using m6A-methylated RNA sequencing and methylated RNA immunoprecipitation coupled with quantitative real-time PCR. The expression of ALKBH5 was increased in RA synovial tissues, CIA model rats and RA FLSs, and a hypoxic environment increased the expression of ALKBH5 in FLSs. Increased expression of ALKBH5 promoted the proliferation and migration of RA-FLSs and inflammation. Conversely, decreased ALKBH5 expression inhibited the migration of RA-FLSs and inflammation. Mechanistically, hypoxia-induced ALKBH5 expression promoted FLS aggression and inflammation by regulating CH25H mRNA stability. Our study elucidated the functional roles of ALKBH5 and mRNA m6A methylation in RA and revealed that the HIF1α/2α-ALKBH5-CH25H pathway may be key for FLS aggression and inflammation. This study provides a novel approach for the treatment of RA by targeting the HIF1α/2α-ALKBH5-CH25H pathway.

Proteomics landscape and machine learning prediction of long-term response to splenectomy in primary immune thrombocytopenia.

This study aimed to identify key proteomic analytes correlated with response to splenectomy in primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). Thirty-four patients were retrospectively collected in the training cohort and 26 were prospectively enrolled as validation cohort. Bone marrow biopsy samples of all participants were collected prior to the splenectomy. A total of 12 modules of proteins were identified by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) method in the developed cohort. The tan module positively correlated with megakaryocyte counts before splenectomy (r = 0.38, p = 0.027), and time to peak platelet level after splenectomy (r = 0.47, p = 0.005). The blue module significantly correlated with response to splenectomy (r = 0.37, p = 0.0031). KEGG pathways analysis found that the PI3K-Akt signalling pathway was predominantly enriched in the tan module, while ribosomal and spliceosome pathways were enriched in the blue module. Machine learning algorithm identified the optimal combination of biomarkers from the blue module in the training cohort, and importantly, cofilin-1 (CFL1) was independently confirmed in the validation cohort. The C-index of CFL1 was >0.7 in both cohorts. Our results highlight the use of bone marrow proteomics analysis for deriving key analytes that predict the response to splenectomy, warranting further exploration of plasma proteomics in this patient population.

Dual-Ligand Europium-Organic Gels as a Highly Efficient Anodic Annihilation Electrochemiluminescence Emitter for Ultrasensitive Detection of MicroRNA.

In this study, a novel europium dual-ligand metal-organic gel (Eu-D-MOGs) with high-efficient anodic annihilation electrochemiluminescence (ECL) was synthesized as an ECL emitter to construct a biosensor for ultrasensitive detection of microRNA-221 (miR-221). Impressively, compared to the ECL signal of europium single-ligand metal-organic gels (Eu-S-MOGs), the ECL signal of Eu-D-MOGs was significantly improved since the two organic ligands could jointly replace the H2O and coordinate with Eu3+, which could remarkably reduce the nonradiative vibrational energy transfer caused by the coordination between H2O and Eu3+ with a high coordination demand. In addition, Eu-D-MOGs could be electrochemically oxidized to Eu-D-MOGs•+ at 1.45 V and reduced to Eu-D-MOGs•- at 0.65 V to achieve effective annihilation of ECL, which overcame the side reaction brought by the remaining emitters at negative potential. This benefited from the annihilation ECL performance of the central ion Eu3+ caused by its redox in the electrochemical process. Furthermore, the annihilation ECL signal of Eu3+ could be improved by sensitizing Eu3+ via the antenna effect. In addition, combined with the improved rolling circle amplification-assisted strand displacement amplification strategy (RCA-SDA), a sensitive biosensor was constructed for the sensitive detection of miR-221 with a low detection limit of 5.12 aM and could be successfully applied for the detection of miR-221 in the lysate of cancer cells. This strategy offered a unique approach to synthesizing metal-organic gels as ECL emitters without a coreactant for the construction of ECL biosensing platforms in biomarker detection and disease diagnosis.

Zipper-Confined DNA Nanoframe for High-Efficient and High-Contrast Imaging of Heterogeneous Tumor Cell.

Current study in the heterogeneity and physiological behavior of tumor cells is limited by the fluorescence in situ hybridization technology in terms of probe assembly efficiency, background suppression capability, and target compatibility. In a typically well-designed assay, hybridization probes are constructed in a confined nanostructure to achieve a rapid assembly for efficient signal response, while the excessively high local concentration between different probes inevitably leads to nonspecific background leakage. Inspired by the fabric zipper, we propose a novel confinement reaction pattern in a zipper-confined DNA nanoframe (ZCDN), where two kinds of hairpin probes are independently anchored respective tracks. The metastable states of the dual tracks can well avoid signal leakage caused by the nonspecific probe configuration change. Biomarker-mediated proximity ligation reduces the local distance of dual tracks, kinetically triggering an efficient allosteric chain reaction between the hairpin probes. This method circumvents nonspecific background leakage while maintaining a high efficiency in responding to targets. ZCDN is employed to track different cancer biomarkers located in both the cytoplasm and cytomembrane, of which the expression level and oligomerization behavior can provide crucial information regarding intratumoral heterogeneity. ZCDN exhibits high target response efficiency and strong background suppression capabilities and is compatible with various types of biological targets, thus providing a desirable tool for advanced molecular diagnostics.

Quantitative Proteomics and Metabolomics of Culture Medium from Single Human Embryo Reveal Embryo Quality-Related Multiomics Biomarkers.

An effective tool to assess embryo quality in the assisted reproduction clinical practice will enhance successful implantation rates and mitigate high risks of multiple pregnancies. Potential biomarkers secreted into culture medium (CM) during embryo development enable rapid and noninvasive methods of assessing embryo quality. However, small volumes, low biomolecule concentrations, and impurity interference collectively preclude the identification of quality-related biomarkers in single blastocyst CM. Here, we developed a noninvasive trace multiomics approach to screen for potential markers in individual human blastocyst CM. We collected 84 CM samples and divided them into high-quality (HQ) and low-quality (LQ) groups. We evaluated the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) and metabolites (DEMs) in HQ and LQ CM. A total of 504 proteins and 189 metabolites were detected in individual blastocyst CM. Moreover, 9 DEPs and 32 DEMs were identified in different quality embryo CM. We also categorized HQ embryos into positive implantation (PI) and negative implantation (NI) groups based on ultrasound findings on day 28. We identified 41 DEPs and 4 DEMs associated with clinical implantation outcomes in morphologically HQ embryos using a multiomics analysis approach. This study provides a noninvasive multiomics analysis technique and identifies potential biomarkers for clinical embryo developmental quality assessment.

Co-targeting CD47 and VEGF elicited potent anti-tumor effects in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: CD47, serving as an intrinsic immune checkpoint, has demonstrated efficacy as an anti-tumor target in hematologic malignancies. Nevertheless, the clinical relevance of CD47 in gastric cancer and its potential as a therapeutic target remains unclear. METHODS: The expression of CD47 in clinical gastric cancer tissues was assessed using immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Patient-derived cells were obtained from gastric cancer tissues and co-cultured with macrophages derived from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Flow cytometry analyses were employed to evaluate the rate of phagocytosis. Humanized patient-derived xenografts (Hu-PDXs) models were established to assess the efficacy of anti-CD47 immunotherapy or the combination of anti-CD47 and anti-VEGF therapy in treating gastric cancer. The infiltrated immune cells in the xenograft were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: In this study, we have substantiated the high expression of CD47 in gastric cancer tissues, establishing a strong association with unfavorable prognosis. Through the utilization of SIRPα-Fc to target CD47, we have effectively enhanced macrophage phagocytosis of PDCs in vitro and impeded the growth of Hu-PDXs. It is noteworthy that anti-CD47 immunotherapy has been observed to sustain tumor angiogenic vasculature, with a positive correlation between the expression of VEGF and CD47 in gastric cancer. Furthermore, the successful implementation of anti-angiogenic treatment has further augmented the anti-tumor efficacy of anti-CD47 therapy. In addition, the potent suppression of tumor growth, prevention of cancer recurrence after surgery, and significant prolongation of overall survival in Hu-PDX models can be achieved through the simultaneous targeting of CD47 and VEGF using the bispecific fusion protein SIRPα-VEGFR1 or by combining the two single-targeted agents. CONCLUSIONS: Our preclinical studies collectively offer substantiation that CD47 holds promise as a prospective target for gastric cancer, while also highlighting the potential of anti-angiogenic therapy to enhance tumor responsiveness to anti-CD47 immunotherapy.

Clonal expansion of shared T cell receptors reveals the existence of immune commonality among different lesions of synchronous multiple primary lung cancer.

The increase in the detection rate of synchronous multiple primary lung cancer (MPLC) has posed remarkable clinical challenges due to the limited understanding of its pathogenesis and molecular features. Here, comprehensive comparisons of genomic and immunologic features between MPLC and solitary lung cancer nodule (SN), as well as different lesions of the same patient, were performed. Compared with SN, MPLC displayed a lower rate of EGFR mutation but higher rates of BRAF, MAP2K1, and MTOR mutation, which function exactly in the upstream and downstream of the same signaling pathway. Considerable heterogeneity in T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire exists among not only different patients but also among different lesions of the same patient. Invasive lesions of MPLC exhibited significantly higher TCR diversity and lower TCR expansion than those of SN. Intriguingly, different lesions of the same patient always shared a certain proportion of TCR clonotypes. Significant clonal expansion could be observed in shared TCR clonotypes, particularly in those existing in all lesions of the same patient. In conclusion, this study provided evidences of the distinctive mutational landscape, activation of oncogenic signaling pathways, and TCR repertoire in MPLC as compared with SN. The significant clonal expansion of shared TCR clonotypes demonstrated the existence of immune commonality among different lesions of the same patient and shed new light on the individually tailored precision therapy for MPLC.

Viral and thermal lysis facilitates transmission of antibiotic resistance genes during composting.

While the distribution of extracellular ARGs (eARGs) in the environment has been widely reported, the factors governing their release remain poorly understood. Here, we combined multi-omics and direct experimentation to test whether the release and transmission of eARGs are associated with viral lysis and heat during cow manure composting. Our results reveal that the proportion of eARGs increased 2.7-fold during composting, despite a significant and concomitant reduction in intracellular ARG abundances. This relative increase of eARGs was driven by composting temperature and viral lysis of ARG-carrying bacteria based on metagenome-assembled genome (MAG) analysis. Notably, thermal lysis of mesophilic bacteria carrying ARGs was a key factor in releasing eARGs at the thermophilic phase, while viral lysis played a relatively stronger role during the non-thermal phase of composting. Furthermore, MAG-based tracking of ARGs in combination with direct transformation experiments demonstrated that eARGs released during composting pose a potential transmission risk. Our study provides bioinformatic and experimental evidence of the undiscovered role of temperature and viral lysis in co-driving the spread of ARGs in compost microbiomes via the horizontal transfer of environmentally released DNA. IMPORTANCE: The spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is a critical global health concern. Understanding the factors influencing the release of extracellular ARGs (eARGs) is essential for developing effective strategies. In this study, we investigated the association between viral lysis, heat, and eARG release during composting. Our findings revealed a substantial increase in eARGs despite reduced intracellular ARG abundance. Composting temperature and viral lysis were identified as key drivers, with thermal lysis predominant during the thermophilic phase and viral lysis during non-thermal phases. Moreover, eARGs released during composting posed a transmission risk through horizontal gene transfer. This study highlights the significance of temperature and phage lysis in ARG spread, providing valuable insights for mitigating antibiotic resistance threats.

PPARG-mediated autophagy activation alleviates inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis.

INTRODUCTION: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by joint inflammation and bone damage, that not only restricts patient activity but also tends to be accompanied by a series of complications, seriously affecting patient prognosis. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG), a receptor that controls cellular metabolism, regulates the function of immune cells and stromal cells. Previous studies have shown that PPARG is closely related to the regulation of inflammation. However, the role of PPARG in regulating the pathological processes of RA is poorly understood. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PPARG expression was examined in the synovial tissues and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from RA patients and the paw of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model rats. Molecular biology experiments were designed to examine the effect of PPARG and cannabidiol (CBD) on RAW264.7 cells and CIA rats. RESULTS: The results reveal that PPARG accelerates reactive oxygen species (ROS) clearance by promoting autophagy, thereby inhibiting ROS-mediated macrophage polarization and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Notably, CBD may be a promising candidate for understanding the mechanism by which PPARG regulates autophagy-mediated inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these findings indicate that PPARG may have a role for distinguishing between RA patients and healthy control, and for distinguishing RA activity; moreover, PPARG could be a novel pharmacological target for alleviating RA through the mediation of autophagy. CBD can act as a PPARG agonist that alleviates the inflammatory progression of RA.

The oxidative pentose phosphate pathway in photosynthesis: a tale of two shunts.

CO2 release in the light (RL) and its presumed source, oxidative pentose phosphate pathways, were found to be insensitive to CO2 concentration. The oxidative pentose phosphate pathways form glucose 6-phosphate (G6P) shunts that bypass the nonoxidative pentose phosphate reactions of the Calvin-Benson cycle. Using adenosine diphosphate glucose and uridine diphosphate glucose as proxies for labeling of G6P in the stroma and cytosol respectively, it was found that only the cytosolic shunt was active. Uridine diphosphate glucose, a proxy for cytosolic G6P, and 6-phosphogluconate (6PG) were significantly less labeled than Calvin-Benson cycle intermediates in the light. But ADP glucose, a proxy for stromal G6P, is labeled to the same degree as Calvin-Benson cycle intermediates and much greater than 6PG. A metabolically inert pool of sedoheptulose bisphosphate can slowly equilibrate keeping the label in sedoheptulose lower than in other stromal metabolites. Finally, phosphorylation of fructose 6-phosphate (F6P) in the cytosol can allow some unlabeled carbon in cytosolic F6P to dilute label in phosphenolpyruvate. The results clearly show that there is oxidative pentose phosphate pathway activity in the cytosol that provides a shunt around the nonoxidative pentose phosphate pathway reactions of the Calvin-Benson cycle and is not strongly CO2-sensitive.