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Enumeration of stressed cells of Escherichia coli.

Cells of Escherichia coli K-12 were stressed by heating at 48 degrees C or by acid treatment at pH 4.2 for periods up to 1h. The addition of catalase to the selective medium increased the count of heat-stressed cells by 2.3-fold and acid-stressed cells by 4.8-fold. However, these values represented only a small percentage (3% for heat-stressed and 6% for acid-stressed cells respectively) of the population of injured but still viable cells. The addition of mannitol to the selective medium used to count acid-stressed cells did not increase the count. Whilst the presence of H2O2 in media may cause significant errors in the estimation of E. coli in certain situations these errors are unlikely to be significant in physiological studies of populations of cells injured by stress.

Acetates

A system-level metastable model of cancer evolution: integrating replication stress, cell cycle deregulation and chromosomal instability.

INTRODUCTION: Cancer cell proliferation occurs within the context of persistent genomic instability. In this review, we propose the RS-CCD-CIN axis as a systems-level framework in which replication stress (RS), cell cycle deregulation (CCD) and chromosomal instability (CIN) form an interdependent triad that shapes tumour evolution. This axis represents a constrained metastable state in which genomic instability is tolerated and buffered. The objective of this review is to synthesize the current understanding of how the RS-CCD-CIN axis contributes to tumour heterogeneity, adaptability and therapy response. DISCUSSION: Evidence indicates that RS, CCD and CIN operate as a dynamic, interconnected network rather than as independent processes. Replication stress induces DNA damage and mutagenesis, while partial checkpoint disruption permits cells with unresolved lesions to proliferate. Chromosomal instability generates both structural and numerical alterations, contributing to intratumoural heterogeneity. Together, these processes facilitate adaptation to environmental and therapeutic pressures. Extrachromosomal DNA, micronuclei formation and cytosolic DNA signalling, including the cGAS-STING pathway, connect genomic instability to adaptive responses and immune modulation. Single-cell and spatial profiling reveal temporal and spatial variability in RS, CCD and CIN states, highlighting the limitations of static biomarkers. Therapeutically, targeting individual components often yields limited durability, whereas approaches that simultaneously perturb multiple aspects of the RS-CCD-CIN axis may improve clinical outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: This review highlights the RS-CCD-CIN axis as a fragile and metastable architecture that supports cancer evolution, while also being susceptible to collapse. A deeper understanding of this interconnected framework may inform the development of therapeutic strategies and enhance the management of resistance.

Humans

Immuno-histochemical localization of cyclic nucleotides in the periodontium: mechanically-stressed cells in vivo.

Cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP, considered to be cell proliferation regulators, have been reported to fluctuate in proliferating fibroblasts in vitro. The objectives of this experiment were to study the localization, distribution and staining patterns of these cyclic nucleotides in mechanically-stressed, proliferating periodontal fibroblasts in vivo. Cat canines were tipped by force applications for 0 to 48 hours and serial sagittal sections of fresh frozen, unfixed, undecalcified jaws were processed immuno-histochemically for the localization of cAMP and cGMP. Periodontal tension sites were studied microscopically. Fibroblastic staining for cAMP, which was localized mainly in the cell periphery, did not change appreciably as a result of tension. However, staining intensity increased one hour after the application of force, decreased after 6 hours and increased again at 24 hours. Staining for cGMP, initially covering the entire cell area, was concentrated over nuclei three hours after onset of tension, and diffused over cell periphery and cytoplasm thereafter. Intensity of staining for cGMP was maximal at 3 hours and low at 12 and 48 hours. These results demonstrate that stress-induced fibroblastic responses in vivo involve alterations in staining intensity for both cyclic nucleotides which may correspond with fluctuations of these regulators, reported to occur in vitro in various stages of the mitotic cycle. Moreover, this technique enables the identification of the involved cells in a stimulated, non-synchronized cell population.

3,3'-Diaminobenzidine

Diluent sensitivity in thermally stressed cells of pseudomonas fluorescens.

Thermally injured cells of Pseudomonas fluorescens were unable to produce colonies on Trypticase soy agar (TSA) after dilution with 0.1% peptone. Nutritional exigency could not be used as the criterion for this injury, since varying the composition of the plating medium had little effect on the number of colonies that developed. The injured cells had no requirement for compounds known to leak out during the heat treatment in order to recover. The cells did not exhibit injury if dilution preceded heat treatment on the plating medium, demonstrating that the heat treatment sensitized the cells to the trauma of dilution. Substitution of 0.1% peptone with growth medium as the diluent largely offset the previously observed drop in TSA count. Little difference in survival was observed when monosodium glutamate or the balance of the defined medium was used as the diluent. The diluent effect was ionic rather than osmotic. The presence of cations was important in maintaining the integrity of the injured cell, and divalent cations enhanced this protective effect. The role of these cations at the level of the cell envelope is discussed.

Cations, Divalent

Dynamic phosphorylation of Hcm1 promotes fitness in chronic stress.

Cell survival depends upon the ability to adapt to changing environments. Environmental stressors trigger an acute stress response program that rewires cell physiology, downregulates proliferation genes and pauses the cell cycle until the cell adapts. After the acute response is resolved, cells resume cycling but at a reduced rate. The importance of cell cycle changes for survival in chronic stress is not clear. Here, we show that dynamic phosphorylation of the yeast cell cycle-regulatory transcription factor Hcm1 is required to maintain fitness in chronic stress. Hcm1 is activated by cyclin dependent kinase (CDK) during S-phase and is inactivated by the phosphatase calcineurin (CN) in response to stressors that signal through increases in cytosolic Ca2+. Cells expressing a constitutively active, phosphomimetic Hcm1 mutant exhibit a reduction in fitness in stress, suggesting Hcm1 inactivation promotes survival. However, a comprehensive analysis of Hcm1 phosphomutants revealed that Hcm1 activity is also important to survive stress, and that all mutants with fixed phosphorylation states are less fit in stress. Moreover, our data suggests that pulses of Hcm1 activity are necessary to maximize target gene expression in stress. These findings demonstrate that expression levels of Hcm1 target genes influence fitness in stress and suggest that the dynamic phosphorylation of cell cycle regulators plays a crucial role in promoting survival in stressful environments.

Phosphorylation

Establishment of a prognostic model based on ER stress-related cell death genes and proposing a novel combination therapy in acute myeloid leukemia.

BACKGROUND: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a highly heterogeneous malignancy, presenting significant challenges in accurately predicting patient prognosis. Dysregulation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and resistance to programmed cell death (PCD) are hallmarks of AML cells. However, the prognostic significance of the interplay between ER stress and cell death pathways in AML remains largely unexplored. METHODS: We analyzed RNA sequencing and clinical data from 887 AML patients across 4 cohorts to develop an ER stress-related cell death index (ERCDI) using 10 machine-learning algorithms with 117 unique combinations. Survival and time-dependent Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (ROC) analyses were performed to assess the model's efficacy. Clinical characteristics, the tumor immune microenvironment, and drug sensitivity differences between the high- and low-risk groups were also analyzed. The CMap database was used to identify potential therapeutic drugs. In vitro and in vivo experiments, including CCK-8, colony formation, flow cytometry, Transwell assays, and xenograft mouse models, were conducted to evaluate the effects of the target genes and candidate drugs. RESULTS: The ERCDI demonstrated strong prognostic and predictive performance for prognosis in AML patients. Furthermore, the ERCDI effectively predicted immunotherapy and chemotherapy outcomes and was associated with the immune features of the different risk groups. DNA damage-inducible transcript 4 protein (DDIT4), a key gene associated with ERCDI, is related to poor prognosis in AML patients with high expression. Additionally, the knockdown of DDIT4 significantly inhibited AML cell proliferation, induced cell apoptosis, and promoted cell cycle arrest. Chaetocin was subsequently identified as a candidate compound for AML treatment. Subsequent experiments suggested that combining chaetocin and venetoclax is a potentially promising therapeutic strategy for AML. CONCLUSION: The ERCDI provides personalized risk assessment and treatment recommendations for individual AML patients. The combined use of chaetocin and venetoclax can potentially be repurposed for AML therapy.

Humans

Nucleosome stability safeguards cell identity, stress resilience and healthy aging.

Nucleosomes are the minimal repeating units of chromatin. Their dynamic assembly and disassembly underpins chromatin organization and genome regulation. However, it remains unclear how intrinsic nucleosome stability contributes to higher-level yet fundamental cellular and organismal properties-such as preservation of cell identity, lineage specification, stress resilience and ultimately healthy aging. To address this, we tested the impact of decreased intrinsic nucleosome stability across multiple cell, tissue and organismal models by introducing histone mutants that weaken histone-histone interactions. While nucleosome instability did not broadly alter global chromatin accessibility, DNA damage, cell proliferation or viability, it impaired lineage-specific gene expression programs, altered lineage specification and activated intrinsic inflammatory and stress pathways in a manner reminiscent of aging in mouse tissues and human cells. Consistently, nucleosome instability accelerated the onset of age-associated transcriptional alterations and functional decline in Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster, and reduced cellular resilience to exogenous perturbations-including environmental, epigenetic and mitotic stress-in human cells and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These cross-species findings identify nucleosome stability as an evolutionarily conserved epigenetic safeguard that preserves cell identity and stress resilience and supports organismal function and healthy aging.

Journal Article

[Stress-reaction of the cell. Changes in carcinoma RS-1 and Jensen sarcoma cells following administration of retinol acetate, hydrocortisone and proserine].

In the cells of RS-1 carcinoma and those of Iensen's sarcoma it has been stated that acceleration and inhibition of tumor growth induced by nonspecific influence (vitamin A, hydrocortisone, proserin) are accompanied by uniform morphological changes of intracellular structures. Therefore, it is possible to suggest that the changes observed reflect a certain cell adaptation to the altering environmental conditions (cell stress-reaction). The cell stress-reaction is presented morphologically and hence, can by systematized. An attempt of such systematization is suggested.

Adrenocortical Hyperfunction

Stressed-out immune cells.

Connections between chronic stress, inflammation, and human diseases are well-established but poorly understood. In this issue of Cell Genomics, the effects of stress hormones on the immune system are investigated using single-cell RNA sequencing to better understand how stress-regulated immunological signaling contributes to disease.

Humans

The possible role of hypertension in aggravating hemolytic episodes in G-6PD deficient persons.

Approximately 13 percent of American Negro males carry a mutant [A-variant] glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase enzyme in their red blood cells that predisposes them to hemolytic episodes following exposure to oxidant drugs such as primaquine. Most hemolytic episodes to standard prophylactic treatment are mild and self-limited, but as many as 2 percent of Negro males develop severe hemolysis when similarly treated. The exaggerated response may be due in part to the combination of G-6-PD deficiency and hypertension since hypertension can cause red cell fragmentation, and the stressed cells of G-6-PD deficient person would be more sensitive to such fragmentation.

Anemia, Hemolytic, Congenital

Exploring diagnostic m6A regulators in primary open-angle glaucoma: insight from gene signature and possible mechanisms by which key genes function.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to interrogate the potential role of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) regulators in the process of trabecular meshwork (TM) tissue damage in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). METHODS: Firstly, the expression profile of m6A regulators in TM tissues of POAG patients was comprehensively analyzed by bioinformatics analysis; Plasmid transfection and siRNA gene interference were used to enhance or weaken the expression levels of YTHDC2 in human trabecular meshwork cells (HTMCs); Cell migration ability was detected by transwell chamber assay; Immunofluorescence staining assay was used to evaluate the expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) related proteins. RESULTS: Through the analysis of GSE27276 database, 5 m6A regulators with different expression in POAG were screened out. The results of random forest model showed that these 5 m6A regulators exhibited diagnostic potential and were characteristic genes of POAG. All POAG samples could be effectively divided into two groups based on the expression levels of these 5 hub m6A regulators. Immune cell infiltration analysis indicated that the levels of activated CD8+ T cells and regulatory T cells were different in the two subtypes. HTMC oxidative stress cell model and TGF-β2 stimulation cell model were further constructed to verify the expression of the aforementioned hub m6A regulators, and it was found that YTHDC2 mRNA showed the same expression trend in both models. The silencing of YTHDC2 enhanced the migration ability of HTMCs and increased the synthesis ability of ECM. However, when YTHDC2ΔYTH, which lacks the YTH domain, is overexpressed in HTMCs, there is no significant change in the ECM synthesis ability. CONCLUSIONS: The differentially expressed m6A regulators in TM tissues may serve as potential diagnostic biomarkers for POAG. And, in HTMCs, the expression level of YTHDC2 mRNA was changed under oxidative stress or TGF-β2 intervention, and then exerted its regulation on cell migration and ECM synthesis capability through m6A modification, which may be an important part of the disease process of POAG.

Humans

Activation of Rac1 by shear stress in endothelial cells mediates both cytoskeletal reorganization and effects on gene expression.

Hemodynamic shear stress is a fundamental determinant of vascular remodeling and atherogenesis. Changes in focal adhesions, cytoskeletal organization and gene expression are major responses of endothelial cells to shear stress. Here, we show that activation of the small GTPase Rac is essential for gene expression and for providing spatial information for shear stress-induced cell alignment. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) localizes activated Rac1 in the direction of flow. This directional Rac1 activation is downstream of shear-induced new integrin binding to extracellular matrix. Additionally, Rac1 mediates flow-induced stimulation of nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) and the subsequent expression of intercellular cell adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), an adhesion receptor involved in the recruitment of leukocytes to atherosclerotic plaque. These studies provide a unifying model linking three of the main responses to shear stress that mediate both normal adaptation to hemodynamic forces and inflammatory dysfunction of endothelial cells in atherosclerosis.

Animals

Sparing of metabolic stress in Purkinje cells after maximal electroshock.

Experimental seizures were induced in mice by application of 50 mA for 0.2 sec via corneal electrodes. The reproducible conclusive behavior was characterized by a sequence of 2 sec of tonic flexion, 13 sec of tonic extension, and 8 sec of clonus followed by a postictal depressive stage. The animals were frozen and tissues were prepared for analysis according to Lowry and Passonneau [Lowry, O. H. & Passonneau, J. V. (1972) A Flexible System of Enzymatic Analysis (Academic, New York)]. Freeze-dried samples (1-10 ng) of pyramidal cell bodies and adjacent neuropil from the parietal cortex and of Purkinje cell bodies and adjacent neuropil from the cerebellum were analyzed for glucose, ATP, and P-creatine (0.01-0.05 pmol). There were marked decreases in these energy stores after the maximal electroshock in three of the areas examined. In the Purkinje cell bodies, however, the metabolic stress was dampened; glucose concentrations decreased, but the levels of ATP were maintained and, to a lesser extent, those of P-creatine. The results indicate that the output from the Purkinje cells is less than in the other regions examined in the excitable stages of the convulsion. The lesser energy debt probably reflects lower energy demand as well as a lower discharge intensity. The fact that Purkinje cells are spared from the metabolic stress imposed on other regions may be a partial explanation of the seizure activity. A diminished output from the Purkinje cells could be a situation that permits cortical convulsive activity.

Adenosine Triphosphate

Quantitative RNA modification mapping by mass spectrometry with isobaric tags and nucleobase fragment analysis.

RNA modifications regulate RNA stability, translation, stress responses, and disease processes, yet their function remains poorly understood due to technical limitations in sequence analysis. Here, we present an RNA-specific isobaric tandem mass tagging (RMT) platform for omic-scale quantitative mapping of RNA modifications. The platform combines RNA-specific tags adapted from proteomics with an end-to-end workflow spanning sample preparation through data processing. Validation using synthetic oligonucleotides and total tRNA from Pseudomonas aeruginosa yielded reproducible quantification, with coefficients of variation below 5%. Together with nucleobase fragment analysis, we identified and quantified 24 RNA modifications in PA14 tRNAs, including previously undescribed m2A38 and Gm/Cm39, and assigned their corresponding writer enzymes. Further analyses of tRNAs from writer knockout strains and stressed cells revealed dynamic modification patterns, modification interdependencies, and their potential roles in stress adaptation. This method provides a robust, cost-effective platform for quantitative RNA modification mapping, enabling deeper biological insights.

RNA, Transfer

Fluorescent antibody localization of myosin in the cytoplasm, cleavage furrow, and mitotic spindle of human cells.

We have studied the distribution of myosin molecules in human cells using myosin-specific antibody coupled with fluorescent dyes. Rabbits were immunized with platelet myosin or myosin rod. They produced antisera which precipitated only myosin among all the components in crude platelet extracts. From these antisera we isolated immunoglobulin-G (IgG) and conjugated it with tetramethylrhodamine or fluorescein. We separated IgG with 2-5 fluorochromes per molecule from both under- and over-conjugated IgG by ion exchange chromatography and used it to stain acetone-treated cells. The following controls established the specificity of the staining patterns: (a) staining with labeled preimmune IgG; (b) staining with labeled immune IgG adsorbed with purified myosin; (c) staining with labeled immune IgG mixed with either unlabeled preimmune or immune serum; and (d) staining with labeled antibody purified by affinity chromatography. In blood smears, only the cytoplasm of platelets and leukocytes stained. In spread Enson and HeLa cells, stress fibers stained strongly in closely spaced 0.5 mum spots. The cytoplasm stained uniformly in those cells presumed to be motile before acetone treatment. In dividing HeLa cells there was a high concentration of myosin-specific staining in the vicinity of the contractole ring and in the mitotic spindle, especially the region between the chromosomes and the poles. We detected no staining of erythrocytes, or nuclei of leukocytes and cultured cells, or the surface of platelets and cultured cells.

Antibodies

Transcriptomic insights into the coordinated regulation of signaling, apoptosis, immunity, and metabolism during Sinonovacula constricta larval metamorphosis.

Metamorphosis is a critical ontogenetic transition for marine bivalves, marking the shift from planktonic to benthic lifestyles, where successful transformation dictates survival. The razor clam Sinonovacula constricta is economically important; however, low larval metamorphosis rates remain a major bottleneck in seedling production. To elucidate the mechanisms governing this process, we performed a comparative transcriptome analysis of S. constricta larvae at pre- and post-metamorphosis stages using Illumina sequencing. A total of 3701 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, including 3254 up-regulated and 447 down-regulated genes. Functional annotation of the respective top 20 significantly up-regulated and down-regulated DEGs indicated their potential pivotal roles in signal transduction (e.g., up-regulated: CAV1, CHRNA2; down-regulated: APP, NOTCH1), cellular proliferation and differentiation (e.g., up-regulated: TUBA, EGF1; down-regulated: KIF23, TTC25), transcriptional and epigenetic regulation (e.g., up-regulated: NFIL3; down-regulated: OVO, HMX1), substance transport (e.g., up-regulated: LRP2, LRP1B; down-regulated: SLC51A, Slc33a1), substance metabolism (e.g., up-regulated: CPK3, CYP26A1; down-regulated: RDMT1, ADAC), immunomodulation (e.g., up-regulated: CPN2, CRISP2), and protein homeostasis (e.g., up-regulated: HSP27, NAS-27). Functional enrichment analysis further revealed that DEGs were significantly enriched in pathways related to signal transduction and developmental regulation (e.g., Ras, TNF), cell death and homeostasis (e.g., apoptosis), immune responses (e.g., Toll-like receptor), energy metabolism (e.g., lipid), cardiovascular related (e.g., Fluid shear stress), cell junction and architecture (e.g., Tight junction), and infectious disease (e.g., measles). These results suggest a synergistic interplay between signaling, apoptosis, immunity, and metabolism during S. constricta metamorphosis. This study advances our understanding of marine bivalve metamorphosis and offers candidate genes for further mechanistic studies.

Animals

DDX3X acts as a selective dual switch regulator of mRNA translation in acute ER stress.

Regulation of eukaryotic mRNA translation initiation greatly impacts gene expression and is critical for cellular stress response. DDX3X is a ubiquitous DEAD-box RNA helicase whose precise role in scanning and translation regulation in non-stressed and stressed cells remains incompletely understood. Here, we show that DDX3X associates with thousands of mRNAs as part of the eIF4F-mediated 48S scanning complex and exerts dual regulatory effects, promoting or repressing translation of select mRNAs under basal conditions and reversing this regulation during acute endoplasmic reticulum stress. Initiation profiling reveals mechanistically distinct modes of DDX3X action linked to its binding patterns across the 5' UTR and coding sequence. We further uncover that mRNAs selectively regulated by DDX3X exhibit specific patterns of cytidine N4-acetylation near start codons, with shared de-repression observed upon NAT10 knockdown. Together, our findings reveal DDX3X as a context-sensitive regulator that has a possible functional connection with epitranscriptomic features in translation control.

DEAD-box RNA Helicases