Gentle tension stabilizes atomically thin metallenes.

Metallenes are atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) materials lacking a layered structure in the bulk form. They can be stabilized by nanoscale constrictions like pores in 2D covalent templates, but the isotropic metallic bonding makes stabilization difficult. A few metallenes have been stabilized but comparison with theory predictions has not always been clear.

Biomonitoring of Indoor Air Fungal or Chemical Toxins with nematodes.

Bad indoor air quality due to toxins and other impurities can have a negative impact on human well-being, working capacity and health. Therefore, reliable methods to monitor the health risks associated with exposure to hazardous indoor air agents are needed. Here, we have used transgenic nematode strains carrying stress-responsive fluorescent reporters and evaluated their ability to sense fungal or chemical toxins, especially those that are present in moisture-damaged buildings.

PIM kinases phosphorylate lactate dehydrogenase A at serine 161 and suppress its nuclear ubiquitination.

Lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) is a glycolytic enzyme catalysing the reversible conversion of pyruvate to lactate. It has been implicated as a substrate for PIM kinases, yet the relevant target sites and functional consequences of phosphorylation have remained unknown. Here, we show that all three PIM family members can phosphorylate LDHA at serine 161.

PIM kinases inhibit AMPK activation and promote tumorigenicity by phosphorylating LKB1.

Background: The oncogenic PIM kinases and the tumor-suppressive LKB1 kinase have both been implicated in the regulation of cell growth and metabolism, albeit in opposite directions. Here we investigated whether these kinases interact with each other to influence AMPK activation and tumorigenic growth of prostate and breast cancer cells.

Methods: We first determined how PIM and LKB1 kinases affect AMPK phosphorylation levels.