N-Terminomic Identification of Intracellular MMP-2 Substrates in Cardiac Tissue.

Proteases are enzymes that induce irreversible post-translational modifications by hydrolyzing amide bonds in proteins. One of these proteases is matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), which has been shown to modulate extracellular matrix remodeling and intracellular proteolysis during myocardial injury. However, the substrates of MMP-2 in heart tissue are limited, and lesser known are the cleavage sites.

Data-Independent Acquisition Proteomics and N-Terminomics Methods Reveal Alterations in Mitochondrial Function and Metabolism in Ischemic-Reperfused Hearts.

Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (IR) (stunning) injury triggers changes in the proteome and degradome of the heart. Here, we utilize quantitative proteomics and comprehensive degradomics to investigate the molecular mechanisms of IR injury in isolated rat hearts. The control group underwent aerobic perfusion, while the IR injury group underwent 20 min of ischemia and 30 min of reperfusion to induce a stunning injury.

COVID-19 Induces Neuroinflammation and Suppresses Peroxisomes in the Brain.

Objective: Peroxisome injury occurs in the central nervous system (CNS) during multiple virus infections that result in neurological disabilities. We investigated host neuroimmune responses and peroxisome biogenesis factors during severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection using a multiplatform strategy.

Methods: Brain tissues from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (n = 12) and other disease control (ODC) (n = 12) patients, as well as primary human neural cells and Syrian hamsters, infected with a clinical variant of SARS-CoV-2, were investigated by droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR), quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-qPCR), and immunodetection methods.

Peroxisome Injury in Multiple Sclerosis: Protective Effects of 4-Phenylbutyrate in CNS-Associated Macrophages.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive and inflammatory demyelinating disease of the CNS. Peroxisomes perform critical functions that contribute to CNS homeostasis. We investigated peroxisome injury and mitigating effects of peroxisome-restorative therapy on inflammatory demyelination in models of MS.

Infection of Glia by Human Pegivirus Suppresses Peroxisomal and Antiviral Signaling Pathways.

Human pegivirus (HPgV) infects peripheral leukocytes but was recently shown to be a neurotropic virus associated with leukoencephalitis in humans. In the present study, we investigated the neural cell tropism of HPgV as well as its effects on host immune responses. HPgV wild type (WT) and a mutant virus with a deletion in the HPgV gene (ΔNS2) were able to productively infect human astrocytes and microglia but not neurons or an oligodendrocyte-derived cell line.