International Journal of Biological Macromolecules最新文献

{"title":"Reticular calcium alginate/halloysite nanotubes aerogel architecture for removal of organic, inorganic, and oil pollutants from wastewater: Structure-property relationships, water matrix effects, and reusability.","authors":"Azwardi Imani, Rajeev Kumar, Talal B Almeelbi, Mohamed A Hassan, Mohammed Omais Ansari","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.155181","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.155181","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Aerogels are lightweight, have a large surface area, and customizable surface chemistry, making them promising candidates for adsorption-based wastewater treatment. In this study, halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) were immobilized in a sodium alginate (SA) matrix to form a reticular aerogel architecture (CA/HNTs) with varying HNTs loadings (5, 10, 15, and 50 wt%) via Ca²⁺-mediated ionotropic gelation followed by directional freeze-drying. The aim was to develop a cost-effective, environmentally benign adsorbent with high affinity toward diverse water contaminants while preserving a lightweight porous structure. Screening results identified CA/HNTs-5 (5% HNTs immobilized in CA) as the optimal formulation, delivering outstanding experimental adsorption capacities of 349.8 mg g^-1 for methylene blue (MB), 62.0 mg g^-1 for oxytetracycline (OTC), 22.6 mg g^-1 for congo red (CR), and 108 mg g^-1 for Zn(II). CA-based aerogels also showed notable oil absorption performance (up to 263.6 mg g^-1). Detailed adsorption studies on MB indicated that adsorption increased above the point of zero charge (pHpzc = 3.2), confirming electrostatic attraction as the primary driving mechanism. Fitting the Sips isotherm, pseudo-first-order, and Avrami models indicates heterogeneous, multistep adsorption behavior. Thermodynamic evaluations confirmed the interactions were spontaneous and exothermic. The CA/HNTs-5 aerogel retained approximately 93% of its initial efficiency over five regeneration cycles. It maintained stable performance in the presence of NaCl and ZnCl₂ and phenol, as well as in different water matrices, although elevated salinity slightly reduced adsorption due to competition effects.</p>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":" ","pages":"155181"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2026-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149369775","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Baicalin-derived carbon dots-embedded sodium alginate/carboxymethyl cellulose films: a combination of antioxidant and UV-shielding strategy for precise blueberries preservation.","authors":"Feng Cao, Xiaoyu Deng, Bo Yang, Fang Sun, Xianggui Chen, Guangfeng Zhang, Jun Li, Xiaoqi Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.155190","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.155190","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Blueberries are highly susceptible to postharvest deterioration, primarily due to oxidative stress and photo-induced degradation, which lead to rapid loss of quality. The development of multifunctional active food packaging films is a key strategy for extending the shelf life of blueberries. This study fabricated a novel composite film by embedding baicalin-derived carbon dots (BA-CDs) into a sodium alginate/carboxymethyl cellulose (SA/CMC) matrix. The resulting BA-CDs@SA/CMC film exhibited a remarkable combination of properties, including superior ultraviolet (UV) shielding capacity (blocking over 99% of UV-B and UV-A light) and potent free-radical scavenging activity (ABTS radical scavenging rate exceeding 80%). Applied to blueberry preservation, this active packaging system effectively delayed quality deterioration, as evidenced by an improvement in relative freshness from 0.2 (PE control) and 0.2 (SA/CMC film) to just 0.6, and significantly slowed the loss of anthocyanin (28.8% loss vs. 72.3% in PE control). Based on this protection mechanism for combining physical UV-vis filtration and biochemical ROS neutralization, BA-CDs@SA/CMC film not only enhanced preservation performance but also significantly reduce anthocyanin degradation. This work provides a sustainable and highly effective platform for the preservation of high-value perishable fruits, paving the way for the application of natural product-derived carbon dots in food packaging.</p>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":" ","pages":"155190"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2026-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149357030","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fractionated lignin-enabled multiple non-covalent crosslinking networks in chitosan-based films for enhanced mechanical and UV-shielding performance.","authors":"Jiawei Huang, Ningxin Zhang, Zijie Zhong, Xiuyi Lin, Weiwei Zhang, Chaoqun Zhang, Jiangtao Xu, Chuanshuang Hu, Yonghui Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.155187","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.155187","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>To overcome the inherent mechanical limitations of chitosan films while maintaining their biodegradability, this study constructs a multiple non-covalent cross-linking network in chitosan/lignin/metal ion composite films via a blending-freeze-thaw strategy. Fractionated lignin (original, soluble, and insoluble) was incorporated to regulate interfacial interactions and polysaccharide network organization, while metal ions (Ca²⁺, Zn²⁺, Fe³⁺) introduced coordination crosslinking. Spectroscopic and structural analyses (FTIR, UV-Vis differential spectroscopy, XPS) reveal that hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, and metal-ligand coordination synergistically govern the assembly of the composite network. The presence of lignin modulates polysaccharide chain interactions and promotes energy dissipation through reversible non-covalent bonds, while metal ions act as dynamic crosslinking nodes bridging chitosan and lignin. As a result, the optimized COLZn film achieves a tensile strength of 73.14 ± 8.94 MPa, representing a 226.7% enhancement compared to pure chitosan. In addition, lignin-derived chromophoric structures and Fe³⁺ coordination confer excellent UV-shielding performance (up to ~100% UV blocking), along with improved hydrophobicity and antibacterial activity. This work elucidates the structure-interaction-property relationships in lignin-polysaccharide systems and provides a viable strategy for designing high-performance, multifunctional bio-based films.</p>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":" ","pages":"155187"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2026-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149356946","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A homogeneous acidic polysaccharide from Guangxi-cultivated Alpiniae Oxyphyllae fructus attenuates DSS-induced ulcerative colitis by remodeling the amino acid metabolism-microbiota-barrier axis.","authors":"Yifei Xiang, Chunmei He, Haifeng Yuan, Erqiang Wang, Zehao Yan, Ziyang Li, Chengzhi Liu, Yanwen Zhang, Jiakang He","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.155156","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.155156","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic intestinal inflammatory condition with limited management options, driving interest in food-derived bioactive polysaccharides as potential dietary interventions. Alpiniae Oxyphyllae Fructus (AOF), an edible and medicinal plant traditionally used for gastrointestinal health, is widely cultivated in Guangxi, China; however, polysaccharides from Guangxi-grown AOF have not been systematically characterized, and their structure-activity relationships in UC remain undefined. In this study, a homogeneous acidic polysaccharide (AOFP-3) was isolated from Guangxi-cultivated AOF and structurally characterized. Its anti-UC activity was evaluated in a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced mouse model by integrating untargeted metabolomics, targeted amino acid profiling, 16S rRNA sequencing, and immunohistochemistry. AOFP-3 was identified as a highly branched acidic heteropolysaccharide (Mw 19.728 kDa) rich in galacturonic acid (53.38%), with a putative backbone of alternating →4)-α-D-GalpA-(1 → and →4)-α-D-GalpA-6-OMe-(1 → residues. In DSS-induced UC mice, AOFP-3 dose-dependently alleviated weight loss, colon shortening, histopathological damage, and inflammation. Mechanistically, AOFP-3 treatment was associated with restoration of amino acid homeostasis, particularly involving branched-chain amino acids and the alanine/glycine-serine-threonine metabolic axis, with remodeling of the gut microbiota (enrichment of Akkermansia and Lactobacillus and suppression of Staphylococcus and Enterococcus) and repair of both physical (Occludin, Claudin-1, ZO-1) and chemical (MUC-2, goblet cells) barriers. These findings establish a structural and mechanistic basis for the bioactivity of Guangxi-grown AOF polysaccharides and support their further investigation as functional food ingredients for gut health promotion.</p>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":" ","pages":"155156"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2026-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149357029","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cryo-EM structure of a near-planar 13-mer ring formed by recombinant human parainfluenza virus type 2 nucleoprotein.","authors":"Zrinka Matić, Khan Mohammad Sarim, Oksana Degtjarik, Dušica Vujaklija, Saša Kazazić","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.155176","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.155176","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Human parainfluenza virus type 2 (HPIV2) is an orthorubulavirus respiratory pathogen whose genome is encapsidated by the viral nucleoprotein (N), for which high-resolution experimental structural information has been lacking. Here, we report a cryo-electron microscopy structure of recombinant HPIV2 N assembled with co-purified RNA in a closed, near-planar 13-protomer ring, reconstructed with C13 symmetry at a nominal, sampling-limited resolution of 2.91 Å. Tilted cryo-EM data collection was used to mitigate strong preferred orientation, and C13-symmetric refinement of 430,693 particles yielded this reconstruction. An independent C1 reconstruction supported the closed ring-like architecture without imposed rotational symmetry. The structure contains a conserved RNA-binding groove. Because the recombinant protein co-purified with heterogeneous host-derived RNA and the groove-associated density was not sequence-resolved, a template-derived poly-uridine strand was positioned as a conservative representation of a plausible RNA path and six-nucleotide-per-protomer register rather than as a native RNA assignment. Contact-map and ILV/LIV hydrophobic-cluster analyses identified recurrent intra-protomer and inter-protomer packing features, including N-arm-to-neighbouring-core and C-terminal-side contacts. In single 300 ns RNA-bound and RNA-free molecular-dynamics trajectories, the overall ring architecture and compactness were maintained, while local flexibility differences were observed near the RNA-binding groove. Comparative structural analysis places the recombinant HPIV2 N 13-mer observed here among near-planar paramyxovirus N assemblies, alongside PIV5 and the near-planar mumps N form, and distinguishes it from more strongly pitched nucleocapsid assemblies. These results define the oligomeric architecture of recombinant HPIV2 N and provide a structural reference for RNA binding, inter-protomer organisation and future structure-guided engineering of the scaffold.</p>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":" ","pages":"155176"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2026-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149357032","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Template-dependent RNA polyadenylation by SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase.","authors":"Ivan Petushkov, Andrey Kulbachinskiy","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.155182","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.155182","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The RNA genome of the human Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its mRNAs contain a poly(A) tract at the 3' end of the positive strand that is essential for their replication, translation and stability. Viral RNAs maintain poly(A) tails despite the lack of a cytoplasmic polyadenylation machinery, but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we investigated the activity of SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) with synthetic and natural primer-template RNA substrates and discovered that RdRp could extend the 3' end of the RNA primer beyond the template end. This activity depends on the presence of a homopolymeric sequence at the 5' end of the template strand and is probably explained by 'slippage' and reannealing of the primer 3' end to this sequence. In the case of viral minus-strand templates containing a homopolymeric uridylate sequence this activity can ensure the extension of the poly(A) tail in the plus-strand products synthesized by RdRp. We establish the requirements for this activity in vitro and propose that it may have an important role in SARS-CoV-2 replication and mRNA synthesis inside cells.</p>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":" ","pages":"155182"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2026-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149356948","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Balancing protection and permeability properties of alginate microspheres to enhance cyclic fermentation of Lactobacillus rhamnosus.","authors":"Weiyu Liu, Wei Wang, Chao Chang, Jine Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.155137","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.155137","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>It has been repeatedly reported that lactic acid bacteria gel beads are suitable for repeated fermentations. Nonetheless, there is insufficient theoretical guidance regarding the selection of composite wall materials to enhance the fermentation performance of these gel beads. In this study, gel microspheres encapsulating Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 were prepared by combining sodium alginate (SA) separately with silk protein (SP), casein (CN), soy protein isolate (SPI), or gum arabic (GA). The interactions between four types of wall materials and sodium alginate were studied in detail. The results showed that the SP/SA system performed optimally, as hydrogen bonding gave rise to a highly porous (24.7%), mechanically elastic gel network exhibiting 96.46% encapsulation efficiency and a cumulative lactic acid yield of 49.76 g/L across seven successive batches; the GA/SA system was limited by mass transfer, whereas the CN/SA counterpart exhibited cell leakage due to surface erosion. Molecular docking revealed high binding energies of CN, SPI, and SP for exposed peptidoglycan, confirming direct interactions between bacterial peptidoglycan and protein-based wall materials. Overall, the carrier performance depended on the molecular interaction density and spatial arrangement within the gel network, providing theoretical guidance for the design of reusable probiotic immobilization systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":" ","pages":"155137"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2026-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149357031","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Domain-specific control of silica aggregation by peptides from sorghum Siliplant1.","authors":"Vincent Otieno Ayieko, Mnar Ghrayeb, Alexander Veber, Janina Kneipp, Liraz Chai, Rivka Elbaum","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.155188","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.155188","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Biological silicification of silica cells in the Sorghum bicolor leaf epidermis is regulated by Siliplant1, a protein comprising repeating A, B, and C domains. While the lysine-rich B-domain initiates silicic acid condensation, the roles of the accessory domains in directing silica condensation and morphology remain uncharacterized. Using nano-FTIR, AFM, SEM, and DLS, we demonstrate that only when the A or C domains are covalently attached to the B-domain (forming Pep-AB or Pep-BC) do they enhance silica polymerization and enable control over its aggregation. The high hydroxyl density of Pep-BC increases the condensation of the resulting silica compared to Pep-AB. Crucially, a structural transition from a random coil to a β-sheet, induced via proline mutation, leads to the rapid formation of micron-sized silica aggregates. Our findings suggest that mineral aggregation is driven by β-sheet scaffolds decorated with hydroxyl residues. We propose a two-mode catalytic model: silanol-lysine interactions initiate condensation, while cooperative hydroxyl-amine stabilization facilitates rapid aggregation. This study provides fundamental insights into protein-directed biomineralization and establishes new design principles for the bio-inspired synthesis of functional silica nanomaterials.</p>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":" ","pages":"155188"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2026-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149356945","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"ROS/pH/glucose-responsive hydrogel based on 3-aminophenylboronic acid-modified hyaluronic acid and PVA loaded self-assembled ursolic acid/β-acids nanoparticles accelerates MRSA-infected diabetic wound healing.","authors":"Bingren Tian, Chao Xu, Xia Qiao, Renzhang Liang, Jia Cao, Shiyao Hua, Xu Zhang, Feiyan Zhang, Shuanghe Li, Duan Ma, Jiayue Liu, Lu Ding","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.155189","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.155189","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bacterial infection severely delays the healing of diabetic wounds. Although hydrogels are widely explored as wound dressings, many lack the multi-responsiveness needed to adapt to the dynamic microenvironment of infected wounds. Herein, we designed a nanocomposite hydrogel that integrates antibacterial and antioxidant functions with responsiveness to ROS, pH, and glucose. First, self-assembled spherical nanoparticles (size <200 nm) composed of ursolic acid, β-acids, and Fe³⁺ were fabricated. These nanoparticles exhibited potent antioxidant and antibacterial properties, and their assembly mechanism was elucidated through experimental methods and molecular simulations. A triple-responsive hydrogel (UAHPHY) was prepared by 3-aminophenylboronic acid grafting hyaluronic acid and subsequently crosslinking with polyvinyl alcohol. Incorporating the nanoparticles into this three-dimensional porous hydrogel preserved their antibacterial and antioxidant bioactivities. The drug-loaded hydrogel maintained high viability of L929 fibroblasts and HUVECs for 72 h, promoted L929 proliferation, enhanced HUVEC-mediated tube formation, and displayed a low hemolytic rate. In an MRSA-infected diabetic wound model, the hydrogel markedly accelerated wound closure over 14 days. RNA-seq analysis revealed that the resulting UAHPHY hydrogel promoted wound healing might by activating the PI3K/AKT as an associated pathway. Collectively, this microenvironment-adaptive functional hydrogel offers an effective therapeutic strategy for treating MRSA-infected diabetic wounds.</p>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":" ","pages":"155189"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2026-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149356947","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"CircRNA9389 inhibits NKRF nuclear translocation to activate the NFκB pathway and upregulate PD-L1 expression promoting colorectal cancer progression.","authors":"Hufei Wang, Wei Feng, Wenwei Liu, Wuguo Li, Yebohao Zhou, Yongxin Zhang, Xiaofeng Wang, Tianxiang Lei, Qiao Tang, Ting Yang, Yuxin Wu, Qiao Su, Wu Song","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.155184","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.155184","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play a crucial role in regulating the progression of various cancers and the cancer immune microenvironment. However, the molecular mechanisms how the circRNAs influence colorectal cancer (CRC) development and tumor immune remain to be thoroughly explored and elucidated.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We identified a novel CRC-associated circRNA (circRNA9389) through high-throughput sequencing. The circular structure of circRNA9389 was confirmed using Sanger sequencing and DNA electrophoresis with convergent and divergent primers. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was employed to explore the expression of circRNA9389 in cancerous and adjacent tissues and its correlation with PD-L1 expression. CRC cells and animal models were utilized to assess the effects of circRNA9389 on CRC proliferation and metastasis. Western blotting (WB), RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), and dual-luciferase reporter assays were conducted to explore the mechanisms by which circRNA9389 promotes CRC progression and PD-L1 expression.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>CircRNA9389 was derived from Aspartate Beta-Hydroxylase (ASPH) gene, and significantly upregulated in CRC tissues, with high expression levels correlating with advanced TNM stage. A strong positive correlation was observed between circRNA9389 and PD-L1 mRNA expression. Overexpression of circRNA9389 promoted CRC cell proliferation, metastasis, and invasion, while its inhibition had the opposite effects. Mechanistically, circRNA9389 bound to the non-canonical nuclear localization signal (NLS) of the R3H domain of NKRF protein, thereby blocking its nuclear translocation, activating the NF-κB signaling pathway, and upregulating PD-L1 expression. Additionally, p65 in the NF-κB pathway bound to the P2 promoter region of the ASPH gene to enhance the synthesis of circRNA9389.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our study identifies a novel circRNA (circRNA9389), and reveals the mechanisms for circRNA9389 promoting CRC progression. Collectively, circRNA9389 might be a novel therapeutic target for CRC.</p>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":" ","pages":"155184"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2026-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149340149","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}