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2024 Volume 7 Issue 2  Published: 2024-02-22
    Research Article
  • Hong Pan , Yue Sun , Li-Heng Qian , Ying-Na Liao , Yan-Zhi Gai , Yan-Miao Huo , Zuo-Qing Li , Hui-Zhen Nie
    doi: 10.34133/research.0300

    Ferroptosis, a nonapoptotic form of cell death, is an emerging potential therapeutic target for various diseases, including cancer. However, the role of ferroptosis in pancreatic cancer remains poorly understood. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by a poor prognosis and chemotherapy resistance, attributed to its high Kirsten rats arcomaviral oncogene homolog mutation rate and severe nutritional deficits resulting from a dense stroma. Several studies have linked rat sarcoma (RAS) mutations to ferroptosis, suggesting that inducing ferroptosis may be an effective strategy against oncogenic RAS-bearing tumors. We investigated the role of Family With Sequence Similarity 60 Member A (FAM60A) in this study, a protein closely associated with a poor prognosis and highly expressed in PDAC and tumor tissue from KrasG12D/+;Trp53R172H/+; Pdx1-Cre mice, in regulating ferroptosis, tumor growth, and gemcitabine sensitivity in vitro and in vivo. Our results demonstrate that FAM60A regulates 3 essential metabolic enzymes, ACSL1/4 and GPX4, to protect PDAC cells from ferroptosis. Furthermore, we found that YY1 transcriptionally regulates FAM60A expression by promoting its transcription, and the Hippo-YY1 pathway is restricted in the low-amino-acid milieu in the context of nutrient deprivation, leading to downstream suppression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor and ACSL1/4 and activation of GPX4 pathways. Importantly, FAM60A knockdown sensitized PDAC cells to gemcitabine treatment. A new understanding of FAM60A transcriptional regulation pattern in PDAC and its dual function in ferroptosis reliever and chemotherapy resistance is provided by our study. Targeting FAM60A may therefore offer a promising therapeutic approach for PDAC by simultaneously addressing 2 major features of the disease (high RAS mutation rate and tumor microenvironment nutrient deficiency) and preventing tumor cell metabolic adaptation.

  • Research Article
  • Xin Xu , Heshan Liu , Yidong Tan
    doi: 10.34133/research.0302

    Construction of laser heterodyne interferometric bench to measure tiny translation and tilt with picometer- and nanoradian-level sensitivity in the millihertz band is critical for the success of spaceborne gravitational wave detection, including the LISA, Taiji, and Tianqin missions. In this paper, we report on the construction and testing of a laser heterodyne interferometric bench that contains two optical path designs, the dual-beam heterodyne interferometry and the polarization-multiplexing heterodyne interferometry. The measurement sensitivity of translation and tilt reaches below 3 pm/Hz1/2 and 12 nrad/Hz1/2 for frequencies above 10 mHz, respectively. As a technical verification platform, stabilization loops of amplitude and phase and coherence analysis are also conducted through the bench. Furthermore, we demonstrate initial implements of phase-locking technology and multiple degree of freedom measurements as the extended applications of the constructed bench. The achieved results show that the laser interferometric bench would serve as an excellent experimental platform for the technology demonstration and verification of future Chinese spaceborne gravitational wave detection.

  • Research Article
  • Feiya Li , William W. Du , Xiangmin Li , Jindong Xu , Nan Wu , Faryal Mehwish Awan , Yang Yang , Fariborz Asghari Alashti , Sheng Wang , Burton B. Yang
    doi: 10.34133/research.0303

    Recent studies have highlighted the pivotal roles of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in cardiovascular diseases. Through high-throughput circRNA sequencing of both normal myocardial tissues and hypertrophic patients, we unveiled 32,034 previously undiscovered circRNAs with distinct cardiac expression patterns. Notably, circITGa9, a circRNA derived from integrin-α9, exhibited substantial up-regulation in cardiac hypertrophy patients. This elevation was validated across extensive sample pools from cardiac patients and donors. In vivo experiments revealed heightened cardiac fibrosis in mice subjected to transverse aortic constriction (TAC) after circITGa9 injection. We identified circITGa9 binding proteins through circRNA precipitation followed by liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry. Furthermore, circRNA pull-down/precipitation assays demonstrated that increased circITGa9 expression facilitated binding with tropomyosin 3 (TPM3). Specific binding sites between circITGa9 and TPM3 were identified through computational algorithms and further validated by site-directed mutagenesis. We further showed that circITGa9 induced actin polymerization, characteristic of tissue fibrosis. Finally, we developed approaches that improved cardiac function and decreased fibrosis by delivering small interfering RNA targeting circITGa9 or blocking oligo inhibiting the interaction of circITGa9 and TPM3 into TAC mice, which is amenable for further preclinical and translational development. We conclude that elevated circITGa9 levels drive cardiac remodeling and fibrosis. By pinpointing circITGa9 as a therapeutic target, we open doors to innovative interventions for mitigating cardiac remodeling and fibrosis.

  • Research Article
  • Haiyang Yu , Jing Bian , Furong Chen , Kan Li , YongAn Huang
    doi: 10.34133/research.0305

    Facile fabrication of highly conductive and self-encapsulated graphene electronics is in urgent demand for carbon-based integrated circuits, field effect transistors, optoelectronic devices, and flexible sensors. The current fabrication of these electronic devices is mainly based on layer-by-layer techniques (separate circuit preparation and encapsulation procedures), which show multistep fabrication procedures, complicated renovation/repair procedures, and poor electrical property due to graphene oxidation and exfoliation. Here, we propose a laser-guided interfacial writing (LaserIW) technique based on self-confined, nickel-catalyzed graphitization to directly fabricate highly conductive, embedded graphene electronics inside multilayer structures. The doped nickel is used to induce chain carbonization, which firstly enhances the photothermal effect to increase the confined temperature for initial carbonization, and the generated carbon further increases the light-absorption capacity to fabricate high-quality graphene. Meanwhile, the nickel atoms contribute to the accelerated connection of carbon atoms. This interfacial carbonization inherently avoids the exfoliation and oxidation of the as-formed graphene, resulting in an 8-fold improvement in electrical conductivity (~20,000 S/m at 7,958 W/cm2 and 2 mm/s for 20% nickel content). The LaserIW technique shows excellent stability and reproducibility, with ±2.5% variations in the same batch and ±2% variations in different batches. Component-level wireless light sensors and flexible strain sensors exhibit excellent sensitivity (665 kHz/(W/cm2) for passive wireless light sensors) and self-encapsulation (<1% variations in terms of waterproof, antifriction, and antithermal shock). Additionally, the LaserIW technique allows for one-step renovation of in-service electronics and nondestructive repair of damaged circuits without the need to disassemble encapsulation layers. This technique reverses the layer-by-layer processing mode and provides a powerful manufacturing tool for the fabrication, modification, and repair of multilayer, multifunctional embedded electronics, especially demonstrating the immense potential for in-space manufacturing.

  • Research Article
  • Yibo Lan , Shuang Gai , Kui Cheng , Zhuqing Liu , Markus Antonietti , Fan Yang
    doi: 10.34133/research.0308

    Fe (hydr)oxides have a substantial impact on the structure and stability of soil organic carbon (SOC) pools and also drive organic carbon turnover processes via reduction–oxidation reactions. Currently, many studies have paid much attention to organic matter–Fe mineral–microbial interactions on SOC turnover, while there is few research on how exogenous carbon addition abiotically regulates the intrinsic mechanisms of Fe-mediated organic carbon conversion. The study investigated the coupling process of artificial humic acid (A-HA) and Fe(hydr)oxide, the mechanism of inner-sphere ligands, and the capacity for carbon sequestration using transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and wet-chemical disposal. Furthermore, spherical aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy–electron energy loss spectroscopy and Mössbauer spectra have been carried out to demonstrate the spatial heterogeneity of A-HA/Fe (hydr)oxides and reveal the relationship between the increase in Fe-phase crystallinity and redox sensitivity and the accumulation of organic carbon. Additionally, the dynamics of soil structures on a microscale, distribution of carbon–iron microdomains, and the cementing-gluing effect can be observed in the constructing nonliving anthropogenic soils, confirming that the formation of stable aggregates is an effective approach to achieving organic carbon indirect protection. We propose that exogenous organic carbon inputs, specifically A-HA, could exert a substantial but hitherto unexplored effect on the geochemistry of iron–carbon turnover and sequestration in anoxic water/solid soils and sediments.

  • Research Article
  • Bin Zhou , Chuanzhen Shang , Chenyun Wang , Duo Qu , Jingyuan Qiao , Xinyue Zhang , Wenying Zhao , Ruilin Han , Shuxin Dong , Yuhe Xue , You Ke , Fengjun Ye , Xiaoyu Yang , Yongguang Tu , Wei Huang
    doi: 10.34133/research.0309

    Inverted perovskite solar cells based on weakly polarized hole-transporting layers suffer from the problem of polarity mismatch with the perovskite precursor solution, resulting in a nonideal wetting surface. In addition to the bottom-up growth of the polycrystalline halide perovskite, this will inevitably worse the effects of residual strain and heterogeneity at the buried interface on the interfacial carrier transport and localized compositional deficiency. Here, we propose a multifunctional hybrid pre-embedding strategy to improve substrate wettability and address unfavorable strain and heterogeneities. By exposing the buried interface, it was found that the residual strain of the perovskite films was markedly reduced because of the presence of organic polyelectrolyte and imidazolium salt, which not only realized the halogen compensation and the coordination of Pb2+ but also the buried interface morphology and defect recombination that were well regulated. Benefitting from the above advantages, the power conversion efficiency of the targeted inverted devices with a bandgap of 1.62 eV was 21.93% and outstanding intrinsic stability. In addition, this coembedding strategy can be extended to devices with a bandgap of 1.55 eV, and the champion device achieved a power conversion efficiency of 23.74%. In addition, the optimized perovskite solar cells retained 91% of their initial efficiency (960 h) when exposed to an ambient relative humidity of 20%, with a T80 of 680 h under heating aging at 65 °C, exhibiting elevated durability.

  • Research Article
  • Hong Wei , Hongjun Huang , Haoqiang He , Yuanming Xiao , Lu Chun , Zhiqiang Jin , Hanyang Li , Li Zheng , Jinmin Zhao , Zainen Qin
    doi: 10.34133/research.0310

    The activation of pro-inflammatory M1-type macrophages by overexpression of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RONS) in synovial membranes contributes to osteoarthritis (OA) progression and cartilage matrix degradation. Here, combing Pt and Se with potent catalytic activities, we developed a hybrid Pt–Se nanozymes as ROS and RONS scavengers to exert synergistic effects for OA therapy. As a result, Pt–Se nanozymes exhibited efficient scavenging effect on ROS and RONS levels, leading to repolarization of M1-type macrophages. Furthermore, the polarization of synovial macrophages to the M2 phenotype inhibited the expression of pro-inflammatory factors and salvaged mitochondrial function in arthritic chondrocytes. In vivo results also suggest that Pt–Se nanozymes effectively suppress the early progression of OA with an Osteoarthritis Research International Association score reduction of 68.21% and 82.66% for 4 and 8 weeks, respectively. In conclusion, this study provides a promising strategy to regulate inflammatory responses by macrophage repolarization processes for OA therapeutic.

  • Research Article
  • Guanrui Huang , Haotian Shen , Kaiwang Xu , Yifan Shen , Jiale Jin , Guangyu Chu , Hongyuan Xing , Zhiyun Feng , Yue Wang
    doi: 10.34133/research.0311

    While mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) shows great potentials in treating intervertebral disc degeneration, most MSC die soon after intradiscal transplantation, resulting in inferior therapeutic efficacy. Currently, bulk hydrogels are the common solution to improve MSC survival in tissues, although hydrogel encapsulation impairs MSC migration and disrupts extracellular microenvironment. Cell hydrogel encapsulation has been proposed to overcome the limitation of traditional bulk hydrogels, yet this technique has not been used in treating disc degeneration. Using a layer-by-layer self-assembly technique, we fabricated alginate and gelatin microgel to encapsulate individual MSC for treating disc degeneration. The small size of microgel allowed intradiscal injection of coated MSC. We demonstrated that pyroptosis was involved in MSC death under oxidative stress stimulation, and microgel coating suppressed pyroptosis activation by maintaining mitochondria homeostasis. Microgel coating protected MSC in the harsh disc microenvironment, while retaining vital cellular functions such as migration, proliferation, and differentiation. In a rat model of disc degeneration, coated MSC exhibits prolonged retention in the disc and better efficacy of attenuating disc degeneration, as compared with bare MSC treatment alone. Further, microgel-coated MSC exhibited improved therapeutic effects in treating disc degeneration via suppressing the activation of pyroptosis in the disc. For the first time, microgel-encapsulated MSC was used to treat disc degeneration and obtain encouraging outcomes. The developed biocompatible single-cell hydrogel is an effective strategy to protect MSC and maintain cellular functions and may be an efficacious approach to improving the efficacy of MSC therapy in treating disc degeneration. The objective of this study is to improve the efficacy of cell therapy for treating disc degeneration using single-cell hydrogel encapsulation and further to understand related cytoprotective mechanisms.

  • Editorial
  • Xiufen Zheng
    doi: 10.34133/research.0312
  • Research Article
  • Yue Zhao , Xin Hu , Haoran Yu , Huimin Sun , Lei Zhang , Chen Shao
    doi: 10.34133/research.0313

    The progression of numerous malignancies has been linked to N6-methyladenosine (m6A) alteration. However, the opposite trend of m6A levels in the development and metastasis of cancer has not been reported. This study aimed to evaluate the biological function and mechanism of fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) in regulating m6A modification in prostate cancer development and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). An EMT model of LNCaP and PC-3 cells was established with transforming growth factor-β treatment, and FTO knockout cell line was established in prostate cancer cells using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology. The level of m6A modification in tumor tissues was higher than that in normal prostate tissues; m6A levels were decreased after EMT. FTO deletion increased m6A expression and enhanced PC-3 cell motility, invasion, and EMT both in vitro and in vivo. RNA sequencing and functional investigations suggested that DDIT4, a novel EMT target gene, plays a role in m6A-regulated EMT, which was recognized and stabilized by the m6A effector IGF2BP2/3. Decreased FTO expression was an independent indicator of worse survival, and the level of DDIT4 was considerably elevated in patients with bone metastasis. Thus, this study revealed that the m6A demethylase FTO can play different roles in prostate cancer as a regulator of EMT and an inhibitor of m6A modification. Moreover, DDIT4 can be suggested as a possible biomarker for prostate cancer metastasis prediction.

  • Research Article
  • Rui You , Qian Fan , Zilun Wang , Wenqiang Xing , Yuchuan Wang , Yi Song , Xuexin Duan , Rui You , Yan Wang
    doi: 10.34133/research.0314

    Miniaturization of health care, biomedical, and chemical systems is highly desirable for developing point-of-care testing (POCT) technologies. In system miniaturization, micropumps represent one of the major bottlenecks due to their undesirable pumping performance at such small sizes. Here, we developed a microelectromechanical system fabricated acoustic micropump based on an ultrahigh-frequency bulk acoustic wave resonator. The concept of an inner-boundary-confined acoustic jet was introduced to facilitate unidirectional flow. Benefitting from the high resonant frequency and confined acoustic streaming, the micropump reaches 32.620 kPa/cm3 (pressure/size) and 11.800 ml/min∙cm3 (flow rate/size), showing a 2-order-of-magnitude improvement in the energy transduction efficiency compared with the existing acoustic micropumps. As a proof of concept, the micropump was constructed as a wearable and wirelessly powered integrated drug delivery system with a size of only 9×9×9 mm3 and a weight of 1.16 g. It was demonstrated for ocular disease treatment through animal experimentation and a human pilot test. With superior pumping performance, miniaturized pump size, ultralow power consumption, and complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor compatibility, we expect it to be readily applied to various POCT applications including clinical diagnosis, prognosis, and drug delivery systems.

  • Research Article
  • Liping Li , Jia Wang , Xincheng Zhong , Yaoyao Jiang , Gaofeng Pei , Xikang Yang , Kaixiang Zhang , Siqi Shen , Xue Jin , Gaoge Sun , Chaofei Su , Shuzhen Chen , Hang Yin
    doi: 10.34133/research.0315

    The ALPK1 (alpha-kinase 1)-TIFA (TRAF-interacting protein with fork head-associated domain)-TRAF6 signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in regulating inflammatory processes, with TIFA and TRAF6 serving as key molecules in this cascade. Despite its significance, the functional mechanism of TIFA-TRAF6 remains incompletely understood. In this study, we unveil that TIFA undergoes liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) induced by ALPK1 in response to adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-β-D-manno-heptose (ADP-Hep) recognition. The phase separation of TIFA is primarily driven by ALPK1, the pT9-FHA domain, and the intrinsically disordered region segment. Simultaneously, TRAF6 exhibits phase separation during ADP-Hep-induced inflammation, a phenomenon observed consistently across various inflammatory signal pathways. Moreover, TRAF6 is recruited within the TIFA condensates, facilitating lysine (K) 63-linked polyubiquitin chain synthesis. The subsequent recruitment, enrichment, and activation of downstream effectors within these condensates contribute to robust inflammatory signal transduction. Utilizing a novel chemical probe (compound 22), our analysis demonstrates that the activation of the ALPK1-TIFA-TRAF6 signaling pathway in response to small molecules necessitates the phase separation of TIFA. In summary, our findings reveal TIFA as a sensor for upstream signals, initiating the LLPS of itself and downstream proteins. This process results in the formation of membraneless condensates within the ALPK1-TIFA-TRAF6 pathway, suggesting potential applications in therapeutic biotechnology development.

  • Research Article
  • Zhongyang Lv , Peng Wang , Weitong Li , Ya Xie , Wei Sun , Xiaoyu Jin , Ruiyang Jiang , Yuxiang Fei , Yuan Liu , Tianshu Shi , Hu Guo , Ziying Sun , Jintao Lin , Xucai Wang , Guihua Tan , Yizhang Wu , Nirong Bao , Dongquan Shi
    doi: 10.34133/research.0316

    Transient receptor potential vanilloid family member 1 (TRPV1) has been revealed as a therapeutic target of osteoarthritis (OA), the most common deteriorating whole joint disease, by impeding macrophagic inflammation and chondrocytes ferroptosis. However, the clinical application for capsaicin as the TRPV1 agonist is largely limited by its chronic toxicity. To address this issue, we developed a bifunctional controllable magnetothermal switch targeting TRPV1 for the alleviation of OA progression by coupling of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) to TRPV1 monoclonal antibodies (MNPs-TRPV1). Under the alternating magnetic field (AMF) stimulation, MNPs-TRPV1 locally dissipated heat, which was sufficient to trigger the opening and activation of TRPV1, and effectively impeded macrophagic inflammation and chondrocyte ferroptosis. This magnetothermal modulation of TRPV1 simultaneously attenuated synovitis and cartilage degeneration in mice incurred by destabilization of medial meniscus surgery, indicating the delayed OA progression. Furthermore, MNPs-TRPV1 with AMF exposure remarkably reduced knee pain sensitivity, alleviated the crippled gait, and improved spontaneous ambulatory activity performance in the mice OA model. Overall, this work provides a potential pathogenesis-based precise OA therapy with temporally and spatially magnetothermal modulation of TRPV1 in a controllable manner.

  • Research Article
  • Jiahui Su , Yadong Yang , Caichao Wan , Xingong Li , Yaling Chai , Huayun Chai , Jianzhong Yuan , Yiqiang Wu
    doi: 10.34133/research.0317

    Silica glass, known for its brittleness, weight, and non-biodegradable nature, faces challenges in finding suitable alternatives. Transparent wood, made by infusing polymers into wood, shows promise but is hindered by limited availability of wood in China and fire risks associated with its use. This study explores the potential of utilizing bamboo, which has a shorter growth cycle, as a valuable resource for developing flame-retardant, smoke-suppressing, and superhydrophobic transparent bamboo. A 3-layered flame-retardant barrier, composed of a top silane layer, an intermediate layer of SiO2 formed through hydrolysis-condensation of Na2SiO3 on the surface, and an inner layer of Na2SiO3, has been confirmed to be effective in reducing heat release, slowing flame spread, and inhibiting the release of combustible volatiles, toxic smoke, and CO. Compared to natural bamboo and other congeneric transparent products, the transparent bamboo displays remarkable superiority, with the majority of parameters being notably lower by an entire order of magnitude. It achieves a long ignition time of 116 s, low total heat release (0.7 MJ/m2), low total smoke production (0.063 m2), and low peak CO concentration (0.008 kg/kg). Moreover, when used as a substrate for perovskite solar cells, the transparent bamboo displays the potential to act as a light management layer, leading to a marked efficiency enhancement of 15.29%. The excellent features of transparent bamboo make it an enticing choice for future advancements in flame-retardant glasses and optical devices.

  • Research Article
  • Hao Liu , Ke Huang , Hao Zhang , Xiaohui Liu , Hui Jiang , Xuemei Wang
    doi: 10.34133/research.0318

    Achieving antitumor immunotherapy based on hybridization of multiple types of inactivated cells has attracted a lot of attention. However, the hybridized cells of disordered structure could result in the shedding of antigens and their transfer to immune cells, which suppresses tumor immunity through trogocytosis. Here, we report a strategy for in situ solidification of tumor whole cell by biomineralization for sustained stimulation of antitumor immunity. The near-infrared light was used to accelerate the breaking of Au=P bonds in auranofin, and the exposed Au atoms biomineralize at the secondary structure (β-corner) of the protein to form Au nanocrystals with in situ protein coronas in tumor cells. Au nanocrystals are anchored to the tumor cells through protein coronas, which fixes the morphology and antigens of whole tumor cells, rendering them physiologically inactive. Interestingly, this solidified tumor cell prevents immune cells from undergoing trogocytosis, which inhibits proximal and distal tumor growth. Thus, this study presents the strategy of solidified cells and its potential application in tumor immunotherapy.

  • Research Article
  • Ge Zhang , Tongyao Yu , Xiaoxia Chai , Shilong Zhang , Jie Liu , Yan Zhou , Dachuan Yin , Chenyan Zhang
    doi: 10.34133/research.0320

    Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive and lethal malignancy in women, with a lack of effective targeted drugs and treatment techniques. Gradient rotating magnetic field (RMF) is a new technology used in oncology physiotherapy, showing promising clinical applications due to its satisfactory biosafety and the abundant mechanical force stimuli it provides. However, its antitumor effects and underlying molecular mechanisms are not yet clear. We designed two sets of gradient RMF devices for cell culture and animal handling. Gradient RMF exposure had a notable impact on the F-actin arrangement of MDA-MB-231, BT-549, and MDA-MB-468 cells, inhibiting cell migration and invasion. A potential cytoskeleton F-actin-associated gene, CCDC150, was found to be enriched in clinical TNBC tumors and cells. CCDC150 negatively correlated with the overall survival rate of TNBC patients. CCDC150 promoted TNBC migration and invasion via activation of the transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1)/SMAD3 signaling pathway in vitro and in vivo. CCDC150 was also identified as a magnetic field response gene, and it was marked down-regulated after gradient RMF exposure. CCDC150 silencing and gradient RMF exposure both suppressed TNBC tumor growth and liver metastasis. Therefore, gradient RMF exposure may be an effective TNBC treatment, and CCDC150 may emerge as a potential target for TNBC therapy.

  • Rapid Report
  • Xinyu Jiang , Mengshi Sun , Jie Chen , Yufeng Pan
    doi: 10.34133/research.0321

    Males and females display dimorphic behaviors that often involve sex-specific locomotor patterns. How the sexually dimorphic locomotion is mediated is poorly understood. In this study, we identify a neuropeptide that oppositely regulates locomotion for efficient sexual behaviors in Drosophila males and females. We find that males are less active than females if isolated. However, when sexually aroused through activating homologous but sexually dimorphic pC1 neurons, males exhibit higher activity levels than females. We discover diuretic hormone 44 (DH44) that functions in pC1 neurons in a sex-specific way to inhibit male locomotion and promote female locomotion. Surprisingly, DH44 exerts opposite effects in sexually aroused flies to promote male locomotion and suppress female locomotion, which is crucial for successful male courtship and female receptivity. These findings demonstrate sexually dimorphic and state-dependent control of locomotor activity by pC1 neuronal activity and DH44 modulation.

  • Research Article
  • Jian Shi , Qingyang Lv , Daojia Miao , Zhiyong Xiong , Zhihao Wei , Songming Wu , Diaoyi Tan , Keshan Wang , Xiaoping Zhang
    doi: 10.34133/research.0322

    Recent studies have highlighted the notable involvement of the crosstalk between hypoxia-inducible factor 2 alpha (HIF2α) and Wnt signaling components in tumorigenesis. However, the cellular function and precise regulatory mechanisms of HIF2α and Wnt signaling interactions in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remain elusive. To analyze the correlation between HIF2α and Wnt signaling, we utilized the Cancer Genome Atlas - Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma (TCGA-KIRC) public database, HIF2α RNA sequencing data, and conducted luciferase reporter assays. A Wnt-related gene set was employed to identify key regulators of Wnt signaling controlled by HIF2α in ccRCC. Furthermore, we assessed the biological effects of TCF7L2 on ccRCC metastasis and lipid metabolism in both in vivo and in vitro settings. Our outcomes confirm TCF7L2 as a key gene involved in HIF2α-mediated regulation of the canonical Wnt pathway. Functional studies demonstrate that TCF7L2 promotes metastasis in ccRCC. Mechanistic investigations reveal that HIF2α stabilizes TCF7L2 mRNA in a method based on m6A by transcriptionally regulating METTL3. Up-regulation of TCF7L2 enhances cellular fatty acid oxidation, which promotes histone acetylation. This facilitates the transcription of genes connected to epithelial–mesenchymal transition and ultimately enhances metastasis of ccRCC. These outcomes offer a novel understanding into the involvement of lipid metabolism in the signaling pathway regulation, offering valuable implications for targeted treatment in ccRCC.

  • Perspective
  • Scott J. Dixon
    doi: 10.34133/research.0323
  • Research Article
  • Yaping Yan , Ailing Luo , Shanshan Liu , Mansi Cai , Xiaodan Liu , Xiaohong Zhang , Siyi Zhang , Yu Liu , Jiamin Zeng , Xinke Xu , Na Zhang , Zhuorong Zhang , Yingyi Xu , Jing He , Xiaoping Liu
    doi: 10.34133/research.0324

    Mitochondrial fission promotes glioma progression. The function and regulation mechanisms of lncRNAs in glioma mitochondrial fission are unclear. The expression of LINC00475 and its correlation with clinical parameters in glioma were analyzed using bioinformatics. Then, in vitro and in vivo assays were performed to explore the function of spliced variant LINC00475 (LINC00475-S) in gliomas. To explore the mechanisms, RNA-seq, MeRIP, RIP, pulldown-IP, dCas9-ALKBH5 editing system, LC/MS, and Western blotting were utilized. LINC00475 was confirmed to be overexpressed and with higher frequencies of AS events in gliomas compared to normal brain tissue and was associated with worse prognosis. In vitro and animal tumor formation experiments demonstrated that the effect of LINC00475-S on proliferation, metastasis, autophagy, and mitochondrial fission of glioma cells was significantly stronger than that of LINC00475. Mechanistically, METTL3 induced the generation of LINC00475-S by splicing LINC00475 through m6A modification and subsequently promotes mitochondrial fission in glioma cells by inhibiting the expression of MIF. Pull-down combined LC/MS and RIP assays identified that the m6A recognition protein HNRNPH1 bound to LINC00475 within GYR and GY domains and promoted LINC00475 splicing. METTL3 facilitated HNRNPH1 binding to LINC00475 in an m6A-dependent manner, thereby inducing generation of LINC00475-S. METTL3 facilitated HNRNPH1-mediated AS of LINC00475, which promoted glioma progression by inducing mitochondrial fission. Targeting AS of LINC00475 and m6A editing could serve as a therapeutic strategy against gliomas.

  • Erratum
  • Rongjun Zou , Jun Tao , Jie He , Chaojie Wang , Songtao Tan , Yu Xia , Xing Chang , Ruibing Li , Ge Wang , Hao Zhou , Xiaoping Fan
    doi: 10.34133/research.0325
  • Research Article
  • Yihua Bei , Hongyun Wang , Yang Liu , Zhuhua Su , Xinpeng Li , Yujiao Zhu , Ziyi Zhang , Mingming Yin , Chen Chen , Lin Li , Meng Wei , Xiangmin Meng , Xuchun Liang , Zhenzhen Huang , Richard Yang Cao , Lei Wang , Guoping Li , Dragos Cretoiu , Junjie Xiao
    doi: 10.34133/research.0327

    Exercise can stimulate physiological cardiac growth and provide cardioprotection effect in ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. MiR-210 is regulated in the adaptation process induced by exercise; however, its impact on exercise-induced physiological cardiac growth and its contribution to exercise-driven cardioprotection remain unclear. We investigated the role and mechanism of miR-210 in exercise-induced physiological cardiac growth and explored whether miR-210 contributes to exercise-induced protection in alleviating I/R injury. Here, we first observed that regular swimming exercise can markedly increase miR-210 levels in the heart and blood samples of rats and mice. Circulating miR-210 levels were also elevated after a programmed cardiac rehabilitation in patients that were diagnosed of coronary heart diseases. In 8-week swimming model in wild-type (WT) and miR-210 knockout (KO) rats, we demonstrated that miR-210 was not integral for exercise-induced cardiac hypertrophy but it did influence cardiomyocyte proliferative activity. In neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, miR-210 promoted cell proliferation and suppressed apoptosis while not altering cell size. Additionally, miR-210 promoted cardiomyocyte proliferation and survival in human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs) and AC16 cell line, indicating its functional roles in human cardiomyocytes. We further identified miR-210 target genes, cyclin-dependent kinase 10 (CDK10) and ephrin-A3 (EFNA3), that regulate cardiomyocyte proliferation and apoptosis. Finally, miR-210 KO and WT rats were subjected to swimming exercise followed by I/R injury. We demonstrated that miR-210 crucially contributed to exercise-driven cardioprotection against I/R injury. In summary, this study elucidates the role of miR-210, an exercise-responsive miRNA, in promoting the proliferative activity of cardiomyocytes during physiological cardiac growth. Furthermore, miR-210 plays an essential role in mediating the protective effects of exercise against cardiac I/R injury. Our findings suggest exercise as a potent nonpharmaceutical intervention for inducing miR-210, which can alleviate I/R injury and promote cardioprotection.