Publications by authors named "A C Bracken"
Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), composed of the core subunits EED, SUZ12, and either EZH1 or EZH2, is critical for maintaining cellular identity in multicellular organisms. PRC2 deposits H3K27me3, which is thought to recruit the canonical form of PRC1 (cPRC1) to promote gene repression. Here, we show that EZH1-PRC2 and cPRC1 are the primary Polycomb complexes on target genes in non-dividing, quiescent cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- - Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) plays a key role in controlling genes that define and maintain cell identity.
- - Recent research by Szczurek et al. highlights a specific type of PRC1, called noncanonical PRC1 (ncPRC1), which adds a chemical mark (H2AK119ub1) that helps keep genes turned off.
- - ncPRC1 effectively prevents the start of transcription, ensuring that these lineage-specific genes remain inactive, thus maintaining cellular identity.
Linking energy availability, movement and sociality in a wild primate ().
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci
December 2024
Article Synopsis
- The study explores how energetic deficiencies in older individuals can limit social activity and social network size, specifically in wild chacma baboons.
- Researchers combined measures of energy availability (via faecal triiodothyronine), GPS tracking for movement and social proximity, and accelerometry to analyze social grooming behaviors.
- Findings indicate that higher energy levels were linked to spending more time in one location, which increased social interactions, although lower-energy individuals appeared to adapt by conserving energy during movement, pointing to the complexity of social aging mechanisms.
Lysine acylations are ubiquitous and structurally diverse post-translational modifications that vastly expand the functional heterogeneity of the human proteome. Hence, the targeted acylation of lysine residues has emerged as a strategic approach to exert biomimetic control over the protein function. However, existing strategies for targeted lysine acylation in cells often rely on genetic intervention, recruitment of endogenous acylation machinery, or nonspecific acylating agents and lack methods to quantify the magnitude of specific acylations on a global level.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Social bonds in mammals can enhance fitness by mitigating physiological stress, particularly through the regulation of glucocorticoid hormones.
- The study examines the relationship between allogrooming behavior and glucocorticoid levels in wild female chacma baboons, revealing that grooming may lead to temporary increases in stress hormone levels.
- These findings challenge the assumption that social grooming always has positive health effects, indicating that maintaining social bonds might come with short-term physiological costs.