Journal: Cell Death & Disease

Article Title: Retrograde transport of neurotrophin receptor TrkB-FL induced by excitotoxicity regulates Golgi stability and is a target for stroke neuroprotection

doi: 10.1038/s41419-025-07990-6

Figure Lengend Snippet: A – D Kinetics of TrkB-FL downregulation. Primary cortical cultures were treated with 100 μM NMDA and its co-agonist 10 μM glycine (hereafter referred to as ‘NMDA’). Immunofluorescence ( A ) and immunoblotting ( B ) used a C-terminal (C-ter) isoform-specific antibody (TrkB-FL Ct) recognizing both the full-length protein (FL) and the intracellular fragment (f32). A Shows TrkB-FL (green) and nuclei (blue, DAPI stain). Arrowheads indicate varicosities in neuronal projections. Scale bar: 20 μm. Insets show cell body details for untreated cells and cells treated with NMDA for 120 min. B Compares the decrease in TrkB-FL and formation of f32 with PSD-95 downregulation, detected using a C-terminal antibody (PSD-95 Ct). Calpain activation was confirmed by the accumulation of characteristic spectrin breakdown products (BDPs; 150 and 145 kDa). Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) served as a loading control for protein normalization. C , D Quantification of normalized TrkB-FL and PSD-95 levels, shown relative to levels in the absence of NMDA (control). Data are represented as means ± SD. Statistical analysis: one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Bonferroni post hoc test (** P < 0.01, *** P < 0.001, **** P < 0.0001; 0-90 min, n = 5; 120 min, n = 3). E , F Effect of dynasore preincubation (80 μM, 30 min) on TrkB-FL levels after 2 h NMDA treatment. Data are means ± SD ( n = 4); statistical analysis as above (* P < 0.05). G Sequences of the cell-penetrating neuroprotective peptide (MTFL 457 ) and control peptide (MTMyc). Both contain Tat amino acids (aa) 47–57 (italic), followed by rat TrkB-FL aa 457-471 (light blue) or c-Myc aa 408-421 (dark blue), respectively. H , I Effect of peptide preincubation (25 μM, 30 min) on TrkB-FL shedding and processing during NMDA treatment. Culture media were analyzed using an antibody against the TrkB-FL extracellular domain (panTrkB), which recognizes the ectodomains (ECDs) of all isoforms (TrkB-ECD), to assess receptor shedding by metalloproteinase (MP) activation. Total lysates were analyzed with the TrkB-FL Ct antibody to evaluate TrkB-FL calpain processing via f32 production. Relative TrkB-ECD levels are shown as means ± SD (0-4 h, n = 7; 6 h, n = 4). Statistical analysis: two-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni post hoc test (** P < 0.01, **** P < 0.0001, comparing each peptide + NMDA vs. peptide alone; # P < 0.05, #### P < 0.0001, comparing MTMyc vs. MTFL 457 at each time point). J , K Effect of NMDA on total and cell-surface pY816-TrkB-FL levels. Cultures were preincubated with peptides as above, then treated briefly with NMDA (1 h) to minimize receptor degradation. Cell-surface proteins were biotin-labeled and precipitated, then compared to corresponding total lysates. Data are represented as means ± SD ( n = 4). Statistical analysis: two-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni post hoc test ( n.s . = n ot significant; ** P < 0.01, comparing NMDA vs. no NMDA; ## P < 0.01, comparing MTMyc + NMDA vs. MTFL 457 + NMDA).

Article Snippet: Primary antibodies against the following proteins were used: Hrs (Santa Cruz Biotechnology; Cat#sc-271455, RRID:AB_10648901), NSE (Millipore; Cat#AB951, RRID:AB_92390), spectrin alpha chain (Millipore; Cat#MAB1622, RRID:AB_94295), TrkB-FL C-ter (Santa Cruz Biotechnology; sc-11, RRID:AB_632554), TrkB extracellular sequences or panTrkB (Santa Cruz Biotechnology; sc-136990, RRID:AB_2155262), PSD-95 C-ter (Transduction Laboratories; Cat#610496, RRID:AB_2315218), pY816-TrkB-FL (Boster; Cat# P01388 ).

Techniques: Immunofluorescence, Western Blot, Staining, Activation Assay, Control, Labeling

Journal: Molecular Psychiatry

Article Title: Inhibition of colony stimulating factor 1 receptor corrects maternal inflammation-induced microglial and synaptic dysfunction and behavioral abnormalities

doi: 10.1038/s41380-020-0671-2

Figure Lengend Snippet: a Gene ontology (GO) biological processes pathway analysis shows that MIA microglia increase synaptogenic functions while repopulated microglia recover homeostatic functions. Left (red): Top significantly enriched GO biological process terms increased by MIA and decreased by repopulation. Right (purple): Top significantly enriched GO biological process terms decreased by MIA and increased by repopulation. These GO findings were verified using GORILLA. b IPA of genes with differential expression in microglia between MIA versus Saline (RNA-seq data). Pathway analysis reveals MIA-induced upregulation of neuritogenic gene expression, specifically in developmental stages, based on activation z -score. Red denotes pathway activated in E17 MIA microglia. c Genes in “neuritogenesis/formation of cellular protrusions” function. Hierarchal clustering of gene sets based on relative expression values; red: high relative expression, blue: low relative expression. Cluster 1 represents genes increased in adult MIA microglia but reduced in MIA + MG-REP including Ctnnd2, Ncam2, and Ntrk2 . Cluster 2 represents genes increased in immature MIA microglia including Ncam2, Ntn, Ptn and Wnt5a . Cluster3 represents genes decreased in immature MIA microglia including Plau. In situ hybridization (ISH) and immunofluorescence of E17 Saline or MIA offspring in the cortical plate region. d mRNA of cellular protrusion/ neuritogenic genes ( Ctnnd2, Ncam2, Ntn, Ptn, and Wnt5a ) were detected by florescent-labeled antisense cRNA probes (red) but not by scramble cRNA probe (not detected: N.D.), and the sections were immunostained for IBA1 (green) and DAPI (blue). e The number of IBA1 + cells expressing the cellular protrusion/neuritogenic genes were quantified in the cortical plate region. n = (4–5/2) male mice/ litters per molecule for Saline and MIA, n = 3 for scramble control probe. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, ns denotes no significance, by unpaired Student t test. Graphs indicate mean ± s.e.m. ELISA verification of selected RNA-seq molecules: CTNND2 ( f ), NCAM2 ( g ), NTRK2 ( h ), NTN ( i) , PTN ( j ) and WNT5A ( k ) in acutely isolated microglia. MIA increases protein expression of cellular protrusion/neuriotgenic molecules in microglia that were normalized via repopulation. n = (6/4, 6/3, 5/3, 6/3) female mice/litters for P60 Saline + CTRL, MIA + CTRL, Saline + MG-REP and MIA + MG-REP. CTNND2: Prenatal treatment effect, F (1,19) = 157.1, p < 0.0001, Drug effect, F (1,19) = 262.7, p < 0.0001, Interaction effect, F (1,19) = 201, p < 0.0001, NCAM2: Prenatal treatment effect, F (1,19) = 23.76, p = 0.0001, Drug effect, F (1,19) = 26.29, p < 0.0001, Interaction effect, F (1,19) = 17.63, p = 0.0005, NTRK2: Prenatal treatment effect, F (1,18) = 13.99, p = 0.0015, Drug effect, F (1,18) = 12.45, p = 0.0024, Interaction effect, F (1,18) = 0.06203, p = 0.8061, NTN: Prenatal treatment effect, F (1,19) = 0.01669, p = 0.8986, Drug effect, F (1,19) = 0.8, p = 0.3823, Interaction effect, F (1,19) = 6.121, p = 0.0230, PTN: Prenatal treatment effect, F (1,19) = 10.31, p = 0.0046, Drug effect, F (1,19) = 52.02, p < 0.0001, Interaction effect, F (1,19) = 0.002927 p = 0.9574, WNT5A: Prenatal treatment effect, F (1,19) = 5.581, p = 0.0290, Drug effect, F (1,19) = 1.550, p = 0.2282, Interaction effect, F (1,19) = 0.0834 p = 0.7799, * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001 and **** p < 0.0001 as determined by 2-way ANOVA (alpha = 0.05) with Tukey’s post-hoc. # p < 0.05 for main effect of MIA. Graphs indicate mean ± s.e.m.

Article Snippet: For the detection of NTRK2 (TrkB), PTN and NTN1, following commercial ELISA kits were used: Mouse TrkB ELISA kit (Boster Biological Technology, EK0849), Mouse PTN ELISA kit (Biomatik Corporation, EKU06717), Mouse NTN1 ELISA kit (LifeSpan Biosciences, LS-F5882).

Techniques: Quantitative Proteomics, Saline, RNA Sequencing, Gene Expression, Activation Assay, Expressing, In Situ Hybridization, Immunofluorescence, Labeling, Control, Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay, Isolation

Journal: Journal of Enzyme Inhibition and Medicinal Chemistry

Article Title: Proteolysis-targeting chimaeras (PROTACs) as pharmacological tools and therapeutic agents: advances and future challenges

doi: 10.1080/14756366.2022.2076675

Figure Lengend Snippet: Selected PROTACs in and approaching the clinic. ³⁴ , ³⁵

Article Snippet: Some cases reported include PROTACs targeting androgen receptor (AR) from Bristol Myers Squibb, B-cell lymphoma extra-large (BCL-X L ) from Dialectic, BTK from Nurix, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) from C4 Therapeutics, interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK4) and STAT3 from Kymera, and tropomyosin receptor family kinases (TRK) from Cullgen.

Techniques: