The Infona portal uses cookies, i.e. strings of text saved by a browser on the user's device. The portal can access those files and use them to remember the user's data, such as their chosen settings (screen view, interface language, etc.), or their login data. By using the Infona portal the user accepts automatic saving and using this information for portal operation purposes. More information on the subject can be found in the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By closing this window the user confirms that they have read the information on cookie usage, and they accept the privacy policy and the way cookies are used by the portal. You can change the cookie settings in your browser.
Hunger and pain are two competing signals that individuals must resolve to ensure survival. However, the neural processes that prioritize conflicting survival needs are poorly understood. We discovered that hunger attenuates behavioral responses and affective properties of inflammatory pain without altering acute nociceptive responses. This effect is centrally controlled, as activity in hunger-sensitive...
Biallelic mutations in the RPE65 gene are associated with inherited retinal degenerations/dystrophies (IRD) and disrupt the visual cycle, leading to loss of vision. A new adenoviral vector-based gene therapy surgically delivered to retinal cells provides normal human RPE65 protein that can restore the visual cycle and some vision. To view this Bench to Bedside, open or download the PDF.
A decline in capillary density and blood flow with age is a major cause of mortality and morbidity. Understanding why this occurs is key to future gains in human health. NAD precursors reverse aspects of aging, in part, by activating sirtuin deacylases (SIRT1–SIRT7) that mediate the benefits of exercise and dietary restriction (DR). We show that SIRT1 in endothelial cells is a key mediator of pro-angiogenic...
By examining the genomes of present-day people from Asia, researchers show that modern humans met and interbred with Denisovans, distant relatives to Neanderthals, on at least two occasions. As a result, people today carry DNA from two different Denisovan populations.
Tandem zinc finger (ZF) proteins are the largest and most rapidly diverging family of DNA-binding transcription regulators in mammals. ZFP568 represses a transcript of placental-specific insulin like growth factor 2 (Igf2-P0) in mice. ZFP568 binds a 24-base pair sequence-specific element upstream of Igf2-P0 via the eleven-ZF array. Both DNA and protein conformations deviate from the conventional one...
The construction of a predictive model of an entire eukaryotic cell that describes its dynamic structure from atomic to cellular scales is a grand challenge at the intersection of biology, chemistry, physics, and computer science. Having such a model will open new dimensions in biological research and accelerate healthcare advancements. Developing the necessary experimental and modeling methods presents...
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are ∼22 nt RNAs that direct posttranscriptional repression of mRNA targets in diverse eukaryotic lineages. In humans and other mammals, these small RNAs help sculpt the expression of most mRNAs. This article reviews advances in our understanding of the defining features of metazoan miRNAs and their biogenesis, genomics, and evolution. It then reviews how metazoan miRNAs are regulated,...
CNS injury often severs axons. Scar tissue that forms locally at the lesion site is thought to block axonal regeneration, resulting in permanent functional deficits. We report that inhibiting the generation of progeny by a subclass of pericytes led to decreased fibrosis and extracellular matrix deposition after spinal cord injury in mice. Regeneration of raphespinal and corticospinal tract axons was...
CGAS responds to cytosolic DNA by initiating a STING-dependent response that ultimately engages innate immune effectors to ensure the preservation of organismal homeostasis.
Dicer proteins are known to produce small RNAs (sRNAs) from long double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) templates. These sRNAs are bound by Argonaute proteins, which select the guide strand, often with a 5′ end sequence bias. However, Dicer proteins have never been shown to have sequence cleavage preferences. In Paramecium development, two classes of sRNAs that are required for DNA elimination are produced by...
Anatomically modern humans interbred with Neanderthals and with a related archaic population known as Denisovans. Genomes of several Neanderthals and one Denisovan have been sequenced, and these reference genomes have been used to detect introgressed genetic material in present-day human genomes. Segments of introgression also can be detected without use of reference genomes, and doing so can be advantageous...
Protein degradation plays important roles in biological processes and is tightly regulated. Further, targeted proteolysis is an emerging research tool and therapeutic strategy. However, proteome-wide technologies to investigate the causes and consequences of protein degradation in biological systems are lacking. We developed “multiplexed proteome dynamics profiling” (mPDP), a mass-spectrometry-based...
mRNAs can fold into complex structures that regulate gene expression. Resolving such structures de novo has remained challenging and has limited our understanding of the prevalence and functions of mRNA structure. We use SHAPE-MaP experiments in living E. coli cells to derive quantitative, nucleotide-resolution structure models for 194 endogenous transcripts encompassing approximately 400 genes. Individual...
Microbial populations can maximize fitness in dynamic environments through bet hedging, a process wherein a subpopulation assumes a phenotype not optimally adapted to the present environment but well adapted to an environment likely to be encountered. Here, we show that oxygen induces fluctuating expression of the trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) respiratory system of Escherichia coli, diversifying the...
Blood cell formation is classically thought to occur through a hierarchical differentiation process, although recent studies have shown that lineage commitment may occur earlier in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). The relevance to human blood diseases and the underlying regulation of these refined models remain poorly understood. By studying a genetic blood disorder, Diamond-Blackfan...
Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels by endothelial cells (ECs), is an adaptive response to oxygen/nutrient deprivation orchestrated by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) upon ischemia or exercise. Hypoxia is the best-understood trigger of VEGF expression via the transcription factor HIF1α. Nutrient deprivation is inseparable from hypoxia during ischemia, yet its role in angiogenesis...
H2S is an endogenous gasotransmitter that plays an important role in physiological conditions. In this issue, Das et al. provide evidence that SIRT1-dependent angiogenesis is augmented by H2S—findings reinforced by Longchamp et al., who demonstrate that H2S-dependent angiogenesis is triggered by amino acid deprivation.
Endogenous circadian rhythms are thought to modulate responses to external factors, but mechanisms that confer time-of-day differences in organismal responses to environmental insults/therapeutic treatments are poorly understood. Using a xenobiotic, we find that permeability of the Drosophila “blood”-brain barrier (BBB) is higher at night. The permeability rhythm is driven by circadian regulation...
Set the date range to filter the displayed results. You can set a starting date, ending date or both. You can enter the dates manually or choose them from the calendar.