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Zhonghua Er Ke Za Zhi = Chinese Journal... Jul 2024
Topics: Humans; Gynecomastia; Male; Child; Aromatase; Anastrozole; Exome Sequencing; Nitriles; Triazoles; Phenotype; Mutation; Breast; Pedigree
PubMed: 38955690
DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.cn112140-20231123-00387 -
Saudi Medical Journal Jul 2024L-2-Hydroxyglutaric aciduria (L-2-HGA) is a rare disorder. The patients have psychomotor retardation, ataxia, macrocephaly, and epilepsy usually in childhood. We present...
L-2-Hydroxyglutaric aciduria (L-2-HGA) is a rare disorder. The patients have psychomotor retardation, ataxia, macrocephaly, and epilepsy usually in childhood. We present a case of L-2-HGA who developed dystonia in the third decade of life. The family reported symptoms of progressive psychomotor regression since childhood. On assessment, the patient had mild impairment of higher mental functions, mild exotropia, and right-hand dystonia. Brain MRI revealed diffuse bilateral symmetrical subcortical white matter hyperintense signals. 2-hydroxyglutaric acid in urine was elevated and the whole genome sequencing revealed a homogeneous pathogenic variant of the L-2-hydroxyglutarate dehydrogenase (L2HGDH) gene. The prognosis was explained to the caregivers. Patients with mild phenotype L-2-HGA can remain undiagnosed until adulthood. Cases of dystonia even without complaints of epilepsy should be investigated by MRI -brain, urine test and genetic testing to rule out L-2-HGA.
Topics: Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Dystonic Disorders; Adult; Male; Alcohol Oxidoreductases; Female; Brain Diseases, Metabolic, Inborn
PubMed: 38955445
DOI: 10.15537/smj.2024.45.7.20230325 -
Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta.... Jun 2024Many bacterial processes are powered by the sodium motive force (smf) and in case of pathogens, the smf contributes to virulence. Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of...
Many bacterial processes are powered by the sodium motive force (smf) and in case of pathogens, the smf contributes to virulence. Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of Cholera disease, possesses a Na-translocating NADH:quinone oxidoreductase (NQR), a six-subunit membrane protein assembly. The 3D structure of NQR revealed the arrangement of the six subunits NqrABCDEF, the position of all redox cofactors (four flavins, two [2Fe-2S] centers) and the binding sites for the substrates NADH (in NqrF) and ubiquinone (in NqrB). Upon oxidation of NADH, electrons are shuttled twice across the membrane, starting with cytoplasmic FAD and electron transfer to the [2Fe2S] cluster and from there to an intra-membranous [2Fe-2S] cluster, periplasmic FMN, FMN and from there to riboflavin. This riboflavin is located at the cytoplasmic entry site of the sodium channel in NqrB, and it donates an electron to ubiquinone-8 positioned at the cytoplasmic aspect of NqrB. Targeting the substrate binding sites of NQR is a promising strategy to identify new inhibitors against many bacterial pathogens. Detailed structural information on the binding mode of natural inhibitors and small molecules in the active sites of NQR is now available, paving the way for the development of new antibiotics. The NQR shows different conformations as revealed in recent cryo-EM and crystallographic studies combined with spectroscopic analyses. These conformations represent distinct steps in the catalytic cycle. Considering the structural and functional data available, we propose a mechanism of Na-NQR based on conformational coupling of electron transfer and Na translocation reaction steps.
PubMed: 38955304
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2024.149485 -
PloS One 2024As most teleosts are unable to synthesize vitamin C, supplemental diets containing vitamin C diets play a crucial role in fish health. The aim of this study was to...
As most teleosts are unable to synthesize vitamin C, supplemental diets containing vitamin C diets play a crucial role in fish health. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary vitamin C on the intestinal enzyme activity and intestinal microbiota of silver pomfre (Pampus argenteus). Four experimental diets were supplemented with basic diets containing 300 mg of vitamin C/kg (group tjl3), 600 mg of vitamin C/kg (group tjl6), and 1200 mg of vitamin C/kg (group tjl12), as well as vitamin C-free supplemental basic diet (group tjl0), respectively. The four diets were fed to juvenile P. argenteus (average initial weight: 4.68 ± 0.93 g) for 6 weeks. The results showed that the activity of SOD (superoxide dismutase) and CAT (catalase) increased significantly while that of MDA (malondialdehyde) decreased significantly in group tjl3 compared to vitamin group tjl0. At the genus level, groups tjl0, tjl6, and tjl12 contained the same dominant microbial community, Stenotrophomonas, Photobacterium, and Vibrio, whereas group tjl3 was dominated by Stenotrophomonas, Delftia, and Bacteroides. Among the fish fed with a basic diet containing 300 mg of vitamin C/kg, the intestines exhibited a notable abundance of probiotic bacteria, including lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus) and Bacillus. The abundance of Aeromonas in groups tjl3 and tjl6 was lower than that of the vitamin C-free supplemental basic diet group, whereas Aeromonas was not detected in group tjl12. In addition, a causative agent of the disease outbreak in cultured P. argenteus, Photobacterium damselae subsp. Damselae (PDD) was the dominant microbiota community in groups tjl0, tjl6 and tjl12, whereas the abundance of PDD in group tjl3 was the lowest among the diets. Taken together, the diets supplied with vitamin C could influence the composition microbial community of P. argenteus. The low level of vitamin C (300 mg of vitamin C/kg per basic diet) supplementation could not only improve the antioxidant capacity but also resist the invasion of pathogenic bacteria.
Topics: Animals; Ascorbic Acid; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Antioxidants; Dietary Supplements; Perciformes; Animal Feed; Superoxide Dismutase; Bacteria; Diet; Catalase
PubMed: 38954725
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300643 -
Journal of Molecular Neuroscience : MN Jul 2024Lifestyle influences physical and cognitive development during the period of adolescence greatly. The most important of these lifestyle factors are diet and stress....
The Possible Neuroprotective Effect of Caffeic Acid on Cognitive Changes and Anxiety-Like Behavior Occurring in Young Rats Fed on High-Fat Diet and Exposed to Chronic Stress: Role of β-Catenin/GSK-3B Pathway.
Lifestyle influences physical and cognitive development during the period of adolescence greatly. The most important of these lifestyle factors are diet and stress. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the impact of high fat diet (HFD) and chronic mild stress on cognitive function and anxiety-like behaviors in young rats and to study the role of caffeic acid as a potential treatment for anxiety and cognitive dysfunction. Forty rats were assigned into 4 groups: control, HFD, HFD + stress, and caffeic acid-treated group. Rats were sacrificed after neurobehavioral testing. We detected memory impairment and anxiety-like behavior in rats which were more exaggerated in stressed rats. Alongside the behavioral changes, there were biochemical and histological changes. HFD and/or stress decreased hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels and induced oxidative and inflammatory changes in the hippocampus. In addition, they suppressed Wnt/β-catenin pathway which was associated with activation of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β). HFD and stress increased arginase 1 and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) levels as well. These disturbances were found to be aggravated in stressed rats than HFD group. However, caffeic acid was able to reverse these deteriorations leading to memory improvement and ameliorating anxiety-like behavior. So, the current study highlights an important neuroprotective role for caffeic acid that may guard against induction of cognitive dysfunction and anxiety disorders in adolescents who are exposed to HFD and/or stress.
Topics: Animals; Caffeic Acids; Rats; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; Anxiety; Male; Diet, High-Fat; Hippocampus; Stress, Psychological; Neuroprotective Agents; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; Rats, Wistar; beta Catenin; Wnt Signaling Pathway; Cognition; Cognitive Dysfunction; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II
PubMed: 38954245
DOI: 10.1007/s12031-024-02232-4 -
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton,... 2024Largely due to its simplicity, while being more like human cells compared to other experimental models, Dictyostelium continues to be of great use to discover basic...
Largely due to its simplicity, while being more like human cells compared to other experimental models, Dictyostelium continues to be of great use to discover basic molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways underlying evolutionarily conserved biological processes. However, the identification of new protein interactions implicated in signaling pathways can be particularly challenging in Dictyostelium due to its extremely fast signaling kinetics coupled with the dynamic nature of signaling protein interactions. Recently, the proximity labeling method using engineered ascorbic acid peroxidase 2 (APEX2) in mammalian cells was shown to allow the detection of weak and/or transient protein interactions and also to obtain spatial and temporal resolution. Here, we describe a protocol for successfully using the APEX2-proximity labeling method in Dictyostelium. Coupled with the identification of the labeled proteins by mass spectrometry, this method expands Dictyostelium's proteomics toolbox and should be widely useful for identifying interacting partners involved in a variety of biological processes in Dictyostelium.
Topics: Dictyostelium; Ascorbate Peroxidases; Proteomics; Protein Interaction Mapping; Mass Spectrometry; Protozoan Proteins; Humans; DNA-(Apurinic or Apyrimidinic Site) Lyase; Signal Transduction; Staining and Labeling; Endonucleases; Multifunctional Enzymes
PubMed: 38954202
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3894-1_9 -
Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy : CII Jul 2024Intracranial tumors present a significant therapeutic challenge due to their physiological location. Immunotherapy presents an attractive method for targeting these...
Intracranial tumors present a significant therapeutic challenge due to their physiological location. Immunotherapy presents an attractive method for targeting these intracranial tumors due to relatively low toxicity and tumor specificity. Here we show that SCIB1, a TRP-2 and gp100 directed ImmunoBody® DNA vaccine, generates a strong TRP-2 specific immune response, as demonstrated by the high number of TRP2-specific IFNγ spots produced and the detection of a significant number of pentamer positive T cells in the spleen of vaccinated mice. Furthermore, vaccine-induced T cells were able to recognize and kill B16 cells after a short in vitro culture. Having found that glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) expresses significant levels of PD-L1 and IDO1, with PD-L1 correlating with poorer survival in patients with the mesenchymal subtype of GBM, we decided to combine SCIB1 ImmunoBody® with PD-1 immune checkpoint blockade to treat mice harboring intracranial tumors expressing TRP-2 and gp100. Time-to-death was significantly prolonged, and this correlated with increased CD4 and CD8 T cell infiltration in the tissue microenvironment (TME). However, in addition to PD-L1 and IDO, the GBM TME was found to contain a significant number of immunoregulatory T (Treg) cell-associated transcripts, and the presence of such cells is likely to significantly affect clinical outcome unless also tackled.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Vaccines, DNA; Brain Neoplasms; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors; Humans; Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor; Cancer Vaccines; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Female; B7-H1 Antigen; Immunotherapy; Glioblastoma; Cell Line, Tumor; Intramolecular Oxidoreductases
PubMed: 38954031
DOI: 10.1007/s00262-024-03770-x -
Journal of Bacteriology Jul 2024causes a serious diarrheal disease and is a common healthcare-associated bacterial pathogen. Although it has a major impact on human health, the mechanistic details of...
causes a serious diarrheal disease and is a common healthcare-associated bacterial pathogen. Although it has a major impact on human health, the mechanistic details of intestinal colonization remain undefined. is highly sensitive to oxygen and requires anaerobic conditions for growth. However, the mammalian gut is not devoid of oxygen, and tolerates moderate oxidative stress . The genome encodes several antioxidant proteins, including a predicted superoxide reductase (SOR) that is upregulated upon exposure to antimicrobial peptides. The goal of this study was to establish SOR enzymatic activity and assess its role in protecting against oxygen exposure. Insertional inactivation of rendered more sensitive to superoxide, indicating that SOR contributes to antioxidant defense. Heterologous expression in conferred protection against superoxide-dependent growth inhibition, and the corresponding cell lysates showed superoxide scavenging activity. Finally, a SOR mutant exhibited global proteome changes under oxygen stress when compared to the parent strain. Collectively, our data establish the enzymatic activity of SOR, confirm its role in protection against oxidative stress, and demonstrate SOR's broader impacts on the vegetative cell proteome.IMPORTANCE is an important pathogen strongly associated with healthcare settings and capable of causing severe diarrheal disease. While considered a strict anaerobe , has been shown to tolerate low levels of oxygen in the mammalian host. Among other well-characterized antioxidant proteins, the genome encodes a predicted superoxide reductase (SOR), an understudied component of antioxidant defense in pathogens. The significance of the research reported herein is the characterization of SOR's enzymatic activity, including confirmation of its role in protecting against oxidative stress. This furthers our understanding of pathogenesis and presents a potential new avenue for targeted therapies.
PubMed: 38953644
DOI: 10.1128/jb.00175-24 -
PeerJ 2024Mitochondrial creatine kinase (MtCK) plays a pivotal role in cellular energy metabolism, exhibiting enhanced expression in various tumors, including colorectal cancer...
BACKGROUND
Mitochondrial creatine kinase (MtCK) plays a pivotal role in cellular energy metabolism, exhibiting enhanced expression in various tumors, including colorectal cancer (CRC). Creatine kinase mitochondrial 2 (CKMT2) is a subtype of MtCK; however, its clinical significance, biological functions, and underlying molecular mechanisms in CRC remain elusive.
METHODS
We employed immunohistochemical staining to discern the expression of CKMT2 in CRC and adjacent nontumor tissues of patients. The correlation between CKMT2 levels and clinical pathological factors was assessed. Additionally, we evaluated the association between CKMT2 and the prognosis of CRC patients using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox regression analysis. Meanwhile, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression levels of in different CRC cell lines. Finally, we explored the biological functions and potential molecular mechanisms of CKMT2 in CRC cells through various techniques, including qRT-PCR, cell culture, cell transfection, western blot, Transwell chamber assays, flow cytometry, and co-immunoprecipitation.
RESULTS
We found that CKMT2 was significantly overexpressed in CRC tissues compared with adjacent nontumor tissues. The expression of CKMT2 is correlated with pathological types, tumor size, distant metastasis, and survival in CRC patients. Importantly, CKMT2 emerged as an independent prognostic factor through Cox regression analysis. Experimental downregulation of expression in CRC cell lines inhibited the migration and promoted apoptosis of these cells. Furthermore, we identified a novel role for CKMT2 in promoting aerobic glycolysis in CRC cells through interaction with lactate dehydrogenase B (LDHB).
CONCLUSION
In this study, we found the elevated expression of CKMT2 in CRC, and it was a robust prognostic indicator in CRC patients. CKMT2 regulates glucose metabolism amplifying the Warburg effect through interaction with LDHB, which promotes the growth and progression of CRC. These insights unveil a novel regulatory mechanism by which CKMT2 influences CRC and provide promising targets for future CRC therapeutic interventions.
Topics: Humans; Colorectal Neoplasms; Warburg Effect, Oncologic; Male; Female; Cell Line, Tumor; Prognosis; Creatine Kinase, Mitochondrial Form; Disease Progression; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; Middle Aged; Cell Proliferation; Apoptosis; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
PubMed: 38952967
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17672 -
Zhongguo Xue Xi Chong Bing Fang Zhi Za... Jun 2024To investigate the origin of in China, so as to provide insights into assessment of schistosomiasis mansoni transmission risk and control.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the origin of in China, so as to provide insights into assessment of schistosomiasis mansoni transmission risk and control.
METHODS
Guanlan River, Dasha River, Shenzhen Reservoir, upper and lower reaches of Kuiyong River, and Xinzhen River in Shenzhen, China, were selected as sampling sites. Ten samples were collected from each site, and genomic DNA was extracted from samples. DNA samples were obtained from 15 sampled from 5 sampling sites in Minas Gerais State, Pará State, Federal District, Pernambuco State, and Sao Paulo State in Brazil, South America. Cytochrome c oxidase I () and mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA () genes were sampled using the above DNA templates, and the amplified products were sequenced. The and gene sequences were downloaded from GenBank, and the sampling sites were acquired. All and 1 gene sequences were aligned and evolutionary trees of were created based on and gene sequences to identify the genetic similarity and evolutionary relationship between samples from China and South America.
RESULTS
A total of 60 gene sequences with a length of 529 bp and 3 haplotypes were obtained from sampled from China. There were 165 gene sequences of retrieved from GenBank, and following alignment with the above 60 gene sequences, a total of 33 haplotypes were obtained. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the three haplotypes of from China were clustered into one clade, among which the haplotype China11 and three samples from Brazil retrieved from GenBank belonged to the same haplotype. Geographical evolution analysis showed that the samples from three sampling sites along eastern coasts of Brazil had the same haplotype with China11, and samples from other two sampling sites were closely, genetically related to China11. A total of 60 gene sequences with approximately 322 bp in length were amplified from in China, with 2 haplotypes identified. A total of 70 gene sequences of were captured from GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis showed that snails collected from China were clustered into a clade, and the haplotype China64 and the haplotype 229BS from Brazil shared the same haplotype. The 49 gene sequences of from 25 sampling sites in southern Brazil, which were captured from GenBank, were included in the present analysis, and the from 3 sampling sites shared the same haplotype with China64 in China. Geographical evolution analysis based on and gene sequences showed that sampled from eastern coastal areas of Brazil shared the same haplotypes in two gene fragment sequences with snails collected from China.
CONCLUSIONS
The snails in China are characterized as , which have a low genetic diversity. The snails in China have a high genetic similarity with sampled from eastern coastal areas of Brazil, which may have originated from the eastern coastal areas of Brazil.
Topics: Animals; China; Phylogeny; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Biomphalaria; Electron Transport Complex IV; Haplotypes
PubMed: 38952313
DOI: 10.16250/j.32.1374.2024069