Deciphering how genes interpret information from transcription factor (TF) concentrations within the cell nucleus remains a fundamental question in gene regulation. Recent advancements have revealed the heterogeneous distribution of TF molecules, posing challenges to precisely decoding concentration signals. Using high-resolution single-cell imaging of the fluorescently tagged TF Bicoid in living embryos, we show that Bicoid accumulation in submicrometer clusters preserves the spatial information of the maternal Bicoid gradient. These clusters provide precise spatial cues through intensity, size, and frequency. We further discover that Bicoid target genes colocalize with these clusters in an enhancer-binding affinity-dependent manner. Our modeling suggests that clustering offers a faster sensing mechanism for global nuclear concentrations than freely diffusing TF molecules detected by simple enhancers.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adp3251 | DOI Listing |
Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol
January 2025
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University, Lonere, Raigad, 402103, India.
Acute lung injury i.e. ALI and its serious form acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are incurable medical conditions associated with significant global mortality and morbidity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStem Cell Rev Rep
January 2025
Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam, India.
Background: Undifferentiated embryonic cell transcription factor 1 (UTF1) is predominantly expressed in pluripotent stem cells and plays a vital role in embryonic development and pluripotency maintenance. Despite its established importance in murine models, the role of UTF1 on human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has not been comprehensively studied.
Methods: This study utilized CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to create UTF1 knockout in human fibroblasts and iPSCs.
Metab Brain Dis
January 2025
Department of Pharmacy, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shaoyang University, Shaoyang, Hunan, China.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and the aggregation of tau protein, resulting in intense memory loss and dementia. Diabetes-associated cognitive dysfunction (DACD) is a complication of diabetes mellitus, which is associated with decreased cognitive function and impaired memory. A growing body of literature emphasize the involvement of microglia in AD and DACD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Neurochem
January 2025
Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Misfolding and accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) lead to neuronal loss through various mechanisms, including the downregulation of eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (EEF2) protein synthesis signaling. This study investigated the neuroprotective effects of indole and coumarin derivatives on Aβ folding and EEF2 signaling using SH-SY5Y cells expressing Aβ-green fluorescent protein (GFP) folding reporter. Among the tested compounds, two indole (NC009-1, -6) and two coumarin (LM-021, -036) derivatives effectively reduced Aβ misfolding and associated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiophys J
January 2025
Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Rd. Worcester, MA 01609. Electronic address:
Cells respond to hypo-osmotic stress by initial swelling followed by intracellular increases in the number of osmolytes and initiation of gene transcription that allow cells to adapt to the stress. Here, we have studied the genes that change expression under mild hypo-osmotic stress for 12 and 24 hours in rat cultured smooth muscle cells (WKO-3M22). We find shifts in the transcription of many genes, several of which are associated with circadian rhythm, such as per1, nr1d1, per2, dbp, and Ciart.
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