Dominant Malignant Clones Leverage Lineage Restricted Epigenomic Programs to Drive Ependymoma Development.

Unlabelled: ZFTA-RELA is the most recurrent genetic alteration seen in pediatric supratentorial ependymoma (EPN) and is sufficient to initiate tumors in mice. Despite ZFTA-RELA's potent oncogenic potential, gene fusions are observed exclusively in childhood EPN, with tumors located distinctly in the supratentorial region of the central nervous system (CNS). We hypothesized that specific chromatin modules accessible during brain development would render distinct cell lineage programs at direct risk of transformation by ZFTA-RELA.

Histone serotonylation regulates ependymoma tumorigenesis.

Bidirectional communication between tumours and neurons has emerged as a key facet of the tumour microenvironment that drives malignancy. Another hallmark feature of cancer is epigenomic dysregulation, in which alterations in gene expression influence cell states and interactions with the tumour microenvironment. Ependymoma (EPN) is a paediatric brain tumour that relies on epigenomic remodelling to engender malignancy; however, how these epigenetic mechanisms intersect with extrinsic neuronal signalling during EPN tumour progression is unknown.

Remote neuronal activity drives glioma progression through SEMA4F.

The tumour microenvironment plays an essential role in malignancy, and neurons have emerged as a key component of the tumour microenvironment that promotes tumourigenesis across a host of cancers. Recent studies on glioblastoma (GBM) highlight bidirectional signalling between tumours and neurons that propagates a vicious cycle of proliferation, synaptic integration and brain hyperactivity; however, the identity of neuronal subtypes and tumour subpopulations driving this phenomenon is incompletely understood. Here we show that callosal projection neurons located in the hemisphere contralateral to primary GBM tumours promote progression and widespread infiltration.

Induction of astrocytic Slc22a3 regulates sensory processing through histone serotonylation.

Neuronal activity drives alterations in gene expression within neurons, yet how it directs transcriptional and epigenomic changes in neighboring astrocytes in functioning circuits is unknown. We found that neuronal activity induces widespread transcriptional up-regulation and down-regulation in astrocytes, highlighted by the identification of as an activity-inducible astrocyte gene that encodes neuromodulator transporter Slc22a3 and regulates sensory processing in the mouse olfactory bulb. Loss of astrocytic Slc22a3 reduced serotonin levels in astrocytes, leading to alterations in histone serotonylation.

Inhibitory input directs astrocyte morphogenesis through glial GABAR.

Communication between neurons and glia has an important role in establishing and maintaining higher-order brain function. Astrocytes are endowed with complex morphologies, placing their peripheral processes in close proximity to neuronal synapses and directly contributing to their regulation of brain circuits. Recent studies have shown that excitatory neuronal activity promotes oligodendrocyte differentiation; whether inhibitory neurotransmission regulates astrocyte morphogenesis during development is unclear.

Remote neuronal activity drives glioma infiltration via Sema4f.

The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays an essential role in malignancy and neurons have emerged as a key component of the TME that promotes tumorigenesis across a host of cancers. Recent studies on glioblastoma (GBM) highlight bi-directional signaling between tumors and neurons that propagates a vicious cycle of proliferation, synaptic integration, and brain hyperactivity; however, the identity of neuronal subtypes and tumor subpopulations driving this phenomenon are incompletely understood. Here we show that callosal projection neurons located in the hemisphere contralateral to primary GBM tumors promote progression and widespread infiltration.

Inhibitory input directs astrocyte morphogenesis through glial GABA R.

Communication between neurons and glia plays an important role in establishing and maintaining higher order brain function. Astrocytes are endowed with complex morphologies which places their peripheral processes in close proximity to neuronal synapses and directly contributes to their regulation of brain circuits. Recent studies have shown that excitatory neuronal activity promotes oligodendrocyte differentiation; whether inhibitory neurotransmission regulates astrocyte morphogenesis during development is unknown.

Activity-dependent induction of astrocytic Slc22a3 regulates sensory processing through histone serotonylation.

Neuronal activity drives global alterations in gene expression within neurons, yet how it directs transcriptional and epigenomic changes in neighboring astrocytes in functioning circuits is unknown. Here we show that neuronal activity induces widespread transcriptional upregulation and downregulation in astrocytes, highlighted by the identification of a neuromodulator transporter Slc22a3 as an activity-inducible astrocyte gene regulating sensory processing in the olfactory bulb. Loss of astrocytic Slc22a3 reduces serotonin levels in astrocytes, leading to alterations in histone serotonylation.

Sox9 directs divergent epigenomic states in brain tumor subtypes.

Epigenetic dysregulation is a universal feature of cancer that results in altered patterns of gene expression that drive malignancy. Brain tumors exhibit subtype-specific epigenetic alterations; however, the molecular mechanisms responsible for these diverse epigenetic states remain unclear. Here, we show that the developmental transcription factor Sox9 differentially regulates epigenomic states in high-grade glioma (HGG) and ependymoma (EPN).

In-Situ surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy study of electrocatalytic oxidation of ethanol on Platinum/Gold surface.

The behavior of ethanol oxidation reaction on composite electrodes prepared by deposition platinum on a gold surface (Pt/Au) were studied by cyclic voltammetry and surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS) analysis. The results show that the Pt electrode has high oxidation activity and significant poison behavior; on the contrary, the Au electrode demonstrates low activity without a poison peak. The SEIRAS analyses reveal that both carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO) appear during anode sweeping, and the CO peak density decreases with increasing potential and finally is eliminated.

Promyelocytic leukemia protein targets MK2 to promote cytotoxicity.

Promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) is a tumor suppressor possessing multiple modes of action, including induction of apoptosis. We unexpectedly find that PML promotes necroptosis in addition to apoptosis, with Pml macrophages being more resistant to TNF-mediated necroptosis than wild-type counterparts and PML-deficient mice displaying resistance to TNF-induced systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Reduced necroptosis in PML-deficient cells is associated with attenuated receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) activation, as revealed by reduced RIPK1[S166] phosphorylation, and attenuated RIPK1-RIPK3-MLKL necrosome complex formation.

A High-Accuracy and Power-Efficient Self-Optimizing Wireless Water Level Monitoring IoT Device for Smart City.

In this paper, a novel self-optimizing water level monitoring methodology is proposed for smart city applications. Considering system maintenance, the efficiency of power consumption and accuracy will be important for Internet of Things (IoT) devices and systems. A multi-step measurement mechanism and power self-charging process are proposed in this study for improving the efficiency of a device for water level monitoring applications.

ZFTA-RELA Dictates Oncogenic Transcriptional Programs to Drive Aggressive Supratentorial Ependymoma.

More than 60% of supratentorial ependymomas harbor a (ZR) gene fusion (formerly ). To study the biology of ZR, we developed an autochthonous mouse tumor model using electroporation (IUE) of the embryonic mouse brain. Integrative epigenomic and transcriptomic mapping was performed on IUE-driven ZR tumors by CUT&RUN, chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing, assay for transposase-accessible chromatin sequencing, and RNA sequencing and compared with human ZR-driven ependymoma.

Combined effect of honokiol and rosiglitazone on cell growth inhibition through enhanced G0/G1 phase arrest in hepatoma cells.

Background: Honokiol, a derivative extracted from the stem and bark of Magnolia officinalis, has been reported to have anticancer effects in hepatoma cells. Recently, it was found that honokiol acted as not only a retinoid X receptor (RXR) agonist but also as a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) agonist. Additionally, honokiol is capable of activating PPARγ/RXR heterodimers synergistically in the presence of rosiglitazone in 3T3-L1 adipocyte and HLE human hepatoma cells.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of the Nif3-family protein MJ0927 from Methanocaldococcus jannaschii.

MJ0927 is a member of the Nif3 family and is widely distributed across living organisms. Although several crystal structures of Nif3 proteins have been reported, structural information on archaeal Nif3 is still limited. To understand the structural differences between bacterial and archaeal Nif3 proteins, MJ0927 from Methanocaldococcus jannaschii was purified and crystallized using the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method.

The microcontact imprinting of proteins: the effect of cross-linking monomers for lysozyme, ribonuclease A and myoglobin.

The performance of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) is of interest to researchers in the field of analytical chemistry, and in the pharmaceutical and food industries. Because the choice of the functional monomer(s) plays a key role in the selectivity of a MIP, the synthesis of an effective, tight-binding MIP can be difficult and time-consuming, involving the evaluation of the binding performance of MIPs of many different compositions. In this study, we report an express method combining molecular imprinting and microcontact printing techniques to prepare a polymer thin film as an artificial antibody.