Placental malaria is caused by Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes (IEs) adhering to chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans in placenta via VAR2CSA-type PfEMP1. Human pentameric immunoglobulin M (IgM) binds to several types of PfEMP1, including VAR2CSA via its Fc domain. Here, a 3.6 Å cryo-electron microscopy map of the IgM-VAR2CSA complex reveals that two molecules of VAR2CSA bind to the Cµ4 of IgM through their DBL3X and DBL5ε domains. The clockwise and anti-clockwise rotation of the two VAR2CSA molecules on opposite faces of IgM juxtaposes C-termini of both VAR2CSA near the J chain, where IgM creates a wall between both VAR2CSA molecules and hinders its interaction with its receptor. To support this, we show when VAR2CSA is bound to IgM, its staining on IEs as well as binding of IEs to chondroitin sulfate A in vitro is severely compromised.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-41838-x | DOI Listing |
Mater Today Bio
February 2025
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215000, China.
Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration represents a significant cause of chronic back pain and disability, with a substantial impact on the quality of life. Conventional therapeutic modalities frequently address the symptoms rather than the underlying etiology, underscoring the necessity for regenerative therapies that restore disc function. Polysaccharide-based materials, such as hyaluronic acid, alginate, chitosan, and chondroitin sulfate, have emerged as promising candidates for intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) therapy due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and ability to mimic the native extracellular matrix (ECM) of the nucleus pulposus (NP).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMater Today Bio
February 2025
Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a neurological condition that causes significant loss of sensory, motor, and autonomic functions below the level of injury. Current clinical treatment strategies often fail to meet expectations. Hyaluronidase is typically associated with tumor progression and bacterial infections.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Neuroinflammation
January 2025
Department of Cerebrovascular Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, 2 Jingba Road, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
Background: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) causes prominent deposition of extracellular matrix molecules, particularly the chondroitin sulphate proteoglycan (CSPG) member neurocan. In tissue culture, neurocan impedes the properties of oligodendrocytes. Whether therapeutic reduction of neurocan promotes oligodendrogenesis and functional recovery in ICH is unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Orthop Surg Res
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Monash Suzhou Research Institute, Monash University, Suzhou, 215000, Jiangsu, China.
Backgrounds: Osteoarthritis (OA) significantly impacts the elderly, leading to disability and decreased quality of life. While hyaluronic acid (HA) and chondroitin sulfate (CS) are recognized for their therapeutic potential in OA, their effects on extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation are not well understood. This study investigates the impact of HA and CS, individually and combined, on ECM degradation in OA and the underlying mechanisms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Neurosci
January 2025
Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Science, 84510 Bratislava, Slovakia.
Extracellular matrix (ECM) is a network of macromolecules which has two forms - perineuronal nets (PNNs) and a diffuse ECM (dECM) - both influence brain development, synapse formation, neuroplasticity, CNS injury and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. ECM remodeling can influence extrasynaptic transmission, mediated by diffusion of neuroactive substances in the extracellular space (ECS). In this study we analyzed how disrupted PNNs and dECM influence brain diffusibility.
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