FEBS LettersPub Date : 2026-08-25DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.70449
Harry B McDowell, Thomas Walther, Egbert Hoiczyk
{"title":"Functional comparison of EncB and EncC cargo proteins in iron storage within the Myxococcus xanthus encapsulin.","authors":"Harry B McDowell, Thomas Walther, Egbert Hoiczyk","doi":"10.1002/1873-3468.70449","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/1873-3468.70449","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Encapsulins are self-assembling protein nanocompartments that selectively encapsulate cargo proteins to perform specialized functions. The Myxococcus xanthus encapsulin system incorporates three cargo proteins, of which EncB and EncC are classified as ferritin-like proteins with ferroxidase activity; however, their functional distinction remains unclear. Here, we investigate the individual contributions of EncB and EncC to iron mineralization within the encapsulin shell. We show that EncB and EncC produce iron-containing minerals with differing phosphorus content and that reducing the number of cargo proteins increases ferrous iron influx into the encapsulated mineral core. These findings provide the first functional comparison of two ferritin-like co-encapsulated cargo proteins and suggest that cargo composition may allow fine-tuning of mineral properties in response to cellular requirements.</p>","PeriodicalId":12142,"journal":{"name":"FEBS Letters","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148812504","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 : 2026-08-24Epub Date: 2026-07-21DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.70418
Anthony Antonellis, Maximiliano Barrientos, Eva Bensasson, Teri DeClercq, Pablo Garrigós, Rachel Heilmann, Rita Horvath, Desiree Magee, Angelica Moresco, Ashley Rowland, Ingrid Vallee, Rebecca Alexander, Haissi Cui, Ita Gruić-Sovulj, Tamara L. Hendrickson, Sunghoon Kim, Jiqiang Ling, Susan A. Martinis, Karin Musier-Forsyth, Xiang-Lei Yang, Ilka U. Heinemann, Lluis Ribas de Pouplana
{"title":"A call for unified use of human aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (ARS) gene nomenclature","authors":"Anthony Antonellis, Maximiliano Barrientos, Eva Bensasson, Teri DeClercq, Pablo Garrigós, Rachel Heilmann, Rita Horvath, Desiree Magee, Angelica Moresco, Ashley Rowland, Ingrid Vallee, Rebecca Alexander, Haissi Cui, Ita Gruić-Sovulj, Tamara L. Hendrickson, Sunghoon Kim, Jiqiang Ling, Susan A. Martinis, Karin Musier-Forsyth, Xiang-Lei Yang, Ilka U. Heinemann, Lluis Ribas de Pouplana","doi":"10.1002/1873-3468.70418","DOIUrl":"10.1002/1873-3468.70418","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs) are a family of enzymes that attach amino acids to tRNAs. To date, all 37 human ARS genes have been implicated in genetic diseases, affecting over a thousand patients worldwide. At the 2025 Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS) Special Meeting ‘Expanding Frontiers in Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetase Research’, patients, families, and advocacy groups communicated the need for a unified approach for reporting on ARS gene names and associated conditions in the scientific literature. This request stemmed from the current use of multiple nomenclature systems and the desire of these individuals to rapidly identify published data on specific ARS genes. Here, we summarize ARS gene nomenclature and request that the scientific community adhere to a single nomenclature system.</p>","PeriodicalId":12142,"journal":{"name":"FEBS Letters","volume":"600 16","pages":"2211-2218"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/1873-3468.70418","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148548469","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":"Characterization of a nucleic acid-binding translin-like protein localized to the basal body in the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii","authors":"Saptadipa Basak, Hanee Arkate, Dhruv Das, Rajani Kant Chittela, Jacinta S. D'Souza","doi":"10.1002/1873-3468.70289","DOIUrl":"10.1002/1873-3468.70289","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study characterizes a translin-like protein from <i>Chlamydomonas reinhardtii</i>, a unicellular alga. The efficient binding of the <i>Cr</i>translin protein to both single-stranded DNA and RNA aligns it with the nucleic acid-binding properties of the translin protein family, known for its roles in DNA repair, RNA metabolism, and mRNA transport. We report for the first time the presence of a translin-like protein that forms octameric rings, is more closely related to rice translin, and is localized to an organelle not yet known to harbor such a family of proteins, <i>viz</i>., in the basal body and flagella of <i>C. reinhardtii</i>. This study lays the groundwork for future investigations into the molecular functions of <i>Cr</i>translin and its potential regulatory roles in flagellar dynamics.</p><p>\u0000 \u0000 </p>","PeriodicalId":12142,"journal":{"name":"FEBS Letters","volume":"600 16","pages":"2248-2261"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146124183","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 : 2026-08-24Epub Date: 2026-05-28DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.70369
Fanni Farkas, Brigitta Maruzs, Zsófia E. Kálmán, Tomas Klumpler, Gyula Batta, Bálint Péterfia, Zoltán Gáspári
{"title":"Modulation of Homer1 EVH1 domain internal dynamics by putative autism-associated mutations","authors":"Fanni Farkas, Brigitta Maruzs, Zsófia E. Kálmán, Tomas Klumpler, Gyula Batta, Bálint Péterfia, Zoltán Gáspári","doi":"10.1002/1873-3468.70369","DOIUrl":"10.1002/1873-3468.70369","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The EVH1 domain of the Homer1 scaffold protein interacts with the proline-rich region of Shank3, forming a key network within the postsynaptic density. While two mutations (M65I and S97L) in the EVH1 domain have been suggested to be associated with autism spectrum disorder, our results show that neither mutation has a substantial effect on the overall structure or the partner binding properties of Homer1. Compared to the S97L variant, the M65I mutant exhibits larger chemical shift perturbations both upon the mutation itself and during partner binding, while also showing signs of thermal destabilization. Finally, integration of computational and NMR data suggests that both mutations perturb the μs-ms timescale internal motions of the EVH1 domain.</p>","PeriodicalId":12142,"journal":{"name":"FEBS Letters","volume":"600 16","pages":"2307-2319"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/1873-3468.70369","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148041366","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}
FEBS LettersPub Date : 2026-08-24Epub Date: 2026-02-13DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.70303
Sofia Vrettou, Brunhilde Wirth
{"title":"Organ-specific redox imbalances in spinal muscular atrophy mice are partially rescued by SMN antisense oligonucleotides","authors":"Sofia Vrettou, Brunhilde Wirth","doi":"10.1002/1873-3468.70303","DOIUrl":"10.1002/1873-3468.70303","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is caused by a deficiency in survival motor neuron (SMN) protein; redox imbalance and oxidative stress are also implicated. Protein S-glutathionylation (PSSG) is a reversible redox modification that protects cysteines from irreversible oxidation and regulates protein function. Here, we report stage- and tissue-dependent defects in PSSG levels, accompanied by tissue-specific alterations in the expression of glutathione-related enzymes in Taiwanese SMA mice at early and late symptomatic stages. Importantly, we also provide evidence linking glutathione homeostasis defects with ferroptosis. Finally, partial restoration of SMN by antisense oligonucleotides selectively modulates these abnormalities in a tissue-dependent manner. Our findings suggest S-glutathionylation dysregulation as a novel SMA hallmark and highlight persistent redox imbalance as a therapeutic target beyond SMN restoration.</p><p>\u0000 \u0000 </p>","PeriodicalId":12142,"journal":{"name":"FEBS Letters","volume":"600 16","pages":"2262-2282"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/1873-3468.70303","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146178349","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}
FEBS LettersPub Date : 2026-08-24Epub Date: 2026-02-28DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.70312
Rahaf Alrifai, Mizuki Seo, Gyath Karadsheh, Fachrur Rizal Mahendra, Máté Á Demény, Ferenc Győry, János András Mótyán, László Fésüs, Endre Kristóf, Rini Arianti
{"title":"Transferrin receptor 1-mediated iron uptake supports thermogenic activation in human cervical-derived adipocytes","authors":"Rahaf Alrifai, Mizuki Seo, Gyath Karadsheh, Fachrur Rizal Mahendra, Máté Á Demény, Ferenc Győry, János András Mótyán, László Fésüs, Endre Kristóf, Rini Arianti","doi":"10.1002/1873-3468.70312","DOIUrl":"10.1002/1873-3468.70312","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Adrenergic-driven thermogenic activation of brown adipose tissue requires high amounts of nutrients including iron to support mitochondrial biogenesis. This is governed by rapid gene expression changes in <i>ex vivo</i> differentiated human cervical-derived brown adipocytes. Transferrin receptor 1 (TFRC) is upregulated in response to dibutyryl-cAMP. We aim to investigate the mechanism of facilitated iron uptake when thermogenesis is activated. Pharmacological inhibition and siRNA-mediated knock-down of TFRC during stimulation decrease intracellular iron content and prevent elevation of oxygen consumption and induction of thermogenic markers. Deferoxamine-mediated iron chelation also shows comparable effects. Contrarily, the expression of ferroportin exporter is suppressed during activation; however, its inhibition does not increase thermogenesis. Brown adipocytes constitutively express and secrete high amounts of transferrin, while melanotransferrin expression and release are upregulated only in activated adipocytes. <i>In silico</i> analysis suggests that melanotransferrin interacts with the helical domain of TFRC. Our findings support that iron is critical in stimulating adipocyte thermogenesis.</p>","PeriodicalId":12142,"journal":{"name":"FEBS Letters","volume":"600 16","pages":"2283-2306"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/1873-3468.70312","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147316684","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}
FEBS LettersPub Date : 2026-08-24Epub Date: 2026-05-19DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.70350
Sara Canil, Anna Corrà, Annalisa Scapolatiello, Chengxiang Qiu, Gianluca Amadei
{"title":"Epigenetic blind spots – the role of DNA methylation dynamics in stem cell-based models of embryogenesis","authors":"Sara Canil, Anna Corrà, Annalisa Scapolatiello, Chengxiang Qiu, Gianluca Amadei","doi":"10.1002/1873-3468.70350","DOIUrl":"10.1002/1873-3468.70350","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Embryo-like structures, or stembryos, complement embryo research in innovative ways and provide an alternative when embryo utilization is ethically or technically limited. These models, however, are hindered by experimental variability and limited developmental potential, whose causes are still not fully understood. Establishment of appropriate DNA methylation patterns is crucial for mammalian development but characterization of DNA methylation in stembryo models has been largely overlooked. This Perspective manuscript highlights this knowledge gap and suggests that characterization of DNA methylation, and in the future also of other epigenetic modifications, should become standard practice in stembryo model characterization. Available datasets indicate that differences in DNA methyltransferase expression between stembryos and embryos exist, thus suggesting an avenue of investigation to further improve these models.</p>","PeriodicalId":12142,"journal":{"name":"FEBS Letters","volume":"600 16","pages":"2226-2247"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/1873-3468.70350","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147971497","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}
FEBS LettersPub Date : 2026-08-24Epub Date: 2026-07-11DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.70413
{"title":"RETRACTION: Role of Phospholemman and the 70 kDa Inhibitor Protein in Regulating Na+/K+ ATPase Activity in Pulmonary Artery Smooth Muscle Cells under U46619 Stimulation","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/1873-3468.70413","DOIUrl":"10.1002/1873-3468.70413","url":null,"abstract":"<p>\u0000 <b>RETRACTION:</b> <span>K. Dey</span>, <span>S. M. Rahaman</span>, <span>T. Chakraborti</span>, and <span>S. Chakraborti</span>, “ <span>Role of Phospholemman and the 70 kDa Inhibitor Protein in Regulating Na<sup>+</sup>/K<sup>+</sup> ATPase Activity in Pulmonary Artery Smooth Muscle Cells under U46619 Stimulation</span>,” <i>FEBS Letters</i> <span>587</span>, no. <span>21</span> (<span>2013</span>): <span>3535</span>-<span>3540</span>. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.febslet.2013.09.011.\u0000 </p><p>The above article, published online on 18 September 2013 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), has been retracted by agreement between the journal Editor-in-Chief, Michael Brunner; the Federation of European Biochemical Societies; and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. A third party reported on PubPeer [1] that there was evidence of duplication of bands in Figure 1D and duplication and manipulation of image elements in Figure 4C. An investigation by the journal and publisher confirmed that Figures 1D and 4C had been manipulated. They also found evidence of duplication and manipulation between Figures 2A and 2B, as well as evidence of duplication between Figure 4B and the first three bands in Figure 5B. The authors did not initially respond to an inquiry about these concerns by the publisher.</p><p>The retraction has been agreed to because the evidence of image manipulation within this article fundamentally compromises the editors’ confidence in the results and conclusions as presented. The authors were informed of the retraction.</p><p>\u0000 <b>References</b>\u0000 </p><p>\u0000 [1] <span>Brachystigma wrightii</span>. Comments on “Role of phospholemman and the 70 kDa inhibitor protein in regulating Na<sup>+</sup>/K<sup>+</sup> ATPase activity in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells under U46619 stimulation,” PubPeer, March 2026. https://pubpeer.com/publications/1E450411C9E5FB2DC607F7D229B95A.\u0000 </p>","PeriodicalId":12142,"journal":{"name":"FEBS Letters","volume":"600 16","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/1873-3468.70413","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148420193","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}
FEBS LettersPub Date : 2026-08-24Epub Date: 2026-08-02DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.70426
{"title":"RETRACTION: MicroRNA-106b Regulates the Tumor Suppressor RUNX3 in Laryngeal Carcinoma Cells","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/1873-3468.70426","DOIUrl":"10.1002/1873-3468.70426","url":null,"abstract":"<p><b>RETRACTION</b>: Y. Xu, K. Wang, W. Gao, C. Zhang, F. Huang, S. Wen and B. Wang, “MicroRNA-106b Regulates the Tumor Suppressor RUNX3 in Laryngeal Carcinoma Cells,” <i>FEBS Letters</i> 587, no. 19 (2013): 3166-3174, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.febslet.2013.05.069.</p><p>The above article, published online on 01 August 2013 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), has been retracted by agreement between the journal Editor-in-Chief, Michael Brunner; the Federation of European Biochemical Societies; and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. The retraction has been agreed following concerns raised by a third party. An investigation identified a duplication between the Hep2, miR-106b ASO band and the Hep2, Mimics-NC band in Figure 2D. A further duplication was identified between the TU-212 GAPDH bands in Figure 2D and ASO/Control GAPDH bands in Figure 3E. In addition, the ASO/Control TU-212 panel in Figure 3D is duplicated with the pCMV6/Control TU-212 panel in Figure 4D. Finally, the real-time PCR results in Figure 6A are duplicated with those shown in Figure 6B. The authors did not respond to requests from the integrity team to comment on the concerns or provide original data. The editors therefore consider the results and conclusions to be compromised. The authors did not respond to our notice of retraction.</p>","PeriodicalId":12142,"journal":{"name":"FEBS Letters","volume":"600 16","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/1873-3468.70426","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148663727","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":"Differential recruitment of acetylcholine vesicle pools by electrical stimulation and KCl depolarization in cholinergic nerve terminals","authors":"Ikunobu Muramatsu, Junsuke Uwada, Itsumi Nagai-Arakawa, Noriyuki Matsukawa, Takayoshi Masuoka","doi":"10.1002/1873-3468.70385","DOIUrl":"10.1002/1873-3468.70385","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Depolarizing stimuli regulate acetylcholine (ACh) storage and release via distinct synaptic vesicle pools in cholinergic terminals, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we examined the effects of preliminary depolarization on choline uptake, ACh synthesis, and release in rat striatal segments using [<sup>3</sup>H]choline incorporation and [<sup>3</sup>H]ACh release assays. Preliminary KCl depolarization significantly increased functional high-affinity choline transporter-1 (CHT1) availability, enhancing subsequent [<sup>3</sup>H]choline uptake, [<sup>3</sup>H]ACh synthesis, and release. In contrast, preliminary electrical stimulation selectively increased evoked [<sup>3</sup>H]ACh release without affecting choline uptake or tissue ACh content. These results suggest that electrical stimulation primarily mobilizes vesicles from the readily releasable pool (RRP) and recycling pool, whereas KCl depolarization additionally recruits vesicles from the reserve pool and may directly trigger ACh release.</p>","PeriodicalId":12142,"journal":{"name":"FEBS Letters","volume":"600 16","pages":"2320-2333"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148249817","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}