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Computational and Structural... 2023Filamentous structures are ubiquitous in nature, are studied in diverse scientific fields, and span vastly different spatial scales. Filamentous structures in biological... (Review)
Review
Filamentous structures are ubiquitous in nature, are studied in diverse scientific fields, and span vastly different spatial scales. Filamentous structures in biological systems fulfill different functions and often form dynamic networks that respond to perturbations. Therefore, characterizing the properties of filamentous structures and the networks they form is important to gain better understanding of systems level functions and dynamics. Filamentous structures are captured by various imaging technologies, and analysis of the resulting imaging data addresses two problems: (i) identification (tracing) of filamentous structures in a single snapshot and (ii) characterizing the dynamics (., tracking) of filamentous structures over time. Therefore, considerable research efforts have been made in developing automated methods for tracing and tracking of filamentous structures. Here, we provide a systematic review in which we present, categorize, and discuss the state-of-the-art methods for tracing and tracking of filamentous structures in sparse and dense networks. We highlight the mathematical approaches, assumptions, and constraints particular for each method, allowing us to pinpoint outstanding challenges and offer perspectives for future research aimed at gaining better understanding of filamentous structures in biological systems.
PubMed: 36618983
DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.12.023 -
European Journal of Physical and... Aug 2023Muscle changes after stroke cannot be explained solely on the basis of corticospinal bundle damage. Muscle-specific changes contribute to limited functional recovery but...
INTRODUCTION
Muscle changes after stroke cannot be explained solely on the basis of corticospinal bundle damage. Muscle-specific changes contribute to limited functional recovery but have been poorly characterized.
EVIDENCE ACQUISITION
We conducted a systematic review of muscular changes occurring at the histological, neuromuscular and functional levels during the first year after the onset of post-stroke hemiplegia. A literature search was performed on PubMed, Embase and CINHAL databases up to November 2022 using a keyword combination comprising cerebral stroke, hemiplegic, atrophy, muscle structure, paresis, skeletal muscle fiber type, motor unit, oxidative stress, strength, motor control.
EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS
Twenty-seven trial reports were included in the review, out of 12,798 articles screened. Structural modifications described on the paretic side include atrophy, transformation of type II fibers into type I fibers, decrease in fiber diameter and apparent myofilament disorganization from the first week post-stroke up to the fourth month. Reported biochemical changes comprise the abnormal presence of lipid droplets and glycogen granules in the subsarcolemmal region during the first month post-stroke. At the neurophysiological level, studies indicate an early decrease in the number and activity of motor units, correlated with the degree of motor impairment. All these modifications were present to a lesser degree on the non-paretic side. Although only sparse data concerning the subacute stage are available, these changes seem to appear during the first two weeks post-stroke and continue up to the third or fourth month.
CONCLUSIONS
Considering these early pathophysiological changes on both the paretic and non-paretic sides, it seems crucial to promptly stimulate central and also peripheral muscular activation after stroke through specific rehabilitation programs focused on the maintenance of muscle capacities associated with neurological recovery or plasticity.
Topics: Humans; Hemiplegia; Muscles; Databases, Factual; Paresis; PubMed; Stroke
PubMed: 37695037
DOI: 10.23736/S1973-9087.23.07844-9 -
Journal of Cancer 2022Rho-GTPases control a variety of cellular functions mainly by regulating microtubule and actin dynamics, affecting the cytoskeleton, and are important regulators of the... (Review)
Review
Rho-GTPases control a variety of cellular functions mainly by regulating microtubule and actin dynamics, affecting the cytoskeleton, and are important regulators of the structural plasticity of dendrites and spines. Members of the Rho-GTPase family include Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (Rac1), RhoA (Ras homologous), and cell division control protein 42 (Cdc42). Cdc42 is involved in the regulation of a variety of tumor and non-tumor diseases through a cascade of multiple signaling pathways. Active Cdc42 can regulate intercellular adhesion, cytoskeleton formation, and cell cycle, thus affecting cell proliferation, transformation, and dynamic balance as well as migration and invasion of tumor cells by regulating the expression of effector proteins. Here we discuss the role of Cdc42 in promoting metastasis, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transformation and angiogenesis in malignant tumors. The significant role of Cdc42 in non-tumor diseases is also discussed. Since Cdc42 plays a central role in the development of various diseases, small molecule inhibitors targeting Cdc42 have important clinical significance in the prevention and treatment of these diseases.
PubMed: 35154449
DOI: 10.7150/jca.65415 -
Frontiers in Physiology 2020This review summarizes the current evidence for the involvement of proteotoxicity and protein quality control systems defects in diseases of the central nervous and...
This review summarizes the current evidence for the involvement of proteotoxicity and protein quality control systems defects in diseases of the central nervous and cardiovascular systems. Specifically, it presents the commonalities between the pathophysiology of protein misfolding diseases in the heart and the brain. The involvement of protein homeostasis dysfunction has been for long time investigated and accepted as one of the leading pathophysiological causes of neurodegenerative diseases. In cardiovascular diseases instead the mechanistic focus had been on the primary role of Ca dishomeostasis, myofilament dysfunction as well as extracellular fibrosis, whereas no attention was given to misfolding of proteins as a pathogenetic mechanism. Instead, in the recent years, several contributions have shown protein aggregates in failing hearts similar to the ones found in the brain and increasing evidence have highlighted the crucial importance that proteotoxicity exerts via pre-amyloidogenic species in cardiovascular diseases as well as the prominent role of the cellular response to misfolded protein accumulation. As a result, proteotoxicity, unfolding protein response (UPR), and ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) have recently been investigated as potential key pathogenic pathways and therapeutic targets for heart disease. Overall, the current knowledge summarized in this review describes how the misfolding process in the brain parallels in the heart. Understanding the folding and unfolding mechanisms involved early through studies in the heart will provide new knowledge for neurodegenerative proteinopathies and may prepare the stage for targeted and personalized interventions.
PubMed: 33584340
DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.625974 -
International Journal of Molecular... Nov 2021Cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1 (CNF1) is a bacterial virulence factor, the target of which is represented by Rho GTPases, small proteins involved in a huge number of... (Review)
Review
Cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1 (CNF1) is a bacterial virulence factor, the target of which is represented by Rho GTPases, small proteins involved in a huge number of crucial cellular processes. CNF1, due to its ability to modulate the activity of Rho GTPases, represents a widely used tool to unravel the role played by these regulatory proteins in different biological processes. In this review, we summarized the data available in the scientific literature concerning the observed in vitro effects induced by CNF1. An article search was performed on electronic bibliographic resources. Screenings were performed of titles, abstracts, and full-texts according to PRISMA guidelines, whereas eligibility criteria were defined for in vitro studies. We identified a total of 299 records by electronic article search and included 76 original peer-reviewed scientific articles reporting morphological or biochemical modifications induced in vitro by soluble CNF1, either recombinant or from pathogenic extracts highly purified with chromatographic methods. Most of the described CNF1-induced effects on cultured cells are ascribable to the modulating activity of the toxin on Rho GTPases and the consequent effects on actin cytoskeleton organization. All in all, the present review could be a prospectus about the CNF1-induced effects on cultured cells reported so far.
Topics: Actin Cytoskeleton; Bacterial Toxins; Cell Line; Enterotoxins; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli Infections; Escherichia coli Proteins; Humans; rho GTP-Binding Proteins
PubMed: 34830494
DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212610 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2020Abnormal endometrial receptivity is one of the major causes of embryo implantation failure and infertility. The plasma membrane transformation (PMT) describes the...
BACKGROUND
Abnormal endometrial receptivity is one of the major causes of embryo implantation failure and infertility. The plasma membrane transformation (PMT) describes the collective morphological and molecular alterations occurring to the endometrial luminal epithelium across the mid-secretory phase of the menstrual cycle to facilitate implantation. Dysregulation of this process directly affects endometrial receptivity and implantation. Multiple parallels between these alterations to confer endometrial receptivity in women have been drawn to those seen during the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in tumorigenesis. Understanding these similarities and differences will improve our knowledge of implantation biology, and may provide novel therapeutic targets to manage implantation failure.
METHODS
A systematic review was performed using the Medline (Ovid), Embase, and Web of Science databases without additional limits. The search terms used were "(plasma membrane* or cell membrane*) and transformation*" and "endometrium or endometrial." Research studies on the PMT or its regulation in women, discussing either the endometrial epithelium, decidualized stroma, or both, were eligible for inclusion.
RESULTS
A total of 198 articles were identified. Data were extracted from 15 studies that matched the inclusion criteria. Collectively, these included studies confirmed the alterations occurring to the endometrial luminal epithelium during the PMT are similar to those seen during the EMT. Such similarities included alterations to the actin cytoskeleton remodeling of adherens junctions, integrin expression and epithelial-stromal communication. These were also some differences between these processes, such as the regulation of tight junctions and mucins, which need to be further researched.
CONCLUSIONS
This review raised the prospect of shared and distinct mechanisms existing in PMT and EMT. Further investigation into similarities between the PMT in the endometrium and the EMT in tumorigenesis may provide new mechanistic insights into PMT and new targets for the management of implantation failure and infertility.
Topics: Animals; Cell Polarity; Embryo Implantation; Endometrium; Epithelial Cells; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; Female; Humans
PubMed: 33193109
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.596324