Article
Developmental Biology
Melissa M. Rolls
Summary: The microtubule cytoskeleton is crucial for long-lived neurons, with their correct polarity being essential for transporting cargoes in the right direction. This review focuses on how microtubule polarity is established and maintained in neurons, highlighting the surprising complexity of mechanisms involved in organizing microtubules in the correct orientation.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Chengye Feng, Joseph M. Cleary, Gregory O. Kothe, Michelle C. Stone, Alexis T. Weiner, James Hertzler, William O. Hancock, Melissa M. Rolls
Summary: Axons and dendrites are distinguished by microtubule polarity, with dendrites containing minus-end-out microtubules and axons having plus-end-out microtubules. Trim9 and kinesin-5 work together at microtubule plus ends to promote new microtubule growth and resist catastrophe. Successful exit of microtubules at branch points depends on their orientation and parallel orientation with other microtubules.
JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mandira Dutta, Susan P. Gilbert, Jose N. Onuchic, Biman Jana
Summary: Propofol disrupts kinesin processivity by impacting the structure transition in the kinesin neck-linker region, with binding at crucial surfaces in the leading head and reducing the microtubule-binding affinity. The fluorine derivative fropofol has lower binding affinity compared to propofol due to its inability to make suitable interactions at the binding surface. This study provides insights into the mechanism by which propofol affects kinesin movement and ATPase stepping cycle transitions.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Elena P. Moreno-Jimenez, Julia Terreros-Roncal, Miguel Flor-Garcia, Alberto Rabano, Maria Llorens-Martin
Summary: The rodent hippocampus generates new neurons throughout life, but direct evidence of adult neurogenesis in humans remains elusive. Research indicates that adult hippocampal neurogenesis may persist until the 10th decade of human life, with marked impairments in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Methodological aspects in processing and analyzing postmortem human brain samples may limit the detection of markers of adult hippocampal neurogenesis, highlighting the need for strict controls in human studies.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bin Qiu, Zhaohui Zhong, Shawn Righter, Yuxue Xu, Jun Wang, Ran Deng, Chao Wang, Kent E. Williams, Yao-ying Ma, Gavriil Tsechpenakis, Tiebing Liang, Weidong Yong
Summary: The FK506-binding protein 51 (FKBP51) has been linked to stress-related mental illness. In this study, the researchers investigated the effects of deleting the Fkbp51 gene on brain morphology. They found that male Fkbp51 knock-out mice had elongated dentate gyrus but shorter hippocampal height compared to wild-type mice. Further experiments showed that Fkbp51 is involved in the regulation of microtubule-associated protein expression and negatively regulates Parkin protein in a dose-dependent and ubiquitin-mediated manner.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Valerie Siahaan, Ruensern Tan, Tereza Humhalova, Lenka Libusova, Samuel E. Lacey, Tracy Tan, Mariah Dacy, Kassandra M. Ori-McKenney, Richard J. McKenney, Marcus Braun, Zdenek Lansky
Summary: Tau and MAP2 can form envelopes on microtubules by altering lattice spacing, providing a molecular basis for spatial regulation of microtubule-based processes. Envelopes can affect the activity of other MAPs and motor proteins on microtubules.
NATURE CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sara Zocher, Rupert W. Overall, Gabriel Berdugo-Vega, Nicole Rund, Anne Karasinsky, Vijay S. Adusumilli, Christina Steinhauer, Sina Scheibenstock, Kristian Handler, Joachim L. Schultze, Federico Calegari, Gerd Kempermann
Summary: Newborn DNA methylation during adult neurogenesis is crucial for the maturation and integration of functional neurons in the hippocampus, facilitating transcriptional up-regulation of neuronal genes and affecting activation patterns in the hippocampal circuitry.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ivan A. Kuznetsov, Andrey V. Kuznetsov
Summary: The contributions of different components of slow axonal transport (SAT) were investigated using a computational model. The study focused on the anterograde motor-driven, retrograde motor-driven, and diffusion-driven components. The research found that a non-uniform distribution of protein concentration in axons requires the bidirectional nature of SAT, as solely anterograde transport cannot simulate this variation.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY A-MATHEMATICAL PHYSICAL AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Laura Lopez-Molina, Joaquin Fernandez-Irigoyen, Carmen Cifuentes-Diaz, Jordi Alberch, Jean-Antoine Girault, Enrique Santamaria, Silvia Gines, Albert Giralt
Summary: This study explores the function of Pyk2 in mitochondria-associated membranes (MAMs) and demonstrates its role in regulating ER-mitochondria calcium efflux, affecting mitochondrial function and leading to calcium homeostasis imbalance.
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Ivan A. A. Kuznetsov, Andrey V. V. Kuznetsov
Summary: Slow axonal transport (SAT) is responsible for moving proteins from the soma to the axon terminal and relies on active transport driven by molecular motors. Despite predominantly being anterograde, experiments have shown that SAT also has a retrograde component. In the case of tau protein transport, the retrograde component is necessary to explain the observed distribution along the axon.
COMPUTER METHODS IN BIOMECHANICS AND BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tongyin Zhang, Daofei Ji, Junyi Sun, Jiangling Song, Limin Nie, Na Sun
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effect of NPAS4 against propofol-induced neurotoxicity in hippocampal neuronal cells. The results demonstrated that overexpression of NPAS4 protected HT22 cells against propofol-induced damage by reducing autophagy.
ARCHIVES OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chong Liu, Yingjie She, Jia Huang, Yongping Liu, Wanwei Li, Can Zhang, Tianliang Zhang, Li Yu
Summary: This study reveals the mechanism of hippocampal neuron impairment induced by neuroinflammation caused by PM2.5 exposure, and identifies the role of the HMGB1-NLRP3-P2X7R pathway in the activation of microglia.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Pingting Liu, Md Razaul Karim, Ana Covelo, Yuan Yue, Michael K. K. Lee, Wensheng Lin
Summary: The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a major mechanism for maintaining cellular proteostasis. It is involved in regulating neuron viability and function in neurodegenerative diseases, but its role is controversial. While evidence suggests UPR activation in neurons under normal conditions, deficiency of individual UPR branches has no major effect on brain neurons in animals. To determine the physiological role of UPR, mice with double deletion of PERK and ATF6α in neurons were generated. The results showed that UPR is required for maintaining neuronal proteostasis and the viability and function of neurons in the hippocampus of adult mice.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biology
Aleksandra Z. Plochocka, Miguel Ramirez Moreno, Alexander M. Davie, Natalia A. Bulgakova, Lyubov Chumakova
Summary: The robustness of microtubule networks plays a crucial role in ensuring the stable delivery of cellular components, depending on the separation of time-scales in microtubule dynamics rates. This robustness is demonstrated in both individual cells and tissue-scale through large-scale stochastic simulations and genetic manipulations of Drosophila epithelial cells.
Article
Cell Biology
Danila Di Meo, Priyadarshini Ravindran, Tanmay Sadhanasatish, Pratibha Dhumale, Andreas W. Puschel
Summary: During neuronal development, SadA/B kinases and AnkB regulate mitochondrial dynamics to maintain stability in axons and dendrites. Inhibition of SadA/B or AnkB leads to excessive fusion of mitochondria and activation of the integrated stress response. Mild actin destabilization can restore the normal dynamics of axonal mitochondria.