Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) plays critical roles in T cell development in the thymus. Nevertheless, the dynamics of ERK activity and the role of ERK in regulating thymocyte motility remain largely unknown due to technical limitations. To visualize ERK activity in thymocytes, we here developed knockin reporter mice expressing a Förster/fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based biosensor for ERK from the ROSA26 locus. Live imaging of thymocytes isolated from the reporter mice revealed that ERK regulates thymocyte motility in a subtype-specific manner. Negative correlation between ERK activity and motility was observed in CD4/CD8 double-positive thymocytes and CD8 single-positive thymocytes, but not in CD4 single-positive thymocytes. Interestingly, however, the temporal deviations of ERK activity from the average correlate with the motility of CD4 single-positive thymocytes. Thus, live-cell FRET imaging will open a window to understanding the dynamic nature and the diverse functions of ERK signaling in T cell biology.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2018.11.025 | DOI Listing |
Glycoconj J
January 2025
Department of Molecular Nutrition, CSIR-CFTRI, Mysuru, 570020, India.
Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are essential bone extracellular matrix molecules that regulate osteoblast differentiation. Numerous studies have explored endogenous and exogenous GAG osteoanabolic activities using appropriate in vitro and in vivo models. However, GAGs' underlying the mechanism of action and structure-function relationships need to be elucidated in detail.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Nephrol
January 2025
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, Pieve Emanuele, 20072, Milan, Italy.
Background: In an Italian cohort of lupus podocytopathy patients, we aimed to characterize the presenting features, therapy, and outcomes, and explore differences between relapsing and non-relapsing patients.
Methods: We identified 29 patients with lupus podocytopathy from 1994 to 2023 in 11 Italian Nephrology/Rheumatology Units, and divided them into two groups: relapsing and non-relapsing. Given the limited sample size, a p-value ≤ 0.
BMC Gastroenterol
January 2025
Department of Pediatrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710061, China.
Background: The increased apoptosis of bile duct epithelial cells (BECs) due to some damage factors is considered the initiating factor in the occurrence and progression of biliary atresia (BA). Vitamin D receptor (VDR) is thought to play a crucial role in maintaining the intrinsic immune balance and integrity of bile duct epithelial cells (BECs). To investigate the role of VDRs in the pathogenesis and progression of BA using in vitro and in vivo models.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
January 2025
Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering Ministry of Education, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Institute of Spinal Cord Injury, Department of Histology and Embryology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Neuromuscular diseases usually manifest as abnormalities involving motor neurons, neuromuscular junctions, and skeletal muscle (SkM) in postnatal stage. Present in vitro models of neuromuscular interactions require a long time and lack neuroglia involvement. Our study aimed to construct rodent bioengineered spinal cord neural network-skeletal muscle (NN-SkM) assembloids to elucidate the interactions between spinal cord neural stem cells (SC-NSCs) and SkM cells and their biological effects on the development and maturation of postnatal spinal cord motor neural circuits.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) has a high mortality and morbidity rate and seriously jeopardizes human life. Chemicals and chemotherapeutic agents have been experiencing problems such as side effects and drug resistance in the treatment of HCC, which cannot meet the needs of clinical treatment. Therefore, finding novel low-toxicity and high-efficiency anti-hepatocellular carcinoma drugs and exploring their mechanisms of action have become the current problems to be solved in the treatment of HCC.
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