Protein post-translational modifications after spinal cord injury

Deficits in intrinsic neuronal capacities in the spinal cord,a lack of growth support,and suppression of axonal outgrowth by inhibitory molecules mean that spinal cord injury almost always has devastating consequences.As such,one of the primary targets for the treatment of spinal cord injury is to develop strategies to antagonize extrinsic or intrinsic axonal growth-inhibitory factors or enhance the factors that support axonal growth.Among these factors,a series of individual protein level disorders have been identified during the generation of axons following spinal cord injury.Moreover,an increasing number of studies have indicated that post-translational modifications of these proteins have important implications for axonal growth.Some researchers have discovered a variety of post-translational modifications after spinal cord injury,such as tyrosination,acetylation,and phosphorylation.In this review,we reviewed the post-translational modifications for axonal growth,functional recovery,and neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury,a better understanding of which may elucidate the dynamic change of spinal cord injury-related molecules and facilitate the development of a new therapeutic strategy for spinal cord injury.

Complex interactomes and post-translational modifications of the regulatory proteins HABP4 and SERBP1 suggest pleiotropic cellular functions

The 57 kDa antigen recognized by the Ki-1 antibody,is also known as intracellular hyaluronic acid binding protein 4 and shares 40.7%identity and 67.4%similarity with serpin mRNA binding protein 1,which is also named CGI-55,or plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1-RNA binding protein-1,indicating that they might be paralog proteins,possibly with similar or redundant functions in human cells.Through the identification of their protein interactomes,both regulatory proteins have been functionally implicated in transcriptional regulation,mRNA metabolism,specifically RNA splicing,the regulation of mRNA stability,especially,in the context of the progesterone hormone response,and the DNA damage response.Both proteins also show a complex pattern of post-translational modifications,involving Ser/Thr phosphorylation,mainly through protein kinase C,arginine methylation and SUMOylation,suggesting that their functions and locations are highly regulated.Furthermore,they show a highly dynamic cellular localization pattern with localizations in both the cytoplasm and nucleus as well as punctuated localizations in both granular cytoplasmic protein bodies,upon stress,and nuclear splicing speckles.Several reports in the literature show altered expressions of both regulatory proteins in a series of cancers as well as mutations in their genes that may contribute to tumorigenesis.This review highlights important aspects of the structure,interactome,post-translational modifications,sub-cellular localization and function of both regulatory proteins and further discusses their possible functions and their potential as tumor markers in different cancer settings.

Post-translational modifications of prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 in colorectal cancer:An update

The biosynthesis of prostanoids is involved in both physiological and pathological processes. The expression of prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2(PTGS2; also known as COX-2) has been traditionally associated to the onset of several pathologies, from inflammation to cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and oncologic events. For this reason, the search of selective PTGS2 inhibitors has been a focus for therapeutic interventions. In addition to the classic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, selective and specific PTGS2 inhibitors, termed coxibs, have been generated and widely used. PTGS2 activity is less restrictive in terms of substrate specificity than the homeostatic counterpart PTGS1, and it accounts for the elevated prostanoid synthesis that accompanies several pathologies. The main regulation of PTGS2 occurs at the transcription level. In addition to this, the stability of the mRNA is finely regulated through the interaction with several cytoplasmic elements, ranging from specificmicroR NAs to proteins that control mR NA degradation. Moreover, the protein has been recognized to be the substrate for several post-translational modifications that affect both the enzyme activity and the targeting for degradation via proteasomal and non-proteasomal mechanisms. Among these modifications, phosphorylation, glycosylation and covalent modifications by reactive lipidic intermediates and by free radicals associated to the proinflammatory condition appear to be the main changes. Identification of these post-translational modifications is relevant to better understand the role of PTGS2 in several pathologies and to establish a correct analysis of the potential function of this protein in diseases progress. Finally, these modifications can be used as biomarkers to establish correlations with other parameters, including the immunomodulation dependent on molecular pathological epidemiology determinants, which may provide a better frame for potential therapeutic interventions.

Post-translational modifications of hepatitis C viral proteins and their biological significance

Replication of hepatitis C virus(HCV)depends on the interaction of viral proteins with various host cellular proteins and signalling pathways.Similar to cellular proteins,post-translational modifications(PTMs)of HCV proteins are essential for proper protein function and regulation,thus,directly affecting viral life cycle and the generation of infectious virus particles.Cleavage of the HCV polyprotein by cellular and viral proteases into more than 10 proteins represents an early protein modification step after translation of the HCV positivestranded RNA genome.The key modifications include the regulated intramembranous proteolytic cleavage of core protein,disulfide bond formation of core,glycosylation of HCV envelope proteins E1 and E2,methylation of nonstructural protein 3(NS3),biotinylation of NS4A,ubiquitination of NS5B and phosphorylation of core and NS5B.Other modifications like ubiquitination of core and palmitoylation of core and NS4B proteins have been reported as well.For some modifications such as phosphorylation of NS3 and NS5A and acetylation of NS3,we have limited understanding of their effects on HCV replication and pathogenesis while the impact of other modifications is far from clear.In this review,we summarize the available information on PTMs of HCV proteins and discuss their relevance to HCV replication and pathogenesis.

Human T-lymphotropic virus proteins and post-translational modification pathways

Cell life from the cell cycle to the signaling transduction and response to stimuli is finely tuned by protein post-translational modifications(PTMs).PTMs alter the conformation,the stability,the localization,and hence the pattern of interactions of the targeted protein.Cell pathways involve the activation of enzymes,like kinases,ligases and transferases,that,once activated,act on many proteins simultaneously,altering the state of the cell and triggering the processes they are involved in.Viruses enter a balanced system and hijack the cell,exploiting the potential of PTMs either to activate viral encoded proteins or to alter cellular pathways,with the ultimate consequence to perpetuate through their replication.Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1(HTLV-1)is known to be highly oncogenic and associates with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma,HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis and other inflammatory pathological conditions.HTLV-1 protein activity is controlled by PTMs and,in turn,viral activity is associated with the modulation of cellular pathways based on PTMs.More knowledge is acquired about the PTMs involved in the activation of its proteins,like Tax,Rex,p12,p13,p30,HTLV-I basic leucine zipper factorand Gag.However,more has to be understood at the biochemical level in order to counteract the associated fatal outcomes.This review will focus on known PTMs that directly modify HTLV-1 components and on enzymes whose activity is modulated by viral proteins.

Computer-Assisted analysis of subcellular localization signals and post-translational modifications of human prion proteins

In the present work, computational analyses were applied to study the subcellular localiza-tion and posttranslational modifications of hu-man prion proteins (PrPs). The tentative location of prion protein was determined to be in the nu-cleolus inside the nucleus by the following bio-informatics tools: Hum-PLoc, Euk-PLoc and Nuc-PLoc. Based on our results signal peptides with average of 22 base pairs in N-terminal were identified in human PrPs. This theoretical study demonstrates that PrP is post-translationally modified by: 1) attachment of two N-linked complex carbohydrate moieties (N181 and N197), 2) attachmet of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) at serine 230 and 3) formation of two di-sulfide bonds between “6–22” and “179–214” cysteines. Furthermore, ten protein kinase phosphorylation sites were predicted in human PrP. The above-noted phosphorylation was car-ried out by PKC and CK2. By using bioinfor-matics tools, we have shown that computation-ally human PrPs locate particularly into the nu-cleolus.

Protein post-translational modifications in auxin signaling

Protein post-translational modifications(PTMs),such as ubiquitination,phosphorylation,and small ubiquitin-like modifier(SUMO)ylation,are crucial for regulating protein stability,activity,subcellular localization,and binding with cofactors.Such modifications remarkably increase the variety and complexity of proteomes,which are essential for regulating numerous cellular and physiological processes.The regulation of auxin signaling is finely tuned in time and space to guide various plant growth and development.Accumulating evidence indicates that PTMs play critical roles in auxin signaling regulations.Thus,a thorough and systematic review of the functions of PTMs in auxin signal transduction will improve our profound comprehension of the regulation mechanism of auxin signaling and auxin-mediated various processes.This review discusses the progress of protein ubiquitination,phosphorylation,histone acetylation and methylation,SUMOylation,and S-nitrosylation in the regulation of auxin signaling.

Histone post-translational modification and the DNA damage response

DNA is highly vulnerable to spontaneous and environmental timely damage in living cells.DNA damage may cause genetic instability and increase cancer risk if the damages are not repaired timely and efficiently.Human cells possess several DNA damage response(DDR)mechanisms to protect the integrity of their genome.Clarification of the mechanisms under-lying the DNA damage response following lethal damage will facilitate the identification of therapeutic targets for cancers.Histone post-translational modifications(PTMs)have been indicated to play different roles in the repair of DNA damage.In this context,histone PTMs regulate recruitment of downstream effectors,and facilitate appropriate repair response.This review outlines the current understanding of different histone PTMs in response to DNA dam-age repair,besides,enumerates the role of new type PTMs such as histone succinylation and crotonylation in regulating DNA damage repair processes.

Protein post-translational modification by lysine succinylation:Biochemistry,biological implications,and therapeutic opportunities

Lysine succinylation(Ksuc)is a novel protein post-translational modification(PTM)wherein a succinyl group modifies a lysine residue.Ksuc leads to significant chemical and struc-tural changes to the modified protein.Recent studies have shown that Ksuc might play an important role in organism physiology and some pathophysiological processes,such as tumor-igenesis and metabolic diseases.To provide an understanding of the molecular mechanism and functions of Ksuc in different organisms,we reviewed the current literature about Ksuc,mainly summarizing the research advances in eukaryotes and prokaryotes based on both traditional study methods and site prediction tools.We also discussed inhibitors or activators associated with Ksuc that may contribute to proteomic studies and could be useful in future clinical prac-tice.A deeper understanding of Ksuc may shed new light on life science at the protein level and could lead to novel therapeutic strategies for various diseases.

Diagnostic and Prognostic Value of Protein Post-translational Modifications in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is a common malignant tumor with high incidence and cancer mortality worldwide.Post-translational modifications(PTMs)of proteins have a great impact on protein function.Almost all proteins can undergo PTMs,including phosphorylation,acetylation,methylation,glycosylation,ubiquitination,and so on.Many studies have shown that PTMs are related to the occurrence and development of cancers.The findings provide novel therapeutic targets for cancers,such as glypican-3 and mucin-1.Other clinical implications are also found in the studies of PTMs.Diagnostic or prognostic value,and response to therapy have been identified.In HCC,it has been shown that glycosylated alpha-fetoprotein(AFP)has a higher detection rate for early liver cancer than conventional AFP.In this review,we mainly focused on the diagnostic and prognostic value of PTM,in order to provide new insights into the clinical implication of PTM in HCC.

Hydrogen sulfide-induced post-translational modification as a potential drug target

Hydrogen sulfide (H_(2)S) is one of the three known gas signal transducers, and since its potential physiological role was reported, the literature on H_(2)S has been increasing. H_(2)S is involved in processes such as vasodilation, neurotransmission, angiogenesis, inflammation, and the prevention of ischemia-reperfusion injury, and its mechanism remains to be further studied. At present, the role of post-translational processing of proteins has been considered as a possible mechanism for the involvement of H_(2)S in a variety of physiological processes. Current studies have shown that H_(2)S is involved in S-sulfhydration, phosphorylation, and S-nitrosylation of proteins, etc. This paper focuses on the effects of protein modification involving H_(2)S on physiological and pathological processes, looking forward to providing guidance for subsequent research.

Comprehensive analysis of the gut microbiome and posttranslational modifications elucidates the route involved in microbiota-host interactions

The gut microbiome interacts with the host to maintain body homeostasis,with gut microbial dysbiosis implicated in many diseases.However,the underlying mechanisms of gut microbe regulation of host behavior and brain functions remain unclear.This study aimed to elucidate the influence of gut microbiota on brain functions via post-translational modification mechanisms in the presence or absence of bacteria without any stimulation.We conducted succinylome analysis of hippocampal proteins in germ-free(GF)and specific pathogen-free(SPF)mice and metagenomic analysis of feces from SPF mice.These results were integrated with previously reported hippocampal acetylome and phosphorylome data from the same batch of mice.Subsequent bioinformatics analyses revealed 584 succinylation sites on 455 proteins,including 54 up-regulated succinylation sites on 91 proteins and 99 down-regulated sites on 51 proteins in the GF mice compared to the SPF mice.We constructed a panoramic map of gut microbiota-regulated succinylation,acetylation,and phosphorylation,and identified cross-talk and relative independence between the different types of post-translational modifications in modulating complicated intracellular pathways.Pearson correlation analysis indicated that 13 taxa,predominantly belonging to the Bacteroidetes phylum,were correlated with the biological functions of post-translational modifications.Positive correlations between these taxa and succinylation and negative correlations between these taxa and acetylation were identified in the modulation of intracellular pathways.This study highlights the hippocampal physiological changes induced by the absence of gut microbiota,and proteomic quantification of succinylation,phosphorylation,and acetylation,contributing to our understanding of the role of the gut microbiome in brain function and behavioral phenotypes.

Applications of post-translational modifications of FoxO family proteins in biological functions

The functions of the FoxO family proteins,in particular their transcriptional activities,are modulated by post-translational modifi-cations(PTMs),including phosphorylation,acetylation,ubiquitination,methylation and glycosylation.These PTMs occur in response to different cellular stresses,which in turn regulate the subcellular localization of FoxO family proteins,as well as their half-life,DNA binding,transcriptional activity and ability to interact with other cellular proteins.In this review,we summarize the role of PTMs of FoxO family proteins in linking their biological and functional relevance with various diseases.

Role of post-translational modification of the Y box binding protein 1 in human cancers

Y box binding protein-1(YBX1)belongs to a DNA-and RNA-binding family of transcription factors,containing the highly conserved cold shock domain(CSD).YBX1 is involved in a number of cellular functions including transcription,translation,DNA damage repair etc.,and it is upregulated during times of environmental stress.YBX1 is localized in both the cytoplasm and the nucleus.There,its nuclear translocation is observed in a number of cancers and is associated with poor prognosis and disease progression.Additionally,YBX1 expression is upregulated in a variety of cancers,pointing towards its role as a potential oncogene.Under certain circumstances,YBX1 also promotes the expression of multidrug resistance 1(MDR1)gene,which is involved in the development of drug resistance.Thus,it is critical to understand the mechanism of YBX1 regulation and its downstream effects on promoting cancer development.A number of recent studies have highlighted the mechanisms of YBX1 regulation.Mass spectrometric analyses have reported several post-translational modifications that possibly play an important role in modulating YBX1 function.Phosphorylation is the most widely occurring post-translational modification in YBX1.In vivo analyses of sites like S102 and more recently,S165 illustrate the relationship of post-translational regulation of YBX1 in promoting cell proliferation and tumor growth.This review provides a comprehensive and up-to-date account of post-translational modifications identified in YBX1.This knowledge is a key in allowing us to better understand the mechanism of YBX1 regulation,which will aid in development of novel therapeutic strategies to target YBX1 in many types of cancer in the future.

Post-translational modification of Parkin and its research progress in cancer

Clinical practice has shown that Parkin is the major causative gene found in an autosomal recessive juvenile parkin-sonism(AR-JP)via Parkin mutations and that the Parkin protein is the core expression product of the Parkin gene,which itself belongs to an E3 ubiquitin ligase.Since the discovery of the Parkin gene in the late 1990s,researchers in many countries have begun extensive research on this gene and found that in addition to AR-JP,the Parkin gene is associated with many diseases,including type 2 diabetes,leprosy,Alzheimer’s,autism,and cancer.Recent studies have found that the loss or dysfunction of Parkin has a certain relationship with tumorigenesis.In general,the Parkin gene,a well-established tumor suppressor,is deficient and mutated in a variety of malignancies.Parkin overexpres-sion inhibits tumor cell growth and promotes apoptosis.However,the functions of Parkin in tumorigenesis and its regulatory mechanisms are still not fully understood.This article describes the structure,functions,and post-transla-tional modifications of Parkin,and summarizes the recent advances in the tumor suppressive function of Parkin and its underlying mechanisms.

Succinylation modification:a potential therapeutic target in stroke

Stroke is a leading cause of mortality and disability worldwide.Ischemic cell death triggered by the compromised supply of blood oxygen and glucose is one of the major pathophysiology of strokeinduced brain injury.Impaired mitochondrial energy metabolism is observed minutes after stroke and is closely associated with the progression of neuropathology.Recently,a new type of posttranslational modification,known as lysine succinylation,has been recognized to play a significant role in mitochondrial energy metabolism after ischemia.However,the role of succinylation modification in cell metabolism after stroke and its regulation are not well understood.We aimed to review the effects of succinylation on energy metabolism,reactive oxygen species generation,and neuroinflammation,as well as Sirtuin 5 mediated desuccinylation after stroke.We also highlight the potential of targeting succinylation/desuccinylation as a promising strategy for the treatment of stroke.The succinylation level is dynamically regulated by the nonenzymatic or enzymatic transfer of a succinyl group to a protein on lysine residues and the removal of succinyl catalyzed by desuccinylases.Mounting evidence has suggested that succinylation can regulate the metabolic pathway through modulating the activity or stability of metabolic enzymes.Sirtuins,especially Sirtuin 5,are characterized for their desuccinylation activity and have been recognized as a critical regulator of metabolism through desuccinylating numerous metabolic enzymes.Imbalance between succinylation and desuccinylation has been implicated in the pathophysiology of stroke.Pharmacological agents that enhance the activity of Sirtuin 5 have been employed to promote desuccinylation and improve mitochondrial metabolism,and neuroprotective effects of these agents have been observed in experimental stroke studies.However,their therapeutic efficacy in stroke patients should be validated.

Mass Spectrometry Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Protein Reveals Camouflaging Glycans and Unique Post-Translational Modifications

The devastating coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic has prompted worldwide efforts to study structural biological traits of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)and its viral components.Compared to the Spike protein,which is the primary target for currently available vaccines or antibodies,knowledge about other virion structural components is incomplete.Using high-resolution mass spectrometry,we report a comprehensive post-translational modification(PTM)analysis of nucleocapsid phosphoprotein(NCP),the most abundant structural component of the SARS-CoV-2 virion.In addition to phosphoryl groups,we show that the SARS-CoV-2 NCP is decorated with a variety of PTMs,including N-glycans and ubiquitin.Based on newly identified PTMs,refined protein structural models of SARS-CoV-2 NCP were proposed and potential immune recognition epitopes of NCP were aligned with PTMs.These data can facilitate the design of novel vaccines or therapeutics targeting NCP,as valuable alternatives to the current vaccination and treatment paradigm that is under threat of the ever-mutating SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein.

Post-translational modification:a strategic response to high temperature in plants

With the increasing global warming high-temperature stress is affecting plant growth and develop-ment with greater frequency.Therefore,an increasing number of studies examining the mechanism of temperature response contribute to a more optimal understanding of plant growth under environ-mental pressure.Post-translational modification(PTM)provides the rapid reconnection of tr anscrip-tional programs including transcription factors and signaling proteins.It is vital that plants quickly respond to changes in the environment in order to survive under stressful situations.Herein,we discuss several types of PTMs that occur in response to warm-temperature and high-temperature stress,including ubiquitination,SUMOylation,phosphorylation,histone methylation,and acetylation.This review provides a valuable resolution to this issue to enable increased crop productivity at high temperatures.

Emerging perovskite materials for supercapacitors:Structure,synthesis,modification,advanced characterization,theoretical calculation and electrochemical performance

As a new generation electrode materials for energy storage,perovskites have attracted wide attention because of their unique crystal structure,reversible active sites,rich oxygen vacancies,and good stability.In this review,the design and engineering progress of perovskite materials for supercapacitors(SCs)in recent years is summarized.Specifically,the review will focus on four types of perovskites,perovskite oxides,halide perovskites,fluoride perovskites,and multi-perovskites,within the context of their intrinsic structure and corresponding electrochemical performance.A series of experimental variables,such as synthesis,crystal structure,and electrochemical reaction mechanism,will be carefully analyzed by combining various advanced characterization techniques and theoretical calculations.The applications of these materials as electrodes are then featured for various SCs.Finally,we look forward to the prospects and challenges of perovskite-type SCs electrodes,as well as the future research direction.

Influence of laser parameters on the microstructures and surface properties in laser surface modification of biomedical magnesium alloys

Biodegradable implants from magnesium(Mg)alloys have emerged in the biomedical field especially in the orthopedic and cardiovascular stent applications owing to their low density,high specific strength,excellent machinability,good biocompatibility,and biodegradability.The primary shortcoming of Mg-based implants is their low corrosion resistance in the physiological environment,which results in premature mechanical integrity loss before adequate healing and the production of excessive hydrogen gas,which is harmful to the body tissues and negatively affects the biocompatibility of the implant.Laser surface modification has recently received attention because it can improve the surface properties such as surface chemistry,roughness,topography,corrosion resistance,wear resistance,hydrophilicity,and thus cell response to the surface of the material.The composition and microstructures including textures and phases of laser-treated surfaces depend largely on the laser processing parameters(input laser power,laser scan velocity,frequency,pulse duration,pressure,gas circulation,working time,spot size,beam focal position,and laser track overlap)and the thermophysical properties of the substrate(solubility,melting point,and boiling point).This review investigates the impacts of various laser surface modification techniques including laser surface melting,laser surface alloying,laser cladding,laser surface texturing,and laser shock peening,and highlights their significance in improving the surface properties of biodegradable Mg alloys for implant applications.Additionally,we explore how different laser process parameters affect its composition,microstructure,and surface properties in each laser surface modification technique.