Article
Neurosciences
Pamela J. Urrutia, Felipe Bodaleo, Daniel A. Borquez, Yuta Homma, Victoria Rozes-Salvador, Cristopher Villablanca, Cecilia Conde, Mitsunori Fukuda, Christian Gonzalez-Billault
Summary: The acquisition of neuronal polarity is a complex process depending on cytoskeletal dynamics and membrane traffic regulation. A positive feedback loop between Rab8a and Cdc42, coupled by Tuba, plays a crucial role in ensuring single axon generation. These findings suggest Tuba coordinates vesicular traffic and cytoskeleton dynamics during neuronal polarization.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kelsie Eichel, Takeshi Uenaka, Vivek Belapurkar, Rui Lu, Shouqiang Cheng, Joseph S. Pak, Caitlin A. Taylor, Thomas C. Sudhof, Robert Malenka, Marius Wernig, Engin Ozkan, David Perrais, Kang Shen
Summary: This study reveals an important mechanism for maintaining neuronal polarity in the axon initial segment (AIS), which involves the endocytic removal of polarized receptors that diffuse into the AIS. This mechanism works together with the known AIS diffusion-barrier mechanism to reinforce the membrane boundaries between axonal and dendritic compartments.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rahul Kumar, Vincent Francis, Gopinath Kulasekaran, Maleeha Khan, Gary A. B. Armstrong, Peter S. McPherson
Summary: This study reveals unexpected diversity in DENN domain-mediated activation of Rabs, identifies a previously unidentified non-Rab substrate for a DENN domain, and discovers a new regulatory protein in primary ciliogenesis.
Article
Biology
Maria Podinovskaia, Cristina Prescianotto-Baschong, Dominik P. Buser, Anne Spang
Summary: This study introduces a novel live-cell imaging assay for monitoring endosome maturation process, applicable to various types of mammalian cells. It was found that different endosome conversion processes and acidification relied on different factors. This assay serves as a powerful tool to further unravel various aspects of endosome maturation.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alexander A. Yakovlev
Summary: The number of studies on neuronal exosomes has significantly increased in recent years. Their potential as diagnostic markers for neurodegenerative diseases has been thoroughly investigated, and similar protocols have been used to search for markers of other psychiatric disorders. The biogenesis, physiological role, and signaling cascades of exosomes have been extensively studied. Accumulated data suggest that exosome signaling plays an important role in interneuronal communication. In this review, we discuss the possibility of recognizing exosomes as new non-canonical neurotransmitters in the brain and propose their role as a new signaling system to the scientific community.
BIOCHEMISTRY-MOSCOW
(2023)
Article
Biophysics
Victor Y. Zhao, Joao Rodrigues, Elena R. Lozovsky, Daniel L. Hartl, Eugene Shakhnovich
Summary: The study investigates the modularity of individual structural elements within proteins through creating chimeras of DHFR enzyme, revealing the impact of modular segments on catalytic activity and stability. Findings suggest that the compatibility of replacement segments plays a crucial role in predicting the molecular and fitness effects of modular segments.
BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Stanislas Rigal
Summary: The negative impact of the dominant socioeconomic paradigm on the biosphere, climate, and societies themselves is severe. This article proposes a combined socio-environmental index (SEI) to address the lack of relevant measurements to assess the real social achievements of countries. The relationship between SEI and GDP, population density, and sustainable development index is analyzed, providing insights on the social and environmental aspects of development.
ECOLOGY AND SOCIETY
(2022)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Emil Pedersen, Arne Remmen
Summary: The PEF method has encountered some methodological issues and ongoing discussions, with updates addressing some but not all of the significant challenges in fair product comparison, impact categories, and communication of study results. Addressing these issues is crucial for the PEF method to play a key role in promoting green products in the market.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Gareth Butler, Kirstin Ross, Julian Beaman, Cassie Hoepner, Ryan Baring, Karen Burke da Silva
Summary: This paper systematically analyzes existing literature on the utilization of tourist-generated data in response to environmental challenges or issues. The findings highlight the significant potential of integrating tourists in Citizen Science, while also pointing out limitations and challenges that need to be addressed in future projects.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Haiyang Dong, Xi Yang, Lili Wu, Shixin Zhang, Jian Zhang, Pengjuan Guo, Yiwen Du, Changkun Pan, Ying Fu, Lei Li, Jilong Shi, Yanda Zhu, Hongru Ma, Lina Bian, Bingbing Xu, Guo Li, Feng Shi, Jianhua Huang, Haihuai He, Yongfeng Jin
Summary: In this study, the diverse isoforms of Drosophila melanogaster Dscam1 were found to have both redundant and specific roles in neuronal wiring. The self/non-self discrimination of dendrites requires a minimum number of isoforms, while normal axon patterning in certain neurons requires a larger number of isoforms associated with specific clusters or isoforms. The findings suggest a general principle for the role of Dscam1 diversity in neuronal wiring.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Gustavo Facincani Dourado, Anna M. Rallings, Joshua H. Viers
Summary: The implementation of environmental flows aims to reduce the negative impacts of hydrological alteration on freshwater ecosystems. However, actual implementation has lagged behind despite the growing attention to its importance. This study identifies the limitations, systemic reasons, and potential solutions for e-flows implementation through a systematic review and bibliometric analysis. The identified limitations include competing water uses, lack of data, resource/capacity constraints, limited experimentation, regulatory enforcement, and differing authorities.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Shoukat Alim Khan, Muammer Koc, Sami G. Al-Ghamdi
Summary: The built environment plays a crucial role in human life and efficiency, with 3D printing technology offering sustainability, efficiency, and innovation for the construction industry. The study explores the potential and challenges of 3DP concrete in reducing environmental impact and enhancing socio-economic value.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Whitney D. Arroyave, Suril S. Mehta, Neela Guha, Pam Schwingl, Kyla W. Taylor, Barbara Glenn, Elizabeth G. Radke, Nadia Vilahur, Tania Carreon, Rebecca M. Nachman, Ruth M. Lunn
Summary: Systematic reviews are powerful tools for evidence-based decision-making, but the quality and utility of published reviews vary. Existing methodologies are not adequately suited for evaluating environmental and occupational hazards in observational epidemiology studies, often lacking in integration of evidence.
JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Carolina Andrea Garcia-Baccino, Christel Marie-Etancelin, Flavie Tortereau, Didier Marcon, Jean-Louis Weisbecker, Andres Legarra
Summary: This study presents a practical method to estimate the probability of unrecorded environmental challenges and evaluates the genetic determinism of resilience to such events. Using daily feed intake data, the method proved to be informative for inclusion in a reaction norm animal model. The negative correlation between level and slope suggests that selection for increased feed intake may not be optimal depending on the presence of stress.
GENETICS SELECTION EVOLUTION
(2021)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Marie-France Waxin, Aaron Bartholomew, Fang Zhao, Ayesha Siddiqi
Summary: This study aimed to conduct a systematic literature review of empirical articles on drivers, challenges, and outcomes of environmental management system (EMS) implementation in public sector organizations (PSOs) in the Scopus database. Following PRISMA guidelines, 11 selected articles were identified, reviewed, and analyzed using content analysis. The study identified four main categories of drivers, five categories of challenges, and five categories of outcomes. It also provided important avenues for future research, synthesizing knowledge on EMS implementation in PSOs and offering new insights.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Shivohum Bahuguna, Magda Atilano, Marcus Glittenberg, Dohun Lee, Srishti Arora, Lihui Wang, Jun Zhou, Siamak P. Redhai, Michael P. Boutros, Petros P. Ligoxygakis
Summary: The immune system of fruit flies recognizes gut bacteria and activates a metabolic pathway to regulate lipid breakdown, which is important for the retention of intestinal bacteria. The TOR pathway inhibits lipid breakdown in fly mutants with reduced immune recognition, leading to increased gut fat accumulation. Blocking the TOR pathway restores both lipid levels and the density of gut bacteria to normal levels.
Article
Biology
Giulia Ambrosi, Oksana Voloshanenko, Antonia F. Eckert, Dominique Kranz, G. Ulrich Nienhaus, Michael Boutros
Summary: Wnt signaling is important in various biological processes, and mutations in beta-catenin can activate this signaling pathway. In this study, fluorescently tagged alleles of wild-type and mutant beta-catenin were engineered and analyzed to understand their properties. The results revealed distinct biophysical properties between the two alleles, and the wild-type allele could be manipulated to mimic the properties of the mutant allele through specific treatments.
Article
Biology
Christopher J. Neufeldt, Berati Cerikan, Mirko Cortese, Jamie Frankish, Ji-Young Lee, Agnieszka Plociennikowska, Florian Heigwer, Vibhu Prasad, Sebastian Joecks, Sandy S. Burkart, David Y. Zander, Baskaran Subramanian, Rayomand Gimi, Seetharamaiyer Padmanabhan, Radhakrishnan Iyer, Mathieu Gendarme, Bachir El Debs, Niels Halama, Uta Merle, Michael Boutros, Marco Binder, Ralf Bartenschlager
Summary: SARS-CoV-2 infection can lead to severe symptoms and long-lasting lung damage or death. This is often associated with high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and low antiviral responses. A specific activation of NF-kappa B and block of IRF3 nuclear translocation were observed in infected cells. The inflammatory response is mediated by cGAS-STING activation and can be attenuated through STING-targeting drugs.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Shih-Ching Lin, Kei Haga, Xi-Lei Zeng, Mary K. Estes
Summary: The authors present a protocol for using the CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing system to knock out a gene of interest in human intestinal tissue-derived enteroids. This protocol provides detailed technical pipeline and step-by-step guidelines for efficient knockout cell line generation. The protocol also highlights the potential applications of this system in assessing host restriction factors for viral replication and investigating the function of essential genes.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Antonia Schubert, Oksana Voloshanenko, Franziska Ragaller, Philipp Gmach, Dominique Kranz, Christian Scheeder, Thilo Miersch, Matthias Schulz, Lorenz Truemper, Claudia Binder, Marko Lampe, Ulrike Engel, Michael Boutros
Summary: Dishevelled proteins play a crucial role in Wnt signaling pathways, and their formation of supramolecular condensates is coordinated dynamically and dependent on cellular state and Wnt signaling levels.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Johannes Betge, Niklas Rindtorff, Jan Sauer, Benedikt Rauscher, Clara Dingert, Haristi Gaitantzi, Frank Herweck, Kauthar Srour-Mhanna, Thilo Miersch, Erica Valentini, Kim E. Boonekamp, Veronika Hauber, Tobias Gutting, Larissa Frank, Sebastian Belle, Timo Gaiser, Inga Buchholz, Ralf Jesenofsky, Nicolai Haertel, Tianzuo Zhan, Bernd Fischer, Katja Breitkopf-Heinlein, Elke Burgermeister, Matthias P. Ebert, Michael Boutros
Summary: Patient-derived organoids can be used to model human diseases and tumors, and understanding their morphology can provide insights into treatment response. This study uses high-throughput imaging analysis to quantify the phenotypes of colorectal cancer organoids after treatment with small molecules, and identifies the underlying biological mechanisms and drug interventions that can influence their morphology.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Oncology
Eric Solary, Patricia Blanc, Michael Boutros, Charis Girvalaki, Franco Locatelli, Rene H. Medema, Peter Nagy, Josep Tabernero
Summary: UNCAN.eu is a European initiative aimed at advancing cancer research through the creation of a research data hub, leading to new developments in cancer care.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Suchetana B. Dutta, Gerit Arne Linneweber, Maheva Andriatsilavo, Peter Robin Hiesinger, Bassem A. Hassan
Summary: The development of neuronal connectivity requires stabilization of dynamic axonal branches at synapse formation sites. In the study using Drosophila brain as a model system, it was found that epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activity plays a crucial role in regulating circuit wiring during two distinct temporal intervals. EGFR is required for primary axonal branching early on, and then independently required later to prevent degradation of the synaptic active zone protein Bruchpilot (Brp). This temporally restricted molecular mechanism is essential for coupling axonal branching and synaptic stabilization.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anna Mendaluk, Emmanuel Caussinus, Michael Boutros, Christian F. Lehner
Summary: A change in ambient temperature affects cellular processes non-uniformly, with enzymes being more sensitive than diffusion. The molecular-level effects of temperature variation on cells are still poorly understood. A genome-wide RNA interference screen identified genes with physiological significance at different temperatures. Validation experiments confirmed the importance of the gene ballchen at lower temperatures.
Review
Developmental Biology
Lucie Wolf, Michael Boutros
Summary: Intercellular communication by Wnt proteins is crucial for development, tissue homeostasis, and disease. The secretion of Wnt proteins depends on Evi/Wntless and Porcupine, which are transmembrane proteins. This review summarizes the transportation of Wnt proteins from the ER to the plasma membrane, the role of SNX3-retromer in this process, the regulation of Wnt secretion, and the importance of Wnt secretion in organ development and cancer.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Johannes Werner, Kim E. Boonekamp, Tianzuo Zhan, Michael Boutros
Summary: Wnt ligands are secreted signaling proteins with a wide range of biological effects. Dysregulation of Wnt signaling is associated with cancer, and genetic alterations result in pathway hyperactivation. Recent research focuses on the interaction of Wnt signaling with tumor micro-environment. The review outlines the function of Wnt ligands in different tumors and their impact on key phenotypes, as well as approaches to target them in cancer therapy.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Michael Baumann, Julio Celis, Ulrik Ringborg, Manuel Heitor, Anton Berns, Tit Albreht, Jeliazko Arabadjiev, Michael Boutros, Mario Brandenburg, Helena Canhao, Fatima Carneiro, Christine Chomienne, Francesco De Lorenzo, Alexander M. M. Eggermont, Angel Font, Elena Garralda, Margarida Goulart, Rui Henrique, Mark Lawler, Lena Maier-Hein, Francoise Meunier, Simon Oberst, Pedro Oliveira, Maria Papatriantafyllou, Joachim Schuez, Eric Solary, Alfonso Valencia, Rosalia Vargas, Elisabete Weiderpass, Nils Wilking
Summary: European cancer research stakeholders gathered in Heidelberg, Germany, for the 5(th) Gago conference on European Cancer Policy in October 2022. The meeting focused on the current state of cancer research and care policy in Europe, identifying gaps in existing programs and proposing priorities for the future through the Heidelberg Manifesto for cancer research. The discussions in the meeting covered various aspects of cancer research, including infrastructure, digitalization, and collaboration, with an emphasis on implementation and sustainability.
MOLECULAR ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sara Kassel, Alison J. Hanson, Hassina Benchabane, Kenyi Saito-Diaz, Carly R. Cabel, Lily Goldsmith, Muhammad Taha, Aksheta Kanuganti, Victoria H. Ng, George Xu, Fei Ye, Julia Picker, Fillip Port, Michael Boutros, Vivian L. Weiss, David J. Robbins, Curtis A. Thorne, Yashi Ahmed, Ethan Lee
Summary: The Wnt-beta-catenin signal transduction pathway is crucial for embryonic development and adult tissue homeostasis. The deubiquitylase USP47 has been identified as a positive regulator of Wnt signaling by counteracting the E3 ligase activity of XIAP on the transcriptional corepressor Groucho/TLE. This mechanism helps to ensure that the expression of Wnt target genes continues only as long as the upstream signal is present.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Florian Heigwer, Christian Scheeder, Josephine Bageritz, Schayan Yousefian, Benedikt Rauscher, Christina Laufer, Sergi Beneyto-Calabuig, Maja Christina Funk, Vera Peters, Maria Boulougouri, Jana Bilanovic, Thilo Miersch, Barbara Schmitt, Claudia Blass, Fillip Port, Michael Boutros
Summary: This article reports a study that utilizes synthetic genetic interaction and cell morphology data to investigate gene function. They used machine learning to assign functions to genes in 47 modules and identified an interaction between Cdk2 and the Cop9 signalosome complex. These data provide a genome-scale resource for uncovering the mechanisms underlying genetic interactions and their plasticity at the single-cell level.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shih-Ching Lin, Fang R. Zhao, Hana Janova, Adrian Gervais, Summer Rucknagel, Kristy O. Murray, Jean-Laurent Casanova, Michael S. Diamond
Summary: This study investigates the ability of West Nile virus (WNV) to directly infect gastrointestinal (GI) tract cells and contribute to disease severity. The results show that GI tract cells become infected when STAT1 or type I interferon responses are absent, leading to increased gut and blood-brain barrier permeability, accumulation of gut-derived molecules in the brain, and more severe WNV disease.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
