GSK3 inhibition ameliorates the abnormal contractility of Newfoundland ACM patient iPSC-cardiomyocytes.

Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy (ACM) is clinically characterized by ventricular arrhythmias causing sudden cardiac death and fibrofatty replacement of the myocardium leading to heart failure. One form of ACM is highly prevalent in the Canadian Province of Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) and has earned the moniker, The "Newfoundland Curse". This ACM in NL patients is often caused by a fully penetrant heterozygous missense pathogenic variant in the TMEM43 gene (TMEM43 c.

Apically localized PANX1 impacts neuroepithelial expansion in human cerebral organoids.

Dysfunctional paracrine signaling through Pannexin 1 (PANX1) channels is linked to several adult neurological pathologies and emerging evidence suggests that PANX1 plays an important role in human brain development. It remains unclear how early PANX1 influences brain development, or how loss of PANX1 alters the developing human brain. Using a cerebral organoid model of early human brain development, we find that PANX1 is expressed at all stages of organoid development from neural induction through to neuroepithelial expansion and maturation.

Connexin 43 Gene Ablation Does Not Alter Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Germ Lineage Specification.

During embryonic germ layer development, cells communicate with each other and their environment to ensure proper lineage specification and tissue development. Connexin (Cx) proteins facilitate direct cell-cell communication through gap junction channels. While previous reports suggest that gap junctional intercellular communication may contribute to germ layer formation, there have been limited comprehensive expression analyses or genetic ablation studies on Cxs during human pluripotent stem cell (PSC) germ lineage specification.

Pannexin 1 Influences Lineage Specification of Human iPSCs.

Every single cell in the body communicates with nearby cells to locally organize activities with their neighbors and dysfunctional cell-cell communication can be detrimental during cell lineage commitment, tissue patterning and organ development. Pannexin channels (PANX1, PANX2, and PANX3) facilitate purinergic paracrine signaling through the passage of messenger molecules out of cells. PANX1 is widely expressed throughout the body and has recently been identified in human oocytes as well as 2 and 4-cell stage human embryos.

Edwardsiella tarda - virulence mechanisms of an emerging gastroenteritis pathogen.

Human Edwardsiella tarda infections often manifest as gastroenteritis, but can become systemic and potentially lethal. E. tarda uses virulence factors that include type III and type VI secretion systems, quorum sensing, two-component systems, and exoenzymes to gain entry into and survive within the host.