Inhibitory control in teleost fish: a methodological and conceptual review
Anim Cogn. 2024 Mar 26;27(1):27. doi: 10.1007/s10071-024-01867-5.ABSTRACTInhibitory control (IC) plays a central role in behaviour control allowing an individual to resist external lures and internal predispositions. While IC has been consistently investigated in humans, other mammals, and birds, research has only recently begun to explore IC in other vertebrates. This review examines current literature on teleost fish, focusing on both methodological and conceptual aspects. I describe the main paradigms adopted to study IC in fish, identifying well-established tasks that fit various research applications and highlighting ...
Source: Animal Cognition - March 26, 2024 Category: Zoology Authors: Tyrone Lucon-Xiccato Source Type: research

Developmental programming of the ovarian reserve in livestock
Anim Reprod Sci. 2024 Mar 19;264:107458. doi: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2024.107458. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTMammalian females are born with a finite number of follicles in their ovaries that is referred to as the ovarian reserve. There is a large amount of variation between females in the number of antral follicles that they are born with, but this number is positively correlated to size of the ovarian reserve, has a strong repeatability within a female, and a moderate heritability. Although the heritability is moderate, numerous external factors including health, nutrition, ambient temperature, and litter size influenc...
Source: Animal Reproduction Science - March 26, 2024 Category: Zoology Authors: Robert A Cushman Vahid Akbarinejad George A Perry Clay A Lents Source Type: research

Roles of the tubulin-based cytoskeleton in the Toxoplasma gondii apical complex
Trends Parasitol. 2024 Mar 25:S1471-4922(24)00054-0. doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2024.02.010. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTMicrotubules (MTs) play a vital role as key components of the eukaryotic cytoskeleton. The phylum Apicomplexa comprises eukaryotic unicellular parasitic organisms defined by the presence of an apical complex which consists of specialized secretory organelles and tubulin-based cytoskeletal elements. One apicomplexan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, is an omnipresent opportunistic pathogen with significant medical and veterinary implications. To ensure successful infection and widespread dissemination, T. gondii heav...
Source: Trends in Parasitology - March 26, 2024 Category: Parasitology Authors: Albert Tell I Puig Dominique Soldati-Favre Source Type: research

Mycobacterial Endocarditis, A Rare Form of Infective Endocarditis
Discov Med. 2024 Mar;36(182):437-447. doi: 10.24976/Discov.Med.202436182.41.ABSTRACTThis research project delves into the multifaceted dynamics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) endocarditis, a significant yet uncommon manifestation of tuberculosis (TB). Beginning with an overview of M.tb and the global challenges posed by TB, we navigate through the bacterium's evolution, transmission modes, and the intricate host immune response. The pathology and pathophysiology of M.tb endocarditis are explored, emphasizing its complexities and the host's efforts to contain the pathogen. The study extends to atypical mycobacterial e...
Source: Discovery Medicine - March 26, 2024 Category: Research Authors: John Dawi Scarlet Affa Abraham Chorbajian Yura Misakyan Aishvaryaa Shree Mohan Brandon Norris Jacob Ochsner Sonyeol Yoon Vishwanath Venketaraman Source Type: research

Rare but Still There: A Scoping Review on Endometriosis-Associated Ovarian Cancer
Discov Med. 2024 Mar;36(182):467-481. doi: 10.24976/Discov.Med.202436182.44.ABSTRACTEndometriosis is a medical condition affecting at least up to 10% of women of reproductive age. This condition occurs when ectopic endometrial glands and stroma implant outside the uterus and there are several theories regarding the underlying origins of the disease. Endometriosis is one of the major causes of severe dysmenorrhoea, chronic pelvic pain and infertility. While endometriosis is generally a non-malignant condition, it rarely may transform into an invasive cancer, and increase the risk for epithelial ovarian cancer, notably endom...
Source: Discovery Medicine - March 26, 2024 Category: Research Authors: Karl Livori Jean Calleja-Agius Source Type: research

Dipeptidyl-peptidase 9 regulates the dynamics of tumorigenesis and metastasis in breast cancer
Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis. 2024 Mar 24:167133. doi: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2024.167133. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThe cytosolic dipeptidyl-aminopeptidase 9 (DPP9) cleaves protein N-termini post-proline or -alanine. Our analysis of DPP9 mRNA expression from the TCGA 'breast cancer' data set revealed that low/intermediate DPP9 levels are associated with poor overall survival of breast cancer patients. To unravel the impact of DPP9 on breast cancer development and progression, the transgenic MMTV-PyMT mouse model of metastasizing breast cancer was used. In addition, tissue- and time-controlled genetic deletion of DPP9 ...
Source: Molecular Medicine - March 26, 2024 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Lisa He ß Kazeera Aliar Barbara T Gr ünwald Ricarda Griffin Alina Lozan Mariel Kn öller Rama Khokha Tilman Brummer Thomas Reinheckel Source Type: research

Development of synthetic small regulatory RNA for Rhodococcus erythropolis
In this study, synthetic sRNA strategy was exploited for gene repression in R. erythropolis XP. The synthetic sRNA based on the RhlS scaffold from Pseudomonas aeruginosa functions better in repressing sfgfp expression than those based on E. coli MicC, SgrS, and P. aeruginosa PrrF1-2 scaffold. The RhlS-based sRNAs were applied to study the influence of sulfur metabolism on biodesulfurization (BDS) efficiency in R. erythropolis XP and successfully identified two genes involved in sulfur metabolism that affect the BDS efficiency significantly. The RhlS-based synthetic sRNAs show promise in the metabolic engineering of Rhodoco...
Source: Biotechnology Journal - March 26, 2024 Category: Biotechnology Authors: Lijuan Wang Jie Hou Kun Yang Haonan Yu Bo Zhang Zhiqiang Liu Yuguo Zheng Source Type: research

Mechanical strengthening of cell-cell adhesion during mouse embryo compaction
Biophys J. 2024 Mar 25:S0006-3495(24)00208-X. doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.03.028. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTCompaction is the first morphogenetic movement of the eutherian mammals and involves a developmentally regulated adhesion process. Previous studies investigated cellular and mechanical aspects of compaction. During mouse and human compaction, cells spread onto each other as a result of a contractility-mediated increase in surface tension pulling at the edges of their cell-cell contacts. However, how compaction may affect the mechanical stability of cell-cell contacts remains unknown. Here, we used a dual pipette aspi...
Source: Biophysical Journal - March 26, 2024 Category: Physics Authors: Ludmilla de Plater Julie Firmin Jean-L éon Maître Source Type: research

< em > Chelatococcus albus < /em > sp. nov., a bacterium isolated from hot spring microbial mat
Int J Syst Evol Microbiol. 2024 Mar;74(3). doi: 10.1099/ijsem.0.006307.ABSTRACTA Gram-stain-negative, non-endospore-forming, motile, short rod-shaped strain, designated SYSU G07232T, was isolated from a hot spring microbial mat, sampled from Rehai National Park, Tengchong, Yunnan Province, south-western China. Strain SYSU G07232T grew at 25-50 °C (optimum, 37 °C), at pH 5.5-9.0 (optimum, pH 6.0) and tolerated NaCl concentrations up to 1.0 % (w/v). Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain SYSU G07232T showed closest genetic affinity with Chelatococcus daeguensis K106T. The genomic fe...
Source: International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology - March 26, 2024 Category: Microbiology Authors: Yi-Qing Lv Chao-Jian Hu Wen-Dong Xian Meng-Meng Li Lan Liu Ze-Tao Liu Sha Tan Wei-Qiu Liu Jian-Yu Jiao Wen-Jun Li Source Type: research

Current challenges in xenotransplantation
Curr Opin Organ Transplant. 2024 Mar 27. doi: 10.1097/MOT.0000000000001146. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTPURPOSE OF REVIEW: In recent years, the xenotransplantation science has advanced tremendously, with significant strides in both preclinical and clinical research. This review intends to describe the latest cutting-edge progress in knowledge and methodologies developed to overcome potential obstacles that may preclude the translation and successful application of clinical xenotransplantation.RECENT FINDINGS: Preclinical studies have demonstrated that it is now possible to extend beyond two years survival of primate reci...
Source: Current Opinion in Organ Transplantation - March 26, 2024 Category: Transplant Surgery Authors: Marta Vadori Emanuele Cozzi Source Type: research

Effects of process intensification on homogeneity of an IgG1: κ monoclonal antibody during perfusion culture
Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2024 Mar 26;108(1):274. doi: 10.1007/s00253-024-13110-9.ABSTRACTThe pharmaceutical industry employs various strategies to improve cell productivity. These strategies include process intensification, culture media improvement, clonal selection, media supplementation and genetic engineering of cells. However, improved cell productivity has inherent risk of impacting product quality attributes (PQA). PQAs may affect the products' efficacy via stability, bioavailability, or in vivo bioactivity. Variations in manufacturing process may introduce heterogeneity in the products by altering the type and ex...
Source: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - March 26, 2024 Category: Microbiology Authors: George Liang Chikkathur N Madhavarao Caitlin Morris Thomas O'Connor Muhammad Ashraf Seongkyu Yoon Source Type: research

Computationally guided AAV engineering for enhanced gene delivery
Trends Biochem Sci. 2024 Mar 25:S0968-0004(24)00054-9. doi: 10.1016/j.tibs.2024.03.002. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTGene delivery vehicles based on adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) are enabling increasing success in human clinical trials, and they offer the promise of treating a broad spectrum of both genetic and non-genetic disorders. However, delivery efficiency and targeting must be improved to enable safe and effective therapies. In recent years, considerable effort has been invested in creating AAV variants with improved delivery, and computational approaches have been increasingly harnessed for AAV engineering. In t...
Source: Trends in Biochemical Sciences - March 26, 2024 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Jingxuan Guo Li F Lin Sydney V Oraskovich Julio A Rivera de Jes ús Jennifer Listgarten David V Schaffer Source Type: research

Protein-Integrated Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Frameworks: Chemistry and Biomedical Applications
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2024 Mar 26:e202400926. doi: 10.1002/anie.202400926. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTHydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) are porous nanomaterials that offer exceptional biocompatibility and versatility for integrating proteins for biomedical applications. This minireview concisely discusses recent advancements in the chemistry and functionality of protein-HOF interfaces. It particularly focuses on strategic methodologies, such as the careful selection of building blocks and the genetic engineering of proteins, to facilitate protein-HOF interactions. We examine the role of enzyme encapsulation wi...
Source: Angewandte Chemie - March 26, 2024 Category: Chemistry Authors: Lijuan Li Tianyu Ma Ming Wang Source Type: research

Effect of L-Methylfolate Supplementation on Sleep for Patients with Reduced Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Activity
CONCLUSION: Improvement in sleep disturbance was seen in both low and intermediate function phenotypes. L-methylfolate may be useful for improving sleep in patients with MTHFR polymorphism.PMID:38528721 | DOI:10.1080/19390211.2024.2327541 (Source: Journal of Dietary Supplements)
Source: Journal of Dietary Supplements - March 26, 2024 Category: Nutrition Authors: Alex S Carmon Russell J Amato Seema M Patel Shannon W Finks Source Type: research

Dipeptidyl-peptidase 9 regulates the dynamics of tumorigenesis and metastasis in breast cancer
Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis. 2024 Mar 24:167133. doi: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2024.167133. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThe cytosolic dipeptidyl-aminopeptidase 9 (DPP9) cleaves protein N-termini post-proline or -alanine. Our analysis of DPP9 mRNA expression from the TCGA 'breast cancer' data set revealed that low/intermediate DPP9 levels are associated with poor overall survival of breast cancer patients. To unravel the impact of DPP9 on breast cancer development and progression, the transgenic MMTV-PyMT mouse model of metastasizing breast cancer was used. In addition, tissue- and time-controlled genetic deletion of DPP9 ...
Source: Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - March 26, 2024 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Lisa He ß Kazeera Aliar Barbara T Gr ünwald Ricarda Griffin Alina Lozan Mariel Kn öller Rama Khokha Tilman Brummer Thomas Reinheckel Source Type: research