nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Addressing Diversity and Inclusion in Human Genetics Research
Venue: Cell

Diversity is literally built into our DNA. Mutation, recombination, and non-assortative mating have all contributed to the wonderful explosion in human variation we witness today. Though humans largely share a commongenetic blueprint, they also exhibit marvelous diversity in phenotype, including susceptibility to disease. It is foolish to ignore the full catalog of human genetic variation. The larger the lens, the wider the swath of biologywe can capture; the longer the generation tree, the more time for mutations to occur; thebroader the geography, the greater the opportunity for genetic drift and natural selection. These truths enable investigators to leverage such differences for discovery, fine-mapping, and understanding health disparities.Geneticdiscovery in a specific ethnic group has the potential to benefit everyone. A variant that increases disease susceptibility in one group not only has public health implications for that group, but it may also point to a novel molecular pathway whose perturbation may confer a benefit whether the recipient carries the variant or not: statins benefit not only those with familiar hypercholesterolemia mutations, and a drug developed fromgeneticdiscovery inLatinosmaybeuseful for those of African, European, or Asian descent. It is therefore time to break down the barriers that constrain global discovery. With due attention to privacy concerns, with the ethical imperative to avoid exploitation, and with the appropriate incorporation of cultural sensitivities, we should embrace the notion that ourDNA is the commonpatrimony of all humankind, and thediversitywithin it enriches us all. Toward Global Genomics
Interred with Their DNA
Venue: Cell

We, as humans, have long been fascinated by our history both as individuals and as a species, and questions of personal ancestry are increasingly becoming answerable by the popularization of genetic testing services such as those offered by Ancestry.com and 23andMe. Beyond our individual provenance, however, is the question of the history of humankind, and the relatively recent explosion in the field of ancient DNA research is rising to this challenge. The insights into early human history that can be gleaned from sequencing and careful analysis of ancient genomes are myriad, and 2018 has been rife with exciting discoveries that are illuminating our origin story. The movements of our ancestors over large swaths of time and distance has long been under archaeological inquiry, and a plethora of recent papers are complementing, and occasionally contradicting, knowledge of past human migratory dynamics. Until recently, much of this work was focused on themovement of our ancestors out of Africa and the peopling of Eurasia (reviewed in Nielsen et al., 2017); however, with the increasing availability of ancient DNA samples, paleogeneticists are now revealing more detailed movements around the globe. Genome-wide data from 18 ancient individuals in Southeast Asia, for example, suggest that the introduction of farming to the region occurred viamigration of a population from southern China, whose ancestry was admixed with hunter-gatherers prior to their movement (Lipson et al., 2018). An independent study of 26 ancient whole genomes
NONO Detects the Nuclear HIV Capsid to Promote cGAS-Mediated Innate Immune Activation
Venue: Cell

Detection of viruses by innate immune sensors induces protective antiviral immunity. The viral DNA sensor cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) is necessary for detection of HIV by human dendritic cells and macrophages. However, synthesis of HIV DNA during infection is not sufficient for immune activation. The capsid protein, which associates with viral DNA, has a pivotal role in enabling cGAS-mediated immune activation. We now find that NONO is an essential sensor of the HIV capsid in the nucleus. NONO protein directly binds capsid with higher affinity for weakly pathogenic HIV-2 than highly pathogenic HIV-1. Upon infection, NONO is essential for cGAS activation by HIV and cGAS association with HIV DNA in the nucleus. NONO recognizes a conserved region in HIV capsid with limited tolerance for escape mutations. Detection of nuclear viral capsid by NONO to promote DNA sensing by cGAS reveals an innate strategy to achieve distinction of viruses from self in the nucleus.
Protein AMPylation by an Evolutionarily Conserved Pseudokinase
Venue: Cell

Approximately 10% of human protein kinases are believed to be inactive and named pseudokinases because they lack residues required for catalysis. Here, we show that the highly conserved pseudokinase selenoprotein-O (SelO) transfers AMP from ATP to Ser, Thr, and Tyr residues on protein substrates (AMPylation), uncovering a previously unrecognized activity for a member of the protein kinase superfamily. The crystal structure of a SelO homolog reveals a protein kinase-like fold with ATP flipped in the active site, thus providing a structural basis for catalysis. SelO pseudokinases localize to the mitochondria and AMPylate proteins involved in redox homeostasis. Consequently, SelO activity is necessary for the proper cellular response to oxidative stress. Our results suggest that AMPylation may be a more widespread post-translational modification than previously appreciated and that pseudokinases should be analyzed for alternative transferase activities.
RAB11FIP5 Expression and Altered Natural Killer Cell Function Are Associated with Induction of HIV Broadly Neutralizing Antibody Responses
Venue: Cell

HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) are difficult to induce with vaccines but are generated in ∼50% of HIV-1-infected individuals. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of host control of bnAb induction is critical to vaccine design. Here, we performed a transcriptome analysis of blood mononuclear cells from 47 HIV-1-infected individuals who made bnAbs and 46 HIV-1-infected individuals who did not and identified in bnAb individuals upregulation of RAB11FIP5, encoding a Rab effector protein associated with recycling endosomes. Natural killer (NK) cells had the highest differential expression of RAB11FIP5, which was associated with greater dysregulation of NK cell subsets in bnAb subjects. NK cells from bnAb individuals had a more adaptive/dysfunctional phenotype and exhibited impaired degranulation and cytokine production that correlated with RAB11FIP5 transcript levels. Moreover, RAB11FIP5 overexpression modulated the function of NK cells. These data suggest that NK cells and Rab11 recycling endosomal transport are involved in regulation of HIV-1 bnAb development.
Structural Remodeling of the Human Colonic Mesenchyme in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Venue: Cell

Intestinal mesenchymal cells play essential roles in epithelial homeostasis, matrix remodeling, immunity, and inflammation. But the extent of heterogeneity within the colonic mesenchyme in these processes remains unknown. Using unbiased single-cell profiling of over 16,500 colonic mesenchymal cells, we reveal four subsets of fibroblasts expressing divergent transcriptional regulators and functional pathways, in addition to pericytes and myofibroblasts. We identified a niche population located in proximity to epithelial crypts expressing SOX6, F3 (CD142), and WNT genes essential for colonic epithelial stem cell function. In colitis, we observed dysregulation of this niche and emergence of an activated mesenchymal population. This subset expressed TNF superfamily member 14 (TNFSF14), fibroblastic reticular cell-associated genes, IL-33, and Lysyl oxidases. Further, it induced factors that impaired epithelial proliferation and maturation and contributed to oxidative stress and disease severity in vivo. Our work defines how the colonic mesenchyme remodels to fuel inflammation and barrier dysfunction in IBD.
A Map-like Micro-Organization of Grid Cells in the Medial Entorhinal Cortex
Venue: Cell

How the topography of neural circuits relates to their function remains unclear. Although topographic maps exist for sensory and motor variables, they are rarely observed for cognitive variables. Using calcium imaging during virtual navigation, we investigated the relationship between the anatomical organization and functional properties of grid cells, which represent a cognitive code for location during navigation. We found a substantial degree of grid cell micro-organization in mouse medial entorhinal cortex: grid cells and modules all clustered anatomically. Within a module, the layout of grid cells was a noisy two-dimensional lattice in which the anatomical distribution of grid cells largely matched their spatial tuning phases. This micro-arrangement of phases demonstrates the existence of a topographical map encoding a cognitive variable in rodents. It contributes to a foundation for evaluating circuit models of the grid cell network and is consistent with continuous attractor models as the mechanism of grid formation.
Spatial Reconstruction of Single Enterocytes Uncovers Broad Zonation along the Intestinal Villus Axis
Venue: Cell

The intestinal epithelium is a highly structured tissue composed of repeating crypt-villus units. Enterocytes perform the diverse tasks of absorbing a wide range of nutrients while protecting the body from the harsh bacterium-rich environment. It is unknown whether these tasks are spatially zonated along the villus axis. Here, we extracted a large panel of landmark genes characterized by transcriptomics of laser capture microdissected villus segments and utilized it for single-cell spatial reconstruction, uncovering broad zonation of enterocyte function along the villus. We found that enterocytes at villus bottoms express an anti-bacterial gene program in a microbiome-dependent manner. They next shift to sequential expression of carbohydrates, peptides, and fat absorption machineries in distinct villus compartments. Finally, they induce a Cd73 immune-modulatory program at the villus tips. Our approach can be used to uncover zonation patterns in other organs when prior knowledge of landmark genes is lacking.
The Mevalonate Pathway Is a Druggable Target for Vaccine Adjuvant Discovery
Venue: Cell

Motivated by the clinical observation that interruption of the mevalonate pathway stimulates immune responses, we hypothesized that this pathway may function as a druggable target for vaccine adjuvant discovery. We found that lipophilic statin drugs and rationally designed bisphosphonates that target three distinct enzymes in the mevalonate pathway have potent adjuvant activities in mice and cynomolgus monkeys. These inhibitors function independently of conventional "danger sensing." Instead, they inhibit the geranylgeranylation of small GTPases, including Rab5 in antigen-presenting cells, resulting in arrested endosomal maturation, prolonged antigen retention, enhanced antigen presentation, and T cell activation. Additionally, inhibiting the mevalonate pathway enhances antigen-specific anti-tumor immunity, inducing both Th1 and cytolytic T cell responses. As demonstrated in multiple mouse cancer models, the mevalonate pathway inhibitors are robust for cancer vaccinations and synergize with anti-PD-1 antibodies. Our research thus defines the mevalonate pathway as a druggable target for vaccine adjuvants and cancer immunotherapies.
Cyclic-Nucleotide- and HCN-Channel-Mediated Phototransduction in Intrinsically Photosensitive Retinal Ganglion Cells
Venue: Cell

Non-image-forming vision in mammals is mediated primarily by melanopsin-expressing, intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). In mouse M1-ipRGCs, by far the best-studied subtype, melanopsin activates PLCβ4 (phospholipase C-β4) to open TRPC6,7 channels, mechanistically similar to phototransduction in fly rhabdomeric (microvillous) photoreceptors. We report here that, surprisingly, mouse M4-ipRGCs rely on a different and hitherto undescribed melanopsin-driven, ciliary phototransduction mechanism involving cyclic nucleotide as the second messenger and HCN channels rather than CNG channels as the ion channel for phototransduction. Even more surprisingly, within an individual mouse M2-ipRGC, this HCN-channel-dependent, ciliary phototransduction pathway operates in parallel with the TRPC6,7-dependent rhabdomeric pathway. These findings reveal a complex heterogeneity in phototransduction among ipRGCs and, more importantly, break a general dogma about segregation of the two phototransduction motifs, likely with strong evolutionary implications.
Evolutionary Pressure against MHC Class II Binding Cancer Mutations
Venue: Cell

The anti-cancer immune response against mutated peptides of potential immunological relevance (neoantigens) is primarily attributed to MHC-I-restricted cytotoxic CD8+ T cell responses. MHC-II-restricted CD4+ T cells also drive anti-tumor responses, but their relation to neoantigen selection and tumor evolution has not been systematically studied. Modeling the potential of an individual's MHC-II genotype to present 1,018 driver mutations in 5,942 tumors, we demonstrate that the MHC-II genotype constrains the mutational landscape during tumorigenesis in a manner complementary to MHC-I. Mutations poorly bound to MHC-II are positively selected during tumorigenesis, even more than mutations poorly bound to MHC-I. This emphasizes the importance of CD4+ T cells in anti-tumor immunity. In addition, we observed less inter-patient variation in mutation presentation for MHC-II than for MHC-I. These differences were reflected by age at diagnosis, which was correlated with presentation by MHC-I only. Collectively, our results emphasize the central role of MHC-II presentation in tumor evolution.
Functional Genetic Variants Revealed by Massively Parallel Precise Genome Editing
Venue: Cell

A major challenge in genetics is to identify genetic variants driving natural phenotypic variation. However, current methods of genetic mapping have limited resolution. To address this challenge, we developed a CRISPR-Cas9-based high-throughput genome editing approach that can introduce thousands of specific genetic variants in a single experiment. This enabled us to study the fitness consequences of 16,006 natural genetic variants in yeast. We identified 572 variants with significant fitness differences in glucose media; these are highly enriched in promoters, particularly in transcription factor binding sites, while only 19.2% affect amino acid sequences. Strikingly, nearby variants nearly always favor the same parent's alleles, suggesting that lineage-specific selection is often driven by multiple clustered variants. In sum, our genome editing approach reveals the genetic architecture of fitness variation at single-base resolution and could be adapted to measure the effects of genome-wide genetic variation in any screen for cell survival or cell-sortable markers.
A Neural Circuit for Gut-Induced Reward
Venue: Cell

The gut is now recognized as a major regulator of motivational and emotional states. However, the relevant gut-brain neuronal circuitry remains unknown. We show that optical activation of gut-innervating vagal sensory neurons recapitulates the hallmark effects of stimulating brain reward neurons. Specifically, right, but not left, vagal sensory ganglion activation sustained self-stimulation behavior, conditioned both flavor and place preferences, and induced dopamine release from Substantia nigra. Cell-specific transneuronal tracing revealed asymmetric ascending pathways of vagal origin throughout the CNS. In particular, transneuronal labeling identified the glutamatergic neurons of the dorsolateral parabrachial region as the obligatory relay linking the right vagal sensory ganglion to dopamine cells in Substantia nigra. Consistently, optical activation of parabrachio-nigral projections replicated the rewarding effects of right vagus excitation. Our findings establish the vagal gut-to-brain axis as an integral component of the neuronal reward pathway. They also suggest novel vagal stimulation approaches to affective disorders.
Human Rad52 Promotes XPG-Mediated R-loop Processing to Initiate Transcription-Associated Homologous Recombination Repair
Venue: Cell

Given that genomic DNA exerts its function by being transcribed, it is critical for the maintenance of homeostasis that DNA damage, such as double-strand breaks (DSBs), within transcriptionally active regions undergoes accurate repair. However, it remains unclear how this is achieved. Here, we describe a mechanism for transcription-associated homologous recombination repair (TA-HRR) in human cells. The process is initiated by R-loops formed upon DSB induction. We identify Rad52, which is recruited to the DSB site in a DNA-RNA-hybrid-dependent manner, as playing pivotal roles in promoting XPG-mediated R-loop processing and initiating subsequent repair by HRR. Importantly, dysfunction of TA-HRR promotes DSB repair via non-homologous end joining, leading to a striking increase in genomic aberrations. Thus, our data suggest that the presence of R-loops around DSBs within transcriptionally active regions promotes accurate repair of DSBs via processing by Rad52 and XPG to protect genomic information in these critical regions from gene alterations.
Integration of Parallel Opposing Memories Underlies Memory Extinction
Venue: Cell

Accurately predicting an outcome requires that animals learn supporting and conflicting evidence from sequential experience. In mammals and invertebrates, learned fear responses can be suppressed by experiencing predictive cues without punishment, a process called memory extinction. Here, we show that extinction of aversive memories in Drosophila requires specific dopaminergic neurons, which indicate that omission of punishment is remembered as a positive experience. Functional imaging revealed co-existence of intracellular calcium traces in different places in the mushroom body output neuron network for both the original aversive memory and a new appetitive extinction memory. Light and ultrastructural anatomy are consistent with parallel competing memories being combined within mushroom body output neurons that direct avoidance. Indeed, extinction-evoked plasticity in a pair of these neurons neutralizes the potentiated odor response imposed in the network by aversive learning. Therefore, flies track the accuracy of learned expectations by accumulating and integrating memories of conflicting events.
Acetate Production from Glucose and Coupling to Mitochondrial Metabolism in Mammals
Venue: Cell

Acetate is a major nutrient that supports acetyl-coenzyme A (Ac-CoA) metabolism and thus lipogenesis and protein acetylation. However, its source is unclear. Here, we report that pyruvate, the end product of glycolysis and key node in central carbon metabolism, quantitatively generates acetate in mammals. This phenomenon becomes more pronounced in the context of nutritional excess, such as during hyperactive glucose metabolism. Conversion of pyruvate to acetate occurs through two mechanisms: (1) coupling to reactive oxygen species (ROS) and (2) neomorphic enzyme activity from keto acid dehydrogenases that enable function as pyruvate decarboxylases. Further, we demonstrate that de novo acetate production sustains Ac-CoA pools and cell proliferation in limited metabolic environments, such as during mitochondrial dysfunction or ATP citrate lyase (ACLY) deficiency. By virtue of de novo acetate production being coupled to mitochondrial metabolism, there are numerous possible regulatory mechanisms and links to pathophysiology.
LC3-Associated Phagocytosis in Myeloid Cells Promotes Tumor Immune Tolerance
Venue: Cell

Targeting autophagy in cancer cells and in the tumor microenvironment are current goals of cancer therapy. However, components of canonical autophagy play roles in other biological processes, adding complexity to this goal. One such alternative function of autophagy proteins is LC3-associated phagocytosis (LAP), which functions in phagosome maturation and subsequent signaling events. Here, we show that impairment of LAP in the myeloid compartment, rather than canonical autophagy, induces control of tumor growth by tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) upon phagocytosis of dying tumor cells. Single-cell RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis revealed that defects in LAP induce pro-inflammatory gene expression and trigger STING-mediated type I interferon responses in TAM. We found that the anti-tumor effects of LAP impairment require tumor-infiltrating T cells, dependent upon STING and the type I interferon response. Therefore, autophagy proteins in the myeloid cells of the tumor microenvironment contribute to immune suppression of T lymphocytes by effecting LAP.
Identification of the Human Skeletal Stem Cell
Venue: Cell

Stem cell regulation and hierarchical organization of human skeletal progenitors remain largely unexplored. Here, we report the isolation of a self-renewing and multipotent human skeletal stem cell (hSSC) that generates progenitors of bone, cartilage, and stroma, but not fat. Self-renewing and multipotent hSSCs are present in fetal and adult bones and can also be derived from BMP2-treated human adipose stroma (B-HAS) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Gene expression analysis of individual hSSCs reveals overall similarity between hSSCs obtained from different sources and partially explains skewed differentiation toward cartilage in fetal and iPSC-derived hSSCs. hSSCs undergo local expansion in response to acute skeletal injury. In addition, hSSC-derived stroma can maintain human hematopoietic stem cells (hHSCs) in serum-free culture conditions. Finally, we combine gene expression and epigenetic data of mouse skeletal stem cells (mSSCs) and hSSCs to identify evolutionarily conserved and divergent pathways driving SSC-mediated skeletogenesis.
Structural Basis of Smoothened Activation in Hedgehog Signaling
Venue: Cell

(Cell 174, 312–324.e1–e16; July 12, 2018) In our paper, we reported crystal structures of sterol-activated Smoothened. It has come to our attention that we failed to cite an important contemporaneous contribution from Rohatgi and colleagues (Luchetti et al., 2016) who reported identification of cholesterol as the endogenous SMO agonist. This reference has been added online to the References and a citation added in the Introduction and the Discussion alongside the Huang et al., 2016 reference that we had already cited. We apologize to Drs Luchetti, Rohatgi, and colleagues and to the community for this breach of scholarship.
The Energetics and Physiological Impact of Cohesin Extrusion
Venue: Cell

Laura Vian, Aleksandra Pękowska, Suhas S.P. Rao, Kyong-Rim Kieffer-Kwon, Seolkyoung Jung, Laura Baranello, Su-Chen Huang, Laila El Khattabi, Marei Dose, Nathanael Pruett, Adrian L. Sanborn, Andres Canela, Yaakov Maman, Anna Oksanen, Wolfgang Resch, Xingwang Li, Byoungkoo Lee, Alexander L. Kovalchuk, Zhonghui Tang, Steevenson Nelson, Michele Di Pierro, Ryan R. Cheng, Ido Machol, Brian Glenn St Hilaire, Neva C. Durand, Muhammad S. Shamim, Elena K. Stamenova, José N. Onuchic, Yijun Ruan, Andre Nussenzweig, David Levens, Erez Lieberman Aiden,* and Rafael Casellas* *Correspondence: erez@erez.com (E.L.A.), rafael.casellas@nih.gov (R.C.) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2018.09.002