1.Junctophilin-2 MORN-Helix Domain: Structural Basis for Membrane Binding and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy-associated Mutations
Jing-Xin WANG ; Zhi-Wei LI ; Wei LIU ; Wen-Qing ZHANG ; Jian-Chao LI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(8):2103-2116
ObjectiveJunctophilin-2 (JPH2) is an essential structural protein that maintains junctional membrane complexes (JMCs) in cardiomyocytes by tethering the plasma membrane to the sarcoplasmic reticulum, thereby facilitating excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling. Mutations in JPH2 have been associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), but the molecular mechanisms governing its membrane-binding properties and the functional relevance of its membrane occupation and recognition nexus (MORN) repeat motifs remain incompletely understood. This study aimed to elucidate the structural basis of JPH2 membrane association and its implications for HCM pathogenesis. MethodsA recombinant N-terminal fragment of mouse JPH2 (residues1-440), encompassing the MORN repeats and an adjacent helical region, was purified under near-physiological buffer conditions.X-ray crystallography was employed to determine the structure of the JPH2 MORN-Helix domain. Sequence conservation analysis across species and junctophilin isoforms was performed to assess the evolutionary conservation of key structural features. Functional membrane-binding assays were conducted using liposome co-sedimentation and cell-based localization studies in COS7 and HeLa cells. In addition, site-directed mutagenesis targeting positively charged residues and known HCM-associated mutations, including R347C, was used to evaluate their effects on membrane interaction and subcellular localization. ResultsThe crystal structure of the mouse JPH2 MORN-Helix domain was resolved at 2.6 Å, revealing a compact, elongated architecture consisting of multiple tandem MORN motifs arranged in a curved configuration, forming a continuous hydrophobic core stabilized by alternating aromatic residues. A C-terminal α-helix further reinforced structural integrity. Conservation analysis identified the inner groove of the MORN array as a highly conserved surface, suggesting its role as a protein-binding interface. A flexible linker segment enriched in positively charged residues, located adjacent to the MORN motifs, was found to mediate direct electrostatic interactions with negatively charged phospholipid membranes. Functional assays demonstrated that mutation of these basic residues impaired membrane association, while the HCM-linked R347C mutation completely abolished membrane localization in cellular assays, despite preserving the overall MORN-Helix fold in structural modeling. ConclusionThis study provides structural insight into the membrane-binding mechanism of the cardiomyocyte-specific protein JPH2, highlighting the dual roles of its MORN-Helix domain in membrane anchoring and protein interactions. The findings clarify the structural basis for membrane targeting via a positively charged linker and demonstrate that disruption of this interaction—such as that caused by the R347C mutation—likely contributes to HCM pathogenesis. These results not only enhance current understanding of JPH2 function in cardiac E-C coupling but also offer a structural framework for future investigations into the assembly and regulation of JMCs in both physiological and disease contexts.
2.N-butyl-9H-pyrimido4,5-bindole-2-carboxamide inhibits macrophage foaming and pyroptosis via NLRP3/caspase-1
Zhi-Yun SHU ; Zi-Xu HUYAN ; Wen-Qing ZHANG ; Shi-Shun XIE ; Hong-Yuan CHENG ; Guo-Xing XU ; Xiang-Jun LI
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2024;40(6):1035-1041
Aim To design the pyrimidoindole deriva-tive N-butyl-9H-pyrimido[4,5-b]indole-2-carboxamide(BFPI)and synthesize it to investigate whether it in-hibits macrophage pyroptosis and foaming effects through the NLRP3/Caspase-1 pathway.Methods BFPI was synthesized using 2,4,6-triethoxycarbonyl-l,3,5-triazine and 2-aminoindole as starting materials and structurally characterized by 1H NMR,13C NMR,and ESI-MS.The in vitro cultured mouse monocyte macro-phage cell line RAW264.7 was divided into blank,model(PA)and therapeutic(BFPI)groups,and the cells in each group were treated with the corresponding culture medium for 24 h.The proliferative viability was detected by MTT assay,and the formation of intracel-lular lipid droplets was detected by oil red O staining,and NLRP3 was detected by Western-blot and RT-qPCR,caspase-1 and MCP-1 mRNA and protein ex-pression levels by Western blot and RT-qPCR.Results Compared with the blank group,the proliferation vi-ability of cells in the model group significantly de-creased and the formation of lipid droplets significantly increased;compared with the model group,the prolif-eration viability of cells in the treatment group signifi-cantly increased and the formation of lipid droplets sig-nificantly decreased,and the differences were statisti-cally significant(P<0.01);compared with the blank group,the cellular NLRP3,caspase-1 and MCP-1 mR-NA and protein expression levels of cells in the model group significantly increased;compared with the model group,the expression levels of the above indexes of the cells in the treatment group significantly decreased,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.01).Conclusions BFPI contributes to delaying macrophage-derived foam cell formation during athero-genesis by inhibiting macrophage NLRP3,caspase-1,and MCP-1 expression and thereby promoting their pro-liferation and inhibiting lipid phagocytosis.
3.Artificial intelligence and radiomics-assisted X-ray in diagnosis of lumbar osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures
Kang-En HAN ; Hong-Wei WANG ; Hong-Wen GU ; Yin HU ; Shi-Lei TANG ; Zhi-Hao ZHANG ; Hai-Long YU
Journal of Regional Anatomy and Operative Surgery 2024;33(7):579-583
Objective To explore the efficiency of artificial intelligence and radiomics-assisted X-ray in diagnosis of lumbar osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures(OVCF).Methods The clinical data of 455 patients diagnosed as lumbar OVCF by MRI in our hospital were selected.The patients were divided into the training group(n=364)and the validation group(n=91),X-ray films were extracted,the image delineation,feature extraction and data analysis were carried out,and the artificial intelligence radiomics deep learning was applied to establish a diagnostic model for OVCF.After verifying the effectiveness of the model by receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,area under the curve(AUC),calibration curve,and decision curve analysis(DCA),the efficiencies of manual reading,model reading,and model-assisted manual reading of X-ray in the early diagnosis of OVCF were compared.Results The ROC curve,AUC and calibration curve proved that the model had good discrimination and calibration,and excellent diagnostic performance.DCA demonstrated that the model had a higher clinical net benefit.The diagnostic efficiency of the manual reading group:the accuracy rate was 0.89,the recall rate was 0.62.The diagnostic efficiency of the model reading group:the accuracy rate was 0.93,the recall rate was 0.86,the model diagnosis showed good predictive performance,which was significantly better than the manual reading group.The diagnostic efficiency of the model-assisted manual reading group:the accuracy rate was 0.92,the recall rate was 0.72,and the recall rate of the model-assisted manual reading group was higher than that of the manual reading group,but lower than that of the model reading group,indicating the superiority of the model diagnosis.Conclusion The diagnostic model established based on artificial intelligence and radiomics in this study has reached an ideal level of efficacy,with better diagnostic efficacy compared with manual reading,and can be used to assist X-ray in the early diagnosis of OVCF.
4.Establishment and validation of a prediction model to evaluate the prolonged hospital stay after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion
Hong-Wen GU ; Hong-Wei WANG ; Shi-Lei TANG ; Kang-En HAN ; Zhi-Hao ZHANG ; Yin HU ; Hai-Long YU
Journal of Regional Anatomy and Operative Surgery 2024;33(7):604-609
Objective To develop a clinical prediction model for predicting risk factors for prolonged hospital stay after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion(ACDF).Methods The clinical data of 914 patients underwent ACDF treatment for cervical spondylotic myelopathy(CSM)were retrospectively analyzed.According to the screening criteria,800 eligible patients were eventually included,and the patients were divided into the development cohort(n=560)and the validation cohort(n=240).LASSO regression was used to screen variables,and multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to establish a prediction model.The prediction model was evaluated from three aspects:differentiation,calibration and clinical effectiveness.The performance of the model was evaluated by area under the curve(AUC)and Hosmer-Lemeshow test.Decision curve analysis(DCA)was used to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of the model.Results In this study,the five factors that were significantly associated with prolonged hospital stay were male,abnormal BMI,mild-to-moderate anemia,stage of surgery(morning,afternoon,evening),and alcohol consumption history.The AUC of the development cohort was 0.778(95%CI:0.740 to 0.816),with a cutoff value of 0.337,and that of the validation cohort was 0.748(95%CI:0.687 to 0.809),with a cutoff value of 0.169,indicating that the prediction model had good differentiation.At the same time,the Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed that the model had a good calibration degree,and the DCA proved that it was effective in clinical application.Conclusion The prediction model established in this study has excellent comprehensive performance,which can better predict the risk of prolonged hospital stay,and can guide clinical intervention as soon as possible,so as to minimize the postoperative hospital stay and reduce the cost of hospitalization.
5.Effect of a new type of self-made new bone drill applied to L5/S1 intervertebral disc herniation surgery
Yang-Yang ZHAO ; Dong-Jiao FAN ; Ge-Lin FAN ; Jian ZHANG ; Bo-Wen LI ; Zhi-Hong NIE
Journal of Regional Anatomy and Operative Surgery 2024;33(7):610-613
Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of a new type of self-made bone drill applied to percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy for L5/S1 intervertebral disc herniation.Methods The clinical data of 52 patients with L5/S1 intervertebral disc herniation admitted to our hospital were retrospectively analyzed.All patients underwent percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy,with a new type of self-made bone drill for foraminoplasty during the surgery.The surgical conditions and occurrence of complications were recorded.The pain of patients before surgery,3 days after surgery,3 months after surgery,6 months after surgery,and 1 year after surgery was assessed by visual analogue scale(VAS);and the neurological function improvement before and after surgery was evaluated by Oswestry disability index(ODI).Results All patients underwent successful surgery without serious complications or recurrence after surgery.The VAS and ODI scores of patients 3 days,3 months,6 months,and 1 year after surgery were significantly lower than those before surgery(P<0.05).Conclusion The self-made new bone drill can significantly improve the efficiency of foraminoplasty and ensure surgical safety,with satisfactory early clinical effect.
6.Risk factors for surgical site infection after transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion in treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases
Kang-En HAN ; Hong-Wei WANG ; Hong-Wen GU ; Yin HU ; Shi-Lei TANG ; Zhi-Hao ZHANG ; Hai-Long YU
Journal of Regional Anatomy and Operative Surgery 2024;33(9):810-814
Objective To explore the risk factors for surgical site infection(SSI)after transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion(TLIF)for the treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases.Methods A total of 1 000 patients who underwent TLIF for lumbar degenerative diseases in our hospital were included and divided into the infection group(n=23)and the non-infection group(n=977)according to whether the surgical incision was infected.General data,surgical and laboratory indicators of patients were collected,and potential risk factors of SSI were screened by univariate analysis and multivariate regression analysis,a nomogram model was established,and its predictive efficiency was validated by the receive operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results The incidence of SSI in patients after TLIF was 2.3%.The results of univariate analysis showed that age,operative time,intraoperative blood loss,preoperative C-reactive protein(CRP),smoking,and diabetes mellitus were the significant risk factors for the occurrence of SSI.Multivariate regression analysis showed that older age,longer operation time,more intraoperative blood loss,smoking and diabetes mellitus were the independent risk factors for postoperative SSI.ROC curve showed that the nomogram model established in this study has good predictive efficiency.Conclusion Older age,longer operation time,more intraoperative blood loss,smoking,and diabetes mellitus were independent risk factors for postoperative SSI.For patients with these high risk factors,corresponding intervention measures should be taken before operation to reduce the incidence of SSI.
7.Short term prognosis comparison of transcatheter aortic valve replacement through the femoral artery for patients with pure aortic valve regurgitation of different annulus girths
Nan-Chao HONG ; Sha-Sha CHEN ; Yuan ZHANG ; Xiao-Chun ZHANG ; Wen-Zhi PAN ; Da-Xin ZHOU ; Jun-Bo GE
Chinese Journal of Interventional Cardiology 2024;32(5):244-249
Objective To evaluate and compare the success rate and short-term clinical prognosis of transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement(TF-TAVR)for patients with pure aortic regurgitation(PAR)of different annulus sizes.Methods This study is a single center retrospective study,selecting symptomatic PAR patients who received TF-TAVR treatment at Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University from September 2019 to September 2023.Based on preoperative CT results,all patients were divided into three groups:Group A(aortic annulus circumference<80 mm),Group B(80 mm≤aortic annulus circumference<85 mm),and Group C(aortic annulus circumference≥ 85 mm).The primary endpoint was success rate and 30d all-cause mortality,while the secondary endpoint was TAVR related complications.Results A total of 61 PAR patients were included in this study,including 27 in Group A,21 in Group B,and 13 in Group C.The overall success rate is 82.0%,and the 30 d all-cause mortality rate is 3.3%.The success rate of Group C patients was significantly lower(P=0.012),with higher rates of conversion to surgery and valve-in-valve implantation(P=0.022 and P=0.040).In terms of secondary endpoint events,there were no significant differences among the three groups in major bleeding events,major vascular complications,stroke,myocardial infarction,newly developed atrial fibrillation,implantation of new pacemakers,coronary artery occlusion,and postoperative moderate to severe perivalvular leakage(all P>0.05).Conclusions The circumference of the aortic valve annulus is a key factor affecting the success rate of TF-TAVR in PAR,and PAR patients with an aortic valve annulus circumference less than 85mm may be more suitable for TF-TAVR.
8.Preparation of Pancreatic Polypeptide Nanobody and the Analysis of Binding Activity
Hong-Rui REN ; Qiong JIA ; Jia-Qin WANG ; Jing-Jing TIAN ; Rong-Jie LI ; Hua-Hua HAO ; Jian-Li LI ; Zhi-Can QU ; Rui-Wen FAN
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2024;40(9):1273-1281
Pancreatic polypeptide(PP),a pancreatic hormone containing 36 amino acids,plays impor-tant roles in the diagnosis and evaluation of pancreatic function,injury and diseases.In this study,a phage nanobody library against PP was constructed to screen specific PP nanobodies,which would be used to evaluate whether they have binding activity with PP antigen.After PP antigen with high purity was prepared by prokaryotic expression system,it was used to immunize alpaca to construct the nanobody li-brary against PP with high storage capacity and high abundance,from which 8 strains of PP nanobodies were obtained by phage display.One of nanobody strain(PP-VHH)was selected to be expressed in a prokaryotic expression system,which was induced overnight by IPTG.After purification and identifica-tion,the antigen-antibody binding activity and PP level in serum were detected by indirect ELISA and Sandwich ELISA methods,respectively.The results showed that PP-VHH had binding activity with PP,which could be used to detect PP in chicken and human serum.The Sandwich ELISA methods with R2 of the fitting curve 0.9868 could be used to detect PP concentrations of 48-55 pg/mL in the serum of chick-ens,while the concentrations of PP in human serum varied significantly.In summary,PP-VHH screened from nanobody library against PP could detect PP in serum,which would supply the basis for evaluation of abnormal pancreatic function and diagnosis of relative disease.
9.Clinical Features and Prognosis of Acute T-cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Children——Multi-Center Data Analysis in Fujian
Chun-Ping WU ; Yong-Zhi ZHENG ; Jian LI ; Hong WEN ; Kai-Zhi WENG ; Shu-Quan ZHUANG ; Xing-Guo WU ; Xue-Ling HUA ; Hao ZHENG ; Zai-Sheng CHEN ; Shao-Hua LE
Journal of Experimental Hematology 2024;32(1):6-13
Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of acute T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia(T-ALL)in children and explore the prognostic risk factors.Methods:The clinical data of 127 newly diagnosed children with T-ALL admitted to five hospitals in Fujian province from April 2011 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed,and compared with children with newly diagnosed acute precursor B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia(B-ALL)in the same period.Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to evaluate the overall survival(OS)and event-free survival(EFS),and COX proportional hazard regression model was used to evaluate the prognostic factors.Among 116 children with T-ALL who received standard treatment,78 cases received the Chinese Childhood Leukemia Collaborative Group(CCLG)-ALL 2008 protocol(CCLG-ALL 2008 group),and 38 cases received the China Childhood Cancer Collaborative Group(CCCG)-ALL 2015 protocol(CCCG-ALL 2015 group).The efficacy and serious adverse event(SAE)incidence of the two groups were compared.Results:Proportion of male,age ≥ 10 years old,white blood cell count(WBC)≥ 50 × 109/L,central nervous system leukemia,minimal residual disease(MRD)≥ 1%during induction therapy,and MRD ≥ 0.01%at the end of induction in T-ALL children were significantly higher than those in B-ALL children(P<0.05).The expected 10-year EFS and OS of T-ALL were 59.7%and 66.0%,respectively,which were significantly lower than those of B-ALL(P<0.001).COX analysis showed that WBC ≥ 100 x 109/L at initial diagnosis and failure to achieve complete remission(CR)after induction were independent risk factors for poor prognosis.Compared with CCLG-ALL 2008 group,CCCG-ALL 2015 group had lower incidence of infection-related SAE(15.8%vs 34.6%,P=0.042),but higher EFS and OS(73.9%vs 57.2%,PEFS=0.090;86.5%vs 62.3%,PoS=0.023).Conclusions:The prognosis of children with T-ALL is worse than children with B-ALL.WBC ≥ 100 × 109/L at initial diagnosis and non-CR after induction(especially mediastinal mass has not disappeared)are the risk factors for poor prognosis.CCCG-ALL 2015 regimen may reduce infection-related SAE and improve efficacy.
10.Clinical Characteristics and Prognosis of Children with Hypodip-loid B-cell Precursor Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Cheng-Xuan CHEN ; Kai-Zhi WENG ; Hong WEN ; Shu-Quan ZHUANG ; Xing-Guo WU ; Yong-Zhi ZHENG
Journal of Experimental Hematology 2024;32(5):1356-1364
Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics and prognosis of children with hypodiploid B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia(BCP-ALL).Methods:The clinical data of 1 287 children with BCP-ALL admitted to five hospital in Fujian province from April 2011 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.According to the results of chromosome karyotype,all the patients were grouped into hypodiploid subgroup and non-hypodiploid subgroup.The clinical characteristics,early treatment response[minimal residual disease(MRD)on middle stage of induction chemotherapy and end of induction chemotherapy]and long-term efficacy[overall survival(OS)and event-free survival(EFS)]were compared.The prognostic factors of hypodiploid BCP-ALL were further explored.Results:Among 1 287 BCP-ALL patients,28 patients(2.2%)were hypodiploid BCP-ALL.The proportion of patients with white blood cell count(WBC)≥50 x 109/L in the hypodiploid subgroup was significantly higher than that in the non-hypodiploid subgroup(P=0.004),while there was no statistically significant difference in gender ratio,age group at initial diagnosis,and early treatment response between the two groups(all P>0.05).The 5-year EFS and OS rate of the hypodiploid subgroup were 75.0%(95%CI:66.8%-83.2%)and 77.8%(95%CI:69.8%-85.8%),respectively,which were lower than those of non-hypodiploid subgroup[EFS:79.6%(95%CI:78.4%-80.8%);OS:86.4%(95%CI:85.4%-87.5%)],but the difference was not statistically significant(all P>0.05).Further subgroup analysis by risk stratification showed that the 5-year EFS and OS rates of the hypodiploid subgroup were significantly lower than those in the low-risk(LR)group[LR group EFS:91.4%(95%CI:88.4%-93.6%),P<0.001;OS:94.7%(95%CI:92.1%-96.4%),P<0.001];it was similar to that of BCP-ALL children stratified into intermediate-risk(IR)excluding hypodiploid[IR group EFS:79.4%(95%CI:74.9%-83.2%),P=0.343;OS:87.3%(95%CI:83.6%-90.2%),P=0.111];while was higher than that of EFS in HR group,but the difference was not statistically significant[HR group EFS:58.7%(95%CI:52.6%-64.8%),P=0.178.OS:69.9%(95%CI:63.5%-75.4%),P=0.417].Univariate analysis showed that gender,age,white blood cell count,and MRD on middle stage of induction chemotherapy had no significant impact on OS and EFS;chromosome count<40 was a risk factor for lower OS(P=0.026),but has no significant effect on EFS;MRD≥0.01%after induction therapy was a risk factor for lower OS and EFS(P=0.002,and 0.001,respectively).Conclusion:Children with hypodiploid BCP-ALL have an intermediate prognosis,and MRD ≥0.01%after induction chemotherapy may be a risk factors for poor prognosis.

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