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Lipid rafts as signaling hubs in cancer cell survival/death and invasion: implications in tumor progression and therapy [Thematic Reviews]

Cholesterol/sphingolipid-rich membrane domains, known as lipid rafts or membrane rafts, play a critical role in the compartmentalization of signaling pathways. Physical segregation of proteins in lipid rafts may modulate the accessibility of proteins to regulatory or effector molecules. Thus, lipid rafts serve as sorting platforms and hubs for signal transduction proteins. Cancer cells contain higher levels of intracellular cholesterol and lipid rafts than their normal non-tumorigenic counterparts. Many signal transduction processes involved in cancer development (insulin-like growth factor system and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-AKT) and metastasis [cluster of differentiation (CD)44] are dependent on or modulated by lipid rafts. Additional proteins playing an important role in several malignant cancers (e.g., transmembrane glycoprotein mucin 1) are also being detected in association with lipid rafts, suggesting a major role of lipid rafts in tumor progression. Conversely, lipid rafts also serve as scaffolds for the recruitment and clustering of Fas/CD95 death receptors and downstream signaling molecules leading to cell death-promoting raft platforms. The partition of death receptors and downstream signaling molecules in aggregated lipid rafts has led to the formation of the so-called cluster of apoptotic signaling molecule-enriched rafts, or CASMER, which leads to apoptosis amplification and can be pharmacologically modulated. These death-promoting rafts can be viewed as a linchpin from which apoptotic signals are launched. In this review, we discuss the involvement of lipid rafts in major signaling processes in cancer cells, including cell survival, cell death, and metastasis, and we consider the potential of lipid raft modulation as a promising target in cancer therapy.




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Problem Notes for SAS®9 - 65938: Incorrect values might be written to Hadoop for columns defined with the BIGINT data type

Large numeric values consisting of 16 digits in SAS might be incorrect when written to Hadoop for columns defined with the BIGINT data type.  This problem was introduced in SAS 9




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Problem Notes for SAS®9 - 65834: PROC METADATA returns various errors when the input contains certain multi-byte characters

The METADATA procedure might return an error similar to one of the following:

  • ERROR: Missing root element definition.
  • Full Article


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    Problem Notes for SAS®9 - 65922: Trying to read a Google BigQuery table that contains a variable defined as an array might result in a panic error and SAS shutting down

    Trying to read a Google BigQuery table that contains a variable that is defined as an array of records might result in an error and cause SAS to shut down. This issue occurs when one of the variables contained in




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    Problem Notes for SAS®9 - 34294: A missing discrete dependent variable in the selection model together with a OUTPUT statement might cause an Access Violation error

    If the following conditions are met in PROC QLIM: the SELECT option and DISCRETE option are specified in the same MODEL statement or ENDOGENOUS statement the same dependent variable with S




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    Problem Notes for SAS®9 - 65903: You see a "java.lang.IllegalArgumentException" error in the log file when you use the IFRS9_Cycle workflow template in SAS Solution for IFRS 9

    The problem occurs on a content release on the SAS Risk Governance Framework.




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    Problem Notes for SAS®9 - 65872: You see a "java.lang.IllegalArgumentException" error in the log file when you use the CECL_Cycle workflow template in SAS Solution for CECL

    The problem occurs on a content release on the SAS Risk Governance Framework.




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    Problem Notes for SAS®9 - 65574: Decimal values are rounded after they are inserted into a new Databricks table via SAS/ACCESS Interface to JDBC

    A DATA step and PROC SQL can round numeric values while creating and loading data into a new Databricks table via JDBC.




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    Problem Notes for SAS®9 - 65572: The length of a string variable might be longer than specified with the MAX_CHAR_LEN= option

    When you read in a BigQuery table, the length of string variables might be longer than the length specified with the MAX_CHAR_LEN= option when running your SAS software   with UTF-8. By




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    Problem Notes for SAS®9 - 65868: Saving a report distribution in SAS Visual Analytics Designer fails with "The name is invalid"

    When you attempt to save a report distribution in SAS Visual Analytics Designer, you might see the error shown in the following display:  imgalt="" src="{fusion_65868_1_distributionerror.png}" />



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    Thyroid nodules: diagnostic evaluation based on thyroid cancer risk assessment




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    Management of ANCA associated vasculitis




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    Advances in regenerative medicine for otolaryngology/head and neck surgery




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    Noncatalytic Bruton's tyrosine kinase activates PLC{gamma}2 variants mediating ibrutinib resistance in human chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells [Membrane Biology]

    Treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) with inhibitors of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK), such as ibrutinib, is limited by primary or secondary resistance to this drug. Examinations of CLL patients with late relapses while on ibrutinib, which inhibits BTK's catalytic activity, revealed several mutations in BTK, most frequently resulting in the C481S substitution, and disclosed many mutations in PLCG2, encoding phospholipase C-γ2 (PLCγ2). The PLCγ2 variants typically do not exhibit constitutive activity in cell-free systems, leading to the suggestion that in intact cells they are hypersensitive to Rac family small GTPases or to the upstream kinases spleen-associated tyrosine kinase (SYK) and Lck/Yes-related novel tyrosine kinase (LYN). The sensitivity of the PLCγ2 variants to BTK itself has remained unknown. Here, using genetically-modified DT40 B lymphocytes, along with various biochemical assays, including analysis of PLCγ2-mediated inositol phosphate formation, inositol phospholipid assessments, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) static laser microscopy, and determination of intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i), we show that various CLL-specific PLCγ2 variants such as PLCγ2S707Y are hyper-responsive to activated BTK, even in the absence of BTK's catalytic activity and independently of enhanced PLCγ2 phospholipid substrate supply. At high levels of B-cell receptor (BCR) activation, which may occur in individual CLL patients, catalytically-inactive BTK restored the ability of the BCR to mediate increases in [Ca2+]i. Because catalytically-inactive BTK is insensitive to active-site BTK inhibitors, the mechanism involving the noncatalytic BTK uncovered here may contribute to preexisting reduced sensitivity or even primary resistance of CLL to these drugs.




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    Detailed analyses of the crucial functions of Zn transporter proteins in alkaline phosphatase activation [Enzymology]

    Numerous zinc ectoenzymes are metalated by zinc and activated in the compartments of the early secretory pathway before reaching their destination. Zn transporter (ZNT) proteins located in these compartments are essential for ectoenzyme activation. We have previously reported that ZNT proteins, specifically ZNT5–ZNT6 heterodimers and ZNT7 homodimers, play critical roles in the activation of zinc ectoenzymes, such as alkaline phosphatases (ALPs), by mobilizing cytosolic zinc into these compartments. However, this process remains incompletely understood. Here, using genetically-engineered chicken DT40 cells, we first determined that Zrt/Irt-like protein (ZIP) transporters that are localized to the compartments of the early secretory pathway play only a minor role in the ALP activation process. These transporters included ZIP7, ZIP9, and ZIP13, performing pivotal functions in maintaining cellular homeostasis by effluxing zinc out of the compartments. Next, using purified ALP proteins, we showed that zinc metalation on ALP produced in DT40 cells lacking ZNT5–ZNT6 heterodimers and ZNT7 homodimers is impaired. Finally, by genetically disrupting both ZNT5 and ZNT7 in human HAP1 cells, we directly demonstrated that the tissue-nonspecific ALP-activating functions of both ZNT complexes are conserved in human cells. Furthermore, using mutant HAP1 cells, we uncovered a previously-unrecognized and unique spatial regulation of ZNT5–ZNT6 heterodimer formation, wherein ZNT5 recruits ZNT6 to the Golgi apparatus to form the heterodimeric complex. These findings fill in major gaps in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying zinc ectoenzyme activation in the compartments of the early secretory pathway.




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    ADAM10 and ADAM17 proteases mediate proinflammatory cytokine-induced and constitutive cleavage of endomucin from the endothelial surface [Membrane Biology]

    Contact between inflammatory cells and endothelial cells (ECs) is a crucial step in vascular inflammation. Recently, we demonstrated that the cell-surface level of endomucin (EMCN), a heavily O-glycosylated single-transmembrane sialomucin, interferes with the interactions between inflammatory cells and ECs. We have also shown that, in response to an inflammatory stimulus, EMCN is cleared from the cell surface by an unknown mechanism. In this study, using adenovirus-mediated overexpression of a tagged EMCN in human umbilical vein ECs, we found that treatment with tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) or the strong oxidant pervanadate leads to loss of cell-surface EMCN and increases the levels of the C-terminal fragment of EMCN 3- to 4-fold. Furthermore, treatment with the broad-spectrum matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor batimastat (BB94) or inhibition of ADAM metallopeptidase domain 10 (ADAM10) and ADAM17 with two small-molecule inhibitors, GW280264X and GI254023X, or with siRNA significantly reduced basal and TNFα-induced cell-surface EMCN cleavage. Release of the C-terminal fragment of EMCN by TNF-α treatment was blocked by chemical inhibition of ADAM10 alone or in combination with ADAM17. These results indicate that cell-surface EMCN undergoes constitutive cleavage and that TNF-α treatment dramatically increases this cleavage, which is mediated predominantly by ADAM10 and ADAM17. As endothelial cell-surface EMCN attenuates leukocyte–EC interactions during inflammation, we propose that EMCN is a potential therapeutic target to manage vascular inflammation.




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    Coregulator Sin3a Promotes Postnatal Murine {beta}-Cell Fitness by Regulating Genes in Ca2+ Homeostasis, Cell Survival, Vesicle Biosynthesis, Glucose Metabolism, and Stress Response

    Swi-independent 3a and 3b (Sin3a and Sin3b) are paralogous transcriptional coregulators that direct cellular differentiation, survival, and function. Here, we report that mouse Sin3a and Sin3b are co-produced in most pancreatic cells during embryogenesis but become much more enriched in endocrine cells in adults, implying continued essential roles in mature endocrine-cell function. Mice with loss of Sin3a in endocrine progenitors were normal during early postnatal stages but gradually developed diabetes before weaning. These physiological defects were preceded by the compromised survival, insulin-vesicle packaging, insulin secretion, and nutrient-induced Ca2+ influx of Sin3a-deficient β-cells. RNA-seq coupled with candidate chromatin-immunoprecipitation assays revealed several genes that could be directly regulated by Sin3a in β-cells, which modulate Ca2+/ion transport, cell survival, vesicle/membrane trafficking, glucose metabolism, and stress responses. Lastly, mice with loss of both Sin3a and Sin3b in multipotent embryonic pancreatic progenitors had significantly reduced islet-cell mass at birth, caused by decreased endocrine-progenitor production and increased β-cell death. These findings highlight the stage-specific requirements for the presumed "general" coregulators Sin3a and Sin3b in islet β-cells, with Sin3a being dispensable for differentiation but required for postnatal function and survival.




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    Elevated First-Trimester Neutrophil Count Is Closely Associated with the Development of Maternal Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes

    Chronic low-grade inflammation plays a central role in the pathophysiology of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). In order to investigate the ability of different inflammatory blood cell parameters in predicting the development of GDM and pregnancy outcomes, 258 women with GDM and 1154 women without were included in this retrospective study. First-trimester neutrophil count outperformed white blood cell (WBC) count, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in the predictability for GDM. Subjects were grouped based on tertiles of neutrophil count during their first-trimester pregnancy. The results showed that as the neutrophil count increased, there was a step-wise increase in GDM incidence, as well as glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level, Homeostasis Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), macrosomia incidence and newborn weight. Neutrophil count was positively associated with pre-pregnancy Body Mass Index (BMI), HOMA-IR and newborn weight. Additionally, neutrophil count was an independent risk factor for the development of GDM, regardless of the history of GDM. Spline regression showed that there was a significant linear association between GDM incidence and continuous neutrophil count when it exceeded 5.0 x 109/L. This work suggested that first-trimester neutrophil count is closely associated with the development of GDM and adverse pregnancy outcomes.




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    TWIST1-Reprogrammed Endothelial Cell Transplantation Potentiates Neovascularization-Mediated Diabetic Wound Tissue Regeneration

    Hypo-vascularised diabetic non-healing wounds are due to reduced number and impaired physiology of endogenous endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) population that, limits their recruitment and mobilization at the wound site. To enrich the EPC repertoire from non-endothelial precursors, abundantly available mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) were reprogrammed into induced-endothelial cells (iECs). We identified cell signaling molecular targets by meta-analysis of microarray datasets. BMP-2 induction leads to the expression of inhibitory Smad 6/7-dependent negative transcriptional regulation of ID1, rendering the latter's reduced binding to TWIST1 during transdifferentiation of WJ-MSC into iEC. TWIST1, in turn, regulates endothelial genes transcription, positively of pro-angiogenic-KDR and negatively, in part, of anti-angiogenic-SFRP4. Twist1 reprogramming enhanced the endothelial lineage commitment of WJ-MSC, increased the vasculogenic potential of reprogrammed EC (rEC). Transplantation of stable TWIST1-rECs into full-thickness type 1 and 2 diabetic-splinted wound healing murine model enhanced the microcirculatory blood flow and accelerated the wound tissue regeneration. An increased or decreased co-localization of GFP with KDR/SFRP4 and CD31 in the regenerated diabetic wound bed with TWIST1 overexpression or silencing (piLenti-TWIST1-shRNA-GFP), respectively further confirmed improved neovascularization. This study depicted the reprogramming of WJ-MSCs into rECs using unique transcription factors, TWIST1 for an efficacious cell transplantation therapy to induce neovascularization–mediated diabetic wound tissue regeneration.




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    Pharmacologic PPAR-{gamma} Activation Reprograms Bone Marrow Macrophages and Partially Rescues HSPC Mobilization in Human and Murine Diabetes

    Mobilization of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) from the bone marrow (BM) is impaired in diabetes. Excess oncostatin M (OSM) produced by M1 macrophages in the diabetic BM signals through p66Shc to induce Cxcl12 in stromal cells and retain HSPCs. BM adipocytes are another source of CXCL12 that blunts mobilization. We tested a strategy of pharmacologic macrophage reprogramming to rescue HSPC mobilization. In vitro, PPAR- activation with pioglitazone switched macrophages from M1 to M2, reduced Osm expression, and prevented transcellular induction of Cxcl12. In diabetic mice, pioglitazone treatment downregulated Osm, p66Shc and Cxcl12 in the hematopoietic BM, restored the effects of granulocyte-colony stimulation factor (G-CSF), and partially rescued HSPC mobilization, but it increased BM adipocytes. Osm deletion recapitulated the effects of pioglitazone on adipogenesis, which was p66Shc-independent, and double knockout of Osm and p66Shc completely rescued HSPC mobilization. In the absence of OSM, BM adipocytes produced less CXCL12, being arguably devoid of HSPC-retaining activity, whereas pioglitazone failed to downregulate Cxcl12 in BM adipocytes. In diabetic patients under pioglitazone therapy, HSPC mobilization after G-CSF was partially rescued. In summary, pioglitazone reprogrammed BM macrophages and suppressed OSM signaling, but sustained Cxcl12 expression by BM adipocytes could limit full recovery of HSPC mobilization.




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    Genetic Causes of Severe Childhood Obesity: A Remarkably High Prevalence (>=49%) in an Inbred Population of Pakistan

    Monogenic forms of obesity have been identified in ≤10% of severely obese European patients. However, the overall spectrum of deleterious variants (point mutations and structural variants) responsible for childhood severe obesity remains elusive. In this study, we genetically screened 225 severely obese children from consanguineous Pakistani families through a combination of techniques including an in-house developed augmented whole-exome sequencing (CoDE-seq) enabling simultaneous detection of whole exome copy number variations (CNVs) and of point mutations in coding regions. We identified 110 probands (49%) carrying 55 different pathogenic point mutations and CNVs in 13 genes/loci responsible for non-syndromic and syndromic monofactorial obesity. CoDE-seq also identified 28 rare or novel CNVs associated with intellectual disability in 22 additional obese subjects (10%). Additionally, we highlight variants in candidate genes for obesity warranting further investigation. Altogether, 59% of the studied cohort are likely to have a discrete genetic cause with 13% of these due to CNVs demonstrating a remarkably higher prevalence of monofactorial obesity than hitherto reported and a plausible over lapping of obesity and intellectual disabilities in several cases. Finally, inbred populations with high prevalence of obesity, provide a unique genetically enriched material in quest of new genes/variants influencing energy balance.




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    Low Dose IL-2 Combined with Rapamycin Led to an Expansion of CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ Tregs and Prolonged Human Islet-allograft Survival in Humanized Mice

    Islet transplantation is an emerging therapy for type 1 diabetes (T1D) and hypoglycaemic unawareness. However, a key challenge for islet transplantation is cellular rejection and the requirement for long-term immunosuppression. In this study we established a diabetic-humanized NOD-scidIL2Rnull(NSG) mouse model of T cell mediated human islet-allograft rejection and developed a therapeutic regimen of low-dose recombinant human interleukin2(IL-2) combined with low-dose rapamycin to prolong graft survival. NSG-mice that had received renal-subcapsular human islet-allografts and were transfused with 1x107 of human-spleen-mononuclear-cells (hSPMCs), reconstituted human CD45+ cells that were predominantly CD3+ T cells and rejected their grafts with a median survival time of 27 days. IL-2 alone (0.3x106 IU/m2 or 1x106 IU/m2), or rapamycin alone (0.5-1mg/kg) for 3 weeks did not prolong survival. However, the combination of rapamycin with IL-2 for 3 weeks significantly prolonged human islet-allograft survival. Graft survival was associated with expansion of CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ Tregs and enhanced TGF-β production by CD4+ T cells. CD8+ T cells showed reduced IFN- production and reduced expression of perforin-1. The combination of IL-2 and rapamycin has the potential to inhibit human islet-allograft rejection by expanding CD4+FOXP3+ Tregs in vivo and supressing effector cell function, and could be the basis of effective tolerance-based regimens.




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    Repurposing Doxepin to Ameliorate Steatosis and Hyperglycemia by Activating FAM3A Signaling Pathway

    Mitochondrial protein FAM3A suppresses hepatic gluconeogenesis and lipogenesis. This study aimed to screen drug(s) that activates FAM3A expression and evaluate its effect(s) on hyperglycemia and steatosis. Drug-repurposing methodology predicted that antidepressive drug doxepin was among the drugs that potentially activated FAM3A expression. Doxepin was further validated to stimulate the translocation of transcription factor HNF4α from the cytoplasm into the nucleus, where it promoted FAM3A transcription to enhance ATP synthesis, suppress gluconeogenesis, and reduce lipid deposition in hepatocytes. HNF4α antagonism or FAM3A deficiency blunted doxepin-induced suppression on gluconeogenesis and lipid deposition in hepatocytes. Doxepin administration attenuated hyperglycemia, steatosis, and obesity in obese diabetic mice with upregulated FAM3A expression in liver and brown adipose tissues (BAT). Notably, doxepin failed to correct dysregulated glucose and lipid metabolism in FAM3A-deficient mice fed on high-fat diet. Doxepin’s effects on ATP production, Akt activation, gluconeogenesis, and lipogenesis repression were also blunted in FAM3A-deficient mouse livers. In conclusion, FAM3A is a therapeutic target for diabetes and steatosis. Antidepressive drug doxepin activates FAM3A signaling pathways in liver and BAT to improve hyperglycemia and steatosis of obese diabetic mice. Doxepin might be preferentially recommended as an antidepressive drug in potential treatment of patients with diabetes complicated with depression.




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    Remnants of the Triglyceride-Rich Lipoproteins, Diabetes, and Cardiovascular Disease

    Diabetes is now a pandemic disease. Moreover, a large number of people with prediabetes are at risk for developing frank diabetes worldwide. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes increase the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). Even with statin treatment to lower LDL cholesterol, patients with diabetes have a high residual CVD risk. Factors mediating the residual risk are incompletely characterized. An attractive hypothesis is that remnant lipoprotein particles (RLPs), derived by lipolysis from VLDL and chylomicrons, contribute to this residual risk. RLPs constitute a heterogeneous population of lipoprotein particles, varying markedly in size and composition. Although a universally accepted definition is lacking, for the purpose of this review we define RLPs as postlipolytic partially triglyceride-depleted particles derived from chylomicrons and VLDL that are relatively enriched in cholesteryl esters and apolipoprotein (apo)E. RLPs derived from chylomicrons contain apoB48, while those derived from VLDL contain apoB100. Clarity as to the role of RLPs in CVD risk is hampered by lack of a widely accepted definition and a paucity of adequate methods for their accurate and precise quantification. New specific methods for RLP quantification would greatly improve our understanding of their biology and role in promoting atherosclerosis in diabetes and other disorders.




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    The short variant of optic atrophy 1 (OPA1) improves cell survival under oxidative stress [Bioenergetics]

    Optic atrophy 1 (OPA1) is a dynamin protein that mediates mitochondrial fusion at the inner membrane. OPA1 is also necessary for maintaining the cristae and thus essential for supporting cellular energetics. OPA1 exists as membrane-anchored long form (L-OPA1) and short form (S-OPA1) that lacks the transmembrane region and is generated by cleavage of L-OPA1. Mitochondrial dysfunction and cellular stresses activate the inner membrane–associated zinc metallopeptidase OMA1 that cleaves L-OPA1, causing S-OPA1 accumulation. The prevailing notion has been that L-OPA1 is the functional form, whereas S-OPA1 is an inactive cleavage product in mammals, and that stress-induced OPA1 cleavage causes mitochondrial fragmentation and sensitizes cells to death. However, S-OPA1 contains all functional domains of dynamin proteins, suggesting that it has a physiological role. Indeed, we recently demonstrated that S-OPA1 can maintain cristae and energetics through its GTPase activity, despite lacking fusion activity. Here, applying oxidant insult that induces OPA1 cleavage, we show that cells unable to generate S-OPA1 are more sensitive to this stress under obligatory respiratory conditions, leading to necrotic death. These findings indicate that L-OPA1 and S-OPA1 differ in maintaining mitochondrial function. Mechanistically, we found that cells that exclusively express L-OPA1 generate more superoxide and are more sensitive to Ca2+-induced mitochondrial permeability transition, suggesting that S-OPA1, and not L-OPA1, protects against cellular stress. Importantly, silencing of OMA1 expression increased oxidant-induced cell death, indicating that stress-induced OPA1 cleavage supports cell survival. Our findings suggest that S-OPA1 generation by OPA1 cleavage is a survival mechanism in stressed cells.




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    An arrestin-1 surface opposite of its interface with photoactivated rhodopsin engages with enolase-1 [Protein Structure and Folding]

    Arrestin-1 is the arrestin family member responsible for inactivation of the G protein–coupled receptor rhodopsin in photoreceptors. Arrestin-1 is also well-known to interact with additional protein partners and to affect other signaling cascades beyond phototransduction. In this study, we investigated one of these alternative arrestin-1 binding partners, the glycolysis enzyme enolase-1, to map the molecular contact sites between these two proteins and investigate how the binding of arrestin-1 affects the catalytic activity of enolase-1. Using fluorescence quench protection of strategically placed fluorophores on the arrestin-1 surface, we observed that arrestin-1 primarily engages enolase-1 along a surface that is opposite of the side of arrestin-1 that binds photoactivated rhodopsin. Using this information, we developed a molecular model of the arrestin-1–enolase-1 complex, which was validated by targeted substitutions of charge-pair interactions. Finally, we identified the likely source of arrestin's modulation of enolase-1 catalysis, showing that selective substitution of two amino acids in arrestin-1 can completely remove its effect on enolase-1 activity while still remaining bound to enolase-1. These findings open up opportunities for examining the functional effects of arrestin-1 on enolase-1 activity in photoreceptors and their surrounding cells.




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    Structural basis of specific inhibition of extracellular activation of pro- or latent myostatin by the monoclonal antibody SRK-015 [Molecular Biophysics]

    Myostatin (or growth/differentiation factor 8 (GDF8)) is a member of the transforming growth factor β superfamily of growth factors and negatively regulates skeletal muscle growth. Its dysregulation is implicated in muscle wasting diseases. SRK-015 is a clinical-stage mAb that prevents extracellular proteolytic activation of pro- and latent myostatin. Here we used integrated structural and biochemical approaches to elucidate the molecular mechanism of antibody-mediated neutralization of pro-myostatin activation. The crystal structure of pro-myostatin in complex with 29H4-16 Fab, a high-affinity variant of SRK-015, at 2.79 Å resolution revealed that the antibody binds to a conformational epitope in the arm region of the prodomain distant from the proteolytic cleavage sites. This epitope is highly sequence-divergent, having only limited similarity to other closely related members of the transforming growth factor β superfamily. Hydrogen/deuterium exchange MS experiments indicated that antibody binding induces conformational changes in pro- and latent myostatin that span the arm region, the loops contiguous to the protease cleavage sites, and the latency-associated structural elements. Moreover, negative-stain EM with full-length antibodies disclosed a stable, ring-like antigen–antibody structure in which the two Fab arms of a single antibody occupy the two arm regions of the prodomain in the pro- and latent myostatin homodimers, suggesting a 1:1 (antibody:myostatin homodimer) binding stoichiometry. These results suggest that SRK-015 binding stabilizes the latent conformation and limits the accessibility of protease cleavage sites within the prodomain. These findings shed light on approaches that specifically block the extracellular activation of growth factors by targeting their precursor forms.




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    A Legionella effector kinase is activated by host inositol hexakisphosphate [Enzymology]

    The transfer of a phosphate from ATP to a protein substrate, a modification known as protein phosphorylation, is catalyzed by protein kinases. Protein kinases play a crucial role in virtually every cellular activity. Recent studies of atypical protein kinases have highlighted the structural similarity of the kinase superfamily despite notable differences in primary amino acid sequence. Here, using a bioinformatics screen, we searched for putative protein kinases in the intracellular bacterial pathogen Legionella pneumophila and identified the type 4 secretion system effector Lpg2603 as a remote member of the protein kinase superfamily. Employing an array of biochemical and structural biology approaches, including in vitro kinase assays and isothermal titration calorimetry, we show that Lpg2603 is an active protein kinase with several atypical structural features. Importantly, we found that the eukaryote-specific host signaling molecule inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6) is required for Lpg2603 kinase activity. Crystal structures of Lpg2603 in the apo-form and when bound to IP6 revealed an active-site rearrangement that allows for ATP binding and catalysis. Our results on the structure and activity of Lpg2603 reveal a unique mode of regulation of a protein kinase, provide the first example of a bacterial kinase that requires IP6 for its activation, and may aid future work on the function of this effector during Legionella pathogenesis.




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    An arrestin-1 surface opposite of its interface with photoactivated rhodopsin engages with enolase-1 [Protein Structure and Folding]

    Arrestin-1 is the arrestin family member responsible for inactivation of the G protein–coupled receptor rhodopsin in photoreceptors. Arrestin-1 is also well-known to interact with additional protein partners and to affect other signaling cascades beyond phototransduction. In this study, we investigated one of these alternative arrestin-1 binding partners, the glycolysis enzyme enolase-1, to map the molecular contact sites between these two proteins and investigate how the binding of arrestin-1 affects the catalytic activity of enolase-1. Using fluorescence quench protection of strategically placed fluorophores on the arrestin-1 surface, we observed that arrestin-1 primarily engages enolase-1 along a surface that is opposite of the side of arrestin-1 that binds photoactivated rhodopsin. Using this information, we developed a molecular model of the arrestin-1–enolase-1 complex, which was validated by targeted substitutions of charge-pair interactions. Finally, we identified the likely source of arrestin's modulation of enolase-1 catalysis, showing that selective substitution of two amino acids in arrestin-1 can completely remove its effect on enolase-1 activity while still remaining bound to enolase-1. These findings open up opportunities for examining the functional effects of arrestin-1 on enolase-1 activity in photoreceptors and their surrounding cells.




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    Risk Factors for Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy and Cardiovascular Autonomic Neuropathy in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial/Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (DCCT/EDIC) Study

    Barbara H. Braffett
    May 1, 2020; 69:1000-1010
    Complications




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    A Variation on the Theme: SGLT2 Inhibition and Glucagon Secretion in Human Islets

    David J. Hodson
    May 1, 2020; 69:864-866
    Commentaries




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    PPARA Polymorphism Influences the Cardiovascular Benefit of Fenofibrate in Type 2 Diabetes: Findings From ACCORD-Lipid

    Mario Luca Morieri
    Apr 1, 2020; 69:771-783
    Genetics/Genomes/Proteomics/Metabolomics




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    A Bivariate Genome-Wide Approach to Metabolic Syndrome: STAMPEED Consortium

    Aldi T. Kraja
    Apr 1, 2011; 60:1329-1339
    Genetics




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    Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults: Definition, Prevalence, {beta}-Cell Function, and Treatment

    Gunnar Stenström
    Dec 1, 2005; 54:S68-S72
    Section II: Type 1-Related Forms of Diabetes




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    Correction: Rational design, synthesis, and evaluation of uncharged, “smart” bis-oxime antidotes of organophosphate-inhibited human acetylcholinesterase. [Additions and Corrections]

    VOLUME 295 (2020) PAGES 4079–4092There was an error in the abstract. “The pyridinium cation hampers uptake of OPs into the central nervous system (CNS)” should read as “The pyridinium cation hampers uptake into the central nervous system (CNS).”




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    Sandoval eager to do it all for Giants

    Shortly after reporting to Giants camp this week, Pablo Sandoval met with manager Bruce Bochy and reiterated his desire to help the club in whatever way he can.




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    Sandoval instrumental in recruiting FA friends

    Pablo Sandoval said he recruited his friends Gerardo Parra and Yangervis Solarte to the Giants in the offseason.




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    Maybin brings revamped swing to Giants

    Heading into his 13th year in the Majors, Cameron Maybin brings a fresh approach at the plate and a revamped swing as he looks to carve out playing time in the Giants' outfield.




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    Transparency and independence in the vetting and recommendation of vaccine products




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    Developing a vaccine against Zika




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    POSTPONED: Supporting Civic Space: The Role and Impact of the Private Sector

    Invitation Only Research Event

    16 March 2020 - 11:00am to 5:00pm

    Chatham House | 10 St James's Square | London | SW1Y 4LE

    A healthy civic space is vital for an enabling business environment. In recognition of this, a growing number of private sector actors are challenging, publicly or otherwise, the deteriorating environment for civic freedoms.

    However, this corporate activism is often limited and largely ad hoc. It remains confined to a small cluster of multinationals leaving potential routes for effective coordination and collaboration with other actors underexplored.

    This roundtable will bring together a diverse and international group of business actors, civil society actors and foreign policy experts to exchange perspectives and experiences on how the private sector can be involved in issues around civic space. The meeting will provide an opportunity to explore the drivers of – and barriers to – corporate activism, develop a better understanding of existing initiatives, identify good practice and discuss practical strategies for the business community.

    This meeting will be the first of a series of roundtables at Chatham House in support of initiatives to build broad alliances for the protection of civic space. 

    Attendance at this event is by invitation only. 

    PLEASE NOTE THIS EVENT IS POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. 

    Jacqueline Rowe

    Programme Assistant, International Law Programme
    020 7389 3287




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    Seventy Years of the Geneva Conventions: What of the Future?

    24 March 2020

    Seventy years after the adoption of the Geneva Conventions, there are challenges that remain to be addressed. This briefing takes three pertinent examples, and discusses possibilities for addressing them.

    Emanuela-Chiara Gillard

    Associate Fellow, International Law Programme

    GettyImages-913468402.jpg

    Rescue of the wounded in Duma city by Syrian Red Crescent paramedics, 2 February 2018. Photo: Samer Bouidani/NurPhoto/Getty

    Summary

    • The 70th anniversary of the adoption of the 1949 Geneva Conventions was commemorated in 2019. But violations of the Conventions and of the 1977 Additional Protocols are widespread.
    • Contemporary conflicts have been marked by violations of some of the foundational rules of international humanitarian law (IHL) relating to the protection of the wounded and sick and of providers of medical assistance.
    • A further area of IHL that has come under strain and scrutiny are the rules regulating humanitarian relief operations and their application to sieges and blockades.
    • War has a huge impact on children, and the treatment of children in armed conflict is another area of the law that requires further attention.
    • In the current political climate, it is unlikely that new treaties will be negotiated to address emerging issues or uncertainties in the law.
    • Other measures must be explored, including the adoption of domestic measures to implement existing law; support for processes that interpret the law; and initiatives to promote compliance with the law by organized armed groups.
    • One overarching challenge is the interplay between IHL and counterterrorism measures. It can undermine the protections set out in IHL, and hinder principled humanitarian action and activities to promote compliance with the law by organized armed groups.




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    Diabetes Core Update: COVID-19 – Cardiovascular Concerns, April 2019

    This special issue focuses on Cardiovascular Concerns with Diabetes an COVID-19. 

    Recorded April 19, 2020.

    This is a part of the American Diabetes Associations ongoing project providing resources for practicing clinicians on the care of Diabetes during the Covid-19 pandemic.  Todays discussion is an audio version of a webinar recorded on April 19, 2020.

    Presented by:

    Neil Skolnik, M.D., Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Associate Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Abington Jefferson Health

    John J. Russell, M.D., Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Chair-Department of Family Medicine, Abington Jefferson Health




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    • Sports and Health

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    Windrush Film Festival to feature young talent

    Emerging film-makers will have the opportunity to produce a short film based on the theme ‘My Windrush Story – What Windrush Means to Me’ as part of the Windrush Caribbean Film Festival (WCFF), which will be held later this year as part of Black...




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    Thirty Years of Armenian-Azerbaijani Rivalry: Dynamics, Problems and Prospects

    Invitation Only Research Event

    20 November 2019 - 10:00am to 11:30am

    Chatham House | 10 St James's Square | London | SW1Y 4LE

    Event participants

    Laurence Broers, Associate Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Programme, Chatham House
    Chair: Lubica Pollakova, Senior Programme Manager, Russia and Eurasia Programme

    The Armenian–Azerbaijani conflict for control of the mountainous territory of Nagorny Karabakh is the longest-running dispute in post-Soviet Eurasia.

    Laurence Broers, author of Armenia and Azerbaijan: Anatomy of a Rivalry, will discuss how decades of dynamic territorial politics, shifting power relations, international diffusion and unsuccessful mediation efforts have contributed to the resilience of this stubbornly unresolved dispute.

    Department/project

    Anna Morgan

    Administrator, Ukraine Forum
    +44 (0)20 7389 3274




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    Political Will Was Not Enough for Justice Reform in Moldova

    27 November 2019

    Cristina Gherasimov

    Former Academy Associate, Russia and Eurasia Programme
    The pro-reform Sandu government had the will to dismantle oligarchic power structures, but was taken down by limited political experience.

    2019-11-26-Sandu.jpg

    Maia Sandu in Germany in July. Photo: Getty Images.

    The lack of political will to carry out rule of law reforms is frequently the reason why reforms are not fully implemented. The case of Moldova proves that in societies where strong vested interests still persist, political savviness is equally as important as political will.

    Old and new political power brokers in Moldova struck a fragile pact in June to oust Vladimir Plahotniuc. Plahotniuc had built a network of corruption and patronage with the help of the Democratic Party, which he treated as a personal vehicle and which allowed him and a small economic elite circle to enrich themselves off of government institutions and state-owned enterprises, to the detriment of Moldovan citizens and the health of their political process.

    Maia Sandu, co-leader of the pro-reform ACUM electoral bloc, then formed a technocratic government with a remit to implement Moldova’s lagging reform agenda. Though made up of ministers with the integrity and political will to implement difficult transformational reforms, its biggest weakness was its coalition partner – the pro-Russian Socialists’ Party and its informal leader, Igor Dodon, the president of Moldova.

    Now the Socialists – threatened by how key reforms to the justice system would impact their interests – have joined forces with Plahotniuc’s former allies, the Democratic Party, to oust ACUM, exploiting the party’s lack of political savviness. 

    Reform interrupted

    It was always clear the coalition would be short-lived. President Dodon and the co-ruling Socialists joined to buy themselves time, with the hope that they could restrict the most far-reaching reforms and tie the hands of ACUM ministers. In less than five months, however, the Sandu government initiated key reforms in the judicial system, aimed at dismantling Plahotniuc’s networks of patronage but also impacting the Socialists, who to a large degree also profited from the previous status quo.

    The red line came over a last-minute change in the selection process of the prosecutor general proposed by Sandu on 6 November, which the Socialists claimed was unconstitutional and gave them the justification to put forward a motion of no confidence in the Sandu government. This was conveniently supported by the Democratic Party, who appeared threatened by an independent prosecutor’s office and saw an opportunity to return to power.

    Thus, the political will to reform proved insufficient in the absence of a clear strategy on how to address the concerns of the old regime that they would be prosecuted and their vested interests threatened. Here, ACUM’s lack of political experience let them down. With their hands tied from the beginning in a fragile coalition with the Socialists, ACUM were unable to prevent sabotage from within state institutions and their own coalition, and could not find consensus to proceed with more radical methods to tackle corruption.

    Less than two days after the Sandu government was out, a new government was sworn in on 14 November. Prime Minister Ion Chicu was an adviser to President Dodon before taking office and former minister of finance under the Plahotniuc-backed government of Pavel Filip, as part of a cabinet of ministers consisting largely of other presidential advisers and former high-level bureaucrats and ministers from the Plahotniuc era. 

    The new government

    A top priority for the Chicu government is to convince the international community that it is independent from President Dodon, and that its ‘technocrats’ will keep the course of reforms of the Sandu government. This is critical to preserving the financial assistance of Western partners, which the Moldovan government heavily relies on, particularly with a presidential election campaign next year, when they will likely want to create fiscal space for various giveaways to voters.

    But within its first week in office, Chicu appears incapable of walking this line. Reverting to the initially proposed pre-selection process of prosecutor general signals that the post could be filled by a loyal appointee of President Dodon. Moreover, Chicu’s first visit abroad was to Russia, allegedly a major financial contributor of the Socialists’ Party. With the Socialists now holding the presidency, government, Chisinau mayoralty, and the parliament speaker’s seat, the danger of an increased Russian influence on key political decisions is very real.

    A government steered by President Dodon risks bringing Moldova back to where it was before June, with a political elite mimicking reforms while misusing power for private gains. The biggest danger is that instead of continuing the reform process to bring Moldova back on its European integration path, the new government may focus on strengthening the old patronage system, this time with President Dodon at the top of the pyramid.

    Lessons

    This new minority government, supported by the Democrats, is a more natural one for President Dodon and therefore has more chances to survive, at least until presidential elections in autumn of 2020. Both the Socialists and the Democrats will likely seek to use this time to rebuild their own methods of capturing state resources. But with the Socialists relying on the Democrats’ votes in parliament, this is a recipe for further political instability.

    Similar to Moldova, several other states across the post-Soviet space such as Ukraine and Armenia have had new political forces come to power with the political will and mandate to carry out difficult reforms to strengthen rule of law and fight systemic corruption in their countries. What they all have in common is the lack of political experience of how to create change, while old elites, used to thinking on their feet to defend their vested interests, retain their connections and economic and political influence.

    Moldova is a good example of why political will needs to be backed up by clear strategy on how to deal with threatened vested interests in order for new political forces to be able to maintain themselves in power and reforms to be sustainable. When the chance comes again for fresh leaders to come to power, it is importantthey are politically prepared to use it swiftly and wisely.




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    Moldova in 2020 and Beyond: Challenges Ahead

    Invitation Only Research Event

    5 March 2020 - 2:00pm to 3:30pm

    Chatham House | 10 St James's Square | London | SW1Y 4LE

    Event participants

    Maia Sandu, President, Action and Solidarity Party; Prime Minister of Moldova (June-November 2019)
    Chair: Cristina Gherasimov, Research Fellow, German Council on Foreign Relations; Academy Associate, Russia and Eurasia Programme, Chatham House
     

    After a tumultuous 2019 when Moldova witnessed the end of the Plahotniuc era, the country seems bound for an equally difficult year ahead.
     
    Increasing international isolation, a temporary working coalition between the Socialists and the Democrats, concentration of power and resources in the hands of President Igor Dodon, and presidential elections in autumn are among the ordeals to be discussed at this event. Ms Sandu will assess how Moldova can move beyond these challenges and return to a path for sustainable democratic reform. 

    Department/project

    Anna Morgan

    Administrator, Ukraine Forum
    +44 (0)20 7389 3274




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    Earth Observation, Risk Assessment and Global Change: Implications for the Insurance and Aerospace Sectors

    Research Event

    16 July 2008 - 2:00pm to 5:15pm

    Chatham House, London

    This event is organized by Chatham House and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

    Keynote speaker:

    • Lindene Patton, Climate Product Officer, Zurich Financial Services
    Other speaker highlights:
    • Alexis Livanos, Northrop Grumman
    • Sir David King, University of Oxford
    • Barend Van Bergen, KPMG
    • Mike Keebaugh,Raytheon
    • Peter Stott, UK Met Office
    • Trevor Maynard, Lloyd's
    • Shree Khare, Risk Management Solutions
    • Giovanni Rum, Group on Earth Observations
    • Greg Withee, US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
    • Man Cheung, Marsh Ltd