BilR is a gut microbial enzyme that reduces bilirubin to urobilinogen.

Metabolism of haem by-products such as bilirubin by humans and their gut microbiota is essential to human health, as excess serum bilirubin can cause jaundice and even neurological damage. The bacterial enzymes that reduce bilirubin to urobilinogen, a key step in this pathway, have remained unidentified. Here we used biochemical analyses and comparative genomics to identify BilR as a gut-microbiota-derived bilirubin reductase that reduces bilirubin to urobilinogen.

Melanoma clonal subline analysis uncovers heterogeneity-driven immunotherapy resistance mechanisms.

Intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH) can promote cancer progression and treatment failure, but the complexity of the regulatory programs and contextual factors involved complicates its study. To understand the specific contribution of ITH to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) response, we generated single cell-derived clonal sublines from an ICB-sensitive and genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous mouse melanoma model, M4. Genomic and single cell transcriptomic analyses uncovered the diversity of the sublines and evidenced their plasticity.

Discovery of the gut microbial enzyme responsible for bilirubin reduction to urobilinogen.

The degradation of heme and the interplay of its catabolic derivative, bilirubin, between humans and their gut microbiota is an essential facet of human health. However, the hypothesized bacterial enzyme that reduces bilirubin to urobilinogen, a key step that produces the excretable waste products of this pathway, has remained unidentified. In this study, we used a combination of biochemical analyses and comparative genomics to identify a novel enzyme, BilR, that can reduce bilirubin to urobilinogen.

NrnA is a 5'-3' exonuclease that processes short RNA substrates in vivo and in vitro.

Bacterial RNases process RNAs until only short oligomers (2-5 nucleotides) remain, which are then processed by one or more specialized enzymes until only nucleoside monophosphates remain. Oligoribonuclease (Orn) is an essential enzyme that acts in this capacity. However, many bacteria do not encode for Orn and instead encode for NanoRNase A (NrnA).

A NusG Specialized Paralog That Exhibits Specific, High-Affinity RNA-Binding Activity.

Bacterial NusG associates with RNA polymerase (RNAP) through its N-terminal domain, while the C-terminal domain (CTD) forms dynamic interactions with Rho, S10, NusB and NusA to affect transcription elongation. While virtually all bacteria encode for a core NusG, many also synthesize paralogs that transiently bind RNAP to alter expression of targeted genes. Yet, despite the importance of the genes they regulate, most of the subfamilies of NusG paralogs (e.

Dental utilization and expenditures by children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders: A population-based cohort study.

Objectives: It is understood that children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have difficulty in receiving dental treatment. This study explores the differences in dental utilization and expenditure between two groups: children and adolescents with and without ASD. Different conditions that affect these results will be examined, including area of residence, category of treatment, and preferences concerning type of dental institution in Taiwan.

Overexpression of FGF9 in colon cancer cells is mediated by hypoxia-induced translational activation.

Human fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) is a potent mitogen involved in many physiological processes. Although FGF9 messenger RNA (mRNA) is ubiquitously expressed in embryos, FGF9 protein expression is generally low and restricted to a few adult organs. Aberrant expression of FGF9 usually results in human malignancies including cancers, but the mechanism remains largely unknown.

Methylantcinate A induces tumor specific growth inhibition in oral cancer cells via Bax-mediated mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.

An ergostane type triterpenoid methylantcinate A (MAA) isolated from the fruiting bodies of Antrodia camphorata inhibited the growth of oral cancer cell lines OEC-M1 and OC-2 in a dose-dependent manner, without cytotoxic to normal oral gingival fibroblast cells. The major mechanism of growth inhibition was apoptosis induction, as shown by flow cytometric analysis of annexin V-FITC and propidium iodide staining, caspase-3 activation and DNA fragmentation. The increased expression of pro-apoptotic Bax, poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage, and activated caspase-3 and decreased expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL were also observed.