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.

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.

As an indispensable trace element in the human body,copper plays an important role in various physiological and biochemical reactions.The dyshomeostasis of copper leads to the disorder of copper metabolism and the occurrence of related diseases.Cuproptosis,a newly proposed regulatory cell death mode,is different from the known apoptosis,pyroptosis,necroptosis,and ferroptosis.Recent studies have found that the dyshomeostasis of copper has been observed in a variety of cancers.Therefore,targeting copper for disease treatment may become a new strategy and a new idea.This article systematically summarizes the fundamental properties of copper,copper dyshomeostasis-related diseases (Menkes syndrome,Wilson's disease,and cancer) and their treatment,and reviews the research progress in cuproptosis.
Humans ; Copper/metabolism* ; Homeostasis ; Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Hepatolenticular Degeneration/metabolism* ; Menkes Kinky Hair Syndrome/metabolism*

GPR126, also known as ADGRG6, is one of the most deeply studied aGPCRs. Initially, GPR126 was thought to be a receptor associated with muscle development and was primarily expressed in the muscular and skeletal systems. With the deepening of research, it was found that GPR126 is expressed in multiple mammalian tissues and organs, and is involved in many biological processes such as embryonic development, nervous system development, and extracellular matrix interactions. Compared with other aGPCRs proteins, GPR126 has a longer N-terminal domain, which can bind to ligands one-to-one and one-to-many. Its N-terminus contains five domains, a CUB (complement C1r/C1s, Uegf, Bmp1) domain, a PTX (Pentraxin) domain, a SEA (Sperm protein, Enterokinase, and Agrin) domain, a hormone binding (HormR) domain, and a conserved GAIN domain. The GAIN domain has a self-shearing function, which is essential for the maturation, stability, transport and function of aGPCRs. Different SEA domains constitute different GPR126 isomers, which can regulate the activation and closure of downstream signaling pathways through conformational changes. GPR126 has a typical aGPCRs seven-transmembrane helical structure, which can be coupled to Gs and Gi, causing cAMP to up- or down-regulation, mediating transmembrane signaling and participating in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation and migration. GPR126 is activated in a tethered-stalk peptide agonism or orthosteric agonism, which is mainly manifested by self-proteolysis or conformational changes in the GAIN domain, which mediates the rapid activation or closure of downstream pathways by tethered agonists. In addition to the tethered short stem peptide activation mode, GPR126 also has another allosteric agonism or tunable agonism mode, which is specifically expressed as the GAIN domain does not have self-shearing function in the physiological state, NTF and CTF always maintain the binding state, and the NTF binds to the ligand to cause conformational changes of the receptor, which somehow transmits signals to the GAIN domain in a spatial structure. The GAIN domain can cause the 7TM domain to produce an activated or inhibited signal for signal transduction, For example, type IV collagen interacts with the CUB and PTX domains of GPR126 to activate GPR126 downstream signal transduction. GPR126 has homology of 51.6%-86.9% among different species, with 10 conserved regions between different species, which can be traced back to the oldest metazoans as well as unicellular animals.In terms of diseases, GPR126 dysfunction involves the pathological process of bone, myelin, embryo and other related diseases, and is also closely related to the occurrence and development of malignant tumors such as breast cancer and colon cancer. However, the biological function of GPR126 in various diseases and its potential as a therapeutic target still needs further research. This paper focuses on the structure, interspecies differences and conservatism, signal transduction and biological functions of GPR126, which provides ideas and references for future research on GPR126.

A recombinant adenovirus(rAd)for expression of Mycobacterium tuberculosis(M.tb)c-di-AMP phosphodiesterase CnpB was constructed,and its induced humoral immune response was detected.The codon-optimized gene of M.tb CnpB was cloned into the adenoviral plasmid pcADV.The recombinant plasmid pcADV-CnpB was transfected into HEK293T cells,and expression was detected with Western blot.The recombinant plasmid pcADV-CnpB and the backbone plasmid were co-transfected into HEK293T cells to obtain the recombinant adenovirus rAd-CnpB.rAd-CnpB was amplified in HEK293T cells,and the target protein expression of rAd-CnpB was detected with Western blot and immunofluorescence.Mice were immunized with rAd-CnpB intranasally,and their sera and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)were collected.ELISA was used to detect levels of antigen-specific antibodies.Restriction enzyme digestion and sequencing indicated that the recombinant plasmid pcADV-CnpB was successfully constructed and led to protein expression in eukaryotic cells.rAd-CnpB was packaged and produced in HEK293T cells.After amplification and purification,rAd-CnpB with a titer of 5.53×1010 PFU/mL was obtained.rAd-CnpB led to CnpB expression in HEK293T cells.Intranasal immunization with rAd-CnpB increased levels of IgG and secretory IgA in BALF and led to high levels of IgG in sera.rAd-CnpB,the recombinant adenovirus for expression of c-di-AMP phosphodiesterase CnpB was successfully constructed,and was found to induce antigen-specific humoral and mucosal immune responses through mucosal immunization.Thus,rAd-CnpB may be used in further research on new TB vaccine strategies.

Soy is a vital source of plant carbohydrates.However,it poses significant allergenic risks,particularly to young children and animals.Among the various proteins in soy,β-conglycinin,which con-stitutes approximately 30％of total soy carbohydrates,is a primary allergen.Undigested β-conglycinin can lead to intestinal damage by inhibiting cell growth,disrupting the cytoskeleton,and inducing apopto-sis.It can also enter the lymphatic and circulatory systems,triggering allergic reactions.Conventional ELISA methods for detecting β-conglycinin rely on polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies,which are limited by their large molecular weight,difficulty in accessing the protein core,and sensitivity to acidic and bas-ic conditions.To address these limitations,this study aimed to develop nanobodies(Nbs)against β-con-glycinin.Nbs,derived from the variable regions of heavy-chain antibodies found in camelids,have a mo-lecular weight approximately one-tenth that of conventional antibodies.They offer advantages such as small size,stable structure,high specificity,and strong affinity.A female alpacas was immunized five times using β-conglycinin,which showed a heavy chain antibody potency of 1∶16 000 by ELISA.Pe-ripheral blood lymphocytes were subsequently isolated and total RNA was extracted.The variable region of the heavy-chain antibody was amplified via PCR,and recombinant plasmids were constructed and transformed into the E.coli competency strain ER2738.The resulting library contained about 3.5×108 CFU/mL,which increased to 1.15×1012 PFU/mL after phage rescue,with a 100％Nbs gene insertion rate,indicating high diversity.Its Nbs phage output was significantly enriched by four rounds of solid-phase elution with an enrichment rate of 155.9.Four rounds of solid-phase panning yielded 35 positive clones,all of which shared the same amino acid sequence upon sequencing.The selected Nb was ex-pressed in a prokaryotic system,and its binding ability to β-conglycinin was confirmed using Western blotting and ELISA.The results demonstrated excellent specificity and affinity.This research lays the groundwork for developing a rapid and efficient detection method for β-conglycinin using Nbs,potentially enhancing food safety and allergen management.

Soy is a vital source of plant carbohydrates.However,it poses significant allergenic risks,particularly to young children and animals.Among the various proteins in soy,β-conglycinin,which con-stitutes approximately 30％of total soy carbohydrates,is a primary allergen.Undigested β-conglycinin can lead to intestinal damage by inhibiting cell growth,disrupting the cytoskeleton,and inducing apopto-sis.It can also enter the lymphatic and circulatory systems,triggering allergic reactions.Conventional ELISA methods for detecting β-conglycinin rely on polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies,which are limited by their large molecular weight,difficulty in accessing the protein core,and sensitivity to acidic and bas-ic conditions.To address these limitations,this study aimed to develop nanobodies(Nbs)against β-con-glycinin.Nbs,derived from the variable regions of heavy-chain antibodies found in camelids,have a mo-lecular weight approximately one-tenth that of conventional antibodies.They offer advantages such as small size,stable structure,high specificity,and strong affinity.A female alpacas was immunized five times using β-conglycinin,which showed a heavy chain antibody potency of 1∶16 000 by ELISA.Pe-ripheral blood lymphocytes were subsequently isolated and total RNA was extracted.The variable region of the heavy-chain antibody was amplified via PCR,and recombinant plasmids were constructed and transformed into the E.coli competency strain ER2738.The resulting library contained about 3.5×108 CFU/mL,which increased to 1.15×1012 PFU/mL after phage rescue,with a 100％Nbs gene insertion rate,indicating high diversity.Its Nbs phage output was significantly enriched by four rounds of solid-phase elution with an enrichment rate of 155.9.Four rounds of solid-phase panning yielded 35 positive clones,all of which shared the same amino acid sequence upon sequencing.The selected Nb was ex-pressed in a prokaryotic system,and its binding ability to β-conglycinin was confirmed using Western blotting and ELISA.The results demonstrated excellent specificity and affinity.This research lays the groundwork for developing a rapid and efficient detection method for β-conglycinin using Nbs,potentially enhancing food safety and allergen management.

A recombinant adenovirus(rAd)for expression of Mycobacterium tuberculosis(M.tb)c-di-AMP phosphodiesterase CnpB was constructed,and its induced humoral immune response was detected.The codon-optimized gene of M.tb CnpB was cloned into the adenoviral plasmid pcADV.The recombinant plasmid pcADV-CnpB was transfected into HEK293T cells,and expression was detected with Western blot.The recombinant plasmid pcADV-CnpB and the backbone plasmid were co-transfected into HEK293T cells to obtain the recombinant adenovirus rAd-CnpB.rAd-CnpB was amplified in HEK293T cells,and the target protein expression of rAd-CnpB was detected with Western blot and immunofluorescence.Mice were immunized with rAd-CnpB intranasally,and their sera and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)were collected.ELISA was used to detect levels of antigen-specific antibodies.Restriction enzyme digestion and sequencing indicated that the recombinant plasmid pcADV-CnpB was successfully constructed and led to protein expression in eukaryotic cells.rAd-CnpB was packaged and produced in HEK293T cells.After amplification and purification,rAd-CnpB with a titer of 5.53×1010 PFU/mL was obtained.rAd-CnpB led to CnpB expression in HEK293T cells.Intranasal immunization with rAd-CnpB increased levels of IgG and secretory IgA in BALF and led to high levels of IgG in sera.rAd-CnpB,the recombinant adenovirus for expression of c-di-AMP phosphodiesterase CnpB was successfully constructed,and was found to induce antigen-specific humoral and mucosal immune responses through mucosal immunization.Thus,rAd-CnpB may be used in further research on new TB vaccine strategies.

Aim To investigate the enhanced efficacy and reduced toxicity of GanoExtra in combination with cyclophosphamide(CTX)on inhibiting lung metastasis and immune function in mice.Methods The CCK-8 method was used to verify the cytotoxic effects of Gano-Extra on MCF-7 and 4T1 tumor cells.In vivo experi-ment,a mouse model of lung metastasis of breast canc-er was established by injecting 4T1 tumor cells into the tail vein,which was divided into four groups including 4T1 model group,CTX group,GanoExtra group and GanoExtra+CTX group.The control group was set.After 21 days,the mice were euthanized under anes-thesia,and the body weight of the mice was recorded.Average lung index and spleen index were calculated.The mouse spleen lymphocyte transformation experi-ment was used to determine the activity of spleen cells.The NK cell activity assay was used to determine the activity of NK cells.Blood cells were determined in mouse blood samples.Flow cytometry was used to de-termine the levels of CD4+and CD8+T cells in blood samples.ELISA was used to measure the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in serum.HE staining was used to ob-serve the pathological morphological changes in tumors and various tissues;and CFSE staining was used to de-termine the proliferative effect of GanoExtra on CD8+cells.Results In vitro GanoExtra at 50 mg·L-1 sig-nificantly inhibited the activity of MCF-7 and 4T1 tumor cells.In the breast cancer pulmonary metastasis model,compared with the model group,the spleen in-dex and blood WBCs content were significantly re-duced,while the activity of NK cells,spleen cells,and the proportion of RBCs,CD 3+and CD 8+T cells in the blood were significantly increased.At the end of the treatment,compared with the CTX group,the number of lung metastases and lung index of the Gano-Extra+CTX group were significantly reduced,and the levels of HGB,CD8+cells,IL-6,and TNF-α in the blood of mice were significantly increased.GanoExtra at 10 mg·L-1 significantly promoted the proliferation of CD8+T cells in vitro.Conclusions GanoExtra can enhance the inhibitory effect of CTX on tumor metasta-sis,alleviate adverse reactions such as splenomegaly and pulmonary enlargement caused by CTX,and have a health-promoting function of promoting the prolifera-tion of CD8+T cells to enhance the immune efficacy of the body.

Glioma is the most common malignancy of the central nervous system, originating mainly from glial cells. Because of its highly aggressive nature, glioma has one of the highest rates of death among all types of cancer. Therefore, it is very important to develop new therapeutic approaches and drugs for glioma treatment. Instead of activate the telomerase, approximately 30% of glioma use alternative lenthening of telomere (ALT) to maintain telomere length. The mechanism of ALT development is poorly understood, however, some genetic mutations have been reported to induce the development of ALT glioma, such as ATRX, IDH1, p53, etc. The lack of ALT glioma cell lines and preclinical ALT glioma models has limited the mechanistic studies of ALT glioma. Therefore, this review listed ALT glioma cell lines that derived from primary culture or gene editing in the last decade, as well as the xenografted animal models established by ALT glioma cell lines, and discussed the role and significance these cell and animal models play in preclinical studies.