Publications by authors named "Sager R"

Deficits in neurogenesis markers in the subependymal zone (SEZ) are associated with elevated inflammation in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. However, the extent to which complement factors are also changed in the SEZ of these major psychiatric disorders and their impact on neurogenesis remains poorly understood. We extracted RNA from the SEZ of 93 brains, including controls (n = 32), schizophrenia (n = 32), and bipolar disorder (n = 29) cases.

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  • PP5 is a protein that regulates hormone and stress signaling as well as apoptosis, featuring both regulatory and catalytic domains which can be modified after translation.
  • It has a TPR domain that typically inhibits its activity, but certain activators can relieve this inhibition, allowing PP5 to become active.
  • A new method using FC-FRET was developed to observe PP5's conformational changes and activity in live cells, revealing that its activity depends on multiple conformational states and that post-translational modifications significantly influence these changes.
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The serine/threonine protein phosphatase 5 (PP5) regulates hormone and stress-induced signaling networks. Unlike other phosphoprotein phosphatases, PP5 contains both regulatory and catalytic domains and is further regulated through post-translational modifications (PTMs). Here we identify that SUMOylation of K430 in the catalytic domain of PP5 regulates phosphatase activity.

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In this research, we examine whether moral judgments sometimes violate the normative principle of procedure invariance - that is, whether normatively equivalent elicitation tasks can result in different judgment patterns. Specifically, we show that the relative morality of two actions can reverse across evaluation modes and elicitation tasks, mirroring preference reversals in consumer behavior. Across six studies (five preregistered, total N = 719), we provide evidence of three reversals of moral judgments of sacrificial dilemmas.

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Background: The Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet may slow cognitive decline in older adults. A potential mechanism could be possible anti-inflammatory properties of the MIND-diet.

Objective: To examine whether adherence to the MIND diet at baseline is associated with the odds of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and changes in biomarkers of inflammation (High-sensitivity C-reactive Protein(hsCRP), interleukin-6(IL-6)) over three years in adults ≥70 years.

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  • - The study investigates the relationship between tumor mutational burden (TMB) and treatment outcomes for immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in patients with penile squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC), exploring its potential as a biomarker in this specific cancer type.
  • - Researchers analyzed 397 PSCC cases to identify genetic alterations and categorized TMB levels into low, high, and very high, examining the implications of these levels for patient survival and treatment effectiveness.
  • - Results showed variations in age and ancestry among patients with different TMB levels, emphasizing the need for further research to clarify how TMB influences the success of ICI therapies in PSCC.
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The molecular chaperone heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is essential in eukaryotes. Hsp90 chaperones proteins that are important determinants of multistep carcinogenesis. There are multiple Hsp90 isoforms including the cytosolic Hsp90α and Hsp90β as well as GRP94 located in the endoplasmic reticulum and TRAP1 in the mitochondria.

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Serine/threonine protein phosphatase-5 (PP5) is involved in tumor progression and survival, making it an attractive therapeutic target. Specific inhibition of protein phosphatases has remained challenging because of their conserved catalytic sites. PP5 contains its regulatory domains within a single polypeptide chain, making it a more desirable target.

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Cellular homeostasis relies on both the chaperoning of proteins and the intracellular degradation system that delivers cytoplasmic constituents to the lysosome, a process known as autophagy. The crosstalk between these processes and their underlying regulatory mechanisms is poorly understood. Here, we show that the molecular chaperone heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) forms a complex with the autophagy-initiating kinase Atg1 (yeast)/Ulk1 (mammalian), which suppresses its kinase activity.

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In addition to their traditional roles in immune cell communication, cytokines regulate brain development. Cytokines are known to influence neural cell generation, differentiation, maturation, and survival. However, most work on the role of cytokines in brain development investigates rodents or focuses on prenatal events.

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Posttranslational modifications (PTMs) regulate myriad cellular processes by modulating protein function and protein-protein interaction. Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is an ATP-dependent molecular chaperone whose activity is responsible for the stabilization and maturation of more than 300 client proteins. Hsp90 is a substrate for numerous PTMs, which have diverse effects on Hsp90 function.

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Mutations in the extracellular matrix protein eyes shut homolog (EYS) are a common cause of retinitis pigmentosa, a blinding disease characterized by photoreceptor degeneration. EYS binds to matriglycan, a carbohydrate modification on O-mannosyl glycan substitutions of the cell-surface glycoprotein α-dystroglycan. Patients with mutations in enzymes required for the biosynthesis of matriglycan exhibit syndromic retinal atrophy, along with brain malformations and congenital muscular dystrophy.

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Mutations in C8orf37 cause Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS), retinitis pigmentosa (RP), and cone-rod dystrophy (CRD), all manifest in photoreceptor degeneration. Little is known about which proteins C8orf37 interacts with to contribute to photoreceptor survival. To determine the proteins that potentially interact with C8orf37, we carried out a yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) screen using C8orf37 as a bait.

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The molecular chaperone Heat Shock Protein-90 (Hsp90) is known to interact with over 300 client proteins as well as regulatory factors (eg. nucleotide and proteins) that facilitate execution of its role as a chaperone and, ultimately, client protein activation. Hsp90 associates transiently with these molecular modulators during an eventful chaperone cycle, resulting in acquisition of flexible structural conformations, perfectly customized to the needs of each one of its client proteins.

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Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the role of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in the prognostication of patients ≥80 years of age undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Background: Elderly patients with coronary artery disease in need of PCI represent a growing patient population. Advanced risk prediction in this frail and comorbid patient population is important.

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Heat shock protein-90 (Hsp90) is an ATP-dependent molecular chaperone that is tightly regulated by a group of proteins termed co-chaperones. This chaperone system is essential for the stabilization and activation of many key signaling proteins. Recent identification of the co-chaperones FNIP1, FNIP2, and Tsc1 has broadened the spectrum of Hsp90 regulators.

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Heat shock protein-90 (Hsp90) chaperone machinery is involved in the stability and activity of its client proteins. The chaperone function of Hsp90 is regulated by co-chaperones and post-translational modifications. Although structural evidence exists for Hsp90 interaction with clients, our understanding of the impact of Hsp90 chaperone function toward client activity in cells remains elusive.

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The treatment of advanced and metastatic kidney cancer has entered a golden era with the addition of more therapeutic options, improved survival and new targeted therapies. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors and immune checkpoint blockade have all been shown to be promising strategies in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, little is known about the best therapeutic approach for individual patients with RCC and how to combat therapeutic resistance.

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Inflammation regulates neurogenesis, and the brains of patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have reduced expression of neurogenesis markers in the subependymal zone (SEZ), the birthplace of inhibitory interneurons. Inflammation is associated with cortical interneuron deficits, but the relationship between inflammation and reduced neurogenesis in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder remains unexplored. Therefore, we investigated inflammation in the SEZ by defining those with low and high levels of inflammation using cluster analysis of IL6, IL6R, IL1R1 and SERPINA3 gene expression in 32 controls, 32 schizophrenia and 29 bipolar disorder cases.

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  • Aerobic glycolysis, known as the Warburg effect, is characterized by increased lactate production in cancer cells due to the hyperactivity of the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA).
  • The study identifies folliculin (FLCN), a human tumor suppressor, as a key inhibitor of LDHA, regulating its activity to maintain metabolic balance in normal cells.
  • In cancer cells, the loss or dissociation of FLCN from LDHA leads to the Warburg effect, and targeting this interaction with specific peptides can induce cell death in those cancer cells.
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Neural stem cells in the human subependymal zone (SEZ) generate neuronal progenitor cells that can differentiate and integrate as inhibitory interneurons into cortical and subcortical brain regions; yet the extent of adult neurogenesis remains unexplored in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. We verified the existence of neurogenesis across the lifespan by chartering transcriptional alterations (2 days-103 years, n = 70) and identifying cells indicative of different stages of neurogenesis in the human SEZ. Expression of most neural stem and neuronal progenitor cell markers decreased during the first postnatal years and remained stable from childhood into ageing.

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Successful plant organ development depends on well-coordinated intercellular communication between the cells of the organ itself, as well as with surrounding cells. Intercellular signals often move via the symplasmic pathway using plasmodesmata. Intriguingly, brief periods of symplasmic isolation may also be necessary to promote organ differentiation and functionality.

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