Publications by authors named "L Z Coco"
1-Deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase (DXPS) is a unique thiamin diphosphate (ThDP)-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the formation of DXP, a branchpoint metabolite required for the biosynthesis of vitamins and isoprenoids in bacterial pathogens. DXPS has relaxed substrate specificity and utilizes a gated mechanism, equipping DXPS to sense and respond to diverse substrates. We speculate that pathogens utilize this distinct gated mechanism in different ways to support metabolic adaptation during infection.
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- Plasma metabolomics analysis was conducted on 44 patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma who were treated with CD19.CAR-T cell therapy, examining various time points before and after treatment.
- At pre-lymphodepletion, a specific metabolic profile indicated poor outcomes, with high levels of lipoproteins and lactate linked to elevated lactate dehydrogenase.
- By day 30, two patient clusters were identified: one group experienced long-term remission, while the other, with higher N-GlycA levels, was prone to relapse within a year, suggesting that pro-inflammatory shifts may be associated with relapse risk.
This work reports an alkyl acetylphosphonate (alkylAP) activity-based probe (ABP) for 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase DXPS, a promising antimicrobial target. This essential thiamin diphosphate (ThDP)-dependent enzyme operates at a branchpoint in bacterial central metabolism and is believed to play key roles in pathogen adaptation during infection. How different bacterial pathogens harness DXPS activity to adapt and survive within host environments remains incompletely understood, and tools for probing DXPS function in different contexts of infection are lacking.
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- The article discusses community-based participatory research as a way to identify barriers preventing racially minoritized groups, particularly Black adults, from accessing cochlear implants.
- It highlights how Black adults in the U.S. face specific challenges regarding cochlear implantation and emphasizes the importance of community engagement in studying these issues.
- The Memphis SOUND Project aims to investigate hearing health disparities and has begun to share insights on both the motivating factors and obstacles Black adults face in utilizing cochlear implants.