Unlabelled: Although genomes encode instructions for mammalian cell differentiation with rich syntactic relationships, existing methods for genetically programming cells have modest capabilities for stepwise regulation of genes. Here, we developed a sequential genetic system that enables transcriptional activation of endogenous genes in a preprogrammed, stepwise manner. The system relies on the removal of an RNA polymerase III termination signal to induce both the transcriptional activation and the DNA endonuclease activities of a Cas9-VPR protein to effect stepwise progression through cascades of gene activation events. The efficiency of the cascading system enables a new dimension for cellular programming by allowing the manipulation of the sequential order of gene activation for directing the differentiation of human stem cells.
One-sentence Summary: Development of a synthetic biology system for preprogrammed, stepwise activation of endogenous genes.
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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11429781 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2024.09.17.613466 | DOI Listing |
J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia
January 2025
Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
Fluorescent biosensors offer a powerful tool for tracking and quantifying protein activity in living systems with high temporospatial resolution. However, the expression of genetically encoded fluorescent proteins can interfere with endogenous signaling pathways, potentially leading to developmental and physiological abnormalities. The EKAREV-NLS mouse model, which carries a FRET-based biosensor for monitoring extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activity, has been widely utilized both in vivo and in vitro across various cell types and organs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCell Mol Biol Lett
January 2025
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Medical University of Bialystok, Kilinskiego 1, 15-069, Bialystok, Poland.
The skin is a barrier that protects the human body against environmental factors (physical, including solar radiation, chemicals, and pathogens). The integrity and, consequently, the effective metabolic activity of skin cells is ensured by the cell membrane, the important structural and metabolic elements of which are phospholipids. Phospholipids are subject to continuous transformation, including enzymatic hydrolysis (with the participation of phospholipases A, C, and D) to free polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which under the influence of cyclooxygenases (COX1/2), lipoxygenases (LOXs), and cytochrome P450 (CYPs P450) are metabolized to various classes of oxylipins, depending on the type of PUFA being metabolized and the enzyme acting.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Mater
January 2025
Mechanisms of Morphogenesis Lab, Gulbenkian Institute of Science (IGC), Oeiras, Portugal.
Directed collective cell migration is essential for morphogenesis, and chemical, electrical, mechanical and topological features have been shown to guide cell migration in vitro. Here we provide in vivo evidence showing that endogenous electric fields drive the directed collective cell migration of an embryonic stem cell population-the cephalic neural crest of Xenopus laevis. We demonstrate that the voltage-sensitive phosphatase 1 is a key component of the molecular mechanism, enabling neural crest cells to specifically transduce electric fields into a directional cue in vivo.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiochem Pharmacol
January 2025
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece; Institute of Biosciences, University Research Center Ioannina, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece. Electronic address:
PTEN, a tumor suppressor phosphatase, regulates cellular functions by antagonizing the growth promoting PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway through the dephosphorylation of the second messenger PIP. Many preclinical cellular and animal studies have used PTEN inhibitors to highlight specific disease contexts where acute activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway might offer therapeutic advantages. In the present study we have re-evaluated first-generation PTEN inhibitors, including established bisperoxo-vanadium complexes (bpVs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFree Radic Biol Med
January 2025
Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy; Unit of Neuropharmacology and Translational Neurosciences, Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, Troina, Italy. Electronic address:
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive decline and memory loss. A critical aspect of AD pathology is represented by oxidative stress, which significantly contributes to neuronal damage and death. Microglia and astrocytes, the primary glial cells in the brain, are crucial for managing oxidative stress and supporting neuronal function.
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