FAM20A: a potential diagnostic biomarker for lung squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) ranks among the carcinomas with the highest incidence and dismal survival rates, suffering from a lack of effective therapeutic strategies. Consequently, biomarkers facilitating early diagnosis of LUSC could significantly enhance patient survival. This study aims to identify novel biomarkers for LUSC. Methods: Utilizing the TCGA, GTEx, and CGGA databases, we focused on the gene encoding Family with Sequence Similarity 20, Member A (FAM20A) across various cancers. We then corroborated these bioinformatic predictions with clinical samples. A range of analytical tools, including Kaplan-Meier, MethSurv database, Wilcoxon rank-sum, Kruskal-Wallis tests, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis, and TIMER database, were employed to assess the diagnostic and prognostic value of FAM20A in LUSC. These tools also helped evaluate immune cell infiltration, immune checkpoint genes, DNA repair-related genes, DNA methylation, and tumor-related pathways. Results: FAM20A expression was found to be significantly reduced in LUSC, correlating with lower survival rates. It exhibited a negative correlation with key proteins in DNA repair signaling pathways, potentially contributing to LUSC's radiotherapy resistance. Additionally, FAM20A showed a positive correlation with immune checkpoints like CTLA-4, indicating potential heightened sensitivity to immunotherapies targeting these checkpoints. Conclusion: FAM20A emerges as a promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for LUSC, offering potential clinical applications.

STAG2 mutations regulate 3D genome organization, chromatin loops, and Polycomb signaling in glioblastoma multiforme.

Inactivating mutations of genes encoding the cohesin complex are common in a wide range of human cancers. STAG2 is the most commonly mutated subunit. Here we report the impact of stable correction of endogenous, naturally occurring STAG2 mutations on gene expression, 3D genome organization, chromatin loops, and Polycomb signaling in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). In two GBM cell lines, correction of their STAG2 mutations significantly altered the expression of ∼10% of all expressed genes. Virtually all the most highly regulated genes were negatively regulated by STAG2 (i.e., expressed higher in STAG2-mutant cells), and one of them-HEPH-was regulated by STAG2 in uncultured GBM tumors as well. While STAG2 correction had little effect on large-scale features of 3D genome organization (A/B compartments, TADs), STAG2 correction did alter thousands of individual chromatin loops, some of which controlled the expression of adjacent genes. Loops specific to STAG2-mutant cells, which were regulated by STAG1-containing cohesin complexes, were very large, supporting prior findings that STAG1-containing cohesin complexes have greater loop extrusion processivity than STAG2-containing cohesin complexes and suggesting that long loops may be a general feature of STAG2-mutant cancers. Finally, STAG2 mutation activated Polycomb activity leading to increased H3K27me3 marks, identifying Polycomb signaling as a potential target for therapeutic intervention in STAG2-mutant GBM tumors. Together, these findings illuminate the landscape of STAG2-regulated genes, A/B compartments, chromatin loops, and pathways in GBM, providing important clues into the largely still unknown mechanism of STAG2 tumor suppression.

Ursolic acid molecules dock MAPK1 to modulate gut microbiota diversity to reduce neuropathic pain.

To investigate the efficacy of Ursolic acid in alleviating neuropathic pain in rats with spinal nerve ligation (SNL), the SNL rat model was surgically induced. Different concentrations of Ursolic acid and manipulated target mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1) were administered to the SNL rats. Fecal samples were collected from each group of rats for 16S rDNA analysis to examine the impact of gut microbiota. Molecular docking experiments were conducted to assess the binding energy between Ursolic acid and MAPK1. In vivo studies were carried out to evaluate the expression of inflammatory factors and signaling pathways in spinal cord and colon tissues. Ursolic acid was found to have a beneficial effect on pain reduction in rats by increasing plantar withdrawal latency (PWL) and paw withdrawal threshold (PWT). Comparing the Ursolic acid group with the control group revealed notable differences in the distribution of Staphylococcus, Allobaculum, Clostridium, Blautia, Bifidobacterium, and Prevotella species. Network pharmacology analysis identified MAPK1 and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM1) as common targets for Ursolic acid, SNL, and neuropathic pain. Binding sites between Ursolic acid and these targets were identified. Additionally, immunofluorescent staining showed a decrease in GFAP and IBA1 intensity in the spinal cord along with an increase in NeuN following Ursolic acid treatment. Overexpression of MAPK1 in SNL rats led to an increase in inflammatory factors and a decrease in PWL and PWT. Furthermore, MAPK1 counteracted the pain-relieving effects of Ursolic acid in SNL rats. Ursolic acid was found to alleviate neuropathic pain in SNL rats by targeting MAPK1 and influencing gut microbiota homeostasis.

Evaluation puramatrix as a 3D microenvironment for neural differentiation of human breastmilk stem cells.

The extracellular matrix is recognized as an efficient and determining component in the growth, proliferation, and differentiation of cells due to its ability to perceive and respond to environmental signals. Applying three-dimensional scaffolds can create conditions similar to the extracellular matrix and provide an opportunity to investigate cell fate. In this study, we employed the PuraMatrix hydrogel scaffold as an advanced cell culture platform for the neural differentiation of stem cells derived from human breastmilk to design an opportune model for tissue engineering. Isolated stem cells from breastmilk were cultured and differentiated into neural-like cells on PuraMatrix peptide hydrogel and in the two-dimensional system. The compatibility of breastmilk-derived stem cells with PuraMatrix and cell viability was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy and MTT assay, respectively. Induction of differentiation was achieved by exposing cells to the neurogenic medium. After 21 days of the initial differentiation process, the expression levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), microtubule-associated protein (MAP2), ß-tubulin III, and neuronal nuclear antigen (NeuN) were analyzed using the immunostaining technique. The results illustrated a notable expression of MAP2, ß-tubulin-III, and NeuN in the three-dimensional cell culture in comparison to the two-dimensional system, indicating the beneficial effect of PuraMatrix scaffolds in the process of differentiating breastmilk-derived stem cells into neural-like cells. In view of the obtained results, the combination of breastmilk-derived stem cells and PuraMatrix hydrogel scaffold could be an advisable preference for neural tissue regeneration and cell therapy.

Evaluation of the relationship between the expression of AgNOR and Ki67 with the recurrence rate in central granulomatous giant cell lesions: A case-control.

OBJECTIVES: Giant cell granuloma is a local nonneoplastic lesion that is divided into two categories, based on its site of occurrence: Central and peripheral giant cell granuloma. Central giant cell granuloma is an intraosseous lesion that has a tendency to recure even in surgically treated cases. Several studies have proven that there is an association between different lesions clinical behavior and their histological features. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of AgNOR and Ki67 in lesions with and without recurrency. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Files and records of 35 patients who had been histologically diagnosed with central giant cell granuloma were investigated. Histological features were studied after performing AgNOR staining and Ki67 marker. The data were analyzed by chi-square, Fisher, and T-test. RESULTS: Acquired data indicated that the count of AgNOR staining and Ki67 marker was significantly higher in lesions with recurrency than the lesions with no recurrency. The same results were attained from Ki67 intensity. CONCLUSION: The current study indicated that AgNOR staining and Ki67 marker have prognostic value in predicting recurrency of central giant cell granuloma lesions.

SP140 inhibitor suppressing TRIM22 expression regulates glioma progress through PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: SP gene family, consisting of SP100, SP110, SP140, and SP140L, has been implicated in the initiation and advancement of numerous malignancies. Nevertheless, their clinical significance in glioma remains incompletely understood. METHOD: Expression levels and prognostic significance of SP family members were evaluated in the TCGA and CGGA datasets. Multifactorial analysis was used to identify SP gene family members that can independently impact the prognosis of glioma patients. A SP140-based predictive risk model/nomogram was developed in TCGA dataset and validated in CGGA dataset. The model's performance was evaluated through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration plots, and decision curve analyses. Phenotypic associations of SP140 and TRIM22 were examined through CancerSEA and TIMER. The effect of SP140 inhibitor in glioma progress and TRIM22/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was confirmed in U251/U87 glioma cells. RESULTS: The SP family members exhibited elevated expression in gliomas and were negatively correlated with prognosis. SP140 emerged as an independent prognostic factor, and a SP140-based nomogram/predictive risk model demonstrated high accuracy. SP140 inhibitor, GSK761, lead to the suppression of TRIM22 expression and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. GSK761 also restrain glioma proliferation, migration, and invasion. Furthermore, SP140 and TRIM22 coexpressed in glioma cells with high level of vascular proliferation, TRIM22 is closely associated with the immune cell infiltration. CONCLUSION: SP140-based nomogram proved to be a practical tool for predicting the survival of glioma patients. SP140 inhibitor could suppress glioma progress via TRIM22/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Effect of bromodomain PHD-finger transcription factor (BPTF) on trophoblast epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition.

The trophoblast epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a procedure related to embryo implantation, spiral artery establishment and fetal-maternal communication, which is a key event for successful pregnancy. Inadequate EMT is one of the pathological mechanisms of recurrent miscarriage (RM). Whole-exome sequencing revealed that the mutation of bromodomain PHD-finger transcription factor (BPTF) was strongly associated with RM. In the present study, the effects of BPTF on EMT and the underlying mechanism were investigated. We found that the expression of BPTF in the villi of RM patients was significantly downregulated. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis revealed that BPTF participated in cell adhesion. The knockdown of BPTF prevented EMT and attenuated trophoblast invasion in vitro. BPTF activated Slug transcription by binding directly to the promoter region of the Slug gene. Interestingly, the protein levels of both Slug and BPTF were decreased in the villous cytotrophoblasts (VCTs) of RM villi. In conclusion, BPTF participates in the regulation of trophoblast EMT by activating Slug expression, suggesting that BPTF defects are an important factor in RM pathogenesis.

Unveiling the therapeutic potential of thymol from Nigella sativa L. seed: selective anticancer action against human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) through down-regulation of Cyclin D1 and proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expressions.

BACKGROUND: Breast adenocarcinoma cells (MCF-7) are characterized by the overexpression of apoptotic marker genes and proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), which promote cancer cell proliferation. Thymol, derived from Nigella sativa (NS), has been investigated for its potential anti-proliferative and anticancer properties, especially its ability to suppress Cyclin D1 and PCNA expression, which are crucial in the proliferation of cancer cells. METHODS: The cytotoxicity of thymol on MCF-7 cells was assessed using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release methods. Thymol was tested at increasing concentrations (0-1000 µM) to evaluate its impact on MCF-7 cell growth. Additionally, Cyclin D1 and PCNA gene expression in thymol-treated and vehicle control groups of MCF-7 were quantified using real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR). Protein-ligand interactions were also investigated using the CB-Dock2 server. RESULTS: Thymol significantly inhibited MCF-7 cell growth, with a 50% inhibition observed at 200 µM. The gene expression of Cyclin D1 and PCNA was down-regulated in the thymol-treated group relative to the vehicle control. The experimental results were verified through protein-ligand interaction investigations. CONCLUSIONS: Thymol, extracted from NS, demonstrated specific cytotoxic effects on MCF-7 cells by suppressing the expression of Cyclin D1 and PCNA, suggesting its potential as an effective drug for MCF-7. However, additional in vivo research is required to ascertain its efficacy and safety in medical applications.

Molecular cloning, subcellular localization, and rapid recruitment to DNA damage sites of chicken Ku70.

Ku70 is a multifunctional protein with pivotal roles in DNA repair via non-homologous end-joining, V(D)J recombination, telomere maintenance, and neuronal apoptosis control. Nonetheless, its regulatory mechanisms remain elusive. Chicken Ku70 (GdKu70) cDNA has been previously cloned, and DT40 cells expressing it have significantly contributed to critical biological discoveries. GdKu70 features an additional 18 amino acids at its N-terminus compared to mammalian Ku70, the biological significance of which remains uncertain. Here, we show that the 5' flanking sequence of GdKu70 cDNA is not nearly encoded in the chicken genome. Notably, these 18 amino acids result from fusion events involving the NFE2L1 gene on chromosome 27 and the Ku70 gene on chromosome 1. Through experiments using newly cloned chicken Ku70 cDNA and specific antibodies, we demonstrated that Ku70 localizes within the cell nucleus as a heterodimer with Ku80 and promptly accumulates at DNA damage sites following injury. This suggests that the functions and spatiotemporal regulatory mechanisms of Ku70 in chickens closely resemble those in mammals. The insights and resources acquired will contribute to elucidate the various mechanisms by which Ku functions. Meanwhile, caution is advised when interpreting the previous numerous key studies that relied on GdKu70 cDNA and its expressing cells.

Histone lactylation-boosted ALKBH3 potentiates tumor progression and diminished promyelocytic leukemia protein nuclear condensates by m1A demethylation of SP100A.

Albeit N1-Methyladenosine (m1A) RNA modification represents an important regulator of RNA metabolism, the role of m1A modification in carcinogenesis remains enigmatic. Herein, we found that histone lactylation enhances ALKBH3 expression and simultaneously attenuates the formation of tumor-suppressive promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) condensates by removing the m1A methylation of SP100A, promoting the malignant transformation of cancers. First, ALKBH3 is specifically upregulated in high-risk ocular melanoma due to excessive histone lactylation levels, referring to m1A hypomethylation status. Moreover, the multiomics analysis subsequently identified that SP100A, a core component for PML bodies, serves as a downstream candidate target for ALKBH3. Therapeutically, the silencing of ALKBH3 exhibits efficient therapeutic efficacy in melanoma both in vitro and in vivo, which could be reversed by the depletion of SP100A. Mechanistically, we found that YTHDF1 is responsible for recognition of the m1A methylated SP100A transcript, which increases its RNA stability and translational efficacy. Conclusively, we initially demonstrated that m1A modification is necessary for tumor suppressor gene expression, expanding the current understandings of dynamic m1A function during tumor progression. In addition, our results indicate that lactylation-driven ALKBH3 is essential for the formation of PML nuclear condensates, which bridges our knowledge of m1A modification, metabolic reprogramming, and phase-separation events.

Identification of STAG2-Mutant Bladder Cancers by Immunohistochemistry.

Bladder cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the United States. Most bladder cancers are early-stage lesions confined to the mucosa or submucosa and are therefore classified as non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). A minority of tumors are diagnosed after they have invaded the underlying detrusor muscle and are classified as muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Mutational inactivation of the STAG2 tumor suppressor gene is common in bladder cancer, and we and others have recently demonstrated that STAG2 mutation status can be used as an independent prognostic biomarker to predict whether NMIBC will recur and/or progress to MIBC. Here we describe an immunohistochemistry-based assay for identifying the STAG2 mutational status of bladder tumors.

Noncanonical functions of Ku may underlie essentiality in human cells.

The Ku70/80 heterodimer is a key player in non-homologous end-joining DNA repair but is involved in other cellular functions like telomere regulation and maintenance, in which Ku's role is not fully characterized. It was previously reported that knockout of Ku80 in a human cell line results in lethality, but the underlying cause of Ku essentiality in human cells has yet to be fully explored. Here, we established conditional Ku70 knockout cells using CRISPR/Cas9 editing to study the essentiality of Ku70 function. While we observed loss of cell viability upon Ku depletion, we did not detect significant changes in telomere length, nor did we record lethal levels of DNA damage upon loss of Ku. Analysis of global proteome changes following Ku70 depletion revealed dysregulations of several cellular pathways including cell cycle/mitosis, RNA related processes, and translation/ribosome biogenesis. Our study suggests that the driving cause of loss of cell viability in Ku70 knockouts is not linked to the functions of Ku in DNA repair or at telomeres. Moreover, our data shows that loss of Ku affects multiple cellular processes and pathways and suggests that Ku plays critical roles in cellular processes beyond DNA repair and telomere maintenance to maintain cell viability.

Evaluation of autoantibody profile in healthy subjects after mRNA vaccination against COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 severe acute respiratory syndrome has rapidly spread worldwide since 2019. All scientific and technological forces have concentrated towards the formulation of vaccines to contain the disease. In less than one year (December 2020) a first messenger RNA vaccine (Comirnaty, BioNTech/Pfizer) was authorized. However, the research community has wondered about possible side effects on the immune system, given the vaccines administration in phase 4. AIM: This study aims to evaluate the mRNA vaccine impact on the development of possible positive autoantibody profile in healthcare workers without any previous underlying pathology, after first, second and booster dose of Pfizer vaccine, by determining: circulating immune complexes concentrations (CIC); anti-myeloperoxidase (MPO) and anti-proteinase 3 (PR3) autoantibodies, the presence of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and subsequent second level tests (extractable nuclear antigen (ENA) screen, double-strand DNA, extractable nuclear antigen (ANA) profile). METHODS: The subjects were divided according to anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG RBD antibodies increasing concentrations in: Group I < 10 BAU/ml (N = 114); Group II > 1000 BAU/ml (N = 112); Group III > 2500 BAU/ml (N = 78). RESULTS: Our data show no autoreactive response changes over time in healthy subjects after vaccination. In fact, evaluation of ANA, CIC, anti-MPO, anti-PR3 and the detection of specific autoantigens, did not display significant variations. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest the exclusion of a correlation between the administration of the vaccine and the possible onset of autoimmune disorders. Nevertheless, further investigations will be needed to test for any long-term side effects on an ever-growing population.

Successful targeting in situ of an oncogenic nuclear antigen by hapten induced tumor associated autoantibodies (iTAA).

The abscopal is a hypothesis for treating of non-irradiated tumors after localized radiation therapy. It is associated with the products of tumor-associated gene as autoantibodies (aTAAs) in reaction to the tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), with increasing of anti-MAGEA3 and an relationship between the abscopal effect and immune response. The hapten enhanced local chemotherapy (HELC) was studied to kills tumor and release tumor TAAs, then hapten modify the TAAs to neu-TAAs, to produce tumor autologous antibodies, called induced tumor-associated autoantibodies (iTAAs) that is different from natural TAAs. Since the iTAAs and complement (C) are associated with cancer therapy Immunofluorescence (IF) was applied to evaluate the expression of the iTAAs and C3, C5, C9. Traces resulted in a partial staining of the nucleus in C3's perinuclear reaction. The iTTAs of Survivin, C-MYC, and IMP1 increased significantly in the tumor cells' intranuclear regions (P = 0.02, P = 0.00, P < 0.0001). Koc, zeta, RalA, and p53 had a similar trend in the perinuclear regions (P < 0.0001, P = 0.004, P < 0.0001, P = 0.003). Therefore, we can propose that tumor antigens inside the cancer cells' nuclei are targeted by the iTAAs since the iTAAs binding levels are higher after HELC. The iTAA tagging oncogenic nuclear antigens may play a distinctive role in regulating tumor cell growth.

Entamoeba histolytica induced NETosis and the dual role of NETs in amoebiasis.

Entamoeba histolytica (Eh), a microaerophilic parasite, causes deadly enteric infections that result in Amoebiasis. Every year, the count of invasive infections reaches 50 million approximately and 40,000 to 1,00,000 deaths occurring due to amoebiasis are reported globally. Profound inflammation is the hallmark of severe amoebiasis which is facilitated by immune first defenders, neutrophils. Due to size incompatibility, neutrophils are unable to phagocytose Eh and thus, came up with the miraculous antiparasitic mechanism of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). This review provides an in-depth analysis of NETosis induced by Eh including the antigens involved in the recognition of Eh and the biochemistry of NET formation. Additionally, it underscores its novelty by describing the dual role of NETs in amoebiasis where it acts as a double-edged sword in terms of both clearing and exacerbating amoebiasis. It also provides a comprehensive account of the virulence factors discovered to date that are implicated directly and indirectly in the pathophysiology of Eh infections through the lens of NETs and can be interesting drug targets.

Analysis of Ku70 S155 Phospho-Specific BioID2 Interactome Identifies Ku Association with TRIP12 in Response to DNA Damage.

The Ku heterodimer, composed of subunits Ku70 and Ku80, is known for its essential role in repairing double-stranded DNA breaks via non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). We previously identified Ku70 S155 as a novel phosphorylation site within the von Willebrand A-like (vWA) domain of Ku70 and documented an altered DNA damage response in cells expressing a Ku70 S155D phosphomimetic mutant. Here, we conducted proximity-dependent biotin identification (BioID2) screening using wild-type Ku70, Ku70 S155D mutant, and Ku70 with a phosphoablative substitution (S155A) to identify Ku70 S155D-specific candidate proteins that may rely on this phosphorylation event. Using the BioID2 screen with multiple filtering approaches, we compared the protein interactor candidate lists for Ku70 S155D and S155A. TRIP12 was exclusive to the Ku70 S155D list, considered a high confidence interactor based on SAINTexpress analysis, and appeared in all three biological replicates of the Ku70 S155D-BioID2 mass spectrometry results. Using proximity ligation assays (PLA), we demonstrated a significantly increased association between Ku70 S155D-HA and TRIP12 compared to wild-type Ku70-HA cells. In addition, we were able to demonstrate a robust PLA signal between endogenous Ku70 and TRIP12 in the presence of double-stranded DNA breaks. Finally, co-immunoprecipitation analyses showed an enhanced interaction between TRIP12 and Ku70 upon treatment with ionizing radiation, suggesting a direct or indirect association in response to DNA damage. Altogether, these results suggest an association between Ku70 phospho-S155 and TRIP12.

Human DNA-dependent protein kinase activation mechanism.

DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK), a multicomponent complex including the DNA-PK catalytic subunit and Ku70/80 heterodimer together with DNA, is central to human DNA damage response and repair. Using a DNA-PK-selective inhibitor (M3814), we identified from one dataset two cryo-EM structures of the human DNA-PK complex in different states, the intermediate state and the active state. Here we show that activation of the kinase is regulated through conformational changes caused by the binding ligand and the string region (residues 802-846) of the DNA-PK catalytic subunit, particularly the helix-hairpin-helix motif (residues 816-836) that interacts with DNA. These observations demonstrate the regulatory role of the ligand and explain why DNA-PK is DNA dependent. Cooperation and coordination among binding partners, disordered flexible regions and mechanically flexible HEAT repeats modulate the activation of the kinase. Together with previous findings, these results provide a better molecular understanding of DNA-PK catalysis.

Bioinformatics and Connectivity Map Analysis Suggest Viral Infection as a Critical Causative Factor of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is a common autoimmune disease, and its prevalence is rapidly increasing. Both genetic and environmental risk factors contribute to the development of HT. Recently, viral infection has been suggested to act as a trigger of HT by eliciting the host immune response and subsequent autoreactivity. We analyzed the features of HT through bioinformatics analysis so as to identify the markers of HT development. We accessed public microarray data of HT patients from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and obtained differentially expressed genes (DEGs) under HT. Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG-pathway-enrichment analyses were performed for functional clustering of our protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Utilizing ranked gene lists, we performed a Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) by using the clusterprofiler R package. By comparing the expression signatures of the huge perturbation database with the queried rank-ordered gene list, a connectivity map (CMap) analysis was performed to screen potential therapeutic targets and agents. The gene expression profile of the HT group was in line with the general characteristics of HT. Biological processes related to the immune response and viral infection pathways were obtained for the upregulated DEGs. The GSEA results revealed activation of autoimmune-disease-related pathways and several viral-infection pathways. Autoimmune-disease and viral-infection pathways were highly interconnected by common genes, while the HLA genes, which are shared by both, were significantly upregulated. The CMap analysis suggested that perturbagens, including SRRM1, NLK, and CCDC92, have the potential to reverse the HT expression profile. Several lines of evidence suggested that viral infection and the host immune response are activated during HT. Viral infection is suspected to act as a key trigger of HT by causing autoimmunity. SRRM1, an alternative splicing factor which responds to viral activity, might serve as potential marker of HT.

Deficiency of cancer/testis antigen gene CT55 causes male infertility in humans and mice.

The Cancer/Testis Antigen (CTA) genes comprise a group of genes whose expression under physiological conditions is restricted to the testis but is activated in many human cancers. Depending on the particular expression pattern, the CTA genes are speculated to play a role in spermatogenesis, but evidence is limited thus far. Here, we reported patients with a hemizygous nonsense mutation in cancer-testis antigen 55 (CT55) suffering from male infertility with extreme disruption in sperm production, morphology, and locomotion. Specifically, the insufficiency of sperm individualization, excessive residue of unnecessary cytoplasm, and defects in acrosome development were evident in the spermatozoa of the patients. Furthermore, mouse models with depletion of Ct55 showed accelerated infertility with age, mimicking the defects in sperm individualization, unnecessary cytoplasm removal, and meanwhile exhibiting the disrupted cumulus-oocyte complex penetration. Mechanistically, our functional experiments uncovered CT55 as a new autophagic manipulator to regulate spermatogenesis via selectively interacting with LAMP2 and GABARAP (which are key regulators in the autophagy process) and further fine-tuning their expression. Therefore, our findings revealed CT55 as a novel CTA gene involved in spermatogenesis due to its unprecedented autophagy activity.