A5007827742- Antimicrobial Peptides and Activities
- Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
- Mitochondrial Function and Pathology
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
- ATP Synthase and ATPases Research
- Natural product bioactivities and synthesis
- Toxin Mechanisms and Immunotoxins
- Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms
- S100 Proteins and Annexins
- Protein Structure and Dynamics
- Virus-based gene therapy research
- SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- RNA Interference and Gene Delivery
- Neonatal and Maternal Infections
- Herpesvirus Infections and Treatments
- Neutrophil, Myeloperoxidase and Oxidative Mechanisms
- Immune Response and Inflammation
- Biochemical and Structural Characterization
University of California, Los Angeles
2021-2024
California NanoSystems Institute
2024
University of California, Berkeley
2024
National Taiwan University
2021
It is unclear how severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection leads to the strong but ineffective inflammatory response that characterizes Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), with amplified immune activation in diverse cell types, including cells without angiotensin-converting enzyme receptors necessary for infection. Proteolytic degradation of SARS-CoV-2 virions a milestone host viral clearance, impact remnant peptide fragments from high loads not known. Here, we...
Patients with chronic inflammatory disorders such as psoriasis have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and elevated levels LL37, a cathelicidin host defense peptide that has both antimicrobial proinflammatory properties. To explore if LL37 could contribute to the heart disease, we examined its effects on lipoprotein metabolism show enhances LDL uptake in macrophages through LDLR, SR-B1 CD36. This interaction led cytosolic cholesterol changes expression lipid genes consistent uptake....
Deterministic formation of membrane scission necks by protein machinery with multiplexed functions is critical in biology. A microbial example M2 viroporin, a proton pump from the influenza virus that remodeling activity to induce budding and host during viral maturation. In comparison, dynamin family constitutes class eukaryotic proteins implicated mitochondrial fission, as well various endocytosis pathways. case Dnm1, fission yeast, mechanoenzyme create necks. It not clear why these are...
Abstract Dynamin-related protein (Drp1) drives mitochondrial fission, dysregulation of which leads to neurodegenerative, metabolic, and apoptotic disorders. The precise mechanism fission completion is unclear. One prevailing model based on GTP-driven assembly Drp1 helices that increase confinement via force generation. However, constriction nanoscopic tubule radii appears necessary but not sufficient for scission. other disassembly a constricting scaffold membrane disturbance, the relation...
Cathelicidins such as the human 37-amino acid peptide (LL-37) are peptides that not only potently kill microbes but also trigger inflammation by enabling immune recognition of endogenous nucleic acids. Here, a detailed structure–function analysis LL-37 was performed to understand details this process. Alanine scanning 34-amino (LL-34) showed some variants displayed increased antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and group A Streptococcus. In contrast, different substitutions...
Neutrophils are crucial for host defense but notorious causing sterile inflammatory damage. Activated neutrophils in inflamed tissue can liberate histone H4, which was recently shown to perpetuate inflammation by permeating membranes via the generation of negative Gaussian curvature (NGC), leading lytic cell death. Here, we show that it is possible build peptides or proteins cancel NGC and thereby suppress pore formation, demonstrate they inhibit H4 membrane remodeling reduce H4-driven death...
Abstract Mitochondrial fission is controlled by dynamin proteins, the dysregulation of which correlated with diverse diseases. Fission dynamins are GTP hydrolysis-driven mechanoenzymes that self-oligomerize into helical structures constrict membrane to achieve fission, but details not well understood. However, can also remodel membranes inducing negative Gaussian curvature, type curvature required for completion fission. Here, we examine how these drastically different mechanisms...
Glioblastoma is a malignant brain tumor with poor prognosis that rapidly acquires resistance to available clinical treatments. The herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase/ganciclovir (HSVtk/GCV) system produces the selective elimination of HSVtk-positive cells and candidate for preclinical testing against glioblastoma via its ability regulate proliferation differentiation. Therefore, in this study, we aimed establish plasmid encoding HSVtk/GCV driven by glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)...
Abstract Deterministic formation of membrane scission necks by protein machinery with multiplexed functions is critical in biology. A microbial example the M2 viroporin, a proton pump from influenza virus which remodeling activity to induce budding and host during viral maturation. In comparison, dynamin family constitutes class eukaryotic proteins implicated mitochondrial fission, as well various endocytosis pathways. case Dnm1, fission yeast, mechanoenzyme create necks. It not clear why...