Central Downregulation of S-Resistin Alleviates Inflammation in EWAT and Liver and Prevents Adipocyte Hypertrophy.

The hypothalamus integrates peripheral signals and modulates food intake and energy expenditure by regulating the metabolic function of peripheral tissues, including the liver and adipose tissue. In a previous study, we demonstrated that s-resistin, an intracellular resistin isoform highly expressed in the hypothalamus and upregulated during aging, is important in the central control of energy homeostasis, affecting mainly the peripheral response to insulin by still unknown mechanisms. Herein, using an intracerebroventricular injection of a specific lentiviral RNAi against s-resistin, we assessed, in the Wistar rat, the effects of central s-resistin downregulation on the expression and phosphorylation levels of intermediates involved in insulin signaling and the inflammatory response in epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT) and liver.

Decoding the general role of tRNA queuosine modification in eukaryotes.

Transfer RNA (tRNA) contains modified nucleosides essential for modulating protein translation. One of these modifications is queuosine (Q), which affects NAU codons translation rate. For decades, multiple studies have reported a wide variety of species-specific Q-related phenotypes in different eukaryotes, hindering the identification of a general underlying mechanism behind that phenotypic diversity.

tRNA queuosine modification is involved in biofilm formation and virulence in bacteria.

tRNA modifications are crucial for fine-tuning of protein translation. Queuosine (Q) modification of tRNAs is thought to modulate the translation rate of NAU codons, but its physiological role remains elusive. Therefore, we hypothesize that Q-tRNAs control those physiological processes involving NAU codon-enriched genes (Q-genes).

Mining for Perchlorate Resistance Genes in Microorganisms From Sediments of a Hypersaline Pond in Atacama Desert, Chile.

Perchlorate is an oxidative pollutant toxic to most of terrestrial life by promoting denaturation of macromolecules, oxidative stress, and DNA damage. However, several microorganisms, especially hyperhalophiles, are able to tolerate high levels of this compound. Furthermore, relatively high quantities of perchlorate salts were detected on the Martian surface, and due to its strong hygroscopicity and its ability to substantially decrease the freezing point of water, perchlorate is thought to increase the availability of liquid brine water in hyper-arid and cold environments, such as the Martian regolith.