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Intellectual disability (ID) has an estimated prevalence of 1.5%-2%. Whole exome sequencing (WES) studies have identified a multitude of novel causative gene defects and have shown that sporadic ID cases result from de novo mutations in genes associated with ID. Here, we report on a 10-year-old girl, who has been regularly presented in our neuropediatric and genetic outpatient clinic. A median cleft palate and a heart defect were surgically corrected in infancy. Apart from ID, she has behavioral anomalies, muscular hypotonia, scoliosis, and hypermobile joints. The facial phenotype is characterized by arched eyebrows, mildly upslanting long palpebral fissures, prominent nasal tip, and large, protruding ears. Trio WES revealed a de novo missense variant in MEIS2 (c.998G>A; p.Arg333Lys). Haploinsufficiency of MEIS2 had been discussed as the most likely mechanism of the microdeletion 5q14-associated complex phenotype with ID, cleft palate, and heart defect. Recently, four studies including in total 17 individuals with intragenic MEIS2 variants were reported. Here we present the evolution of the clinical phenotype and compare with the data of known individuals.In the present work, we investigated the potential of novel semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) cryogels, obtained through ultraviolet exposure of aqueous mixtures of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate and type I collagen, as tunable off-the-shelf platforms for 3D cancer cell research. selleck chemicals llc We synthesized semi-IPN cryogels with variable collagen amounts (0.1% and 1% w/v) and assessed the effect of collagen on key cryogel properties for cell culture, for example, porosity, degradation rate and mechanical stiffness. Then, we investigated the ability of the cryogels to sustain the long-term growth of two pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cell populations, the parenchymal Panc1 cells and their derived cancer stem cells. Results revealed that both cell lines efficiently infiltrated, attached and expanded in the cryogels over a period of 14 days. However, only when grown in the cryogels with the highest collagen concentration, both cell lines reproduced their characteristic growth pattern previously observed in collagen-enriched organotypic cultures, biomimetic of the highly fibrotic PDAC stroma. Cellular preembedding in Matrigel, that is, the classical approach to develop/grow organoids, interfered with an efficient intra-scaffold migration and growth. Although preliminary, these findings highlight the potential of the proposed cryogels as reproducible and tunable cancer cell research platforms.Lysine 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation (Khib ) is a newly identified post-translational modification (PTM) that plays important roles in transcription and cell proliferation in eukaryotes. However, its function remains unknown in phytopathogenic fungi. Here, we performed a comprehensive assessment of Khib in the rice false smut fungus Ustilaginoidea virens, using Tandem Mass Tag (TMT)-based quantitative proteomics approach. A total of 3 426 Khib sites were identified in 977 proteins, suggesting that Khib is a common and complex PTM in U. virens. Our data demonstrated that the 2-hydroxyisobutyrylated proteins are involved in diverse biological processes. Network analysis of the modified proteins revealed a highly interconnected protein network that included many well-studied virulence factors. We confirmed that the Zn-binding reduced potassium dependency3-type histone deacetylase (UvRpd3) is a major enzyme that removes 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation and acetylation in U. virens. Notably, mutations of Khib sites in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) UvSlt2 significantly reduced fungal virulence and decreased the enzymatic activity of UvSlt2. Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated that 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation in UvSlt2 increased the hydrophobic solvent-accessible surface area and thereby affected binding between the UvSlt2 enzyme and its substrates. Our findings thus establish Khib as a major post-translational modification in U. virens and point to an important role for Khib in the virulence of this phytopathogenic fungus.Mitochondrial beta-oxidation is one of the most common modes of fatty acids’ oxidation in most organisms, particularly mammals. Biochemistry undergraduate curriculum often contains the description of the process, with emphasis on ATP calculations for various types of fatty acids. During our decade long teaching experience in biochemistry, we observed the difficulty faced by students in calculating energetics of several fatty acids beyond palmitic acid. We developed a canonical formula by mathematical transformations and logical derivation to aid the calculation in a much simpler manner to ease both teaching and learning experience. ATP yield of even-numbered fatty acids may be calculated using a formula [(7C – 6 – 1.5 D) – 2(D-2)], andadenosine triphosphate (ATP) yield for odd-numbered fatty acids can be calculated using [(7C – 19 – 1.5 D) – 2(D-2)], where C is the number of carbon atoms in fatty acids, D is the number of double bonds. The unbold part of the formulae is limited to polyunsaturated fatty acids. Moreover, we integrated these formulae into an HTML based web-interface for handily calculations, which is likely to augment fatty acids oxidation learning-teaching processes easier. This tool has been recently tested in our classroom programs on biochemistry and received an excellent feedback from the learners. Also, the mathematical formula is ready for being incorporated into standard biochemistry textbooks. The webtool as an opensource biochemical calculator can be effectively used in classrooms by both instructors and students while solving comprehension based questions on lipid metabolism.The dynamic information of lithium-ion battery active materials obtained from coin cell-based in-situ characterizations might not represent the properties of the active material itself because many other factors in the cell could have impacts on the cell performance. To address this problem, a single particle cell was developed to perform the in-situ characterization without the interference of inactive materials in the battery electrode as well as the X-ray-induced damage. In this study, the dynamic morphological and phase changes of selenium-doped germanium (Ge0.9 Se0.1 ) at the single particle level were investigated via synchrotron-based in-situ transmission X-ray microscopy. The results demonstrate the good reversibility of Ge0.9 Se0.1 at high cycling rate that helps understand its good cycling performance and rate capability. This in-situ and operando technique based on a single particle battery cell provides an approach to understanding the dynamic electrochemical processes of battery materials during charging and discharging at the particle level.