Integration of synaptic currents across an extensive dendritic tree is a prerequisite for computation in the brain. Dendritic tapering away from the soma has been suggested to both equalise contributions from synapses at different locations and maximise the current transfer to the soma. To find out how this is achieved precisely, an analytical solution for the current transfer in dendrites with arbitrary taper is required. We derive here an asymptotic approximation that accurately matches results from numerical simulations. From this we then determine the diameter profile that maximises the current transfer to the soma. We find a simple quadratic form that matches diameters obtained experimentally, indicating a fundamental architectural principle of the brain that links dendritic diameters to signal transmission.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004897 | DOI Listing |
Diabetes Metab
January 2025
Division of Diabetes, Nutrition and Metabolic Disorders, CHU Liège, Liège, Belgium; Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Medicines (CIRM), Liège University, Liège, Belgium. Electronic address:
Background: Obesity is an increasing public health problem because of its high prevalence and associated morbidity and mortality. Two weight-loss strategies are currently used, either bariatric surgery or pharmacological therapy with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs). Preclinical studies in rodents suggested an increased risk of additive disorders after bariatric surgery contrasting with a reduced risk with GLP-1RAs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArch Biochem Biophys
January 2025
Department of Pain Management, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China. Electronic address:
Yes-associated protein (YAP), a focal point of current biological research, is involved in regulating various life processes. In this report, live-cell fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) imaging was employed to unravel the YAP complexes in MCF-7 cells. Fluorescence imaging of living cells co-expressing CFP (cyan fluorescent protein)-YAP and YFP (yellow fluorescent protein)-LATS1 (large tumor suppressor 1) plasmids revealed that YAP promoted LATS1 oligomerization around mitochondria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMutat Res Rev Mutat Res
January 2025
Radiation Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute, MD 20892-9778, USA; Faculty of Health, Science and Technology, Oxford Brookes University, Headington Campus, OX3 0BP, UK.
Biological effects of ionizing radiation vary with radiation quality, which is often expressed as the amount of energy deposited per unit length, i.e., linear energy transfer (LET).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCell Syst
January 2025
Department of Biochemistry & BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA. Electronic address:
The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway integrates growth factor signaling through extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) to control cell proliferation. To study ERK dynamics, many researchers use an ERK activity kinase translocation reporter (KTR). Our study reveals that this ERK KTR also partially senses cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) activity, making it appear as if ERK activity rises as cells progress through the cell cycle.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Total Environ
January 2025
Department of Life Sciences, Whitelands College, Roehampton University, London SW15 4JD, United Kingdom; Networks Unit, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Italy.
Microplastic particles are ubiquitous in aquatic environments and are considered a major threat to the large range of heterotrophic organisms that involuntarily consume them. However, there is current uncertainty around the mechanisms underpinning microplastic uptake by aquatic consumers and the consequences for both the fate of the microplastics and the growth potential of consumer populations. We performed a feeding experiment, exposing a model freshwater ciliate, Tetrahymena pyriformis, to six different microplastic concentrations and measured microplastic uptake and population growth over the course of several generations.
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