Improved simultaneous mapping of epigenetic features and 3D chromatin structure via ViCAR.

Methods to measure chromatin contacts at genomic regions bound by histone modifications or proteins are important tools to investigate chromatin organization. However, such methods do not capture the possible involvement of other epigenomic features such as G-quadruplex DNA secondary structures (G4s). To bridge this gap, we introduce ViCAR (viewpoint HiCAR), for the direct antibody-based capture of chromatin interactions at folded G4s.

Changes in lipid composition of host-derived extracellular vesicles following infection.

This study delves into the previously unexplored territory of extracellular vesicle (EV) cargo and composition, specifically focusing on lipid composition changes in EVs following infection. EVs play crucial roles in intercellular communication, carrying a variety of biomolecules. Investigating how these EV cargo lipids change post-infection with is significant for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying lipid trafficking during infection.

Chem-map profiles drug binding to chromatin in cells.

Characterizing drug-target engagement is essential to understand how small molecules influence cellular functions. Here we present Chem-map for in situ mapping of small molecules that interact with DNA or chromatin-associated proteins, utilizing small-molecule-directed transposase Tn5 tagmentation. We demonstrate Chem-map for three distinct drug-binding modalities as follows: molecules that target a chromatin protein, a DNA secondary structure or that intercalate in DNA.

Microvascular lung injury and endoplasmic reticulum stress in systemic lupus erythematosus-associated alveolar hemorrhage and pulmonary vasculitis.

Human mutations affecting retrograde Golgi-to-endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein transport cause diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) and ER stress ("COPA syndrome"). Patients with SLE also can develop DAH. C57BL/6 (B6) mice with pristane-induced lupus develop monocyte-dependent DAH indistinguishable from human DAH, whereas BALB/c mice are resistant.

Fluorescent Labeling of Small Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) Isolated from Conditioned Media.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), such as exosomes, are produced by all known eukaryotic cells, and constitute essential means of intercellular communication. Recent studies have unraveled the important roles of EVs in migrating to specific sites and cells. Functional studies of EVs using and systems require tracking these organelles using fluorescent dyes or, alternatively, transfected and fluorescent-tagged proteins, located either intravesicularly or anchored to the EV bilayer membrane.

Relationship between viral load and pregnancy outcomes among hepatitis B carriers.

Objective: Pregnant hepatitis B carriers may have a higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Current evidences are conflicting regarding the relationship between hepatitis B virus (HBV) and various pregnancy complications, owing to the inclusion of women with different viral activity. This study is to evaluate the relationship between hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) status/HBV DNA level and pregnancy outcomes among pregnant hepatitis B carriers in Hong Kong.

Single-cell mapping of DNA G-quadruplex structures in human cancer cells.

G-quadruplexes (G4s) are four-stranded DNA secondary structures that form in guanine-rich regions of the genome. G4s have important roles in transcription and replication and have been implicated in genome instability and cancer. Thus far most work has profiled the G4 landscape in an ensemble of cell populations, therefore it is critical to explore the structure-function relationship of G4s in individual cells to enable detailed mechanistic insights into G4 function.

Prenatal phenotype of Kabuki syndrome: A case series and literature review.

Objectives: Kabuki syndrome (KS) is a genetic disorder characterized by intellectual disability, facial dysmorphism and congenital anomalies. We aim to investigate the prenatal features of fetuses with KS and to provide a comprehensive review of the literature on prenatal sonographic abnormalities associated with KS.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the prenatal ultrasound findings of all mothers of children with molecularly confirmed KS in Hong Kong, between 1991 and 2019.

Antigen-encapsulating host extracellular vesicles derived from Salmonella-infected cells stimulate pathogen-specific Th1-type responses in vivo.

Salmonella Typhimurium is a causative agent of nontyphoidal salmonellosis, for which there is a lack of a clinically approved vaccine in humans. As an intracellular pathogen, Salmonella impacts many cellular pathways. However, the intercellular communication mechanism facilitated by host-derived small extracellular vesicles (EVs), such as exosomes, is an overlooked aspect of the host responses to this infection.

Sonographic measurement of cervical length and head perineum distance before labor to predict time of delivery.

Objectives: This was an observational study on cervical length and head perineum distance and the prediction of time of delivery. One-hundred and twenty-five nulliparous women with uncomplicated, term, singleton pregnancy were recruited when they presented to the labor ward with show or infrequent painful uterine contractions (less than three contractions in ten minutes on a 30 min cardiotocogram). Apart from digital vaginal examination to assess cervical length and dilatation, sonographic cervical length and head perineum distance were measured by two-dimensional ultrasound.

Landscape of G-quadruplex DNA structural regions in breast cancer.

Response and resistance to anticancer therapies vary due to intertumor and intratumor heterogeneity. Here, we map differentially enriched G-quadruplex (G4) DNA structure-forming regions (∆G4Rs) in 22 breast cancer patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDTX) models. ∆G4Rs are associated with the promoters of highly amplified genes showing high expression, and with somatic single-nucleotide variants.

Exosomes released by breast cancer cells under mild hyperthermic stress possess immunogenic potential and modulate polarization in macrophages.

Macrophages play a dual role in tumor initiation and progression, with both tumor-promoting and tumor-suppressive effects; hence, it is essential to understand the distinct responses of macrophages to tumor progression and therapy. Mild hyperthermia has gained importance as a therapeutic regimen against cancer due to its immunogenic nature, efficacy, and potential synergy with other therapies, yet the response of macrophages to molecular signals from hyperthermic cancer cells has not yet been clearly defined. Due to limited response rate of breast cancer to conventional therapeutics the development, and understanding of alternative therapies like hyperthermia is pertinent.

An atlas of the catalytically active liver and spleen kinases in chicken identified by chemoproteomics.

Phosphorylation is a post-translational protein modification regulating most known cellular processes. While protein kinases constitute a large family of highly conserved enzymes, identification of active kinases is challenging due to a low abundance of some of these signaling molecules. Although chicken is the first agricultural animal to have a sequenced genome, annotation of the kinome, i.

PGE2 Augments Inflammasome Activation and M1 Polarization in Macrophages Infected With Typhimurium and .

Eicosanoids are cellular metabolites, which shape the immune response, including inflammatory processes in macrophages. The effects of these lipid mediators on inflammation and bacterial pathogenesis are not clearly understood. Certain eicosanoids are suspected to act as molecular sensors for the recruitment of neutrophils, while others regulate bacterial uptake.

cfDNA screening and diagnosis of monogenic disorders - where are we heading?

Cell-free fetal DNA analysis for non-invasive prenatal screening of fetal chromosomal aneuploidy has been widely adopted for clinical use. Fetal monogenic diseases have also been shown to be amenable to non-invasive detection by maternal plasma DNA analysis. A number of recent technological developments in this area has increased the level of clinical interest, particularly as one approach does not require customized reagents per mutation.

Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium Alters the Extracellular Proteome of Macrophages and Leads to the Production of Proinflammatory Exosomes.

serovar Typhimurium is a Gram-negative bacterium, which can invade and survive within macrophages. Pathogenic salmonellae induce the secretion of specific cytokines from these phagocytic cells and interfere with the host secretory pathways. In this study, we describe the extracellular proteome of human macrophages infected with Typhimurium, followed by analysis of canonical pathways of proteins isolated from the extracellular milieu.

DNA of Erythroid Origin Is Present in Human Plasma and Informs the Types of Anemia.

Background: There is much interest in the tissue of origin of circulating DNA in plasma. Data generated using DNA methylation markers have suggested that hematopoietic cells of white cell lineages are important contributors to the circulating DNA pool. However, it is not known whether cells of the erythroid lineage would also release DNA into the plasma.

Universal Haplotype-Based Noninvasive Prenatal Testing for Single Gene Diseases.

Background: Researchers have developed approaches for the noninvasive prenatal testing of single gene diseases. One approach that allows for the noninvasive assessment of both maternally and paternally inherited mutations involves the analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in maternal plasma DNA with reference to parental haplotype information. In the past, parental haplotypes were resolved by complex experimental methods or inferential approaches, such as through the analysis of DNA from other affected family members.

Noninvasive prenatal testing beyond genomic analysis: what the future holds.

Purpose Of Review: The discovery of cell-free fetal DNA in maternal blood enabled the development of DNA-based noninvasive prenatal testing. Noninvasive prenatal testing for chromosomal aneuploidy detection was first applied for clinical use a few years ago, resulting in a paradigm shift in prenatal testing. Apart from the use of cell-free fetal nucleic acids for the detection of fetal genetic or chromosomal diseases, we predict that the analysis of cell-free placental RNA and DNA methylation signatures would allow the noninvasive monitoring of placental function.

Social obstetrics: non-local expectant mothers admitted through accident and emergency department in a public hospital in Hong Kong.

Objectives: To review the pregnancy outcomes of non-booked, non-local pregnant women delivering in Kwong Wah Hospital via admission to the Accident and Emergency Department 1 year after the announcement by the Hospital Authority to stop antenatal booking for non-eligible persons; and to perform a literature review of local studies about non-eligible person deliveries over the last decade.

Design: Case series.

Setting: A public hospital in Hong Kong.

Targeting GRB7/ERK/FOXM1 signaling pathway impairs aggressiveness of ovarian cancer cells.

Ovarian cancer is a highly lethal disease with poor prognosis and especially in high-grade tumor. Emerging evidence has reported that aberrant upregulation and activation of GRB7, ERK as well as FOXM1 are closely associated with aggresivenesss of human cancers. However, the interplay between these factors in the pathogenesis of human cancers still remains unclear.

Aberrant activation of ERK/FOXM1 signaling cascade triggers the cell migration/invasion in ovarian cancer cells.

Forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) is a proliferation-associated transcription factor essential for cell cycle progression. Numerous studies have documented that FOXM1 has multiple functions in tumorigenesis and its elevated levels are frequently associated with cancer progression. Here, we characterized the role of ERK/FOXM1 signaling in mediating the metastatic potential of ovarian cancer cells.