1.cGAS: Its Canonical and Non-canonical Functions
Wen-Xian ZHENG ; Meng-Jie XIONG ; Shu-Ting JIA ; Ruo-Yu ZHOU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(5):1279-1296
Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS), a pivotal molecule in innate immunity, has emerged as a keypoint in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of basic immunology and tumor biology. As a cytosolic nucleic acid sensor, cGAS is primarily characterized by its capacity to recognize double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) in the cytosol. Upon binding to dsDNA, cGAS undergoes a conformational change that promotes its dimerization and subsequent enzymatic activation. Once activated, it catalyzes the synthesis of the second messenger 2',3'-cGAMP from ATP and GTP. cGAMP then binds to the adaptor protein STING, which resides on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. The binding process triggers STING to traffic from the ER to the Golgi apparatus, where it is phosphorylated by the kinase TBK1. Phosphorylated STING serves as a docking site for the transcription factor IRF3, facilitating its phosphorylation by TBK1. Once phosphorylated, IRF3 forms dimers and translocates to the nucleus, where it drives the expression of type I interferons and pro-inflammatory cytokines, initiating a potent antimicrobial state. The DNA-sensing mechanism of cGAS is inherently non-selective regarding the origin of its ligand. It readily detects exogenous DNA from invading pathogens, thereby playing an indispensable role in host defense against microbial infections. However, this same mechanism also enables cGAS to recognize self-DNA that leaks from the nucleus or mitochondria into the cytosol under various cellular stress conditions. While critical for immunity, the recognition of self-dsDNA by cGAS can disrupt cellular homeostasis and trigger aberrant inflammatory responses. The loss of self-tolerance can precipitate or exacerbate the pathogenesis of autoimmune disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Aicardi-Goutières syndrome (AGS), highlighting the dual role of cGAS as both a sentinel for infection and a potential driver of autoimmune pathology. Notably, the subcellular localization of cGAS is not still. Increasing recent researches have revealed that cGAS is also abundant within the nucleus, challenging the traditional view of it solely as a cytosolic nucleic acid sensor. Within the nucleus, cGAS exhibits non-canonical functions that are distinct from its canonical immunological role. First, cGAS exists in a state of stringent immunological silence in the nucleus, with mechanisms involving its competitive binding to histones and its post-translational modifications which block the activation of cGAS enzymatic activity, thus, effectively preventing it from mounting an autoimmune attack on genomic DNA. Second, cGAS plays a critical role in maintaining genomic stability. Upon DNA damage, cGAS is rapidly recruited to the lesion site and participates in the DNA damage repair process. Moreover, under conditions of DNA replication stress, cGAS contributes to the stabilization of replication forks, preventing the cell from entering a state of uncontrolled hyper-replication. Consequently, in light of the dual role of cGAS in both immune regulation and tumor development, the development of small-molecule drugs targeting cGAS holds significant therapeutic promise. This review summarizes the structural characteristics of cGAS and its canonical function as a pattern recognition receptor in the cytosol, including the types of pathogens it recognizes and the autoimmune responses resulting from erroneous recognition of self-DNA. It then focuses on its emerging non-canonical functions within the nucleus, detailing its nucleocytoplasmic shuttling, the mechanisms underlying its nuclear immune quiescence, and its role in mediating DNA damage repair and replication fork stabilization. Finally, the review discusses the progress and application prospects of small-molecule drugs targeting cGAS for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and cancer.
2.cGAS: Its Canonical and Non-canonical Functions
Wen-Xian ZHENG ; Meng-Jie XIONG ; Shu-Ting JIA ; Ruo-Yu ZHOU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(5):1279-1296
Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS), a pivotal molecule in innate immunity, has emerged as a keypoint in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of basic immunology and tumor biology. As a cytosolic nucleic acid sensor, cGAS is primarily characterized by its capacity to recognize double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) in the cytosol. Upon binding to dsDNA, cGAS undergoes a conformational change that promotes its dimerization and subsequent enzymatic activation. Once activated, it catalyzes the synthesis of the second messenger 2',3'-cGAMP from ATP and GTP. cGAMP then binds to the adaptor protein STING, which resides on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. The binding process triggers STING to traffic from the ER to the Golgi apparatus, where it is phosphorylated by the kinase TBK1. Phosphorylated STING serves as a docking site for the transcription factor IRF3, facilitating its phosphorylation by TBK1. Once phosphorylated, IRF3 forms dimers and translocates to the nucleus, where it drives the expression of type I interferons and pro-inflammatory cytokines, initiating a potent antimicrobial state. The DNA-sensing mechanism of cGAS is inherently non-selective regarding the origin of its ligand. It readily detects exogenous DNA from invading pathogens, thereby playing an indispensable role in host defense against microbial infections. However, this same mechanism also enables cGAS to recognize self-DNA that leaks from the nucleus or mitochondria into the cytosol under various cellular stress conditions. While critical for immunity, the recognition of self-dsDNA by cGAS can disrupt cellular homeostasis and trigger aberrant inflammatory responses. The loss of self-tolerance can precipitate or exacerbate the pathogenesis of autoimmune disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Aicardi-Goutières syndrome (AGS), highlighting the dual role of cGAS as both a sentinel for infection and a potential driver of autoimmune pathology. Notably, the subcellular localization of cGAS is not still. Increasing recent researches have revealed that cGAS is also abundant within the nucleus, challenging the traditional view of it solely as a cytosolic nucleic acid sensor. Within the nucleus, cGAS exhibits non-canonical functions that are distinct from its canonical immunological role. First, cGAS exists in a state of stringent immunological silence in the nucleus, with mechanisms involving its competitive binding to histones and its post-translational modifications which block the activation of cGAS enzymatic activity, thus, effectively preventing it from mounting an autoimmune attack on genomic DNA. Second, cGAS plays a critical role in maintaining genomic stability. Upon DNA damage, cGAS is rapidly recruited to the lesion site and participates in the DNA damage repair process. Moreover, under conditions of DNA replication stress, cGAS contributes to the stabilization of replication forks, preventing the cell from entering a state of uncontrolled hyper-replication. Consequently, in light of the dual role of cGAS in both immune regulation and tumor development, the development of small-molecule drugs targeting cGAS holds significant therapeutic promise. This review summarizes the structural characteristics of cGAS and its canonical function as a pattern recognition receptor in the cytosol, including the types of pathogens it recognizes and the autoimmune responses resulting from erroneous recognition of self-DNA. It then focuses on its emerging non-canonical functions within the nucleus, detailing its nucleocytoplasmic shuttling, the mechanisms underlying its nuclear immune quiescence, and its role in mediating DNA damage repair and replication fork stabilization. Finally, the review discusses the progress and application prospects of small-molecule drugs targeting cGAS for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and cancer.
3.The application strategies of non-uniform sampling in the structure elucidation of small molecule compounds—an instantiation using fuziline
Li-li ZHANG ; Ke ZHANG ; Jie LIU ; Chun-wang MENG ; Rui FENG ; Liang XIONG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2025;60(1):218-224
Two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (2D NMR) is a widely used technique for structural analysis of small molecular compounds. It can obtain information about the hydrogen-hydrogen correlation, hydrogen-carbon single bond correlation, hydrogen-carbon remote correlation, and hydrogen-hydrogen spatial arrangement of compounds. Thus, 2D NMR has an irreplaceable role in the structure elucidation of small molecular products. However, the sample amount of trace components in phytochemical research is very low, and the traditional sampling method (uniform sampling) has problems of poor spectral quality and too long measure time. Increasing the number of scans results in several hours of the acquisition time for a single two-dimensional spectrum, which in turn causes strain on the NMR machine. The non-uniform sampling (NUS) technique can shorten the acquisition time to a large extent and not affect the quality of 2D NMR data, which greatly improves the efficiency of 2D NMR acquisition. In this paper, fuziline, a small molecular compound in the lateral roots of
4.Preliminary study on the mechanism of halofuginone inhibiting the activity of HepG2 cells
Meng-yang CHEN ; Rui-ping HUAI ; Dan-ni YANG ; Li-jie LEI ; Qiu-lin PU ; Li-li XIONG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2024;59(2):368-373
This study aimed to investigate halofuginone's inhibitory effect and mechanism on the activity of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. HepG2 cells were used to detect the effects of halofuginone. After treatment, cell activity, cell migration, cell cycle, and cell apoptosis were detected by CCK-8, transwell, and flow cytometry, respectively. The expression levels of growth and metabolism-related factors such as citrate synthase (CS), ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (OGDH), and isocitrate deoxygenase (IDH) were detected by real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot. Compared with the control group, the activity of HepG2 cells was significantly inhibited by halofuginone (
5.Application of ozone combined with peracetic acid disinfection in centra-lized pure water supply system in hospitals
Xiong-Jing CAO ; Yun-Zhou FAN ; Fang GAO ; Yan-Yan WU ; Ming ZHU ; Meng-Jie SHUANG ; Li-Juan XIONG
Chinese Journal of Infection Control 2024;23(8):1012-1015
Objective To explore the disinfection effect of ozone combined with peracetic acid(PAA)on reducing the total number of aerobic bacteria in pure water from the terminal of centralized pure water supply system.Methods A two-stage controlled study was conducted,and microbial limit test was performed on the pure water from the ter-minal of centralized pure water supply system in a hospital.At the first stage,PAA disinfection method was adop-ted,and ozone enhanced disinfection(PAA combined with ozone disinfection)was adopted at the second stage.Dis-infection effects at different stages were compared.Results A total of 211 water specimens were collected for tes-ting,including 101 specimens from PAA disinfection group and 110 from ozone enhanced disinfection group.The bacterial colony qualification rate of terminal pure water from the ozone enhanced disinfection group was higher than PAA group(85.45%vs 74.26%,P=0.04).The median of aerobic bacterial colony number of the ozone enhanced disinfection group(2 CFU/mL)was significantly lower than that of the PAA disinfection group(20 CFU/mL).With time increase after disinfection,the number of aerobic bacteria colony in water specimens from the PAA disinfection group showed a significant upward trend(Day 1 vs Day 92:9 CFU/mL vs 1 062 CFU/mL),while the aerobic bac-teria fluctuation range in the pure water from the ozone enhanced disinfection group was relatively small(Day 1 vs Day 92:8 CFU/mL vs 58 CFU/mL).Conclusion The ozone combined with PAA disinfection method can signifi-cantly reduce the total number of aerobic bacteria in water from the terminal of centralized pure water supply sys-tem,with obvious maintaining effect.
6.Research progress on safety management of inter-hospital transport among adults with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
Anqi YU ; Jie XIONG ; Juan DENG ; Meng ZHANG ; Yi WANG
Chinese Journal of Modern Nursing 2024;30(15):2096-2100
This paper mainly introduces the definition of inter-hospital transport and "hub-and-spoke" transport network in patients with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) , and reviews the safety management of inter-hospital transport among patients with ECMO from four aspects of transport team, transport mode, transport equipment, and transport adverse events, in order to provide reference for improving patient safety and the quality of transport care.
7.Research progress on factors influencing health-related quality of life in adult patients undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation based on the health ecology model
Meng ZHANG ; Jie XIONG ; Juan DENG ; Ye CHEN ; Anqi YU ; Yi WANG
Chinese Journal of Modern Nursing 2024;30(27):3776-3780
This paper explores the factors influencing the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of adult patients undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) from five dimensions based on the health ecology model: personal characteristics, behavioral traits, interpersonal networks, work and living environment, and policy environment. The aim is to provide a theoretical basis for proposing evidence-based interventions to effectively improve the HRQL of adult ECMO patients.
8. Eplerenone protects contralateral kidney tissue from obstruction in pregnant rats with chronic kidney disease
Chang XU ; Wen-Ping ZHOU ; Jie-Qi NIU ; Hong-Shuang WANG ; Meng-Juan ZHANG ; Jia-Zhi LIU ; Chang XU ; Qing-You XU ; Wen-Ping ZHOU ; Jie-Qi NIU ; Yun-Zhao XIONG ; Yan ZHONG ; Zheng WANG ; Qing-You XU ; Yun-Zhao XIONG ; Yan ZHONG ; Xiang-Ting WANG ; Zheng WANG ; Hong-Shuang WANG ; Meng-Juan ZHANG ; Jia-Zhi LIU
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2023;39(8):1534-1540
Aim To study the protective effect of eplerenone on the contralateral kidney in pregnant rats with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and its mechanism. Methods Female Wistar rats were randomly divided into sham-operation group, sham-operation pregnancy group, model group and eplerenone group. The rats in the model group and eplenone group had ligation unilateral ureter, and the rats in the eplenone group were treated with 100 mg • kg
9.Hsa-miR-105-5p acts as an oncogene in triple-negative breast cancer.
Da QIAN ; Tao ZHOU ; Hanchu XIONG ; Yuhao XU ; Jie QIU ; Yihao WU ; Weimin HONG ; Xuli MENG
Chinese Medical Journal 2023;136(24):3022-3024
10.Clinical efficacy of da Vinci Xi surgical system assisted laparoscopic exocytosis for hepatic echinococcosis
Jie ZHANG ; Wei SONG ; Zhide LI ; Chao MA ; Yupeng LI ; Guanglei TIAN ; Jinguo WANG ; Yuan MENG ; Xiong CHEN
Chinese Journal of Digestive Surgery 2023;22(4):546-551
Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of da Vinci Xi surgical system assisted laparoscopic exocytosis for hepatic echinococcosis.Methods:The retrospective and descriptive study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 7 patients who underwent da Vinci Xi surgical system assisted laparoscopic exocytosis for hepatic echinococcosis in Xinjiang Uiger Municipal People′s Hospital from October 2019 to July 2021 were collected. There were 3 males and 4 females, aged (43±12)years. Observation indicators: (1) surgical situations; (2) complications; (3) follow-up. Mea-surement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean±SD, and measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M(range). Count data were described as absolute numbers. Results:(1) Surgical situations. All 7 patients underwent da Vinci Xi surgical system assisted laparoscopic exocytosis for hepatic echinococcosis successfully, without conversion to laparotomy and laparoscopic surgery. None of the 7 patients underwent intraoperative blood transfusion and the operation time, volume of intraoperative blood loss, time to postoperative first and flatus, time to postoperative initial liquid food intake, time to postoperative abdominal drainage tube removal, time to postoperative urethral catheter removal, duration of postoperative hospital stay of 7 patients was (225±45)minutes, 100(range, 50-200)mL, (1.9±0.7)days, (4.2±1.2)days, (7±4)days, (2.9±0.8)days, (7±4)days, respectively. (2) Complications. None of the 7 patients had postoperative complications such as bile leakage, abdominal hemorrhage, incision infection, hydatid cavity infection, secondary operation, intestinal obstruction, pulmonary infection and deep venous thrombosis of lower limbs. (3) Follow-up. All 7 patients were followed up for 7 (range, 3-12) months. None of the 7 patients had recurrence of hepatic echinococcosis or peritoneal implantation and incision implantation, and all patients survived during follow-up.Conclusion:da Vinci Xi surgical system assisted laparoscopic exocytosis for hepatic echinococcosis is safe and feasible.

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