Circadian clocks evolved in diverse organisms as an adaptation to the daily swings in ambient light and temperature that derive from Earth's rotation. These timing systems, based on intracellular molecular oscillations, synchronize organisms' behavior and physiology with the 24-h environmental rhythm. The cyanobacterial clock serves as a special model for understanding circadian rhythms because it can be fully reconstituted in vitro. This review summarizes recent advances that leverage new biochemical, biophysical, and mathematical approaches to shed light on the molecular mechanisms of cyanobacterial Kai proteins that support the clock, and their homologues in other bacteria. Many questions remain in circadian biology, and the tools developed for the Kai system will bring us closer to the answers.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tibs.2023.12.007 | DOI Listing |
Biochem Biophys Res Commun
January 2025
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan; Department of Clinical Bioanalysis and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Institute Science of Tokyo/TMDU, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address:
Myelin is an electrical insulator that enables saltatory nerve conduction and is essential for proper functioning of the central nervous system (CNS). It is formed by oligodendrocytes (OLs) in the CNS, and during OL development various molecules, including extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, regulate OL differentiation and myelination; however, the role of ECM proteins in these processes is not well understood. Our present work is centered on the analyses of the expression and function of fibulin-7 (Fbln7), an ECM protein of the fibulin family, in OL differentiation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Colloid Interface Sci
January 2025
Departamento QUIPRE, Universidad de Cantabria, Avda. Los Castros 46 39005 Santander, Spain; Grupo de Nanomedicina, IDIVAL, Avda. Cardenal Herrera Oria s/n, 39011 Santander, Spain. Electronic address:
High-charge micas exhibit improved adsorption properties and are a promising alternative clay material for the engineered barrier in deep geological repositories. When combined with Eu cations, they serve as an in situ luminescent probe for tracking the physical-chemical changes occurring in this engineered barrier over the long term. Therefore, a better understanding of the local environment of the lanthanide is highly desirable to comprehend the specific behavior of these systems.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America.
To investigate macula and optic nerve head (ONH) mitochondrial metabolic activity using flavoprotein fluorescence (FPF) in normal, glaucoma suspect (GS), and open-angle glaucoma (OAG) eyes we performed a cross-sectional, observational study of FPF in normal, GS, and OAG eyes. The macula and ONH of each eye was scanned and analyzed with a commercially available FPF measuring device (OcuMet Beacon, OcuSciences Inc., Ann Arbor, MI).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCureus
December 2024
Department of Prosthodontics, Graduate School of Dentistry, Showa University, Tokyo, JPN.
Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the effects of taper angle and the number of insertion-removal cycles on the retention force of 4 mol% yttria partially stabilized zirconia (4Y-PSZ) double crowns over time.
Materials And Methods: Primary and secondary crowns were fabricated using 4Y-PSZ with taper angles of 2°, 4°, and 6° (n=15). Retention force during crown removal was measured after applying 50-N and 100-N loads.
ACS Nano
January 2025
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Smart Healthcare Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Biomaterials, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, No. 1088 Xueyuan Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, PR China.
Extracellular matrix (ECM)-based small-diameter vascular grafts (SDVGs, inner diameter (ID) < 6 mm) hold great promise for clinical applications. However, existing ECM-based SDVGs suffer from limited donor availability, complex purification, high cost, and insufficient mechanical properties. SDVGs with ECM-like structure and function, and good mechanical properties were rapidly prepared by optimizing common materials and preparation, which can improve their clinical prospects.
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