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Biology subjects

Pi, X.

Publications and source records attributed to Pi, X..

9 recordsLinked to original sources

A tissue-resolved endothelial surface proteome atlas informs organ-selective vascular targeting

BACKGROUND Endothelial cells (ECs) exhibit organ-specific functional diversity that shapes vascular homeostasis, disease susceptibility, and therapeutic accessibility. Although single-cell transcriptomic studies have defined endothelial heterogeneity at the RNA level, the in vivo cell-surface protein landscape that directly mediates vascular signaling and drug targeting remains incompletely characterized. Here, we mapped organ-specific endothelial surface proteomes atlas in vivo to define tissue-enriched vascular protein candidates relevant to organ-selective therapeutic design. METHODS We generated Cdh5-CreERT; Cre-iPEEL mice, referred to here as CHRP mice, in which membrane-tethered horseradish peroxidase is induced selectively in ECs after tamoxifen treatment, and compared CHRP labeling with non-selective NHS-Biotin vascular labeling. Following in vivo biotin-phenol perfusion, endothelial surface proteins were enriched by streptavidin affinity purification and analyzed by mass spectrometry across six organs. Proteomic profiles were used to resolve tissue- and subtype-associated endothelial surface signatures, compare protein and transcript detection patterns, and nominate tissue-selective endothelial membrane candidates, which were annotated using ChEMBL compound-target information. RESULTS Compared with non-selective NHS-Biotin labeling, CHRP improved endothelial specificity and produced clearer separation of tissue-resolved endothelial surface proteomes across brain, white adipose tissue, small intestine, kidney, lung, and skeletal muscle. CHRP proteomics revealed pronounced organ-specific heterogeneity and resolved canonical arterial, venous, and capillary programs, as well as specialized endothelial signatures including blood-brain barrier and glomerular endothelial features. Comparison with single-cell endothelial references revealed systematic differences between transcriptomic and proteomic detection of endothelial membrane proteins. Further analysis identified tissue-selective endothelial membrane candidates, and ChEMBL annotation linked a subset of these candidates to existing compound-target records, supporting the candidate atlas as a resource for future tissue-selective vascular targeting studies. CONCLUSIONS CHRP-based in vivo proximity labeling enables systematic, protein-level mapping of organ-specific endothelial surface proteomes. Together with transcriptomic comparison and compound-target annotation, this study provides a tissue-resolved endothelial surfaceome resource for vascular biology and future organ-selective therapeutic target evaluation.

cell biology↗

3'to 5'translation of linear mRNAs?

3[->]5 translation (termed "backward translation") mediated by eukaryotic circular RNAs has been reported recently. Whether linear mRNA can produce proteins through backward translation remained elusive. Here, we demonstrate that linear mRNAs can mediate backward translation in vitro. Backward translation was detected in human cells transfected with expression vectors used to produce linear mRNAs. Importantly, synthetic linear mRNAs could produce backward translation signal in multiple in vitro translation systems, with a level comparable to that of conventional 5 to 3 forward translation. Furthermore, we demonstrated that a single translation initiating sequence (TIS) was able to drive backward and forward translation in an in vitro experimental setup, with the efficiency of backward translation found to be significant lower than that of forward translation. In summary, this study further reinforces the notion of translation flexibility, demonstrates a broader applicability of backward translation and heralds a new strategy in synthetic biology.

cell biology↗

3' to 5' Translation of Circular RNAs?

For decades, the 5[->]3 direction of translation has been a central dogma of molecular biology(1). Here we present evidence that eukaryotic circular RNAs (circRNAs) can serve as templates for 3[->]5 backward translation (BT), yielding polypeptides with distinct sequence and structural features not found in canonical proteomes. Mining of more than 6,000 multi-omics datasets identified [~]1 million candidate BT proteins across eukaryotes, including 59,000 high-confidence human BT proteins supported by mass spectrometry. Genetic combinatorial experiments (KO and KI) and cell-free translation of synthetic circRNAs establish BT as a conserved mechanism. Loss-of-function studies of hs.circCAPN15 in human and dm.circROLS in Drosophila underscore the functional importance of BT-derived proteins. Our work challenges the long-standing unidirectional translation paradigm, expands the functional landscape of the genetic code, and reveals a hitherto hidden layer of proteomic complexity with broad implications for biology and therapeutics.

molecular biology↗

The Structural Basis of Pacs1-Wdr37 Complex Assembly and Stability

Phosphofurin acidic cluster sorting protein 1 (Pacs1) is a multidomain adaptor proposed to bind transmembrane cargo proteins to facilitate their intracellular trafficking. Pacs1 also forms a complex with WD-repeat protein 37 (Wdr37), which is essential for lymphocyte homeostasis. Despite numerous proposed binding partners, a validated structure for Pacs1-containing protein complexes is lacking. Here, we present the cryo-electron microscopy structure of the Pacs1-Wdr37 complex. Pacs1 binds Wdr37 through a conserved interface within its furin-binding region (FBR), the domain previously linked to cargo recognition. This interaction stabilizes Wdr37 and is critical for the expression of both proteins. A gain-of-function mutation in PACS1 (R203W) causes a highly penetrant neurodevelopmental syndrome. This pathogenic mutation lies on a solvent-exposed surface of the FBR and does not disrupt complex formation. Instead, Pacs1-R203W remains dependent on Wdr37 for stability and its levels can be reduced through targeted Wdr37 proteolytic degradation. Structural homology of the FBR to synaptotagmin C2 domains reveals a previously unrecognized ability of Pacs1 to bind negatively charged phospholipids through a unique positively charged cleft. Together these findings define the structural basis for Pacs1-Wdr37 complex assembly and stability, present potential strategies for Pacs1-mediated neurodevelopmental disease, and suggest novel Pacs1 functions in membrane association.

biochemistry↗

Somatic repetitive element insertions Define New Biomarkers in Pan-cancer genome

Repetitive elements insertions (REIs), including tandem repeat insertions (TRIs) and transposable element insertions (TEIs), constitute >90% of large-scale (>50bp) somatic insertions and are linked to diseases and cancer biomarkers. However, the genomic landscape of large-scale REIs in pan-cancer has not been well-characterized due to short-read sequencing limitations. Here, we detected somatic REIs in 325 cancer genomes across 12 cancer types using long-read whole-genome sequencing and customized algorithms. The diverse sequence patterns of somatic TRIs and the insertion mechanisms of somatic TEIs were characterized across different cancer types. We identified 152 high-frequency somatic TRIs, with 10 showing pan-cancer characteristics, including TRIs in SHROOM2, PALMD, and the enhancer of PTPRZ1. The MHC class II gene cluster exhibited the highest somatic TEI abundance, affecting [~]40% tumors. Adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas exhibited differing TEI distributions within this region. Our study highlights REIs as important but under-explored markers for personalized cancer diagnosis and immunotherapy.

genomics↗

Effects of fructooligosaccharides and Saccharomyces boulardii on the compositional structure and metabolism of gut microbiota in students

Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are a common prebiotic widely used in functional foods. Meanwhile, Saccharomyces boulardii is a fungal probiotic frequenly used in the clinical treatment of diarrhea. Compared with single use, the combination of prebiotics and probiotics may be more effective in regulating gut microbiota. Hence, the combined use of prebiotics and probiotics has become a hot spot in synbiotics research in recent years. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of FOS and S. boulardii-- alone or in combination--on the structure and metabolism of the gut microbiota in healthy primary and secondary school students using an in vitro fermentation model. The results indicated that S. boulardii alone could not effectively regulate the community structure and metabolism of the microbiota. However, both FOS and the combination of FOS and S. boulardii could effectively regulate the microbiota, significantly inhibiting the growth of Escherichia-Shigella and Bacteroides, and controlling the production of the gases including H2S and NH3. In addition, both FOS and the combination could significantly promote the growth of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus, lower environmental pH, and enhance several physiological functions related to synthesis and metabolism. Nevertheless, the combination had more unique benefits as it promoted the growth of Lactobacillus, significantly increased CO2 production and enhanced the functional pathways of carbon metabolism and pyruvic acid metabolism. These findings provide guidance for clinical application and a theoretical basis for the development of synbiotic preparations.

microbiology↗

Structural basis of γ-chain family receptor sharing at the membrane level

The common {gamma}-chain ({gamma}c) family of cytokine receptors, including interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, IL-15, and IL-21 receptors, are activated upon engagement with the common {gamma}c receptor in ligand dependent manner. Sharing of {gamma}c by the IL receptors (ILRs) is thought to be achieved by concomitant binding of {gamma}c and ILR ectodomains to a cytokine. Here, we found that direct interactions between the transmembrane domain (TMD) of {gamma}c and those of the ILRs are also required for receptor activation, and remarkably, the same {gamma}c TMD can specifically recognize multiple ILR TMDs of diverse sequences. Heterodimer structures of {gamma}c TMD bound to the TMDs of IL-7R and IL-9R, determined in near lipid bilayer environment, reveal a conserved knob-into-hole mechanism of recognition that mediates receptor sharing within the membrane. Functional mutagenesis data indicate the requirement of the heterotypic interactions of TMDs in signaling, which could explain disease mutations within the receptor TMDs. One-Sentence SummaryThe transmembrane anchors of interleukin receptors of the gamma-chain family are critical for receptor sharing and activation.

immunology↗

Structural principles of B-cell antigen receptor assembly

The B-cell antigen receptor (BCR) is composed of a membrane-bound immunoglobulin (mIg) of class M, D, G, A or E for antigen recognition and a disulfide-linked heterodimer between Ig and Ig{beta} (Ig/{beta}, also known as CD79A and CD79B) that functions as the signalling entity. The organizing principle of BCR assembly remains elusive. Here we report the cryo-electron microscopy structures of the intact IgM class BCR at 8.2 [A] resolution and its Fab-deleted form (IgM BCR{Delta}Fab) at 3.6 [A] resolution. At the ectodomain (ECD), Ig and Ig{beta} position their respective Ig folds roughly in parallel with an approximate 2-fold symmetry, which is distinct from structures of Ig{beta}/{beta} homodimers. Unlike previous predictions, the BCR structure displays an asymmetric arrangement, in which the Ig/{beta} ECD heterodimer mainly uses Ig to associate with C{micro}3-C{micro}4 domains of one heavy chain ({micro}HC) while leaving the other heavy chain ({micro}HC) empty. The transmembrane domain (TMD) helices of the two {micro}HCs also deviate from the 2-fold symmetry of the C{micro}3-C{micro}4 domain dimer and form together with the TMD helices of the Ig/{beta} heterodimer a tight 4-helix bundle. The asymmetry at the TMD helices prevents the recruitment of two Ig/{beta} heterodimers. Surprisingly, the connecting peptides (CPs) between the ECD and TMD are braided together through striking charge complementarity, resulting in intervening of the CP of {micro}HC in between those of Ig and Ig{beta} and crossover of the TMD relative to ECD for the Ig/{beta} heterodimer, to guide the TMD assembly. Interfacial analyses suggest that the IgM BCR structure we present here may represent a general organizational architecture of all BCR classes. Our studies thus provide a structural platform for understanding B-cell signalling and for designing rational therapies against BCR-mediated diseases.

immunology↗

Loss of Bone Morphogenetic Protein-binding Endothelial Regulator Causes Insulin Resistance

Accumulating evidence suggests chronic inflammation of metabolic tissues plays a causal role in obesity-induced insulin resistance. Yet, how specific endothelial factors exert impacts in metabolic tissues remains undefined. Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)–binding endothelial regulator (BMPER) adapts endothelial cells to inflammatory stress in diverse organ microenvironments. Here we demonstrate BMPER is a driver of insulin sensitivity. Inducible knockout (iKO) of BMPER causes hyperinsulinemia, glucose intolerance and insulin resistance without increasing inflammation in metabolic tissues. Interestingly, BMPER can directly activate insulin signaling, which requires its internalization and interaction with Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1), an integral membrane protein that transports intracellular cholesterol. These results suggest the endocrine function of the vascular endothelium maintains glucose homeostasis. Of potential clinical significance, the delivery of BMPER recombinant protein or its overexpression significantly alleviates insulin resistance and hyperglycemia in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice and Leprdb/db (db/db) diabetic mice. We conclude that BMPER exhibits therapeutic potential for the treatment of diabetes.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.View Full Text

pathology↗