Induced defenses as a management tool: Shaping individuals to their environment.

Many prey species can adjust morphology to reduce predation risk in response to predator cues. Enhancing prey defenses using predator cues may improve survival of cultivated species and enhance species restoration efforts, but assessment of such benefits at industrially relevant scales is needed. We examined how raising a model foundation species, oysters (Crassostrea virginica), under commercial hatchery conditions with cues from two common predator species can improve survival across a variety of predator regimes and environmental conditions.

Metabolic reprogramming in chondrocytes to promote mitochondrial respiration reduces downstream features of osteoarthritis.

Metabolic dysfunction in chondrocytes drives the pro-catabolic phenotype associated with osteoarthritic cartilage. In this study, substitution of galactose for glucose in culture media was used to promote a renewed dependence on mitochondrial respiration and oxidative phosphorylation. Galactose replacement alone blocked enhanced usage of the glycolysis pathway by IL1β-activated chondrocytes as detected by real-time changes in the rates of proton acidification of the medium and changes in oxygen consumption.

Matrix Metalloproteinase-12 Is Required for Granuloma Progression.

Background: Sarcoidosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown cause characterized by granuloma formation. Mechanisms for chronic persistence of granulomas are unknown. Matrix Metalloproteinase-12 (MMP12) degrades extracellular matrix elastin and enables infiltration of immune cells responsible for inflammation and granuloma formation.

Hyaluronan regulates synapse formation and function in developing neural networks.

Neurodevelopmental disorders present with synaptic alterations that disrupt the balance between excitatory and inhibitory signaling. For example, hyperexcitability of cortical neurons is associated with both epilepsy and autism spectrum disorders. However, the mechanisms that initially establish the balance between excitatory and inhibitory signaling in brain development are not well understood.

Suppression of murine osteoarthritis by 4-methylumbelliferone.

Using in vitro models, we previously reported that 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU) blocked many of the pro-catabolic features of activated chondrocytes. 4-MU also blocked safranin O loss from human cartilage explants exposed to interleukin 1β (IL1β) in vitro. However, the mechanism for this chondroprotective effect was independent of the action of 4-MU as a hyaluronan (HA) inhibitor.