Cellular Prion Protein Mediates α-Synuclein Uptake, Localization, and Toxicity In Vitro and In Vivo.

Background: The cellular prion protein (PrP ) is a membrane-bound, multifunctional protein mainly expressed in neuronal tissues. Recent studies indicate that the native trafficking of PrP can be misused to internalize misfolded amyloid beta and α-synuclein (aSyn) oligomers.

Objectives: We define PrP 's role in internalizing misfolded aSyn in α-synucleinopathies and identify further involved proteins.

Microplastics in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, USA: Occurrence and biological uptake.

Microplastics are an environmental contaminant of growing concern, but there is a lack of information about microplastic distribution, persistence, availability, and biological uptake in freshwater systems. This is especially true for large river systems like the Colorado River that spans multiple states through mostly rural and agricultural land use. This study characterized the quantity and morphology of microplastics in different environmental compartments in two large reservoirs along the Colorado River: Lakes Mead and Mohave, within Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

Glyphboard: Visual Exploration of High-Dimensional Data Combining Glyphs with Dimensionality Reduction.

Rigorous data science is interdisciplinary at its core. In order to make sense of high-dimensional data, data scientists need to enter into a dialogue with domain experts. We present Glyphboard, a visualization tool that aims to support this dialogue.

Cytosolic Trapping of a Mitochondrial Heat Shock Protein Is an Early Pathological Event in Synucleinopathies.

Alpha-synuclein (aSyn) accumulates in intracellular inclusions in synucleinopathies, but the molecular mechanisms leading to disease are unclear. We identify the 10 kDa heat shock protein (HSP10) as a mediator of aSyn-induced mitochondrial impairments in striatal synaptosomes. We find an age-associated increase in the cytosolic levels of HSP10, and a concomitant decrease in the mitochondrial levels, in aSyn transgenic mice.