Publications by authors named "Na-Young Ha"

Article Synopsis
  • Mono-ubiquitinated PCNA (mono-Ub-PCNA) helps the DNA replication process bypass obstacles and DNA damage but must be de-ubiquitinated to continue accurate DNA synthesis.
  • The protein ATAD5, along with the UAF1-USP1 complex, is responsible for the de-ubiquitination of Ub-PCNA, but the regulation of this process was previously unclear.
  • Research shows that BAZ1B, part of a chromatin-remodeling complex, is critical for controlling Ub-PCNA de-ubiquitination; loss of its interaction with ATAD5 can lead to premature de-ubiquitination and increased sensitivity to oxidative stress.
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Ubiquitination status of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is crucial for regulating DNA lesion bypass. After the resolution of fork stalling, PCNA is subsequently deubiquitinated, but the underlying mechanism remains undefined. We found that the N-terminal domain of ATAD5 (ATAD5-N), the largest subunit of the PCNA-unloading complex, functions as a scaffold for Ub-PCNA deubiquitination.

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Authorization of the Matrix-M (MM)-adjuvanted R21 vaccine by three countries and its subsequent endorsement by the World Health Organization for malaria prevention in children are a milestone in the fight against malaria. Yet, our understanding of the innate and adaptive immune responses elicited by this vaccine remains limited. Here, we compared three clinically relevant adjuvants [3M-052 + aluminum hydroxide (Alum) (3M), a TLR7/8 agonist formulated in Alum; GLA-LSQ, a TLR4 agonist formulated in liposomes with QS-21; and MM, the now-approved adjuvant for R21] for their capacity to induce durable immune responses to R21 in macaques.

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We present an in-depth single-cell atlas of in vitro multiculture systems on human primary airway epithelium derived from normal and diseased lungs of 27 individual donors. Our large-scale single-cell profiling identified new cell states and differentiation trajectories of rare airway epithelial cell types in human distal lungs. By integrating single-cell datasets of human lung tissues, we discovered immune-primed subsets enriched in lungs and organoids derived from patients with chronic respiratory disease.

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The use of triplet excitons harvesting and short exciton lifetime organic emitters is important to improve the exciton utilization in organic semiconductor laser diodes. In this study, a hybridized local and charge-transfer (HLCT)-type molecule, 11-(3-(10-(4-(1-phenyl-1-phenanthro[9,10-]imidazol-2-yl)phenyl)anthracen-9-yl)phenyl)-11-benzofuro[3,2-]carbazole (PhAnMBf), is used as an emitter for blue-emitting organic solid-state lasers (OSSLs). The short exciton lifetime and high photoluminescence quantum yield of the PhAnMBf emitter allowed the fabrication of an organic laser with an emission wavelength of 453 nm, a small full width at half-maximum of 1.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the inflammatory markers in COVID-19 pneumonia patients, analyzing 191 factors in plasma samples from 80 controls and 347 COVID-19 patients.
  • It finds that a significant 76% of plasma proteins are elevated in severe cases, along with identifying two key inflammatory modules linked to different immune cell types.
  • The results highlight a connection between persistent inflammation and the severity of COVID-19, suggesting that this may play a role in long COVID symptoms.
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Scrub typhus is a mite-borne disease caused by the obligately intracellular bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi. We previously demonstrated that ScaA, an autotransporter membrane protein of O. tsutsugamushi, is commonly shared in various genotypes and involved in adherence to host cells.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study explores the relationship between B-cell immune responses and the severity of COVID-19, highlighting how aberrant B-cell activity may contribute to disease progression, especially in high-risk groups.
  • Using single-cell RNA sequencing, researchers found that severe COVID-19 patients displayed a distinct B-cell response, characterized by increased plasma cells and diverse B-cell receptors, which suggests a stronger immune reaction compared to those with moderate disease.
  • The emergence of atypical memory B cells (AM2) and a novel plasma cell subset (PC2) during severe cases indicates unique inflammatory characteristics that could play a key role in the progression of COVID-19.
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Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is a DNA clamp that functions in key roles for DNA replication and repair. After the completion of DNA synthesis, PCNA should be unloaded from DNA in a timely way. The ATAD5-RFC-Like Complex (ATAD5-RLC) unloads PCNA from DNA.

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Craniofacial morphogenesis is a complex process that requires precise regulation of cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Perturbations of this process cause a series of craniofacial deformities. Dlx2 is a critical transcription factor that regulates the development of the first branchial arch.

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Article Synopsis
  • Critical COVID-19 cases show heightened eosinophil-mediated inflammation compared to non-critical cases, suggesting a significant role of these immune cells in severe disease.* -
  • There is an increase in Th2-biased adaptive immune responses and complement activation in severe COVID-19, indicating a more intense immune reaction in critical patients.* -
  • The formation of immune complexes and membrane attack complexes in the lungs of severe cases points to how enhanced antibody responses and complement activation contribute to disease severity in COVID-19.*
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Background/aims: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with acute respiratory syndrome. The mechanisms underlying the different degrees of pneumonia severity in patients with COVID-19 remain elusive. This study provides evidence that COVID-19 is associated with eosinophil-mediated inflammation.

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We investigated the variation of current density-voltage (J-V) characteristics of an organic solar cell (OSC) in the dark and at 9 different light intensities ranging from 0.01 to 1 sun of the AM1.5G spectrum.

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Despite a clear association of patient's age with COVID-19 severity, there has been conflicting data on the association of viral load with disease severity. Here, we investigated the association of viral load dynamics with patient's age and severity of COVID-19 using a set of respiratory specimens longitudinally collected (mean: 4.8 times/patient) from 64 patients with broad distribution of clinical severity and age during acute phase.

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Autotransporter proteins are widely present in Gram-negative bacteria. They play a pivotal role in processes related to bacterial pathogenesis, including adhesion, invasion, colonization, biofilm formation, and cellular toxicity. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that , the causative agent of scrub typhus, encodes six different autotransporter genes (-).

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In this work, we demonstrated a phonon-polariton in the terahertz (THz) frequency range, generated in a crystallized lead halide perovskite film coated on metamaterials. When the metamaterial resonance was in tune with the phonon resonance of the perovskite film, Rabi splitting occurred due to the strong coupling between the resonances. The Rabi splitting energy was about 1.

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Serologic and molecular surveillance of serum collected from 152 suspected scrub typhus patients in Myanmar revealed Orientia tsutsugamushi of genotypic heterogeneity. In addition, potential co-infection with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus was observed in 5 (3.3%) patients.

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We investigated operation of a planar MAPbI solar cell with respect to intensity variation ranging from 0.01 to 1 sun. Measured J-V curves consisted of space-charge-limited currents (SCLC) in a drift-dominant range and diode-like currents in a diffusion-dominant range.

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Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is a DNA clamp essential for DNA replication. During DNA synthesis, PCNA is continuously loaded onto and unloaded from DNA. PCNA recruits various proteins to nascent DNA to facilitate chromosome duplication.

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Background: 5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol (triclosan) is used as an antiseptic and is a potential endocrine-disrupting chemical that can affect thyroid hormone levels. This study evaluated the relationship between triclosan exposure and thyroid hormones.

Methods: Data from the second Korean National Environmental Health Survey (2012-2014) were analyzed.

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Scrub typhus is an acute febrile disease caused by infection. Despite the wide range of approaches explored during the last seventy years, an effective prophylactic vaccine is not yet available. Here, we developed a novel recombinant antigen derived from conserved regions of 56 kDa type-specific antigen (TSA56), a major outer membrane protein responsible for genetic heterogeneity and antigenicity, and evaluated it as a protective vaccine antigen.

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