2020 Vol. 11, No. 3

Turn around gazing at moon-回头望月
In developing cerebral cortex (the ground), cortical cells derived from Kdm2b-expressing intermediate neural precursors (INPs) are labeled in red and form clone-like clusters. Cortical neurons, stars in night the sky, are largely progenies of INPs (Moon), wherein LncKdm2b controls transcription of its divergent protein-coding gene Kdm2b by modulating local chromatin structure.
Recollection
A pioneer of modern Chinese Physiology: Dr. Robert Kho-Seng Lim
Fang Zhang
2020, 11(3): 155-157. doi: 10.1007/s13238-019-00655-z
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Commentary
Atomic-resolution view of complete TCR-CD3 revealed
Jijie Chai
2020, 11(3): 158-160. doi: 10.1007/s13238-019-00677-7
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Research articles
Long non-coding RNA LncKdm2b regulates cortical neuronal differentiation by cis-activating Kdm2b
Wei Li, Wenchen Shen, Bo Zhang, Kuan Tian, Yamu Li, Lili Mu, Zhiyuan Luo, Xiaoling Zhong, Xudong Wu, Ying Liu, Yan Zhou
2020, 11(3): 161-186. doi: 10.1007/s13238-019-0650-z
Abstract:
The mechanisms underlying spatial and temporal control of cortical neurogenesis of the brain are largely elusive. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as essential cell fate regulators. Here we found LncKdm2b (also known as Kancr), a lncRNA divergently transcribed from a bidirectional promoter of Kdm2b, is transiently expressed during early differentiation of cortical projection neurons. Interestingly, Kdm2b's transcription is positively regulated in cis by LncKdm2b, which has intrinsic-activating function and facilitates a permissive chromatin environment at the Kdm2b's promoter by associating with hnRNPAB. Lineage tracing experiments and phenotypic analyses indicated LncKdm2b and Kdm2b are crucial in proper differentiation and migration of cortical projection neurons. These observations unveiled a lncRNA-dependent machinery in regulating cortical neuronal differentiation.
Activation of the pattern recognition receptor NOD1 augments colon cancer metastasis
Henry Y. Jiang, Sara Najmeh, Guy Martel, Elyse MacFadden-Murphy, Raquel Farias, Paul Savage, Arielle Leone, Lucie Roussel, Jonathan Cools-Lartigue, Stephen Gowing, Julie Berube, Betty Giannias, France Bourdeau, Carlos H. F. Chan, Jonathan D. Spicer, Rebecca McClure, Morag Park, Simon Rousseau, Lorenzo E. Ferri
2020, 11(3): 187-201. doi: 10.1007/s13238-019-00687-5
Abstract:
While emerging data suggest nucleotide oligomerization domain receptor 1 (NOD1), a cytoplasmic pattern recognition receptor, may play an important and complementary role in the immune response to bacterial infection, its role in cancer metastasis is entirely unknown. Hence, we sought to determine the effects of NOD1 on metastasis. NOD1 expression in paired human primary colon cancer, human and murine colon cancer cells were determined using immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting (WB). Clinical significance of NOD1 was assessed using TCGA survival data. A series of in vitro and in vivo functional assays, including adhesion, migration, and metastasis, was conducted to assess the effect of NOD1. C12-iE-DAP, a highly selective NOD1 ligand derived from gram-negative bacteria, was used to activate NOD1. ML130, a specific NOD1 inhibitor, was used to block C12-iE-DAP stimulation. Stable knockdown (KD) of NOD1 in human colon cancer cells (HT29) was constructed with shRNA lentiviral transduction and the functional assays were thus repeated. Lastly, the predominant signaling pathway of NOD1-activation was identified using WB and functional assays in the presence of specific kinase inhibitors. Our data demonstrate that NOD1 is highly expressed in human colorectal cancer (CRC) and human and murine CRC cell lines. Clinically, we demonstrate that this increased NOD1 expression negatively impacts survival in patients with CRC. Subsequently, we identify NOD1 activation by C12-iE-DAP augments CRC cell adhesion, migration and metastasis. These effects are predominantly mediated via the p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. This is the first study implicating NOD1 in cancer metastasis, and thus identifying this receptor as a putative therapeutic target.
Letters
Phase separation of the C. elegans Polycomb protein SOP-2 is modulated by RNA and sumoylation
Wenyan Qu, Zheng Wang, Hong Zhang
2020, 11(3): 202-207. doi: 10.1007/s13238-019-00680-y
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Crystal structures of N-terminal WRKY transcription factors and DNA complexes
Yong-ping Xu, Hua Xu, Bo Wang, Xiao-Dong Su
2020, 11(3): 208-213. doi: 10.1007/s13238-019-00670-0
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The ZBTB24-CDCA7 axis regulates HELLS enrichment at centromeric satellite repeats to facilitate DNA methylation
Swanand Hardikar, Zhengzhou Ying, Yang Zeng, Hongbo Zhao, Bigang Liu, Nicolas Veland, Kevin McBride, Xiaodong Cheng, Taiping Chen
2020, 11(3): 214-218. doi: 10.1007/s13238-019-00682-w
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αKLOTHO and sTGFβR2 treatment counteract the osteoarthritic phenotype developed in a rat model
Paloma Martinez-Redondo, Isabel Guillen-Guillen, Noah Davidsohn, Chao Wang, Javier Prieto, Masakazu Kurita, Fumiyuki Hatanaka, Cuiqing Zhong, Reyna Hernandez-Benitez, Tomoaki Hishida, Takashi Lezaki, Akihisa Sakamoto, Amy N. Nemeth, Yuriko Hishida, Concepcion Rodriguez Esteban, Kensaku Shojima, Ling Huang, Maxim Shokhirev, Estrella Nuñez-Delicado, Josep M. Campistol, Isabel Guillen-Vicente, Elena Rodriguez-Iñigo, Juan Manuel Lopez-Alcorocho, Marta Guillen-Vicente, George Church, Pradeep Reddy, Pedro Guillen-Garcia, Guang-Hui Liu, Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte
2020, 11(3): 219-226. doi: 10.1007/s13238-019-00685-7
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Correction to: Neuroendocrine characteristics of induced pluripotent stem cells from polycystic ovary syndrome women
Zheying Min, Yue Zhao, Jing Hang, Yun Ren, Tao Tan, Yong Fan, Yang Yu
2020, 11(3): 227-229. doi: 10.1007/s13238-019-00664-y
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Correction to: DNMT3A reads and connects histone H3K36me2 to DNA methylation
Wenqi Xu, Jiahui Li, Bowen Rong, Bin Zhao, Mei Wang, Ruofei Dai, Qilong Chen, Hang Liu, Zhongkai Gu, Shuxian Liu, Rui Guo, Hongjie Shen, Feizhen Wu, Fei Lan
2020, 11(3): 230-230. doi: 10.1007/s13238-019-00678-6
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