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Adipose tissue lipid metabolism: lipolysis
Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2023 Sep 20;83:102114. doi: 10.1016/j.gde.2023.102114. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTWhite adipose tissue stores fatty acid (FA) as triglyceride in the lipid droplet organelle of highly specialized cells known as fat cells or adipocytes. Depending on the nutritional state and energy demand, hormonal and biochemical signals converge on activating an elegant and fundamental process known as lipolysis, which involves triglyceride hydrolysis to FAs. Almost six decades of work have vastly expanded our knowledge of lipolysis from enzymatic processes to complex protein assembly, disassembly, and post-translat...
Source: Current Opinion in Genetics and Development - September 22, 2023 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Chung Hwan Cho Sanil Patel Prashant Rajbhandari Source Type: research

Songbird germline-restricted chromosome as a potential arena of genetic conflicts
Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2023 Sep 19;83:102113. doi: 10.1016/j.gde.2023.102113. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTGenetic conflicts can arise between components of the genome with different inheritance strategies. The germline-restricted chromosome (GRC) of songbirds shows unusual mitotic and meiotic transmission compared with the rest of the genome. It is excluded from somatic cells and maintained only in the germline. It is usually present in one copy in the male germline and eliminated during spermatogenesis, while in the female germline, it usually occurs in two copies and behaves as a regular chromosome. Here, we review what ...
Source: Current Opinion in Genetics and Development - September 21, 2023 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Niki Vontzou Yifan Pei Jakob C Mueller Radka Reifov á Francisco J Ruiz-Ruano Stephen A Schlebusch Alexander Suh Source Type: research

Genetic clues to reprogramming power and formation of mouse oocyte
Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2023 Sep 16;83:102110. doi: 10.1016/j.gde.2023.102110. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTOocyte features the unique capacity to reprogram not only sperm but also somatic nuclei to totipotency, yet the scarcity of oocytes has hindered the exploration and application of their reprogramming ability. In the meanwhile, the formation of oocytes, which involves extensive intracellular alterations and interactions, has also attracted tremendous interest. This review discusses developmental principles and regulatory mechanisms associated with ooplasm reprogramming and oocyte formation from a genetic perspective, wi...
Source: Current Opinion in Genetics and Development - September 18, 2023 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Bo Chen Duanqing Pei Source Type: research

A new era of understanding in vivo metabolic flux in thermogenic adipocytes
Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2023 Sep 11;83:102112. doi: 10.1016/j.gde.2023.102112. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTNonshivering thermogenesis by brown adipose tissue (BAT) is an adaptive mechanism for maintaining body temperature in cold environments. BAT is critical in rodents and human infants and has substantial influence on adult human metabolism. Stimulating BAT therapeutically is also being investigated as a strategy against metabolic diseases because of its ability to function as a catabolic sink. Thus, understanding how brown adipocytes and the related brite/beige adipocytes use nutrients to fuel their demanding metabolism ...
Source: Current Opinion in Genetics and Development - September 13, 2023 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: John A Haley Cholsoon Jang David A Guertin Source Type: research

New perspectives on the causes and consequences of male meiotic drive
Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2023 Sep 11:102111. doi: 10.1016/j.gde.2023.102111. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTGametogenesis is vulnerable to selfish genetic elements that bias their transmission to the next generation by cheating meiosis. These so-called meiotic drivers are widespread in plants, animals, and fungi and can impact genome evolution. Here, we summarize recent progress on the causes and consequences of meiotic drive in males, where selfish elements attack vulnerabilities in spermatogenesis. Advances in genomics provide new insights into the organization and dynamics of driving chromosomes in natural populations. Commo...
Source: Current Opinion in Genetics and Development - September 13, 2023 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: C écile Courret Xiaolu Wei Amanda M Larracuente Source Type: research