Hepatitis C virus alters the morphology and function of peroxisomes.

Despite the introduction of effective treatments for hepatitis C in clinics, issues remain regarding the liver disease induced by chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. HCV is known to disturb the metabolism of infected cells, especially lipid metabolism and redox balance, but the mechanisms leading to HCV-induced pathogenesis are still poorly understood. In an APEX2-based proximity biotinylation screen, we identified ACBD5, a peroxisome membrane protein, as located in the vicinity of HCV replication complexes.

NR1D1 controls skeletal muscle calcium homeostasis through myoregulin repression.

The sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) plays an important role in calcium homeostasis. SR calcium mishandling is described in pathological conditions, such as myopathies. Here, we investigated whether the nuclear receptor subfamily 1 group D member (NR1D1, also called REV-ERBα) regulates skeletal muscle SR calcium homeostasis.

Assessment of the Morphological, Optical, and Photoluminescence Properties of HfO Nanoparticles Synthesized by a Sol-Gel Method Assisted by Microwave Irradiation.

In this work, we optimized the synthesis of HfO nanoparticles (NPs) with a nonaqueous sol-gel method assisted by microwave heating, with a direct surfactant-free extraction and stabilization in water. To tune the structural, morphological, and photophysical properties, we explored the influence of reaction time, heating temperature, and type and concentration of a salt precursor. The controlled size, shape, crystallinity associated with high stability, a good yield of production, and stabilization in water without any surfactant modification of these HfO NPs open possibilities for future optoelectronic and biomedical applications.

The Circadian Clock and Obesity.

The modern way of life has dramatically affected our biological rhythms. Circadian rhythms, which are generated by an endogenous circadian clock, are observed in a large number of physiological functions including metabolism. Proper peripheral clock synchronization by different signals including appropriate feeding/fasting cycles is essential to coordinate and temporally gate metabolic processes.

Glycogen Dynamics Drives Lipid Droplet Biogenesis during Brown Adipocyte Differentiation.

Browning induction or transplantation of brown adipose tissue (BAT) or brown/beige adipocytes derived from progenitor or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can represent a powerful strategy to treat metabolic diseases. However, our poor understanding of the mechanisms that govern the differentiation and activation of brown adipocytes limits the development of such therapy. Various genetic factors controlling the differentiation of brown adipocytes have been identified, although most studies have been performed using in vitro cultured pre-adipocytes.