Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Dev Dyn 2021 Apr 19. Epub 2021 Apr 19.

Institut für Biowissenschaften, Universität Rostock, Rostock.

Background: The evolutionarily conserved odd-skipped related genes odd-skipped (odd), drumstick (drm), sister of odd and bowel (sob) and brother-of-odd-with-entrails-limited (bwl) act downstream of the Notch pathway in various insect tissues including the appendages and the gut. While the function of some of these genes have been analysed in the adult Tribolium beetle, the expression during and their requirement for embryonic development is not known.

Results: We describe here the embryonic expression patterns of drm, sob and bwl and analyse the RNAi knockdown phenotypes with emphasize on the appendages and the hindgut. Read More

Cancer Rep (Hoboken) 2021 Apr 6:e1369. Epub 2021 Apr 6.

Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering & Technology (SET), Sharda University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, 201310, India.

Background: Ubiquitin ligases or E3 ligases are well programmed to regulate molecular interactions that operate at a post-translational level. Skp, Cullin, F-box containing complex (or SCF complex) is a multidomain E3 ligase known to mediate the degradation of a wide range of proteins through the proteasomal pathway. The three-dimensional domain architecture of SCF family proteins suggests that it operates through a novel and adaptable "super-enzymatic" process that might respond to targeted therapeutic modalities in cancer. Read More

Cell Death Dis 2021 Apr 1;12(4):342. Epub 2021 Apr 1.

Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India.

Glomerular podocytes are integral members of the glomerular filtration barrier in the kidney and are crucial for glomerular permselectivity. These highly differentiated cells are vulnerable to an array of noxious stimuli that prevail in several glomerular diseases. Elevated circulating growth hormone (GH) levels are associated with podocyte injury and proteinuria in diabetes. Read More

Front Oncol 2021 10;11:607291. Epub 2021 Mar 10.

Department of Urology, First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.

The treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) remains challenging due to the failure of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT); hence the search for other molecular therapeutic targets besides androgen receptor signaling is ongoing. This study systematically investigated the expression of SOX17 and Notch receptors in CRPC tissues and cells , showing that consistent clinical CRPC, SOX17/Notch1, and Notch4 were responsible for enzalutamide resistance in CRPC cells. The secretase inhibitors, BMS-708163, GSI-IX, PF-3084014, and RO4929097 abrogated the enzalutamide resistance by inhibiting Notch1 or/and Notch4 , with GSI-IX and RO4929097 being more effective than BMS-708163 and PF-3084014 in reliving bone metastasis . Read More

Fertil Res Pract 2021 Mar 27;7(1). Epub 2021 Mar 27.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia.

Background: Abnormalities in endometrial receptivity has been identified as a major barrier to successful embryo implantation. Endometrial receptivity refers to the conformational and biochemical changes occurring in the endometrial epithelial layer which make it adhesive and receptive to blastocyst attachment. This takes place during the mid-secretory phase of woman's menstrual cycle and is a result of a delicate interplay between numerous hormones, cytokines and other factors. Read More

Zootaxa 2021 Jan 29;4920(3):zootaxa.4920.3.2. Epub 2021 Jan 29.

Research Associate, McGuire Center for Lepidoptera Biodiversity, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.

The genus Magnificus Yan, 2000 was originally established to include M. jiuzhiensis Yan, 2000 and M. zhiduoensis Yan, 2000. Read More

Placenta 2021 Apr 2;107:13-23. Epub 2021 Mar 2.

Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Child Health and Human Development Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada. Electronic address:

Introduction: The growth and survival of the mammalian fetus is highly dependent on the placenta. Several research groups have demonstrated the involvement of different transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) superfamily members and their related receptors in placentation. Cripto is a member of the epidermal growth factor-Cripto1/FRL1/Cryptic protein family and plays a critical role in embryonic development, stem cell maintenance and tumor progression through TGFβ-dependent and independent pathways. Read More

J Thorac Dis 2021 Feb;13(2):689-707

Department of Pathology, University of São Paulo Medical School (USP), São Paulo, Brazil.

Background: Pleckstrin homology domain family A (PHLDA) genes play important roles in cancer cellular processes, including inhibiting Akt activation, repressing growth factor signaling, inhibiting the negative feedback of EGFR/ErbB2 signaling cells, and inducing apoptosis. However, the prognostic significance of PHLDA in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and malignant pleural mesothelioma (MM) remains unclear. The present study investigates the associations between PHLDA expression patterns and their prognostic value in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and MM. Read More

Cancers (Basel) 2021 Feb 12;13(4). Epub 2021 Feb 12.

Department of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Medical University of Lodz, 90-752 Lodz, Poland.

Notch signaling is an evolutionarily conserved pathway regulating normal embryonic development and homeostasis in a wide variety of tissues. It is also critically involved in carcinogenesis, as well as cancer progression. Activation of the Notch pathway members can be either oncogenic or suppressive, depending on tissue context. Read More

Bioessays 2021 May 24;43(5):e2000345. Epub 2021 Feb 24.

Department of Immunology, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan.

Establishment of cell lineage identity from multipotent progenitors is controlled by cooperative actions of lineage-specific and stably expressed transcription factors, combined with input from environmental signals. Lineage-specific master transcription factors activate and repress gene expression by recruiting consistently expressed transcription factors and chromatin modifiers to their target loci. Recent technical advances in genome-wide and multi-omics analysis have shed light on unexpected mechanisms that underlie more complicated actions of transcription factors in cell fate decisions. Read More

PeerJ 2021 11;9:e10720. Epub 2021 Feb 11.

Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.

Elasmosaurid plesiosaurian remains have been documented from non-marine to paralic (fluvial to estuarine) sediments of the upper Campanian Dinosaur Park Formation (DPF) of southern Alberta since 1898. Despite this long collection history, this material has received relatively little research attention, largely due to the highly fragmentary nature of most recovered specimens. However, this assemblage is significant, as it constitutes a rare occurrence of plesiosaurian remains in a non-marine depositional environment. Read More

Molecules 2021 Jan 25;26(3). Epub 2021 Jan 25.

Stem Cell Unit, Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia.

Several signalling pathways, including the JAK/STAT signalling pathway, have been identified to regulate the differentiation of human bone marrow skeletal (mesenchymal) stem cells (hBMSCs) into bone-forming osteoblasts. Members of the JAK family mediate the intracellular signalling of various of cytokines and growth factors, leading to the regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation into bone-forming osteoblastic cells. Inhibition of JAK2 leads to decoupling of its downstream mediator, STAT3, and the subsequent inhibition of JAK/STAT signalling. Read More

Genes Cancer 2020 Dec 6;11(3-4):137-153. Epub 2020 Oct 6.

Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA.

Background: Wilms tumor is the most common pediatric renal tumor and the fourth most common malignancy in children. Chromosome 16q deletion(del) or loss of heterozygosity (LOH) has been correlated with recurrence and overall poor prognosis, such that patients with 16qLOH and 1p allelic loss are treated with more aggressive chemotherapeutic regimens.

Methods: In the present study, we have compared the variant profiles of Wilms tumors with and without 16q del/LOH using both data available from the TARGET database (42 samples) and tumors procured from our legacy collection (8 samples). Read More

Front Immunol 2020 8;11:607314. Epub 2021 Jan 8.

Department of Genetics, Genomics, and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality after viral infections, including influenza A virus H1N1, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2. The angiotensin I converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a key host membrane-bound protein that modulates ALI induced by viral infection, pulmonary acid aspiration, and sepsis. However, the contributions of sequence variants to individual differences in disease risk and severity after viral infection are not understood. Read More

Oncogene 2021 Mar 15;40(9):1578-1594. Epub 2021 Jan 15.

Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China.

Aberrant Notch activation has been implicated in multiple malignancies and the identification of NOTCH receptors and related pathways is critical for targeted therapy. In this study, we aim to delineate the most prominent dysregulated NOTCH receptor and comprehensively reveal its deregulation in gastric cancer (GC). In the four Notch members, NOTCH3 was found uniformly upregulated and associated with poor clinical outcomes in multiple GC datasets. Read More

Work 2021 ;68(1):235-241

Postgraduate Program in Management and Health Services, Ceuma University, São Luís -MA, Brazil.

Background: Musicians and dancers can be considered an at-risk population for developing noise-induced hearing loss.

Objectives: To determine the audiological profile of members of a folklore-related music group and quantify noise exposure at their rehearsal venue.

Methods: This was a quantitative and descriptive study. Read More

Insect Biochem Mol Biol 2021 Feb 4;129:103516. Epub 2021 Jan 4.

Department of Entomology and MOA Lab for Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China. Electronic address:

The T-box genes are essential transcription factors during limb development. In Drosophila, Dorsocross (Doc) and optomotor-blind (omb), members of the Tbx2 and Tbx6 families, are best studied in the Drosophila wing development. Despite prominently expressed in leg discs, the specific function of these genes in leg growth is still not revealed. Read More

Front Cardiovasc Med 2020 14;7:591787. Epub 2020 Dec 14.

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Theoretical Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany.

Intramembrane proteolysis is more than a mechanism to "clean" the membranes from proteins no longer needed. By non-reversibly modifying transmembrane proteins, intramembrane cleaving proteases hold key roles in multiple signaling pathways and often distinguish physiological from pathological conditions. Signal peptide peptidase (SPP) and signal peptide peptidase-like proteases (SPPLs) recently have been associated with multiple functions in the field of signal transduction. Read More

Cells 2020 Dec 24;10(1). Epub 2020 Dec 24.

MASVE Interdepartmental Hepatology Center, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine,University of Florence, Center for Research and Innovation CRIA-MASVE, 50134 Firenze, Italy.

Notch receptors are single-pass transmembrane proteins that play a critical role in cell fate decisions and have been implicated in the regulation of many developmental processes. The human Notch family comprises of four receptors (Notch 1 to 4) and five ligands. Their signaling can regulate extremely basic cellular processes such as differentiation, proliferation and death. Read More

BMC Biol 2020 12 22;18(1):200. Epub 2020 Dec 22.

Institute of Genetics, Heinrich-Heine-Universitaet Duesseldorf, Universitaetsstr. 1, 40225, Duesseldorf, Germany.

Background: A major task of the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) machinery is the pinching off of cargo-loaded intraluminal vesicles (ILVs) into the lumen of maturing endosomes (MEs), which is essential for the complete degradation of transmembrane proteins in the lysosome. The ESCRT machinery is also required for the termination of signalling through activated signalling receptors, as it separates their intracellular domains from the cytosol. At the heart of the machinery lies the ESCRT-III complex, which is required for an increasing number of processes where membrane regions are abscised away from the cytosol. Read More

Am J Hum Genet 2021 01 18;108(1):134-147. Epub 2020 Dec 18.

CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H3T 1C5, Canada. Electronic address:

The ubiquitin-proteasome system facilitates the degradation of unstable or damaged proteins. UBR1-7, which are members of hundreds of E3 ubiquitin ligases, recognize and regulate the half-life of specific proteins on the basis of their N-terminal sequences ("N-end rule"). In seven individuals with intellectual disability, epilepsy, ptosis, hypothyroidism, and genital anomalies, we uncovered bi-allelic variants in UBR7. Read More

J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2020 Dec 17. Epub 2020 Dec 17.

Department of Dermatology, Zealand University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark.

Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is not a well-studied or easily treated disease. Genetic information is essential for advances in the understanding and treatment of HS. This study aims to examine mutations in the gamma-secretase complex, the Notch signalling pathway and to perform a Mendelian analysis of genetic variants that segregated with disease in a full exome sequencing of 11 families with HS. Read More

Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2020 11;24(22):11871-11882

Department of Medical Pharmacology, Istanbul Medipol University School of Medicine, Turkey.

Objective: The members of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family and cannabinoids (CBs) are reportedly associated with hippocampus-dependent memory functions. However, the effects of endogenously formed CBs on hippocampal long-term potentiation remain unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the changes in the gene and protein expression levels of matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9), phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), and NOTCH receptor 1 (NOTCH1) in rat hippocampal tissues treated with anandamide (AEA), AM251, 6-iodopravadolin (AM630), and N-[4-{[(3,4-Dimethyl-5-isoxazolyl)amino]sulfonyl}phenyl] (ML193). Read More

Reproduction 2021 Mar;161(3):239-253

Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, California, USA.

The germ cell lineage ensures the creation of new individuals and perpetuates the genetic information across generations. Primordial germ cells are pioneers of gametes and exist transiently during development until they differentiate into oogonia in females, or spermatogonia in males. Little is known about the molecular characteristics of primordial germ cells in cattle. Read More

PLoS One 2020 24;15(11):e0234101. Epub 2020 Nov 24.

Biomolecular Sciences PhD Program, Boise State University, Boise, ID, United States of America.

Notch signaling is essential for multicellular life, regulating core functions such as cellular identity, differentiation, and fate. These processes require highly sensitive systems to avoid going awry, and one such regulatory mechanism is through Notch intracellular domain dimerization. Select Notch target genes contain sequence-paired sites (SPS); motifs in which two Notch transcriptional activation complexes can bind and interact through Notch's ankyrin domain, resulting in enhanced transcriptional activation. Read More

PeerJ 2020 5;8:e10334. Epub 2020 Nov 5.

Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece.

Notch family proteins play a key role in a variety of developmental processes by controlling cell fate decisions and operating in a great number of biological processes in several organ systems, such as hematopoiesis, somatogenesis, vasculogenesis, neurogenesis and homeostasis. The Notch signaling pathway is crucial for the majority of developmental programs and regulates multiple pathogenic processes. Notch family receptors' activation has been largely related to its multiple effects in sustaining oncogenesis. Read More

Mol Oncol 2021 Feb 24;15(2):381-406. Epub 2020 Nov 24.

Natural Products Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, USA.

Natural products remain a significant source of anticancer chemotherapeutics. The search for targeted drugs for cancer treatment includes consideration of natural products, which may provide new opportunities for antitumor cytotoxicity as single agents or in combination therapy. We examined the association of molecular genomic features in the well-characterized NCI-60 cancer cell line panel with in vitro response to treatment with 1302 small molecules which included natural products, semisynthetic natural product derivatives, and synthetic compounds based on a natural product pharmacophore from the Developmental Therapeutics Program of the US National Cancer Institute's database. Read More

Oxid Med Cell Longev 2020 22;2020:1809408. Epub 2020 Oct 22.

Department of Nephrology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China.

Notch receptors are transmembrane proteins that are members of the epidermal growth factor-like family. These receptors are widely expressed on the cell surface and are highly conserved. Binding to ligands on adjacent cells results in cleavage of these receptors, and their intracellular domains translocate into the nucleus, where target gene transcription is initiated. Read More

RNA Biol 2020 Nov 1:1-10. Epub 2020 Nov 1.

Department of Human Molecular Genetics & Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv, Israel.

The auditory system is a complex sensory network with an orchestrated multilayer regulatory programme governing its development and maintenance. Accumulating evidence has implicated long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) as important regulators in numerous systems, as well as in pathological pathways. However, their function in the auditory system has yet to be explored. Read More

Neuromolecular Med 2020 Oct 23. Epub 2020 Oct 23.

Department of Anatomy and Histology/Embryology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Kunming Medical University, 1168 West Chunrong Road, Kunming, 650500, China.

In response to hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD), microglia activation and its mediated inflammation contribute to neuronal damage. Inhibition of over-activated microglia is deemed to be a potential therapeutic strategy. Our previous studies showed that gastrodin efficiently depressed the neuroinflammation mediated by activated microglia in HIBD neonatal rats. Read More