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Kim, J. H.

Publications and source records attributed to Kim, J. H..

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

SARS-CoV-2 NSP13 suppresses the Hippo pathway downstream effector YAP

The Hippo pathway controls organ development, homeostasis, and regeneration primarily by modulating YAP/TEAD-mediated gene expression. Although emerging studies report Hippo-YAP dysfunction after viral infection, it is largely unknown in the context of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Here, we analyzed RNA sequencing data from induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) and SARS-CoV-2-infected human lung samples, and observed a decrease in YAP target gene expression. In screening SARS-CoV-2 nonstructural proteins, we found that nonstructural protein 13 (NSP13), a conserved coronavirus helicase, inhibits YAP transcriptional activity independent of the upstream Hippo kinases LATS1/2. Consistently, introducing NSP13 into cardiomyocytes suppresses an active form of YAP (YAP5SA) in vivo. Subsequent investigations on NSP13 mutants revealed that NSP13 helicase activity, including DNA binding and unwinding, is crucial for suppressing YAP transactivation. Mechanistically, TEAD4 serves as a platform to recruit NSP13 and YAP. NSP13 likely inactivates the YAP/TEAD4 transcription complex by remodeling chromatin to recruit proteins, such as transcription termination factor 2 (TTF2), to bind the YAP/TEAD/NSP13 complex. These findings reveal a novel YAP/TEAD regulatory mechanism and uncover molecular insights into Hippo-YAP regulation after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

cell biology↗

Genomic hypomethylation in cell-free DNA predicts responses to checkpoint blockade in lung and breast cancer

Genomic hypomethylation has recently been identified as a determinant of therapeutic responses to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). However, tumor tissue is often unattainable, and tissue-based methylation profiling suffers from low tumor purity. In this study, we developed an assay named iMethyl to estimate the genomic hypomethylation status from cell-free DNA (cfDNA) as well as tissue by deep targeted sequencing of young LINE-1 elements with > 400,000 reads per sample. iMethyl was applied to a total of 653 ICB samples encompassing lung cancer (cfDNA n=167; tissue n=137; cfDNA early during treatment n=40), breast cancer (cfDNA n=91; tissue n=50; PBMC n=50; cfDNA at progression n=44), and ovarian cancer (tissue n=74). iMethyl-tissue had better predictive power than tumor mutation burden and PD-L1 expression. Furthermore, iMethyl-liquid predicted ICB responses accurately regardless of the tumor purity of tissue samples. iMethyl-liquid was also able to monitor therapeutic responses early during treatment (3 or 6 weeks after initiation of ICB) and detect progressive hypomethylation accompanying tumor progression. In conclusion, our method allows for reliable noninvasive prediction, early evaluation, and monitoring of clinical responses to ICB therapy.

cancer biology↗

Warm temperature suppresses plant systemic acquired resistance by intercepting the N-hydroxypipecolic acid immune pathway

Climate warming influences disease development by targeting critical components of the plant immune system, including pattern-triggered immunity (PTI), effector-triggered immunity (ETI) and production of the central defence hormone salicylic acid (SA) at the primary pathogen infection site. However, it is not clear if and/or how temperature impacts systemic immunity. Here we show that pathogen-triggered systemic acquired resistance (SAR) in Arabidopsis thaliana is suppressed at elevated temperature. This was accompanied by global downregulation of SAR-induced genes at elevated temperature. Abolished SAR under warmer conditions was associated with reduced biosynthesis of the SAR metabolite N-hydroxypipecolic acid (NHP) in Arabidopsis and other plant species (such as tomato and rapeseed), as demonstrated by downregulation of NHP biosynthetic genes (ALD1 and FMO1) and reduced NHP and pipecolic acid (Pip) levels. Although multiple SAR signals have been shown previously, exogenous NHP or Pip was sufficient to restore disease protection at elevated temperature, indicating that heat-mediated SAR suppression is due to downregulation of the NHP pathway. Along with ALD1 and FMO1, local and systemic expression of the SA biosynthetic gene ICS1 were also suppressed at warm temperature. Finally, we define a transcriptional network controlling thermosensitive NHP pathway via the master transcription factors CBP60g and SARD1. Our findings demonstrate that warm temperatures impact not only local but also systemic immunity by impinging on NHP biosynthesis, providing a roadmap towards engineering climate-resilient plant immune systems.

plant biology↗

Chronic Interferon Stimulated Gene Transcription Promotes Oncogene Induced Breast Cancer

The Mre11 complex (comprising Mre11, Rad50, Nbs1) is integral to the maintenance of genome stability. We previously showed that a hypomorphic Mre11 mutant mouse strain (Mre11ATLD1/ATLD1) was highly susceptible to oncogene induced breast cancer. Here we used a mammary organoid system to examine which Mre11 dependent responses are tumor suppressive. We found that Mre11ATLD1/ATLD1 organoids exhibited an elevated interferon stimulated gene (ISG) signature and sustained changes in chromatin accessibility. This Mre11ATLD1/ATLD1 phenotype depended on DNA binding of a nuclear innate immune sensor, IFI205. Ablation of Ifi205 in Mre11ATLD1/ATLD1 organoids restored baseline and oncogene-induced chromatin accessibility patterns to those observed in WT. Implantation of Mre11ATLD1/ATLD1 organoids and activation of oncogene led to aggressive metastatic breast cancer. This outcome was reversed in implanted Ifi205-/- Mre11ATLD1/ATLD1 organoids. These data reveal a connection between innate immune signaling and tumor suppression in mammary epithelium. Given the abundance of aberrant DNA structures that arise in the context of genome instability syndromes, the data further suggest that cancer predisposition in those contexts may be partially attributable to tonic innate immune transcriptional programs.

molecular biology↗

Calcium Sulfate Microparticle Size Modification for Improved Alginate Hydrogel Fabrication and Its Application in 3D Cell Culture

Calcium ion-crosslinked alginate hydrogels are widely used as a materials system for investigating cell behavior in 3D environments in vitro. Suspensions of calcium sulfate particles are often used as the source of Ca2+ to control the rate of gelation. However, the instability of calcium sulfate suspensions can increase chances of reduced homogeneity of the resulting gel and requires researchers proficiency. Here, we show that ball-milled calcium sulfate microparticles with smaller sizes can create more stable crosslinker suspensions than unprocessed or simply autoclaved calcium sulfate particles. In particular, 15 {micro}m ball-milled calcium sulfate microparticles result in gels that are more homogeneous with a balanced gelation rate, which facilitates fabrication of gels with consistent mechanical properties and reliable performance for 3D cell culture. Overall, these microparticles represent an improved method for alginate hydrogel fabrication that can increase experimental reliability and quality for 3D cell culture.

bioengineering↗

The lipid Gb3 promotes germinal center B cell responses and anti-viral immunity

Influenza viruses escape immunity due to rapid antigenic evolution, which requires vaccination strategies that allow for broadly protective antibody responses. Here, we demonstrate that the lipid globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) expressed on germinal center (GC) B cells is essential for the production of high-affinity antibodies. Mechanistically, Gb3 binds and disengages CD19 from its chaperone CD81 for subsequent translocation to the B cell receptor (BCR) complex to trigger signaling. Abundance of Gb3 amplifies the PI3-kinase/Akt/Foxo1 pathway to drive affinity maturation. Moreover, this lipid regulates MHC-II expression to increase diversity of T follicular helper (Tfh) and GC B cells reactive with subdominant epitopes. In influenza infection, Gb3 promotes broadly reactive antibody responses and cross-protection. Thus, we show that Gb3 determines affinity as well as breadth in B cell immunity and propose this lipid as novel vaccine adjuvant against viral infection. One Sentence SummaryGb3 abundance on GC B cells selects antibodies with high affinity and broad epitope reactivities, which are cross-protective against heterologous influenza infection.

immunology↗

The secreted midbody remnants, MBsomes, as a new class of mRNA nanocarrier applicable to diverse medical fields

The midbodysome (MBsome), a secreted remnant of midbody during cell division, is now known to play a key role in cytokinesis. It was thought that the MBsome is either released into the extracellular space or autophagically degraded by one of its daughter cells. However, recent studies have revealed that MBsomes can be maintained by cells even after cell division is complete, and that they accumulate in the cytoplasm and regulate cell proliferation and survival through integrin and epidermal growth factor receptor-dependent pathways. Here, we examined the ability of MBsomes to act as carriers of mRNAs, a novel function that has not been studied. We found that MBsomes isolated from human lung cancer and stem cells via sucrose cushion ultracentrifugation were 300-400 nm in size and stable for up to 4 days when stored at 4{degrees}C. In addition, we confirmed successful expression of the EGFP protein following incubation of the isolated MBsomes with the EGFP mRNA at room temperature. These results suggest that MBsomes have the potential to serve as mRNA carriers and therapeutic agents capable of delivering a gene-of-interest.

cell biology↗

A Humanized Yeast System for Evaluating the Protein Prenylation of a Wide Range of Human and Viral CaaX Sequences

The C-terminal CaaX sequence (cysteine-aliphatic-aliphatic-any of several amino acids) is subject to isoprenylation on the conserved cysteine and is estimated to occur in 1-2% of proteins within yeast and human proteomes. Recently, non-canonical CaaX sequences in addition to shorter and longer length CaX and CaaaX sequences have been identified that can be prenylated. Much of the characterization of prenyltransferases has relied on the yeast system because of its genetic tractability and availability of reporter proteins, such as the a-factor mating pheromone, Ras GTPase, and Ydj1 Hsp40 chaperone. To compare the properties of yeast and human prenyltransferases, including the recently expanded target specificity of yeast farnesyltransferase, we have developed yeast strains that express human farnesyltransferase or geranylgeranyltransferase-I in lieu of their yeast counterparts. The humanized yeast strains display robust prenyltransferase activity that functionally replaces yeast prenyltransferase activity in a wide array of tests, including the prenylation of a wide variety of canonical and non-canonical human CaaX sequences, virus encoded CaaX sequences, non-canonical length sequences, and heterologously expressed human proteins HRas and DNAJA2. These results reveal highly overlapping substrate specificity for yeast and human farnesyltransferase, and mostly overlapping substrate specificity for GGTase-I. This yeast system is a valuable tool for further defining the prenylome of humans and other organisms, identifying proteins for which prenylation status has not yet been determined. Summary StatementWe report yeast engineered to express human prenylation enzymes with which prenylation can be investigated for established and novel CaaX sequences associated with proteins involved in human disease.

biochemistry↗

Small extracellular vesicles promote stiffness-mediated metastasis

Tissue stiffness is a critical prognostic factor in breast cancer and is associated with metastatic progression. Here we show an alternative and complementary hypothesis of tumor progression whereby physiological matrix stiffness affects the quantity and protein cargo of small EVs produced by cancer cells, which in turn drive their metastasis. Primary patient breast tissue produces significantly more EVs from stiff tumor tissue than soft tumor adjacent tissue. EVs released by cancer cells on matrices that model human breast tumors (25 kPa; stiff EVs) feature increased adhesion molecule presentation (ITG2{beta}1, ITG6{beta}4, ITG6{beta}1, CD44) compared to EVs from softer normal tissue (0.5 kPa; soft EVs), which facilitates their binding to extracellular matrix (ECM) protein collagen IV, and a 3-fold increase in homing ability to distant organs in mice. In a zebrafish xenograft model, stiff EVs aid cancer cell dissemination through enhanced chemotaxis. Moreover, normal, resident lung fibroblasts treated with stiff and soft EVs change their gene expression profiles to adopt a cancer associated fibroblast (CAF) phenotype. These findings show that EV quantity, cargo, and function depend heavily on the mechanical properties of the extracellular microenvironment. Graphical Abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=200 SRC="FIGDIR/small/545937v3_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (42K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1be1dbdorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@928710org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1e14e9borg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@efdb7f_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

cancer biology↗

Layer-specific microglia activation drives chronic stress-induced synapse loss

Spatially heterogeneous synapse loss is a characteristic of many psychiatric and neurological disorders, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Here, we show that spatially-restricted complement activation mediates stress-induced heterogeneous microglia activation and synapse loss localized to the upper layers of the mouse medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Single cell RNA sequencing also reveals a stress-associated microglia state marked by high expression of the apolipoprotein E gene (ApoEhigh) localized to the upper layers of the mPFC. Mice lacking complement component C3 are protected from stress-induced layer-specific synapse loss, and the ApoEhigh microglia population is markedly reduced in the mPFC of these mice. Furthermore, C3 knockout mice are also resilient to stress-induced anhedonia and working memory behavioral deficits. Our findings suggest that region-specific complement and microglia activation can contribute to the disease-specific spatially restricted patterns of synapse loss and clinical symptoms found in many brain diseases.

neuroscience↗

Hyperglycosylation of prosaposin in tumor DCs promotes immune escape in cancer

Tumors develop strategies to evade immunity by suppressing antigen presentation. Here, we show that prosaposin drives CD8 T cell-mediated tumor immunity and that its hyperglycosylation in tumor DCs leads to cancer immune escape. We found that lysosomal prosaposin and its single saposin cognates mediated disintegration of tumor cell-derived apoptotic bodies to facilitate presentation of membrane-associated antigen and T cell activation. In the tumor microenvironment, TGF-{beta} induced hyperglycosylation of prosaposin and its subsequent secretion, which ultimately caused depletion of lysosomal saposins. In melanoma patients, we found similar prosaposin hyperglycosylation in tumor-associated DCs, and reconstitution with prosaposin rescued activation of tumor-infiltrating T cells. Targeting tumor DCs with recombinant prosaposin triggered cancer protection and enhanced immune checkpoint therapy. Our studies demonstrate a critical function of prosaposin in tumor immunity and escape and introduce a novel principle of prosaposin-based cancer immunotherapy. One Sentence SummaryProsaposin facilitates antigen cross-presentation and tumor immunity and its hyperglycosylation leads to immune evasion.

immunology↗

FluoMALDI microscopy: matrix co-crystallization simultaneously enhances fluorescence and MALDI imaging

We report that co-crystallization of fluorophores with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) imaging matrices significantly enhances fluorophore brightness up to 79-fold, enabling the amplification of innate tissue autofluorescence. This discovery facilitates FluoMALDI, the imaging of the same biological sample by both fluorescence microscopy and MALDI imaging. Our approach combines the high spatial resolution and specific labeling capabilities of fluorescence microscopy with the inherently multiplexed, versatile imaging capabilities of MALDI imaging. This new paradigm eliminates the notion that MALDI matrices obscure and obstruct optical microscopy approaches, allowing to image the exact same cells in tissues, free of any physical changes between fluorescence and MALDI imaging, which minimizes data registration processes. Matrix-fluorophore co-crystallization also facilitates applications with insufficient fluorescence brightness. We showcase the capabilities of FluoMALDI imaging with endogenous and exogenous fluorophores and autofluorescence-based FluoMALDI of brain and kidney tissue sections. FluoMALDI will advance structural-functional microscopic imaging in cell biology, biomedicine, and pathology.

biochemistry↗

RaMALDI: enabling simultaneous Raman and MALDI imaging of the same tissue section

Multimodal tissue imaging techniques that integrate two complementary modalities are powerful discovery tools for unraveling biological processes and identifying biomarkers of disease. Combining Raman spectroscopic imaging (RSI) and matrix-assisted laser-desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) to obtain fused images with the advantages of both modalities has the potential of providing spatially resolved, sensitive, and specific biomolecular information, but has so far involved two separate, consecutive tissue sections for RSI and MALDI MSI, resulting in images from two separate entities with inherent disparities. We have developed RaMALDI, a streamlined, integrated, multimodal imaging workflow of RSI and MALDI MSI, performed on a single tissue section with one sample preparation protocol. We show that RaMALDI imaging of various tissues effectively integrates molecular information acquired from both RSI and MALDI MSI of the same sample. Table of Contents O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=142 SRC="FIGDIR/small/539107v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (26K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1829ccaorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@3d018org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@531015org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@144f1a3_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG We demonstrate for the first time RaMALDI imaging, a streamlined, integrated multimodal imaging workflow of Raman spectroscopy imaging (RSI) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI MSI), which is performed on a single sample and uses one sample preparation protocol. RaMALDI imaging of various tissues effectively integrates molecular information acquired from both RSI and MALDI MSI of the same sample.

bioengineering↗

The axonal localization of Dual Leucine Zipper Kinase defines its protein-turnover

Dual Leucine Zipper Kinase (DLK) mediates multiple neuronal stress responses, and its expression levels are constantly suppressed to prevent excessive stress signaling. We found that Wallenda (Wnd), the Drosophila ortholog of DLK, is highly enriched in the axon terminals of Drosophila sensory neurons in vivo and that this subcellular localization is necessary for Highwire-mediated Wnd protein turnover under normal conditions. Our structure-function analysis found that Wnd palmitoylation is essential for its axon terminal localization. Palmitoylation-defective Wnd accumulated in neuronal cell bodies, exhibited dramatically increased protein expression levels, and triggered excessive neuronal stress responses. Defective intracellular transport is implicated in neurodegenerative conditions. Comprehensive dominant-negative Rab protein screening identified Rab11 as an essential factor for Wnd localization in axon terminals. Consequently, Rab11 loss-of-function increased the protein levels of Wnd and induced neuronal stress responses. Inhibiting Wnd activity significantly ameliorated neuronal loss and c-Jun N-terminal kinase signaling triggered by Rab11 loss-of-function. Taken together, these suggest that DLK proteins are constantly transported to axon terminals for protein turnover and a failure of such transport can lead to neuronal loss. Our study demonstrates how subcellular protein localization is coupled to protein turnover for neuronal stress signaling. HighlightsO_LIWnd is highly enriched in axon terminals. C_LIO_LIWnd protein turnover by Hiw is restricted in the axon terminals. C_LIO_LIProtein palmitoylation of Wnd and Rab11 activity is essential for Wnd axonal localization. C_LIO_LIRab11 mutations and defective Wnd palmitoylation impair Wnd protein turnover leading to increased Wnd protein levels and neuronal loss. C_LIO_LIInhibiting Wnd activity mitigates neuronal stress response caused by Rab11 loss-of-function. C_LI

neuroscience↗

Ambient temperature crystal structure of Escherichia coli CyaY protein displays alternate conformation

Frataxin is a 23 KDa mitochondrial iron-binding protein that is involved in biogenesis of iron sulfur clusters. A deficiency in frataxin leads to Friedreichs ataxia, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. The bacterial ortholog of eukaryotic mitochondrial frataxin, CyaY, is thought to play a role in iron sulfur cluster assembly as an iron supplier, making it an important target for study. Here, we present the first ambient temperature crystal structure of CyaY protein from Escherichia coli, obtained using the Turkish Light Source "Turkish DeLight". This study reveals the dynamic structural characteristics of CyaY at near-physiological temperature and displays an alternate conformation, highlighting the importance of temperature considerations in protein structure characterization and providing new insights into the proteins flexibility.

biochemistry↗

De novo fatty-acid synthesis protects invariant NKT cells from cell death, thereby promoting their homeostasis and pathogenic roles in airway hyperresponsiveness

AbstractInvariant natural-killer T (iNKT) cells play pathogenic roles in allergic asthma in murine models and possibly also humans. While many studies show that the development and functions of innate and adaptive immune cells depend on their metabolic state, the evidence for this in iNKT cells is very limited. It is also not clear whether such metabolic regulation of iNKT cells could participate in their pathogenic activities in asthma. Here, we showed that acetyl-coA-carboxylase 1 (ACC1)-mediated de novo fatty-acid synthesis is required for the survival of iNKT cells and their deleterious functions in allergic asthma. ACC1, which is a key fatty-acid synthesis enzyme, was highly expressed by lung iNKT cells from WT mice that were developing asthma. Cd4-CreAcc1fl/fl mice failed to develop OVA-induced and HDM-induced asthma. Moreover, iNKT cell-deficient mice that were reconstituted with ACC1-deficient iNKT cells failed to develop asthma, unlike when WT iNKT cells were transferred. ACC1 deficiency in iNKT cells associated with reduced expression of fatty acid-binding proteins (FABPs) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR){gamma}, but increased glycolytic capacity that promoted iNKT-cell death. Furthermore, circulating iNKT cells from allergic-asthma patients expressed higher ACC1 and PPARG levels than the corresponding cells from non-allergic-asthma patients and healthy individuals. Thus, de novo fatty-acid synthesis prevents iNKT-cell death via an ACC1-FABP-PPAR{gamma} axis, which contributes to their homeostasis and their pathogenic roles in allergic asthma.

immunology↗

Yeast Farnesyltransferase has broad reactivity with CXXX sequences

The current understanding of farnesyltransferase (FTase) specificity was pioneered through investigations of reporters like Ras and Ras-related proteins that possess a C-terminal CaaX motif that consists of 4 amino acid residues: Cysteine - aliphatic1 - aliphatic2 - variable (X). These studies led to the finding that proteins with the CaaX motif are subject to a 3-step post-translational modification pathway involving farnesylation, proteolysis, and carboxylmethylation. Emerging evidence indicates, however, that FTase can farnesylate sequences outside the CaaX motif and that these sequences do not undergo the canonical 3-step pathway. In this work, we report a comprehensive evaluation of all possible CXXX sequences as FTase targets using the reporter Ydj1, an Hsp40 chaperone that only requires farnesylation for its activity. Our genetic and high throughput sequencing approach reveals an unprecedented profile of sequences that yeast FTase can recognize in vivo, which effectively expands the potential target space of FTase within the yeast proteome. We also document that yeast FTase specificity is majorly influenced by restrictive amino acids at a2 and X positions as opposed to the resemblance of CaaX motif as previously regarded. This first complete evaluation of CXXX space expands the complexity of protein isoprenylation and marks a key step forward in understanding the potential scope of targets for this isoprenylation pathway.

genetics↗

YAP and TAZ couple osteoblast precursor mobilization to angiogenesis and mechanoregulated bone development

Endochondral ossification requires coordinated mobilization of osteoblast precursors with blood vessels. During adult bone homeostasis, vessel adjacent osteoblast precursors respond to and are maintained by mechanical stimuli; however, the mechanisms by which these cells mobilize and respond to mechanical cues during embryonic development are unknown. Previously, we found that deletion of the mechanoresponsive transcriptional regulators, YAP and TAZ, from Osterix-expressing osteoblast precursors and their progeny caused perinatal lethality. Here, we show that embryonic YAP/TAZ signaling couples vessel-associated osteoblast precursor mobilization to angiogenesis in developing long bones. Osterix-conditional YAP/TAZ deletion impaired endochondral ossification in the primary ossification center but not intramembranous osteogenesis in the bone collar. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed YAP/TAZ regulation of the angiogenic chemokine, Cxcl12, which was expressed uniquely in vessel-associated osteoblast precursors. YAP/TAZ signaling spatially coupled osteoblast precursors to blood vessels and regulated vascular morphogenesis and vessel barrier function. Further, YAP/TAZ signaling regulated vascular loop morphogenesis at the chondro-osseous junction to control hypertrophic growth plate remodeling. In human cells, mesenchymal stromal cell co-culture promoted 3D vascular network formation, which was impaired by stromal cell YAP/TAZ depletion, but rescued by recombinant CXCL12 treatment. Lastly, YAP and TAZ mediated mechanotransduction for load-induced osteogenesis in embryonic bone.

developmental biology↗