Featured
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Article
| Open AccessCFTR mRNAs with nonsense codons are degraded by the SMG6-mediated endonucleolytic decay pathway
Currently, there is no therapy for patients with cystic fibrosis caused by nonsense mutations. Here the authors show that CFTR mRNAs with nonsense codons are predominantly degraded by the SMG6-mediated branch of the NMD pathway, providing potential therapeutic strategies for the devastating disease.
- Edward J. Sanderlin
- , Melissa M. Keenan
- & Lulu Huang
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Article
| Open AccessCoacervation in polyzwitterion-polyelectrolyte systems and their potential applications for gastrointestinal drug delivery platforms
Coacervation is widely studied as potential drug delivery platform, but formation of coacervates at lower pH ranges, such as found in the gastrointestinal tract, remains challenging. Here, using theory and experimental methods, the authors demonstrate the formation of a polyzwitterionic complex, formed by coacervation of a polyzwitterion and a polyelectrolyte, exhibiting orthogonal phase behavior under physiological low pH conditions.
- Khatcher O. Margossian
- , Marcel U. Brown
- & Murugappan Muthukumar
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Article
| Open AccessPreclinical characterization and target validation of the antimalarial pantothenamide MMV693183
Here, de Vries et al. perform a pre-clinical characterization of the antimalarial compound MMV693183: the compound targets acetyl-CoA synthetase, has efficacy in humanized mice against Plasmodium falciparum infection, blocks transmission to mosquito vectors, is safe in rats, and pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling informs about a potential oral human dosing regimen.
- Laura E. de Vries
- , Patrick A. M. Jansen
- & Koen J. Dechering
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Article
| Open AccessMicroridge-like structures anchor motile cilia
Motile cilia beat in a defined direction to orchestrate developmental programs, but also to execute janitorial tasks such as clearing airways. Here they show that motile cilia of the Xenopus epidermis are anchored to microridge-like membrane protrusions to maintain their directionality.
- Takayuki Yasunaga
- , Johannes Wiegel
- & Gerd Walz
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Article
| Open AccessCombinatorial optimization of mRNA structure, stability, and translation for RNA-based therapeutics
The authors develop an RNA sequencing-based platform, PERSIST-seq, to simultaneously delineate in-cell mRNA stability, ribosome load, and in-solution stability of a diverse mRNA library to derive design principles for improved mRNA therapeutics.
- Kathrin Leppek
- , Gun Woo Byeon
- & Rhiju Das
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Article
| Open AccessGut microbiota and fermentation-derived branched chain hydroxy acids mediate health benefits of yogurt consumption in obese mice
Yogurt consumption is associated with health benefits, but underlying mechanisms are unknown. Here, the authors show in a mouse model that yogurt intake prevents obesity-linked insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis through shifting the gut microbiota and enhancing production of fermentation-derived branched chain hydroxy acids.
- Noëmie Daniel
- , Renato Tadeu Nachbar
- & André Marette
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Article
| Open AccessAutoantibodies targeting GPCRs and RAS-related molecules associate with COVID-19 severity
COVID-19, similarly to systemic autoimmune diseases, is characterised by the presence of autoantibodies. Authors show here that the abundance and network signature of autoantibodies targeting G protein-coupled receptors and RAS-related proteins are altered in COVID-19 patients, and the level of disruption marks clinical severity.
- Otavio Cabral-Marques
- , Gilad Halpert
- & Yehuda Shoenfeld
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Article
| Open AccessMutation-specific reporter for optimization and enrichment of prime editing
While prime editing is a promising technique, some genomic sites remain difficult to edit. Here the authors present fluoPEER, fluorescent prime editing and enrichment reporter, to rank the efficiency of pegRNAs and prime editor variants.
- I. F. Schene
- , I. P. Joore
- & S. A. Fuchs
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Article
| Open AccessThe spatial transcriptomic landscape of the healing mouse intestine following damage
The colon is comprised of specialized cells that interact with each other to function, however, the molecular regionalization of the colon is incompletely understood. Here, the authors use spatial transcriptomics to generate a publicly available resource defining the transcriptomic regionalization of the colon during steady state and mucosal healing.
- Sara M. Parigi
- , Ludvig Larsson
- & Eduardo J. Villablanca
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Article
| Open AccessEngineered bacterial voltage-gated sodium channel platform for cardiac gene therapy
In this in vitro, in silico, and in vivo study Nguyen and colleagues show that specific and stable viral gene delivery of engineered prokaryotic voltage-gated sodium channels (BacNav) to cardiomyocytes can directly augment cardiac tissue excitability and conduction.
- Hung X. Nguyen
- , Tianyu Wu
- & Nenad Bursac
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Article
| Open AccessPharmacologic IRE1/XBP1s activation promotes systemic adaptive remodeling in obesity
Signalling through the IRE1 arm of the unfolded protein response exerts both protective and harmful effects in obesity. Here the authors report that a selective pharmacologic activator of IRE1/XBP1s signalling stimulates an adaptive remodelling of liver and pancreas in diet-induced obese mice and mitigates obesity-linked systemic metabolic dysfunction.
- Aparajita Madhavan
- , Bernard P. Kok
- & R. Luke Wiseman
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Article
| Open AccessCanonical WNT signaling-dependent gating of MYC requires a noncanonical CTCF function at a distal binding site
Gene-gating of a MYC oncogenic super-enhancer (OSE) increases its expression in colon cancer cells in a poorly understood process. Here the authors show that MYC gating requires a CTCF binding site (CTCFBS) within the OSE that directs the stepwise trafficking of the OSE to the nuclear pore to facilitate increased nuclear export of MYC mRNA, which results in a growth advantage.
- Ilyas Chachoua
- , Ilias Tzelepis
- & Anita Göndör
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Article
| Open AccessmolBV reveals immune landscape of bacterial vaginosis and predicts human papillomavirus infection natural history
Here, Burk et al. develop an algorithm to diagnose bacterial vaginosis (BV) using the 16S rRNA gene, called molBV, which they use to profile the inflammatory landscape of BV and predict progression of human papillomavirus infection to cervical pre-cancer.
- Mykhaylo Usyk
- , Nicolas F. Schlecht
- & Robert D. Burk
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Article
| Open AccessSingle-cell chromatin accessibility landscape in kidney identifies additional cell-of-origin in heterogenous papillary renal cell carcinoma
The heterogeneity of cell-of-origin for papillary renal cell carcinoma (pRCC) remains unknown. Here, with single-cell ATAC-seq from normal human kidney cells and ATACseq profiles from pRCC samples, the authors show that pRCC can originate from kidney collecting duct principal cells and this subtype is associated with advanced pRCC.
- Qi Wang
- , Yang Zhang
- & Jingping Yang
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Article
| Open AccessGenome-wide meta-analysis of phytosterols reveals five novel loci and a detrimental effect on coronary atherosclerosis
Physterols are cholesterol homologs derived from plants, which are found in humans through consumption of plant products. Here the authors have performed a genome-wide meta-analysis of 32 serum phytosterol traits, with evidence suggesting causality between sitosterol and coronary artery disease.
- Markus Scholz
- , Katrin Horn
- & Uta Ceglarek
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Article
| Open AccessArtificial intelligence-aided clinical annotation of a large multi-cancer genomic dataset
To accelerate cancer research that correlates biomarkers with clinical endpoints, methods are needed to ascertain outcomes from electronic health records at scale. Here, the authors train natural language processing to extract outcomes for participants in a precision oncology study.
- Kenneth L. Kehl
- , Wenxin Xu
- & Deborah Schrag
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Article
| Open AccessDepletion of central memory CD8+ T cells might impede the antitumor therapeutic effect of Mogamulizumab
Elimination of regulatory T cells via the anti-CCR4 monoclonal antibody, mogamulizumab, is expected to augment anti-tumour immune response. Authors show here that although regulatory T cell targeting is successful, clinical improvement remains minimal in patients with solid tumours due to concomitant and unintended depletion of central memory CD8+ T cells.
- Yuka Maeda
- , Hisashi Wada
- & Hiroyoshi Nishikawa
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Article
| Open AccessInterleukin-7 receptor α mutational activation can initiate precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Interleukin-7 receptor alpha (IL7Ra) is important for lymphoid cell development but its role in leukaemogenesis is not clear. Here, the authors generate a knock-in murine model to show that activating mutations in IL7Ra can initiate precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
- Afonso R. M. Almeida
- , João L. Neto
- & João T. Barata
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Article
| Open AccessPlasmin activity promotes amyloid deposition in a transgenic model of human transthyretin amyloidosis
ATTR amyloidosis causes heart failure through the accumulation of misfolded transthyretin in cardiac muscle. Here the authors report a mouse model of ATTR amyloidosis and demonstrate the involvement of protease activity in ATTR amyloid deposition.
- Ivana Slamova
- , Rozita Adib
- & J. Paul Simons
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Article
| Open Access2-Deoxy-D-glucose couples mitochondrial DNA replication with mitochondrial fitness and promotes the selection of wild-type over mutant mitochondrial DNA
It has been a longstanding goal to promote the propagation of functional mitochondrial DNAs at the expense of pathological molecules in cells where the two species coexist. Here, the authors show that restricting the availability of glucose and glutamine can achieve this outcome.
- Boris Pantic
- , Daniel Ives
- & Antonella Spinazzola
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Comment
| Open AccessComputational tools for genomic data de-identification: facilitating data protection law compliance
In this opinion piece, we discuss why computational tools to limit the identifiability of genomic data are a promising avenue for privacy-preservation and legal compliance. Even where these technologies do not eliminate all residual risk of individual identification, the law may still consider such data anonymised.
- Alexander Bernier
- , Hanshi Liu
- & Bartha Maria Knoppers
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Article
| Open AccessBone marrow sinusoidal endothelium controls terminal erythroid differentiation and reticulocyte maturation
Niche crosstalk with Haematopoietic cells underlies normal haematopoiesis and myeloid disorders. Here the authors report a Stabilin2-Cre driver mouse with Cre-activity restricted to bone marrow sinusoidal endothelial cells, and that Stabilin2-Cre driven overactivation of b-catenin leads to erythroid differentiation defects and anaemia.
- Joschka Heil
- , Victor Olsavszky
- & Philipp-Sebastian Koch
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Article
| Open AccessCRISPR-enhanced human adipocyte browning as cell therapy for metabolic disease
Worldwide pandemics of obesity and diabetes prompt an urgent need for new approaches to their prevention and cure. Here the authors present a CRISPR-based strategy that enhances the therapeutic potential of human adipocytes when implanted in obese mice.
- Emmanouela Tsagkaraki
- , Sarah M. Nicoloro
- & Michael P. Czech
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Article
| Open AccessDetrimental proarrhythmogenic interaction of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and NaV1.8 in heart failure
In heart failure, increased CaMKII activity is decisively involved in arrhythmia formation. Here, the authors introduce the neuronal sodium channel NaV1.8 as a CaMKII downstream target as its specific knock-out reduces arrhythmias and improves survival in a CaMKII-overexpressing mouse model.
- Philipp Bengel
- , Nataliya Dybkova
- & Samuel Sossalla
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Article
| Open AccessFocal amplifications are associated with chromothripsis events and diverse prognoses in gastric cardia adenocarcinoma
The role of focal amplifications and extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) is unknown in gastric cardia adenocarcinoma (GCA). Here, the authors identify frequent focal amplifications and ecDNAs in Chinese GCA patient samples, as well as the potential associations of these alterations with prognosis and dietary habits.
- Xue-Ke Zhao
- , Pengwei Xing
- & Li-Dong Wang
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Article
| Open AccessBone marrow derived stromal cells from myelodysplastic syndromes are altered but not clonally mutated in vivo
Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stroma cells (MSCs) in myeloid neoplasia have been hypothesized to carry somatic mutations and contribute to pathogenesis. Here the authors analyse ex-vivo cultures and primary MSCs derived from patients with myelodysplastic syndromes, finding functional alterations but no evidence of clonal mutations.
- Johann-Christoph Jann
- , Maximilian Mossner
- & Daniel Nowak
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Article
| Open AccessEndurance exercise training-responsive miR-19b-3p improves skeletal muscle glucose metabolism
Exercise induces structural and functional adaptations in skeletal muscle that involve transcriptomic remodeling, including of miRNA expression. Here the authors examine the expression of miRNAs in human muscle following exercise training and investigate the functions of miR-19b-3p on glucose metabolism in cells and mouse muscle.
- Julie Massart
- , Rasmus J. O. Sjögren
- & Anna Krook
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Comment
| Open AccessThe growing need for controlled data access models in clinical proteomics and metabolomics
More and more clinical studies include potentially sensitive human proteomics or metabolomics datasets, but bioinformatics resources for managing the access to these data are not yet available. This commentary discusses current best practices and future perspectives for the responsible handling of clinical proteomics and metabolomics data.
- Thomas M. Keane
- , Claire O’Donovan
- & Juan Antonio Vizcaíno
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Article
| Open AccessA Replication stress biomarker is associated with response to gemcitabine versus combined gemcitabine and ATR inhibitor therapy in ovarian cancer
A randomized phase 2 study recently showed that the addition of ATR inhibitor berzosertib to gemcitabine improved PFS compared to gemcitabine alone in patients with ovarian cancer. In this preplanned exploratory study, the authors demonstrate that a genomic biomarker of replication-stress is associated with outcome to gemcitabine alone and may predict which patients benefit from addition of the ATR inhibitor berzosertib.
- Panagiotis A. Konstantinopoulos
- , Alexandre André B. A. da Costa
- & Geoffrey I. Shapiro
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Article
| Open AccessSchizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders and developmental disorders share specific disruptive coding mutations
Overlapping genes have been implicated in schizophrenia and neurodevelopmental disorders. Here, the authors overlap de novo variants in the two types of disorders and find variants in these genes with the same functional effect and in some cases the same specific variants.
- Elliott Rees
- , Hugo D. J. Creeth
- & Michael C. O’Donovan
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Article
| Open AccessCell reprogramming shapes the mitochondrial DNA landscape
Here the authors describe high depth mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence analysis of 146 human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) lines as well as single cell RNA-seq (scRNAseq) of hiPSCs undergoing differentiation from 125 donors; reporting mtDNA diversity and some variants favoured after reprogramming.
- Wei Wei
- , Daniel J. Gaffney
- & Patrick F. Chinnery
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Article
| Open AccessThe PEMDAC phase 2 study of pembrolizumab and entinostat in patients with metastatic uveal melanoma
The authors report the results of the phase II PEMDAC clinical study testing the combination of the HDAC inhibitor entinostat with the anti- PD-1 antibody pembrolizumab in uveal melanoma. Low tumor burden, a wildtype BAP1 gene in the tumor or iris melanoma correlates with response and longer survival.
- Lars Ny
- , Henrik Jespersen
- & Jonas A. Nilsson
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Article
| Open AccessTracheal aspirate RNA sequencing identifies distinct immunological features of COVID-19 ARDS
Here, the authors perform transcriptional profiling on tracheal aspirates of adults requiring mechanical ventilation for SARS-CoV2-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and identify a dysregulated host response predicted to predicted to be potentially modulated by dexamethasone.
- Aartik Sarma
- , Stephanie A. Christenson
- & Charles R. Langelier
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Article
| Open AccessMirtron-mediated RNA knockdown/replacement therapy for the treatment of dominant retinitis pigmentosa
Rhodopsin-related dominant retinitis pigmentosa is a degenerative disease of the retina of the eye for which there is no current treatment. In this study, the authors use a novel form of RNA-interference- artificial mirtrons- to slow retinal degeneration in a mouse model of the disease.
- Harry O. Orlans
- , Michelle E. McClements
- & Robert E. MacLaren
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Article
| Open AccessStructure, mechanism and crystallographic fragment screening of the SARS-CoV-2 NSP13 helicase
The SARS-CoV-2 NSP13 helicase is essential for viral replication and of interest as a drug target. Here, the authors present the crystal structures of NSP13 in the apo form and bound to either phosphate or the non-hydrolysable ATP analog AMP-PNP and discuss the helicase mechanism. They also perform a crystallographic fragment screening and identify 65 bound fragments, which could help in the design of new antiviral agents.
- Joseph A. Newman
- , Alice Douangamath
- & Opher Gileadi
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Article
| Open AccessChemical tools for epichaperome-mediated interactome dysfunctions of the central nervous system
Here, the authors show structural, biochemical, and functional insights into the discovery of epichaperome‐ directed chemical probes for use in central nervous system diseases. Probes emerging from this work have translated to human clinical studies in Alzheimer’s disease and cancer.
- Alexander Bolaender
- , Danuta Zatorska
- & Gabriela Chiosis
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Article
| Open AccessSuper enhancer regulation of cytokine-induced chemokine production in alcoholic hepatitis
Alcoholic hepatitis is characterized by intense liver inflammation driven by excessive cytokines and chemokines production and immune cell infiltration. Here the authors identify a super-enhancer that regulates the expression of multiple CXCL chemokines in alcoholic hepatitis and may be a potential therapeutic target.
- Mengfei Liu
- , Sheng Cao
- & Vijay H. Shah
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Article
| Open AccessReactivation of a developmentally silenced embryonic globin gene
Globin loci harbor genes that are expressed embryonically and silenced postnatally. Here the authors show that zeta-globin silencing depends upon selective hypoacetylation of its TAD subdomain, which blocks its interaction with the alpha-globin super-enhancer, and zeta-globin can be reactivated by acetylation.
- Andrew J. King
- , Duantida Songdej
- & Christian Babbs
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Article
| Open AccessA small molecule that induces translational readthrough of CFTR nonsense mutations by eRF1 depletion
Premature termination codons can cause early translation termination and lead to disease. Here the authors perform a screen to identify compounds with readthrough activity and show that these reduce eRF1 levels to suppress premature termination associated with cystic fibrosis.
- Jyoti Sharma
- , Ming Du
- & David M. Bedwell
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Article
| Open AccessIn utero adenine base editing corrects multi-organ pathology in a lethal lysosomal storage disease
Lysosomal storage diseases like mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I) cause pathology before birth and result in early morbidity and mortality. Here, the authors show that in utero base editing mediates multi-organ phenotypic and survival benefits in a mouse model recapitulating a common human MPSI mutation.
- Sourav K. Bose
- , Brandon M. White
- & William H. Peranteau
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Article
| Open AccessNUDT15 polymorphism influences the metabolism and therapeutic effects of acyclovir and ganciclovir
Nucleoside analogs (NNA), such as acyclovir (ACV) and ganciclovir (GCV), are widely used as anti-virals to treat herpes virus infection. Here, Nishii et al. show that diphosphatase NUDT15 hydrolyzes ACV and GCV, therewith reducing NNA activity in vitro and link NUDT15 variation to inter-patient variability in ACV and GCV therapeutic effects.
- Rina Nishii
- , Takanori Mizuno
- & Jun J. Yang
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Article
| Open AccessStructure and transport mechanism of P5B-ATPases
In human cells, P5B‐ATPases execute export of spermine from lysosomes to the cytosol, but the mechanisms of spermine recognition, uptake and transport remain elusive. Here the authors present cryo‐EM structures of a yeast homolog of human ATP13A2‐5, Ypk9, which depict three separate transport cycle intermediates, including spermine‐bound conformations
- Ping Li
- , Kaituo Wang
- & Pontus Gourdon
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Article
| Open AccessResidue 6.43 defines receptor function in class F GPCRs
The class Frizzled of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) consist of ten Frizzled (FZD1-10) subtypes and Smoothened (SMO). Here the Schulte laboratory demonstrates that FZDs differ substantially from SMO in receptor activation-associated conformational changes, while SMO manifests a preference for a straight TM6, the TM6 of FZDs is kinked upon activation.
- Ainoleena Turku
- , Hannes Schihada
- & Gunnar Schulte
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Article
| Open AccessCIB2 regulates mTORC1 signaling and is essential for autophagy and visual function
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has been connected to deficits in autophagy. Here, the authors demonstrate, in mice and dry-AMD patient samples, that calcium and integrin binding protein 2 (CIB2) regulates Rheb-mTORC1 signaling axis, and subsequently autophagy.
- Saumil Sethna
- , Patrick A. Scott
- & Zubair M. Ahmed
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Article
| Open AccessDirect activation of the proton channel by albumin leads to human sperm capacitation and sustained release of inflammatory mediators by neutrophils
The human voltage-gated proton channel (hHv1) maintains intracellular pH and membrane potential in sperm and neutrophils. Here, the authors show that albumin activates hHv1, by binding to the channel voltage sensor domains to enhance open probability and increases proton current, and that activation is required to trigger sperm to allow oocyte fertilization and to sustain production and release of immune inflammatory mediators during the neutrophil respiratory burst.
- Ruiming Zhao
- , Hui Dai
- & Steve A. N. Goldstein
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Article
| Open AccessInhibition of the DNA damage response phosphatase PPM1D reprograms neutrophils to enhance anti-tumor immune responses
Wip1 is a negative regulator of the tumor suppressor p53 and is overexpressed in several human cancers. Here the authors show that inactivation of Wip1 in neutrophils promotes p53-dependent expression of co-stimulatory ligands and anti-tumor immune responses, reducing tumor growth in preclinical cancer models.
- Burhan Uyanik
- , Anastasia R. Goloudina
- & Oleg N. Demidov
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Article
| Open AccessA new molecular classification to drive precision treatment strategies in primary Sjögren’s syndrome
Sjögren’s syndrome, a disease that primarily affects women, is poorly understood. Here, the authors combine data from a large cohort of patients and healthy controls to identify biomarkers that distinguish patient subgroups to improve our understanding of the disease and facilitate drug development.
- Perrine Soret
- , Christelle Le Dantec
- & Jacques-Olivier Pers
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Article
| Open AccessDeterminants of penetrance and variable expressivity in monogenic metabolic conditions across 77,184 exomes
Penetrance of variants in monogenic disease and clinical utility of common polygenic variation has not been well explored on a large-scale. Here, the authors use exome sequencing data from 77,184 individuals to generate penetrance estimates and assess the utility of polygenic variation in risk prediction of monogenic variants.
- Julia K. Goodrich
- , Moriel Singer-Berk
- & Miriam S. Udler
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Article
| Open AccessAltered heparan sulfate metabolism during development triggers dopamine-dependent autistic-behaviours in models of lysosomal storage disorders
Lysosomal storage disorders, characterized by altered metabolism of heparan sulfate, cause autistic symptoms followed by dementia in children. Here, the authors show that embryonic dopaminergic neurodevelopmental defects due to altered function of heparan sulfate cause autistic behaviours in mice.
- Maria De Risi
- , Michele Tufano
- & Elvira De Leonibus