Objectives In the present study, we aimed to assess whether adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) could protect the podocytes from adriamycin (ADR)-induced injury by stimulating B lymphocytes to secrete the associated cytokines. Methods Proliferation assay was used to assess the proliferation and activity of podocytes. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to examine the secretion of IL-10 and IL-4

During pregnancy, the fetal-maternal interface underlies several dynamic alterations to permit the fetus to be cultivated and developed in the uterus, in spite of being identifies by the maternal immune system. A large variety of decidual leukocyte populations, including natural killer cells, NKT cells, innate lymphoid cells, dendritic cells, B cells, T cells, subpopulations of helper T cells play

Gastrointestinal cancers are a significant cause of cancer mortality worldwide and have been strongly linked with chronic inflammation. Current therapies focus on epithelial/cancer cells; however, the importance of the tumor microenvironment in the development and treatment of the disease is also now well established. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a major component of the tumor microenvironment

Mitochondria are double membrane bound organelles indispensable for biological processes such as apoptosis, cell signaling, and the production of many important metabolites, which includes ATP that is generated during the process known as oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). The inner membrane contains folds called cristae, which increase the membrane surface and thus the amount of membrane-bound proteins

Striatin, a subunit of the serine/threonine phosphatase PP2A, is a core member of the conserved striatin-interacting phosphatase and kinase (STRIPAK) complexes. The protein is expressed in the cell junctions between epithelial cells, which play a role in maintaining cell–cell adhesion. Since the cell junctions are crucial for the function of the mammalian inner ear, we examined the localization and

Acute central nervous system (CNS) injuries, such as stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and spinal cord injury (SCI) present a grave health care challenge worldwide due to high morbidity and mortality, as well as limited clinical therapeutic strategies. Established literature has shown that oxidative stress (OS), inflammation, excitotoxicity, and apoptosis play important roles in the pathophysiological

The addition of a methyl group to the N6 position of adenosine (m6A) is the most common posttranscriptional RNA modification, and it regulates most steps of RNA metabolism including splicing, stability, translation, nuclear-export, and RNA structures. Besides cellular RNA, m6A modifications have also been detected on viral RNA. A range of recent studies have demonstrated the crucial roles of m6A in

A core problem in wound healing – with both fundamental and technological significance – concerns the rational design of bioactive and moist microenvironments. Here, we design a new class of zwitterionic betaine-incorporated collagen sponges (BET@COL) with integrated anti-oxidation and anti-inflammatory properties for promoting wound healing in a full-thickness wound model. The presence of zwitterionic

Recent trials have shown promise in intra-arterial thrombectomy after the first 6–24 h of stroke onset. Quick and precise identification of the salvageable tissue is essential for successful stroke management. In this study, we examined the feasibility of machine learning (ML) approaches for differentiating the ischemic penumbra (IP) from the infarct core (IC) by using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-derived

Objective: To compare progressive motor impairment onset attributable to a “critical” central nervous system (CNS) demyelinating lesion in patients with highly restricted versus unlimited magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesion burden. Methods: We identified 135 patients with progressive motor impairment for ⩾1 year attributable to a “critical” demyelinating lesion with: MRI burden of 1 lesion (“progressive

The Golgi is surrounded by a ribosome‐excluding matrix. Recently, we reported that the cis‐Golgi‐localized golgin GM130 can phase‐separate to form dynamic, liquid‐like condensates in vitro and in vivo . Here, we show that overexpression of each of the remaining cis (golgin160, GMAP210) and trans (golgin97, golgin245, GCC88, GCC185) golgins results in novel protein condensates. Focused ion beam scanning

The uL10‐protein is the main constituent of the ribosomal‐P‐stalk, anchoring the whole stalk to the ribosome through interactions with rRNA. The P‐stalk is the core of the GTPase associated center (GAC), a critical element for ribosome biogenesis and ribosome translational activity. All P‐stalk proteins (uL10, P1 and P2) undergo phosphorylation within their C‐termini. Here, we show that uL10 has multiple

We are delighted to publish Part 2 of our Special Issue on cell cycle control. Here, we present four reviews that, together with Part 1, give a comprehensive overview of our current understanding of the cell cycle, as well as the methods employed to study it, the roles of cell cycle proteins beyond orchestrating cell division, and some of the key outstanding questions. Part 1 provided an overview of

Lena Dehnen, Maren Janz, Jitender Kumar Verma, Olympia Ekaterini Psathaki, Lars Langemeyer, Florian Fröhlich, Jürgen J. Heinisch, Heiko Meyer, Christian Ungermann, and Achim Paululat Endosome biogenesis in eukaryotic cells is critical for nutrient uptake and plasma membrane integrity. Early endosomes initially contain Rab5, which is replaced by Rab7 on late endosomes prior to their fusion with lysosomes

Saloni Agarwal and Subramaniam Ganesh The heat shock response (HSR) is a conserved cellular defensive response against stresses such as temperature, oxidative stress and heavy metals. A significant group of players in the HSR is the set of molecular chaperones known as heat shock proteins (HSPs), which assist in the refolding of unfolded proteins and prevent the accumulation of damaged proteins. HSP

Li Sun, Xiao-Min Liu, Wen-Zhu Li, Yuan-Yuan Yi, Xiangwei He, Yamei Wang, and Quan-Wen Jin In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, both RNAi machinery and RNAi-independent factors mediate transcriptional and posttranscriptional silencing and heterochromatin formation. Here, we show that the silencing of reporter genes at major native heterochromatic loci (centromeres, telomeres, mating-type

Chenxi Guo, Sarah E. Webb, Ching Man Chan, and Andrew L. Miller The role of two-pore channel type 2 (TPC2, encoded by tcpn2)-mediated Ca2+ release was recently characterized in zebrafish during establishment of the early spinal circuitry, one of the key events in the coordination of neuromuscular activity. Here, we extend our study to investigate the in vivo role of TPC2 in the regulation of caudal

Mang Zhu, Erich R. Kuechler, Joyce Zhang, Or Matalon, Benjamin Dubreuil, Analise Hofmann, Chris Loewen, Emmanuel D. Levy, Joerg Gsponer, and Thibault Mayor Stress granules (SGs) are stress-induced membraneless condensates that store non-translating mRNA and stalled translation initiation complexes. Although metazoan SGs are dynamic compartments where proteins can rapidly exchange with their surroundings

Else Munthe, Camilla Raiborg, Harald Stenmark, and Eva Maria Wenzel The canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway regulates cell proliferation in development and adult tissue homeostasis. Dysregulated signaling contributes to human diseases, in particular cancer. Growing evidence suggests a role for clathrin and/or endocytosis in the regulation of this pathway, but conflicting results exist and demand

Cedric Landmann, Priscillia Pierre-Elies, Damien Goutte-Gattat, Emilie Montembault, Marie-Charlotte Claverie, and Anne Royou The DNA damage sensor Mre11-Rad50-Nbs1 complex and Polo kinase are recruited to DNA lesions during mitosis. However, their mechanism of recruitment is elusive. Here, using live-cell imaging combined with micro-irradiation of single chromosomes, we analyze the dynamics of Polo

Irene Amblard, Edmond Dupont, Isabel Alves, Julie Miralves, Isabelle Queguiner, and Alain Joliot Homeoproteins are a class of transcription factors sharing the unexpected property of intercellular trafficking that confers to homeoproteins a paracrine mode of action. Homeoprotein paracrine action participates in the control of patterning processes, including axonal guidance, brain plasticity and boundary

Stacey Lee and Sanjay Kumar Cell migration is associated with the establishment of defined leading and trailing edges, which in turn requires polarization of contractile forces. While the actomyosin stress fiber (SF) network plays a critical role in enforcing this polarity, precisely how this asymmetry is established remains unclear. Here, we provide evidence for a model in which the actin-severing

Jeffrey M. Verboon, Mitsutoshi Nakamura, Kerri A. Davidson, Jacob R. Decker, Vivek Nandakumar, and Susan M. Parkhurst Nuclear envelope (NE) budding is a recently described phenomenon wherein large macromolecular complexes are packaged inside the nucleus and extruded through the nuclear membranes. Although a general outline of the cellular events occurring during NE budding is now in place, little is

Cristina Bosmani, Florence Leuba, Nabil Hanna, Frauke Bach, Frederic Burdet, Marco Pagni, Monica Hagedorn, and Thierry Soldati Flotillins are lipid raft residents involved in membrane trafficking and recycling of plasma membrane proteins. Dictyostelium discoideum uses phagocytosis to kill, digest and feed on bacteria. It possesses three flotillin-like vacuolins that are strongly associated with membranes

Nicholas Maskalenko, Shubhankar Nath, Adarsh Ramakrishnan, Nadia Anikeeva, Yuri Sykulev, and Martin Poenie In this study, using Jurkat cells, we show that DISC1 (disrupted in schizophrenia 1) and Girdin (girders of actin filament) are essential for typical actin accumulation at the immunological synapse. Furthermore, DISC1, Girdin and dynein are bound in a complex. Although this complex initially forms

Seiya Urae, Yutaka Harita, Tomohiro Udagawa, Koji L. Ode, Masami Nagahama, Yuko Kajiho, Shoichiro Kanda, Akihiko Saito, Hiroki R. Ueda, Masaomi Nangaku, and Akira Oka Cubilin (CUBN) and amnionless (AMN), expressed in kidney and intestine, form a multiligand receptor complex called CUBAM that plays a crucial role in albumin absorption. To date, the mechanism of albumin endocytosis mediated by CUBAM

Megan Mc Fie, Lada Koneva, Isabella Collins, Clarissa R. Coveney, Aisling M. Clube, Anastasios Chanalaris, Tonia L. Vincent, Jelena S. Bezbradica, Stephen N. Sansom, and Angus K. T. Wann Complex inflammatory signalling cascades define the response to tissue injury but also control development and homeostasis, limiting the potential for these pathways to be targeted therapeutically. Primary cilia are

Tejeshwar C. Rao, Victor Pui-Yan Ma, Aaron Blanchard, Tara M. Urner, Shreya Grandhi, Khalid Salaita, and Alexa L. Mattheyses Mechanical forces, growth factors and the extracellular matrix all play crucial roles in cell adhesion. To understand how epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) impacts the mechanics of adhesion, we employed tension gauge tether (TGT) probes displaying the integrin ligand cRGDfK

Kenneth Wee, Soroor Hediyeh-zadeh, Kinga Duszyc, Suzie Verma, Bageshri N. Nanavati, Satyajeet Khare, Amrita Varma, Roger J. Daly, Alpha S. Yap, Melissa J. Davis, and Srikanth Budnar Cell extrusion is a morphogenetic process that is implicated in epithelial homeostasis and elicited by stimuli ranging from apoptosis to oncogenic transformation. To explore whether the morphogenetic transcription factor

Robert L. Douglas, Brett M. Haltiwanger, Anna Albisetti, Haiming Wu, Robert L. Jeng, Joel Mancuso, W. Zacheus Cande, and Matthew D. Welch Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of African sleeping sickness, has a flagellum that is crucial for motility, pathogenicity, and viability. In most eukaryotes, the intraflagellar transport (IFT) machinery drives flagellum biogenesis, and anterograde IFT requires

Adrien Lupieri, Regis Blaise, Alessandra Ghigo, Natalia Smirnova, Marie-Kerguelen Sarthou, Nicole Malet, Isabelle Limon, Pierre Vincent, Emilio Hirsch, Stephanie Gayral, Damien Ramel, and Muriel Laffargue Arterial remodeling in hypertension and intimal hyperplasia involves inflammation and disrupted flow, both of which contribute to smooth muscle cell dedifferentiation and proliferation. In this context

Huijie Zhao, Sen Yang, Qingxia Chen, Xiaomeng Duan, Guoqing Li, Qiongping Huang, Xueliang Zhu, and Xiumin Yan The Cep63–Cep152 complex located at the mother centriole recruits Plk4 to initiate centriole biogenesis. How the complex is targeted to mother centrioles, however, is unclear. In this study, we show that Cep57 and its paralog, Cep57l1, colocalize with Cep63 and Cep152 at the proximal end of

Pardis Pakshir, Nina Noskovicova, Monika Lodyga, Dong Ok Son, Ronen Schuster, Amanda Goodwin, Henna Karvonen, and Boris Hinz In 1971, Gabbiani and co-workers discovered and characterized the "modification of fibroblasts into cells which are capable of an active spasm" (contraction) in rat wound granulation tissue and, accordingly, named these cells ‘myofibroblasts’. Now, myofibroblasts are not only

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Single mRNA molecules are frequently detected by single molecule fluorescence in situ hybridisation (smFISH) using branched DNA technology. While providing strong and background-reduced signals, the method is inefficient in detecting mRNAs within dense structures, in monitoring mRNA compactness and in quantifying abundant mRNAs. To overcome these limitations, we have hybridised slices of high pressure

Aims: Tissue engineering seeks to improve the longevity of prosthetic heart valves, but the cell source of choice has yet to be determined. This study aimed to establish a mechanistic rationale supporting the suitability of human adventitial pericytes (APCs). Methods and Results: Antigenically APCs were immunomagnetically sorted from saphenous vein leftovers of patients undergoing coronary artery surgery

Nuclear-cytoplasmic communication is not limited to nuclear pores, with both proteins and RNA using alternative routes between these compartments. We previously characterized cytoplasmic capes (large invaginations of the nuclear envelope in Drosophila), which are enriched for the membrane-bound EGF receptor ligand mSpitz, endosome-related organelles and ubiquitylated proteins. Closely associated with

KASH proteins in the outer nuclear membrane comprise the cytoplasmic half of LINC complexes that connect nuclei to the cytoskeleton. Caenorhabditis elegans ANC-1, an ortholog of Nesprin-1/2, contains actin-binding and KASH domains at opposite ends of a long spectrin-like region. Deletion of either the KASH or calponin homology (CH) domains does not completely disrupt nuclear positioning, suggesting

Triggering of cAMP and mitogen-activated (MAPK) pathways in response to hormonal and growth factor cues promotes melanocyte pigmentation and survival in part through induction of the master regulator MITF by the cAMP-responsive factor CREB. We examined the role of CREB coactivators (CRTC1-3) in transduction of cAMP and MAPK signals in melanocytes. We found that knockout of the CRTC3 gene in mice and