Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gaelle Botton-Amiot, Pedro Martinez, Simon G. Sprecher
Summary: Sea anemones without centralized nervous systems can still form associative memories, as shown by their conditioned response to light and electric shock. These findings shed light on cnidarian behavior and raise fundamental questions about the origin and evolution of cognition in brainless animals.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Virology
Yousef M. O. Alhammad, Maithri M. Kashipathy, Anuradha Roy, Jean-Philippe Gagne, Peter McDonald, Philip Gao, Louis Nonfoux, Kevin P. Battaile, David K. Johnson, Erik D. Holmstrom, Guy G. Poirier, Scott Lovell, Anthony R. Fehr
Summary: The Mac1 proteins in SARS-CoV-2 and other CoVs are MAR-hydrolases with similar functions, suggesting compounds targeting these proteins may have broad anti-CoV activity. Understanding the biochemistry and enzyme activity of these proteins is critical for developing novel therapeutic strategies against COVID-19.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Arie Fridrich, Miguel Salinas-Saaverda, Itamar Kozlolvski, Joachim M. Surm, Eleni Chrysostomou, Abhinandan M. Tripathi, Uri Frank, Yehu Moran
Summary: The study reveals the importance of miR-2022 in initiating cell generation in Nematostella and its conservation across other cnidarian species.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Quentin I. B. Lemaitre, Natascha Bartsch, Ian U. Kouzel, Henriette Busengdal, Gemma Sian Richards, Patrick R. H. Steinmetz, Fabian Rentzsch
Summary: Endodermal neurogenesis is a rare phenomenon in animals. Researchers have identified a group of endoderm-specific neural progenitor cells in the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis, characterized by the expression of the transcription factor prdm14d. This study sheds light on the molecular regulation of non-ectodermal neurogenesis using Nematostella vectensis as a model, providing new insights into this poorly understood process.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Laura Baldassarre, Hua Ying, Adam Reitzel, Soren Franzenburgq, Sebastian Fraune
Summary: This study shows that sea anemones acclimated to high temperatures demonstrate increased resistance to thermal stress and that this improved adaptation can be transferred through microbiome transplantation. The findings suggest that microbiome plasticity may play a crucial role in thermal adaptations in animals.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Eviatar Weizman, Mieka Rinsky, Noa Simon-Blecher, Sarit Lampert-Karako, Orly Yaron, Ann M. Tarrant, Oren Levy
Summary: This study investigated the response differences to heat exposure between lab-cultured and field-conditioned Nematostella vectensis using experimental and gene sequencing techniques. The results showed that field-conditioned animals had a more concentrated response to heat stress, while lab animals had a more diffuse reaction, indicating that pre-conditioning has a significant impact on organisms' response to heat exposure.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Casimir Bamberger, Sandra Pankow, John R. Yates
Summary: The study finds that nvp63 may play a role in controlling genome stability in response to DNA damage, particularly those induced by the activation of transposable elements.
JOURNAL OF PROTEOME RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yinghua Fu, Zhenglei Li, Shiqi Xiao, Caiyun Zhao, Keqiang Zhou, Shenyi Cao
Summary: The study demonstrates that flavonoids in chickpeas can alleviate NAD(+)/NADH redox imbalance and mitochondrial complex I dysfunction in the pancreas, as well as reduce oxidative stress and improve dyslipidemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats.
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shrabasti Roychoudhury, Dipanjan Chowdhury
Summary: In this study, Zhao et al. (2022) demonstrate that HIV Tat-specific factor 1 recruits Topoisomerase IIb-binding protein 1 to double-strand break sites specifically in the S phase of the cell cycle to promote homologous recombination.
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michael S. Cohen
Summary: ADP-ribosylation is a crucial post-translational modification, involving MAR and PAR. Researchers have identified distinct MAR and PAR readers using a chemical biology approach.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
James M. Gahan, Ian U. Kouzel, Kamilla Ormevik Jansen, Pawel Burkhardt, Fabian Rentzsch
Summary: This study reveals the role of chromatin modifier Lsd1 in developmental regulation in cnidarians. The findings suggest that the integration of chromatin modifying proteins into developmental regulation predates the divergence of cnidarians and bilaterians, and is an ancient feature of animal development.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Laura Baldassarre, Shani Levy, Rinat Bar-Shalom, Laura Steindler, Tamar Lotan, Sebastian Fraune
Summary: By using Nematostella vectensis as a model organism, this study investigates the transmission of bacteria, revealing distinct bacterial communities carried by oocytes and sperms, indicating vertical transmission of bacteria through gametes. Analysis of microbial community compositions among families identified specific bacterial ASVs that are potential candidates for vertical transmission.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shelly Reuven, Mieka Rinsky, Vera Brekhman, Assaf Malik, Oren Levy, Tamar Lotan
Summary: In cnidarians like Nematostella vectensis, long-term ecological success relies on sexual reproduction, with temperature and light being major inducers for spawning. Transcriptome analysis revealed upregulation of various processes like receptors and cytoskeleton during spawning induction, while downregulation of cell cycle and metabolism-related processes was observed. Our findings also suggest temperature change as a stronger inducer for spawning in Nematostella, expanding our understanding of sexual reproduction in cnidarians.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Biology
Wiebke Ehrlich, James M. Gahan, Fabian Rentzsch, Frank J. P. Kuehn
Summary: This study investigates the physiological function of TRPM2 in N. vectensis and demonstrates that it sensitizes to oxidative stress while attenuates high-temperature injury in this marine invertebrate.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
H. Domin, J. Zimmermann, J. Taubenheim, G. Fuentes Reyes, L. Saueressig, D. Prasse, M. Hoeppner, R. A. Schmitz, U. Hentschel, C. Kaleta, S. Fraune
Summary: The host strongly influences the initial colonization of bacteria, while interactions between bacteria drive the succession process. The recolonization pattern on adult hosts resembles ontogenetic colonization succession, independent of the inoculum composition, and can be followed at the level of individual bacteria.