Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Valentina Botero, Bethany A. Stanhope, Elizabeth B. Brown, Eliza C. Grenci, Tamara Boto, Scarlet J. Park, Lanikea B. King, Keith R. Murphy, Kenneth J. Colodner, James A. Walker, Alex C. Keene, William W. Ja, Seth M. Tomchik
Summary: Neurofibromatosis type 1 is a genetic disorder that affects metabolic homeostasis through a discrete neuronal circuit, leading to increased metabolic rate, feeding, and alterations in lipid stores and turnover kinetics.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Carlos A. Pinzon-Arteaga, Yinjuan Wang, Yulei Wei, Ana E. Ribeiro Orsi, Leijie Li, Giovanna Scatolin, Lizhong Liu, Masahiro Sakurai, Jianfeng Ye, Hao Ming, Leqian Yu, Bo Li, Zongliang Jiang, Jun Wu
Summary: We developed an efficient method to generate bovine blastocyst-like structures (blastoids) by assembling bovine trophoblast stem cells and expanded potential stem cells. Bovine blastoids resemble blastocysts in morphology, cell composition, single-cell transcriptomes, in vitro growth, and the ability to elicit maternal recognition of pregnancy following transfer to recipient cows. Bovine blastoids serve as an accessible in vitro model for studying embryogenesis and improving reproductive efficiency in livestock species.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jonghun Park, Mehrdad Bakhtiari, Bernt Popp, Michael Wiesener, Vineet Bafna
Summary: In this study, a method called code-adVNTR was developed to detect motif count variation and small indels within VNTRs. The results showed that code-adVNTR outperformed GATK-HaplotypeCaller in calling small indels within large VNTRs and successfully characterized coding VNTRs in the 1000 genomes data.
Article
Ophthalmology
Yong Woo Ji, Hyun Goo Kang, Jong Suk Song, Ji Won Jun, Kyusun Han, Tae-im Kim, Kyoung Yul Seo, Hyung Keun Lee
Summary: The study found an upregulation of dopamine receptors DR1 and DR2 in the lacrimal glands of mice induced with dry eye, with the inhibition of DR2 exacerbating inflammatory conditions.
INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Aki Takahashi, Romain Durand-de Cuttoli, Meghan E. Flanigan, Emi Hasegawa, Tomomi Tsunematsu, Hossein Aleyasin, Yoan Cherasse, Ken Miya, Takuya Okada, Kazuko Keino-Masu, Koshiro Mitsui, Long Li, Vishwendra Patel, Robert D. Blitzer, Michael Lazarus, Kenji F. Tanaka, Akihiro Yamanaka, Takeshi Sakurai, Sonoko Ogawa, Scott J. Russo
Summary: The glutamatergic projections from the lateral habenula (LHb) to the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) modulate male mice's aggressive behavior. Inhibition of LHb-DRN projection blocks the increase in aggression after social instigation. The activity of this pathway is not necessary for the expression of species-typical aggressive behavior but essential for the increase in aggression resulting from social instigation.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Masaharu Uno, Yuri Tani, Masanori Nono, Emiko Okabe, Saya Kishimoto, Chika Takahashi, Ryoji Abe, Takuya Kurihara, Eisuke Nishida
Summary: The study highlights the importance of communication between neuronal DAF-16 and intestinal DAF-16 in regulating organismal lifespan.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hanne Friis Berntsen, Nur Duale, Cesilie Granum Bjorlund, Oscar Daniel Rangel-Huerta, Kine Dyrberg, Tim Hofer, Kirsten Eline Rakkestad, Gunn Ostby, Ruth Halsne, Gudrun Boge, Ragnhild Elisabeth Paulsen, Oddvar Myhre, Erik Ropstad
Summary: Exposure to mixtures of persistent organic pollutants may cause adverse neurodevelopmental effects, impacting neurobehavior.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sant. Kumar, Stanislav Anastassov, Stephanie K. Aoki, Johannes Falkenstein, Ching-Hsiang Chang, Timothy Frei, Peter Buchmann, Paul Argast, Mustafa Khammash
Summary: In this study, a universal light illumination platform called Diya was introduced for high-throughput optogenetic experiments. Extensive characterization experiments demonstrated that Diya maintains viable conditions for cell cultures and enables in vivo optogenetic strategies.
Article
Immunology
Ting-Jing Shen, Vu Thi Hanh, Thai Quoc Nguyen, Ming-Kai Jhan, Min-Ru Ho, Chiou-Feng Lin
Summary: Research has shown that the antiemetic drug metoclopramide (MCP) targeting D2R can effectively inhibit dengue virus infection and reduce viral replication, making it a potential new strategy for treating dengue virus.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Abigail L. Pfaff, Vivien J. Bubb, John P. Quinn, Sulev Koks
Summary: This study evaluated the effects of the SINE-VNTR-Alu (SVA) retrotransposon on transcript sequence and expression in the CNS. SVAs were found in known transcripts, some of which were tissue-specific, and novel exonization events were observed in the motor cortex. While no significant association with disease status was found, differentially expressed transcripts and their expression levels were associated with the genotype of proximal SVAs. This study highlights the functional consequences of SVA elements on mRNA splicing patterns and expression levels in CNS tissues.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bela Kiss, Istvan Laszlovszky, Balazs Kramos, Andras Visegrady, Amrita Bobok, Gyorgy Levay, Balazs Lendvai, Viktor Roman
Summary: Dopamine D3 receptor plays a role in CNS functions and drug research, with efforts focused on finding high affinity ligands for potential treatment options in CNS diseases.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tom T. Fischer, Lien D. Nguyen, Barbara E. Ehrlich
Summary: The study revealed that the absence of NCS1 in the brain leads to reduced dendritic complexity and spine density, which may be associated with deficits in memory acquisition. RNA sequencing results showed that NCS1 modulates gene expression related to neuronal morphology and development.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ricardo Laranjeiro, Girish Harinath, Amelia K. Pollard, Christopher J. Gaffney, Colleen S. Deane, Siva A. Vanapalli, Timothy Etheridge, Nathaniel J. Szewczyk, Monica Driscoll
Summary: The study found that in spaceflight conditions, worm neurons exhibited hyper-branching and an accumulation of neuronal waste in surrounding tissues, indicating impaired transcellular degradation of neuronal debris. The results highlight the significant impact of spaceflight on adult neuronal morphology and trash clearance, emphasizing the importance of assessing risks and developing countermeasures for safe long-duration space exploration.
Article
Biology
Laifu Li, Li-Zi Zhang, Zhi-Xiong He, Huan Ma, Yu-Ting Zhang, Yu-Feng Xun, Wei Yuan, Wen-Juan Hou, Yi-Tong Li, Zi-Jian Lv, Rui Jia, Fa-Dao Tai
Summary: This study using socially monogamous mandarin voles found that neural circuits involving 5-HTergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus and serotonin terminals in the anterior cingulate cortex play a crucial role in consolation-like behaviors and sociability. The release of 5-HT in the ACC and activity of DR neurons were significantly increased during comforting behaviors and social interactions. Activation of 5-HT1A receptors in the ACC was able to reverse deficits in consolation and sociability induced by inhibition of 5-HTergic neurons in the DR.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Charlie Gilbert, Tzu-Chieh Tang, Wolfgang Ott, Brandon A. Dorr, William M. Shaw, George L. Sun, Timothy K. Lu, Tom Ellis
Summary: A symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast is utilized to create bacterial cellulose-based living materials that can respond to external stimuli and adjust their structural and functional properties, with potential implications for biosensing and biocatalysis applications.
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Gea Koks, Abigail L. Pfaff, Vivien J. Bubb, John P. Quinn, Sulev Koks
Summary: Transcriptomics plays a crucial role in modern biomedical research and can enhance the precision of clinical diagnoses. Recent advancements in the field challenge established biological principles and provide new tools for the development of precision medicine.
EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Yongteng Dong, Jiahao Xu, Bradford Wesstrom, Blanca R. Olave, Juan Sanchez, John P. Quinn, Guikuan Yue
Summary: A thermodynamic model of the Fe(II)-Fe(III)-Cu(II)-H2SO4-H2O system was developed to simulate the species distribution in industrial copper electrorefining electrolyte successfully. The experimental results show that under high acid and copper concentration conditions, the redox potential can still be solely determined by the Fe3+/Fe2+ couple.
INDUSTRIAL & ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lingdi Nie, Liwen Jiang, John P. Quinn, Blair D. Grubb, Minyan Wang
Summary: The research reveals a novel mechanism of migraine pathogenesis in which TRPA1 transmits signaling to SFKs via PKA, facilitating CSD susceptibility and sensitization of the trigeminovascular system.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Lingdi Nie, Dongqing Ma, John P. Quinn, Minyan Wang
Summary: This study reveals that SFKs activity transmits P2X7 receptor signaling to facilitate CSD propagation via the glutamatergic pathway and promote neuroinflammation, which is particularly relevant to migraine.
JOURNAL OF HEADACHE AND PAIN
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Mahdiyah Osman, Aylin Olkun, Angela M. Maldonado, Jordi Lopez-Tremoleda, Nofre Sanchez-Perea, Ursula M. Paredes
Summary: The study found that parentally deprived owl monkey juveniles showed higher infection rates but no significant differences in stress levels. Infection rates and cortisol concentration in hair were positively correlated.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL PRIMATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Surgery
Gregory A. Metzger, Lindsey Asti, John P. Quinn, Deena J. Chisolm, Henry Xiang, Katherine J. Deans, Jennifer N. Cooper
Summary: The study found that the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act significantly reduced the percentage of uninsured patients and increased the proportion of patients discharged to inpatient rehabilitation in its first four years. Additionally, this expansion also decreased the inequality in in-hospital mortality rates between Black and White patients.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SURGEONS
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Sulev Koks, Abigail L. Pfaff, Vivien J. Bubb, John P. Quinn
Summary: Transcriptomic studies have shown substantial changes in intronic transcription in Parkinson's disease patients compared to healthy controls at different timepoints, indicating potential molecular pathways involved in the pathology of the disease. These changes were mainly observed in genes associated with neurodegenerative diseases, suggesting a specific role for intronic transcription in PD.
EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Abigail L. Pfaff, Vivien J. Bubb, John P. Quinn, Sulev Koks
Summary: The activation and dysregulation of retrotransposons in the CNS of ALS patients have been identified. The specific loci from which this expression occurs, especially the expression of L1 elements, play a potential role in somatic retrotransposition and DNA damage. By analyzing RNA sequencing data, it was found that ALS patients showed a significant reduction in L1 expression in certain brain regions. The expression profiles of L1s were associated with their genomic location and intactness, and the expression level of L1 positively correlated with the expression of the neighboring gene.
Article
Neurosciences
Alexander Frohlich, Abigail L. Pfaff, Vivien J. Bubb, Sulev Koks, John P. Quinn
Summary: SINE-VNTR-Alu retrotransposons, a class of transposable elements, contribute to the regulation and evolution of the primate genome and may be involved in genetic instability and disease progression. This study investigates the role of SVA_67, a retrotransposon insertion polymorphism, in the differential gene expression and tissue specificity of multiple genes at the MAPT locus. The findings highlight the importance of addressing SVA polymorphism in disease genetics.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Abigail L. Savage, Alfredo Iacoangeli, Gerald G. Schumann, Alejandro Rubio-Roldan, Jose L. Garcia-Perez, Ahmad Al Khleifat, Sulev Koks, Vivien J. Bubb, Ammar Al-Chalabi, John P. Quinn
Summary: The genetic factors of an individual play a crucial role in understanding the risk of developing ALS. This pilot study analyzed the genomes of 15 control individuals and 15 ALS patients to characterize the landscape of non-reference retrotransposon insertion polymorphisms (non-ref RIPs). By using two bioinformatics tools, the researchers identified multiple types of non-ref RIPs in the analyzed genomes. However, there was no specific RIP or significant difference in the total number of non-ref RIPs between ALS and control genomes. This study highlights the potential importance of further studying these elements in ALS.
Article
Agronomy
J. M. Welsh, A. S. Taschetto, J. P. Quinn
Summary: Climate variability and extremes have a negative impact on Australian cotton crop production, affecting farm planning and resource allocation. This study examined the relationship between cotton yield and climate factors, showing that different types of yields improve under different climate conditions. Additionally, the study found that the climate in central cotton growing areas is influenced by different phases of El Nino Modoki and ENSO indices.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Sulev Koks, Abigail L. Pfaff, Lewis M. Singleton, Vivien J. Bubb, John P. Quinn
Summary: The pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease involves the complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors. This study focused on the impact of non-reference genome transposable elements on the progression of Parkinson's disease and found that they have a significant effect on clinically important outcomes and imaging and functional measures.
EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Jack N. G. Marshall, Alexander Frohlich, Li Li, Abigail L. Pfaff, Ben Middlehurst, Thomas P. Spargo, Alfredo Iacoangeli, Bing Lang, Ammar Al-Chalabi, Sulev Koks, Vivien J. Bubb, John P. Quinn
Summary: This article describes the characterization of a variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) domain in intron 1 of the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) risk gene CFAP410, and its potential as a modulator of gene expression and ALS progression or risk.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Renata Kabiljo, Harry Bowles, Heather Marriott, Ashley R. Jones, Clement R. Bouton, Richard J. B. Dobson, John P. Quinn, Ahmad Al Khleifat, Chad M. Swanson, Ammar Al-Chalabi, Alfredo Iacoangeli
Summary: This article introduces RetroSnake, a computational pipeline for the discovery of HERVs in NGS data. RetroSnake is based on a wet-lab validated protocol and covers all steps of the analysis. It is easy to use and suitable for life scientists without computational training.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Abigail L. Pfaff, Vivien J. Bubb, John P. Quinn, Sulev Koks
Summary: This study evaluated the effects of the SINE-VNTR-Alu (SVA) retrotransposon on transcript sequence and expression in the CNS. SVAs were found in known transcripts, some of which were tissue-specific, and novel exonization events were observed in the motor cortex. While no significant association with disease status was found, differentially expressed transcripts and their expression levels were associated with the genotype of proximal SVAs. This study highlights the functional consequences of SVA elements on mRNA splicing patterns and expression levels in CNS tissues.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)