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Magnesium transporter 1 (MAGT1) critically mediates magnesium homeostasis in eukaryotes and is highly-conserved across different evolutionary branches. In humans, loss-offunction mutations in the MAGT1 gene cause X-linked magnesium deficiency with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and neoplasia (XMEN), a disease that has a broad range of clinical and immunological consequences. We have previously shown that EBV susceptibility in XMEN is associated with defective expression of the antiviral natural-killer group 2 member D (NKG2D) protein and abnormal Mg 2؉ transport. New evidence suggests that MAGT1 is the human homolog of the yeast OST3/ OST6 proteins that form an integral part of the N-linked glycosylation complex, although the exact contributions of these perturbations in the glycosylation pathway to disease pathogenesis are still unknown. Using MS-based glycoproteomics, along with CRISPR/Cas9-KO cell lines, natural killer cell-killing assays, and RNA-Seq experiments, we now demonstrate that humans lacking functional MAGT1 have a selective deficiency in both immune and nonimmune glycoproteins, and we identified several critical glycosylation defects in important immune-response proteins and in the expression of genes involved in immunity, particularly CD28. We show that MAGT1 function is partly interchangeable with that of the paralog protein tumorsuppressor candidate 3 (TUSC3) but that each protein has a different tissue distribution in humans. We observed that MAGT1dependent glycosylation is sensitive to Mg 2؉ levels and that reduced Mg 2؉ impairs immune-cell function via the loss of specific glycoproteins. Our findings reveal that defects in protein glycosylation and gene expression underlie immune defects in an inherited disease due to MAGT1 deficiency.MAGT1 is an evolutionally conserved Mg 2ϩ -specific ion transport facilitator found in all animals and has been shown to participate in the multienzyme complex responsible for enzymatic coupling of N-glycans onto peptide substrates (1, 2). Null mutations in the MAGT1 gene lead to the rare primary immunodeficiency "X-linked immunodeficiency with Mg 2ϩ defect, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) 7 infection and neoplasia" (XMEN) disease (3,4). Here, we explore these dual roles by examining cells from both healthy and MAGT1-deficient humans.Mg 2ϩ is the most abundant divalent cation in eukaryotic cells, with intracellular concentrations ranging from 15 to 20 mM depending on the cell type. Most Mg 2ϩ is tightly bound to cellular substituents, especially nucleic acids, nucleoside triphosphates, and enzymes. The unbound intracellular free Mg 2ϩ is estimated to be 0.4 -1.0 mM or ϳ1-5% of the total Mg 2ϩ concentration in the cell (5, 6), and because Mg 2ϩ is the biologically active form of Mg, these intracellular concentra-

SummaryCotton is widely cultivated globally because it provides natural fibre for the textile industry and human use. To identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs)/genes associated with fibre quality and yield, a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population was developed in upland cotton. A consensus map covering the whole genome was constructed with three types of markers (8295 markers, 5197.17 centimorgans (cM)). Six fibre yield and quality traits were evaluated in 17 environments, and 983 QTLs were identified, 198 of which were stable and mainly distributed on chromosomes 4, 6, 7, 13, 21 and 25. Thirty‐seven QTL clusters were identified, in which 92.8% of paired traits with significant medium or high positive correlations had the same QTL additive effect directions, and all of the paired traits with significant medium or high negative correlations had opposite additive effect directions. In total, 1297 genes were discovered in the QTL clusters, 414 of which were expressed in two RNA‐Seq data sets. Many genes were discovered, 23 of which were promising candidates. Six important QTL clusters that included both fibre quality and yield traits were identified with opposite additive effect directions, and those on chromosome 13 (qClu‐chr13‐2) could increase fibre quality but reduce yield; this result was validated in a natural population using three markers. These data could provide information about the genetic basis of cotton fibre quality and yield and help cotton breeders to improve fibre quality and yield simultaneously.

BackgroundThe burden of breast cancer has been increasing globally. The epidemiology burden and trends need to be updated. This study aimed to update the burden and trends of breast cancer incidences, deaths, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) from 1990 to 2019, using the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study.MethodsThe data of incidences, deaths, DALYs, and age-standardized rates were extracted. Estimated annual percentage changes were used to quantify the trends of age-standardized rates. Besides, the population attributable fractions of the risk factors of breast cancer were also estimated.ResultsGlobally, the incidences of breast cancer increased to 2,002,354 in 2019. High social-development index (SDI) quintiles had the highest incidence cases with a declining trend in age-standardized incidence rate. In 2019, the global deaths and DALYs of breast cancer increased to 700,660 and 20,625,313, respectively. From 1990 to 2019, the age-standardized mortality rates and age-standardized DALY rates declined globally, especially in high and high-middle SDI quintiles. Besides, the trends varied from different regions and countries. The proportion of the patients in the 70+ years age group increased globally. Deaths of breast cancer attributable to high fasting plasma glucose and high body mass index increased globally, and high fasting plasma glucose was the greatest contributor to the global breast cancer deaths.ConclusionThe burden of breast cancer in higher SDI quintiles had gone down while the burden was still on the rise in lower SDI quintiles. It is necessary to appeal to the public to decrease the exposure of the risk factors.

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are immune suppressive cells that massively accumulate under pathological conditions to suppress T cell immune response. Dysregulated cell death contributes to MDSC accumulation, but the molecular mechanism underlying this cell death dysregulation is not fully understood. In this study, we report that neutral ceramidase (N-acylsphingosine amidohydrolase [ASAH2]) is highly expressed in tumor-infiltrating MDSCs in colon carcinoma and acts as an MDSC survival factor. To target ASAH2, we performed molecular docking based on human ASAH2 protein structure. Enzymatic inhibition analysis of identified hits determined NC06 as an ASAH2 inhibitor. Chemical and nuclear magnetic resonance analysis determined NC06 as 7-chloro-2-(3-chloroanilino)pyrano[3,4-e][1,3]oxazine-4,5-dione. NC06 inhibits ceramidase activity with an IC50 of 10.16–25.91 μM for human ASAH2 and 18.6–30.2 μM for mouse Asah2 proteins. NC06 induces MDSC death in a dose-dependent manner, and inhibition of ferroptosis decreased NC06-induced MDSC death. NC06 increases glutathione synthesis and decreases lipid reactive oxygen species to suppress ferroptosis in MDSCs. Gene expression profiling identified the p53 pathway as the Asah2 target in MDSCs. Inhibition of Asah2 increased p53 protein stability to upregulate Hmox1 expression to suppress lipid reactive oxygen species production to suppress ferroptosis in MDSCs. NC06 therapy increases MDSC death and reduces MDSC accumulation in tumor-bearing mice, resulting in increased activation of tumor-infiltrating CTLs and suppression of tumor growth in vivo. Our data indicate that ASAH2 protects MDSCs from ferroptosis through destabilizing p53 protein to suppress the p53 pathway in MDSCs in the tumor microenvironment. Targeting ASAH2 with NC06 to induce MDSC ferroptosis is potentially an effective therapy to suppress MDSC accumulation in cancer immunotherapy.

Patients carrying mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 tumor suppressor genes have shown to have high risk in developing breast and ovarian cancers. Two potential functions of BRCA2 were proposed which includes role in the regulation of transcription and also in DNA repair. Forty-®ve-amino acid region encoded by exon 3 of BRCA2 was shown to have transcriptional activation function. Recent studies of the several enzymes involved in acetylation and deacetylation of histone residues have revealed a possible relationship between gene transcriptional activation and histone acetylation. Since BRCA2 appear to function as a transcriptional factor, we have tested for Histone acetyl transferase (HAT) activity of BRCA2. Here, we present evidence that BRCA2 has intrinsic HAT activity, which maps to the aminoterminal region of BRCA2. Our results demonstrate that BRCA2 proteins acetylate primarily H3 and H4 of free histones. These observations suggest that HAT activity of BRCA2 may play an important role in the regulation of transcription and tumor suppressor function.Keywords: BRCA2; histone acetyl transferase; proteinprotein interaction; tumor suppressor Alterations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 tumor suppressor genes have been shown to be involved in 90% of familial breast cancers (Newman et al., 1988;Miki et al., 1994;Easton et al., 1993;Wooster et al., 1994;Wooster and Stratton, 1995). Recent studies revealed that both BRCA1 and BRCA2 are involved in ovarian and prostate cancers. Interestingly, BRCA2 was found to be more associated with male breast cancer compared to BRCA1 (Wooster et al., 1994). Patients with BRCA2 mutations were also found to be at a higher risk with a variety of other cancers including carcinomas of pancreas, prostate and colon (Thorlacius et al., 1996;Phelan et al., 1996;Gudmundsson et al., 1995;Tonin et al., 1995). The BRCA2 gene is composed of 27 exons and encodes a protein of 3418 amino-acids with no signi®cant homology to any known protein Bork et al., 1996). BRCA2 and BRCA1 proteins have been shown to interact with Rad 51 which suggests that they play a role in DNA repair (Scully et al., 1997;Sharan et al., 1997;Zhang et al., 1998). BRCA1 was also shown to induce apoptosis suggesting that BRCA proteins may play a role in the regulation of apoptosis of cells Rao et al., 1996). It remains to be seen whether BRCA2 plays a similar role in apoptosis.Interestingly, both BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene products are regulated in a cell cycle-dependent manner and have a potential transactivation function (Rajan et al., 1996;' Vaughn et al., 1996;Chapman and Verma, 1996; Monteriro et al., 1996;Milner et al., 1997;Wang et al., 1997;Cui et al., 1998a). Recently, we have shown that BRCA1 proteins interact with transcriptional coactivator CBP suggesting that BRCA1 has a role in the regulation of transcription (Cui et al., 1998b). Exon 3 of BRCA2 was found to have weak homology with transcriptional factor c-jun and also shown to activate transcription in mammalian cells (Milner et al., 1997). These results suggest that BRCA2r has a role in...

BackgroundElevated high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hsCRP) has been associated with increased risks of adverse outcomes of various cardiovascular diseases. The relationship between hsCRP and the prognosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy remains to be evaluated.Methods and ResultsThe study used an observational cohort methodology. A total of 490 patients were enrolled in the Fuwai Hospital from 2001 to 2011 and were followed for 3.7±2.0 years. According to the risk category of hsCRP, subjects in the high hsCRP group (>3.0 mg/L) had a higher risk of developing adverse events than the low hsCRP group (<1.0 mg/L): cardiovascular death (adjusted hazard ratios[HR] 5.41, 95% CI 1.96–14.93, P=0.001), all‐cause mortality (adjusted HR 4.78, 95% CI 1.99–11.47, P<0.001), sudden cardiac death (adjusted HR 11.29, 95% CI 1.38–92.20, P=0.024), and heart failure–related death (adjusted HR 4.38, 95% CI 1.15–16.60, P=0.030). Similarly, the continuous variable of hsCRP was also an independent predictor for adverse outcomes: cardiovascular death (adjusted HR 1.15, 95% CI 1.06–1.25, P=0.001), all‐cause mortality (adjusted HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.09–1.26, P<0.001), sudden cardiac death (adjusted HR 1.20, 95% CI 1.06–1.36, P=0.003), and heart failure–related death (adjusted HR 1.15, 95% CI 1.02–1.30, P=0.020).ConclusionsOur results indicate that elevated plasma hsCRP is associated with increased risk for adverse outcomes in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.