ALG2 Influences T cell apoptosis by regulating FASLG intracellular transportation

Mechanism of network pharmacology of Erzhi Pill and Erxian Decoction in treating climacteric syndrome with "treating the same disease with different methods": A review

Network pharmacology and molecular docking methods were used in the present study to clarify the molecular mechanism of two traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions of climacteric syndrome. Based on oral availability and drug similarity, the main active components of Erzhi Pill and Erxian Decoction were screened through the platform of traditional Chinese medicine system pharmacology. The target database of climacteric syndrome was established by using GENECARD, OMIM, PharmGKB, Targets and Drugbank. The "component - target" network diagram was constructed using Cytoscape software (version 3.8.2). Topology analysis, module analysis, and GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were used to explore the core target and action pathway of Erzhi Pill-Erxian Decoction for treating climacteric syndrome of same disease with different treatments. There were 16 active components and 103 corresponding targets found in Erzhi Pill; 69 active components and 121 corresponding targets were found in Erxian Decoction; and 100 potential targets were found in Erzhi Pill and Erxian Decoction. Through network analysis, topology and module analysis, TP53, AKT1, Jun, ESR1, IL1B, CASP3, MMP9, PTGS2, HIF1A, MYC and EGFR could be considered as potential targets of the 2 prescriptions for alleviating climacteric syndrome. The effects of Erzhi pill and Erxian Decoction on climacteric syndrome are mainly in the pathway of lipid and atherosclerosis, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway in diabetic complications. The active components in Erzhi Pill - Erxian Decoction, such as quercetin, show considerable potential as a candidate drug for the treatment of climacteric syndrome.

Landscape genomics reveals adaptive divergence of indigenous sheep in different ecological environments of Xinjiang, China

Sheep are important livestock animals that have evolved under various ecological pressures. Xinjiang is a region with diverse and harsh environments that have shaped many local sheep breeds with unique characteristics and environmental adaptability. However, these breeds are losing ecological flexibility due to the promotion of intensive farming practices. Here we sequenced 14 local sheep breeds from Xinjiang and analyzed their genetic structure and gene flow with other sheep breeds from neighboring regions. The Tibetan Plateau was the geographic origin of Xinjiang native sheep evolution. We performed genome-environment association analysis and identified Bio9: Mean Temperature of Driest Quarter and Bio15: Precipitation Seasonality as the key environmental factors affecting Xinjiang local sheep and the key genes involved in their survival and adaptation. We classified Xinjiang native sheep breeds into six groups based on their differential genes by pairwise selective sweep analysis and Community Network Analysis. We analyzed transcriptome expression data of 832 sheep tissues and detected tissue-specific enrichment of six group-specific genes in different biological systems. Our results revealed the genetic basis of year-round estrus, drought tolerance, hypoxia resistance, and cold tolerance traits of Xinjiang sheep breeds. Moreover, we proposed conservation strategies for Xinjiang local sheep breeds and provided theoretical guidance for breeding new sheep breeds under global extreme environments.

Effects of a natural nutritional supplement on immune cell infiltration and immune gene expression in exercise-induced injury

Inflammatory immune response plays a key role in exercise-induced injury and healing; however, the relevant regulatory mechanisms of immune infiltration in exercise-induced injuries remain less studied. In the present study, a highly efficient system for screening immunity-related biomarkers and immunomodulatory ability of natural nutritional supplements was developed by integrating intelligent data acquisition, data mining, network pharmacology, and computer-assisted target fishing. The findings demonstrated that resting natural killer cells showed a higher rate of infiltration after exercise, whereas naive B cells and activated dendritic cells showed higher rate of infiltration before exercise. Four key genes, namely PRF1, GZMB, CCL4, and FASLG, were associated with exercise-induced injuries and inflammatory immune response. In total, 26 natural compounds including echinacoside, eugenol, tocopherol, and casuariin were predicted by using the HERB databases. Molecular docking analysis showed that GZMB, FASLG, and CCL4 bound to echinacoside. In vivo experiments in mice showed that after 30 min swimming, natural killer (NK) cells showed high infiltration rates, and the key genes (GZMB, PRF1, FASLG, and CCL4) were highly expressed; however, echinocandin significantly reduced the level of NK cells and decreased the expression of the four key genes post exercise. This natural nutritional supplement may act to protect against inflammatory injury after exercise by suppressing specific immune infiltration.

ALG2 regulates type I interferon responses by inhibiting STING trafficking

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING), an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) signaling adaptor, is essential for the type I interferon response to cytosolic dsDNA. The translocation from the ER to perinuclear vesicles following binding cGAMP is a critical step for STING to activate downstream signaling molecules, which lead to the production of interferon and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Here we found that apoptosis-linked gene 2 (ALG2) suppressed STING signaling induced by either HSV-1 infection or cGAMP presence. Knockout of ALG2 markedly facilitated the expression of type I interferons upon cGAMP treatment or HSV-1 infection in THP-1 monocytes. Mechanistically, ALG2 associated with the C-terminal tail (CTT) of STING and inhibited its trafficking from ER to perinuclear region. Furthermore, the ability of ALG2 to coordinate calcium was crucial for its regulation of STING trafficking and DNA-induced innate immune responses. This work suggests that ALG2 is involved in DNA-induced innate immune responses by regulating STING trafficking.