MOF-mediated acetylation of UHRF1 enhances UHRF1 E3 ligase activity to facilitate DNA methylation maintenance.

The multi-domain protein UHRF1 (ubiquitin-like, containing PHD and RING finger domains, 1) recruits DNMT1 for DNA methylation maintenance during DNA replication. Here, we show that MOF (males absent on the first) acetylates UHRF1 at K670 in the pre-RING linker region, whereas HDAC1 deacetylates UHRF1 at the same site. We also identify that K667 and K668 can also be acetylated by MOF when K670 is mutated. The MOF/HDAC1-mediated acetylation in UHRF1 is cell-cycle regulated and peaks at G1/S phase, in line with the function of UHRF1 in recruiting DNMT1 to maintain DNA methylation. In addition, UHRF1 acetylation significantly enhances its E3 ligase activity. Abolishing UHRF1 acetylation at these sites attenuates UHRF1-mediated H3 ubiquitination, which in turn impairs DNMT1 recruitment and DNA methylation. Taken together, these findings identify MOF as an acetyltransferase for UHRF1 and define a mechanism underlying the regulation of DNA methylation maintenance through MOF-mediated UHRF1 acetylation.

Diradical-Based Strategy in Designing Narrowband Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Molecules with Tunable Emission Wavelengths.

In the design of thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) materials, narrow-band emission is of particular importance for the development of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). In this work, we proposed a new strategy for designing TADF molecules utilizing degenerate nonbonding (NB) orbitals of diradical parent molecules, and these designed molecules are termed NB-TADF molecules. Based on this strategy, a series of NB-TADF molecules is finely designed and systematically studied by theoretical calculations. Taking advantage of the nonbonding properties, these NB-TADF molecules exhibit desirable narrowband emissions and high quantum yields. More importantly, the emission bands can be easily tuned from blue to near-infrared by changing the conjugate length of the parent group in the NB-TADF molecules. We hope that this new strategy can open a new door for the design of novel TADF materials.

Ultrafast vibrational energy redistribution in cyclotrimethylene trinitramine (RDX).

The microscopic mechanism of the energy transfer in cyclotrimethylene trinitramine (RDX) is of particular importance for the study of the energy release process in high-energy materials. In this work, an effective vibrational Hamiltonian based on normal modes (NMs) has been introduced to study the energy transfer process of RDX. The results suggest that the energy redistribution in RDX can be characterized as an ultrafast process with a time scale of 25 fs, during which the energy can be rapidly localized to the -NNO2 twisting mode (vNNO2), the N-N stretching mode (vN-N), and the C-H stretching mode (vC-H). Here, the vNNO2 and vN-N modes are directly related to the cleavage and dissociation of the N-N bond in RDX and, therefore, can be referred to as "active modes." More importantly, we found that the energy can be rapidly transferred from the vC-H mode to the vNNO2 mode due to their strong coupling. From this perspective, the vC-H mode can be regarded as an "energy collector" that plays a pivotal role in supplying energy to the "active modes." In addition, the bond order analysis shows that the dissociation of the N-N bonds of RDX follows a combined twisting and stretching path along the N-N bond. This could be an illustration of the further exothermic decomposition triggered by the accumulation of vibrational energy. The present study reveals the microscopic mechanism for the vibrational energy redistribution process of RDX, which is important for further investigation of the energy transfer process in high-energy materials.

Isthmin-1: A critical regulator of branching morphogenesis and metanephric mesenchyme condensation during early kidney development.

Isthmin-1 (Ism1) was first described to be syn-expressed with Fgf8 in Xenopus. However, its biological role has not been elucidated until recent years. Despite of accumulated evidence that Ism1 participates in angiogenesis, tumor invasion, macrophage apoptosis, and glucose metabolism, the cognate receptors for Ism1 remain largely unknown. Ism1 deficiency in mice results in renal agenesis (RA) with a transient loss of Gdnf transcription and impaired mesenchyme condensation at E11.5. Ism1 binds to and activates Integrin α8ß1 to positively regulate Gdnf/Ret signaling, thus promoting mesenchyme condensation and ureteric epithelium branching morphogenesis. Here, we propose the hypothesis underlying the mechanism by which Ism1 regulates branching morphogenesis during early kidney development.

Deciphering m6A dynamics at a single-base level during planarian anterior-posterior axis specification.

Background: The establishment of the anterior-posterior (A-P) axis is a crucial step during tissue repair and regeneration. Despite the association reported recently of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) with regeneration, the mechanism underlying the regulation of m6A in A-P axis specification during regeneration remains unknown. Herein, we deciphered the m6A landscape at a single-base resolution at multiple time points during A-P axis regeneration and constructed the de novo transcriptome assembly of the Dugesia japonica planarian. Results: Immunofluorescence staining and comparative analysis revealed that m6A is widespread across the planarian and dynamically regulated during regeneration along the A-P axis, exhibiting a strong spatiotemporal feature. The resulting datasets of m6A-modified genes identified 80 anterior-specific genes and 13 posterior-specific genes, respectively. In addition, we showed that YTHDC1 serves as the primary m6A reader to be involved in the m6A-mediated specification of A-P axis during regeneration in Dugesia japonica planarian. Conclusions: Our study provides an RNA epigenetic explanation for the specification of the A-P axis during tissue regeneration in planarian.

Mesomerism induced temperature-dependent multicomponent phosphorescence emissions in ClBDBT.

Quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) and molecular dynamics (MD) methods were applied to systematically investigate the temperature-dependent phosphorescence emission of dibenzo[b,d]thiophen-2-yl(4-chlorophenyl)methanone (ClBDBT) and its derivatives. The calculated temperature-dependent spectra on the lowest triplet state (T1) are in good agreement with the experimental observations, which means that the two-component white light emission should stem from the T1 state. The further MD simulations demonstrate the existence of two mesomerism structures at room temperature which can emit two lights simultaneously. The multi-component light emissions induced by mesomerism structures have advantages in balancing the distribution of excitons which could be beneficial to obtain pure white light along with stable Commission Internationale de l'Éclairage (CIE) coordinates. We hope this mesomerism concept can be further used to design new white light emitters based on room-temperature phosphorescence.

α-parvin controls chondrocyte column formation and regulates long bone development.

Endochondral ossification requires proper control of chondrocyte proliferation, differentiation, survival, and organization. Here we show that knockout of α-parvin, an integrin-associated focal adhesion protein, from murine limbs causes defects in endochondral ossification and dwarfism. The mutant long bones were shorter but wider, and the growth plates became disorganized, especially in the proliferative zone. With two-photon time-lapse imaging of bone explant culture, we provide direct evidence showing that α-parvin regulates chondrocyte rotation, a process essential for chondrocytes to form columnar structure. Furthermore, loss of α-parvin increased binucleation, elevated cell death, and caused dilation of the resting zones of mature growth plates. Single-cell RNA-seq analyses revealed alterations of transcriptome in all three zones (i.e., resting, proliferative, and hypertrophic zones) of the growth plates. Our results demonstrate a crucial role of α-parvin in long bone development and shed light on the cellular mechanism through which α-parvin regulates the longitudinal growth of long bones.

MOF-mediated acetylation of SIRT6 disrupts SIRT6-FOXA2 interaction and represses SIRT6 tumor-suppressive function by upregulating ZEB2 in NSCLC.

Mammalian sirtuin 6 (SIRT6) regulates a spectrum of vital biological processes and has long been implicated in the progression of cancer. However, the mechanisms underlying the regulation of SIRT6 in tumorigenesis remain elusive. Here, we report that the tumor-suppressive function of SIRT6 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is regulated by acetylation. Specifically, males absent on the first (MOF) acetylates SIRT6 at K128, K160, and K267, resulting in a decreased deacetylase activity of SIRT6 and attenuated SIRT6 tumor-suppressive function in NSCLC. Mechanistically, MOF-mediated SIRT6 acetylation hinders the interaction between SIRT6 and transcriptional factor FOXA2, which in turn leads to the transcriptional activation of ZEB2, thus promoting NSCLC progression. Collectively, these data indicate an acetylation-dependent mechanism that modulates SIRT6 tumor-suppressive function in NSCLC. Our findings suggest that the MOF-SIRT6-ZEB2 axis may represent a promising therapeutic target for the management of NSCLC.

WTAP regulates stem cells via TRAF6 to maintain planarian homeostasis and regeneration.

WTAP, a highly conserved Wilms' tumor 1 interacting protein, is involved in a variety of biological processes. However, functional studies of WTAP in planarians have not been reported. In this study, we examined the spatiotemporal expression pattern of planarian DjWTAP and investigated its functions in planarians regeneration and homeostasis. Knocking-down DjWTAP resulted in severe morphological defects leading to lethality within 20 days. Silencing DjWTAP promoted the proliferation of PiwiA+ cells but impaired the lineage differentiation of epidermal, neural, digestive, and excretory cell types, suggesting a critical role for DjWTAP in stem cell self-renewal and differentiation in planarian. To further investigate the mechanisms underlying the defective differentiation, RNA-seq was employed to determine the transcriptomic alterations upon DjWTAP RNA interference. Histone 4 (H4), Histone-lysine N-methyltransferase-SETMAR like, and TNF receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6), were significantly upregulated in response to DjWTAP RNAi. Knocking-down TRAF6 largely rescued the defective tissue homeostasis and regeneration resulted from DjWTAP knockdown in planarians, suggesting that DjWTAP maintains planarian regeneration and homeostasis via TRAF6.

Isthmin-1 (Ism1) modulates renal branching morphogenesis and mesenchyme condensation during early kidney development.

The outgrowth of epithelial bud followed by reiterated bifurcations during renal development is driven by the ligand-receptor interactions between the epithelium and the surrounding mesenchyme. Here, by exploring ligand-receptor interactions in E10.5 and E11.5 kidneys by single cell RNA-seq, we find that Isthmin1 (Ism1), a secreted protein, resembles Gdnf expression and modulates kidney branching morphogenesis. Mice deficient for Ism1 exhibit defective ureteric bud bifurcation and impaired metanephric mesenchyme condensation in E11.5 embryos, attributable to the compromised Gdnf/Ret signaling, ultimately leading to renal agenesis and hypoplasia/dysplasia. By HRP-induced proximity labelling, we further identify integrin α8ß1 as a receptor of Ism1 in E11.5 kidney and demonstrate that Ism1 promoted cell-cell adhesion through interacting with Integrin α8ß1, the receptor whose activation is responsible for Gdnf expression and mesenchyme condensation. Taken together, our work reveals Ism1 as a critical regulator of cell-cell interaction that modulates Gdnf/Ret signaling during early kidney development.

PRMT1 reverts the immune escape of necroptotic colon cancer through RIP3 methylation.

Necroptosis plays a double-edged sword role in necroptotic cancer cell death and tumor immune escape. How cancer orchestrates necroptosis with immune escape and tumor progression remains largely unclear. We found that RIP3, the central activator of necroptosis, was methylated by PRMT1 methyltransferase at the amino acid of RIP3 R486 in human and the conserved amino acid R479 in mouse. The methylation of RIP3 by PRMT1 inhibited the interaction of RIP3 with RIP1 to suppress RIP1-RIP3 necrosome complex, thereby blocking RIP3 phosphorylation and necroptosis activation. Moreover, the methylation-deficiency RIP3 mutant promoted necroptosis, immune escape and colon cancer progression due to increasing tumor infiltrated myeloid-derived immune suppressor cells (MDSC), while PRMT1 reverted the immune escape of RIP3 necroptotic colon cancer. Importantly, we generated a RIP3 R486 di-methylation specific antibody (RIP3ADMA). Clinical patient samples analysis revealed that the protein levels of PRMT1 and RIP3ADMA were positively correlated in cancer tissues and both of them predicted the longer patient survival. Our study provides insights into the molecular mechanism of PRMT1-mediated RIP3 methylation in the regulation of necroptosis and colon cancer immunity, as well as reveals PRMT1 and RIP3ADMA as the valuable prognosis markers of colon cancer.

MMP14 cleaves PTH1R in the chondrocyte-derived osteoblast lineage, curbing signaling intensity for proper bone anabolism.

Bone homeostasis is regulated by hormones such as parathyroid hormone (PTH). While PTH can stimulate osteo-progenitor expansion and bone synthesis, how the PTH-signaling intensity in progenitors is controlled is unclear. Endochondral bone osteoblasts arise from perichondrium-derived osteoprogenitors and hypertrophic chondrocytes (HC). We found, via single-cell transcriptomics, that HC-descendent cells activate membrane-type 1 metalloproteinase 14 (MMP14) and the PTH pathway as they transition to osteoblasts in neonatal and adult mice. Unlike Mmp14 global knockouts, postnatal day 10 (p10) HC lineage-specific Mmp14 null mutants (Mmp14ΔHC) produce more bone. Mechanistically, MMP14 cleaves the extracellular domain of PTH1R, dampening PTH signaling, and consistent with the implied regulatory role, in Mmp14ΔHC mutants, PTH signaling is enhanced. We found that HC-derived osteoblasts contribute ~50% of osteogenesis promoted by treatment with PTH 1-34, and this response was amplified in Mmp14ΔHC. MMP14 control of PTH signaling likely applies also to both HC- and non-HC-derived osteoblasts because their transcriptomes are highly similar. Our study identifies a novel paradigm of MMP14 activity-mediated modulation of PTH signaling in the osteoblast lineage, contributing new insights into bone metabolism with therapeutic significance for bone-wasting diseases.

Clinical and immunological features of an APLAID patient caused by a novel mutation in PLCG2.

Background: The APLAID syndrome is a rare primary immunodeficiency caused by gain-of-function mutations in the PLCG2 gene. We present a 7-year-old APLAID patient who has recurrent blistering skin lesions, skin infections in the perineum, a rectal perineal fistula, and inflammatory bowel disease. Methods: To determine the genetic cause of our patient, WES and bioinformatics analysis were performed. Flow cytometry was used for phenotyping immune cell populations in peripheral blood. Cytokines released into plasma were analyzed using protein chip technology. The PBMCs of patient and a healthy child were subjected to single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis. Results: The patient carried a novel de novo missense mutation c.2534T>C in exon 24 of the PLCG2 gene that causes a leucine to serine amino acid substitution (p.Leu845Ser). Bioinformatics analysis revealed that this mutation had a negative impact on the structure of the PLCγ2 protein, which is highly conserved in many other species. Immunophenotyping by flow cytometry revealed that in addition to the typical decrease in circulating memory B cells, the levels of myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs) in the children's peripheral blood were significantly lower, as were the CD4+ effector T cells induced by their activation. Single-cell sequencing revealed that the proportion of different types of cells in the peripheral blood of the APLAID patient changed. Conclusions: We present the first case of APLAID with severely reduced myeloid dendritic cells carrying a novel PLCG2 mutation, and conducted a comprehensive analysis of immunological features in the ALPAID patient, which has not been mentioned in previous reports. This study expands the spectrum of APLAID-associated immunophenotype and genotype. The detailed immune analyses in this patient may provide a basis for the development of targeted therapies for this severe autoinflammatory disease.

RAGA prevents tumor immune evasion of LUAD by promoting CD47 lysosome degradation.

CD47 is a macrophage-specific immune checkpoint protein acting by inhibiting phagocytosis. However, the underlying mechanism maintaining CD47 protein stability in cancer is not clear. Here we show that CD47 undergoes degradation via endocytosis/lysosome pathway. The lysosome protein RAGA interacts with and promotes CD47 lysosome localization and degradation. Disruption of RAGA blocks CD47 degradation, leading to CD47 accumulation, high plasma membrane/intracellular CD47 expression ratio and reduced phagocytic clearance of cancer cells. RAGA deficiency promotes tumor growth due to the accumulation of CD47, which sensitizes the tumor to CD47 blockade. Clinical analysis shows that RAGA and CD47 proteins are negatively correlated in lung adenocarcinoma patient samples. High RAGA protein level is related to longer patient survival. In addition, RAGAhighCD47low patients show the longest overall survival. Our study thereby not only reveals a mechanism by which RAGA regulates CD47 lysosome degradation, but also suggests RAGA is a potential diagnostic biomarker of lung adenocarcinoma.

Control of SARS-CoV-2 infection by MT1-MMP-mediated shedding of ACE2.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a global pandemic. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is an entry receptor for SARS-CoV-2. The full-length membrane form of ACE2 (memACE2) undergoes ectodomain shedding to generate a shed soluble form (solACE2) that mediates SARS-CoV-2 entry via receptor-mediated endocytosis. Currently, it is not known how the physiological regulation of ACE2 shedding contributes to the etiology of COVID-19 in vivo. The present study identifies Membrane-type 1 Matrix Metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) as a critical host protease for solACE2-mediated SARS-CoV-2 infection. SARS-CoV-2 infection leads to increased activation of MT1-MMP that is colocalized with ACE2 in human lung epithelium. Mechanistically, MT1-MMP directly cleaves memACE2 at M706-S to release solACE218-706 that binds to the SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins (S), thus facilitating cell entry of SARS-CoV-2. Human solACE218-706 enables SARS-CoV-2 infection in both non-permissive cells and naturally insusceptible C57BL/6 mice. Inhibition of MT1-MMP activities suppresses solACE2-directed entry of SARS-CoV-2 in human organoids and aged mice. Both solACE2 and circulating MT1-MMP are positively correlated in plasma of aged mice and humans. Our findings provide in vivo evidence demonstrating the contribution of ACE2 shedding to the etiology of COVID-19.

Post-Translational Modification of Lamins: Mechanisms and Functions.

Lamins are the ancient type V intermediate filament proteins contributing to diverse biological functions, such as the maintenance of nuclear morphology, stabilization of chromatin architecture, regulation of cell cycle progression, regulation of spatial-temporal gene expressions, and transduction of mechano-signaling. Deregulation of lamins is associated with abnormal nuclear morphology and chromatin disorganization, leading to a variety of diseases such as laminopathy and premature aging, and might also play a role in cancer. Accumulating evidence indicates that lamins are functionally regulated by post-translational modifications (PTMs) including farnesylation, phosphorylation, acetylation, SUMOylation, methylation, ubiquitination, and O-GlcNAcylation that affect protein stabilization and the association with chromatin or associated proteins. The mechanisms by which these PTMs are modified and the relevant functionality become increasingly appreciated as understanding of these changes provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the laminopathies concerned and novel strategies for the management. In this review, we discussed a range of lamin PTMs and their roles in both physiological and pathological processes, as well as potential therapeutic strategies by targeting lamin PTMs.

Generation of singlet oxygen catalyzed by the room-temperature-stable anthraquinone anion radical.

The chemical nature and the catalytic selectivity of the complex of anthraquinone and potassium tert-butoxide, AQ-KOtBu, in generating singlet oxygen (1O2) have been studied using a high-level ab initio method and density functional theory (DFT). The results suggest that the stable catalytic center of the AQ anion radical (semiquinone, [AQ˙]-) can be produced at room temperature, which is due to the strong delocalization characteristics of electrons in potassium atoms. Two experimentally observed complexes, the ground state AQ-KOtBu, i.e., C(1), and the photoexcited AQ-KOtBu, i.e., C(2), can be distinguished via the two different electronic states (π-type and σ-type) of the tert-butoxide group. More interestingly, the catalytic selectivity of AQ-KOtBu to generate 1O2 was investigated using multistate density functional theory (MSDFT), and the results suggest that only open-shell 1O2 rather than the closed-shell component can be generated. This work explores the electronic structure and the catalytic nature of AQ-KOtBu, which is of great importance for the application of AQ and its derivatives.

Regulation of age-associated insulin resistance by MT1-MMP-mediated cleavage of insulin receptor.

Insulin sensitivity progressively declines with age. Currently, the mechanism underlying age-associated insulin resistance remains unknown. Here, we identify membrane-bound matrix metalloproteinase 14 (MT1-MMP/MMP14) as a central regulator of insulin sensitivity during ageing. Ageing promotes MMP14 activation in insulin-sensitive tissues, which cleaves Insulin Receptor to suppress insulin signaling. MT1-MMP inhibition restores Insulin Receptor expression, improving insulin sensitivity in aged mice. The cleavage of Insulin Receptor by MT1-MMP also contributes to obesity-induced insulin resistance and inhibition of MT1-MMP activities normalizes metabolic dysfunctions in diabetic mouse models. Conversely, overexpression of MT1-MMP in the liver reduces the level of Insulin Receptor, impairing hepatic insulin sensitivity in young mice. The soluble Insulin Receptor and circulating MT1-MMP are positively correlated in plasma from aged human subjects and non-human primates. Our findings provide mechanistic insights into regulation of insulin sensitivity during physiological ageing and highlight MT1-MMP as a promising target for therapeutic avenue against diabetes.

Dearomatization of Benzenoid Arenes Triggered by Triplet Excited State Intramolecular Proton Transfer.

The detailed mechanism of photoinduced dearomatization of benzenoid arenes is investigated using both the high-level ab initio method and density functional theory. The results suggest that the optically allowed singlet excited state (S2) can quickly decay to the lowest triplet excited state (T1) through a barrierless internal conversion and intersystem crossing. Importantly, we find a triplet excited state intramolecular proton transfer (T-ESIPT) pathway to produce a diradical triplet intermediate (3MO-H), which can trigger the subsequent [4 + 2] dearomatization reaction. Furthermore, the diastereoselectivity of the reaction was illustrated by the rotation of the O-H group of 3MO-H, which could be effectively modulated by the solvent effect (arising from the strength of the intermolecular hydrogen bond) and the substituted effect (arising from the strength of the electron-donation group). This photochemical mechanism can explain well the experimental observations, and the novel T-ESIPT process can open a new door in studying the photoinduced proton transfer reactions.

Case Report: A Novel Intronic Mutation in AIFM1 Associated With Fatal Encephalomyopathy and Mitochondrial Disease in Infant.

Background: The AIFM1 gene is located on chromosome Xq26.1 and encodes a flavoprotein essential for nuclear disassembly in apoptotic cells. Mutations in this gene can cause variable clinical phenotypes, but genotype-phenotype correlations of AIFM1-related disorder have not yet been fully determined because of the clinical scarcity. Case Presentation: We describe a 4-month-old infant with mitochondrial encephalopathy, carrying a novel intronic variant in AIFM1 (NM_004208.4: c.1164 + 5G > A). TA cloning of the complementary DNA (cDNA) and Sanger sequencing revealed the simultaneous presence of an aberrant transcript with exon 11 skipping (89 bp) and a normal transcript through analysis of mRNA extracted from the patient's fibroblasts, which is consistent with direct RNA sequencing results. Conclusion: We verified the pathogenic effect of the AIFM1 c.1164 + 5G > A splicing variant, which disturbed normal mRNA splicing. Our findings expand the mutation spectrum of AIFM1 and point out the necessity of intronic sequence analysis and the importance for integrative functional studies in the interpretation of sequence variants.