Spermidine alleviates depression via control of the stress response.

Depression is a stress-associated disorder, and it represents a major global health issue. Its pathophysiology is complex and remains insufficiently understood, with current medications often showing limited efficacy and undesirable side effects. Here, we identify imbalanced polyamine levels and dysregulated autophagy as key components of the acute stress response in humans, and as hallmarks of chronic stress and depressive disorders.

Spermidine is essential for fasting-mediated autophagy and longevity.

Caloric restriction and intermittent fasting prolong the lifespan and healthspan of model organisms and improve human health. The natural polyamine spermidine has been similarly linked to autophagy enhancement, geroprotection and reduced incidence of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases across species borders. Here, we asked whether the cellular and physiological consequences of caloric restriction and fasting depend on polyamine metabolism.

Inhibiting Hippo pathway kinases releases WWC1 to promote AMPAR-dependent synaptic plasticity and long-term memory in mice.

The localization, number, and function of postsynaptic AMPA-type glutamate receptors (AMPARs) are crucial for synaptic plasticity, a cellular correlate for learning and memory. The Hippo pathway member WWC1 is an important component of AMPAR-containing protein complexes. However, the availability of WWC1 is constrained by its interaction with the Hippo pathway kinases LATS1 and LATS2 (LATS1/2).

Refinement of the rKLi8.3-Based Serodiagnostic ELISA Allows Detection of Canine Leishmaniosis in Dogs with Low Antibody Titers.

The diagnosis of canine leishmaniasis (CanL) still represents a challenge due to the variable clinical manifestations and the large number of asymptomatic dogs. Serological tests are most commonly used to detect infected animals, revealing anti- antibodies, mainly of the IgG isotype. Recently, a new diagnostic antigen, rKLi8.

CLPP-Null Eukaryotes with Excess Heme Biosynthesis Show Reduced L-arginine Levels, Probably via CLPX-Mediated OAT Activation.

The serine peptidase CLPP is conserved among bacteria, chloroplasts, and mitochondria. In humans and mice, its loss causes Perrault syndrome, which presents with growth deficits, infertility, deafness, and ataxia. In the filamentous fungus , CLPP loss leads to longevity.

Spatially distinct molecular patterns of gene expression in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a heterogeneous disease that is pathologically characterized by areas of normal-appearing lung parenchyma, active fibrosis (transition zones including fibroblastic foci) and dense fibrosis. Defining transcriptional differences between these pathologically heterogeneous regions of the IPF lung is critical to understanding the distribution and extent of fibrotic lung disease and identifying potential therapeutic targets. Application of a spatial transcriptomics platform would provide more detailed spatial resolution of transcriptional signals compared to previous single cell or bulk RNA-Seq studies.

Immunological and metabolic characterization of environmental Mycobacterium chimaera infection in a murine model.

Mycobacterium chimaera causes pulmonary disease, but little is known of gradations in isolate virulence. Previously, 17 M. chimaera isolates were screened for survival in THP1 macrophages.

Development of a Novel Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay and Lateral Flow Test System for Improved Serodiagnosis of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Different Areas of Endemicity.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is caused by protozoan parasites of the Leishmania donovani complex and is one of the most prominent vector-borne infectious diseases with epidemic and mortality potential if not correctly diagnosed and treated. East African countries suffer from a very high incidence of VL, and although several diagnostic tests are available for VL, diagnosis continues to represent a big challenge in these countries due to the lack of sensitivity and specificity of current serological tools. Based on bioinformatic analysis, a new recombinant kinesin antigen from Leishmania infantum (rKLi8.

SKA2 regulated hyperactive secretory autophagy drives neuroinflammation-induced neurodegeneration.

High levels of proinflammatory cytokines induce neurotoxicity and catalyze inflammation-driven neurodegeneration, but the specific release mechanisms from microglia remain elusive. We demonstrate that secretory autophagy (SA), a non-lytic modality of autophagy for secretion of vesicular cargo, regulates neuroinflammation-mediated neurodegeneration via SKA2 and FKBP5 signaling. SKA2 inhibits SA-dependent IL-1β release by counteracting FKBP5 function.

A genetic variant of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) exacerbates hormone-mediated orexigenic feeding in mice.

Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) degrades the endocannabinoid anandamide. A polymorphism in (FAAH C385A) reduces FAAH expression, increases anandamide levels, and increases the risk of obesity. Nevertheless, some studies have found no association between FAAH C385A and obesity.

Pet Rats as the Likely Reservoir for Human Seoul Orthohantavirus Infection.

Seoul orthohantavirus (SEOV) is a rat-associated zoonotic pathogen with an almost worldwide distribution. In 2019, the first autochthonous human case of SEOV-induced hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome was reported in Germany, and a pet rat was identified as the source of the zoonotic infection. To further investigate the SEOV reservoir, additional rats from the patient and another owner, all of which were purchased from the same vendor, were tested.

Hippo-released WWC1 facilitates AMPA receptor regulatory complexes for hippocampal learning.

Learning and memory rely on changes in postsynaptic glutamergic α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA)-type receptor (AMPAR) number, spatial organization, and function. The Hippo pathway component WW and C2 domain-containing protein 1 (WWC1) regulates AMPAR surface expression and impacts on memory performance. However, synaptic binding partners of WWC1 and its hierarchical position in AMPAR complexes are largely unclear.

Why do mice squeak? Toward a better understanding of defensive vocalization.

Although mice mostly communicate in the ultrasonic range, they also emit audible calls. We demonstrate that mice selectively bred for high anxiety-related behavior (HAB) have a high disposition for emitting sonic calls when caught by the tail. The vocalization was unrelated to pain but sensitive to anxiolytics.

External Sulfate Attack on Cementitious Binders: Limitations and Effects of Sample Geometry on the Quantification of Expansion Stress.

The hollow cylinder method was used to estimate the expansion stress that can occur in concrete due to the crystallisation pressure caused by the formation of ettringite and/or gypsum during external sulphate attack. Hardened cement paste hollow cylinders prepared with Portland cement were mounted in stress cells and exposed to sodium sulphate solutions with two different concentrations (3.0 g L SO and 30.

Creating customer value from data: foundations and archetypes of analytics-based services.

The digital transformation offers new opportunities for organizations to expand their existing service portfolio in order to achieve competitive advantages. A popular way to create new customer value is the offer of analytics-based services (ABS)-services that apply analytical methods to data to empower customers to make better decisions and to solve complex problems. However, research still lacks to provide a profound conceptualization of this novel service type.

Myo-Inositol Levels in the Dorsal Hippocampus Serve as Glial Prognostic Marker of Mild Cognitive Impairment in Mice.

Dementia is a devastating age-related disorder. Its therapy would largely benefit from the identification of susceptible subjects at early, prodromal stages of the disease. To search for such prognostic markers of cognitive impairment, we studied spatial navigation in male BALBc vs.

CB1 receptors in corticotropin-releasing factor neurons selectively control the acoustic startle response in male mice.

The endocannabinoid system is an important regulator of the hormonal and behavioral stress responses, which critically involve corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and its receptors. While it has been shown that CRF and the cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptor are co-localized in several brain regions, the physiological relevance of this co-expression remains unclear. Using double in situ hybridization, we confirmed co-localization in the piriform cortex, the lateral hypothalamic area, the paraventricular nucleus, and the Barrington's nucleus, albeit at low levels.

Back to the Future: Decomposability of a Biobased and Biodegradable Plastic in Field Soil Environments and Its Microbiome under Ambient and Future Climates.

Decomposition by microorganisms of plastics in soils is almost unexplored despite the fact that the majority of plastics released into the environment end up in soils. Here, we investigate the decomposition process and microbiome of one of the most promising biobased and biodegradable plastics, poly(butylene succinate--adipate) (PBSA), under field soil conditions under both ambient and future predicted climates (for the time between 2070 and 2100). We show that the gravimetric and molar mass of PBSA is already largely reduced (28-33%) after 328 days under both climates.

Stress-primed secretory autophagy promotes extracellular BDNF maturation by enhancing MMP9 secretion.

The stress response is an essential mechanism for maintaining homeostasis, and its disruption is implicated in several psychiatric disorders. On the cellular level, stress activates, among other mechanisms, autophagy that regulates homeostasis through protein degradation and recycling. Secretory autophagy is a recently described pathway in which autophagosomes fuse with the plasma membrane rather than with lysosomes.

Structural correlates of trauma-induced hyperarousal in mice.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic disease caused by traumatic incidents. Numerous studies have revealed grey matter volume differences in affected individuals. The nature of the disease renders it difficult to distinguish between a priori versus a posteriori changes.

SARS-CoV-2-mediated dysregulation of metabolism and autophagy uncovers host-targeting antivirals.

Viruses manipulate cellular metabolism and macromolecule recycling processes like autophagy. Dysregulated metabolism might lead to excessive inflammatory and autoimmune responses as observed in severe and long COVID-19 patients. Here we show that SARS-CoV-2 modulates cellular metabolism and reduces autophagy.