A small protein encoded by PCBP1-AS1 is identified as a key regulator of influenza virus replication via enhancing autophagy.

Many annotated long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) contain small open reading frames (sORFs), some of which have been demonstrated to encode small proteins or micropeptides with fundamental biological importance. However, functions of lncRNAs-encoded small proteins or micropeptides in viral pathogenesis remain largely unexplored. Here, we identified a 110-amino acid small protein as a key regulator of influenza A virus (IAV) replication.

African swine fever virus A137R protein inhibits NF-κB activation via suppression of MyD88 signaling in PK15 and 3D4/21 cells in vitro.

African swine fever (ASF) is an infectious disease with high mortality caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV), which poses a great threat to the global swine industry. ASFV has evolved multiple strategies to evade host antiviral innate immunity by perturbing inflammatory responses and interferon production. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying manipulation of inflammatory responses by ASFV proteins are not fully understood.

ATG7/GAPLINC/IRF3 axis plays a critical role in regulating pathogenesis of influenza A virus.

Autophagy-related protein 7 (ATG7) is an essential autophagy effector enzyme. Although it is well known that autophagy plays crucial roles in the infections with various viruses including influenza A virus (IAV), function and underlying mechanism of ATG7 in infection and pathogenesis of IAV remain poorly understood. Here, in vitro studies showed that ATG7 had profound effects on replication of IAV.

STAT3 regulates antiviral immunity by suppressing excessive interferon signaling.

This study identifies interleukin-6 (IL-6)-independent phosphorylation of STAT3 Y705 at the early stage of infection with several viruses, including influenza A virus (IAV). Such activation of STAT3 is dependent on the retinoic acid-induced gene I/mitochondrial antiviral-signaling protein/spleen tyrosine kinase (RIG-I/MAVS/Syk) axis and critical for antiviral immunity. We generate STAT3 knockin mice that display a remarkably suppressed antiviral response to IAV infection, as evidenced by impaired expression of several antiviral genes, severe lung tissue injury, and poor survival compared with wild-type animals.

SLFN5-mediated chromatin dynamics sculpt higher-order DNA repair topology.

Repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) elicits three-dimensional (3D) chromatin topological changes. A recent finding reveals that 53BP1 assembles into a 3D chromatin topology pattern around DSBs. How this formation of a higher-order structure is configured and regulated remains enigmatic.

Influenza A Virus-Induced circRNA circMerTK Negatively Regulates Innate Antiviral Responses.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are an important subclass of noncoding RNAs implicated in the regulation of multiple biological processes. However, the functional involvement of circRNAs in the pathogenesis of influenza A viruses (IAVs) remains largely unknown. Here, we employed RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) to examine the differentially expressed circRNAs in mouse lung tissues challenged or not challenged with IAV to evaluate the impact of viral infection on circRNAs .

MIR155HG Plays a Bivalent Role in Regulating Innate Antiviral Immunity by Encoding Long Noncoding RNA-155 and microRNA-155-5p.

encodes a precursor RNA of microRNA-155 (miRNA-155). We previously identified this RNA also as a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) that we call lncRNA-155. To define the functions of miRNA-155 and lncRNA-155, we generated miRNA-155 knockout (KO) mice lacking only 19 bp of the miRNA-155 core sequence without affecting the expression of lncRNA-155.

[Effect of knockout on apoptosis of mouse fetal liver cells].

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4B (eIF4B) plays an important role in mRNA translation initiation, cell survival and proliferation , but the function is poorly understood. In this study, via various experimental techniques such as hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, flow cytometry, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry, we investigated the role of eIF4B in mouse embryo development using an knockout (KO) mouse model and explored the mechanism. We found that the livers, but not lungs, brain, stomach, or pancreas, derived from eIF4B KO mouse embryos displayed severe pathological changes characterized by enhanced apoptosis and necrosis.

Initial activation of STAT2 induced by IAV infection is critical for innate antiviral immunity.

STAT2 is an important transcription factor activated by interferons (IFNs) upon viral infection and plays a key role in antiviral responses. Interestingly, here we found that phosphorylation of STAT2 could be induced by several viruses at early infection stage, including influenza A virus (IAV), and such initial activation of STAT2 was independent of type I IFNs and JAK kinases. Furthermore, it was observed that the early activation of STAT2 during viral infection was mainly regulated by the RIG-I/MAVS-dependent pathway.

Highly efficient lithium adsorption and stable isotope separation by metal-organic frameworks.

The effects of a series of MOFs on the adsorption and separation of lithium isotopes were investigated in this paper. Seven kinds of MOF were prepared, and the characterization studies of MIL-100(Fe) before and after adsorption by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) demonstrated the potential chemical interaction between Fe and Li. The influence of metal ions, counter-ions and solvents on the adsorption capacity and separation factor was investigated.

The deubiquitinase USP7 regulates oxidative stress through stabilization of HO-1.

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is an inducible heme degradation enzyme that plays a cytoprotective role against various oxidative and inflammatory stresses. However, it has also been shown to exert an important role in cancer progression through a variety of mechanisms. Although transcription factors such as Nrf2 are involved in HO-1 regulation, the posttranslational modifications of HO-1 after oxidative insults and the underlying mechanisms remain unexplored.

I226R Protein of African Swine Fever Virus Is a Suppressor of Innate Antiviral Responses.

African swine fever is one of the most devastating swine diseases caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV). Although ASFV encodes more than 160 viral proteins, the implication of a majority of ASFV proteins in regulating host immunity is yet to be explored, and the mechanisms of immune evasion by ASFV proteins are largely unknown. Here, we report that the I226R protein of ASFV significantly suppressed innate immune responses.

Syk Facilitates Influenza A Virus Replication by Restraining Innate Immunity at the Late Stage of Viral Infection.

Spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) has recently come forth as a critical regulator of innate immune response. Previous studies identify Syk as a key kinase for STAT1 activation at the early stage of influenza A virus (IAV) infection that is involved in initial antiviral immunity. However, the involvement of Syk in host antiviral immunity during the late phase of IAV infection and its effect on pathogenesis of the virus remain unknown.

A novel imatinib-upregulated long noncoding RNA plays a critical role in inhibition of tumor growth induced by Abl oncogenes.

Background: Dysregulation of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) has been linked to various human cancers. Bcr-Abl oncogene that results from a reciprocal translocation between human chromosome 9 and 22, is associated with several hematological malignancies. However, the role of lncRNAs in Bcr-Abl-induced leukemia remains largely unexplored.

RNF19A-mediated ubiquitination of BARD1 prevents BRCA1/BARD1-dependent homologous recombination.

BRCA1-BARD1 heterodimers act in multiple steps during homologous recombination (HR) to ensure the prompt repair of DNA double strand breaks. Dysfunction of the BRCA1 pathway enhances the therapeutic efficiency of poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) in cancers, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this sensitization to PARPi are not fully understood. Here, we show that cancer cell sensitivity to PARPi is promoted by the ring between ring fingers (RBR) protein RNF19A.

Deficiency of eIF4B Increases Mouse Mortality and Impairs Antiviral Immunity.

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4B (eIF4B) plays an important role in mRNA translation initiation, cell survival and proliferation . However, its function is poorly understood. Here, we identified that eIF4B knockout (KO) in mice led to embryonic lethality, and the embryos displayed severe liver damage.

MET Amplification Attenuates Lung Tumor Response to Immunotherapy by Inhibiting STING.

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has revolutionized cancer therapy. However, the response of patients to ICB is difficult to predict. Here, we examined 81 patients with lung cancer under ICB treatment and found that patients with amplification were resistant to ICB and had a poor progression-free survival.

Reciprocal regulation of RIG-I and XRCC4 connects DNA repair with RIG-I immune signaling.

The RNA-sensing pathway contributes to type I interferon (IFN) production induced by DNA damaging agents. However, the potential involvement of RNA sensors in DNA repair is unknown. Here, we found that retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I), a key cytosolic RNA sensor that recognizes RNA virus and initiates the MAVS-IRF3-type I IFN signaling cascade, is recruited to double-stranded breaks (DSBs) and suppresses non-homologous end joining (NHEJ).

DOCK7 protects against replication stress by promoting RPA stability on chromatin.

RPA is a critical factor for DNA replication and replication stress response. Surprisingly, we found that chromatin RPA stability is tightly regulated. We report that the GDP/GTP exchange factor DOCK7 acts as a critical replication stress regulator to promote RPA stability on chromatin.

USP13 regulates the replication stress response by deubiquitinating TopBP1.

The DNA replication stress-induced checkpoint activated through the TopBP1-ATR axis is important for maintaining genomic stability. However, the regulation of TopBP1 in DNA-damage responses remains unclear. In this study, we identify the deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB) USP13 as an important regulator of TopBP1.

Mixed-lineage leukemia protein modulates the loading of onto AGO1 by recruiting RAN.

Not available.

[Synergistic role of JAK/STAT5 and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways in regulating eIF4B in acute leukemia].

Human acute leukemia (AL) is a clonal malignancy with abnormal hematopoietic stem cells. Clinically, AL is very difficult to cure due to its sudden onset and short course of disease progression. Previous studies have shown that eukaryotic initiation factor 4B (eIF4B) plays a critical role in the development of chronic leukemia.