Journal: Cell Genomics

Article Title: A highland-adaptation variant near MCUR1 reduces its transcription and attenuates erythrogenesis in Tibetans

doi: 10.1016/j.xgen.2025.100782

Figure Lengend Snippet: MCUR1 downregulation reduces activation of the mTOR pathway through the Ca 2+ -CAMMK2-AMPK axis in human cord blood CD34 + HSPCs (A) The effects of MCUR1 knockdown on mitochondrial ([Ca 2+ ] m ; red) and cytoplasmic ([Ca 2+ ] c ; green) Ca 2+ responses in human cord blood CD34 + HSPCs before and after ionomycin exposure (2.5 μM), under hypoxia (1% O 2 ) and EPO treatment (3 U/mL) for 7 days. (B) Knockdown of AMPKa1 induces mTOR activity and abolishes the decreased mTOR activity by MCUR1 knockdown. (C) The effect of AMPKa1 knockdown on the changes in percentages of basophilic (Bas), polychromatophilic (Pol), and orthochromatic (Ort) cells and erythroblasts and erythrocytes (Ery) by MCUR1 knockdown. Left side shows the representative images. (D) The effect of AMPKa1 knockdown on the decreased fraction of erythroblasts by MCUR1 knockdown. (E) The effect of AMPKa1 knockdown on the decreased fraction of CFU-E population by MCUR1 knockdown. (F) The effects of MCUR1 knockdown on the activity of two upstream kinases of AMPKα, LKB1 and CAMKK2. (G) The effects of inhibition of CAMMK2 activity (by BAPTA-AM, an intracellular Ca 2+ chelator; 1 μM) on the increased AMPKα activity and decreased mTOR activity by MCUR1 knockdown. Data are shown as mean ± SD. Data analyses were conducted by two-tailed t test except where noted otherwise. n.s., not significant. ∗∗ p < 0.01 and ∗∗∗ p < 0.001.

Article Snippet: The small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) targeting MCUR1 , TSC1 , TSC2 , AMPKa1 , CAMKK2 , PU.1 and a non-targeting control siRNA were synthesized by RiboBio (Guangzhou City, China).

Techniques: Activation Assay, Knockdown, Activity Assay, Inhibition, Two Tailed Test