Article
Plant Sciences
Gaurav Singh, Morgane Batzenschlager, Denisa Tomkova, Etienne Herzog, Elise Hoffmann, Guy Houlne, Anne-Catherine Schmit, Alexandre Berr, Marie-Edith Chaboute
Summary: This study investigates the role of inner nuclear membrane proteins and nuclear pore-associated components in maintaining genetic stability in plants. The gamma-tubulin complex component 3-interacting protein (gip1gip2) double mutants with defective nuclear shaping were used as a model. The results show that GIP1 and GIP2 play redundant roles in maintaining genome stability, with defects in these proteins leading to constitutive DNA damage and activation of the DNA damage response. Furthermore, the expression of GIP1-GFP in the mutants rescues the cellular response to DNA damage and promotes the colocalization of RAD51 and gamma-H2AX foci, suggesting the involvement of GIPs in the spatio-temporal recruitment of RAD51 at the nuclear periphery.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Developmental Biology
Oleksandr Kirsanov, Taylor A. Johnson, Bryan A. Niedenberger, Taylor N. Malachowski, Benjamin J. Hale, Qing Chen, Brad Lackford, Jiajia Wang, Anukriti Singh, Karen Schindler, Brian P. Hermann, Guang Hu, Christopher B. Geyer
Summary: Retinoic acid (RA) is proposed as the substance that induces meiosis in mammals, but the evidence for this role is based on studies in fetal ovaries where germ cell differentiation and meiotic initiation are inseparable. However, in postnatal testes, these events are separated by more than 1 week. This study found that while RA is necessary for spermatogonial differentiation, it is not essential for meiotic initiation, progression, and completion in the testis, indicating an independent model for male meiotic initiation.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Kai Ma, Pan Song, Zhenghuan Liu, Luchen Yang, Linchun Wang, Jing Zhou, Junhao Chen, Qiang Dong
Summary: The study found that genetically predicted depression may play a potentially causal role in the occurrence of erectile dysfunction (ED) through Mendelian randomization methods. Sensitivity analysis methods indicated a consistent association between depression and ED.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Yasunaga Yoshikawa, Shunta Kimura, Akira Soga, Makoto Sugiyama, Aki Ueno, Hiroki Kondo, Zida Zhu, Kazuhiko Ochiai, Kazuhiko Nakayama, Jun Hakozaki, Kodai Kusakisako, Asako Haraguchi, Taisuke Kitano, Koichi Orino, Shinya Fukumoto, Hiromi Ikadai
Summary: This study identified a Brca2 homolog in Plasmodium and demonstrated its crucial role in almost all lifecycle stages, especially in sporogony.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Xuebi Cai, Jessica M. Stringer, Nadeen Zerafa, John Carroll, Karla J. Hutt
Summary: Mammalian oocytes in the primordial follicle stage primarily use the homologous recombination pathway for DNA repair, while fully grown oocytes in the GV stage rely on the nonhomologous end joining pathway. The loss of Ku80 in fully grown oocytes leads to the inability to repair DNA damage and delays the entry into M-phase, indicating the importance of Ku80-dependent repair in meiotic progression. Furthermore, Ku80 is critical for chromosome integrity during meiotic maturation after DNA damage. These findings highlight the significance of Ku80 and NHEJ in maintaining quality control in mammalian oocytes.
CELL DEATH & DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Xiao-Ming Liu, Fang Chen, Li Wang, Fan Zhang, Li-Jun Huo
Summary: In this study, the joint roles of Chk1/2 in oocyte meiotic maturation were examined, with Chk1/2 inhibition resulting in defective meiotic spindle organization and chromosome condensation. Interestingly, inhibiting Chk1 alone had different effects compared to Chk1/2 inhibition, indicating distinct functions of Chk1 and Chk2 during oocyte maturation. These findings provide further insights into the functions and regulatory mechanisms of Chk1/2 in oocyte meiotic maturation.
EXPERIMENTAL CELL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Akila Cooray, Jeongsook Kim, Beno Ramesh Nirujan, Nishani Jayanika Jayathilake, Kyu Pil Lee
Summary: Sperm ion channels play a crucial role in the quality and type of flagellar movement, with the principal potassium ion channel being responsible for membrane hyperpolarization and sperm capacitation. This study aimed to determine the channel identity of boar sperm for the primary K+ current. Pharmacological dissection was employed, and the results suggest that the Slo3 gene encodes the main K+ channel in boar spermatozoa. Localization of the Slo3 channel on the sperm flagellum and its inhibition not affecting sperm viability were observed. These findings have potential implications for improving assisted reproductive methods in industrial livestock production.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Pathology
Paul W. Harms, Monique E. Verhaegen, Kevin Hu, Steven M. Hrycaj, May P. Chan, Chia-Jen Liu, Marina Grachtchouk, Rajiv M. Patel, Aaron M. Udager, Andrzej A. Dlugosz
Summary: MCC and SCCIS show significant overlap in gene mutations, with no unique gene mutations found in all cases of MCC. Transcriptome analysis reveals large differences in gene expression between MCC and SCCIS, including epidermal markers and immune genes. Immunohistochemistry studies show increased expression of SOX2 in the MCC component.
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ariane Lismer, Sarah Kimmins
Summary: Increasing evidence suggests that parental environmental stressors can impact the health and disease outcomes of offspring. This article provides an update on paternal epigenetic inheritance and proposes links between paternally transmitted epigenetic influences and functional changes in the embryo. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying non-genetic inheritance are still not well understood.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Ziyan Liao, Shushi Peng, Youhua Chen
Summary: Extinction debt is the delayed process of species extinction, with the earliest signal for forest-dwelling vertebrate groups starting in the mid-19th century. The impact of global protected areas on mitigating extinction debts has a time-lag effect, and preventive actions should be taken to balance forest restoration, protected areas, and biodiversity conservation.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Ming-Chun Lai, Qian-Qian Zhu, Jun Xu, Wen-Jin Zhang
Summary: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a significant burden globally, with limited treatment options for metastatic cases. A study identified GRPEL2 as a potential biomarker for targeted therapy in HCC treatment, as it was found to promote tumor progression by increasing cell growth, migration, and invasion, as well as inducing apoptosis through increased reactive oxygen species production and altered mitochondrial membrane potential.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CANCER RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Monika Jain, Soumen Das, Paul P. Y. Lu, Garima Virmani, Sumitha Soman, Surya Chandra Rao Thumu, David H. Gutmann, Narendrakumar Ramanan
Summary: The conditional deletion of the transcription factor serum response factor (SRF) in astrocytes results in astrogliosis, characterized by hypertrophic morphology and increased expression of specific markers. Reactive astrocytes lacking SRF are present throughout the brain and persist into adulthood with concurrent microglial activation. However, SRF-deficient astrocytes do not exhibit neurotoxicity, cell death, or blood-brain barrier deficits, suggesting that SRF plays a critical role in maintaining astrocytes in a non-reactive state.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Xiao-Qiang Mei, Pan Qin, Yong-Le Yang, Min Liao, Qi-Zhang Liang, Zhuangzhuang Zhao, Fang-Shu Shi, Bin Wang, Yao-Wei Huang
Summary: This study provides experimental evidence that a mammalian alphacoronavirus, swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV), is capable of infecting an avian species, namely chickens.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Biology
Lieke Koornneef, Maarten W. Paul, Adriaan B. Houtsmuller, Willy M. Baarends, Johan A. Slotman
Summary: This study utilized single-molecule imaging to analyze the distribution of RAD51 and DMC1 during homologous pairing of chromosomes in mouse spermatocytes. By providing detailed experimental procedures and data analysis, a multistep approach was established for systematically investigating the spatial distributions of proteins associated with DNA double-strand breaks. This method can be easily adapted for the analysis of other foci-forming proteins and is freely accessible to researchers.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Jacob M. Keaton, Elizabeth A. Jasper, Jacklyn N. Hellwege, Sarah H. Jones, Eric S. Torstenson, Todd L. Edwards, Digna R. Velez Edwards
Summary: The study found that different ancestral proportions are associated with fibroid risk and traits in Black women, while protective ancestral proportions are negatively correlated with fibroid risk and traits in White women. These findings suggest that genetic differences between geographic groups contribute to racial disparities in fibroid risk and traits.