Review
Plant Sciences
Courtney E. Dresden, Quratulayn Ashraf, Aman Y. Husbands
Summary: The StARkin domain is an evolutionarily conserved structure with a deep hydrophobic pocket capable of binding lipophilic ligands. Dysregulation of StARkin proteins has significant effects on disease and development. Recent studies highlight the diversity of regulatory mechanisms employed by the StARkin module, providing valuable insights for researchers.
CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hana Sutovska, Katarina Babarikova, Michal Zeman, Lubos Molcan
Summary: Prenatal hypoxia can lead to hypertension in adulthood by affecting cardiovascular regulatory mechanisms, which may vary depending on circadian variability and phase.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Daniel A. Careno, Soledad Perez Santangelo, Richard C. Macknight, Marcelo J. Yanovsky
Summary: Circadian rhythms are regulated by a set of clock genes, and this study identified LSM1 and XRN4 as factors involved in mRNA decay pathway that affects clock function in plants.
PLANT AND CELL PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Lucia Florencia Franchini
Summary: The emergenece of the six-layered neocortex in reptilian ancestors of mammals is a key evolutionary event, facilitating the development of remarkable sensory, motor, and cognitive abilities in mammals. Each mammalian lineage exhibits unique genetic programs that contribute to the diversity in neocortical development, potentially leading to differences in brain structure and function across species. The human brain, with its large neocortex, has evolved unique cognitive capacities such as abstract thinking, verbal language, and long-term planning, believed to be a result of the cortical expansion and elaboration of connections in the human lineage.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elizabeth K. Mallott
Summary: This study combines large amplicon sequencing data sets with bacterial phenotypic traits to investigate the impact of microbial dispersal patterns on the host specificity of the gut microbiome. The results suggest that both transmission mode and oxygen tolerance play a role in determining the specialization of microbes.
Review
Cell Biology
Yan Huang, Ignasi Roig
Summary: Meiosis is a highly specialized cell division process that is crucial for sexual reproduction by generating haploid gametes. It involves complex chromosomal dynamics and meiotic recombination, which ensure accurate homolog segregation and genetic diversity in offspring. Surveillance mechanisms monitor these events to prevent errors that could lead to aneuploidy and infertility. Research in mouse models and genomic technologies has enhanced our understanding of meiotic control and its implications for mammalian infertility. This review summarizes the genetic regulations of meiosis and the potential diagnostic value for human infertility based on studies in mice.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hiroshi Takagi, Andrew K. Hempton, Takato Imaizumi
Summary: The timing of flowering is important for sexual reproduction, crop yield, biomass and lifespan. The mechanisms of flowering are conserved in angiosperms, and understanding the regulation of the FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) gene is crucial. Many transcriptional regulators influence FT expression, but the coordination of their control on the spatiotemporal expression patterns of FT requires further investigation.
PLANT COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Physiology
Robert Kavet, Joseph Brain
Summary: Animals across the animal kingdom use Earth's magnetic field for navigation through two mechanisms, one relying on magnetite crystals in tissue and the other involving cryptochrome proteins in cone photoreceptors. In birds, the Radical Pair Mechanism is used, where blue/UV light activates cryptochrome's flavin cofactor to generate radical pairs modulated by the magnetic field, aiding in orientation to the Earth's magnetic field. Mammalian Type II cryptochrome isoforms are found to play a role in the molecular clock without having a photoreceptive function.
Review
Cell Biology
Jose Norberto S. Vargas, Maho Hamasaki, Tsuyoshi Kawabata, Richard J. Youle, Tamotsu Yoshimori
Summary: Autophagy is a process that degrades various intracellular elements, either non-selectively or selectively. Selective autophagy is involved in degrading specific targets such as damaged organelles, aggregated proteins, or invading bacteria, and plays a crucial role in cellular quality control. Recent progress in understanding the mechanisms of selective autophagy in mammals has the potential to enhance cellular quality control capabilities and alleviate pathology.
NATURE REVIEWS MOLECULAR CELL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Daniel Mota-Rojas, Cristiane Goncalves Titto, Agustin Orihuela, Julio Martinez-Burnes, Jocelyn Gomez-Prado, Fabiola Torres-Bernal, Karla Flores-Padilla, Veronica Carvajal de la Fuente, Dehua Wang
Summary: The study of hypothalamic neuromodulation of thermoregulation presents broad opportunities with practical applications, enhanced by tools like infrared thermography (IRT). Research areas include understanding the impact of climate change on behavior and productivity, analyzing the effects of exercise on animals in sports, identifying microvascular changes in response to stressors, and examining thermoregulating behaviors. Results could aid in better environments for animals and improve their survival chances.
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Varsha Rani, Rakesh Singh Sengar
Summary: miRNAs are small regulatory molecules that play a crucial role in posttranscriptional gene expression, and their expression is tightly regulated. They interact with specific sequences on mRNA to regulate gene expression through mRNA degradation and/or translational repression.
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOENGINEERING
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Chelsea Hepler, Joseph Bass
Summary: In this article, the authors focus on the new insights into the plasticity of adipocytes and the circadian control of adipose tissue metabolism, transcription, and inflammation. They also discuss the recent studies that uncover the mechanistic links between clocks and adipocyte metabolism, as well as its application to dietary and behavioral interventions for improving health and mitigating obesity. The circadian clock plays a crucial role in coordinating feeding and metabolic rhythms, and disrupting the clock is associated with increased adiposity and metabolic disorders.
GENES & DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yoshihiko Furuike, Atsushi Mukaiyama, Shin-Ichi Koda, Damien Simon, Dongyan Ouyang, Kumiko Ito-Miwa, Shinji Saito, Eiki Yamashita, Taeko Nishiwaki-Ohkawa, Kazuki Terauchi, Takao Kondo, Shuji Akiyama
Summary: KaiC is a dual ATPase that drives the circadian clock system of cyanobacteria through the coordination of its N-terminal and C-terminal active sites. The activities of these two sites are regulated differently and their delicate interactions drive the assembly and disassembly cycle of KaiA and KaiB.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Daniela Marzoll, Fidel E. Serrano, Anton Shostak, Carolin Schunke, Axel C. R. Diernfellner, Michael Brunner
Summary: This study reveals that CK1, FRQ, and PERs form equivalent timing modules in circadian clocks, regulating rhythmicity through phosphorylation. The slow phosphorylation kinetics depend on site-specific recruitment, interaction between disordered segments and CK1, and CK1 autoinhibition.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Paula M. Wagner, Cesar G. Prucca, Fabiola N. Velazquez, Lucas G. Sosa Alderete, Beatriz L. Caputto, Mario E. Guido
Summary: Results suggest that tumor growth and drug efficacy may be precisely controlled by the circadian timing system, with higher growth rates observed in tumors injected at night and higher drug efficacy seen when administered at night, indicating the critical role of host state and susceptibility.