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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 685 records · Page 38
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

The miR-182/SORT1 axis regulates vascular smooth muscle cell calcification in vitro and in vivo

Highlights: • SORT1 is upregulated and miR-182 is downregulated in response to vascular calcification. • Knockdown of SORT1 attenuated RUNX2 to inhibit VSMC calcification. • MiR-182 mediates VSMC calcification directly regulates SORT1 expression. Arterial calcification is a common feature of cardiovascular disease. Sortilin is involved in the development of atherosclerosis, but the specific mechanism is unclear. In this study, we established calcification models in vivo and in vitro by using vitamin D{sub 3} and β-glycerophosphate, respectively. In vivo, the expression of SORT1 was up-regulated and the expression of miR-182 was down-regulated in calcified arterial tissues. Meanwhile there was a negative correlation between SORT1 expression and miR-182 levels. In vitro, downregulating SORT1 expression using shRNA inhibited β-glycerophosphoric induced vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) calcification. Moreover, reduced sortilin levels followed transfection of miR-182 mimics, whereas there was a significant increase in sortilin levels after transfection of miR-182 inhibitors. A luciferase reporter assay confirmed that SORT1 is the direct target of miR-182. Our study suggests that SORT1 plays a vital role in the development of arterial calcification and is regulated by miR-182.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

γ-Taxilin temporally regulates centrosome disjunction in a Nek2A-dependent manner

Highlights: • γ-Taxilin co-localizes with Nek2A at the centrosome during interphase. • γ-Taxilin interacts with Nek2A in yeast two-hybrid and pull-down assays. • γ-Taxilin protein expression levels decrease at the onset of mitosis. • γ-Taxilin depletion induces immature splitting of centrosomes. • The immature splitting of centrosomes induced by γ-taxilin depletion depends on Nek2A. Never in mitosis A-related kinase 2A (Nek2A), a centrosomal serine/threonine kinase, is involved in mitotic progression by regulating the centrosome cycle. Particularly, Nek2A is necessary for dissolution of the intercentriole linkage between the duplicated centrosomes prior to mitosis. Nek2A activity roughly parallels its cell cycle-dependent expression levels, but the precise mechanism regulating its activity remains unclear. In this study, we found that γ-taxilin co-localized with Nek2A at the centrosome during interphase and interacted with Nek2A in yeast two-hybrid and pull-down assays and that γ-taxilin regulated centrosome disjunction in a Nek2A-dependent manner. γ-Taxilin depletion increased the number of cells with striking splitting of centrosomes. The precocious splitting of centrosomes induced by γ-taxilin depletion was attenuated by Nek2A depletion, suggesting that γ-taxilin depletion induces the Nek2A-mediated dissolution of the intercentriole linkage between the duplicated centrosomes nevertheless mitosis does not yet begin. Taken together with the result that γ-taxilin protein expression levels were decreased at the onset of mitosis, we propose that γ-taxilin participates in Nek2A-mediated centrosome disjunction as a negative regulator through its interaction with Nek2A.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Up-regulated lncRNA-MSX2P1 promotes the growth of IL-22-stimulated keratinocytes by inhibiting miR-6731-5p and activating S100A7

Highlights: • High expression of MSX2P1 and S100A7 in psoriatic lesion tissues. • MSX2P1, functions as miR-6731-5p sponge, modulates S100A7 expression. • miR-6731-5p inhibits the progression of IL-22-stimulated keratinocytes by S100A7. Competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) regulate RNA transcripts by competing for shared miRNAs and play critical roles in disease development. Psoriasis is a long-lasting, recurring chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by hyperproliferation of keratinocytes. The keratinocyte response is triggered by the activation of inflammatory cytokines, like interleukin-22 (IL-22). We used lncRNA array analysis to detect differentially expressed lncRNAs in skin (HaCaT) cells treated with or without IL-22. We used hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining to determine the pathological changes in skin cells and immunohistochemistry to evaluate the expression of S100A7. We used qRT-PCR and Western blotting to detect the expression levels of MSX2P1 and S100A7. We down-regulated the expression of MSX2P1 by infecting with lentiviral-vector shRNA. We measured cell proliferation, cell cycle status, and apoptosis by the CCK-8 assay, flow cytometry, and Annexin Ⅴ-FITC/PI staining, respectively. In addition, we used the luciferase reporter gene assay to determine the relationships between MSX2P1 or miR-6731-5p and S100A7, respectively. LncRNA array analysis revealed that 103 lncRNAs were up-regulated and 51 were down-regulated. Furthermore, qRT-PCR showed that the mRNAs levels of MSX2P1 was significantly altered in HaCaT cells treated with IL-22, compared with control cells; and MSX2P1 was mainly in the cytoplasm. Based on the IL-22-stimulated lncRNA-associated ceRNA network, we selected MSX2P1-miR-6731-5p-S100A7 for further study. H&E staining exhibited characteristic features specific to psoriatic lesions. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated significantly increased expression levels of S100A7 in psoriatic lesions, compared with normal skin tissue. We observed a positive correlation between lncRNA-MSX2P1 expression and S100A7 expression. In addition, miR-6731-5p suppressed proliferation, accelerated apoptosis in IL-22-stimulated keratinocytes, and decreased the expressions of S100A7, IL-12β, IL-23, HLA-C, CCHCR1, TNF-α, and NF-κB proteins. Our data demonstrated that MSX2P1 facilitate the progression and growth of IL-22-stimulated keratinocytes by inhibiting miR-6731-5p and activating S100A7. We speculate that the biological network of MSX2P1-miR-6731-5p-S100A7 is a potential novel therapeutic target for the future treatment of psoriasis.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Fasudil inhibits neutrophil-endothelial cell interactions by regulating the expressions of GRP78 and BMPR2

Highlights: • Fasudil suppressed neutrophil-endothelial chemotaxis in a dose-dependent manner. • Fasudil inhibited neutrophil-endothelial chemotaxis via GRP78 down-regulation. • Fasudil attenuated neutrophil-endothelial adhesion by modulating BMPR2 expression. • Fasudil reduced neutrophil transendothelial cell migration. Regulation of leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions and of vascular permeability plays a critical role in the maintenance of functional pulmonary microvascular barriers. Little is yet known about the effect of the Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) inhibitor fasudil on leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions or the underlying mechanism. In the present study, as evaluated using co-culture systems of neutrophils and human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMECs), fasudil dose-dependently suppressed neutrophil chemotaxis by decreasing the production of chemotactic factors in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated HPMECs. The inhibitory role of fasudil in neutrophil chemotaxis was mediated by down-regulation of the chaperone glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), since the inhibition was abolished by 4-phenyl butyric acid (a chemical chaperone mimicking GRP78). In addition, fasudil inhibited LPS-induced neutrophil-endothelial adhesion by reducing the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1. By use of lentiviral transfection in HPMECs, bone morphogenic protein receptor 2 (BMPR2) overexpression suppressed the LPS-induced increase of both ICAM-1 expression and neutrophil-endothelial adhesion, whereas knocking down BMPR2 abolished the inhibitory role of fasudil in both ICAM-1 expression and neutrophil-endothelial adhesion. Moreover, fasudil alleviated LPS-induced hyperpermeability of HPMEC monolayers by leading to the recovery of intercellular junctions, thereafter reduced neutrophil transendothelial cell migration. Therefore, fasudil inhibited leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions and vascular hyperpermeability through modulation of GRP78 and BMPR2 expression, suggesting a potential role for ROCK as a switch for inhibiting leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Involvement of FFA1 and FFA4 in the regulation of cellular functions during tumor progression in colon cancer cells

Highlights: • FFAR1 and FFAR4 expressions are changed by anticancer drugs in colon cancer cells. • FFA1 stimulates and FFA4 inhibits cellular functions of DLD1 cells. • FFAR1 expression is markedly elevated in highly migratory DLD1 cells. • Cell migration and colony formation of DLD1 cells are suppressed by FFA1 inhibition. • FFA1 and FFA4 regulate cellular functions during tumor progression in DLD1 cells. Free fatty acid receptor 1 (FFA1) and FFA4 mediate a variety of biological responses through binding of medium- and long-chain free fatty acids. The aim of this study was to investigate an involvement of FFA1 and FFA4 in the regulation of cellular functions during tumor progression in colon cancer cells. The long-term fluorouracil (5-FU) and cisplatin (CDDP) treated cells were generated from DLD1 cells (DLD-5FU and DLD-CDDP cells, respectively). FFAR1 expressions were lower in DLD-5FU and DLD-CDDP cells than in DLD1 cells. In contrast, DLD-5FU and DLD-CDDP cells showed the high FFAR4 expressions, compared with DLD1 cells. The cell motile activities of DLD-5FU and DLD-CDDP cells were reduced by GW9508 which is an agonist of FFA1 and FFA4. Moreover, GW1100, an antagonist of FFA1, inhibited the cell motile activities of DLD-5FU and DLD-CDDP cells. To evaluate whether FFA1 and FFA4 regulate the enhancement of cell motility, invasion and colony formation, highly migratory (hmDLD1) cells were established from DLD1 cells. FFAR1 expression was significantly higher in hmDLD1 cells than in DLD1 cells, but no change of FFAR4 expression was observed. The elevated cell motile and invasive activities and colony formation of hmDLD1 cells were suppressed by FFA1 inhibition. These results suggest that FFA1 and FFA4 are involved in the regulation of cellular functions during tumor progression in colon cancer DLD1 cells.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

CDK8 regulates the angiogenesis of pancreatic cancer cells in part via the CDK8-β-catenin-KLF2 signal axis

Highlights: • This is the first study to supply the relationship between CDK8 and angiogenesis in pancreatic cancer cells. • CDK8 could promote angiogenesis in pancreatic cancer. • CDK8 stimulates tumorigenesis and angiogenesis in nude mice models. • CDK8 regulates the angiogenesis of pancreatic cancer cells in part via the CDK8-β-catenin-KLF2 signal axis. • CDK8 regulates KLF2 accumulation in pancreatic cancer cells by regulating β-catenin. CDK8 is associated with the transcriptional Mediator complex and has been shown to regulate several transcription factors implicated in cancer. As a pancreatic cancer oncogene, the role of CDK8 in cancer angiogenesis remains unclear. Here, we investigated the contribution of CDK8 in pancreatic cancer angiogenesis and examined the underlying molecular mechanisms.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

The involvement of regulated in development and DNA damage response 1 (REDD1) in the pathogenesis of intervertebral disc degeneration

Regulated in development and DNA damage response 1 (REDD1) is an evolutionarily conserved, ubiquitous protein that responds to various cell stresses. Studies have proved REDD1 is involved in many diseases, such as osteoarthritis and cancer. The present study aimed to investigate the potential role of REDD1 in the pathogenesis of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). Analysis of clinical tissue samples showed REDD1 expression was up-regulated during IDD and was correlated with the grade of disc degeneration. Overexpression of REDD1 in normal human nucleus pulposus (NP) cells resulted in extracellular matrix (ECM) degeneration. Further, we investigated the function of REDD1 using a serum deprivation-induced IDD vitro model and found that REDD1 was up-regulated in a temporal manner. However, hypoxia abolished this increase through down-regulation of NF-κB. Knockdown of REDD1 or NF-κB by si-RNA significantly rescued ECM from degeneration both in normoxia and hypoxia. In addition, NF-κB/REDD1 mediated the protection of hypoxia from serum deprivation-induced apoptosis and autophagy in NP cells. These results suggest that REDD1 might play a pivotal role in IDD pathogenesis, thereby potentially providing a new therapeutic target for IDD treatment.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

RNA binding protein DAZAP1 promotes HCC progression and regulates ferroptosis by interacting with SLC7A11 mRNA

Highlights: • DAZAP1 effectively promotes HCC progression. • DAZAP1 negatively regulates ferroptosis in HCC cells. • DAZAP1 interacts with SLC7A11 mRNA, and positively regulates its stability. RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) closely regulate the whole lifecycle of most RNA molecules, from the very early stage of transcription to RNA decay. Dysregulation of RBPs significantly affects the fate of cancer-related transcripts. Therefore, it is imperative to fully understand the complicated RBP-RNA regulatory networks in malignant diseases and to explore novel therapeutic targets. The RBP DAZAP1 (deleted in azoospermia-associated protein 1), originally identified as an important protein in spermatogenesis, had rarely been studied in the context of carcinogenesis. The role of DAZAP1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was unveiled in this study. The relative expression of DAZAP1 was significantly upregulated in HCC and was positively associated with several key malignant characteristics and poor postoperative survival in patients. DAZAP1 knockdown by small interfering RNA markedly inhibited HCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Furthermore, DAZAP1 significantly reduced cellular sensitivity to sorafenib (SF), which had been proven to be an inducer of ferroptosis by targeting the system Xc{sup −} (composed of a light chain, xCT/SLC7A11, and a heavy chain, 4F2 heavy chain). At the mechanistic level, DAZAP1 was identified as a potent inhibitor of ferroptosis and an efficient binding partner of SLC7A11 mRNA. Further study revealed that DAZAP1 interacted with the 3′UTR (untranslated region) of SLC7A11 mRNA and positively regulated its stability. In our work, we clarified novel functions of DAZAP1 and preliminarily revealed its underlying mechanism in ferroptosis, which may be conducive to the exploration of biomarkers and therapeutic targets in HCC patients.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Vimentin loss promotes cancer proliferation through up-regulating Rictor/AKT/β-catenin signaling pathway

Vimentin protein is one of the main cytoskeleton and plays an important role in cell motility and metastasis. Nowadays, vimentin is widely studied as an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) marker of cancer cells while its involvement in cancer proliferation is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the participation of vimentin in regulating cancer proliferation by silencing VIM gene in four cancer cell lines. Our results demonstrated that vimentin loss significantly induced cancer cell proliferation both in vitro and in vivo, which has not been reported so far. Mechanistically, knockdown of vimentin expression activated AKT phosphorylation and its downstream β-catenin signaling. Nuclear translocation and transcriptional activity of β-catenin was enhanced after silencing vimentin expression. Furthermore, vimentin loss could prevent Rictor from autophagy-dependent degradation via reducing AMPK-mediated autophagy signaling. AICAR, an AMPK activator, down-regulated Rictor and p-AKT levels while vimentin knockdown could rescue the effects. In vivo, it was also found that Ki67 expression and p-AKT/β-catenin signaling pathway were obviously up-regulated in the tumor tissues in which vimentin was silenced compared to control groups. Taken together, these data showed the novel function of vimentin in regulating cancer proliferation via Rictor/AKT/β-catenin signaling pathway, which suggested that it need more careful consideration before inhibiting metastatic cancers through targeting vimentin.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Proline hydroxylase domain-containing enzymes regulate calcium levels in cardiomyocytes by TRPA1 ion channel

Highlights: • PHD induces calcium release from cardiomyocytes through ryanodine channel. • PHD activates TRPA1 to induce extracellular calcium ions into the cell and further activate the ryanodine channel. • TRPA1 is involved in the regulation of PHD-Ca2+-AMPK signaling pathway. The proline hydroxylase domain-containing enzymes (PHDs) acts as cellular oxygen sensors, inducing a series of responses to hypoxia, especially during the regulation of metabolism and energy homeostasis. The increase of Ca{sup 2+} in cardiomyocytes, induced by the opening of PHD signaling pathway, is the key initiation signal necessary for the PHD-mediated regulation of the energy metabolism pathway, but the underlying molecular mechanism remains incompletely understood. This study used PHD inhibitors (PHIs) and PHD2-specific RNA interference (PHD2shRNA) to inhibit PHD signals in cardiomyocytes to explore whether transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) is involved in the regulation of calcium ion influx in the PHD activation pathway associated with to AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). The Fluo-3AM probe was used to measure changes in free intracellular calcium ion concentrations, and Western blot analysis was used to detect the levels of phosphorylated (P)-AMPK, TRPA1, and P–Ca{sup 2+}/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase Ⅱ (CaMKⅡ) levels. The PHI-mediated inhibition of PHD resulted in an increase in free Ca{sup 2+} fluorescence in cardiomyocytes, which activated AMPK, TRPA1, and CaMKⅡ. The TRPA1 inhibitor HC030031, the CaMKII inhibitor KN93, and a ryanodine inhibitor (Ryanodine) were all able to inhibit the PHI-induced increase in intracellular Ca{sup 2+} and AMPK activation. Both PHIs and PHD2shRNA were able to effectively activate CaMKII and TRPA1. However, an inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptor (IP3R) inhibitor and the protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor H89 did not significantly inhibit the PHI-induced increase in intracellular Ca{sup 2+} and AMPK activation. These results indicated that PHD might activate the CaMKⅡ pathway through the TRPA1 ion channel, inducing the release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum through ryanodine receptor 2 (RyR2), activating AMPK to initiate the protective effects of hypoxia in cardiomyocytes.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

MiR-10b-5p inhibits tumorigenesis in gastric cancer xenograft mice model through down-regulating Tiam1

Highlights: • MiR-10b-5p acted as a tumor suppressor in gastric cancer by targeting and down-regulating Tiam1. • Overexpression of miR-10b-5p induced apoptosis of gastric cancer cells. • As a specifically chemically modified miRNA mimics, agomir-10b-5p can accumulate in target cells after overcoming membrane and tissue barriers in vivo. • Agomir-10b-5p could be a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of gastric cancer. The miR-10b-5p plays an important role in gastric cancer development but its exact effect on gastric cancer development in vivo has not been fully studied. We showed that miR-10b-5p inhibited the proliferation and migration of gastric cancer cells by down-regulating Tiam1 which was up-regulated in both gastric cancer cells and tissues. Gastric cancer xenograft experiment showed that lenti-miR-10b-5p treatment and agomir-10b-5p injection could significantly retard tumor growth and reduce tumor size and induced apoptosis. Therefore, our results elucidate the tumor suppressor role of miR-10b-5p in gastric cancer in which it acts as a negative regulator of Tiam1 and also provide a molecular mechanism for agomir-10b-5p to treat gastric cancer.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

miR-126 regulates angiogenesis in myocardial ischemia by targeting HIF-1α

Promoting angiogenesis by targeting various angiogenic regulators has emerged as a new treatment strategy for myocardial ischemia (MI). MicroRNA-126 (miR-126) has been identified as the main regulator of compensatory angiogenesis; however, its role in MI is unclear. A rat MI model and an EA. hy926 endothelial cell hypoxia model were constructed and it was found that miR-126 was highly expressed in both models. The knockdown of HIF-1α expression in EA. hy926 cells in turn downregulated VEGF and CD34 expression and consequently inhibited angiogenesis. MiR-126 inhibitor inhibited EA. hy926 cell migration and tube formation as well as downregulated VEGF and CD34 expression, and these were reversed by transfection of miR-126 mimics. Rescue tests using miR-126 and HIF-1α demonstrated that miR-126-mediated regulation of angiogenesis was dependent on HIF-1α. In summary, miR-126 regulates the occurrence and progression of angiogenesis during MI via HIF-1α and may be a potential new therapeutic target.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Carbon Limitation Leads to Thermodynamic Regulation of Aerobic Metabolism

Organic matter (OM) metabolism in freshwater ecosystems is a critical source of uncertainty in global biogeochemical cycles, yet the processes regulating aerobic respiration in aquatic environments remain poorly understood. Aerobic respiration is typically predicted through kinetic controls such as organic carbon and oxygen concentrations, while assuming thermodynamic regulation has no influence. The role of OM thermodynamics has been mainly explored under anaerobic conditions; however, recent observations have suggested that thermodynamic properties of OM may influence aerobic respiration rates. Here, we explicitly test OM thermodynamics as a key regulator of aerobic respiration. We pair controlled microcosm experiments with ultrahigh-resolution OM characterization to show that aerobic respiration increases with OM thermodynamic favorability under carbon limitation. We also demonstrate a shift in the regulation of aerobic respiration from OM thermodynamics to nitrogen content when carbon is in excess, highlighting a central role for OM thermodynamics particularly in carbon-limited ecosystems. This illuminates a structural gap in aquatic biogeochemical models by demonstrating that both kinetic and thermodynamic constraints can modulate aerobic respiration. Our work therefore proposes a new conceptual model in which thermodynamic and nutrient limitations dually control aerobic respiration.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Harnessing the Power of Machine Learning and Omics to Identify Environmental Regulation on Microbial Functional Composition for Soil C, N, and P Cycling

Microbial enzyme-mediated soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition regulates many key ecosystem functions, such as elemental cycling, soil carbon sequestration, and soil fertility. However, representing microbial processes in Earth system models (ESMs) remains challenging due to a limited understanding of the spatial patterns of diverse microbial functions responsible for soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) cycling as well as the underlying mechanisms regulating their relative abundances across various environments. We collected published metagenomics data across the continental US (CONUS) to identify hundreds of microbial genes involved in soil C, N, and P cycling and grouped them into eight enzyme functional classes (EFCs). Each EFC represented a group of gene-encoded potential enzymes that decompose similar soil compounds. By integrating the abundances of omics-informed EFCs with the corresponding environmental information, we trained a machine learning (ML) model to identify key edaphic, climate, and vegetation factors regulating the abundances of each EFC. Quantitative analysis of effects of these factors revealed that the spatial distribution of eight EFCs for soil C, N, and P cycling across CONUS reflected potential resource optimization strategies of microbial communities under nutrient limitation, preferential organic-mineral associations, and climatological stresses. This insight, together with the interpreted ML tool and the CONUS-level benchmark for EFCs abundances, paves the way for parameterizing environmental-regulated microbial functional dynamics in biogeochemical models.

machine learning↗
DOE OSTI2026

Reservoir Drought Resilience Under Future Warming Scenarios: Regional Disparities Across Heavily Regulated US Basins

Droughts across the U.S. have imposed substantial challenges to the management of water resources. Reservoir drought, one type of hydrological drought, is characterized by abnormally low reservoir storage levels, reflecting combined impacts of natural water shortages and water management practices. We investigate how reservoir drought signatures, particularly onset, severity, duration, recovery and frequency, may shift under rising temperatures, and how these shifts vary by reservoir typology and degree of regulation. By coupling atmosphere-land-river models with reservoir operations at ~12-km resolution, we simulated reservoir storage and characterized reservoir droughts across five heavily regulated U.S. basins. Our findings reveal significant regional and functional disparities in reservoir drought resilience under the scenario of rising temperatures. Reservoirs in the Texas-Gulf region are projected to become more resilient, while systems in the Upper Colorado and South Atlantic-Gulf regions face increased risk due to prolonged drought durations and slower recovery. With respect to primary function, reservoirs used for irrigation and hydropower, particularly those with smaller storage capacity and lower degrees of regulation, are most susceptible to future drought stress. These results are valuable in understanding water availability in highly regulated environments, and the influence of hydrometeorological conditions on storage dynamics. Overall, this study provides the first of its kind benchmark for reservoir droughts at a continental scale to support evolving multi-sectoral drought mitigation efforts. Future research is needed to link reservoir drought conditions to actual supply shortages across competing water uses, while leveraging existing adaptive management strategies and coordinated reservoir operations.

reservoir↗
DOE OSTI2017

Structural basis of dual Ca2+/pH regulation of the endolysosomal TRPML1 channel

The activities of organellar ion channels are often regulated by Ca2+ and H+, which are present in high concentrations in many organelles. Here we report a structural element critical for dual Ca2+/pH regulation of TRPML1, a Ca2+-release channel crucial for endolysosomal function. TRPML1 mutations cause mucolipidosis type IV (MLIV), a severe lysosomal storage disorder characterized by neurodegeneration, mental retardation and blindness. We obtained crystal structures of the 213-residue luminal domain of human TRPML1 containing three missense MLIV-causing mutations. This domain forms a tetramer with a highly electronegative central pore formed by a novel luminal pore loop. Cysteine cross-linking and cryo-EM analyses confirmed that this architecture occurs in the full-length channel. Structure–function studies demonstrated that Ca2+ and H+ interact with the luminal pore and exert physiologically important regulation. The MLIV-causing mutations disrupt the luminal-domain structure and cause TRPML1 mislocalization. Our study reveals the structural underpinnings of TRPML1's regulation, assembly and pathogenesis.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2018

The MerR-like protein BldC binds DNA direct repeats as cooperative multimers to regulate Streptomyces development

Streptomycetes are notable for their complex life cycle and production of most clinically important antibiotics. A key factor that controls entry into development and the onset of antibiotic production is the 68-residue protein, BldC. BldC is a putative DNA-binding protein related to MerR regulators, but lacks coiled-coil dimerization and effector-binding domains characteristic of classical MerR proteins. Hence, the molecular function of the protein has been unclear. Here we show that BldC is indeed a DNA-binding protein and controls a regulon that includes other key developmental regulators. Intriguingly, BldC DNA-binding sites vary significantly in length. Our BldC-DNA structures explain this DNA-binding capability by revealing that BldC utilizes a DNA-binding mode distinct from MerR and other known regulators, involving asymmetric head-to-tail oligomerization on DNA direct repeats that results in dramatic DNA distortion. Notably, BldC-like proteins radiate throughout eubacteria, establishing BldC as the founding member of a new structural family of regulators.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
DOE OSTI2023

Cancer-associated somatic mutations in human phosphofructokinase-1 reveal a critical electrostatic interaction for allosteric regulation of enzyme activity

Metabolic reprogramming, including increased glucose uptake and lactic acid excretion, is a hallmark of cancer. The glycolytic ‘gatekeeper’ enzyme phosphofructokinase-1 (PFK1), which catalyzes the step committing glucose to breakdown, is dysregulated in cancers. While altered PFK1 activity and expression in tumors have been demonstrated, little is known about the effects of cancer-associated somatic mutations. Somatic mutations in PFK1 inform our understanding of allosteric regulation by identifying key amino acid residues involved in the regulation of enzyme activity. Here, we characterized mutations disrupting an evolutionarily conserved salt bridge between aspartic acid and arginine in human platelet (PFKP) and liver (PFKL) isoforms. Using purified recombinant proteins, we showed that disruption of the Asp–Arg pair in two PFK1 isoforms decreased enzyme activity and altered allosteric regulation. We determined the crystal structure of PFK1 to 3.6 Å resolution and used molecular dynamic simulations to understand molecular mechanisms of altered allosteric regulation. We showed that PFKP-D564N had a decreased total system energy and changes in the electrostatic surface potential of the effector site. Cells expressing PFKP-D564N demonstrated a decreased rate of glycolysis, while their ability to induce glycolytic flux under conditions of low cellular energy was enhanced compared with cells expressing wild-type PFKP. Taken together, these results suggest that mutations in Arg–Asp pair at the interface of the catalytic-regulatory domains stabilizes the t-state and presents novel mechanistic insight for therapeutic development in cancer.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗