The possibility offered by photocontrolling the activity of biomolecules in vivo while recording physiological parameters is opening up new opportunities for the study of physiological processes at the single-cell level in a living organism. For the last decade, such tools have been mainly used in neuroscience, and their application in freely moving animals has revolutionized this field. New photochemical approaches enable the control of various cellular processes by manipulating a wide range of protein functions in a noninvasive way and with unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution. We are at a pivotal moment where biologists can adapt these cutting-edge technologies to their system of study. This user-oriented review presents the state of the art and highlights technical issues to be resolved in the near future for wide and easy use of these powerful approaches.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nchembio.1534 | DOI Listing |
Biol Trace Elem Res
January 2025
Hebei Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Hebei Reproductive Health Hospital, Shijiazhuang 050071, Hebei, China.
Male infertility is a common complication of diabetes. Diabetes leads to the decrease of zinc (Zn) content, which is a necessary trace element to maintain the normal structure and function of reproductive organs and spermatogenesis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of metformin combined with zinc on testis and sperm in diabetic mice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiomol NMR Assign
January 2025
High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui, China.
PhoCl is a photocleavable protein engineered from a green-to-red photoconvertible fluorescent protein by circular permutation, and has been used in various optogenetic applications including precise control of protein localization and activity in cells. Upon violet light illumination, PhoCl undergoes a β-elimination reaction to be cleaved at the chromophore, resulting in spontaneous dissociation into a large empty barrel and a small C-terminal peptide. However, the structural determinants and the mechanism of the PhoCl photocleavage remain elusive, hindering the further development of more robust photocleavable optogenetic tools.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Neuroimmune Pharmacol
January 2025
Laboratory Medicine Center, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, PR China.
Emerging evidence highlights the significance of peripheral inflammation in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) and suggests the gut as a viable therapeutic target. This study aimed to explore the neuroprotective effects of the probiotic formulation VSL#3 and its underlying mechanism in a PD mouse model induced by MPTP. Following MPTP administration, the striatal levels of dopamine and its metabolites, as along with the survival rate of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, were significantly reduced in PD mice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMol Biol Rep
January 2025
Department of Clinical Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
Background: Infertility is a significant issue in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. Men with SCI often experience erectile and ejaculatory dysfunctions, and low sperm quality leading to impaired fertility. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of Erythropoietin (EPO)alginate/chitosan (CH-AL) hydrogel on SCI-induced male rat infertility.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMol Biol Rep
January 2025
Pediatric Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Background: Interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase1 (IRAK1) plays a considerable role in the inflammatory signaling pathway. The current study aimed to identify any association between (rs1059703) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and vulnerability to rheumatological diseases in the pediatric and adult Egyptian population.
Patients And Methods: The current study included four patient groups: adult Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE), and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).
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