Advances and Mechanisms of RNA-Ligand Interaction Predictions.

The diversity and complexity of RNA include sequence, secondary structure, and tertiary structure characteristics. These elements are crucial for RNA's specific recognition of other molecules. With advancements in biotechnology, RNA-ligand structures allow researchers to utilize experimental data to uncover the mechanisms of complex interactions.

Aptamer-modified melittin micelles efficiently inhibit osteosarcoma deterioration by inducing immunogenic cell death.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary bone malignancy characterized by deposition of an immature osteoid matrix. OS treatment has proven challenging because of the high risk of metastatic progression and recurrence after chemotherapy. Melittin (MLT) is recognized as a potential antitumor candidate to overcome chemotherapy resistance and provoke superior immunostimulatory effects.

Clozapine Induces Agranulocytosis via Inflammatory and Hematopoietic Cytokine Induction of the JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway: Evidence From Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking.

Background: Clozapine exhibits significant therapeutic efficacy in schizophrenia, especially treatment-resistant schizophrenia. However, clozapine can cause agranulocytosis, a fatal adverse effect, and the aim of this study is to explore this mechanism based on network pharmacology and molecular docking.

Method: Six and two databases were used to identify targets associated with clozapine and agranulocytosis, respectively.

Prognostic implications and therapeutic opportunities related to CAF subtypes in CMS4 colorectal cancer: insights from single-cell and bulk transcriptomics.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) significantly influence tumor progression and therapeutic resistance in colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the distributions and functions of CAF subpopulations vary across the four consensus molecular subtypes (CMSs) of CRC. This study performed single-cell RNA and bulk RNA sequencing and revealed that myofibroblast-like CAFs (myCAFs), tumor-like CAFs (tCAFs), inflammatory CAFs (iCAFs), CXCL14CAFs, and MTCAFs are notably enriched in CMS4 compared with other CMSs of CRC.

Network pharmacology and molecular docking to explore mechanisms of clozapine-induced cardiac arrest.

Background: Clozapine is superior to all other antipsychotics in treating schizophrenia in terms of its curative efficacy; however, this drug is prescribed only as a last resort in the treatment of schizophrenia, given its potential to induce cardiac arrest. The mechanism of clozapine-induced cardiac arrest remains unclear, so we aimed to elucidate the potential mechanisms of clozapine-induced cardiac arrest using network pharmacology and molecular docking.

Methods: We identified and analyzed the overlap between potential cardiac arrest-related target genes and clozapine target genes.

Dual signal amplification in ECL biosensors: A novel approach for argonaute2 detection using SAHARA CRISPR-Cas12a technology.

Argonaute 2 (Ago2) is a crucial enzyme in the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway, essential for gene silencing via the cleavage of target messenger RNA (mRNA) mediated by microRNA (miRNA) or small interfering RNA (siRNA). The activity of Ago2 is a significant biomarker for various diseases, including cancer and viral infections, necessitating precise monitoring techniques. Traditional methods for detecting Ago2 activity are often cumbersome and lack the necessary sensitivity and specificity for low-abundance targets in complex samples.

Overexpression of KPC contributes to ceftazidime-avibactam heteroresistance in clinical isolates of carbapenem-resistant .

Ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA) is one of the effective antibiotics used for the treatment of carbapenem-resistant (CRKP) infections, but its resistance rate has increased recently. Previous studies have focused on the mechanisms of CZA resistance, while its heteroresistance in CRKP remains poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics and mechanisms of CZA heteroresistance in CRKP isolates.

Molecular Investigation of an Epidemic Dissemination of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecium Sequence Type 80 in Guangdong Province, China.

Background: The detection rate of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) displayed a dramatic increase in Guangdong, China, from 2021 to 2023, for which the molecular epidemiology and genomic characteristics remain largely unexplored. In this study, we investigated the genetic features and epidemiology of VREfm isolates in Guangdong.

Methods: A total of 54 Guangdong VREfm isolates were collected from three tertiary hospitals in Guangdong.

Establishment of epidemiological cut-off values of etimicin: a new fourth-generation aminoglycoside, against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii and Staphylococcus aureus.

Objective: To determine the epidemiological cut-off (ECOFF) values of etimicin against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii and Staphylococcus aureus.

Methods: We selected 1500 isolates from five hospitals throughout five cities in China spanning from January 2018 to December 2021 in the study. Minimal inhibit concentrations (MICs) of etimicin were determined using the broth microdilution method.

Major facilitator family transporters specifically enhance caffeyl alcohol uptake during C-lignin biosynthesis.

The mode of transport of lignin monomers to the sites of polymerization in the apoplast remains controversial. C-Lignin is a recently discovered form of lignin found in some seed coats that is composed exclusively of units derived from caffeyl alcohol. RNA-seq and proteome analyses identified a number of transporters co-expressed with C-lignin deposition in the seed coat of Cleome hassleriana.

scRNA-Seq Analysis Revealed CAFs Regulating HCC Cells via PTN Signaling.

Background: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a pivotal role in shaping the microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the mechanisms through which CAFs influence the progression of HCC remain incompletely understood.

Methods: Single-cell RNA sequencing datasets (GSE158723 and GSE112271) were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and analyzed using R software.

CsCBF2 contributes to cold repression of chlorophyll and carotenoid biosynthesis in albino Camellia sinensis cv. Baiye 1.

C-repeat binding factors (CsCBFs) play a pivotal role in regulating cold response in higher plants. Camellia sinensis cv. Baiye 1, a representative albino tea cultivar, has been identified as temperature-sensitive based on long-term observations by tea farmers.

Risk factors for postoperative recurrence in eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps: development of a prediction model.

Objective: To identify risk factors for postoperative recurrence in patients with eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (ECRSwNP) and develop a nomogram prediction model for identifying patients at high risk of recurrence.

Methods: A cohort study involving 200 ECRSwNP patients analyzed clinical data for recurrence predictors using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. A nomogram model was developed and validated using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves.

Highly sensitive detection of MMP-2 using an electrochemiluminescent biosensor enhanced by ladder-branch hybridization chain reaction.

An advanced electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor was developed that integrates T7 RNA polymerase amplification, ladder-branch hybridization chain reaction (HCR), and the precise targeting capabilities of CRISPR/Cas13a technology. The novelty of this research lies in the unique combination of these three cutting-edge technologies, which has not been previously utilized together in biosensing platforms, enabling highly sensitive and specific detection of biomolecules with exceptional precision. This innovative biosensor addresses the critical need for sensitive and specific detection of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), a key biomarker in cancer diagnostics.

AI-integrated network for RNA complex structure and dynamic prediction.

RNA complexes are essential components in many cellular processes. The functions of these complexes are linked to their tertiary structures, which are shaped by detailed interface information, such as binding sites, interface contact, and dynamic conformational changes. Network-based approaches have been widely used to analyze RNA complex structures.

Evaluation of chiral separation ability and separation principle of β-cyclodextrins-based supramolecular deep eutectic solvent in capillary electrophoresis.

A series of supramolecular deep eutectic solvents (SURPADESs) consisting of β-cyclodextrin (β-CDs) (β-CD, HP-β-CD, M-β-CD) and l-lactic acid were synthesized and employed as chiral selector to investigate their chiral selectivity in capillary electrophoresis. Key elements influencing the separation efficiency, such as the ratio of HBA/HBD of SUPRADESs, the concentration of SUPRADESs, and buffer pH were thoroughly examined and deliberated upon. Under the optimum enantioseparation conditions, three SUPRADESs systems showed markedly enhanced chiral separation of model chiral drugs, in comparison with single CDs and dual chiral selectors composed by adding its two constituents CDs and l-lactic acid separately.

Ceftazidime-avibactam resistance in KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae accompanied hypermucoviscosity acquisition.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance and bacterial hypermucoviscosity, associated with escalating production of capsules, constitute major challenges for the clinical management of Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) infections. This study investigates the association and underlying mechanism between ceftazidime-avibactam (CAZ-AVI) resistance and bacterial hypermucoviscosity in Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing K.

A chloroplast localized heavy metal-associated domain containing protein regulates grain calcium accumulation in rice.

Calcium (Ca) is an essential mineral nutrient and plays a crucial signaling role in all living organisms. Increasing Ca content in staple foods such as rice is vital for improving Ca nutrition of humans. Here we map a quantitative trait locus that controls Ca concentration in rice grains and identify the causal gene as GCSC1 (Grain Ca and Sr Concentrations 1), which encodes a chloroplast vesicle localized homo-oligomeric protein.

Advances and Challenges in Scoring Functions for RNA-Protein Complex Structure Prediction.

RNA-protein complexes play a crucial role in cellular functions, providing insights into cellular mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets. However, experimental determination of these complex structures is often time-consuming and resource-intensive, and it rarely yields high-resolution data. Many computational approaches have been developed to predict RNA-protein complex structures in recent years.

Identification and Verification of Key Genes in Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases Through Analysis of Single-Cell Sequencing Data and TCGA Data.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is highly prevalent worldwide, with more patients experiencing colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRLM). This study aimed to identify key genes in CRLM through single-cell sequencing data reanalysis and experimental validation.

Methods: The study analyzed single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database.

Exploring the molecular targets of fingolimod and siponimod for treating the impaired cognition of schizophrenia using network pharmacology and molecular docking.

The treatment of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia is an unaddressed need due to the absence of novel treatments. Recent studies demonstrated that fingolimod and siponimod have neuroprotective effects in several neuropsychiatric disorders; however, their pharmacological mechanisms are unclear. The objective of this study was to identify potential molecular mechanisms of fingolimod and siponimod for improving cognition of schizophrenia through network pharmacology and molecular docking.