Reconsidering Dogmas about the Growth of Bacterial Populations.

The growth of bacterial populations has been described as a dynamic process of continuous reproduction and cell death. However, this is far from the reality. In a well fed, growing bacterial population, the stationary phase inevitably occurs, and it is not due to accumulated toxins or cell death.

Syndecan-4 Mediates the Cellular Entry of Adeno-Associated Virus 9.

Due to their low pathogenicity, immunogenicity, and long-term gene expression, adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors emerged as safe and efficient gene delivery tools, over-coming setbacks experienced with other viral gene delivery systems in early gene therapy trials. Among AAVs, AAV9 can translocate through the blood-brain barrier (BBB), making it a promising gene delivery tool for transducing the central nervous system (CNS) via systemic administration. Recent reports on the shortcomings of AAV9-mediated gene delivery into the CNS require reviewing the molecular base of AAV9 cellular biology.

Biodistribution and Cellular Internalization of Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 in Wild-Type Mice.

Despite the growing list of identified SARS-CoV-2 receptors, the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is still viewed as the main cell entry receptor mediating SARS-CoV-2 internalization. It has been reported that wild-type mice, like other rodent species of the Muridae family, cannot be infected with SARS-CoV-2 due to differences in their ACE2 receptors. On the other hand, the consensus heparin-binding motif of SARS-CoV-2's spike protein, PRRAR, enables the attachment to rodent heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs), including syndecans, a transmembrane HSPG family with a well-established role in clathrin- and caveolin-independent endocytosis.

Syndecan-4 Is a Key Facilitator of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant's Superior Transmission.

Emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants pose threats to vaccination campaigns against COVID-19. Being more transmissible than the original virus, the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.

Salt Stress Induces Paramylon Accumulation and Fine-Tuning of the Macro-Organization of Thylakoid Membranes in Cells.

The effects of salt stress condition on the growth, morphology, photosynthetic performance, and paramylon content were examined in the mixotrophic, unicellular, flagellate . We found that salt stress negatively influenced cell growth, accompanied by a decrease in chlorophyll (Chl) content. Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy revealed the changes in the macro-organization of pigment-protein complexes due to salt treatment, while the small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) investigations suggested a reduction in the thylakoid stacking, an effect confirmed by the transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

The Interplay of Apoes with Syndecans in Influencing Key Cellular Events of Amyloid Pathology.

Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) isoforms exert intricate effects on cellular physiology beyond lipid transport and metabolism. ApoEs influence the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in an isoform-dependent manner: ApoE4 increases AD risk, while ApoE2 decreases it. Previously we demonstrated that syndecans, a transmembrane proteoglycan family with increased expression in AD, trigger the aggregation and modulate the cellular uptake of amyloid beta (Aβ).

Contribution of Syndecans to the Cellular Entry of SARS-CoV-2.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel emerging pathogen causing an unprecedented pandemic in 21st century medicine. Due to the significant health and economic burden of the current SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, there is a huge unmet medical need for novel interventions effectively blocking SARS-CoV-2 infection. Unknown details of SARS-CoV-2 cellular biology hamper the development of potent and highly specific SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics.

Overexpression of Human Syndecan-1 Protects against the Diethylnitrosamine-Induced Hepatocarcinogenesis in Mice.

Although syndecan-1 (SDC1) is known to be dysregulated in various cancer types, its implication in tumorigenesis is poorly understood. Its effect may be detrimental or protective depending on the type of cancer. Our previous data suggest that SDC1 is protective against hepatocarcinogenesis.

Syndecan-1 Promotes Hepatocyte-Like Differentiation of Hepatoma Cells Targeting Ets-1 and AP-1.

Syndecan-1 is a transmembrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan which is indispensable in the structural and functional integrity of epithelia. Normal hepatocytes display strong cell surface expression of syndecan-1; however, upon malignant transformation, they may lose it from their cell surfaces. In this study, we demonstrate that re-expression of full-length or ectodomain-deleted syndecan-1 in hepatocellular carcinoma cells downregulates phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and p38, with the truncated form exerting an even stronger effect than the full-length protein.

Contribution of syndecans to cellular uptake and fibrillation of α-synuclein and tau.

Scientific evidence suggests that α-synuclein and tau have prion-like properties and that prion-like spreading and seeding of misfolded protein aggregates constitutes a central mechanism for neurodegeneration. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) in the plasma membrane support this process by attaching misfolded protein fibrils. Despite of intense studies, contribution of specific HSPGs to seeding and spreading of α-synuclein and tau has not been explored yet.

Contribution of syndecans to cellular internalization and fibrillation of amyloid-β(1-42).

Intraneuronal accumulation of amyloid-β(1-42) (Aβ1-42) is one of the earliest signs of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) have profound influence on the cellular uptake of Aβ1-42 by mediating its attachment and subsequent internalization into the cells. Colocalization of amyloid plaques with members of the syndecan family of HSPGs, along with the increased expression of syndecan-3 and -4 have already been reported in postmortem AD brains.

Heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) can take part in cell division: inside and outside.

Prior to the cytokinesis, the cell-matrix interactions should be disrupted, and the mitotic cells round up. Prerequisite of mitosis, the centrosomes duplicate, spindle fibers are generated and move away from each other to opposite sides of the cells marking the cell poles. Later, an invagination in the plasma membrane is formed a few minutes after anaphase.

Syndecan-4 influences mammalian myoblast proliferation by modulating myostatin signalling and G1/S transition.

Myostatin, a TGF-β superfamily member, is a negative regulator of muscle growth. Here we describe how myostatin activity is regulated by syndecan-4, a ubiquitous transmembrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan. During muscle regeneration the levels of both syndecan-4 and promyostatin decline gradually after a sharp increase, concurrently with the release of mature myostatin.

Phosphatidylglycerol is implicated in divisome formation and metabolic processes of cyanobacteria.

Phosphatidylglycerol is an essential phospholipid for photosynthesis and other cellular processes. We investigated the role of phosphatidylglycerol in cell division and metabolism in a phophatidylglycerol-auxotrophic strain of Synechococcus PCC7942. Here we show that phosphatidylglycerol is essential for the photosynthetic electron transfer and for the oligomerisation of the photosynthetic complexes, notably, we revealed that this lipid is important for non-linear electron transport.

Syndecan-1 inhibits early stages of liver fibrogenesis by interfering with TGFβ1 action and upregulating MMP14.

Increased expression of syndecan-1 is a characteristic feature of human liver cirrhosis. However, no data are available on the significance of this alteration. To address this question we designed a transgenic mouse strain that driven by albumin promoter, expresses human syndecan-1 in the hepatocytes.

The phosphomimetic mutation of syndecan-4 binds and inhibits Tiam1 modulating Rac1 activity in PDZ interaction-dependent manner.

The small GTPases of the Rho family comprising RhoA, Rac1 and Cdc42 function as molecular switches controlling several essential biochemical pathways in eukaryotic cells. Their activity is cycling between an active GTP-bound and an inactive GDP-bound conformation. The exchange of GDP to GTP is catalyzed by guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs).

Contribution of syndecans to lipoplex-mediated gene delivery.

The long awaited breakthrough of gene therapy significantly depends on the in vivo efficiency of targeted intracellular delivery. Hidden details of cellular uptake present a great hurdle for non-viral gene delivery with liposomes. Growing scientific evidence supports the involvement of polyanionic cell surface carbohydrates in cellular internalization of cationic liposomes.

Specific syndecan-1 domains regulate mesenchymal tumor cell adhesion, motility and migration.

Background: Syndecans are proteoglycans whose core proteins have a short cytoplasmic domain, a transmembrane domain and a large N-terminal extracellular domain possessing glycosaminoglycan chains. Syndecans are involved in many important cellular processes. Our recent publications have demonstrated that syndecan-1 translocates into the nucleus and hampers tumor cell proliferation.

Syndecan-4 promotes cytokinesis in a phosphorylation-dependent manner.

During mitosis, cells detach, and the cell-matrix interactions become restricted. At the completion of cytokinesis, the two daughter cells are still connected transiently by an intercellular bridge (ICB), which is subjected to abscission, as the terminal step of cytokinesis. Cell adhesion to the matrix is mediated by syndecan-4 (SDC4) transmembrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan.

Cell-penetrating peptide exploited syndecans.

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are short peptides capable of translocating across the plasma membrane of live cells and transporting conjugated compounds intracellularly. Fifteen years after discovering the first model cationic CPPs, penetratin and TAT, CPP internalization is still challenging many questions. Particularly it has been unknown whether CPPs enter the cells with or without mediation of a specific surface receptor.

[Developments in cancer care with innovative genomics. 2008 report of the National Cancer Consortium].

In the 3rd year of the program 8 new molecular diagnostic services have been introduced to clinic in the management of breast-, lung-, colorectal cancers as well as in GIST and melanoma. Two patents have been filed for innovative modulation of mito/motogenic signaling pathways in cancer cells. In preclinical models of human cancer a functional imaging technique was developed to detect vascular eff ects of erythropoietin.

Syndecan-1 and FGF-2, but not FGF receptor-1, share a common transport route and co-localize with heparanase in the nuclei of mesenchymal tumor cells.

Syndecan-1 forms complexes with growth factors and their cognate receptors in the cell membrane. We have previously reported a tubulin-mediated translocation of syndecan-1 to the nucleus. The transport route and functional significance of nuclear syndecan-1 is still incompletely understood.

[Developments in cancer management by innovative genomics. 2006 report of the National Cancer Consortium].

Research on developing molecular diagnostics for hereditary cancers resulted in establishing diagnostic services for familiar polyposis and non-polyposis patients (mutation determination of APC, MYH, STK11, SMAD4, MLH1, MSH2). In familiar testicular cancers the role of gr/gr gene on Y chromosome was identified. Molecular diagnostic tool was established to monitor the progression of follicular lymphoma using Bcl-2/IgH fusion sequences.