The SETDB1-PC4-UPF1 post-transcriptional machinery controls periodic degradation of CENPF mRNA and maintains mitotic progression
Related Articles
The DEAD-box helicase eIF4A1/2 acts as RNA chaperone during mitotic exit enabling chromatin decondensation
During mitosis, chromosomes condense and decondense to segregate faithfully and undamaged. The exact molecular mechanisms are not well understood. We identify the DEAD-box helicase eIF4A1/2 as a critical factor in this process. In a cell-free condensation assay eIF4A1/2 is crucial for this process, relying on its RNA-binding ability but not its ATPase activity. Reducing eIF4A1/2 levels in cells consistently slows down chromatin decondensation during nuclear reformation. Conversely, increasing eIF4A1/2 concentration on mitotic chromosomes accelerates their decondensation. The absence of eIF4A1/2 affects the perichromatin layer, which surrounds the chromosomes during mitosis and consists of RNA and mainly nucleolar proteins. In vitro, eIF4A1/2 acts as an RNA chaperone, dissociating biomolecular condensates of RNA and perichromatin proteins. During mitosis, the chaperone activity of eIF4A1/2 is required to regulate the composition and fluidity of the perichromatin layer, which is crucial for the dynamic reorganization of chromatin as cells exit mitosis.
A capless hairpin-protected mRNA vaccine encoding the full-length Influenza A hemagglutinin protects mice against a lethal Influenza A infection
The success of mRNA vaccines in controlling the COVID 19 pandemic has confirmed the efficacy of synthetically synthesized mRNA in humans and has also provided a blueprint on how to design them in terms of molecular structure and cost. We describe a mRNA vector that, unlike linear mRNAs used in current vaccines/therapeutics, does not require a 5′ cap to function. The described mRNA vector initiates translation from an internal ribosomal entry site (IRES) and contains specially designed self-folding secondary structures (hairpins) to protect the 5′ end against degradation, dramatically improving its stability. The produced mRNA did not require any additional modifications for functionality. The 5′ hairpins completely inhibited cap-dependent translation, and all vectors containing them required an IRES to express protein. When this capless mRNA vector was constructed to express the full-length Influenza A membrane protein hemagglutinin (HA), complexed with pre-formed lipid-based nanoparticles, and then injected into mice as a vaccine, it generated high titers of anti-HA antibodies and protected mice against a lethal dose of Influenza A.
Enhancer reprogramming: critical roles in cancer and promising therapeutic strategies
Transcriptional dysregulation is a hallmark of cancer initiation and progression, driven by genetic and epigenetic alterations. Enhancer reprogramming has emerged as a pivotal driver of carcinogenesis, with cancer cells often relying on aberrant transcriptional programs. The advent of high-throughput sequencing technologies has provided critical insights into enhancer reprogramming events and their role in malignancy. While targeting enhancers presents a promising therapeutic strategy, significant challenges remain. These include the off-target effects of enhancer-targeting technologies, the complexity and redundancy of enhancer networks, and the dynamic nature of enhancer reprogramming, which may contribute to therapeutic resistance. This review comprehensively encapsulates the structural attributes of enhancers, delineates the mechanisms underlying their dysregulation in malignant transformation, and evaluates the therapeutic opportunities and limitations associated with targeting enhancers in cancer.
Periodic cooking of eggs
Egg cooks are challenged by the two-phase structure: albumen and yolk require two cooking temperatures. Separation or a compromise temperature to the detriment of food safety or taste preference are the options. In the present article, we find that it is possible to cook albumen and yolk at two temperatures without separation by using periodic boundary conditions in the energy transport problem. Through mathematical modeling and subsequent simulation, we are able to design the novel cooking method, namely periodic cooking. Comparison with established egg cooking procedures through a plethora of characterization techniques, including Sensory Analysis, Texture Profile Analysis and FT-IR spectroscopy, confirms the different cooking extents and the different variations in protein denaturation with the novel approach. The method not only optimizes egg texture and nutrients, but also holds promise for innovative culinary applications and materials treatment.
Circular RNAs in neurological conditions – computational identification, functional validation, and potential clinical applications
Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have gained significant attention in recent years due to advancements in biotechnology, particularly high-throughput total RNA sequencing. These developments have led to new understandings of non-coding biology, revealing that approximately 80% of non-coding regions in the genome possesses biochemical functionality. Among ncRNAs, circular RNAs (circRNAs), first identified in 1976, have emerged as a prominent research field. CircRNAs are abundant in most human cell types, evolutionary conserved, highly stable, and formed by back-splicing events which generate covalently closed ends. Notably, circRNAs exhibit high expression levels in neural tissue and perform diverse biochemical functions, including acting as molecular sponges for microRNAs, interacting with RNA-binding proteins to regulate their availability and activity, modulating transcription and splicing, and even translating into functional peptides in some cases. Recent advancements in computational and experimental methods have enhanced our ability to identify and validate circRNAs, providing valuable insights into their biological roles. This review focuses on recent developments in circRNA research as they related to neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative conditions. We also explore their potential applications in clinical diagnostics, therapeutics, and future research directions. CircRNAs remain a relatively underexplored area of non-coding biology, particularly in the context of neurological disorders. However, emerging evidence supports their role as critical players in the etiology and molecular mechanisms of conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. These findings suggest that circRNAs may provide a novel framework contributing to the molecular dysfunctions underpinning these complex neurological conditions.
Responses