PFKFB3-mediated glycometabolism reprogramming modulates endothelial differentiation and angiogenic capacity of placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells

Glycolysis: A fork in the path of normal and pathological pregnancy

Glucose metabolism is vital to the survival of living organisms. Since the discovery of the Warburg effect in the 1920s, glycolysis has become a major research area in the field of metabolism. Glycolysis has been extensively studied in the field of cancer and is considered as a promising therapeutic target. However, research on the role of glycolysis in pregnancy is limited. Recent evidence suggests that blastocysts, trophoblasts, decidua, and tumors all acquire metabolic energy at specific stages in a highly similar manner. Glycolysis, carefully controlled throughout pregnancy, maintains a dynamic and coordinated state, so as to maintain the homeostasis of the maternal-fetal interface and ensure normal gestation. In the present review, we investigate metabolic remodeling and the selective propensity of the embryo and placenta for glycolysis. We then address dysregulated glycolysis that occurs in the cellular interactive network at the maternal-fetal interface in miscarriage, preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, and gestational diabetes mellitus. We provide new insights into the field of maternal-fetal medicine from a metabolic perspective, thus revealing the mystery of human pregnancy.

New Insights and Advanced Strategies for In Vitro Construction of Vascularized Tissue Engineering

Inadequate vascularization is a significant barrier to clinical application of large-volume tissue engineered grafts. In contrast to in vivo vascularization, in vitro prevascularization shortens the time required for host vessels to grow into the graft core and minimizes necrosis in the core region of the graft. However, the challenge of prevascularization is to construct hierarchical perfusable vascular networks, increase graft volume, and form a vascular tip that can anastomose with host vessels. Understanding advances in in vitro prevascularization techniques and new insights into angiogenesis could overcome these obstacles. In the present review, we discuss new perspectives on angiogenesis, the differences between in vivo and in vitro tissue vascularization, the four elements of prevascularized constructs, recent advances in perfusion-based in vitro prevascularized tissue fabrication, and prospects for large-volume prevascularized tissue engineering.

PFKFB3 promotes sepsis-induced acute lung injury by enhancing NET formation by CXCR4hi neutrophils

CXCR4hi neutrophils, which are a subset of neutrophils with high CXCR4 expression, are important contributors to sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI). PFKFB3, a key glycolysis gene, plays an essential role in neutrophil inflammatory activation. However, the specific involvement of PFKFB3 in sepsis-induced ALI remains unclear. Here, we observed that PFKFB3 was upregulated in CXCR4hi neutrophils and facilitated sepsis-induced ALI. Mechanistically, we observed that PFKFB3 promoted sepsis-induced ALI by enhancing neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation by CXCR4hi neutrophils. Further study indicated that PFKFB3 promoted NET formation by upregulating glycolytic metabolism in CXCR4hi neutrophils. In summary, our study uncovered a new mechanism by which CXCR4hi neutrophils trigger sepsis-induced ALI by promoting NET formation, which is supported by PFKFB3-mediated glycolytic metabolism.

Oviduct Transcriptomic Reveals the Regulation of mRNAs and lncRNAs Related to Goat Prolificacy in the Luteal Phase

Simple Summary

The kidding number is an important reproductive trait in domestic goats. The oviduct, as one of the most major organs, is directly involved in the reproductive process, providing nutrition and a location for early embryonic development. The current study provides genome-wide expression profiles of mRNA and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) expression in Yunshang black goat, a new breed of meat goat bred in China with a high kidding number. During the luteal phases, oviduct mRNAs and lncRNAs associated with high- and low-fecundity Yunshang black goats were identified, and their potential biological functions were predicted using GO, KEGG, and GSEA enrichment analysis. These findings shed light on the oviduct-based prolificacy mechanism in goats.

Abstract

The oviduct is associated with embryo development and transportation and regulates the pregnancy success of mammals. Previous studies have indicated a molecular mechanism of lncRNAs in gene regulation and reproduction. However, little is known about the function of lncRNAs in the oviduct in modulating goat kidding numbers. Therefore, we combined RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to map the expression profiles of the oviduct at the luteal phase from high- and low-fecundity goats. The results showed that 2023 differentially expressed mRNAs (DEGs) and 377 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) transcripts were screened, and 2109 regulated lncRNA-mRNA pairs were identified. Subsequently, the genes related to reproduction (IGF1, FGFRL1, and CREB1) and those associated with embryonic development and maturation (DHX34, LHX6) were identified. KEGG analysis of the DEGs revealed that the GnRH- and prolactin-signaling pathways, progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation, and oocyte meiosis were related to reproduction. GSEA and KEGG analyses of the target genes of DELs demonstrated that several biological processes and pathways might interact with oviduct functions and the prolificacy of goats. Furthermore, the co-expression network analysis showed that XLOC_029185, XLOC_040647, and XLOC_090025 were the cis-regulatory elements of the DEGs MUC1, PPP1R9A, and ALDOB, respectively; these factors might be associated with the success of pregnancy and glucolipid metabolism. In addition, the GATA4, LAMA2, SLC39A5, and S100G were trans-regulated by lncRNAs, predominantly mediating oviductal transport to the embryo and energy metabolism. Our findings could pave the way for a better understanding of the roles of mRNAs and lncRNAs in fecundity-related oviduct function in goats.