FEBS LettersPub Date : 2025-09-12DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.70152
Mekala Gunasekaran, Gloriana Campos, Natalya M Wells, Khanhlinh Lambuu, Isabelle Draper, Christina A Pacak, Peter B Kang
{"title":"ACSS2 involved in acetyl-CoA synthesis regulates skeletal muscle function.","authors":"Mekala Gunasekaran, Gloriana Campos, Natalya M Wells, Khanhlinh Lambuu, Isabelle Draper, Christina A Pacak, Peter B Kang","doi":"10.1002/1873-3468.70152","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/1873-3468.70152","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Acyl-coenzyme A synthetase short-chain family member-2 (ACSS2) catalyzes the conversion of acetate to acetyl-CoA, regulating cholesterol metabolism. Given the discovery of a muscular dystrophy associated with 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR), a key enzyme in cholesterol synthesis, we studied Acss2 in mice and the orthologous gene AcCoA in flies. Skeletal muscle from Acss2<sup>-/-</sup> mice showed atrophic fibers, lipid accumulation, and depleted NADH levels, while myoblasts from these mice displayed precocious differentiation. Exercise induced fatigue in the Acss2<sup>-/-</sup> mice, which was accentuated by inhibition of ATP-citrate lyase (ACLY) activity. AcCoA knockdown yielded reduced body sizes and locomotor defects in Drosophila. ACSS2 is vital for skeletal muscle function and merits study as a potential factor in muscle diseases related to cholesterol metabolism. Impact statement ACSS2 catalyzes the conversion of acetate to acetyl-CoA, regulating cholesterol metabolism. Given the increasingly apparent links between cholesterol metabolism and skeletal muscle function, we investigated ACSS2 deficiency in mouse and fly models. We identified defects in muscle morphology, muscle metabolism, and motor function. ACSS2 is vital for skeletal muscle.</p>","PeriodicalId":12142,"journal":{"name":"FEBS Letters","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145039513","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
FEBS LettersPub Date : 2025-09-12DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.70165
Hande Boyaci Selcuk, Gabriella Reggiano, Jacob Robson-Tull, Lichirui Zhang, João P G L M Rodrigues
{"title":"Towards better structural models from cryo-electron microscopy data with physics-based methods.","authors":"Hande Boyaci Selcuk, Gabriella Reggiano, Jacob Robson-Tull, Lichirui Zhang, João P G L M Rodrigues","doi":"10.1002/1873-3468.70165","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/1873-3468.70165","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cryo-electron microscopy can now routinely deliver atomic resolution structures for a variety of biological systems. The relevance and value of these structures are directly related to their ability to help rationalize experimental observables, which in turn depend on the quality of the model built into the density map. Coupling traditional model-building tools with physics-based methods, such as docking, simulation, and modern force fields, has been shown to improve the quality of the resulting structures. Here, we survey the landscape of these hybrid approaches, highlighting their usefulness for medium- and low-resolution datasets, as well as for structures of small molecules, and make the argument that the community stands to benefit from their inclusion in model building and refinement workflows.</p>","PeriodicalId":12142,"journal":{"name":"FEBS Letters","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145039463","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
FEBS LettersPub Date : 2025-09-10DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.70159
Maryia Kisel, Michail Shapira, Andrei Gilep
{"title":"Cytochrome P450 F-helix N204H mutation in CYP2C9.57 genetic variant reveals non-typical ligand binding properties.","authors":"Maryia Kisel, Michail Shapira, Andrei Gilep","doi":"10.1002/1873-3468.70159","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/1873-3468.70159","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Genetic variants of various cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes significantly impact pharmacokinetics. The highly polymorphic hepatic CYP2C9 metabolizes ~ 15% of clinically used drugs. This study aimed to characterize the ligand-binding properties of the understudied CYP2C9.57 variant (N204H mutation located in the active site) using spectrophotometric titration with diverse ligands. Type I ligands (diclofenac, tamoxifen) produced unusual reverse type II spectral responses (λ<sub>max</sub> ~ 410 nm and λ<sub>min</sub> 430-437 nm), while diclofenac, cyproconazole, and fluconazole showed spectral transitions suggesting dual binding modes. Unlike the wild-type protein, the N204H mutation significantly altered ligand binding behavior. A weak cooperative effect (with the Hill coefficients ranging from 0.93 to 2.08) was observed across compounds and isoforms. The N204H mutation in the F/G region likely reduces active site cavity volume, with His204 forming additional contacts that appear to restrict ligand access to the heme iron. These findings provide insights for predicting altered drug metabolism, supporting personalized medicine. Impact statement This study provides fundamental insights into the impact of genetic polymorphisms on CYP2C9 enzyme function, specifically the N204H mutation. By revealing alterations in ligand binding behavior and structural changes within the F/G region, these findings contribute to a deeper understanding of pharmacokinetics and may aid future advancements in drug discovery.</p>","PeriodicalId":12142,"journal":{"name":"FEBS Letters","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145029178","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
FEBS LettersPub Date : 2025-09-10DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.70158
Ishitha Reddy, Chinmoy Sankar Dey
{"title":"Purinergic signaling by ATP induces exercise-like effects and ameliorates insulin resistance in HT22 mouse hippocampal cells.","authors":"Ishitha Reddy, Chinmoy Sankar Dey","doi":"10.1002/1873-3468.70158","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/1873-3468.70158","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Neuronal insulin signaling is essential for regulating glucose metabolism and cognitive functions in the brain. Disruptions cause neuronal insulin resistance, potentially causing type 2 diabetes (T2D) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Therefore, we investigated alternative pathways that maintain glucose homeostasis beyond traditional insulin signaling. Exercise positively impacts both body and brain well-being. However, brain exercise signaling remains unclear, and in vitro studies are limited. Here, we investigated the effects of extracellular ATP on HT22 mouse hippocampal neurons. ATP-mediated purinergic signaling elevated markers upregulated by exercise, increased glucose uptake, and activation of insulin signaling molecules. Under insulin resistance, ATP outperformed insulin, acting as an exercise-like bypass mechanism. This study provides new insights into purinergic receptors, ATP, and their potential to combat T2D and AD.</p>","PeriodicalId":12142,"journal":{"name":"FEBS Letters","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145029184","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
FEBS LettersPub Date : 2025-09-08DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.70162
Pietro Ancona, Carlo M Bergamini, Carlo Ferrari, Stefano Volinia, Nicoletta Bianchi
{"title":"From lactation to malignancy: A comparison between healthy and cancerous breast gland at single-cell resolution reveals new issues for tumorigenesis.","authors":"Pietro Ancona, Carlo M Bergamini, Carlo Ferrari, Stefano Volinia, Nicoletta Bianchi","doi":"10.1002/1873-3468.70162","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/1873-3468.70162","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study, based on datasets from healthy tissues, lactating mammary epithelial cells, and breast cancer phenotypes, investigates mammary gland pathophysiology at single-cell resolution to identify key regulators in breast cancer development and to gain a deeper understanding of its biology and heterogeneity. We suggest that antileukoproteinase (SLPI) has prognostic value associated with metastasis in basal breast cancers. Our analysis highlights the similarity between triple-negative breast cancer cells and mature luminal lactocytes, which share active regulons (SOX2, MTHFD1, POU4F3, and ZNF32), suggesting conserved molecular mechanisms. Among the differences, the absence of MALAT1 and NEAT1 lncRNAs in lactocytes correlates with loss of six transcription factors (EP300, ELF1, E2F3, BDP1, HOXC10, and KLF6). These findings provide insights into breast cancer and suggest new therapeutic targets.</p>","PeriodicalId":12142,"journal":{"name":"FEBS Letters","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145023074","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
FEBS LettersPub Date : 2025-09-01DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.70153
Moritz Lemke, Nils Alexander Lakomek, Georg Groth
{"title":"Structural dynamics of the plant hormone receptor ETR1 in a native-like membrane environment.","authors":"Moritz Lemke, Nils Alexander Lakomek, Georg Groth","doi":"10.1002/1873-3468.70153","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/1873-3468.70153","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ethylene (C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>4</sub>) regulates plant processes, such as germination, fruit ripening, and stress responses, impacting nutrition and food quality. The membrane-bound receptor ETR1 from Arabidopsis thaliana is a model for ethylene signaling, but both full-length and the soluble cytoplasmic domain have resisted crystallization. We present high-resolution NMR spectra of full-length ETR1 reconstituted in lipid nanodiscs, overcoming limitations and enhancing sample uniformity. ETR1 shows high internal dynamics with regions decoupled from the transmembrane domain, possibly explaining past crystallization failures and reflecting functional flexibility. Introduction of Cu(I), an essential cofactor for ethylene binding, stiffened receptor dynamics, suggesting a stabilizing role in signal transmission. This work demonstrates nanodisc-based strategies as powerful tools for resolving membrane protein structures in plant signaling.</p>","PeriodicalId":12142,"journal":{"name":"FEBS Letters","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144947936","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
FEBS LettersPub Date : 2025-09-01DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.70156
Saygın Bilican, Yara Nabawi, William Hongyu Zhang, Dunja Petrovic, Markus Wehrmann, Sara Muñoz-García, Seda Koyuncu, David Vilchez
{"title":"C9orf72 ALS-causing mutations lead to mislocalization and aggregation of nucleoporin Nup107 into stress granules.","authors":"Saygın Bilican, Yara Nabawi, William Hongyu Zhang, Dunja Petrovic, Markus Wehrmann, Sara Muñoz-García, Seda Koyuncu, David Vilchez","doi":"10.1002/1873-3468.70156","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/1873-3468.70156","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal disorder caused by motor neuron degeneration. Hexanucleotide repeat expansions in the C9orf72 gene, the most common genetic cause of ALS (C9-ALS), drive toxicity through different mechanisms. These pathological changes include alterations in stress granules (SGs), ribonucleoprotein complexes formed under stress conditions. Here, we show that G3BP1, a core component of SGs, exhibits enhanced interaction with the nucleoporin Nup107 in motor neurons derived from patient iPSCs carrying C9orf72 mutations. Moreover, Nup107 colocalizes with SGs and aggregates in C9-ALS motor neurons. Notably, knockdown of npp-5, the Caenorhabditis elegans ortholog of Nup107, alleviates ALS-associated phenotypes in worm models, including reduced lifespan and impaired motility. Together, our findings provide insights into disease-related changes in C9-ALS pathogenesis.</p>","PeriodicalId":12142,"journal":{"name":"FEBS Letters","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144948158","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
FEBS LettersPub Date : 2025-08-31DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.70151
{"title":"EXPRESSION OF CONCERN: Live-Cell Single-Molecule Imaging Reveals Clathrin and Caveolin-1 Dependent Docking of SMAD4 at the Cell Membrane","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/1873-3468.70151","DOIUrl":"10.1002/1873-3468.70151","url":null,"abstract":"<p>\u0000 <b>Expression of Concern:</b> <span>Y. Yang</span>, <span>J. Wolfram</span>, <span>J. Shen</span>, <span>Y. Zhao</span>, <span>X. Fang</span>, <span>H. Shen</span>, and <span>M. Ferrari</span>, “ <span>Live-Cell Single-Molecule Imaging Reveals Clathrin and Caveolin-1 Dependent Docking of SMAD4 at the Cell Membrane</span>,” <i>FEBS Letters</i> <span>587</span>, no. <span>24</span> (<span>2013</span>): <span>3912</span>–<span>3920</span>, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.febslet.2013.10.041.\u0000 </p><p>This Expression of Concern is for the above article, published online on 6 November 2013 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), and has been issued by agreement between the journal Editor-in-Chief, Michael Brunner; the Federation of European Biochemical Societies; and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. UK. The Expression of Concern has been agreed due to concerns of image duplication in Figure 3. Figure 3A contains an inappropriate duplication; the same micrograph of Smad4 immunofluorescence is shown for both the siCLTC and plCav-1 conditions. The authors claim this error was not present in the original submission, and was introduced at revision or during production. Additionally, Figure 3B contains an inappropriate duplication of the immunoblots against RhoGDI for two different conditions. The authors informed the journal that the apparent image duplications in Figure 3 were owed to inadvertent errors by first and co-corresponding author Yong Yang, and do not invalidate the overall primary claims or conclusions of the manuscript. Given the time elapsed since publication, and the fact that all authors have left the institution where the experiments were carried out, the authors were unable to provide the original images. Therefore, the journal has decided to issue an Expression of Concern to inform and alert the readers.</p>","PeriodicalId":12142,"journal":{"name":"FEBS Letters","volume":"599 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/1873-3468.70151","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144948156","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Single cis-elements in brassinosteroid-induced upregulated genes are insufficient to recruit both redox states of the BIL1/BZR1 DNA-binding domain.","authors":"Shohei Nosaki, Masae Ohtsuka, Takeshi Nakano, Masaru Tanokura, Takuya Miyakawa","doi":"10.1002/1873-3468.70147","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/1873-3468.70147","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The plant-specific transcription factor BRZ-INSENSITIVE-LONG 1 (BIL1)/BRASSINAZOLE-RESISTANT 1 (BZR1) regulates the growth of Arabidopsis thaliana via brassinosteroid signaling, acting as both a gene repressor and activator. Its upregulation requires environmental cues mediated by PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR 4 (PIF4), with oxidative modifications via H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> enhancing their interaction. However, the nature of the tripartite complex of cis-elements, BIL1/BZR1, and PIF4 under redox changes remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that oxidation of the DNA-binding domain (DBD) of BIL1/BZR1 alters its DNA-binding ability. However, single cis-elements enriched in brassinosteroid-induced genes do not support binding of either redox form, nor does BIL1/BZR1 DBD heterodimerize with PIF4 DBD on these elements. These findings highlight the complexity of brassinosteroid transcriptional regulation beyond DNA-binding specificity and redox modifications.</p>","PeriodicalId":12142,"journal":{"name":"FEBS Letters","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144947608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
FEBS LettersPub Date : 2025-08-29DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.70149
Jie Wang, Ju Liu
{"title":"Circulating endothelial cells: the role in aging and brain pathology.","authors":"Jie Wang, Ju Liu","doi":"10.1002/1873-3468.70149","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/1873-3468.70149","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Circulating endothelial cells (CECs) are mature vascular cells found in peripheral blood, originating from the vascular wall. Normally, they are present in low numbers in the body. CECs are released into the blood during tissue turnover or vascular injury from various factors. In diseased patients, blood often has a higher and variable CEC concentration. Changes in CEC count can serve as a biomarker, indicating conditions involving endothelial cell changes, including hematological diseases. They reflect disease progression, predict treatment response, and prognosis in disease therapy. CECs serve a purpose and are thought to contribute to endothelial damage, revealing changes in the prognosis of disease in elderly patients and those with brain disorders. Additionally, CECs act as biomarkers for tumor vascular damage and therapy monitoring in cancers like glioblastoma. To understand their role as disease markers in brain and elderly patients, it is important to study CECs under pathological conditions. This review details the relationship between CECs, aging, and brain disorders and provides insights for prevention and treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":12142,"journal":{"name":"FEBS Letters","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144948099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}