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High-safety aqueous zinc (Zn) ion batteries are troubled by dendrite growth and hydrogen evolution reaction on Zn anode, which can be well solved via the construction of surface protective layer. The recent researches mainly focus on the bulk property of the protective layer, but its separation from Zn anode is ignored. In this work, high-viscoelasticity alginate-based (HVAA) layer was in-situ constructed on Zn anodes by the cross-linking of sodium alginate with formaldehyde and the plastifying of glycerin. HVAA layer can combine with H 2 O and coordinate with Zn 2+ ions in aqueous electrolyte to achieve viscoelasticity on Zn anode, which can accommodate volume change of Zn anode during plating/stripping processes to continuously protect Zn anodes under the real battery system. Physical block effect of HVAA layer impedes hydrogen evolution corrosion reaction by avoiding the immediate contact of Zn anodes with aqueous electrolyte. Ionic conductive ability of HVAA layer by coordinating oxygen-containing groups with Zn 2+ can uniform ion flux to induce the homogeneous deposition of Zn 2+ on Zn anode. Zn anode with HVAA endows ZnZn symmetric battery with stably cycle of 4000 h and Zn-iodide full batteries with better electrochemical performance of 8000 cycles comparing with bare Zn anode. This work opens a novel route to continuously protect Zn anode through the high-viscoelasticity films to closely fit with Zn surface and implement the high-value application of renewable sources., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The asexual stages of Toxoplasma gondii are defined by the rapidly growing tachyzoite during the acute infection and by the slow growing bradyzoite housed within tissue cysts during the chronic infection. These stages represent unique physiological states, each with distinct glucans reflecting differing metabolic needs. A defining feature of T. gondii bradyzoites is the presence of insoluble storage glucans known as amylopectin granules (AGs), the function of which remains largely unexplored during the chronic infection. The presence of storage glucans has more recently been established in tachyzoites, a finding corroborated by specific labeling with the anti-glycogen antibody IV58B6. The T. gondii genome encodes activities needed for glucan turnover inlcuding: a glucan phosphatase (TgLaforin; TGME49_205290) and a glucan kinase (TgGWD; TGME49_214260) that catalyze a cycle of reversible glucan phosphorylation required for glucan degradation by amylases. Disruption of TgLaforin in tachyzoites had no impact on growth under nutrient-replete conditions. Growth of TgLaforin-KO tachyzoites was however severely stunted when starved of glutamine despite being glucose replete. Loss of TgLaforin attenuated acute virulence in mice and was accompanied by a lower tissue cyst burden, without a direct impact on tissue cyst size. Quantification of relative AG levels using AmyloQuant, an imaging based application, revealed the starch-excess phenotype associated with the loss of TgLaforin is heterogeneous and linked to an emerging AG cycle in bradyzoites. Excessive AG accumulation TgLaforin-KO bradyzoites promoted intra-cyst bradyzoite death implicating reversible glucan phosphorylation as a legitimate target for the development of new drugs against chronic T. gondii infections., Importance: Storage of glucose is associated with a projected need for future metabolic potential. Accumulation of glucose in insoluble amylopectin granules (AG) is associated with encysted forms of Toxoplasma gondii . AG which are not observed in rapidly growing tachyzoites do appear to possess glycogen, a soluble storage glucan. Here we address the role of reversible glucan phosphorylation by targeting TgLaforin, a glucan phosphatase and key component of reversible glucan phosphorylation controlling AG and glycogen turnover. Loss of TgLaforin fundamentally alters tachyzoite metabolism making them dependent on glutamine. These changes directly impact acute virulence resulting in lowering tissue cyst yields. The effects of the loss of TgLaforin on AG levels in encysted bradyzoites is heterogenous, manifesting non-uniformly with the progression of the chronic infection. With the loss of TgLaforin culminating with the death of encysted bradyzoites, AG metabolism presents a potential target for therapeutic intervention, the need for which is acute.

Excessive fructose intake is a risk factor for the development of obesity and its complications. Targeting ketohexokinase (KHK), the first enzyme of fructose metabolism, has been investigated for the management of MASLD. We compared the effects of systemic, small molecule inhibitor of KHK enzymatic activity to hepatocyte-specific, GalNAc-siRNA mediated knockdown of KHK in mice on a HFD. We measured KHK enzymatic activity, extensively quantified glycogen accumulation, performed RNAseq analysis, and enumerated hepatic metabolites using mass spectrometry. Both KHK siRNA and KHK inhibitor led to an improvement in liver steatosis, however, via substantially different mechanisms. KHK knockdown decreased the de novo lipogenesis pathway, whereas the inhibitor increased the fatty acid oxidation pathway. Moreover, KHK knockdown completely prevented hepatic fructolysis and improved glucose tolerance. Conversely, the KHK inhibitor only partially reduced fructolysis, but it also targeted triokinase, mediating the third step of fructolysis. This leads to the accumulation of fructose-1 phosphate, resulting in glycogen accumulation, hepatomegaly, and impaired glucose tolerance. Overexpression of wild-type, but not kinase-dead KHK in cultured hepatocytes increased hepatocyte injury and glycogen accumulation when treated with fructose. The differences between KHK inhibition and knockdown are, in part, explained by the kinase-dependent and independent effects of KHK on hepatic metabolism.

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate outcomes of fetal sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT) from an academic tertiary center., Study Design: This is a retrospective study evaluating pregnancy and postnatal outcomes of fetal SCT management at a single institution between 2006 and 2023. Results are reported as median (range)., Results: Fourteen patients with fetal SCT were studied. Hydrops fetalis occurred in 2 (14.3%) cases. Pregnancy course included expectant management in 12 (85.7%) and palliative preterm induction in 1 patient (7.1%). Indications for delivering timing included fetal deterioration in 7 patients (50%), preeclampsia in 3 (21.4%), elective induction of delivery in 3 (21.4%), and preterm labor in 1 (7.1%). Delivery GA was 36.4 weeks (26.4-40.1 weeks), with 11 (78.5%) cesareans and 3 (21.4%) vaginal deliveries. There were 13 (92.9%) live births and 11 (78.6%) long-term survivors. Postnatal resection pathology demonstrated 7 (53.8%) mature, 3 (23.1%) immature, and 3 (23.1%) malignant SCTs. Of the 11 long-term survivors, 3 (27.3%) had teratoma recurrences, including 2 (18.2%) with metastatic disease requiring chemotherapy. Notable long-term complications involved gastrointestinal (n = 7, 63.6%), genitourinary (n = 4, 36.4%), and musculoskeletal (n = 2, 18.2%) systems., Conclusion: SCT confers significant morbidity to both the pregnant patient and neonate. Multidisciplinary prenatal and postnatal care is needed to comprehensively manage this complex condition., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

In this study, lignin derived from corncobs was chemically modified by substituting the hydroxyl groups present in its structure with methacrylate groups through a catalytic reaction using methacrylic anhydride, resulting in methacrylated lignin (ML). These MLs were incorporated in polymerization reaction of the monomer 2-[(acryloyloxy)ethyl trimethylammonium] chloride (Cl-AETA) and Cl-AETA, Cl-AETA/ML polymers were obtained, characterized (spectroscopic, thermal and microscopic analysis), and evaluated for removing Cr (VI) and As (V) from aqueous media in function of pH, contact time, initial metal concentrations and adsorbent amount. The Cl-AETA/ML polymers followed the Langmuir adsorption model for the evaluated metal anions and were able to remove up to 91 % of Cr (VI) with a q max (maximum adsorption capacity) of 201 mg/g, while for As (V), up to 60 % could be removed with a q max of 58 mg/g. The results demonstrate that simple modifications in lignin enhance its functionalization and properties, making it suitable for removing contaminants from aqueous media, showing promising results for potential future applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Glycogen storage diseases (GSDs) comprise a group of inherited metabolic disorders characterized by defects in glycogen metabolism, leading to abnormal glycogen accumulation in multiple tissues, most notably affecting the liver, skeletal muscle, and heart. Recent findings have uncovered the importance of glycogen metabolism in the brain, sustaining a myriad of physiological functions and linking its perturbation to central nervous system (CNS) pathology. This link resulted in classification of neurological-GSDs (n-GSDs), a group of diseases with shared deficits in neurological glycogen metabolism. The n-GSD patients exhibit a spectrum of clinical presentations with common etiology while requiring tailored therapeutic approaches from the traditional GSDs. Recent research has elucidated the genetic and biochemical mechanisms and pathophysiological basis underlying different n-GSDs. Further, the last decade has witnessed some promising developments in novel therapeutic approaches, including enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), substrate reduction therapy (SRT), small molecule drugs, and gene therapy targeting key aspects of glycogen metabolism in specific n-GSDs. This preclinical progress has generated noticeable success in potentially modifying disease course and improving clinical outcomes in patients. Herein, we provide an overview of current perspectives on n-GSDs, emphasizing recent advances in understanding their molecular basis, therapeutic developments, underscore key challenges and the need to deepen our understanding of n-GSDs pathogenesis to develop better therapeutic strategies that could offer improved treatment and sustainable benefits to the patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest R.C.S. has received research support and consultancy fees from Maze Therapeutics and is a member of the Medical Advisory Board for Little Warrior Foundation. M.S.G. has received research support, research compounds, or consultancy fees from Maze Therapeutics, Valerion Therapeutics, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, PTC Therapeutics, and the Glut1-Deficiency Syndrome Foundation. R.C.S. and M.S.G. are co-founders of Attrogen LLC. M.Corti has received research support from Sanofi, Friedreich Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA), Amicus, AavantiBio, Lacerta, Provention Bio, Sarepta, Duchenne Research Fund, Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), GoFAR, Cydan, Audentes. M.Corti has received consulting fees from AavantiBio, Reata, Lilly, Avexis and Gilbert foundation, SwanBio and PCT Therapeutics. B.J.B. has received research support from SolidBio, ProventionBio, Barth Syndrome Foundation. B.J.B. has received consulting fees from AavantiBio, Amicus Therapeutics, Rocket Pharma, Pfizer, Sanofi, and Sarepta Therapeutics. M.Corti and B.J.B. are co-founders of Ventura, LLC., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Low ionic conductivity and poor interface stability of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) restrict the practical application as polymeric electrolyte films to prepare solid-state lithium (Li) metal batteries. In this work, biomass-based carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) is designed and developed as organic fillers into PEO matrix to form composite electrolytes (PEO@CMCS). Carboxymethyl groups of CMCS fillers can promote the decomposition of Lithium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonimide) (LiTFSI) to generate more lithium fluoride (LiF) at CMCS/PEO interface, which not only forms ionic conductive network to promote the rapid transfer of Li + but also effectively enhances the interface stability between polymeric electrolyte and Li metal. The enrichment of carboxyl, hydroxyl, and amidogen functional groups within CMCS fillers can form hydrogen bonds with ethylene oxide (EO) chains to improve the tensile properties of PEO-based electrolyte. In addition, the high hardness of CMCS additives can also strengthen mechanical properties of PEO-based electrolyte to resist penetration of Li dendrites. LiLi symmetric batteries can achieve stable cycle for 2500 h and lithium iron phosphate full batteries can maintain 135.5 mAh g -1 after 400 cycles. This work provides a strategy for the enhancement of ion conductivity and interface stability of PEO-based electrolyte, as well as realizes the resource utilization of biomass-based CMCS., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The apolipoprotein E ( APOE ) gene has been studied due to its influence on Alzheimer's disease (AD) development and work in an APOE mouse model recently demonstrated impaired respiratory motor plasticity following spinal cord injury (SCI). Individuals with AD often copresent with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) characterized by cessations in breathing during sleep. Despite the prominence of APOE genotype and sex as factors in AD progression, little is known about the impact of these variables on respiratory control. Ventilation is tightly regulated across many systems, with respiratory rhythm formation occurring in the brainstem but modulated in response to chemoreception. Alterations within these modulatory systems may result in disruptions of appropriate respiratory control and ultimately, disease. Using mice expressing two different humanized APOE alleles, we characterized how sex and the presence of APOE3 or APOE4 influences ventilation during baseline breathing (normoxia) and during respiratory challenges. We show that sex and APOE genotype influence breathing during hypoxic challenge, which may have clinical implications in the context of AD and OSA. In addition, female mice, while responding robustly to hypoxia, were unable to recover to baseline respiratory levels, emphasizing sex differences in disordered breathing. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study is the first to use whole body plethysmography (WBP) to measure the impact of APOE alleles on breathing under normoxia and during adverse respiratory challenges in a targeted replacement Alzheimer's model. Both sex and genotype were shown to affect breathing under normoxia, hypoxic challenge, and hypoxic-hypercapnic challenge. This work has important implications regarding the impact of genetics on respiratory control as well as applications pertaining to conditions of disordered breathing including sleep apnea and neurotrauma.

Sulfonated lignin-based dye dispersants have intensively attracted attention due to their low cost, renewability and abundant sources. However, their utilization is limited by the low content of sulfonic groups and high content of hydroxyl groups in their complex lignin structure, which results in various problems such as high reducing rate of dye, severe staining of the fibers and uneven dyeing. Here, the multi-site sulfonated lignin-based dispersants were prepared with high sulfonic group content (2.20 mmol/g) and low hydroxyl content (2.43 mmol/g). When using it as the dispersant, the dye uptake rate was improved from 69.23 % to 98.55 %, the reducing rate was decreased from 20.82 % to 2.03 %, the K/S value was reduced from 0.69 to 0.02, and the particle sizes in dye system before and after high temperature treatment were stabilized below 0.5 μm. Besides, the dispersion effect was significantly improved because no obvious separation between dye and water was observed even if without the assistance of grinding process. In short, the multi-site sulfonation method proposed in this work could remarkably improve the performances of the lignin-based dye dispersants, which would facilitate the development of the dye dispersion and the high value utilization of lignin., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that would appear to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Microglia undergo two-stage activation in neurodegenerative diseases, known as disease-associated microglia (DAM). TREM2 mediates the DAM2 stage transition, but what regulates the first DAM1 stage transition is unknown. We report that glucose dyshomeostasis inhibits DAM1 activation and PKM2 plays a role. As in tumors, PKM2 was aberrantly elevated in both male and female human AD brains, but unlike in tumors, it is expressed as active tetramers, as well as among TREM2 + microglia surrounding plaques in 5XFAD male and female mice. snRNAseq analyses of microglia without Pkm2 in 5XFAD mice revealed significant increases in DAM1 markers in a distinct metabolic cluster, which is enriched in genes for glucose metabolism, DAM1, and AD risk. 5XFAD mice incidentally exhibited a significant reduction in amyloid pathology without microglial Pkm2 Surprisingly, microglia in 5XFAD without Pkm2 exhibited increases in glycolysis and spare respiratory capacity, which correlated with restoration of mitochondrial cristae alterations. In addition, in situ spatial metabolomics of plaque-bearing microglia revealed an increase in respiratory activity. These results together suggest that it is not only glycolytic but also respiratory inputs that are critical to the development of DAM signatures in 5XFAD mice., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interests., (Copyright © 2024 the authors.)

Glycogen is a biologically essential macromolecule that is directly involved in multiple human diseases. While its primary role in carbohydrate storage and energy metabolism in the liver and muscle is well characterized, recent research has highlighted critical metabolic and non-metabolic roles for glycogen in the brain. In this review, the emerging roles of glycogen homeostasis in the healthy and diseased brain are discussed with a focus on advancing our understanding of the role of glycogen in the brain. Innovative technologies that have led to novel insights into glycogen functions are detailed. Key insights into how cellular localization impacts neuronal and glial function are discussed. Perturbed glycogen functions are observed in multiple disorders of the brain, including where it serves as a disease driver in the emerging category of neurological glycogen storage diseases (n-GSDs). n-GSDs include Lafora disease (LD), adult polyglucosan body disease (APBD), Cori disease, Glucose transporter type 1 deficiency syndrome (G1D), GSD0b, and late-onset Pompe disease (PD). They are neurogenetic disorders characterized by aberrant glycogen which results in devastating neurological and systemic symptoms. In the most severe cases, rapid neurodegeneration coupled with dementia results in death soon after diagnosis. Finally, we discuss current treatment strategies that are currently being developed and have the potential to be of great benefit to patients with n-GSD. Taken together, novel technologies and biological insights have resulted in a renaissance in brain glycogen that dramatically advanced our understanding of both biology and disease. Future studies are needed to expand our understanding and the multifaceted roles of glycogen and effectively apply these insights to human disease., (© 2023 International Society for Neurochemistry.)

Classical Swine Fever (CSF), caused by the Classical Swine Fever Virus (CSFV), inflicts significant economic losses on the global pig industry. A key factor in the challenge of eradicating this virus is its ability to evade the host's innate immune response, leading to persistent infections. In our study, we elucidate the molecular mechanism through which CSFV exploits m6A modifications to circumvent host immune surveillance, thus facilitating its proliferation. We initially discovered that m6A modifications were elevated both in vivo and in vitro upon CSFV infection, particularly noting an increase in the expression of the methyltransferase METTL14. CSFV non-structural protein 5B was found to hijack HRD1, the E3 ubiquitin ligase for METTL14, preventing METTL14 degradation. MeRIP-seq analysis further revealed that METTL14 specifically targeted and methylated TLRs, notably TLR4. METTL14-mediated regulation of TLR4 degradation, facilitated by YTHDF2, led to the accelerated mRNA decay of TLR4. Consequently, TLR4-mediated NF-κB signaling, a crucial component of the innate immune response, is suppressed by CSFV. Collectively, these data effectively highlight the viral evasion tactics, shedding light on potential antiviral strategies targeting METTL14 to curb CSFV infection., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Chen et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Dopaminergic signaling in the nucleus accumbens shell (NAc) regulates neuronal activity relevant to reward-related learning, including cocaine-associated behaviors. Although astrocytes respond to dopamine and cocaine with structural changes, the impact of dopamine and cocaine on astrocyte functional plasticity has not been widely studied. Specifically, behavioral implications of voltage-gated channel activity in the canonically non-excitable astrocytes are not known. We characterized potassium channel function in NAc astrocytes following exposure to exogenous dopamine or cocaine self-administration training under short (2 h/day) and extended (6 h/day) access schedules. Electrophysiological, Ca 2+ imaging, mRNA, and mass spectrometry tools were used for molecular characterization. Behavioral effects were examined after NAc-targeted microinjections of channel antagonists and astroglial toxins. Exogenous dopamine increased activity of currents mediated by voltage-gated (K v 7) channels in NAc astrocytes. This was associated with a ~5-fold increase in expression of Kcnq2 transcript level in homogenized NAc micropunches. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry revealed increased NAc dopamine levels in extended access, relative to short access, rats. K v 7 inhibition selectively increased frequency and amplitude of astrocyte intracellular Ca 2+ transients in NAc of extended access rats. Inhibition of K v 7 channels in the NAc attenuated cocaine-seeking in extended access rats only, an effect that was occluded by microinjection of the astrocyte metabolic poison, fluorocitrate. These results suggest that voltage-gated K + channel signaling in NAc astrocytes is behaviorally relevant, support K v 7-mediated regulation of astrocyte Ca 2+ signals, and propose novel mechanisms of neuroglial interactions relevant to drug use., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to American College of Neuropsychopharmacology.)

Glycogen synthase 1 (GYS1), the rate-limiting enzyme in muscle glycogen synthesis, plays a central role in energy homeostasis and has been proposed as a therapeutic target in multiple glycogen storage diseases. Despite decades of investigation, there are no known potent, selective small-molecule inhibitors of this enzyme. Here, we report the preclinical characterization of MZ-101, a small molecule that potently inhibits GYS1 in vitro and in vivo without inhibiting GYS2, a related isoform essential for synthesizing liver glycogen. Chronic treatment with MZ-101 depleted muscle glycogen and was well tolerated in mice. Pompe disease, a glycogen storage disease caused by mutations in acid α glucosidase (GAA), results in pathological accumulation of glycogen and consequent autophagolysosomal abnormalities, metabolic dysregulation, and muscle atrophy. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with recombinant GAA is the only approved treatment for Pompe disease, but it requires frequent infusions, and efficacy is limited by suboptimal skeletal muscle distribution. In a mouse model of Pompe disease, chronic oral administration of MZ-101 alone reduced glycogen buildup in skeletal muscle with comparable efficacy to ERT. In addition, treatment with MZ-101 in combination with ERT had an additive effect and could normalize muscle glycogen concentrations. Biochemical, metabolomic, and transcriptomic analyses of muscle tissue demonstrated that lowering of glycogen concentrations with MZ-101, alone or in combination with ERT, corrected the cellular pathology in this mouse model. These data suggest that substrate reduction therapy with GYS1 inhibition may be a promising therapeutic approach for Pompe disease and other glycogen storage diseases.

Adsorption method is an effective approach to treat wastewater containing methylene blue. Herein, a cost-effective and eco-friendly lignin-based network composite hydrogel adsorbent (PAA@SML) was constructed by using polyacrylic acid (PAA) to crosslink with sulfomethylated lignin (SML) via free radical polymerization for adsorption of methylene blue (MB) from wastewater. The constructed PAA@SML-0.2 exhibited remarkable adsorption performance towards removal of MB, with a maximum theoretical adsorption capacity of 777.1 mg·g -1 . The improved efficiency can be attributed to the well-established network structure and abundant hydrophilic functional groups present in the adsorbent, promoting the interaction between methylene blue (MB) molecules and the adsorption sites of the adsorbent. The adsorption process of the adsorbent for MB followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic and the Langmuir isotherm models, which illustrated the adsorption process attributed to monolayer chemisorption. Mechanism investigation confirmed that the adsorption of MB by PAA@SML-0.2 primarily relied on hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions. Moreover, the recyclability test demonstrated excellent regeneration usability and stability of PAA@SML-0.2, and the adsorption capacity maintained above 74.0 % after five cycles. This constructed lignin-based network composite hydrogel is considered to have great potential in the treatment of organic dye in wastewater., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

N6-methyladenosine (m 6 A), the most common modification in mammalian mRNA and viral RNA, regulates mRNA structure, stability, translation, and nuclear export. The Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus causing severe neurologic disease in humans. To date, the role of m 6 A modification in JEV infection remains unclear. Herein, we aimed to determine the impact of m 6 A methylation modification on JEV replication in vitro and in vivo. Our results demonstrated that the overexpression of the m 6 A reader protein YTHDF1 in vitro significantly inhibits JEV proliferation. Additionally, YTHDF1 negatively regulates JEV proliferation in YTHDF1 knockdown cells and YTHDF1 knockout mice. MeRIP-seq analysis indicated that YTHDF1 interacts with several interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs), especially in IFIT3. Overall, our data showed that YTHDF1 played a vital role in inhibiting JEV replication. These findings bring novel insights into the specific mechanisms involved in the innate immune response to infection with JEV. They can be used in the development of novel therapeutics for controlling JEV infection., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aims: Genome and epigenome wide association studies identified variants in carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1a (CPT1a) that associate with lipid traits. The goal of this study was to determine the role of liver-specific CPT1a on hepatic lipid metabolism., Approach and Results: Male and female liver-specific knockout (LKO) and littermate controls were placed on a low-fat or high-fat diet (60% kcal fat) for 15 weeks. Mice were necropsied after a 16 h fast, and tissues were collected for lipidomics, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry imaging, kinome analysis, RNA-sequencing, and protein expression by immunoblotting. Female LKO mice had increased serum alanine aminotransferase levels which were associated with greater deposition of hepatic lipids, while male mice were not affected by CPT1a deletion relative to male control mice. Mice with CPT1a deletion had reductions in DHA-containing phospholipids at the expense of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA)-containing phospholipids in whole liver and at the level of the lipid droplet (LD). Male and female LKO mice increased RNA levels of genes involved in LD lipolysis (Plin2, Cidec, G0S2) and in polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism (Elovl5, Fads1, Elovl2), while only female LKO mice increased genes involved in inflammation (Ly6d, Mmp12, Cxcl2). Kinase profiling showed decreased protein kinase A activity, which coincided with increased PLIN2, PLIN5, and G0S2 protein levels and decreased triglyceride hydrolysis in LKO mice., Conclusions: Liver-specific deletion of CPT1a promotes sexually dimorphic steatotic liver disease (SLD) in mice, and here we have identified new mechanisms by which females are protected from HFD-induced liver injury., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Ex-utero intrapartum treatment has been established as an option for fetal and perinatal surgeons to deliver patients with sacrococcygeal teratomas (SCTs) which are causing significant fetal distress and possible in-utero fetal demise. However, ex-utero intrapartum treatment procedures carry significant maternal risk and morbidity. Herein, we report an alternative technique of Cesarean section to immediate resection (CSIR) for managing high-risk SCTs., Methods: A retrospective institutional review board-approved review was performed on all SCTs evaluated at our fetal center from May 2014 to September 2020. Demographics; prenatal imaging characteristics; prenatal interventions; and postnatal surgery data including operative time, estimated blood loss, pathology, and outcomes were collected. Outcomes of interest included surveillance serum alpha-fetoprotein levels, imaging surveillance, developmental milestones, and the presence or absence of constipation or fecal incontinence., Results: A total of 20 patients with prenatal diagnosis of SCT were evaluated. Mothers who transferred their care to another institution after diagnosis were excluded from this study. Twelve neonates underwent standard postnatal resection. Three neonates underwent emergent CSIR for high output cardiac failure, fetal anemia, or concerns for in-utero hemorrhagic rupture. The median (interquartile range) operative time was 231.5 (113) minutes for the standard operative group versus 156 min in the CSIR group. We present three patients who underwent immediate resection after emergent Cesarean section. We report 100% survival for the three consecutive cases., Conclusions: CSIR is a safe and feasible approach for managing appropriately selected high-risk SCTs with signs of hydrops, fetal distress, or fetal anemia. Despite patient prematurity, we demonstrated 100% survival of three consecutive cases. We suggest that CSIR be considered an option in the management algorithm for high-risk SCTs., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The role of Tousled-like kinase 1 (TLK1) in in gastric cancer (GC) remains unclear., Aim: To investigate the expression, biological function, and underlying mechanisms of TLK1 in GC., Methods: We measured TLK1 protein expression levels and localized TLK1 in GC cells and tissues by western blot and immunofluorescence, respectively. We transfected various GC cells with lentiviruses to create TLK1 overexpression and knockdown lines and established the functional roles of TLK1 through in vitro colony formation, 5-ethynyl-2`-deoxyuridine, and Transwell assays as well as flow cytometry. We applied bioinformatics to elucidate the signaling pathways associated with TLK1. We performed in vivo validation of TLK1 functions by inducing subcutaneous xenograft tumors in nude mice., Results: TLK1 was significantly upregulated in GC cells and tissues compared to their normal counterparts and was localized mainly to the nucleus. TLK1 knockdown significantly decreased colony formation, proliferation, invasion, and migration but increased apoptosis in GC cells. TLK1 overexpression had the opposite effects. Bioinformatics revealed, and subsequent experiments verified, that the tumor growth factor-beta signaling pathway was implicated in TLK1-mediated GC progression. The in vivo assays confirmed that TLK1 promotes tumorigenesis in GC., Conclusion: The findings of the present study indicated that TLK1 plays a crucial role in GC progression and is, therefore, promising as a therapeutic target against this disease., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflict of interest to declare., (©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. FundingThe author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Metabolic reprogramming has been recognized as one of the major mechanisms that fuel tumor initiation and progression. Our previous studies demonstrate that activation of Drp1 promotes fatty acid oxidation and downstream Wnt signaling. Here we investigate the role of Drp1 in regulating glycogen metabolism in colon cancer. Knockdown of Drp1 decreases mitochondrial respiration without increasing glycolysis. Analysis of cellular metabolites reveals that the levels of glucose-6-phosphate, a precursor for glycogenesis, are significantly elevated whereas pyruvate and other TCA cycle metabolites remain unchanged in Drp1 knockdown cells. Additionally, silencing Drp1 activates AMPK to stimulate the expression glycogen synthase 1 (GYS1) mRNA and promote glycogen storage. Using 3D organoids from Apc f/f /Villin-Cre ERT2 models, we show that glycogen levels are elevated in tumor organoids upon genetic deletion of Drp1. Similarly, increased GYS1 expression and glycogen accumulation are detected in xenograft tumors derived from Drp1 knockdown colon cancer cells. Functionally, increased glycogen storage provides survival advantage to Drp1 knockdown cells. Co-targeting glycogen phosphorylase-mediated glycogenolysis sensitizes Drp1 knockdown cells to chemotherapy drug treatment. Taken together, our results suggest that Drp1-loss activates glucose uptake and glycogenesis as compensative metabolic pathways to promote cell survival. Combined inhibition of glycogen metabolism may enhance the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents for colon cancer treatment., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Patients with Lafora disease have a mutation in EPM2A or EPM2B, resulting in dysregulation of glycogen metabolism throughout the body and aberrant glycogen molecules that aggregate into Lafora bodies. Lafora bodies are particularly damaging in the brain, where the aggregation drives seizures with increasing severity and frequency, coupled with neurodegeneration. Previous work employed mouse genetic models to reduce glycogen synthesis by approximately 50%, and this strategy significantly reduced Lafora body formation and disease phenotypes. Therefore, an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) was developed to reduce glycogen synthesis in the brain by targeting glycogen synthase 1 (Gys1). To test the distribution and efficacy of this drug, the Gys1-ASO was administered to Epm2b-/- mice via intracerebroventricular administration at 4, 7, and 10 months. The mice were then sacrificed at 13 months and their brains analyzed for Gys1 expression, glycogen aggregation, and neuronal excitability. The mice treated with Gys1-ASO exhibited decreased Gys1 protein levels, decreased glycogen aggregation, and reduced epileptiform discharges compared to untreated Epm2b-/- mice. This work provides proof of concept that a Gys1-ASO halts disease progression of EPM2B mutations of Lafora disease., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Intercostal nerve cryoablation with the Nuss procedure has been shown to decrease opioid requirements and hospital length of stay; however, few studies have evaluated the impact on complications and hospital costs., Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed for all Nuss procedures at our institution from 2016 through 2020. Outcomes were compared across 4 pain modalities: cryoablation with standardized pain regimen (n = 98), patient-controlled analgesia (PCA; n = 96), epidural (n = 36), and PCA with peripheral nerve block (PNB; n = 35). Outcomes collected included length of stay, opioid use, variable direct costs, and postoperative complications. Univariate and multivariate hierarchical regression analysis was used to compare outcomes between the pain modalities., Results: Cryoablation was associated with increased total hospital cost compared with PCA (cryoablation, $11 145; PCA, $8975; P < .01), but not when compared with epidural ($9678) or PCA with PNB ($10 303). The primary driver for increased costs was operating room supplies (PCA, $2741; epidural, $2767; PCA with PNB, $3157; and cryoablation, $5938; P < .01). With multivariate analysis, cryoablation was associated with decreased length of stay (-1.94; 95% CI, -2.30 to -1.57), opioid use during hospitalization (-3.54; 95% CI, -4.81 to -2.28), and urinary retention (0.13; 95% CI, 0.05-0.35)., Conclusions: Cryoablation significantly reduces opioid requirements and length of stay relative to alternative modalities, but it was associated with an increase in total hospital costs relative to PCA, but not epidural or PCA with PNB. Cryoablation was not associated with allodynia or slipped bars requiring reoperation., (Copyright © 2023 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose of Review: Pompe disease is a rare, inherited, devastating condition that causes progressive weakness, cardiomyopathy and neuromotor disease due to the accumulation of glycogen in striated and smooth muscle, as well as neurons. While enzyme replacement therapy has dramatically changed the outcome of patients with the disease, this strategy has several limitations. Gene therapy in Pompe disease constitutes an attractive approach due to the multisystem aspects of the disease and need to address the central nervous system manifestations. This review highlights the recent work in this field, including methods, progress, shortcomings, and future directions., Recent Findings: Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) and lentiviral vectors (LV) are well studied platforms for gene therapy in Pompe disease. These products can be further adapted for safe and efficient administration with concomitant immunosuppression, with the modification of specific receptors or codon optimization. rAAV has been studied in multiple clinical trials demonstrating safety and tolerability., Summary: Gene therapy for the treatment of patients with Pompe disease is feasible and offers an opportunity to fully correct the principal pathology leading to cellular glycogen accumulation. Further work is needed to overcome the limitations related to vector production, immunologic reactions and redosing., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Oligodendrocytes (OLs) generate lipid-rich myelin membranes that wrap axons to enable efficient transmission of electrical impulses. Using a RIT1 knockout mouse model and in situ high-resolution matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) coupled with MS-based lipidomic analysis to determine the contribution of RIT1 to lipid homeostasis. Here, we report that RIT1 loss is associated with altered lipid levels in the central nervous system (CNS), including myelin-associated lipids within the corpus callosum (CC). Perturbed lipid metabolism was correlated with reduced numbers of OLs, but increased numbers of GFAP + glia, in the CC, but not in grey matter. This was accompanied by reduced myelin protein expression and axonal conduction deficits. Behavioral analyses revealed significant changes in voluntary locomotor activity and anxiety-like behavior in RIT1 KO mice. Together, these data reveal an unexpected role for RIT1 in the regulation of cerebral lipid metabolism, which coincide with altered white matter tract oligodendrocyte levels, reduced axonal conduction velocity, and behavioral abnormalities in the CNS., Competing Interests: Ramon C. Sun has received research support and has received a consultancy fee from Maze Therapeutics. Matthew S. Gentry has received research support and research compounds from Maze Therapeutics, Valerion Therapeutics, and Ionis Pharmaceuticals. Matthew S. Gentry also received a consultancy fee from Maze Therapeutics, PTC Therapeutics, and the Glut1-Deficiency Syndrome Foundation. Fang Wang, Lei Wu, Mritunjay Pandey, Harrison A. Clarke, Hilaree N. Frazier, Carole L. Moncman, Weikang Cai, Lyndsay E.A. Young, Olivier Thibault, and Douglas A. Andres report no disclosures. The content is the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH. The paper is subject to the NIH Public Access Policy. This study was carried out in accordance with the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Galactomannan-based biogums were derived from fenugreek, guar, tara, and carob and consisted of mannose and galactose with different ratios, as well as the implementation of high-value utilization was very significant for sustainable development. In this work, renewable and low-cost galactomannan-based biogums were designed and developed as functional coatings protected on the Zn metal anodes. The molecule structure of galactomannan-based biogums were explored on the effect of anticorrosion ability and uniform deposition behavior through the introduction of fenugreek gum, guar gum, tara gum, and carob gum with different ratios of mannose to galactose as 1.2:1, 2:1, 3:1, and 4:1. The existence of biogum protective layers can reduce the contact area between Zn anodes and aqueous electrolyte to enhance the anticorrosion ability of Zn anodes. Rich oxygen-containing groups in galactomannan-based biogums can coordinate with Zn 2+ and Zn atoms to form ion conductivity gel layer and adsorb closely on the surface of Zn metal, which can induce uniform deposition of Zn 2+ to avoid dendrite growth. Zn electrodes protected by biogums can cycle impressively for 1980 h with 2 mA cm -2 and 2 mAh cm -2 . This work can provide a novel strategy to enhance Zn metal anodes' electrochemical performance, as well as implement the high-value application of biomass-based biogums as functional coatings., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background & Aims: The consumption of sugar and a high-fat diet (HFD) promotes the development of obesity and metabolic dysfunction. Despite their well-known synergy, the mechanisms by which sugar worsens the outcomes associated with a HFD are largely elusive., Methods: Six-week-old, male, C57Bl/6 J mice were fed either chow or a HFD and were provided with regular, fructose- or glucose-sweetened water. Moreover, cultured AML12 hepatocytes were engineered to overexpress ketohexokinase-C (KHK-C) using a lentivirus vector, while CRISPR-Cas9 was used to knockdown CPT1α. The cell culture experiments were complemented with in vivo studies using mice with hepatic overexpression of KHK-C and in mice with liver-specific CPT1α knockout. We used comprehensive metabolomics, electron microscopy, mitochondrial substrate phenotyping, proteomics and acetylome analysis to investigate underlying mechanisms., Results: Fructose supplementation in mice fed normal chow and fructose or glucose supplementation in mice fed a HFD increase KHK-C, an enzyme that catalyzes the first step of fructolysis. Elevated KHK-C is associated with an increase in lipogenic proteins, such as ACLY, without affecting their mRNA expression. An increase in KHK-C also correlates with acetylation of CPT1α at K508, and lower CPT1α protein in vivo. In vitro, KHK-C overexpression lowers CPT1α and increases triglyceride accumulation. The effects of KHK-C are, in part, replicated by a knockdown of CPT1α. An increase in KHK-C correlates negatively with CPT1α protein levels in mice fed sugar and a HFD, but also in genetically obese db/db and lipodystrophic FIRKO mice. Mechanistically, overexpression of KHK-C in vitro increases global protein acetylation and decreases levels of the major cytoplasmic deacetylase, SIRT2., Conclusions: KHK-C-induced acetylation is a novel mechanism by which dietary fructose augments lipogenesis and decreases fatty acid oxidation to promote the development of metabolic complications., Impact and Implications: Fructose is a highly lipogenic nutrient whose negative consequences have been largely attributed to increased de novo lipogenesis. Herein, we show that fructose upregulates ketohexokinase, which in turn modifies global protein acetylation, including acetylation of CPT1a, to decrease fatty acid oxidation. Our findings broaden the impact of dietary sugar beyond its lipogenic role and have implications on drug development aimed at reducing the harmful effects attributed to sugar metabolism., (Copyright © 2023 European Association for the Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The structure of cellulolytic enzyme lignin (CEL) prepared from three bamboo species ( Neosinocalamus affinis , Bambusa lapidea , and Dendrocalamus brandisii ) has been characterized by different analytical methods. The chemical composition analysis revealed a higher lignin content, up to 32.6% of B. lapidea as compared to that of N. affinis (20.7%) and D. brandisii (23.8%). The results indicated that bamboo lignin was a p -hydroxyphenyl-guaiacyl-syringyl (H-G-S) lignin associated with p -coumarates and ferulates. Advanced NMR analyses displayed that the isolated CELs were extensively acylated at the γ-carbon of the lignin side chain (with either acetate and/or p -coumarate groups). Moreover, a predominance of S over G lignin moieties was found in CELs of N. affinis and B. lapidea , with the lowest S/G ratio observed in D. brandisii lignin. Catalytic hydrogenolysis of lignin demonstrated that 4-propyl-substituted syringol/guaiacol and propanol guaiacol/syringol derived from β- O -4' moieties, and methyl coumarate/ferulate derived from hydroxycinnamic units were identified as the six major monomeric products. We anticipate that the insights of this work could shed light on the sufficient understanding of lignin, which could open a new avenue to facilitate the efficient utilization of bamboo.

Matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging has greatly improved our understanding of spatial biology, however a robust bioinformatic pipeline for data analysis is lacking. Here, we demonstrate the application of high-dimensionality reduction/spatial clustering and histopathological annotation of matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging datasets to assess tissue metabolic heterogeneity in human lung diseases. Using metabolic features identified from this pipeline, we hypothesize that metabolic channeling between glycogen and N-linked glycans is a critical metabolic process favoring pulmonary fibrosis progression. To test our hypothesis, we induced pulmonary fibrosis in two different mouse models with lysosomal glycogen utilization deficiency. Both mouse models displayed blunted N-linked glycan levels and nearly 90% reduction in endpoint fibrosis when compared to WT animals. Collectively, we provide conclusive evidence that lysosomal utilization of glycogen is required for pulmonary fibrosis progression. In summary, our study provides a roadmap to leverage spatial metabolomics to understand foundational biology in pulmonary diseases., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Pseudorabies virus (PRV) is an enveloped, linear double-stranded DNA herpesvirus that resulted in huge financial losses to the swine industry. In addition to vaccination, the development of antiviral molecules is also a beneficial supplement to the control of Pseudorabies (PR). Although our previous studies have shown that porcine Mx protein (poMx1/2) significantly inhibited the proliferation of RNA virus, it was unknown whether poMx1/2 could inhibit porcine DNA virus, such as PRV. In this study, it was investigated the inhibitory effect of porcine Mx1/2 protein on PRV multiplication. The results showed that both poMx1 and poMx2 had anti-PRV activities, which required GTPase ability and stable oligomerization. Interestingly, the two GTPase deficient mutants (G52Q and T148A) of poMx2 also had the antiviral ability against PRV, which was consistent with previous reports, indicating that these mutants recognized and blocked the viral targets. Mechanistically, the antiviral restriction of poMx1/2 came from their inhibition of the early gene synthesis of PRV. Our results for the first time shed light on the antiviral activities of two poMx proteins against DNA virus. The data from this study provide further insights to develop new strategies for preventing and controlling the diseases caused by PRV., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement We declare that we have no financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that can inappropriately influence our work, there is no professional or other personal interest of any nature or kind in any product, service and/or company that could be construed as influencing the position presented in, or the review of the manuscript entitled., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The commercial application of high-safety aqueous zinc (Zn) secondary batteries is hindered by the poor cycling life of Zn metal anodes. Here we propose a dendrite growth and hydrogen evolution corrosion reaction mechanism from the binding energy of the deposited crystal plane on the Zn surface and the adsorption energy of H 2 O molecules on different crystal planes as well as the binding energy of H 2 O molecules with Zn 2+ ions. The biomass-based alkyl polyglucoside (APG) surfactant is adopted as an electrolyte additive of 0.15% to regulate the preferential growth of a parallel Zn(002) plane and enhance the anticorrosion ability of Zn metal anodes. The robust binding and adsorption energies of APG with Zn 2+ ions in the aqueous electrolyte and the Zn(002) plane on Zn surface generate a synergistic effect to increase the concentration of Zn 2+ ions on the APG-adsorbed Zn(002) plane, endowing the continuous growth of the preferential parallel Zn(002) plane and the excellent anticorrosion capacity. Accordingly, the long-term cycle stability of 4000 h can be achieved for Zn anodes with APG additives, which is better than that with pure ZnSO 4 electrolyte. With the addition of APG in the anolyte electrolyte, Zn-I 2 full cells display excellent cycling performance (70 mAh g -1 after 20000 cycles) as compared with that without APG additives.

Brain glucose metabolism is highly heterogeneous among brain regions and continues postmortem. In particular, we demonstrate exhaustion of glycogen and glucose and an increase in lactate production during conventional rapid brain resection and preservation by liquid nitrogen. In contrast, we show that these postmortem changes are not observed with simultaneous animal sacrifice and in situ fixation with focused, high-power microwave. We further employ microwave fixation to define brain glucose metabolism in the mouse model of streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetes. Using both total pool and isotope tracing analyses, we identified global glucose hypometabolism in multiple brain regions, evidenced by reduced 13 C enrichment into glycogen, glycolysis, and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Reduced glucose metabolism correlated with a marked decrease in GLUT2 expression and several metabolic enzymes in unique brain regions. In conclusion, our study supports the incorporation of microwave fixation for more accurate studies of brain metabolism in rodent models., Competing Interests: R.C.S. has research support and received consultancy fees from Maze Therapeutics. R.C.S. is a cofounder of Attrogen, LLC. R.C.S. is a member of the Medical Advisory Board for Little Warrior Foundation. M.S.G. has research support and research compounds from Maze Therapeutics, Valerion Therapeutics, and Ionis Pharmaceuticals. M.S.G. also received consultancy fees from Maze Therapeutics, PTC Therapeutics, Aro Biotherapeutics, and the Glut1-Deficiency Syndrome Foundation. M.S.G. and R.C.B. are cofounders of Attrogen, LLC., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Multifunctional lignin-based adsorbents, which have shown great application prospect, have attracted widespread attention. Herein, a series of multifunctional lignin-based magnetic recyclable adsorbents were prepared from carboxymethylated lignin (CL), which was rich in carboxyl group (-COOH). After optimizing the mass ratio of CL to Fe 3 O 4 , the prepared CL/Fe 3 O 4 (3:1) adsorbent showed efficient adsorption capacities for heavy metal ions. The kinetic and isotherm nonlinear fitting studies revealed that the adsorption process followed the second-order kinetic and Langmuir models, and the maximum adsorption capacities (Q max ) of CL/Fe 3 O 4 (3:1) magnetic recyclable adsorbent for Pb 2+ , Cu 2+ and Ni 2+ ions reached 189.85, 124.43 and 106.97 mg/g, respectively. Meanwhile, after 6 cycles, the adsorption capacities of CL/Fe 3 O 4 (3:1) for Pb 2+ , Cu 2+ and Ni 2+ ions could keep at 87.4 %, 83.4 % and 82.3 %, respectively. In addition, CL/Fe 3 O 4 (3:1) also exhibited excellent electromagnetic wave absorption (EMWA) performance with a reflection loss (RL) of -28.65 dB at 6.96 GHz under the thickness of 4.5 mm, and its effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) achieved 2.24 GHz (6.08-8.32 GHz). In short, the prepared multifunctional CL/Fe 3 O 4 (3:1) magnetic recyclable adsorbent with outstanding adsorption capacity for heavy metal ions and superior EMWA capability opens a new avenue for the diversified utilization of lignin and lignin-based adsorbent., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Quiescent stem cells are activated in response to a mechanical or chemical injury to their tissue niche. Activated cells rapidly generate a heterogeneous progenitor population that regenerates the damaged tissues. While the transcriptional cadence that generates heterogeneity is known, the metabolic pathways influencing the transcriptional machinery to establish a heterogeneous progenitor population remains unclear. Here, we describe a novel pathway downstream of mitochondrial glutamine metabolism that confers stem cell heterogeneity and establishes differentiation competence by countering post-mitotic self-renewal machinery. We discovered that mitochondrial glutamine metabolism induces CBP/EP300-dependent acetylation of stem cell-specific kinase, PAS domain-containing kinase (PASK), resulting in its release from cytoplasmic granules and subsequent nuclear migration. In the nucleus, PASK catalytically outcompetes mitotic WDR5-anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) interaction resulting in the loss of post-mitotic Pax7 expression and exit from self-renewal. In concordance with these findings, genetic or pharmacological inhibition of PASK or glutamine metabolism upregulated Pax7 expression, reduced stem cell heterogeneity , and blocked myogenesis in vitro and muscle regeneration in mice. These results explain a mechanism whereby stem cells co-opt the proliferative functions of glutamine metabolism to generate transcriptional heterogeneity and establish differentiation competence by countering the mitotic self-renewal network via nuclear PASK., Competing Interests: MX, CW, GM, BK, DC, LY, SM, SD, EM, PS, AD, MG, LB, RS, CK No competing interests declared, (© 2023, Xiao, Wu, Meek et al.)

The fermented corn stover residues are abundant renewable lignin-rich bioresources that show great potential to produce aromatic phenols. However, selective catalytic hydrogenolysis of this residual material still remains challenge to obtain high yields. Herein, a novel strategy to produce monophenolic compounds from the fermented stover over a commercial Pd/C catalyst was proposed. Taking the reaction temperature as the key variable, the highest monomer yield was 28.5 wt% at 220 °C in compaction with that of the pristine corn stover (22.8 wt%). The enhanced monophenol yield was due to the higher contents of lignin and less recalcitrance in the fermented stover. Moreover, the van Krevelen diagram revealed a slight selective CO bond scission of lignin macromolecular during fermentation as well as the dehydration and deoxygenation in hydrogenolysis reaction. Overall, this work opens a new avenue for the valorization of lignin through reductive catalytic fractionation of agricultural wastes., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

High-cervical spinal cord injury often disrupts respiratory motor pathways and disables breathing in the affected population. Moreover, cervically injured individuals are at risk for developing acute lung injury, which predicts substantial mortality rates. While the correlation between acute lung injury and spinal cord injury has been found in the clinical setting, the field lacks an animal model to interrogate the fundamental biology of this relationship. To begin to address this gap in knowledge, we performed an experimental cervical spinal cord injury (N = 18 ) alongside sham injury ( N = 3) and naïve animals ( N = 15) to assess lung injury in adult rats. We demonstrate that animals display some early signs of lung injury two weeks post-spinal cord injury. While no obvious histological signs of injury were observed, the spinal cord injured cohort displayed significant signs of metabolic dysregulation in multiple pathways that include amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, and N-linked glycosylation. Collectively, we establish for the first time a model of lung injury after spinal cord injury at an acute time point that can be used to monitor the progression of lung damage, as well as identify potential targets to ameliorate acute lung injury., Competing Interests: The authors report no competing interests., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain.)

The E4 allele of Apolipoprotein E (APOE) is associated with both metabolic dysfunction and a heightened pro-inflammatory response: two findings that may be intrinsically linked through the concept of immunometabolism. Here, we combined bulk, single-cell, and spatial transcriptomics with cell-specific and spatially resolved metabolic analyses in mice expressing human APOE to systematically address the role of APOE across age, neuroinflammation, and AD pathology. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) highlighted immunometabolic changes across the APOE4 glial transcriptome, specifically in subsets of metabolically distinct microglia enriched in the E4 brain during aging or following an inflammatory challenge. E4 microglia display increased Hif1α expression and a disrupted tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and are inherently pro-glycolytic, while spatial transcriptomics and mass spectrometry imaging highlight an E4-specific response to amyloid that is characterized by widespread alterations in lipid metabolism. Taken together, our findings emphasize a central role for APOE in regulating microglial immunometabolism and provide valuable, interactive resources for discovery and validation research., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a vascular endothelial cell boundary that partitions the circulation from the central nervous system to promote normal brain health. We have a limited understanding of how the BBB is formed during development and maintained in adulthood. We used quantitative transcriptional profiling to investigate whether specific adhesion molecules are involved in BBB functions, with an emphasis on understanding how astrocytes interact with endothelial cells. Our results reveal a striking enrichment of multiple genes encoding laminin subunits as well as the laminin receptor gene Itga7, which encodes the alpha7 integrin subunit, in astrocytes. Genetic ablation of Itga7 in mice led to aberrant BBB permeability and progressive neurological pathologies. Itga7-/- mice also showed a reduction in laminin protein expression in parenchymal basement membranes. Blood vessels in the Itga7-/- brain showed separation from surrounding astrocytes and had reduced expression of the tight junction proteins claudin 5 and ZO-1. We propose that the alpha7 integrin subunit in astrocytes via adhesion to laminins promotes endothelial cell junction integrity, all of which is required to properly form and maintain a functional BBB., Competing Interests: Competing interests The authors declare no competing or financial interests., (© 2023. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.)

Epoxy resin is widely used in various fields of the national economy due to its excellent chemical and mechanical properties. Lignin is mainly derived from lignocelluloses as one of the most abundant renewable bioresources. Due to the diversity of lignin sources and the complexity as well as heterogeneity of its structure, the value of lignin has not been fully realized. Herein, we report the utilization of industrial alkali lignin for the preparation of low-carbon and environmentally friendly bio-based epoxy thermosetting materials. Specifically, epoxidized lignin with substituted petroleum-based chemical bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE) in various proportions was cross-linked to fabricate thermosetting epoxies. The cured thermosetting resin revealed enhanced tensile strength (4.6 MPa) and elongation (315.5%) in comparison with the common BADGE polymers. Overall, this work provides a practicable approach for lignin valorization toward tailored sustainable bioplastics in the context of a circular bioeconomy., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Objective: To assess outcomes in twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) according to middle cerebral artery pulsatility index (MCA-PI) prior to fetoscopic laser photocoagulation (FLPC) surgery., Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis of monochorionic-twin pregnancies complicated by TTTS who underwent FLPC at two fetal centers (2012-2021). The cohort was stratified according to abnormal MCA-PI of the donor twin, defined as below fifth centile for gestational age., Results: Abnormal MCA-PI of the donor twin was detected in 46 (17.7%) cases compared to 213 (83.3%) controls with no such abnormality. The abnormal PI group presented with higher rates of sFGR (56.5% vs. 36.8% in controls, p = 0.014) and lower donor survival rates within 48 h after FLPC (73.9 vs. 86.8%, p = 0.029). Donor twin survival rates at the time of delivery and 30 days after birth were lower in the abnormal MCA-PI. Multivariate logistic regression analysis controlling for sFGR and MCA-PI

Objectives: To evaluate the survival of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) and concomitant twin anemia polycythemia sequence (TAPS) compared to TTTS without TAPS at the time of fetoscopic laser photocoagulation (FLP)., Methods: TTTS pregnancies undergoing FLP were divided to three groups including (i) traditional TAPS definition of middle cerebral artery (MCA) peak systolic velocity (PSV) < 1 multiple of the median (MoM) in recipient and > 1.5 MoM in the donor fetus, (ii) delta MCA-PSV > 0.5 MoM and (iii) delta MCA-PSV > 1.0 MoM., Results: A total of 353 monochorionic twins underwent FLP for TTTS. Based on the traditional definition, 335 (94.9 %) had TTTS only and 18 (5.1 %) had TTTS + TAPS. There were 245 (69.4 %) TTTS only and 108 (30.6 %) TTTS + TAPS considering delta MCA-PSV > 0.5 MoM and 339 (96 %) TTTS only and 14 (4 %) TTTS + TAPS considering delta MCA-PSV > 1.0 MoM. No significant differences in survival were noted at birth or 30-days after delivery between TTTS and TTTS with TAPS patients using the traditional definition, delta > 0.5 MoM or delta > 1.0 MoM., Conclusion: The rate of neonatal survival at birth or at 30-days of life following FLP for TTTS only and TTTS with TAPS were not different based on any of the clinically used TAPS definitions., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)