Melanocortin 1 receptor mediates melanin production by interacting with the BBSome in primary cilia.

Production of melanin pigments is a protective mechanism of the skin against ultraviolet (UV)-induced damage and carcinogenesis. However, the molecular basis for melanogenesis is still poorly understood. Herein, we demonstrate a critical interplay between the primary cilium and the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) signaling.

The Ras-related nuclear GTPase RAN1 ensures pollen size and tube growth by maintaining the actin cytoskeleton.

Controlling organ size in plants is a complex biological process influenced by various factors, including gene expression, genome ploidy and environmental conditions. Despite its importance for plant growth and development, the mechanisms underlying organ size regulation remain unknown. Here, we investigated the role of RAN1, a member of the Ras-related nuclear GTPase family, in regulating pollen size.

Real-Time fMRI Neurofeedback Training of Selective Attention in Older Adults.

Background: Selective attention declines with age, due to age-related functional changes in dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC). Real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rtfMRI) neurofeedback has been used in young adults to train volitional control of brain activity, including in dACC.

Methods: For the first time, this study used rtfMRI neurofeedback to train 19 young and 27 older adults in volitional up- or down-regulation of bilateral dACC during a selective attention task.

Lipid droplets sequester palmitic acid to disrupt endothelial ciliation and exacerbate atherosclerosis in male mice.

Disruption of ciliary homeostasis in vascular endothelial cells has been implicated in the development of atherosclerosis. However, the molecular basis for the regulation of endothelial cilia during atherosclerosis remains poorly understood. Herein, we provide evidence in male mice that the accumulation of lipid droplets in vascular endothelial cells induces ciliary loss and contributes to atherosclerosis.

Effects of four-week intranasal oxytocin administration on large-scale brain networks in older adults.

Oxytocin (OT) is a crucial modulator of social cognition and behavior. Previous work primarily examined effects of acute intranasal oxytocin administration (IN-OT) in younger males on isolated brain regions. Not well understood are (i) chronic IN-OT effects, (ii) in older adults, (iii) on large-scale brain networks, representative of OT's wider-ranging brain mechanisms.

Liquid-liquid phase separation of microtubule-binding proteins in the regulation of spindle assembly.

Cell division is a highly regulated process essential for the accurate segregation of chromosomes. Central to this process is the assembly of a bipolar mitotic spindle, a highly dynamic microtubule (MT)-based structure responsible for chromosome movement. The nucleation and dynamics of MTs are intricately regulated by MT-binding proteins.

The impact of past temporal discounting on mental health: Opposite effects of positive and negative event aftertastes over time: Aftertaste and time.

Background: Time frees people from bereavement, but also fades childhood happiness, these dynamics can be understood through the framework of past temporal discounting (PTD), which refers to the gradual decrease in affect intensity elicited by recalling positive or negative events over time. Despite its importance, measuring PTD has been challenging, and its impact on real-life outcomes, such as mental health remains unknown.

Method: Here, we employed a longitudinal tracking approach to measure PTD in healthy participants ( = 210) across eight time points.

The Small Interactor of PKD2 protein promotes the assembly and ciliary entry of the Chlamydomonas PKD2-mastigoneme complexes.

In Chlamydomonas, the channel polycystin 2 (PKD2) is primarily present in the distal region of cilia, where it is attached to the axoneme and mastigonemes, extracellular polymers of MST1. In a smaller proximal ciliary region that lacks mastigonemes, PKD2 is more mobile. We show that the PKD2 regions are established early during ciliogenesis and increase proportionally in length as cilia elongate.

Small Interactor of PKD2 (SIP), a novel PKD2-related single-pass transmembrane protein, is required for proteolytic processing and ciliary import of PKD2.

In cilia, the ciliopathy-relevant TRP channel PKD2 is spatially compartmentalized into a distal region, in which PKD2 binds the axoneme and extracellular mastigonemes, and a smaller proximal region, in which PKD2 is more mobile and lacks mastigonemes. Here, we show that the two PKD2 regions are established early during cilia regeneration and increase in length as cilia elongate. In abnormally long cilia, only the distal region elongated whereas both regions adjusted in length during cilia shortening.

The toxin alveolysin disrupts the intestinal epithelial barrier by inducing microtubule disorganization through CFAP100.

is a Gram-positive bacterium that mainly causes self-limiting emetic or diarrheal illness but can also cause skin infections and bacteremia. Symptoms of ingestion depend on the production of various toxins that target the gastric and intestinal epithelia. From a screen of bacterial isolates from human stool samples that compromised intestinal barrier function in mice, we identified a strain of that disrupted tight and adherens junctions in the intestinal epithelium.

Structure and histochemistry of the stem of Dracaena cambodiana Pierre ex Gagnep.

Dracaena cambodiana Pierre ex Gagnep is an important plant resource for producing dragon's blood and one of most popular ornamental trees in China. For a better understanding of the physiological function of the stem, the structural characteristics and main substance histological location of the stems of D. cambodiana were studied.

Temporal characteristics of agarwood formation in after applying whole-tree agarwood-inducing technique.

Objective: Agarwood-a resinous wood produced by plants in response to injury or artificial induction-is a valuable medicinal and fragrance resource. Whole-Tree Agarwood-Inducing Technique (Agar-WIT) has been widely used to produce agarwood. However, the time-dependent characteristics of agarwood formation induced by Agar-WIT are yet to be clarified.

Ciliary mechanosensation - roles of polycystins and mastigonemes.

Cilia are surface-exposed organelles that provide motility and sensory functions for cells, and it is widely believed that mechanosensation can be mediated through cilia. Polycystin-1 and -2 (PC-1 and PC-2, respectively) are transmembrane proteins that can localize to cilia; however, the molecular mechanisms by which polycystins contribute to mechanosensation are still controversial. Studies detail two prevailing models for the molecular roles of polycystins on cilia; one stresses the mechanosensation capabilities and the other unveils their ligand-receptor nature.

Hybrid brain model accurately predict human procrastination behavior.

Unlabelled: Procrastination behavior is quite ubiquitous, and should warrant cautions to us owing to its significant influences in poor mental health, low subjective well-beings and bad academic performance. However, how to identify this behavioral problem have not yet to be fully elucidated. 1132 participants were recruited as distribution of benchmark.

Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals different defence responses during the early stage of wounding stress in Chi-Nan germplasm and ordinary Aquilaria sinensis.

Background: Agarwood is a valuable Chinese medicinal herb and spice that is produced from wounded Aquilaria spp., is widely used in Southeast Asia and is highly traded on the market. The lack of highly responsive Aquilaria lines has seriously restricted agarwood yield and the development of its industry.

Loss of ARL13 impedes BBSome-dependent cargo export from Chlamydomonas cilia.

The GTPase Arl13b participates in ciliary protein transport, but its contribution to intraflagellar transport (IFT), the main motor-based protein shuttle of cilia, remains largely unknown. Chlamydomonas arl13 mutant cilia were characterized by both abnormal reduction and accumulation of select membrane-associated proteins. With respect to the latter, a similar set of proteins including phospholipase D (PLD) also accumulated in BBSome-deficient cilia.

Age-Related Differences in Amygdala Activation Associated With Face Trustworthiness but No Evidence of Oxytocin Modulation.

The amygdala has been shown to be responsive to face trustworthiness. While older adults typically give higher face trustworthiness ratings than young adults, a direct link between amygdala response and age-related differences in face trustworthiness evaluation has not yet been confirmed. Additionally, there is a possible modulatory role of the neuropeptide oxytocin in face trustworthiness evaluation, but the results are mixed and effects unexplored in aging.

Genetic relationship and source species identification of 58 Qi-Nan germplasms of Aquilaria species in China that easily form agarwood.

Recently, Qi-Nan germplasm, the germplasm of Aquilaria species that easily forms agarwood, has been widely cultivated in Guangdong and Hainan Provinces in China. Since the morphological characteristics of Qi-Nan germplasm are similar to those of Aquilaria species and germplasm is bred by grafting, it is difficult to determine the source species of this germplasm by traditional taxonomic characteristics. In this study, we performed a DNA barcoding analysis of 58 major Qi-Nan germplasms as well as Aquilaria sinensis, A.

Programmed cell death might involve in progress of wounding induced agarwood formation in stems of Aquilaria sinensis.

Agarwood, a non-timber fragrant wood, is derived from wounded Aquilaria trees (Thymelaeaceae) and is widely used in traditional medicine, incense and perfume. Agarwood-like substances and programmed cell death (PCD) can be induced by wounding signals in the suspension cells and aerial roots of Aquilaria sinensis. In this study, the dynamic process of wound-induced agarwood formation in stems of A.

Intranasal oxytocin modulates the salience network in aging.

Growing evidence supports a role of the neuropeptide oxytocin in promoting social cognition and prosocial behavior, possibly via modulation of the salience of social information. The effect of intranasal oxytocin administration on the salience network, however, is not well understood, including in the aging brain. To address this research gap, 42 young (22.

Functional connectome of human cerebellum.

Background Neural connectome theory has been widely used in system neuroscience, and prompted our comprehension for the topological organizations of human cerebral cortex. However, how functional connectome is organized topologically in cerebellums remains unclear. Method Resting-state functional connectivity (rs-fcMRI) data were acquired from 1416 healthy adults in two independent samples.

In vivo imaging shows continued association of several IFT-A, IFT-B and dynein complexes while IFT trains U-turn at the tip.

Flagellar assembly depends on intraflagellar transport (IFT), a bidirectional motility of protein carriers, the IFT trains. The trains are periodic assemblies of IFT-A and IFT-B subcomplexes and the motors kinesin-2 and IFT dynein. At the tip, anterograde trains are remodeled for retrograde IFT, a process that in Chlamydomonas involves kinesin-2 release and train fragmentation.

Public mental health problems during COVID-19 pandemic: a large-scale meta-analysis of the evidence.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exposed humans to the highest physical and mental risks. Thus, it is becoming a priority to probe the mental health problems experienced during the pandemic in different populations. We performed a meta-analysis to clarify the prevalence of postpandemic mental health problems.

Cell-type-specific, multicolor labeling of endogenous proteins with split fluorescent protein tags in .

The impact of the experimental system on studies of modern biology cannot be understated. The ability to tag endogenously expressed proteins is essential to maximize the use of this model organism. Here, we describe a method for labeling endogenous proteins with self-complementing split fluorescent proteins (split FPs) in a cell-type-specific manner in A short fragment of an FP coding sequence is inserted into a specific genomic locus while the remainder of the FP is expressed using an available driver line.