HRG-9 homologues regulate haem trafficking from haem-enriched compartments.

Haem is an iron-containing tetrapyrrole that is critical for a variety of cellular and physiological processes1-3. Haem binding proteins are present in almost all cellular compartments, but the molecular mechanisms that regulate the transport and use of haem within the cell remain poorly understood2,3. Here we show that haem-responsive gene 9 (HRG-9) (also known as transport and Golgi organization 2 (TANGO2)) is an evolutionarily conserved haem chaperone with a crucial role in trafficking haem out of haem storage or synthesis sites in eukaryotic cells. Loss of Caenorhabditis elegans hrg-9 and its paralogue hrg-10 results in the accumulation of haem in lysosome-related organelles, the haem storage site in worms. Similarly, deletion of the hrg-9 homologue TANGO2 in yeast and mammalian cells induces haem overload in mitochondria, the site of haem synthesis. We demonstrate that TANGO2 binds haem and transfers it from cellular membranes to apo-haemoproteins. Notably, homozygous tango2-/- zebrafish larvae develop pleiotropic symptoms including encephalopathy, cardiac arrhythmia and myopathy, and die during early development. These defects partially resemble the symptoms of human TANGO2-related metabolic encephalopathy and arrhythmias, a hereditary disease caused by mutations in TANGO24-8. Thus, the identification of HRG-9 as an intracellular haem chaperone provides a biological basis for exploring the aetiology and treatment of TANGO2-related disorders.

The MT1 receptor as the target of ramelteon neuroprotection in ischemic stroke.

Stroke is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Novel and effective therapies for ischemic stroke are urgently needed. Here, we report that melatonin receptor 1A (MT1) agonist ramelteon is a neuroprotective drug candidate as demonstrated by comprehensive experimental models of ischemic stroke, including a middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) mouse model of cerebral ischemia in vivo, organotypic hippocampal slice cultures ex vivo, and cultured neurons in vitro; the neuroprotective effects of ramelteon are diminished in MT1-knockout (KO) mice and MT1-KO cultured neurons. For the first time, we report that the MT1 receptor is significantly depleted in the brain of MCAO mice, and ramelteon treatment significantly recovers the brain MT1 losses in MCAO mice, which is further explained by the Connectivity Map L1000 bioinformatic analysis that shows gene-expression signatures of MCAO mice are negatively connected to melatonin receptor agonist like Ramelteon. We demonstrate that ramelteon improves the cerebral blood flow signals in ischemic stroke that is potentially mediated, at least, partly by mechanisms of activating endothelial nitric oxide synthase. Our results also show that the neuroprotection of ramelteon counteracts reactive oxygen species-induced oxidative stress and activates the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2/heme oxygenase-1 pathway. Ramelteon inhibits the mitochondrial and autophagic death pathways in MCAO mice and cultured neurons, consistent with gene set enrichment analysis from a bioinformatics perspective angle. Our data suggest that Ramelteon is a potential neuroprotective drug candidate, and MT1 is the neuroprotective target for ischemic stroke, which provides new insights into stroke therapy. MT1-KO mice and cultured neurons may provide animal and cellular models of accelerated ischemic damage and neuronal cell death.

Insufficient compensatory pancreatic ß-cells function might be closely associated with hyperuricemia in U.S. adults: evidence from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of hyperuricemia (HUA) is gradually increasing worldwide. HUA is closely related to diabetes, but the relationship between HUA and pancreatic ß-cells function in the population is unclear. The purpose of this article is to investigate the association between pancreatic ß-cells and HUA. METHODS: This cross-sectional study examined the association between pancreatic ß-cells and HUA in 1999-2004 using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Subjects were divided into two groups: HUA and non-HUA. Pancreatic ß-cells function levels were assessed using homeostasis model assessment version 2-%S (HOMA2-%S), homeostasis model assessment version 2-%B (HOMA2-%B) and disposition index (DI). Multivariate logistic regression models and restricted cubic spline models were fitted to assess the association of pancreatic ß-cells function with HUA. RESULTS: The final analysis included 5496 subjects with a mean age of 46.3 years (standard error (SE), 0.4). The weighted means of HOMA2-%B, HOMA2-%S and DI were 118.1 (SE, 1.0), 69.9(SE, 1.1) and 73.9 (SE, 0.7), respectively. After adjustment for major confounders, participants in the highest quartile of HOMA2-%B had a higher risk of HUA (OR = 2.55, 95% CI: 1.89-3.43) compared to participants in the lowest quartile. In contrast, participants in the lowest quartile of HOMA2-%S were significantly more likely to have HUA than that in the highest quartile (OR = 3.87, 95% CI: 2.74-5.45), and similar results were observed in DI (OR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.32-2.97). Multivariate adjusted restricted cubic spline analysis found evidence of non-linear associations between HOMA2-%B, HOAM2-%S, DI and the prevalence of HUA. CONCLUSION: Our finding illustrated the indicators of inadequate ß-cells compensation might be a new predictor for the presence of HUA in U.S. adults, highlighting a critical role of pancreatic ß-cells function on HUA.

Trends in prevalence of hearing loss in adults in the USA 1999-2018: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: A better understanding of how the prevalence of hearing loss and its associated factors change over time could help in developing an appropriate program to prevent the development of hearing loss. METHODS: Population-representative cross-sectional data from the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were used to estimate the trends in the prevalence of hearing loss among adults in the USA over the period 1999-2018. A total of 15,498 adult participants aged 20 years or older had complete audiometric examination data. Logistic regression was employed to evaluate the trend in hearing loss; weighted Rao-Scott χ2 tests and univariate logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between hearing loss and relevant factors. RESULTS: The overall hearing loss prevalence in 1999-2018 was 19.1% 19.1 (95% CI, 18.0-20.2%). The prevalence of hearing loss decreased in cycles (P for trend < 0.001). For participants aged 20-69 years, the prevalence decreased from 15.6% (95% CI, 12.9-18.4%) in 1999-2000 to 14.9% (95% CI, 13.2- 16.6%) in 2015-2016; for participants aged > 70 years the prevalence decreased from 79.9% (95% CI, 76.1-83.8%) in 2005-2006 to 64.5% (95% CI, 58.8-70.2%) in 2017-2018. Participants with hearing loss were likely to be older, male, non-Hispanic white, and to have not completed high school. Mild hearing loss was more prevalent among those aged 20-79 years; in those aged over 80 years the prevalence of moderate hearing loss exceeded that of mild loss. Among all otologically normal participants, hearing thresholds increased with age across the entire frequency range. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of hearing loss in USA adults changed over the period 1999-2018. The trends observed provide valuable insight for making public health plans and allocating resources to hearing care. Further investigation is necessary to monitor hearing loss and its potential risk factors.

Heme oxygenase-2 (HO-2) binds and buffers labile ferric heme in human embryonic kidney cells.

Heme oxygenases (HOs) detoxify heme by oxidatively degrading it into carbon monoxide, iron, and biliverdin, which is reduced to bilirubin and excreted. Humans express two isoforms of HO: the inducible HO-1, which is upregulated in response to excess heme and other stressors, and the constitutive HO-2. Much is known about the regulation and physiological function of HO-1, whereas comparatively little is known about the role of HO-2 in regulating heme homeostasis. The biochemical necessity for expressing constitutive HO-2 is dependent on whether heme is sufficiently abundant and accessible as a substrate under conditions in which HO-1 is not induced. By measuring labile heme, total heme, and bilirubin in human embryonic kidney HEK293 cells with silenced or overexpressed HO-2, as well as various HO-2 mutant alleles, we found that endogenous heme is too limiting a substrate to observe HO-2-dependent heme degradation. Rather, we discovered a novel role for HO-2 in the binding and buffering of heme. Taken together, in the absence of excess heme, we propose that HO-2 regulates heme homeostasis by acting as a heme buffering factor that controls heme bioavailability. When heme is in excess, HO-1 is induced, and both HO-2 and HO-1 can provide protection from heme toxicity via enzymatic degradation. Our results explain why catalytically inactive mutants of HO-2 are cytoprotective against oxidative stress. Moreover, the change in bioavailable heme due to HO-2 overexpression, which selectively binds ferric over ferrous heme, is consistent with labile heme being oxidized, thereby providing new insights into heme trafficking and signaling.

Association of coffee consumption with the prevalence of hearing loss in US adults, NHANES 2003-2006.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the association between coffee consumption and the prevalence of hearing loss in American adults based on a national population-based survey. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of reported audiometric status and coffee intake from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Multivariate logistic regression, forest plots and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses were used to explore the associations and dose-response relationships between coffee consumption frequency and hearing loss. SETTING: The USA. PARTICIPANT: This study included 1894 individuals aged ≥ 20 from the 2003-2006 NHANES. RESULTS: In this study, the prevalence of speech-frequency hearing loss (SFHL) and high-frequency hearing loss (HFHL) among the participants was 35·90 % and 51·54 %, respectively. Compared with those who no consumed coffee, non-Hispanic White who consumed ≥ 4 cups/d had higher prevalence of SFHL (OR: 1·87; 95 % CI: 1·003. 3·47). And a positive trend of coffee consumption frequency with the prevalence of HFHL was found (Ptrend = 0·001). This association of HFHL was similar for participants aged 20-64 (Ptrend = 0·001), non-Hispanic White (Ptrend = 0·002), non-noise exposure participants (Ptrend = 0·03) and noise-exposed participants (Ptrend = 0·003). The forest plots analysis found that the association between 1 cup-increment of daily coffee consumption and the prevalence of HFHL was statistically significant in males. RCS model supported a positive linear association of coffee consumption with SFHL (P for overall association = 0·02, P for nonlinearity = 0·48) and a positive non-linear association of coffee consumption with HFHL (P for overall association = 0·001, P for nonlinearity = 0·001). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggested that coffee consumption was associated with higher prevalence of hearing loss. Further cohort studies in larger population are needed to investigate these findings.

The association of periodontal disease and oral health with hypertension, NHANES 2009-2018.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a worldwide public health problem. We sought to explore the interaction of oral health and smoking on hypertension, and periodontal disease and smoking on hypertension. METHODS: We included 21,800 participants aged ≧ 30 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009-2018. Information of oral health and periodontal disease were self-reported. Blood pressure was taken by trained personnel and/or physicians at mobile testing center. Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the association between oral health, periodontal disease and the prevalence of hypertension. The effects of oral health and periodontal disease on hypertension under smoking status and age were analyzed by stratified and interaction analysis. RESULTS: A total of 21,800 participants were investigated, including 11,017 (50.54%) in hypertensive group and 10,783 (49.46%) in non-hypertensive group. Compared with the excellent/very good of oral health, the multivariable-adjusted OR of good, fair, and poor were 1.13 (95% CI, 1.02-1.27), 1.30 (95% CI, 1.15-1.47), and 1.48 (95% CI, 1.22-1.79) (p for trend < 0.001) for hypertension, respectively. Compared without periodontal disease group, the multivariable-adjusted OR of periodontal disease for hypertension was 1.21 (95% CI ,1.09-1.35) (p for trend < 0.001). Furthermore, we found the interactions between periodontal disease and smoking, oral health and smoking, periodontal disease and age, oral health and age were p < 0.001. CONCLUSIONS: An association between oral health and periodontal disease with the prevalence of hypertension was identified. There exists interactive effect of periodontal disease and smoking, oral health and smoking, periodontal disease and age, oral health and age on hypertension in American population over 30 years of age and older.

Molecular Toxicology and Pathophysiology of Comorbid Alcohol Use Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Associated with Traumatic Brain Injury.

The increasing comorbidity of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious medical, economic, and social issue. However, the molecular toxicology and pathophysiological mechanisms of comorbid AUD and PTSD are not well understood and the identification of the comorbidity state markers is significantly challenging. This review summarizes the main characteristics of comorbidity between AUD and PTSD (AUD/PTSD) and highlights the significance of a comprehensive understanding of the molecular toxicology and pathophysiological mechanisms of AUD/PTSD, particularly following TBI, with a focus on the role of metabolomics, inflammation, neuroendocrine, signal transduction pathways, and genetic regulation. Instead of a separate disease state, a comprehensive examination of comorbid AUD and PTSD is emphasized by considering additive and synergistic interactions between the two diseases. Finally, we propose several hypotheses of molecular mechanisms for AUD/PTSD and discuss potential future research directions that may provide new insights and translational application opportunities.

Injectable GelMA Cryogel Microspheres for Modularized Cell Delivery and Potential Vascularized Bone Regeneration.

Cell therapeutics hold tremendous regenerative potential and the therapeutic effect depends on the effective delivery of cells. However, current cell delivery carriers with unsuitable cytocompatibility and topological structure demonstrate poor cell viability during injection. Therefore, porous shape-memory cryogel microspheres (CMS) are prepared from methacrylated gelatin (GelMA) by combining an emulsion technique with gradient-cooling cryogelation. Pore sizes of the CMS are adjusted via the gradient-cooling procedure, with the optimized pore size (15.5 ± 6.0 µm) being achieved on the 30-min gradient-cooled variant (CMS-30). Unlike hydrogel microspheres (HMS), CMS promotes human bone marrow stromal cell (hBMSC) and human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) adhesion, proliferated with high levels of stemness for 7 d, and protects cells during the injection process using a 26G syringe needle. Moreover, CMS-30 enhances the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs in osteoinductive media. CMS can serve as building blocks for delivering multiple cell types. Here, hBMSC-loaded and HUVEC-loaded CMS-30, mixed at a 1:1 ratio, are injected subcutaneously into nude mice for 2 months. Results show the development of vascularized bone-like tissue with high levels of OCN and CD31. These findings indicate that GelMA CMS of a certain pore size can effectively deliver multiple cells to achieve functional tissue regeneration.

Structural basis for ligand recognition of the human thromboxane A2 receptor.

Stimulated by thromboxane A2, an endogenous arachidonic acid metabolite, the thromboxane A2 receptor (TP) plays a pivotal role in cardiovascular homeostasis, and thus is considered as an important drug target for cardiovascular disease. Here, we report crystal structures of the human TP bound to two nonprostanoid antagonists, ramatroban and daltroban, at 2.5 Å and 3.0 Å resolution, respectively. The TP structures reveal a ligand-binding pocket capped by two layers of extracellular loops that are stabilized by two disulfide bonds, limiting ligand access from the extracellular milieu. These structures provide details of interactions between the receptor and antagonists, which help to integrate previous mutagenesis and SAR data. Molecular docking of prostanoid-like ligands, combined with mutagenesis, ligand-binding and functional assays, suggests a prostanoid binding mode that may also be adopted by other prostanoid receptors. These insights into TP deepen our understanding about ligand recognition and selectivity mechanisms of this physiologically important receptor.

Licochalcone A Attenuates Chronic Neuropathic Pain in Rats by Inhibiting Microglia Activation and Inflammation.

Immune response plays a vital role in the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain. Immune response-targeted therapy becomes an effective strategy for treating neuropathic pain. Licochalcone A (Lic-A) possesses anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. However, the potential of Lic-A to attenuate neuropathic pain has not been well explored. To investigate the protective effect and evaluate the underlying mechanism of Lic-A against neuropathic pain in a rat model. Chronic constriction injury (CCI) surgery was employed in rats to establish neuropathic pain model. Rats were intraperitoneally administrated with Lic-A (1.25, 2.50 and 5.00 mg/kg) twice daily. Mechanical withdrawal threshold and thermal withdrawal latency were used to evaluate neuropathic pain. After administration, the lumbar spinal cord enlargement of rats was collected for ELISA, Western blot and immunofluorescence analysis. Mechanical withdrawal threshold and thermal withdrawal latency results showed that Lic-A significantly attenuated CCI-evoked neuropathic pain in dose-dependent manner. Lic-A administration also effectively blocked microglia activation. Moreover, Lic-A suppressed p38 phosphorylation and the release of inflammatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1 and interleukin-6. Our findings provide evidence that Lic-A may have the potential to attenuate CCI-evoked neuropathic pain in rats by inhibiting microglia activation and inflammatory response.

In Silico Screening-Based Discovery of Novel Inhibitors of Human Cyclic GMP-AMP Synthase: A Cross-Validation Study of Molecular Docking and Experimental Testing.

Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) has been recently uncovered to be a promising therapeutic target for immune-associated diseases. Until now, only a few inhibitors have been identified through high-throughput screening campaigns. Here, we reported the discovery of novel inhibitors for the catalytic domain of human cGAS (h-cGASCD) by virtual screening for the first time. To generate a reliable docking mode, we first obtained a high-resolution crystal structure of h-cGASCD in complex with PF-06928215, a known inhibitor of h-cGAS, followed by molecular dynamics simulations on this complex structure. Four fragment hits were identified by the virtual screening together with a thermal shift assay. The crystal structures of these four compounds in complex with h-cGASCD were subsequently determined, and the binding modes of the compounds were similar to those predicted by molecular docking, supporting the reliability of the docking model. In addition, an enzyme activity assay identified compound 18 (IC50 = 29.88 ± 3.20 µM) from the compounds predicted by the virtual screening. A similarity search of compound 18 followed by a second virtual screening led to the discovery of compounds S2 (IC50 = 13.1 ± 0.09 µM) and S3 (IC50 = 4.9 ± 0.26 µM) as h-cGAS inhibitors with improved potency. Therefore, the present study not only provides the validated hit compounds for further development of h-cGAS inhibitors but also demonstrates a cross-validation study of virtual screening, in vitro experimental assays, and crystal structure determination.

Regulation of intracellular heme trafficking revealed by subcellular reporters.

Heme is an essential prosthetic group in proteins that reside in virtually every subcellular compartment performing diverse biological functions. Irrespective of whether heme is synthesized in the mitochondria or imported from the environment, this hydrophobic and potentially toxic metalloporphyrin has to be trafficked across membrane barriers, a concept heretofore poorly understood. Here we show, using subcellular-targeted, genetically encoded hemoprotein peroxidase reporters, that both extracellular and endogenous heme contribute to cellular labile heme and that extracellular heme can be transported and used in toto by hemoproteins in all six subcellular compartments examined. The reporters are robust, show large signal-to-background ratio, and provide sufficient range to detect changes in intracellular labile heme. Restoration of reporter activity by heme is organelle-specific, with the Golgi and endoplasmic reticulum being important sites for both exogenous and endogenous heme trafficking. Expression of peroxidase reporters in Caenorhabditis elegans shows that environmental heme influences labile heme in a tissue-dependent manner; reporter activity in the intestine shows a linear increase compared with muscle or hypodermis, with the lowest heme threshold in neurons. Our results demonstrate that the trafficking pathways for exogenous and endogenous heme are distinct, with intrinsic preference for specific subcellular compartments. We anticipate our results will serve as a heuristic paradigm for more sophisticated studies on heme trafficking in cellular and whole-animal models.

Heme dynamics and trafficking factors revealed by genetically encoded fluorescent heme sensors.

Heme is an essential cofactor and signaling molecule. Heme acquisition by proteins and heme signaling are ultimately reliant on the ability to mobilize labile heme (LH). However, the properties of LH pools, including concentration, oxidation state, distribution, speciation, and dynamics, are poorly understood. Herein, we elucidate the nature and dynamics of LH using genetically encoded ratiometric fluorescent heme sensors in the unicellular eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae We find that the subcellular distribution of LH is heterogeneous; the cytosol maintains LH at ∼20-40 nM, whereas the mitochondria and nucleus maintain it at concentrations below 2.5 nM. Further, we find that the signaling molecule nitric oxide can initiate the rapid mobilization of heme in the cytosol and nucleus from certain thiol-containing factors. We also find that the glycolytic enzyme glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase constitutes a major cellular heme buffer, and is responsible for maintaining the activity of the heme-dependent nuclear transcription factor heme activator protein (Hap1p). Altogether, we demonstrate that the heme sensors can be used to reveal fundamental aspects of heme trafficking and dynamics and can be used across multiple organisms, including Escherichia coli, yeast, and human cell lines.

Label-Free Imaging of Heme Dynamics in Living Organisms by Transient Absorption Microscopy.

Heme, a hydrophobic and cytotoxic macrocycle, is an essential cofactor in a large number of proteins and is important for cell signaling. This must mean that heme is mobilized from its place of synthesis or entry into the cell to other parts of the cell where hemoproteins reside. However, the cellular dynamics of heme movement is not well understood, in large part due to the inability to image heme noninvasively in live biological systems. Here, using high-resolution transient absorption microscopy, we showed that heme storage and distribution is dynamic in Caenorhabditis elegans. Intracellular heme exists in concentrated granular puncta which localizes to lysosomal-related organelles. These granules are dynamic, and their breaking down into smaller granules provides a mechanism by which heme stores can be mobilized. Collectively, these direct and noninvasive dynamic imaging techniques provide new insights into heme storage and transport and open a new avenue for label-free investigation of heme function and regulation in living systems.

Recent Trends and Applications of Molecular Modeling in GPCR⁻Ligand Recognition and Structure-Based Drug Design.

G protein-coupled receptors represent the largest family of human membrane proteins and are modulated by a variety of drugs and endogenous ligands. Molecular modeling techniques, especially enhanced sampling methods, have provided significant insight into the mechanism of GPCR⁻ligand recognition. Notably, the crucial role of the membrane in the ligand-receptor association process has earned much attention. Additionally, docking, together with more accurate free energy calculation methods, is playing an important role in the design of novel compounds targeting GPCRs. Here, we summarize the recent progress in the computational studies focusing on the above issues. In the future, with continuous improvement in both computational hardware and algorithms, molecular modeling would serve as an indispensable tool in a wider scope of the research concerning GPCR⁻ligand recognition as well as drug design targeting GPCRs.

A DNA-Based Encryption Method Based on Two Biological Axioms of DNA Chip and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Amplification Techniques.

Researchers have gained a deeper understanding of DNA-based encryption and its effectiveness in enhancing information security in recent years. However, there are many theoretical and technical issues about DNA-based encryption that need to be addressed before it can be effectively used in the field of security. Currently, the most popular DNA-based encryption schemes are based on traditional cryptography and the integration of existing DNA technology. These schemes are not completely based on DNA computing and biotechnology. Herein, as inspired by nature, encryption based on DNA has been developed, which is, in turn, based on two fundamental biological axioms about DNA sequencing: 1) DNA sequencing is difficult under the conditions of not knowing the correct sequencing primers and probes, and 2) without knowing the correct probe, it is difficult to decipher precisely and sequence the information of unknown and mixed DNA/peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes, which only differ in nucleotide sequence, arranged on DNA chips (microarrays). In essence, when creating DNA-based encryption by means of biological technologies, such as DNA chips and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification, the encryption method discussed herein cannot be decrypted, unless the DNA/PNA probe or PCR amplification is known. The biological analysis, mathematical analysis, and simulation results demonstrate the feasibility of the method, which provides much stronger security and reliability than that of traditional encryption methods.

Heme acquisition in the parasitic filarial nematode Brugia malayi.

Nematodes lack a heme biosynthetic pathway and must acquire heme from exogenous sources. Given the indispensable role of heme, this auxotrophy may be exploited to develop drugs that interfere with heme uptake in parasites. Although multiple heme-responsive genes (HRGs) have been characterized within the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, we have undertaken the first study of heme transport in Brugia malayi, a causative agent of lymphatic filariasis. Through functional assays in yeast, as well as heme analog, RNAi, and transcriptomic experiments, we have shown that the heme transporter B. malayi HRG-1 (BmHRG-1) is indeed functional in B. malayi In addition, BmHRG-1 localizes both to the endocytic compartments and cell membrane when expressed in yeast cells. Transcriptomic sequencing revealed that BmHRG-1, BmHRG-2, and BmMRP-5 (all orthologs of HRGs in C. elegans) are down-regulated in heme-treated B. malayi, as compared to non-heme-treated control worms. Likely because of short gene lengths, multiple exons, other HRGs in B. malayi (BmHRG-3-6) remain unidentified. Although the precise mechanisms of heme homeostasis in a nematode with the ability to acquire heme remains unknown, this study clearly demonstrates that the filarial nematode B. malayi is capable of transporting exogenous heme.-Luck, A. N., Yuan, X., Voronin, D., Slatko, B. E., Hamza, I., Foster, J. M. Heme acquisition in the parasitic filarial nematode Brugia malayi.

Heme uptake by Leishmania amazonensis is mediated by the transmembrane protein LHR1.

Trypanosomatid protozoan parasites lack a functional heme biosynthetic pathway, so must acquire heme from the environment to survive. However, the molecular pathway responsible for heme acquisition by these organisms is unknown. Here we show that L. amazonensis LHR1, a homolog of the C. elegans plasma membrane heme transporter HRG-4, functions in heme transport. Tagged LHR1 localized to the plasma membrane and to endocytic compartments, in both L. amazonensis and mammalian cells. Heme deprivation in L. amazonensis increased LHR1 transcript levels, promoted uptake of the fluorescent heme analog ZnMP, and increased the total intracellular heme content of promastigotes. Conversely, deletion of one LHR1 allele reduced ZnMP uptake and the intracellular heme pool by approximately 50%, indicating that LHR1 is a major heme importer in L. amazonensis. Viable parasites with correct replacement of both LHR1 alleles could not be obtained despite extensive attempts, suggesting that this gene is essential for the survival of promastigotes. Notably, LHR1 expression allowed Saccharomyces cerevisiae to import heme from the environment, and rescued growth of a strain deficient in heme biosynthesis. Syntenic genes with high sequence identity to LHR1 are present in the genomes of several species of Leishmania and also Trypanosoma cruzi and Trypanosoma brucei, indicating that therapeutic agents targeting this transporter could be effective against a broad group of trypanosomatid parasites that cause serious human disease.

Correlation between Interleukin-10 Effects on Th1/Th2 Immune Balance and Pregnancy Induced Hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: Pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) is a common disease in obstetrics. CD4+ T cells can be divided into Th1 and Th2 sub-populations. Imbalance between Th1 and Th2 directly affects body immune status and participates in PIH occurrence and progression. Whether IL-10 affects Th1/Th2 immune balance as a negative regulator of immune response in PIH remains unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of IL-10 in PIH. METHODS: A total of 52 PIH patients were recruited and divided into mild-moderate and severe PIH groups in parallel with 25 normal pregnant women as a control group. Real-time PCR was used to test mRNA levels of Th1 cytokines IL-2, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and Th2 cytokines IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tested serum levels of cytokines to analyze their correlation with disease progression. RESULTS: Our results showed PIH patients had significantly elevated IL-2 and TNF-α levels and decreased IL-4, IL-6, or IL-10 expressions compared with the control group (p<0.05). With disease progression, IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10 expressions were further decreased while IL-2 and TNF-α were increased (p<0.05). Moreover, IL-10 was negatively correlated with Th1 cytokines IL-2 and TNF-α while being positively correlated with Th2 cytokines IL-4 and IL-6. In addition, IL-10 was negatively correlated with PIH severity (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: IL-10 can affect Th1/Th2 immune balance and is associated with PIH severity, suggesting IL-10 might be a risk factor for PIH occurrence and progression.