Hepatitis C virus double‐stranded RNA is the predominant form in human liver and in interferon‐treated cells

Arielle Klepper, Francis J. Eng, Erin H. Doyle, Ahmed El‐Shamy, Adeeb H. Rahman, M. Isabel Fiel, Gonzalo Carrasco Avino, Moonju Lee, Fei Ye, Sasan Roayaie, Meena B. Bansal, Margaret R. MacDonald, Thomas D. Schiano, Andrea D. Branch – 19 September 2016 – Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is unique among RNA viruses in its ability to establish chronic infection in the majority of exposed adults. HCV persists in the liver despite interferon (IFN)‐stimulated gene (ISG) induction; robust induction actually predicts treatment failure and viral persistence.

Pivotal role of glutamine synthetase in ammonia detoxification

Theodorus B.M. Hakvoort, Youji He, Wim Kulik, Jacqueline L.M. Vermeulen, Suzanne Duijst, Jan M. Ruijter, Jurgen H. Runge, Nicolaas E.P. Deutz, S. Eleonore Koehler, Wouter H. Lamers – 19 September 2016 – Glutamine synthetase (GS) catalyzes condensation of ammonia with glutamate to glutamine. Glutamine serves, with alanine, as a major nontoxic interorgan ammonia carrier. Elimination of hepatic GS expression in mice causes only mild hyperammonemia and hypoglutaminemia but a pronounced decrease in the whole‐body muscle‐to‐fat ratio with increased myostatin expression in muscle.

Liver serine palmitoyltransferase activity deficiency in early life impairs adherens junctions and promotes tumorigenesis

Zhiqiang Li, Inamul Kabir, Hui Jiang, Hongwen Zhou, Jenny Libien, Jianying Zeng, Albert Stanek, Peiqi Ou, Kailyn R. Li, Shane Zhang, Hai H. Bui, Ming‐Shang Kuo, Tae‐Sik Park, Benjamin Kim, Tilla S. Worgall, Chongmin Huan, Xian‐Cheng Jiang – 19 September 2016 – Serine palmitoyltransferase is the key enzyme in sphingolipid biosynthesis. Mice lacking serine palmitoyltransferase are embryonic lethal.

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