Publications by authors named "Laura Kind"

Monogenic diabetes is a gateway to precision medicine through molecular mechanistic insight. Hepatocyte nuclear factor 1A (HNF-1A) and HNF-4A are transcription factors that engage in crossregulatory gene transcription networks to maintain glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in pancreatic β cells. Variants in the HNF1A and HNF4A genes are associated with maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY).

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Hepatocyte nuclear factor 1α (HNF-1A) is a transcription factor with important gene regulatory roles in pancreatic β-cells. gene variants are associated with a monogenic form of diabetes (HNF1A-MODY) or an increased risk for type 2 diabetes. While several pancreatic target genes of HNF-1A have been described, a lack of knowledge regarding the structure-function relationships in HNF-1A prohibits a detailed understanding of HNF-1A-mediated gene transcription, which is important for precision medicine and improved patient care.

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Article Synopsis
  • HNF-1A is a transcription factor linked to maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY3), which features dominant inheritance and pancreatic β-cell dysfunction occurring in younger individuals.
  • Pathogenic variants in the HNF1A gene can alter disease management, allowing a switch from insulin to sulfonylureas, emphasizing the importance of accurate diagnoses and genetic counseling.
  • This study analyzed three HNF-1A variants, revealing reduced functionality and stability compared to the wild-type protein, highlighting the need for thorough structural and biochemical assessments to improve diabetes diagnostics and management.
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  • The actin cytoskeleton plays a crucial role in determining cell shape, division, and generating internal forces, with profilins regulating actin filament formation.
  • This study identifies profilin 2 (PFN2) as an interaction partner of the actin N-terminal acetyltransferase NAA80, which enhances NAA80's catalytic activity through specific binding.
  • The research reveals that PFN2 not only stabilizes its interaction with NAA80 but also facilitates the acetylation of actin, highlighting PFN2's important regulatory role in actin dynamics.
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In children, intense levels of anxiety during anesthetic induction are associated with a higher risk of pain, poor recovery, and emergence delirium. Therefore, it is important to identify these high-risk children at hospital arrival. The current study examined internalizing behavior (Child Behavior Checklist, CBCL) and state anxiety measures (modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale, mYPAS, and State Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children, STAIC) at hospital arrival as predictors of anxiety during induction of anesthesia.

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Human pathogenic and commensal bacteria have evolved the ability to scavenge host-derived sialic acids and subsequently degrade them as a source of nutrition. Expression of the Escherichia coli yjhBC operon is controlled by the repressor protein nanR, which regulates the core machinery responsible for the import and catabolic processing of sialic acid. The role of the yjhBC encoded proteins is not known-here, we demonstrate that the enzyme YjhC is an oxidoreductase/dehydrogenase involved in bacterial sialic acid degradation.

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The endocannabinoid (eCB) system is an important part of both the human central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral tissues. It is involved in the regulation of various physiological and neuronal processes and has been associated with various diseases. The eCB system is a complex network composed of receptor molecules, their cannabinoid ligands, and enzymes regulating the synthesis, release, uptake, and degradation of the signalling molecules.

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