Functional and psychosocial impact of COVID-19 pandemic on rheumatic patients’ quality of life in Saudi Arabia

Quality of Life Research - The COVID-19 pandemic might add to the stressors experienced by people living with rheumatic diseases. This study aimed to examine rheumatic patients’ functional...     

Prolyl and lysyl hydroxylases in collagen synthesis

Collagens are the most abundant proteins in the extracellular matrix. They provide a framework to build organs and tissues and give structural support to make them resistant to mechanical load and forces. Several intra‐ and extracellular modifications are needed to make functional collagen molecules, intracellular post‐translational modifications of proline and lysine residues having key roles in this. In this article, we provide a review on the enzymes responsible for the proline and lysine modifications, that is collagen prolyl 4‐hydroxylases, 3‐hydroxylases and lysyl hydroxylases, and discuss their biological functions and involvement in diseases.     

Genomic variants within chromosome 14q32.32 regulate bone mass through MARK3 signaling in osteoblasts

Bone mineral density (BMD) is a highly heritable predictor of osteoporotic fracture. GWAS have identified hundreds of loci influencing BMD, but few have been functionally analyzed. In this study, we show that SNPs within a BMD locus on chromosome 14q32.32 alter splicing and expression of PAR-1a/microtubule affinity regulating kinase 3 (MARK3), a conserved serine/threonine kinase known to regulate bioenergetics, cell division, and polarity. Mice lacking Mark3 either globally or selectively in osteoblasts have increased bone mass at maturity. RNA profiling from Mark3-deficient osteoblasts suggested changes in the expression of components of the Notch signaling pathway. Mark3-deficient osteoblasts exhibited greater matrix mineralization compared with controls that was accompanied by reduced Jag1/Hes1 expression and diminished downstream JNK signaling. Overexpression of Jag1 in Mark3-deficient osteoblasts both in vitro and in vivo normalized mineralization capacity and bone mass, respectively. Together, these findings reveal a mechanism whereby genetically regulated alterations in Mark3 expression perturb cell signaling in osteoblasts to influence bone mass.