Journal: Biomarker Research

Article Title: ZDHHC5-mediated S-palmitoylation of NOD2 drives neutrophil extracellular trap formation via mitophagy to exacerbate inflammation in COPD

doi: 10.1186/s40364-026-01001-2

Figure Lengend Snippet: NOD2 deficiency ameliorates cigarette smoke-induced lung inflammation and injury in vivo The functional role of NOD2 was evaluated in a cigarette smoke (CS)-induced mouse model of COPD using wild-type (wt) and NOD2-knockout (NOD2-/-) mice, with lentiviral-mediated NOD2 re-expression (NOD2-OE) in NOD2-/- COPD mice. ( A ) Schematic of the in vivo experimental design. ( B ) qRT-PCR analysis of NOD2 mRNA expression in lung tissue. ( C ) Representative images of hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining of lung tissue sections. Scale bars: 200 μm in the upper panels and 100 μm in the enlarged lower panels. ( D ) Representative images of Masson’s trichrome staining for collagen deposition in lung tissue sections. Scale bar: 100 μm. ( E ) Quantification of total cells, neutrophils, and macrophages in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and ELISA measurements of TNF-α, IL-6, and CXCL1 levels in BALF supernatant. ( F ) Representative images of IHC staining for E-cadherin and N-cadherin in lung tissue. Scale bar: 50 μm. ( G ) Quantification of the average optical density (AOD) for E-cadherin and N-cadherin IHC staining. ( H ) qRT-PCR analysis of senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) factors (CSF3, CCL3, and IL1α) in lung tissue. Data are presented as mean ± SD. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test. * p < 0.05 and ** p < 0.01 Control vs. wt-COPD groups; # p < 0.05 and ## p < 0.01 wt-COPD vs. NOD2 −/− -COPD groups; & p < 0.05 and && p < 0.01 NOD2 −/− -COPD + vector vs. NOD2 −/− -COPD + NOD2-OE groups

Article Snippet: Additionally, the commercial ELISA kits (Human and mouse MPO ELISA Kits, Cat. # CSB-E08721h, CSB-E08723m, CUSABIO, Wuhan, China; Human and mouse neutrophil elastase ELISA Kit, Cat. # CSB-EL007587HU, CSB-E04804m, CUSABIO) were applied to quantify the levels of MPO and neutrophil elastase released into cell culture supernatants as per the instructions of the manufacturer.

Techniques: In Vivo, Functional Assay, Knock-Out, Expressing, Quantitative RT-PCR, Analysis, Tissue, Staining, Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay, Immunohistochemistry, Control, Plasmid Preparation

Journal: Biomarker Research

Article Title: ZDHHC5-mediated S-palmitoylation of NOD2 drives neutrophil extracellular trap formation via mitophagy to exacerbate inflammation in COPD

doi: 10.1186/s40364-026-01001-2

Figure Lengend Snippet: NOD2 promotes Neutrophil Extracellular Trap (NET) formation in the CS-induced COPD mouse model The association between NOD2, autophagy, and Neutrophil Extracellular Trap (NET) formation was investigated in the lung tissue of mice from the CS-induced COPD model. ( A) Representative immunofluorescence images showing co-localization of the neutrophil marker Ly6G (green) and the autophagy marker LC3B (red), with nuclei counterstained with DAPI (blue). Scale bars: 20 μm in the upper panels and 10 μm in the enlarged lower panels. ( B ) Representative immunofluorescence images showing staining for the NET markers citrullinated histone H3 (CitH3, green) and myeloperoxidase (MPO, red), with nuclei counterstained with DAPI (blue). Scale bars: 20 μm in the upper panels and 10 μm in the enlarged lower panels. ( C ) Quantification of the NET biomarkers CitH3-DNA and MPO-DNA complexes in serum and lung tissue homogenates by ELISA. ( D ) Immunoblotting analysis of the neutrophil marker Ly6G and the NET marker CitH3 in whole-lung tissue lysates. ( E ) Representative immunofluorescence images showing colocalization of the neutrophil marker Ly6G (red), the NET marker CitH3 (green), and NOD2 (pink) in lung tissue, with nuclei counterstained with DAPI (blue). Scale bars: 20 μm in the upper panels and 10 μm in the enlarged lower panels. Data are presented as mean ± SD. C and D were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test. ** p < 0.01 Control vs. wt -COPD groups; and ## p < 0.01 wt -COPD vs. NOD2 −/− -COPD groups; && p < 0.01 NOD2 −/− -COPD + vector vs. NOD2 −/− -COPD + NOD2-OE groups

Article Snippet: Additionally, the commercial ELISA kits (Human and mouse MPO ELISA Kits, Cat. # CSB-E08721h, CSB-E08723m, CUSABIO, Wuhan, China; Human and mouse neutrophil elastase ELISA Kit, Cat. # CSB-EL007587HU, CSB-E04804m, CUSABIO) were applied to quantify the levels of MPO and neutrophil elastase released into cell culture supernatants as per the instructions of the manufacturer.

Techniques: Tissue, Immunofluorescence, Marker, Staining, Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay, Western Blot, Analysis, Control, Plasmid Preparation

Journal: Biomarker Research

Article Title: ZDHHC5-mediated S-palmitoylation of NOD2 drives neutrophil extracellular trap formation via mitophagy to exacerbate inflammation in COPD

doi: 10.1186/s40364-026-01001-2

Figure Lengend Snippet: Neutrophil depletion minimizes genotype-dependent differences in CS-induced lung injury, inflammation, fibrosis, and NET formation The dependence of NOD2-associated COPD pathology on neutrophils was evaluated by depleting neutrophils in CS-exposed wild-type (wt) and NOD2 −/− mice. Mice were randomly assigned to the wt -COPD + IgG, wt -COPD + Anti-Ly6G, NOD2 −/− -COPD + IgG, and NOD2 −/− -COPD + Anti-Ly6G groups ( n = 6 per group). ( A ) Schematic of the experimental design. Mice were exposed to CS for 12 weeks and received 200 µg of anti-Ly6G antibody or an equivalent dose of isotype IgG intraperitoneally three times per week from week 2 until the end of the experiment. ( B ) Representative flow-cytometry plots and quantification of CD11b + Ly6G + neutrophils in lung tissue and peripheral blood. ( C ) Representative H&E-stained images of lung tissue sections. Scale bars: 200 μm in the upper panels and 100 μm in the enlarged lower panels. ( D ) Representative images of Masson’s trichrome staining for pulmonary collagen deposition. Scale bars: 100 μm. ( E ) Quantification of total cells, neutrophils, and macrophages in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), together with ELISA measurements of TNF-α, IL-6, and CXCL1 levels in BALF supernatants. ( F ) Quantification of CitH3-DNA and MPO-DNA complexes in serum and lung tissue homogenates by ELISA. Data are presented as mean ± SD. Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test. ** p < 0.01 vs. the wt -COPD + IgG group; ## p < 0.01 vs. the wt-COPD + Anti-Ly6G group; & p < 0.05, & p < 0.01 vs. the NOD2 −/− -COPD + IgG group

Article Snippet: Additionally, the commercial ELISA kits (Human and mouse MPO ELISA Kits, Cat. # CSB-E08721h, CSB-E08723m, CUSABIO, Wuhan, China; Human and mouse neutrophil elastase ELISA Kit, Cat. # CSB-EL007587HU, CSB-E04804m, CUSABIO) were applied to quantify the levels of MPO and neutrophil elastase released into cell culture supernatants as per the instructions of the manufacturer.

Techniques: Pathology, Flow Cytometry, Tissue, Staining, Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay

Journal: Biomarker Research

Article Title: ZDHHC5-mediated S-palmitoylation of NOD2 drives neutrophil extracellular trap formation via mitophagy to exacerbate inflammation in COPD

doi: 10.1186/s40364-026-01001-2

Figure Lengend Snippet: Knockdown of NOD2 inhibits CSE-induced NET formation, ROS production, and mitophagy in human neutrophils The role of NOD2 in cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-induced Neutrophil Extracellular Trap (NET) formation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and lysosome–mitochondrion spatial relationships were evaluated in differentiated HL-60-derived neutrophil-like cells. ( A ) Schematic of the in vitro experimental design and treatment groups. ( B ) Representative DAPI-stained images of extracellular DNA structures and quantification of NET formation based on DAPI-stained nuclear morphology. Scale bars: 20 μm. ( C ) Extracellular DNA levels in cell culture supernatants determined using a PicoGreen dsDNA assay. ( D ) Myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels in cell culture supernatants determined by ELISA. ( E ) Neutrophil elastase (NE) levels in cell culture supernatants determined by ELISA. ( F ) Representative flow-cytometry histograms and quantitative analysis of intracellular ROS levels measured using DCFH-DA staining. ( G ) Representative immunofluorescence images showing the spatial relationship between LAMP1-positive lysosomes (green) and TOM20-positive mitochondria (red), with nuclei counterstained with DAPI (blue). The colocation efficients for LAMP1 and TOM20 was determined by ImageJ and shown on the right. Scale bars: 20 μm. Data are presented as mean ± SD. Quantitative data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test. ** p < 0.01 vs. Control group; ## p < 0.01 vs. CSE + sh-NC group

Article Snippet: Additionally, the commercial ELISA kits (Human and mouse MPO ELISA Kits, Cat. # CSB-E08721h, CSB-E08723m, CUSABIO, Wuhan, China; Human and mouse neutrophil elastase ELISA Kit, Cat. # CSB-EL007587HU, CSB-E04804m, CUSABIO) were applied to quantify the levels of MPO and neutrophil elastase released into cell culture supernatants as per the instructions of the manufacturer.

Techniques: Knockdown, Derivative Assay, In Vitro, Staining, Morphology, Cell Culture, Picogreen Assay, Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay, Flow Cytometry, Analysis, Immunofluorescence, Control

Journal: Biomarker Research

Article Title: ZDHHC5-mediated S-palmitoylation of NOD2 drives neutrophil extracellular trap formation via mitophagy to exacerbate inflammation in COPD

doi: 10.1186/s40364-026-01001-2

Figure Lengend Snippet: ZDHHC5 overexpression partially counteracts the effects of NOD2 knockdown in human neutrophil-like cells The ability of ZDHHC5 overexpression to counteract the effects of NOD2 knockdown was evaluated in CSE-stimulated, differentiated HL-60-derived neutrophil-like cells. ( A ) Schematic of the in vitro experimental design and treatment groups. ( B ) Representative DAPI-stained images of extracellular DNA structures and quantification of NET formation based on DAPI-stained nuclear morphology. Scale bars: 20 μm. ( C ) Extracellular DNA levels in cell culture supernatants determined using a PicoGreen dsDNA assay. ( D ) MPO levels in cell culture supernatants determined by ELISA. ( E ) NE levels in cell culture supernatants determined by ELISA. ( F ) Representative flow cytometry histograms and quantitative analysis of intracellular ROS levels measured using DCFH-DA staining. ( G ) Representative immunofluorescence images showing LAMP1-positive lysosomes (green) and TOM20-positive mitochondria (red), with nuclei counterstained with DAPI (blue). The colocalization coefficients for LAMP1 and TOM20 were determined by ImageJ and shown on the right. Scale bars: 20 μm. Data are presented as mean ± SD. Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA followed Tukey’s test. ** p < 0.01 versus the CSE + sh-NC + Vector group; ## p < 0.01 versus the CSE + sh-NOD2 + ZDHHC5 group

Article Snippet: Additionally, the commercial ELISA kits (Human and mouse MPO ELISA Kits, Cat. # CSB-E08721h, CSB-E08723m, CUSABIO, Wuhan, China; Human and mouse neutrophil elastase ELISA Kit, Cat. # CSB-EL007587HU, CSB-E04804m, CUSABIO) were applied to quantify the levels of MPO and neutrophil elastase released into cell culture supernatants as per the instructions of the manufacturer.

Techniques: Over Expression, Knockdown, Derivative Assay, In Vitro, Staining, Morphology, Cell Culture, Picogreen Assay, Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay, Flow Cytometry, Analysis, Immunofluorescence, Plasmid Preparation

Journal: Biomarker Research

Article Title: ZDHHC5-mediated S-palmitoylation of NOD2 drives neutrophil extracellular trap formation via mitophagy to exacerbate inflammation in COPD

doi: 10.1186/s40364-026-01001-2

Figure Lengend Snippet: ZDHHC5 overexpression partially counteracts the protective effects of NOD2 knockdown in a mouse model of COPD The ability of ZDHHC5 overexpression to counteract the effects of NOD2 knockdown was evaluated in a cigarette smoke (CS)-induced mouse model of COPD. ( A ) Schematic of the in vivo experimental design. ( B ) qRT-PCR analysis of NOD2 and ZDHHC5 mRNA expression in lung tissue. ( C ) Representative images of H&E staining of lung sections. Scale bar: 100 μm. ( D ) Representative images of Masson’s trichrome staining for collagen deposition. Scale bar: 100 μm. ( E ) Quantification of inflammatory cells and TNF-α, IL-6, and CXCL1 levels in BALF. ( F ) Representative images of IHC staining for E-cadherin and N-cadherin. Scale bar: 50 μm. ( G ) Quantitative analysis of IHC staining. ( H ) Immunofluorescence images showing spatial overlap between Ly6G (green) and LC3B (red). Scale bars: 20 μm in the upper panels and 10 μm in the enlarged lower panels. ( I ) Immunofluorescence images showing NETs stained for CitH3 (green) and MPO (red). Scale bars: 20 μm in the upper panels and 10 μm in the enlarged lower panels. ( J ) Quantification of CitH3-DNA and MPO-DNA complexes in serum and lung tissue homogenates by ELISA. Data are presented as mean ± SD. Quantitative data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01 vs. COPD + sh-NC + Vector group; # p < 0.05, ## p < 0.01 vs. COPD + sh-NOD2 + ZDHHC5 group

Article Snippet: Additionally, the commercial ELISA kits (Human and mouse MPO ELISA Kits, Cat. # CSB-E08721h, CSB-E08723m, CUSABIO, Wuhan, China; Human and mouse neutrophil elastase ELISA Kit, Cat. # CSB-EL007587HU, CSB-E04804m, CUSABIO) were applied to quantify the levels of MPO and neutrophil elastase released into cell culture supernatants as per the instructions of the manufacturer.

Techniques: Over Expression, Knockdown, In Vivo, Quantitative RT-PCR, Analysis, Expressing, Tissue, Staining, Immunohistochemistry, Immunofluorescence, Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay, Plasmid Preparation

Journal: Biomarker Research

Article Title: ZDHHC5-mediated S-palmitoylation of NOD2 drives neutrophil extracellular trap formation via mitophagy to exacerbate inflammation in COPD

doi: 10.1186/s40364-026-01001-2

Figure Lengend Snippet: NOD2 promotes Neutrophil Extracellular Trap (NET) formation in the CS-induced COPD mouse model The association between NOD2, autophagy, and Neutrophil Extracellular Trap (NET) formation was investigated in the lung tissue of mice from the CS-induced COPD model. ( A) Representative immunofluorescence images showing co-localization of the neutrophil marker Ly6G (green) and the autophagy marker LC3B (red), with nuclei counterstained with DAPI (blue). Scale bars: 20 μm in the upper panels and 10 μm in the enlarged lower panels. ( B ) Representative immunofluorescence images showing staining for the NET markers citrullinated histone H3 (CitH3, green) and myeloperoxidase (MPO, red), with nuclei counterstained with DAPI (blue). Scale bars: 20 μm in the upper panels and 10 μm in the enlarged lower panels. ( C ) Quantification of the NET biomarkers CitH3-DNA and MPO-DNA complexes in serum and lung tissue homogenates by ELISA. ( D ) Immunoblotting analysis of the neutrophil marker Ly6G and the NET marker CitH3 in whole-lung tissue lysates. ( E ) Representative immunofluorescence images showing colocalization of the neutrophil marker Ly6G (red), the NET marker CitH3 (green), and NOD2 (pink) in lung tissue, with nuclei counterstained with DAPI (blue). Scale bars: 20 μm in the upper panels and 10 μm in the enlarged lower panels. Data are presented as mean ± SD. C and D were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test. ** p < 0.01 Control vs. wt -COPD groups; and ## p < 0.01 wt -COPD vs. NOD2 −/− -COPD groups; && p < 0.01 NOD2 −/− -COPD + vector vs. NOD2 −/− -COPD + NOD2-OE groups

Article Snippet: To visualize NETs, mouse lung sections were incubated with antibodies for CitH3 (Cat. # ab232938, Abcam) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) (Cat. #22225-1-AP, Proteintech).

Techniques: Tissue, Immunofluorescence, Marker, Staining, Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay, Western Blot, Analysis, Control, Plasmid Preparation

Journal: Biomarker Research

Article Title: ZDHHC5-mediated S-palmitoylation of NOD2 drives neutrophil extracellular trap formation via mitophagy to exacerbate inflammation in COPD

doi: 10.1186/s40364-026-01001-2

Figure Lengend Snippet: Knockdown of NOD2 inhibits CSE-induced NET formation, ROS production, and mitophagy in human neutrophils The role of NOD2 in cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-induced Neutrophil Extracellular Trap (NET) formation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and lysosome–mitochondrion spatial relationships were evaluated in differentiated HL-60-derived neutrophil-like cells. ( A ) Schematic of the in vitro experimental design and treatment groups. ( B ) Representative DAPI-stained images of extracellular DNA structures and quantification of NET formation based on DAPI-stained nuclear morphology. Scale bars: 20 μm. ( C ) Extracellular DNA levels in cell culture supernatants determined using a PicoGreen dsDNA assay. ( D ) Myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels in cell culture supernatants determined by ELISA. ( E ) Neutrophil elastase (NE) levels in cell culture supernatants determined by ELISA. ( F ) Representative flow-cytometry histograms and quantitative analysis of intracellular ROS levels measured using DCFH-DA staining. ( G ) Representative immunofluorescence images showing the spatial relationship between LAMP1-positive lysosomes (green) and TOM20-positive mitochondria (red), with nuclei counterstained with DAPI (blue). The colocation efficients for LAMP1 and TOM20 was determined by ImageJ and shown on the right. Scale bars: 20 μm. Data are presented as mean ± SD. Quantitative data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test. ** p < 0.01 vs. Control group; ## p < 0.01 vs. CSE + sh-NC group

Article Snippet: To visualize NETs, mouse lung sections were incubated with antibodies for CitH3 (Cat. # ab232938, Abcam) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) (Cat. #22225-1-AP, Proteintech).

Techniques: Knockdown, Derivative Assay, In Vitro, Staining, Morphology, Cell Culture, Picogreen Assay, Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay, Flow Cytometry, Analysis, Immunofluorescence, Control