scholarly journals In control of biology: of mice, men and Foxes

2006 ◽  
Vol 397 (2) ◽  
pp. 233-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick J. E. C. Wijchers ◽  
J. Peter H. Burbach ◽  
Marten P. Smidt
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Functional Protein ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Developmental Defects ◽  
Forkhead Transcription Factors ◽  
Human Pathology ◽  
Forkhead Gene

Forkhead proteins comprise a highly conserved family of transcription factors, named after the original forkhead gene in Drosophila. To date, over 100 forkhead genes have been identified in a large variety of species, all sharing the evolutionary conserved ‘forkhead’ DNA-binding domain, and the cloning and characterization of forkhead genes have continued in recent years. Forkhead transcription factors regulate the expression of countless genes downstream of important signalling pathways in most, if not all, tissues and cell types. Recent work has provided novel insights into the mechanisms that contribute to their functional diversity, including functional protein domains and interactions of forkheads with other transcription factors. Studies using loss- and gain-of-function models have elucidated the role of forkhead factors in developmental biology and cellular functions such as metabolism, cell division and cell survival. The importance of forkhead transcription factors is underlined by the developmental defects observed in mutant model organisms, and multiple human disorders and cancers which can be attributed to mutations within members of the forkhead gene family. This review provides a comprehensive overview of current knowledge on forkhead transcription factors, from structural organization and regulatory mechanisms to cellular and developmental functions in mice and humans. Finally, we will discuss how novel insights gained from involvement of ‘Foxes’ in the mechanisms underlying human pathology may create new opportunities for treatment strategies.

scholarly journals An official European Respiratory Society statement on physical activity in COPD

2014 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 1521-1537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrik Watz ◽  
Fabio Pitta ◽  
Carolyn L. Rochester ◽  
Judith Garcia-Aymerich ◽  
Richard ZuWallack ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Inactivity ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Chronic Obstructive ◽  
Lung Function Decline ◽  
European Respiratory Society ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

This European Respiratory Society (ERS) statement provides a comprehensive overview on physical activity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A multidisciplinary Task Force of experts representing the ERS Scientific Group 01.02 “Rehabilitation and Chronic Care” determined the overall scope of this statement through consensus. Focused literature reviews were conducted in key topic areas and the final content of this Statement was agreed upon by all members.The current knowledge regarding physical activity in COPD is presented, including the definition of physical activity, the consequences of physical inactivity on lung function decline and COPD incidence, physical activity assessment, prevalence of physical inactivity in COPD, clinical correlates of physical activity, effects of physical inactivity on hospitalisations and mortality, and treatment strategies to improve physical activity in patients with COPD.This Task Force identified multiple major areas of research that need to be addressed further in the coming years. These include, but are not limited to, the disease-modifying potential of increased physical activity, and to further understand how improvements in exercise capacity, dyspnoea and self-efficacy following interventions may translate into increased physical activity.The Task Force recommends that this ERS statement should be reviewed periodically (e.g.every 5–8 years).

scholarly journals Drosophila Short stop as a paradigm for the role and regulation of spectraplakins

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andre Voelzmann ◽  
Yu-Ting Liew ◽  
Yue Qu ◽  
Ines Hahn ◽  
Cristina Melero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Model ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Functional Domains ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Characteristic Functional ◽  
Intracellular Organelles ◽  
Linker Molecules

AbstractSpectraplakins are evolutionarily well conserved cytoskeletal linker molecules that are true members of three protein families: plakins, spectrins and Gas2-like proteins. Spectraplakin genes encode at least 7 characteristic functional domains which are combined in a modular fashion into multiple isoforms, and which are responsible for an enormous breadth of cellular functions. These functions are related to the regulation of actin, microtubules, intermediate filaments, intracellular organelles, cell adhesions and signalling processes during the development and maintenance of a wide variety of tissues. To gain a deeper understanding of this enormous functional diversity, invertebrate genetic model organisms, such as the fruit fly Drosophila, can be used to develop concepts and mechanistic paradigms that can inform the investigation in higher animals or humans. Here we provide a comprehensive overview of our current knowledge of the Drosophila spectraplakin Short stop (Shot). We describe its functional domains and isoforms and compare them with those of the mammalian spectraplakins dystonin and MACF1. We then summarise its roles during the development and maintenance of the nervous system, epithelia, oocytes and muscles, taking care to compare and contrast mechanistic insights across these functions in the fly, but especially also with related functions of dystonin and MACF1 in mostly mammalian contexts. We hope that this review will improve the wider appreciation of how work on Drosophila Shot can be used as an efficient strategy to promote the fundamental concepts and mechanisms that underpin spectraplakin functions, with important implications for biomedical research into human disease.

scholarly journals Cyclin/Forkhead-mediated coordination of cyclin waves: an autonomous oscillator rationalizing the quantitative model of Cdk control for budding yeast

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matteo Barberis
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Budding Yeast ◽  
Cell Cycle Control ◽  
Eukaryotic Cell ◽  
Quantitative Model ◽  
Forkhead Transcription Factors ◽  
Dynamic Coordination ◽  
Cell Cycle Dynamics

AbstractNetworks of interacting molecules organize topology, amount, and timing of biological functions. Systems biology concepts required to pin down ‘network motifs’ or ‘design principles’ for time-dependent processes have been developed for the cell division cycle, through integration of predictive computer modeling with quantitative experimentation. A dynamic coordination of sequential waves of cyclin-dependent kinases (cyclin/Cdk) with the transcription factors network offers insights to investigate how incompatible processes are kept separate in time during the eukaryotic cell cycle. Here this coordination is discussed for the Forkhead transcription factors in light of missing gaps in the current knowledge of cell cycle control in budding yeast. An emergent design principle is proposed where cyclin waves are synchronized by a cyclin/Cdk-mediated feed-forward regulation through the Forkhead as a transcriptional timer. This design is rationalized by the bidirectional interaction between mitotic cyclins and the Forkhead transcriptional timer, resulting in an autonomous oscillator that may be instrumental for a well-timed progression throughout the cell cycle. The regulation centered around the cyclin/Cdk–Forkhead axis can be pivotal to timely coordinate cell cycle dynamics, thereby to actuate the quantitative model of Cdk control.

scholarly journals Emerging Insights into the Metabolic Alterations in Aging Using Metabolomics

Metabolites ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarika Srivastava
Keyword(s):  
Biomarker Discovery ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Cellular Tissue ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Biological Mechanisms ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Biomarkers Of Aging ◽  
Complex Biological Process ◽  
Novel Biomarkers

Metabolomics is the latest ‘omics’ technology and systems biology science that allows for comprehensive profiling of small-molecule metabolites in biological systems at a specific time and condition. Metabolites are cellular intermediate products of metabolic reactions, which reflect the ultimate response to genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, or environmental changes in a biological system. Aging is a complex biological process that is characterized by a gradual and progressive decline in molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, and organismal functions, and it is influenced by a combination of genetic, environmental, diet, and lifestyle factors. The precise biological mechanisms of aging remain unknown. Metabolomics has emerged as a powerful tool to characterize the organism phenotypes, identify altered metabolites, pathways, novel biomarkers in aging and disease, and offers wide clinical applications. Here, I will provide a comprehensive overview of our current knowledge on metabolomics led studies in aging with particular emphasis on studies leading to biomarker discovery. Based on the data obtained from model organisms and humans, it is evident that metabolites associated with amino acids, lipids, carbohydrate, and redox metabolism may serve as biomarkers of aging and/or longevity. Current challenges and key questions that should be addressed in the future to advance our understanding of the biological mechanisms of aging are discussed.

scholarly journals FoxO proteins: cunning concepts and considerations for the cardiovascular system

2009 ◽  
Vol 116 (3) ◽  
pp. 191-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth Maiese ◽  
Zhao Zhong Chong ◽  
Yan Chen Shang ◽  
Jinling Hou
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Cardiovascular System ◽  
Protein Function ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Cardiovascular Development ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Forkhead Transcription Factors ◽  
Immune System Dysfunction ◽  
Immune System Regulation

Dysfunction in the cardiovascular system can lead to the progression of a number of disease entities that can involve cancer, diabetes, cardiac ischaemia, neurodegeneration and immune system dysfunction. In order for new therapeutic avenues to overcome some of the limitations of present clinical treatments for these disorders, future investigations must focus upon novel cellular processes that control cellular development, proliferation, metabolism and inflammation. In this respect, members of the mammalian forkhead transcription factors of the O class (FoxOs) have increasingly become recognized as important and exciting targets for disorders of the cardiovascular system. In the present review, we describe the role of these transcription factors in the cardiovascular system during processes that involve angiogenesis, cardiovascular development, hypertension, cellular metabolism, oxidative stress, stem cell proliferation, immune system regulation and cancer. Current knowledge of FoxO protein function combined with future studies should continue to lay the foundation for the successful translation of these transcription factors into novel and robust clinical therapies.

The glycomes of Caenorhabditis elegans and other model organisms

2002 ◽  
Vol 69 ◽  
pp. 117-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart M. Haslam ◽  
David Gems ◽  
Howard R. Morris ◽  
Anne Dell
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Structural Data ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Entire Genome ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
The Face ◽  
Area Of Concern ◽  
Nematode Worm

There is no doubt that the immense amount of information that is being generated by the initial sequencing and secondary interrogation of various genomes will change the face of glycobiological research. However, a major area of concern is that detailed structural knowledge of the ultimate products of genes that are identified as being involved in glycoconjugate biosynthesis is still limited. This is illustrated clearly by the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans, which was the first multicellular organism to have its entire genome sequenced. To date, only limited structural data on the glycosylated molecules of this organism have been reported. Our laboratory is addressing this problem by performing detailed MS structural characterization of the N-linked glycans of C. elegans; high-mannose structures dominate, with only minor amounts of complex-type structures. Novel, highly fucosylated truncated structures are also present which are difucosylated on the proximal N-acetylglucosamine of the chitobiose core as well as containing unusual Fucα1–2Gal1–2Man as peripheral structures. The implications of these results in terms of the identification of ligands for genomically predicted lectins and potential glycosyltransferases are discussed in this chapter. Current knowledge on the glycomes of other model organisms such as Dictyostelium discoideum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Drosophila melanogaster is also discussed briefly.

Subnuclear compartmentalization of sequence-specific transcription factors and regulation of eukaryotic gene expression

2005 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
pp. 535-547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gareth N Corry ◽  
D Alan Underhill
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Nuclear Architecture ◽  
Subnuclear Localization ◽  
Modular Structures

To date, the majority of the research regarding eukaryotic transcription factors has focused on characterizing their function primarily through in vitro methods. These studies have revealed that transcription factors are essentially modular structures, containing separate regions that participate in such activities as DNA binding, protein–protein interaction, and transcriptional activation or repression. To fully comprehend the behavior of a given transcription factor, however, these domains must be analyzed in the context of the entire protein, and in certain cases the context of a multiprotein complex. Furthermore, it must be appreciated that transcription factors function in the nucleus, where they must contend with a variety of factors, including the nuclear architecture, chromatin domains, chromosome territories, and cell-cycle-associated processes. Recent examinations of transcription factors in the nucleus have clarified the behavior of these proteins in vivo and have increased our understanding of how gene expression is regulated in eukaryotes. Here, we review the current knowledge regarding sequence-specific transcription factor compartmentalization within the nucleus and discuss its impact on the regulation of such processes as activation or repression of gene expression and interaction with coregulatory factors.Key words: transcription, subnuclear localization, chromatin, gene expression, nuclear architecture.

scholarly journals Significance of indeterminate pulmonary nodules in resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma—a review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Lian Kuan ◽  
Ashley R. Dennison ◽  
Giuseppe Garcea
Keyword(s):  
Overall Survival ◽  
Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma ◽  
Median Overall Survival ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Pulmonary Nodules ◽  
Preoperative Imaging ◽  
Significant Finding ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Clinical Dilemma

Abstract Background The clinical significance of indeterminate pulmonary nodules (IPN) in patients with resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is unknown. The rate of detection on IPN has risen due to enhanced staging investigations to determine resectability. IPNs detected on preoperative imaging represent a clinical dilemma and complicate decision-making. Currently, there are no recommendations on the management of IPN. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge on the natural history of IPN detected among patients with resectable PDAC. Methods A systematic review based on a search in Medline and Embase databases was performed. All clinical studies evaluating the significance of IPN in patients with resectable PDAC were included. PRISMA guidelines were followed. Results Five studies met the inclusion criteria. The total patient population was 761. The prevalence of IPN reported ranged from 18 to 71%. The median follow-up duration was 17 months. The median overall survival was 19 months. Patients with pre-operative IPN which subsequently progressed to clinically recognizable pulmonary metastases, ranged from 1.5 to 16%. Four studies found that there was no significant difference in median overall survival in patients with or without IPNs. Conclusion This is a first review on the significance of IPN in patients with resectable PDAC. The preoperative presence of IPN does not demonstrate an association with overall survival after surgery. The identification of IPN is a significant finding however it should not preclude patients with resectable PDAC from undergoing curative resection.

scholarly journals Development and Carcinogenesis: Roles of GATA Factors in the Sympathoadrenal and Urogenital Systems

Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 299
Author(s):  
Takashi Moriguchi
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Developmental Process ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Gynecologic Cancers ◽  
Inherited Diseases ◽  
Gata Factors ◽  
Transcriptional Regulatory ◽  
Gata Family

The GATA family of transcription factors consists of six proteins (GATA1-6) that control a variety of physiological and pathological processes. In particular, GATA2 and GATA3 are coexpressed in a number of tissues, including in the urogenital and sympathoadrenal systems, in which both factors participate in the developmental process and tissue maintenance. Furthermore, accumulating studies have demonstrated that GATA2 and GATA3 are involved in distinct types of inherited diseases as well as carcinogenesis in diverse tissues. This review summarizes our current knowledge of how GATA2 and GATA3 participate in the transcriptional regulatory circuitry during the development of the sympathoadrenal and urogenital systems, and how their dysregulation results in the carcinogenesis of neuroblastoma, renal urothelial, and gynecologic cancers.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document