Molecular aspects of cytoprotection by Optineurin during stress and disease.

Optineurin/OPTN is an adapter protein that plays a crucial role in mediating many cellular functions, including autophagy, vesicle trafficking, and various signalling pathways. Mutations of OPTN are linked with neurodegenerative disorders, glaucoma, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Recent work has shown that OPTN provides cytoprotection from many types of stress, including oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, protein homeostasis stress, tumour necrosis factor α, and microbial infection.

Enhanced resolution of optical genome mapping utilizing telomere-to-telomere reference in genetic disorders.

Reference genomes serve as a baseline criterion for comparison of personal genomes to deduce clinical variants. The widely used reference genome, GRCh38, contains stretches of gaps and unresolved bases particularly in complex regions which could obscure variant discovery. In contrast, the gapless telomere-to-telomere CHM13 (T2T-CHM13) reference genome can be used to assess difficult regions of the genome.

Reconstructing the population history of the Nicobarese.

The Nicobarese are the major tribal groups in the Nicobar district, situated south of the Andaman group of Islands. Linguistic phylogeny suggests that the linguistic ancestors of the Nicobarese settled the Nicobar archipelago in the early Holocene. So far, genetic research on them is low-resolution and restricted to the haploid DNA markers.

Diacylglycerol metabolism and homeostasis in fungal physiology.

Diacylglycerol (DAG) is a relatively simple and primitive form of lipid, which does not possess a phospholipid headgroup. Being a central metabolite of the lipid metabolism network, DAGs are omnipresent in all life forms. While the role of DAG has been established in membrane and storage lipid biogenesis, it can impart crucial physiological functions including membrane shapeshifting, regulation of membrane protein activity, and transduction of cellular signalling as a lipid-based secondary messenger.

Transcriptomic Profiling Reveals Sex-Specific Epigenetic Dynamics Involving kdm6b and H3K27 Methylation in Cerebral Ischemia-Induced Neurogenesis and Recovery.

Cerebral ischemic stroke ranks among the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. A significant challenge, beyond the lack of effective therapies, is the frequent oversight of sex as a vital factor in stroke research. This study focuses on elucidating the sex-specific epigenetic mechanisms that contribute to neural damage and recovery in cerebral ischemia.

Small-molecule inhibitors of WNT signalling in cancer therapy and their links to autophagy and apoptosis.

Cancer represents an intricate and heterogeneous ailment that evolves from a multitude of epigenetic and genetic variations that disrupt normal cellular function. The WNT/β-catenin pathway is essential in maintaining the balance between cell renewal and differentiation in various tissues. Abnormal activation of this pathway can lead to uncontrolled cell growth and initiate cancer across a variety of tissues such as the colon, skin, liver, and ovary.

Functional implications of the exon 9 splice insert in GluK1 kainate receptors.

Kainate receptors are key modulators of synaptic transmission and plasticity in the central nervous system. Different kainate receptor isoforms with distinct spatiotemporal expressions have been identified in the brain. The GluK1-1 splice variant receptors, which are abundant in the adult brain, have an extra fifteen amino acids inserted in the amino-terminal domain (ATD) of the receptor resulting from alternative splicing of exon 9.

Xanthomonas protegens sp. nov., a novel rice seed-associated bacterium, provides in vivo protection against X. oryzae pv. oryzae, the bacterial leaf blight pathogen.

Historically, Xanthomonas species are primarily known for their pathogenicity against plants, but recently, there have been more findings of non-pathogenic xanthomonads. In the present study, we report isolates from healthy rice seeds that belong to a new species, Xanthomonas protegens, a protector of the rice plants against a serious pathogenic counterpart, i.e.

Luteibacter sahnii sp. nov., A Novel Yellow-Colored Xanthomonadin Pigment Producing Probiotic Bacterium from Healthy Rice Seed Microbiome.

To explore the rice seed microbiome, our objective was to isolate novel strains of Xanthomonas, a plant-associated bacterium with diverse lifestyles. Four isolates, anticipated to be Xanthomonas based on morphological features of yellow colonies, were obtained from healthy rice seeds. Phylo-taxono-genomic analysis revealed that these isolates formed monophyletic lineages belonging to a novel species within the genus Luteibacter.

DYRK1A interacts with the tuberous sclerosis complex and promotes mTORC1 activity.

DYRK1A, a ubiquitously expressed kinase is linked to the dominant intellectual developmental disorder, microcephaly, and Down syndrome in humans. It regulates numerous cellular processes such as cell cycle, vesicle trafficking, and microtubule assembly. DYRK1A is a critical regulator of organ growth; however, how it regulates organ growth is not fully understood.

Making Work for Fishing Cat Conservation: A Blueprint for Connecting Populations across an Interactive Wild Ex Situ Spectrum.

The One Plan Approach advocates for a hybrid species management framework, wherein captive-bred populations are considered metapopulations nested within a broader network of zoos and wild populations Additionally, the Opportunities to Thrive framework aims to enhance animal welfare by addressing the physiological, psychological, and emotional needs of captive individuals, thereby improving conservation outcomes. Here, we present an integrated framework for the conservation of a globally threatened wetland wild cat species, the fishing cat, by synthesizing optimal ex situ management practices and in situ conservation strategies. Further, we examined the genetic constitution of the founder population in a fishing cat captive breeding program that was recently initiated by the West Bengal Zoo Authority, India and conducted a population viability analysis to suggest how best to maintain the genetic diversity of the population.

Effect of environmental air pollutants on placental function and pregnancy outcomes: a molecular insight.

Air pollution has become a major health concern, particularly for vulnerable populations such as the elderly, children, and pregnant women. Studies have reported a strong association between prenatal exposure to air pollutants and adverse pregnancy outcomes, including lower birth weight, reduced fetal growth, and an increased frequency of preterm births. This review summarizes the harmful effects of air pollutants, such as particulate matter, on pregnancy and outlines the mechanistic details associated with these adverse outcomes.

Consequences of Local Conspecific Density Effects for Plant Diversity and Community Dynamics.

Conspecific density dependence (CDD) in plant populations is widespread, most likely caused by local-scale biotic interactions, and has potentially important implications for biodiversity, community composition, and ecosystem processes. However, progress in this important area of ecology has been hindered by differing viewpoints on CDD across subfields in ecology, lack of synthesis across CDD-related frameworks, and misunderstandings about how empirical measurements of local CDD fit within the context of broader ecological theories on community assembly and diversity maintenance. Here, we propose a conceptual synthesis of local-scale CDD and its causes, including species-specific antagonistic and mutualistic interactions.

Anatomical traits explain drought response of seedlings from wet tropical forests.

Water availability regulates plant community dynamics but the drought response of seedlings remains poorly known, despite their vulnerability, especially for the Asian tropics. In particular, discerning how functional traits of seedlings mediate drought response can aid generalizable predictions of tree responses to global environmental change. We assessed interspecific variation in drought response explained by above- and below-ground seedling traits.

Biogenically synthesized green silver nanoparticles exhibit antimalarial activity.

The suboptimal efficacies of existing anti-malarial drugs attributed to the emergence of drug resistance dampen the clinical outcomes. Hence, there is a need for developing novel drug and drug targets. Recently silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) constructed with the leaf extracts of Euphorbia cotinifolia were shown to possess antimalarial activity.

Divergent downstream biosynthetic pathways are supported by L-cysteine synthases of .

's () autarkic lifestyle within the host involves rewiring its transcriptional networks to combat host-induced stresses. With the help of RNA sequencing performed under various stress conditions, we identified that genes belonging to sulfur metabolism pathways are significantly upregulated during oxidative stress. Using an integrated approach of microbial genetics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, animal experiments, chemical inhibition, and rescue studies, we investigated the biological role of non-canonical L-cysteine synthases, CysM and CysK2.

Programmable Aggregation of Self-Assembled DNA Constructs.

Biomolecular aggregates ensure the optimum concentration and proximity required for biochemical processes to take place. Synthetic aggregating systems are becoming increasingly essential to study/mimic dynamic condensates in nature. Herein the ratiometric DNA aggregation of self-assembled DNA constructs using lanthanide salts is reported.

Comparative genomics-based insights into , a non-pathogenic species of healthy rice microbiome with bioprotection function.

species are major pathogens of plants and have been studied extensively. There is increasing recognition of the importance of non-pathogenic species within the same genus. With this came the need to understand the genomic and functional diversity of non-pathogenic (NPX) at the species and strain level.

Enhanced secretion of promyogenic exosomes by quiescent muscle cells.

Signaling interactions are important during skeletal muscle regeneration, where muscle cells in distinct states (quiescent, reactivated, proliferating and differentiated) must coordinate their response to injury. Here, we probed the role of secreted small extracellular vesicles (sEV/exosomes) using a culture model of physiologically relevant cell states seen in muscle regeneration. Unexpectedly, G myoblasts exhibited enhanced secretion of sEV (∼150 nm) displaying exosome markers (Alix, TSG101, flotillin-1, and CD9), and increased expression of Kibra, a regulator of exosome biogenesis.

Depletion of essential mycobacterial gene glmM reduces pathogen survival and induces host-protective immune responses against tuberculosis.

The limitations of TB treatment are the long duration and immune-dampening effects of anti-tuberculosis therapy. The Cell wall plays a crucial role in survival and virulence; hence, enzymes involved in its biosynthesis are good therapeutic targets. Here, we identify Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) GlmM, (GlmM) engaged in the UDP-GlcNAc synthesis pathway as an essential enzyme.

Investigating linguistic and genetic shifts in East Indian tribal groups.

South Asia is home to almost a quarter of the world's total population and is home to significant ethnolinguistic diversity. Previous studies of linguistic and genetic affiliations of Indian populations suggest that the formation of these distinct groups was a protracted and complex phenomenon involving multiple waves of migration, cultural assimilation, and genetic admixture. The evolutionary processes of migration, mixing and merging of populations thus impact the culture and linguistic diversity of different groups, some of which may retain their linguistic affinities despite genetic admixture with other groups, or vice versa.

Quantitation of F-actin in cytoskeletal reorganization: Context, methodology and implications.

The actin cytoskeleton is involved in a large number of cellular signaling events in addition to providing structural integrity to the cell. Actin polymerization is a key event during cellular signaling. Although the role of actin cytoskeleton in cellular processes such as trafficking and motility has been extensively studied, the reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton upon signaling has been rarely explored due to lack of suitable assays.

Probing the energy landscape of the lipid interactions of the serotonin receptor.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are lipid-regulated transmembrane proteins that play a central role in cell signaling and pharmacology. Although the role of membrane lipids in GPCR function is well established, the underlying GPCR-lipid interactions have not been thermodynamically characterized due to the complexity of these interactions. In this work, we estimate the energetics and dynamics of lipid association from coarse-grain simulations of the serotonin receptor embedded in a complex membrane.