Article
Environmental Sciences
Manuel Esperon-Rodriguez, Mark G. Tjoelker, Jonathan Lenoir, John B. Baumgartner, Linda J. Beaumont, David A. Nipperess, Sally A. Power, Benoit Richard, Paul D. Rymer, Rachael Gallagher
Summary: This research found that over half of urban tree species currently experience non-ideal climate conditions, and the risk is projected to increase by 2050 due to climate change. The study also highlights cities where all tree species are at risk.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Natsuki Shinoda, Misuzu Horikoshi, Yusuke Taira, Masaya Muramoto, Shoshiro Hirayama, Shigeo Murata, Masayuki Miura
Summary: Caspases cleave over 1500 substrates in the human proteome in both lethal and non-lethal scenarios, but the physiological consequences and substrate selectivity remain unclear. In this study, we found that caspases cleave Drosophila BubR1 and alter its subcellular localization and protein-protein interactions. Flies with cleavage-resistant BubR1 showed prolonged kinetochore localization and extended lifespan, suggesting that caspase-mediated cleavage of BubR1 regulates spindle assembly checkpoint and organismal lifespan.
Article
Cell Biology
Han Mo, Linghan Wang, Yuting Chen, Xuchen Zhang, Ning Huang, Tingting Liu, Wantong Hu, Yi Zhong, Qian Li
Summary: Age-related memory impairment (AMI) is a common phenomenon. This study in Drosophila found that the loss of learning-activated MAPK signals with age leads to increased vulnerability to interfering stimuli, resulting in AMI.
Article
Environmental Studies
Wing Shan Kan, Raul P. Lejano
Summary: As extreme weather events become more frequent, vulnerabilities in urban areas are heightened by the intersection of various factors, such as aging populations and coastal development. Hong Kong serves as a prime example of these intersecting risks, where the elderly living on reclaimed land are increasingly exposed to coastal flooding. Efforts in major cities to identify and address these vulnerabilities are lacking, indicating a need for future research to analyze these intersectionalities.
Article
Plant Sciences
Feng Feng, Yael Wagner, Tamir Klein, Uri Hochberg
Summary: The study found that cavitation resistance is a dynamic trait that changes in coordination with turgor loss point. Comparisons of different methods showed differences in the results. Through a two-year observation in a Mediterranean climate, it was found that the cavitation pressure (psi(50)) of pine trees had plasticity, decreasing by approximately 1 MPa from the end of the wet season to the end of the dry season, in coordination with the dynamics of midday xylem water potential (psi(midday)) and turgor loss point (psi(tlp)). Seasonal plasticity is crucial for understanding the risk of cavitation and modeling species' ability to tolerate harsh environments.
PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Starr Welty, Amantha Thathiah, Arthur Samuel Levine
Summary: Recent studies have found a strong association between neuronal DNA damage and increased secretion of amyloid-beta (Aβ), which may contribute to the early stages of neuronal pathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD).
JOURNAL OF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Biology
Katja M. Hoedjes, Hristina Kostic, Laurent Keller, Thomas Flatt
Summary: This study confirms the functional role of the Darkener of apricot (Doa) gene in the life history evolution of Drosophila melanogaster. The study shows that silencing the gene leads to reduced lifespan and fecundity, and specific genetic variations are associated with changes in lifespan and fecundity.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dapeng Su, Weike Jiang, Qingsong Yuan, Lanping Guo, Qin Liu, Mengmeng Zhang, Chuangzhi Kang, Chenghong Xiao, Changgui Yang, Liangyuan Li, Chunyun Xu, Tao Zhou, Jinqiang Zhang
Summary: Chronic aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) exposure increases vulnerability to stress and impairs hippocampal neurogenesis in mice. This study demonstrates the relationship between AFB1 exposure and susceptibility to stress, and reveals the adverse impact of AFB1 on neurogenesis.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Md Zeeshan Anushree, Md Zeeshan L. Ali, Anwar Bilgrami, Jawaid Ahsan
Summary: This study investigates the effects of acute arsenic treatment on the behavior, cognition, and development of Drosophila. The findings suggest that arsenic exposure significantly affects locomotor abilities, pupae size, cognitive functions, and neurobehavioral impairment in fruit flies, providing insights into the mechanisms of arsenic toxicity on the brain.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim Ahmed, Christoph Franz Adam Vogel, Guilherme Malafaia
Summary: This study assessed the effects of nitenpyram on various developmental and metabolic parameters in Drosophila melanogaster, finding that sublethal concentrations of nitenpyram prolonged developmental time, decreased lifespan and egg production, and altered gene expression related to development and metabolism.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sophie M. Briffa
Summary: Plastics are a serious global environmental concern, with microplastics and nanoplastics posing potential risks to health and the environment. Research on microplastics and nanoplastics needs to be strengthened, with further investigation into their impacts on ecosystems.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Carmen R. B. da Silva, Julian E. Beaman, Jacob P. Youngblood, Vanessa Kellermann, Sarah E. Diamond
Summary: The resilience of ecosystem function under global climate change is influenced by individual species vulnerabilities and their contributions to functional groups. This study investigated the vulnerability of different functional groups to climate change using upper thermal limit data of terrestrial species. The results showed that vulnerability varied among functional groups and changed across geographic space.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Eliana Jardim Fernandes, Elize Aparecida Santos Musachio, Luana Barreto Meichtry, Dieniffer Espinosa Janner, Franciele Romero Machado Balok, Magna Sotelo Barrientos, Nathalie Savedra Gomes, Ketnne Hanna Poleto Pinto, Mustafa Munir Mustafa Dahleh, Andrieli Rodrigues, Sandra Elisa Haas, Silvana Peterini Boeira, Marina Prigol, Gustavo Petri Guerra
Summary: We investigated the potential toxic effects of chronic exposure to free curcumin and curcumin-loaded nanocapsules in Drosophila melanogaster, demonstrating the safe applications of nanoencapsulated curcumin.
FOOD AND CHEMICAL TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chyi Wei Chung, Amberley D. Stephens, Tasuku Konno, Edward Ward, Edward Avezov, Clemens F. Kaminski, Ali A. Hassanali, Gabriele S. Kaminski Schierle
Summary: This study demonstrates that aggregation of A beta 42 in live cells leads to an increase in cell-averaged temperatures, which can be mitigated by treatment with an aggregation inhibitor. It also suggests that under intracellular-mimicking ionic conditions, aggregation and heat retention by A beta peptides are favored, potentially promoting thermogenesis.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Ming-Tsan Su, Yong-Sin Jheng, Chen-Wen Lu, Wen-Jhen Wu, Shieh-Yueh Yang, Wu-Chang Chuang, Ming-Chung Lee, Chung-Hsin Wu
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of Yi-Gan-San (YGS) on Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementia. The results showed that YGS exhibited antioxidant capacity and improved nerve cell viability in vitro. In vivo, YGS alleviated Aβ protein aggregation, increased survival rate, and improved motor abilities in Drosophila flies.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Joshua Stevenson-Hoare, Amanda Heslegrave, Ganna Leonenko, Dina Fathalla, Eftychia Bellou, Lauren Luckcuck, Rachel Marshall, Rebecca Sims, Bryan Paul Morgan, John Hardy, Bart de Strooper, Julie Williams, Henrik Zetterberg, Valentina Escott-Price
Summary: Plasma biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease-related pathologies have made significant progress in recent years, with well-validated blood tests available for the detection of amyloid and tau pathology, as well as neurodegeneration and astrocytic activation. This study demonstrates that a combination of five plasma biomarkers, along with genetic variants associated with these biomarkers, can be used to accurately diagnose and predict the onset of Alzheimer's disease.
Article
Biology
Nirmal Verma, Gopal Viswanathan Velmurugan, Edric Winford, Han Coburn, Deepak Kotiya, Noah Leibold, Laura Radulescu, Sanda Despa, Kuey C. Chen, Linda J. Van Eldik, Peter T. Nelson, Donna M. Wilcock, Gregory A. Jicha, Ann M. Stowe, Larry B. Goldstein, David K. Powel, Jeffrey H. Walton, Manuel F. Navedo, Matthew A. Nystoriak, Andrew J. Murray, Geert Jan Biessels, Claire Troakes, Henrik Zetterberg, John Hardy, Tammaryn Lashley, Florin Despa
Summary: Impairment of vascular pathways contributes to Alzheimer's disease. Blood amylin secreted from the pancreas perturbs cerebral A beta clearance, leading to amylin and A beta co-deposits in the brain microvasculature. Altering bloodborne amylin could potentially reduce cerebrovascular amylin deposits and A beta pathology.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Letter
Clinical Neurology
John Hardy, Catherine Mummery
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maarouf Baghdadi, Tobias Nespital, Andrea Mesaros, Sandra Buschbaum, Dominic J. Withers, Sebastian Gronke, Linda Partridge
Summary: Reduced insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling (IIS) extends health and lifespan, but the exact tissues involved are unknown. This study found that lack of IRS1 in liver, muscle, or fat does not increase lifespan or improve health, but neuronal loss of IRS1 specifically in old males leads to improved health and metabolic adaptations consistent with activated stress response.
Correction
Neurosciences
Regina H. Reynolds, Aaron Z. Wagen, Frida Lona-Durazo, Sonja W. Scholz, Maryam Shoai, John Hardy, Sarah A. Gagliano Taliun, Mina Ryten
NPJ PARKINSONS DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Regina H. Reynolds, Aaron Z. Wagen, Frida Lona-Durazo, Sonja W. Scholz, Maryam Shoai, John Hardy, Sarah A. Gagliano Taliun, Mina Ryten
Summary: Genetic correlation (r(g)) can provide insights into shared biological mechanisms. Neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases have minimal global r(g), but local r(g) can exist. Applying LAVA, researchers found local r(g) between several neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases, highlighting potential common therapeutic targets.
NPJ PARKINSONS DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Harald Hampel, Yan Hu, John Hardy, Kaj Blennow, Christopher Chen, George Perry, Seung Hyun Kim, Victor L. Villemagne, Paul Aisen, Michele Vendruscolo, Takeshi Iwatsubo, Colin L. Masters, Min Cho, Lars Lannfelt, Jeffrey L. Cummings, Andrea Vergallo
Summary: This summary reviews the evidence supporting the role of the amyloid-b (Ab) pathway in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and emphasizes the importance of targeting this pathway in early stages of the disease. Understanding and targeting the A beta pathway can lead to better therapeutic outcomes and management of AD.
NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASE MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Karishma D'Sa, Sebastian Guelfi, Jana Vandrovcova, Regina H. Reynolds, David Zhang, John Hardy, Juan A. Botia, Michael E. Weale, Sarah A. Gagliano Taliun, Kerrin S. Small, Mina Ryten
Summary: This study revealed that the genetic regulation of gene expression mainly occurs post-transcriptionally in the cytoplasm, with synaptic genes more likely to undergo this form of regulation. These findings are crucial for understanding the structure of gene expression regulation in the human brain and interpreting large-scale gene association studies.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Carolina Monzo, Lisonia Gkioni, Andreas Beyer, Dario Riccardo Valenzano, Sebastian Gronke, Linda Partridge
Summary: Aging impairs immune function, but dietary restriction (DR) can attenuate this decline. In this study, it was shown that DR preserves B cell receptor (BCR) repertoire diversity and reduces clonal expansions during aging in mice. Remarkably, mice starting DR in mid-life have similar BCR diversity and clonal expansion rates as mice on chronic DR. These findings suggest a potential role of B cell repertoire dynamics in age-related health.
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Benjamin O'Callaghan, John Hardy, Helene Plun-Favreau
Summary: The genetics of Parkinson's disease has played a crucial role in understanding the PINK1-dependent mitophagy process. In this article, we examine the implications of a 2010 PLOS Biology paper that provided insight into the functional significance of PINK1 in the mitophagy cascade.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Nurlan Kerimov, Ralf Tambets, James D. Hayhurst, Ida Rahu, Peep Kolberg, Uku Raudvere, Ivan Kuzmin, Anshika Chowdhary, Andreas Vija, Hans J. Teras, Masahiro Kanai, Jacob Ulirsch, Mina Ryten, John Hardy, Sebastian Guelfi, Daniah Trabzuni, Sarah Kim-Hellmuth, William Rayner, Hilary Finucane, Hedi Peterson, Abayomi Mosaku, Helen Parkinson, Kaur Alasoo
Summary: The eQTL Catalogue is an open database of uniformly processed human molecular quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that has been continuously updated to improve its utility in interpreting genetic associations with complex traits. The updates include an increase in the number of studies and datasets covered, implementation of statistical fine mapping, and development of static QTL coverage plots. These updates have been demonstrated to be useful in interpreting genetic variants associated with vitamin D levels in human plasma and will facilitate the interpretation of complex trait associations identified by other human genetics efforts.
Letter
Clinical Neurology
John Hardy
BRAIN COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Connor Langworth-Green, Saisha Patel, Zane Jaunmuktane, Edwin Jabbari, Huw Morris, Maria Thom, Andrew Lees, John Hardy, Michael Zandi, Karen Duff
Summary: Tauopathies are neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the aggregation of tau protein. Chronic inflammation plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, but its effects on tau pathology have been overlooked. Factors such as infection, brain injury, seizures, and autoimmune disease can trigger tau pathology through inflammatory processes. Understanding the chronic effects of inflammation on tauopathies may lead to the development of immunomodulatory interventions for clinical use.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Xiaopu Zhou, Yu Chen, Fanny C. F. Ip, Yuanbing Jiang, Han Cao, Ge Lv, Huan Zhong, Jiahang Chen, Tao Ye, Yuewen Chen, Yulin Zhang, Shuangshuang Ma, Ronnie M. N. Lo, Estella P. S. Tong, Vincent C. T. Mok, Timothy C. Y. Kwok, Qihao Guo, Kin Y. Mok, Maryam Shoai, John Hardy, Lei Chen, Amy K. Y. Fu, Nancy Y. Ip
Summary: Zhou et al. utilize deep learning to improve polygenic risk analysis for Alzheimer's disease. Their computational approach outperforms existing statistical methods and helps to identify potential biological mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease risk.
COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Karri Kaivola, Ruth Chia, Jinhui Ding, Memoona Rasheed, Masashi Fujita, Vilas Menon, Ronald L. Walton, Ryan L. Collins, Kimberley Billingsley, Harrison Brand, Michael Talkowski, Xuefang Zhao, Ramita Dewan, Ali Stark, Anindita Ray, Sultana Solaiman, Pilar Alvarez Jerez, Laksh Malik, Ted M. Dawson, Liana S. Rosenthal, Marilyn S. Albert, Olga Pletnikova, Juan C. Troncoso, Mario Maselis, Julia Keith, Eric Int LBD Genomics Consortium, Ali Int ALS FTD Consortium, Pentti PROSPECT Consortium, Toshiko Tanaka, Eric Topol, Ali Torkamani, Pentti Tienari, Tatiana M. Foroud, Bernardino Ghetti, John E. Landers, Mina Rtyen, Huw R. Morris, John A. Hardy, Letizia Mazzini, Sandra D'Alfonso, Cristina Moglia, Andrea Calvo, Geidy E. Serrano, Thomas G. Beach, Tanis Ferman, Neill R. Graff-Radford, Bradley F. Boeve, Zbigniew K. Wszolek, Dennis W. Dickson, Adriano Chio, David A. Bennett, Philip L. De Jager, Owen A. Ross, Clifton L. Dalgard, J. Raphael Gibbs, Bryan J. Traynor, Sonja W. Scholz
Summary: This study characterized the role of structural variants in Lewy body dementia (LBD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD)/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The researchers discovered a novel risk locus for LBD and found associations between known structural variants and FTD/ALS. Rare pathogenic structural variants were also identified in both LBD and FTD/ALS. The study provides a catalog of structural variants for further understanding of the pathogenesis of these forms of dementia.