UHMK1 is a novel splicing regulatory kinase

Splicing dysregulation: hallmark and therapeutic opportunity in pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive cancer characterized by dismal prognosis. Late diagnosis, resistance to chemotherapy, and lack of efficacious targeted therapies render PDAC almost untreatable. Dysregulation of splicing, the process that excises the introns from nascent transcripts, is emerging as a hallmark of PDAC and a possible vulnerability of this devastating cancer. Splicing factors are deregulated in PDAC and contribute to all steps of tumorigenesis, from inflammation-related early events to metastasis and acquisition of chemoresistance. At the same time, splicing dysregulation offers a therapeutic opportunity to target cancer-specific vulnerabilities. We discuss mounting evidence that splicing plays a key role in PDAC and the opportunities that this essential process offers for developing new targeted therapies.

KIS counteracts PTBP2 and regulates alternative exon usage in neurons

Alternative RNA splicing is an essential and dynamic process in neuronal differentiation and synapse maturation, and dysregulation of this process has been associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Recent studies have revealed the importance of RNA-binding proteins in the regulation of neuronal splicing programs. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in the control of these splicing regulators are still unclear. Here, we show that KIS, a kinase upregulated in the developmental brain, imposes a genome-wide alteration in exon usage during neuronal differentiation in mice. KIS contains a protein-recognition domain common to spliceosomal components and phosphorylates PTBP2, counteracting the role of this splicing factor in exon exclusion. At the molecular level, phosphorylation of unstructured domains within PTBP2 causes its dissociation from two co-regulators, Matrin3 and hnRNPM, and hinders the RNA-binding capability of the complex. Furthermore, KIS and PTBP2 display strong and opposing functional interactions in synaptic spine emergence and maturation. Taken together, our data uncover a post-translational control of splicing regulators that link transcriptional and alternative exon usage programs in neuronal development.

Identification of hypoxic-related lncRNAs prognostic model for revealing clinical prognostic and immune infiltration characteristic of cutaneous melanoma

BACKGROUND

Cutaneous melanoma (CM) remains a significant threat to human health. There are clues to the potential role of hypoxia in CM progression. However, the role of hypoxia-related lncRNAs (HRLs) in CM has not been clarified.

METHODS

We obtained hypoxia related genes from MSigDB database and subsequently identified HRLs by applying TCGA database. LASSO-univariate and multivariate Cox analysis were used to comprehensively analyze the survival characteristics and HRLs expressions, and a novel HRLs-related prognostic risk model was subsequently established for comprehensive analysis.

RESULTS

The established risk model could evaluate the clinical outcome of CM accurately. The ability of the model-related risk score was also validated as an independent prognostic indicator of CM. Immune infiltration, TMB analysis, drug sensitivity analysis and immunotherapy evaluation were conducted to comprehensively assess the possible causes of the difference in prognosis. The reliability of bioinformatics results was partially verified by RT-qPCR.

CONCLUSION

We established a new HRLs related risk model and discussed the potential role of hypoxia in the development of CM, which provided a novel basis for CM risk stratification.

Multivariate investigation of aging in mouse models expressing the Alzheimer's protective APOE2 allele: integrating cognitive metrics, brain imaging, and blood transcriptomics

APOE allelic variation is critical in brain aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD). The APOE2 allele associated with cognitive resilience and neuroprotection against AD remains understudied. We employed a multipronged approach to characterize the transition from middle to old age in mice with APOE2 allele, using behavioral assessments, image-derived morphometry and diffusion metrics, structural connectomics, and blood transcriptomics. We used sparse multiple canonical correlation analyses (SMCCA) for integrative modeling, and graph neural network predictions. Our results revealed brain sub-networks associated with biological traits, cognitive markers, and gene expression. The cingulate cortex emerged as a critical region, demonstrating age-associated atrophy and diffusion changes, with higher fractional anisotropy in males and middle-aged subjects. Somatosensory and olfactory regions were consistently highlighted, indicating age-related atrophy and sex differences. The hippocampus exhibited significant volumetric changes with age, with differences between males and females in CA3 and CA1 regions. SMCCA underscored changes in the cingulate cortex, somatosensory cortex, olfactory regions, and hippocampus in relation to cognition and blood-based gene expression. Our integrative modeling in aging APOE2 carriers revealed a central role for changes in gene pathways involved in localization and the negative regulation of cellular processes. Our results support an important role of the immune system and response to stress. This integrative approach offers novel insights into the complex interplay among brain connectivity, aging, and sex. Our study provides a foundation for understanding the impact of APOE2 allele on brain aging, the potential for detecting associated changes in blood markers, and revealing novel therapeutic intervention targets.