Latest Publications
O-GlcNAcylation: a pro-survival response to acute stress in the cardiovascular and central nervous systems
O-GlcNAcylation is a unique monosaccharide modification that is ubiquitously present in numerous nucleoplasmic and mitochondrial proteins. The hexosamine biosynthesis pathway (HBP), which is a key branch of glycolysis, provides the unique sugar donor UDP-GlcNAc for [...]
O-GlcNAcylation and Its Roles in Neurodegenerative Diseases
As a non-classical post-translational modification, O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) modification (O-GlcNAcylation) is widely found in human organ systems, particularly in our brains, and is indispensable for healthy cell biology. With the increasing age of the global [...]
Biogen and Alectos Therapeutics Announce License and Collaboration Agreement for AL01811, a Novel GBA2 Inhibitor for the Potential Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease
AL01811 is a preclinical selective GBA2 inhibitor with first-in-class potential as an oral disease modifying treatment for Parkinson’s Disease Alectos to receive a $15 million upfront payment and is eligible to receive potential future development [...]
O-GlcNAcylation of TDP-43 Suppresses Proteinopathies and Promotes TDP-43’s mRNA Splicing Activity
Pathological TDP-43 aggregation is characteristic of several neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD-TDP); however, how TDP-43 aggregation and function are regulated remain poorly understood. Here, we show that O-GlcNAc [...]
O-GlcNAcylation Ameliorates the Pathological Manifestations of Alzheimer’s Disease by Inhibiting Necroptosis
O-GlcNAcylation (O-linked β-N-acetylglucosaminylation) is notably decreased in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain. Necroptosis is activated in AD brain and is positively correlated with neuroinflammation and tau pathology. However, the links among altered O-GlcNAcylation, β-amyloid (Aβ) accumulation, [...]
O-GlcNAcylation Regulates Dopamine Neuron Function, Survival and Degeneration in Parkinson Disease
The dopamine system in the midbrain is essential for volitional movement, action selection, and reward-related learning. Despite its versatile roles, it contains only a small set of neurons in the brainstem. These dopamine neurons are [...]