Assembly and remodeling of viral DNA and RNA replicons regulated by cellular molecular chaperones

Comparative proteomic and transcriptomic analysis of testicular tissue of yaks with or without cryptorchidism

Yak is a large plateau mammal with low reproduction rate, while cryptorchidism is a major reproductive disorder associated with infertility in highland yaks. To better understand the occurrence of cryptorchidism and its regulatory mechanisms in yaks, we conducted a multi-omic analysis, and screened a total of 4456 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 332 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) between normal and unilateral cryptorchid testes of yaks using high-throughput transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) and Tandem Mass Tag (TMT)-based proteomics techniques, with testes from yaks with cryptorchidism as the target. Enrichment analysis revealed that the DEGs were associated with cell growth, sperm motility, immune regulation, and intercellular tight junctions, and were mainly enriched in pathways related to cell differentiation; amino acid, sugar, and lipid metabolism; cell adhesion, and hypoxia tolerance. The results of protein interactions network analyses indicated tight interactions between the differential proteins CCT2, CCT4, CCT5, FZR1, and PSMA8. In conclusion. This expression of these differential genes and proteins dysregulation may lead to the obstruction of the testicular descent process or the abnormal development of the testis, potentially leading to cryptorchidism. The results of this study laid a foundation for the screening of key candidate genes and proteins for cryptorchidism in yak, and also provided a theoretical basis for the research molecular mechanism of reproductive system diseases in yak and plateau animals.

Advances in the study of CCT3 in malignant tumors: A review

Malignant tumors are among the leading causes of death worldwide, with their underlying mechanisms remaining largely unclear. Tumorigenesis is a complex process involving multiple factors, genes, and pathways. Tumor cells are characterized by abnormal proliferation, infiltration, invasion, and metastasis. Improving tumor diagnosis rates and identifying novel molecular therapeutic targets are of great significance for the advancement of modern medicine. Chaperonin containing TCP-1 subunit 3 (CCT3) is one of the subunits of the chaperonin containing TCP-1 complex, a molecular chaperone involved in protein folding and remodeling. CCT3 plays a crucial role in maintaining protein homeostasis, with key substrates including tubulin and actin. In recent years, CCT3 has been reported to be abnormally expressed in various cancers, correlating with prognosis and therapeutic outcomes. In this review, we summarize the basic structure and function of chaperonin containing TCP-1 complex and CCT3, and discuss the role of CCT3 in tumor development. Additionally, we explore its potential applications in cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Are Hsp90 inhibitors good candidates against Covid-19?

Drug reposition, or repurposing, has become a promising strategy in therapeutics due to its advantages in several aspects of drug therapy. General drug development is expensive and can take more than 10 years to go through the designing, development, and necessary approval steps. However, established drugs have already overcome these steps and thus a potential candidate may be already available decreasing the risks and costs involved. Viruses invade cells, usually provoking biochemical changes, leading to tissue damage, alteration of normal physiological condition in organisms and can even result in death. Inside the cell, the virus finds the machinery necessary for its multiplication, as for instance the protein quality control system, which involves chaperones and Hsps (heat shock proteins) that, in addition to physiological functions, help in the stabilization of viral proteins. Recently, many inhibitors of Hsp90 have been developed as therapeutic strategies against diseases such as the Hsp90 inhibitors used in anticancer therapy. Several shreds of evidence indicate that these inhibitors can also be used as therapeutic strategies against viruses. Therefore, since a drug treatment for COVID-19 is urgently needed, this review aims to discuss the potential use of Hsp90 inhibitors in the treatment of this globally threatening disease.

Foreword to 'Multiscale structural biology: biophysical principles and mechanisms underlying the action of bio-nanomachines', a special issue in Honour of Fumio Arisaka's 70th birthday

This issue of Biophysical Reviews, titled 'Multiscale structural biology: biophysical principles and mechanisms underlying the action of bio-nanomachines', is a collection of articles dedicated in honour of Professor Fumio Arisaka's 70th birthday. Initially, working in the fields of haemocyanin and actin filament assembly, Fumio went on to publish important work on the elucidation of structural and functional aspects of T4 phage biology. As his career has transitioned levels of complexity from proteins (hemocyanin) to large protein complexes (actin) to even more massive bio-nanomachinery (phage), it is fitting that the subject of this special issue is similarly reflective of his multiscale approach to structural biology. This festschrift contains articles spanning biophysical structure and function from the bio-molecular through to the bio-nanomachine level.