Activation of SO2F2 at a Rhodium PNP Pincer Complex: Ligand Supported S-F Bond Cleavage to Generate NSO2F Derivatives.

The κ2-(P,N)-phosphine ligand precursor NH(CH2CH2PCy2)2 can be used for the synthesis of the rhodium(I) complex [Rh(CO){ĸ3-(P,N,P)-Cy2PC2H4NHC2H4PCy2}][Cl] (1). The deprotonated complex [Rh(CO){ĸ3-(P,N,P)-Cy2PC2H4NC2H4PCy2}] (2) shows a cooperative reactivity of the PNP ligand in the activation reaction of SO2F2 to yield the rhodium fluorido complex trans-[Rh(F)(CO){ĸ2-(P,P)-Cy2PC2H4N(SO2F)C2H4PCy2}]2 (3) by S-F bond cleavage. It is remarkable that no reaction was observed when 3 was treated with hydrogen sources e.g. dihydrogen, organosilicon compounds such as triethylsilane or TMS-CF3 and different fluorine sources such as SF4 or Selectfluor®. However, the treatment of complex 3 with XeF2 in the presence of CsF resulted in the formation of the unique fluorido rhodium(III) complex cis,trans-[Rh(F)3(CO){ĸ2-(P,P)-Cy2PC2H4N(SO2F)C2H4PCy2}]2 (4). In the presence of pyridine(HF)X or BF3 the fluorido complex 3 converted into the dicationic complexes [Rh(CO){ĸ2-(P,P)-Cy2PC2H4N(SO2F)-C2H4PCy2}]2[XF]2, X = HF (5) or BF3 (6), respectively.

Patterns of primary and specialty care among children with sickle cell anemia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: National guidelines recommend that children with sickle cell anemia (SCA) be seen regularly by primary care providers (PCPs) as well as hematologists to receive comprehensive, multidisciplinary care. The objective is to characterize the patterns of primary and hematology care for children with SCA in Michigan. METHODS: Using validated claims definitions, children ages 1-17 years with SCA were identified using Michigan Medicaid administrative claims from 2010 to 2018. We calculated the number of outpatient PCP and hematologist visits per person-year, as well as the proportion of children with at least one visit to a PCP, hematologist, or both a PCP and hematologist annually. Negative binomial regression was used to calculate annual rates of visits for each provider type. RESULTS: A total of 875 children contributed 2889 person-years. Of the total 22,570 outpatient visits, 52% were with a PCP and 34% with a hematologist. Annually, 87%-93% of children had a visit with a PCP, and 63%-85% had a visit with a hematologist. Approximately 66% of total person-years had both visit types within a year. The annual rate ranged from 2.3 to 2.5 for hematologist visits and from 3.7 to 4.1 for PCP visits. CONCLUSIONS: Substantial gaps exist in the receipt of annual hematology care. Given that the majority of children with SCA see a PCP annually, strategies to leverage primary care visits experienced by this population may be needed to increase receipt of SCA-specific services.

Mitolnc controls cardiac BCAA metabolism and heart hypertrophy by allosteric activation of BCKDH.

Enzyme activity is determined by various different mechanisms, including posttranslational modifications and allosteric regulation. Allosteric activators are often metabolites but other molecules serve similar functions. So far, examples of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) acting as allosteric activators of enzyme activity are missing. Here, we describe the function of mitolnc in cardiomyocytes, a nuclear encoded long non-coding RNA, located in mitochondria and directly interacting with the branched-chain ketoacid dehydrogenase (BCKDH) complex to increase its activity. The BCKDH complex is critical for branched-chain amino acid catabolism (BCAAs). Inactivation of mitolnc in mice reduces BCKDH complex activity, resulting in accumulation of BCAAs in the heart and cardiac hypertrophy via enhanced mTOR signaling. We found that mitolnc allosterically activates the BCKDH complex, independent of phosphorylation. Mitolnc-mediated regulation of the BCKDH complex constitutes an important additional layer to regulate the BCKDH complex in a tissue-specific manner, evading direct coupling of BCAA metabolism to ACLY-dependent lipogenesis.

GLI1+ Cells Contribute to Vascular Remodeling in Pulmonary Hypertension.

BACKGROUND: The precise origin of newly formed ACTA2+ (alpha smooth muscle actin-positive) cells appearing in nonmuscularized vessels in the context of pulmonary hypertension is still debatable although it is believed that they predominantly derive from preexisting vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). METHODS: Gli1Cre-ERT2; tdTomatoflox mice were used to lineage trace GLI1+ (glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1-positive) cells in the context of pulmonary hypertension using 2 independent models of vascular remodeling and reverse remodeling: hypoxia and cigarette smoke exposure. Hemodynamic measurements, right ventricular hypertrophy assessment, flow cytometry, and histological analysis of thick lung sections followed by state-of-the-art 3-dimensional reconstruction and quantification using Imaris software were used to investigate the contribution of GLI1+ cells to neomuscularization of the pulmonary vasculature. RESULTS: The data show that GLI1+ cells are abundant around distal, nonmuscularized vessels during steady state, and this lineage contributes to around 50% of newly formed ACTA2+ cells around these normally nonmuscularized vessels. During reverse remodeling, cells derived from the GLI1+ lineage are largely cleared in parallel to the reversal of muscularization. Partial ablation of GLI1+ cells greatly prevented vascular remodeling in response to hypoxia and attenuated the increase in right ventricular systolic pressure and right heart hypertrophy. Single-cell RNA sequencing on sorted lineage-labeled GLI1+ cells revealed an Acta2high fraction of cells with pathways in cancer and MAPK signaling as potential players in reprogramming these cells during vascular remodeling. Analysis of human lung-derived material suggests that GLI1 signaling is overactivated in both group 1 and group 3 pulmonary hypertension and can promote proliferation and myogenic differentiation. CONCLUSIONS: Our data highlight GLI1+ cells as an alternative cellular source of VSMCs in pulmonary hypertension and suggest that these cells and the associated signaling pathways represent an important therapeutic target for further studies.

SIRT7: a novel molecular target for personalized cancer treatment?

The Sirtuin family of NAD+-dependent enzymes assumes a pivotal role in orchestrating adaptive responses to environmental fluctuations and stress stimuli, operating at both genomic and metabolic levels. Within this family, SIRT7 emerges as a versatile player in tumorigenesis, displaying both pro-tumorigenic and tumor-suppressive functions in a context-dependent manner. While other sirtuins, such as SIRT1 and SIRT6, exhibit a similar dual role in cancer, SIRT7 stands out due to distinctive attributes that sharply distinguish it from other family members. Among these are a unique key role in regulation of nucleolar functions, a close functional relationship with RNA metabolism and processing -exceptional among sirtuins- and a complex multienzymatic nature, which provides a diverse range of molecular targets. This review offers a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of the role of SIRT7 in various malignancies, placing particular emphasis on the intricate molecular mechanisms employed by SIRT7 to either stimulate or counteract tumorigenesis. Additionally, it delves into the unique features of SIRT7, discussing their potential and specific implications in tumor initiation and progression, underscoring the promising avenue of targeting SIRT7 for the development of innovative anti-cancer therapies.

Single-Nucleus ATAC-seq for Mapping Chromatin Accessibility in Individual Cells of Murine Hearts.

During the last decade a wide range of single-cell and single-nucleus next-generation sequencing techniques have been developed, which revolutionized detection of rare cell populations, enabling creation of comprehensive cell atlases of complex organs and tissues. State-of-the-art methods do not only allow classical transcriptomics of individual cells but also comprise a number of epigenetic approaches, including assessment of chromatin accessibility by single-nucleus Assay for Transposase Accessible Chromatin ATAC-seq (snATAC-seq). The snATAC-seq assay detects "open chromatin," a term for low nucleosome occupancy of genomic regions, which is a prerequisite for effective transcription factor binding. Information about open chromatin at the single-nucleus level helps to recognize epigenetic changes, sometimes before transcription of respective genes occurs. snATAC-seq detects cellular heterogeneity in otherwise still transcriptionally and/or morphologically homogeneous cell populations. Chromatin accessibility assays may be used to detect epigenetic changes in cardiac lineages during heart development, chromatin landscape changes during aging, and epigenetic alterations in heart diseases. Here, we provide an optimized protocol for snATAC-seq of murine hearts. We describe isolation of single nuclei from snap-frozen hearts, provide hints for preparation of libraries suitable for snATAC-seq next-generation sequencing (NGS) using the Chromium 10× platform, and give general recommendations for downstream analysis using conventional bioinformatic pipelines and packages. The protocol should serve as a beginner's guide to generate high-quality snATAC-seq datasets and to perform chromatin accessibility analysis of individual heart-derived cell nuclei.

Proteomic and transcriptomic characterisation of FIA10, a novel murine leukemic cell line that metastasizes into the brain.

Brain metastasis leads to increased mortality and is a major site of relapse for several cancers, yet the molecular mechanisms of brain metastasis are not well understood. In this study, we established and characterized a new leukemic cell line, FIA10, that metastasizes into the central nervous system (CNS) following injection into the tail vein of syngeneic mice. Mice injected with FIA10 cells developed neurological symptoms such as loss of balance, tremor, ataxic gait and seizures, leading to death within 3 months. Histopathology coupled with PCR analysis clearly showed infiltration of leukemic FIA10 cells into the brain parenchyma of diseased mice, with little involvement of bone marrow, peripheral blood and other organs. To define pathways that contribute to CNS metastasis, global transcriptome and proteome analysis was performed on FIA10 cells and compared with that of the parental stem cell line FDCP-Mix and the related FIA18 cells, which give rise to myeloid leukemia without CNS involvement. 188 expressed genes (RNA level) and 189 proteins were upregulated (log2 ratio FIA10/FIA18 ≥ 1) and 120 mRNAs and 177 proteins were downregulated (log2 ratio FIA10/FIA18 ≤ 1) in FIA10 cells compared with FIA18 cells. Major upregulated pathways in FIA10 cells revealed by biofunctional analyses involved immune response components, adhesion molecules and enzymes implicated in extracellular matrix remodeling, opening and crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB), molecules supporting migration within the brain parenchyma, alterations in metabolism necessary for growth within the brain microenvironment, and regulators for these functions. Downregulated RNA and protein included several tumor suppressors and DNA repair enzymes. In line with the function of FIA10 cells to specifically infiltrate the brain, FIA10 cells have acquired a phenotype that permits crossing the BBB and adapting to the brain microenvironment thereby escaping immune surveillance. These data and our model system FIA10 will be valuable resources to study the occurrence of brain metastases and may help in the development of potential therapies against brain invasion.

Effects of negative dietary cation-anion difference and calcidiol supplementation in transition diets fed to sows on piglet survival, piglet weight, and sow metabolism.

Diets that provide a negative dietary anion cation difference (DCAD) and supplement with a vitamin D metabolite 25-OH-D3 (calcidiol) may increase calcium availability at parturition, and enhance piglet survival and performance. This factorial study assessed the effects of DCAD, calcidiol (50 µg/kg), and parity (parity 1 or >1) and their interactions. Large White and Landrace sows (n = 328), parity 1 to 8 were randomly allocated in blocks to treatment diets from day 103 of gestation until day 3 postfarrow: 1) negative DCAD without calcidiol (negative DCAD + no CA), n = 84, 2) negative DCAD with calcidiol (negative DCAD + CA) n = 84, 3) positive DCAD without calcidiol (negative DCAD + no CA), n = 81, and 4) positive DCAD with calcidiol (positive DCAD + CA), n = 79. Negative DCAD diets were acidified with an anionic feed (2 kg/t) and magnesium sulfate (2 kg/t). All treatment diets contained cholecalciferol at 1,000 IU/kg. Dry sow diets contained 14.8% crude protein (CP), 5.4% crude fiber (CF), 0.8% Ca, and 83 mEq/kg DCAD. Treatment diets 1 and 2 contained 17.5% CP, 7.3% CF, 0.8% Ca, and -2 mEq/kg DCAD. Treatment diets 3 and 4 contained 17.4% CP, 7.4% CF, 0.8% Ca, and 68 mEq/kg DCAD. Before farrowing, all negative DCAD sows had lower urine pH than all sows fed a positive DCAD (5.66 ± 0.05 and 6.29 ± 0.05, respectively; P < 0.01); urinary pH was acidified for both DCAD treatments indicating metabolic acidification. The percentage of sows with stillborn piglets was not affected by DCAD, calcidiol, or parity alone but sows fed the negative DCAD + CA diet had a 28% reduction in odds of stillbirth compared to the negative DCAD + no CA diet and even lesser odds to the positive DCAD + CA diet. At day 1 after farrowing, blood gas, and mineral and metabolite concentrations were consistent with feeding a negative DCAD diet and that negative DCAD diets influence energy metabolism, as indicated by increased glucose, cholesterol, and osteocalcin concentrations and reduced nonesterified free fatty acids and 3-hydroxybutyrate concentrations. In the subsequent litter, total piglets born and born alive (14.7 ± 0.3 and 13.8 ± 0.3 piglets, respectively; P = 0.029) was greater for positive DCAD diets compared to negative DCAD diets; and there was an interaction between DCAD, calcidiol, and parity (P = 0.002). Feeding a negative DCAD diet influenced stillbirth, subsequent litter size, and metabolic responses at farrowing. More studies are needed to define optimal diets prefarrowing for sows.

The transition period between late gestation and lactation is critical to farrowing and successful lactation; sows with higher blood calcium have less risk of dystocia. We evaluated transition diets that provided a negative dietary cation­anion difference (DCAD) and supplemented with calcidiol (CA), both of which influence calcium metabolism. Purebred Landrace or Large White sows (n = 328) were enrolled in the experiment and selected sows that were either primiparous (n = 99) or multiparous (n = 229; average parity = 2.59 ± 1.51; parity range = 1 to 8) were fed a dry sow ration until day 103 of gestation and were then fed transition diets until day 3 postfarrowing in a factorial study. The diets were formulated to include 1) negative DCAD + no CA, 2) negative DCAD + CA, 3) positive DCAD + no CA, or 4) positive DCAD + CA. All diets induced a metabolic acidosis as indicated by urinary pH. Sows fed the negative DCAD with added calcidiol had a >28% reduction in odds of stillbirth over negative DCAD + no CA and positive DCAD + CA diets. Following weaning and re-mating, there were 0.9 more piglets born in the subsequent litter for both positive DCAD diets compared to negative DCAD diets. Blood gas, and mineral and metabolite concentrations provided evidence that negative DCAD diets positively influenced energy metabolism.

A phase 2 trial of CD24Fc for prevention of graft-versus-host disease.

ABSTRACT: Patients who undergo human leukocyte antigen-matched unrelated donor (MUD) allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) with myeloablative conditioning for hematologic malignancies often develop acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) despite standard calcineurin inhibitor-based prophylaxis in combination with methotrexate. This trial evaluated a novel human CD24 fusion protein (CD24Fc/MK-7110) that selectively targets and mitigates inflammation due to damage-associated molecular patterns underlying acute GVHD while preserving protective immunity after myeloablative conditioning. This phase 2a, multicenter study evaluated the pharmacokinetics, safety, and efficacy of CD24Fc in combination with tacrolimus and methotrexate in preventing acute GVHD in adults undergoing MUD HSCT for hematologic malignancies. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation phase to identify a recommended dose was followed by an open-label expansion phase with matched controls to further evaluate the efficacy and safety of CD24Fc in preventing acute GVHD. A multidose regimen of CD24Fc produced sustained drug exposure with similar safety outcomes when compared with single-dose regimens. Grade 3 to 4 acute GVHD-free survival at day 180 was 96.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 75.7-99.4) in the CD24Fc expansion cohort (CD24Fc multidose), compared with 73.6% (95% CI, 63.2-81.4) in matched controls (hazard ratio, 0.1 [95% CI, 0.0-0.6]; log-rank test, P = .03). No participants in the CD24Fc escalation or expansion phases experienced dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs). The multidose regimen of CD24Fc was well tolerated with no DLTs and was associated with high rates of severe acute GVHD-free survival after myeloablative MUD HSCT. This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov as #NCT02663622.

Comparing Self-Reported Dietary Intake to Provided Diet during a Randomized Controlled Feeding Intervention: A Pilot Study.

Systematic and random errors based on self-reported diet may bias estimates of dietary intake. The objective of this pilot study was to describe errors in self-reported dietary intake by comparing 24 h dietary recalls to provided menu items in a controlled feeding study. This feeding study was a parallel randomized block design consisting of a standard diet (STD; 15% protein, 50% carbohydrate, 35% fat) followed by either a high-fat (HF; 15% protein, 25% carbohydrate, 60% fat) or a high-carbohydrate (HC; 15% protein, 75% carbohydrate, 10% fat) diet. During the intervention, participants reported dietary intake in 24 h recalls. Participants included 12 males (seven HC, five HF) and 12 females (six HC, six HF). The Nutrition Data System for Research was utilized to quantify energy, macronutrients, and serving size of food groups. Statistical analyses assessed differences in 24 h dietary recalls vs. provided menu items, considering intervention type (STD vs. HF vs. HC) (Student's t-test). Caloric intake was consistent between self-reported intake and provided meals. Participants in the HF diet underreported energy-adjusted dietary fat and participants in the HC diet underreported energy-adjusted dietary carbohydrates. Energy-adjusted protein intake was overreported in each dietary intervention, specifically overreporting beef and poultry. Classifying misreported dietary components can lead to strategies to mitigate self-report errors for accurate dietary assessment.

Feasibility of a dietary intervention to modify gut microbial metabolism in patients with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Evaluation of the impact of dietary intervention on gastrointestinal microbiota and metabolites after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) is lacking. We conducted a feasibility study as the first of a two-phase trial. Ten adults received resistant potato starch (RPS) daily from day -7 to day 100. The primary objective was to test the feasibility of RPS and its effect on intestinal microbiome and metabolites, including the short-chain fatty acid butyrate. Feasibility met the preset goal of 60% or more, adhering to 70% or more doses; fecal butyrate levels were significantly higher when participants were on RPS than when they were not (P < 0.0001). An exploratory objective was to evaluate plasma metabolites. We observed longitudinal changes in plasma metabolites compared to baseline, which were independent of RPS (P < 0.0001). However, in recipients of RPS, the dominant plasma metabolites were more stable compared to historical controls with significant difference at engraftment (P < 0.05). These results indicate that RPS in recipients of allogeneic HCT is feasible; in this study, it was associated with significant alterations in intestinal and plasma metabolites. A phase 2 trial examining the effect of RPS on graft-versus-host disease in recipients of allogeneic HCT is underway. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT02763033 .

Preliminary results from the EMoLung clinical study showing early lung cancer detection by the LC score.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer (LC) causes more deaths worldwide than any other cancer type. Despite advances in therapeutic strategies, the fatality rate of LC cases remains high (95%) since the majority of patients are diagnosed at late stages when patient prognosis is poor. Analysis of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) database indicates that early diagnosis is significantly associated with favorable outcome. However, since symptoms of LC at early stages are unspecific and resemble those of benign pathologies, current diagnostic approaches are mostly initiated at advanced LC stages. METHODS: We developed a LC diagnosis test based on the analysis of distinct RNA isoforms expressed from the GATA6 and NKX2-1 gene loci, which are detected in exhaled breath condensates (EBCs). Levels of these transcript isoforms in EBCs were combined to calculate a diagnostic score (the LC score). In the present study, we aimed to confirm the applicability of the LC score for the diagnosis of early stage LC under clinical settings. Thus, we evaluated EBCs from patients with early stage, resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), who were prospectively enrolled in the EMoLung study at three sites in Germany. RESULTS: LC score-based classification of EBCs confirmed its performance under clinical conditions, achieving a sensitivity of 95.7%, 91.3% and 84.6% for LC detection at stages I, II and III, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The LC score is an accurate and non-invasive option for early LC diagnosis and a valuable complement to LC screening procedures based on computed tomography.

Morphoelectric and transcriptomic divergence of the layer 1 interneuron repertoire in human versus mouse neocortex.

Neocortical layer 1 (L1) is a site of convergence between pyramidal-neuron dendrites and feedback axons where local inhibitory signaling can profoundly shape cortical processing. Evolutionary expansion of human neocortex is marked by distinctive pyramidal neurons with extensive L1 branching, but whether L1 interneurons are similarly diverse is underexplored. Using Patch-seq recordings from human neurosurgical tissue, we identified four transcriptomic subclasses with mouse L1 homologs, along with distinct subtypes and types unmatched in mouse L1. Subclass and subtype comparisons showed stronger transcriptomic differences in human L1 and were correlated with strong morphoelectric variability along dimensions distinct from mouse L1 variability. Accompanied by greater layer thickness and other cytoarchitecture changes, these findings suggest that L1 has diverged in evolution, reflecting the demands of regulating the expanded human neocortical circuit.

Inhibition of fatty acid oxidation enables heart regeneration in adult mice.

Postnatal maturation of cardiomyocytes is characterized by a metabolic switch from glycolysis to fatty acid oxidation, chromatin reconfiguration and exit from the cell cycle, instating a barrier for adult heart regeneration1,2. Here, to explore whether metabolic reprogramming can overcome this barrier and enable heart regeneration, we abrogate fatty acid oxidation in cardiomyocytes by inactivation of Cpt1b. We find that disablement of fatty acid oxidation in cardiomyocytes improves resistance to hypoxia and stimulates cardiomyocyte proliferation, allowing heart regeneration after ischaemia-reperfusion injury. Metabolic studies reveal profound changes in energy metabolism and accumulation of α-ketoglutarate in Cpt1b-mutant cardiomyocytes, leading to activation of the α-ketoglutarate-dependent lysine demethylase KDM5 (ref. 3). Activated KDM5 demethylates broad H3K4me3 domains in genes that drive cardiomyocyte maturation, lowering their transcription levels and shifting cardiomyocytes into a less mature state, thereby promoting proliferation. We conclude that metabolic maturation shapes the epigenetic landscape of cardiomyocytes, creating a roadblock for further cell divisions. Reversal of this process allows repair of damaged hearts.

Activation of SF5CF3 by the N-Heterocyclic Carbene SIMes.

The greenhouse gas SF5CF3 was photochemically activated with SIMes (1,3-Bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)-4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene) to give 1,3-dimesityl-2,2-difluoroimidazolidine (SIMesF2), and 1,3-dimesitylimidazolidine-2-sulfide, as well as the trifluoromethylated carbene derivative 1,3-dimesityl-2-fluoro-2-trifluoromethylimidazolidine. CF3 radicals, as well as SF4, serve presumably as intermediates of the conversions. In addition, the photochemical activation of SF5CF3 was performed in the presence of triphenylphosphine. The formation of triphenyldifluorophosphorane and triphenylphosphine sulfide was observed.

An amorphous Lewis-acidic zirconium chlorofluoride as HF shuttle: C-F bond activation and formation.

An exceptional HF transfer reaction by C-F bond activation of fluoropentane and a subsequent hydrofluorination of alkynes at room temperature is reported. An amorphous Lewis-acidic Zr chlorofluoride serves as heterogeneous catalyst, which is characterised by an eightfold coordination environment at Zr including chlorine atoms. The studies are seminal in establishing sustainable fluorine chemistry.

Comparative analysis of full-length 16s ribosomal RNA genome sequencing in human fecal samples using primer sets with different degrees of degeneracy.

Next-generation sequencing has revolutionized the field of microbiology research and greatly expanded our knowledge of complex bacterial communities. Nanopore sequencing provides distinct advantages, combining cost-effectiveness, ease of use, high throughput, and high taxonomic resolution through its ability to process long amplicons, such as the entire 16s rRNA genome. We examine the performance of the conventional 27F primer (27F-I) included in the 16S Barcoding Kit distributed by Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) and that of a more degenerate 27F primer (27F-II) in the context of highly complex bacterial communities in 73 human fecal samples. The results show striking differences in both taxonomic diversity and relative abundance of a substantial number of taxa between the two primer sets. Primer 27F-I reveals a significantly lower biodiversity and, for example, at the taxonomic level of the phyla, a dominance of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria as determined by relative abundances, as well as an unusually high ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteriodetes when compared to the more degenerate primer set (27F-II). Considering the findings in the context of the gut microbiomes common in Western industrial societies, as reported in the American Gut Project, the more degenerate primer set (27F-II) reflects the composition and diversity of the fecal microbiome significantly better than the 27F-I primer. This study provides a fundamentally relevant comparative analysis of the in situ performance of two primer sets designed for sequencing of the entire 16s rRNA genome and suggests that the more degenerate primer set (27F-II) should be preferred for nanopore sequencing-based analyses of the human fecal microbiome.

Amending the injured heart by in vivo reprogramming.

Ischemic heart injury causes death of cardiomyocyte (CM), formation of a fibrotic scar, and often adverse cardiac remodeling, resulting in chronic heart failure. Therapeutic interventions have lowered myocardial damage and improved heart function, but pharmacological treatment of heart failure has only shown limited progress in recent years. Over the past two decades, different approaches have been pursued to regenerate the heart, by transplantation of newly generated CMs derived from pluripotent stem cells, generation of new CMs by reprogramming of cardiac fibroblasts, or by activating proliferation of preexisting CMs. Here, we summarize recent progress in the development of strategies for in situ generation of new CMs, review recent advances in understanding the underlying mechanisms, and discuss the challenges and future directions of the field.