shi, b. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2025

Protenix - Advancing Structure Prediction Through a Comprehensive AlphaFold3 Reproduction

In this technical report, we present Protenix, a comprehensive reproduction of AlphaFold3 (AF3), aimed at advancing the field of biomolecular structure prediction. Protenix tackles the challenges of predicting complex interactions involving proteins, ligands, and nucleic acids, while enhancing accessibility and reproducibility. Across diverse benchmarks, including PoseBusters V2, low-homology PDB sets, and CASP15 RNA, Protenix achieves state-of-the-art performance in protein-ligand, protein-protein, and protein-nucleic acid predictions. We also address limitations, such as potential memorization effects, and outline future directions for improvement. By open-sourcing Protenix, we aim to democratize advanced structure prediction tools and accelerate interdisciplinary research in computational biology and drug discovery.

bioinformatics↗

bioRxiv2023

Amino acid transporter SLC7A5 regulates Paneth cell function to affect the intestinal inflammatory response

The intestine is critical for not only processing and resorbing nutrients but also protecting the organism from the environment. These functions are mainly carried out by the epithelium, which is constantly being self-renewed. Many genes and pathways can influence intestinal epithelial cell proliferation. Among them is mTORC1, whose activation increases cell proliferation. Here, we report the first intestinal epithelial cell-specific knockout ({Delta}IEC) of an amino acid transporter capable of activating mTORC1. We show that the transporter, SLC7A5, is highly expressed in mouse intestinal crypt and Slc7a5{Delta}IEC reduces mTORC1 signaling. Surprisingly, Slc7a5{Delta}IEC mice have increased cell proliferation but reduced secretory cells, particularly mature Paneth cells. scRNA-seq and electron microscopic analyses revealed dedifferentiation of Paneth cells in Slc7a5{Delta}IEC mice, leading to markedly reduced secretory granules with little effect on Paneth cell number. We further show that Slc7a5{Delta}IEC mice are prone to experimental colitis. Thus, SLC7A5 regulates secretory cell differentiation to affect stem cell niche and/or inflammatory response to regulate cell proliferation.

immunology↗