Mitochondrial DNA Structure in .

Kinetoplastids display a single, large mitochondrion per cell, with their mitochondrial DNA referred to as the kinetoplast. This kinetoplast is a network of concatenated circular molecules comprising a maxicircle (20-64 kb) and up to thousands of minicircles varying in size depending on the species (0.5-10 kb).

: Genomic Diversity and Structure.

is the causative agent of Chagas disease, a neglected tropical disease, and one of the most important parasitic diseases worldwide. The first genome of was sequenced in 2005, and its complexity made assembly and annotation challenging. Nowadays, new sequencing methods have improved some strains' genome sequence and annotation, revealing this parasite's extensive genetic diversity and complexity.

NF-κB-Inducing Kinase Is Essential for Effective c-Rel Transactivation and Binding to the Promoter in Macrophages.

This study investigates the role of NIK in activating specific inflammatory genes in macrophages, focusing on the effect of a mutation in NIK found in alymphoplasia (/) mice. Mouse peritoneal macrophages from / mice showed a severe defect in the production of some pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-12. This effect seemed to take place at the transcriptional level, as shown by the reduced transcription of and in / macrophages after exposure to the TLR4 agonist LPS.

Spatiotemporal network dynamics and structural correlates in the human cerebral cortex in vitro.

Elucidating human cerebral cortex function is essential for understanding the physiological basis of both healthy and pathological brain states. We obtained extracellular local field potential recordings from cortical slices of neocortical tissue from refractory epilepsy patients. Multi-electrode recordings were combined with histological information, providing a two-dimensional spatiotemporal characterization of human cortical dynamics in control conditions and following modulation of the excitation/inhibition balance.

An open-shell Ir(II)/Ir(IV) redox couple outperforms an Ir(I)/Ir(III) pair in olefin isomerization.

Open-shell systems based on first-row transition metals and their involvement in various catalytic processes are well explored. By comparison, mononuclear open-shell complexes of precious transition metals remain underdeveloped. This is particularly true for Ir complexes, as there is very limited information available regarding their application in catalysis.

BMP6 participates in the molecular mechanisms involved in APAP hepatotoxicity.

Given the lack of accurate diagnostic methods of acetaminophen (APAP)-induced acute liver failure (ALF), the search for new biomarkers for its diagnosis is an urgent need. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of bone morphogenetic protein 6 (BMP6) in APAP-induced ALF progression and its potential value as a biomarker of ALF. Hepatic and circulating BMP6 expression was assessed in APAP-treated mice and in serum samples from patients with APAP overdose.

Easily Water-Synthesisable Iron-Chloranilate Frameworks as High Energy and High-Power Cathodes for Sustainable Alkali-Ion Batteries.

Achieving high battery performance from low-cost, easily synthesisable electrode materials is crucial for advancing energy storage technologies. Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) combining inexpensive transition metals and organic ligands are promising candidates for high-capacity cathodes. Iron-chloranilate-water frameworks are herein reported to be produced in aqueous media under mild conditions.

Elemental cryo-imaging reveals SOS1-dependent vacuolar sodium accumulation.

Increasing soil salinity causes significant crop losses globally; therefore, understanding plant responses to salt (sodium) stress is of high importance. Plants avoid sodium toxicity through subcellular compartmentation by intricate processes involving a high level of elemental interdependence. Current technologies to visualize sodium, in particular, together with other elements, are either indirect or lack in resolution.

Cyclodehydrogenation of molecular nanographene precursors catalyzed by atomic hydrogen.

Atomically precise synthesis of graphene nanostructures on semiconductors and insulators has been a formidable challenge. In particular, the metallic substrates needed to catalyze cyclodehydrogenative planarization reactions limit subsequent applications that exploit the electronic and/or magnetic structure of graphene derivatives. Here, we introduce a protocol in which an on-surface reaction is initiated and carried out regardless of the substrate type.

Synthesis and Reactivity of a Non-Heme μ-Oxodicobalt(IV) Complex.

A mononuclear CoIII complex (1) of a bisamide-bisalkoxide donor ligand was synthesized and thoroughly characterized. The reaction of 1 with 0.5 equiv.

Population genomics and connectivity of Vazella pourtalesii sponge grounds of the northwest Atlantic with conservation implications of deep sea vulnerable marine ecosystems.

Sponges are key ecosystem engineers that shape, structure and enhance the biodiversity of marine benthic communities globally. Sponge aggregations and reefs are recognized as vulnerable marine ecosystems (or VMEs) due to their susceptibility to damage from bottom-contact fishing gears. Ensuring their long-term sustainability, preservation, and ecosystem functions requires the implementation of sound scientific conservation tools.

Subcellular Localization Guides eNOS Function.

Nitric oxide synthases (NOS) are enzymes responsible for the cellular production of nitric oxide (NO), a highly reactive signaling molecule involved in important physiological and pathological processes. Given its remarkable capacity to diffuse across membranes, NO cannot be stored inside cells and thus requires multiple controlling mechanisms to regulate its biological functions. In particular, the regulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity has been shown to be crucial in vascular homeostasis, primarily affecting cardiovascular disease and other pathophysiological processes of importance for human health.

Faecal Metabolome Profiles in Individuals Diagnosed with Hyperplastic Polyps and Conventional Adenomas.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) development is a gradual process in which progressive histological alterations of the intestinal mucosa damage occur over years. This process can be influenced by modifiable external factors such as lifestyle and diet. Most CRC cases (>80%) originate from conventional adenomas through the adenomatous pathway and usually harbour dysplastic cells, whereas the serrated pathway is less frequent (<20% cases) and comprises hyperplastic polyps and other polyps containing dysplastic cells.

Allosteric Changes Underlie the Outside-In Transmission of Activatory Signals in the TCR.

Rather than being contained in a single polypeptide, and unlike receptor tyrosine kinases, the T cell receptor (TCR) divides its signaling functions among its subunits: TCRα/β bind the extracellular ligand, an antigenic peptide-MHC complex (pMHC), and the CD3 subunits (CD3γ, CD3δ, CD3ε, and CD3ζ) transmit this information to the cytoplasm. How information about the quality of pMHC binding outside is transmitted to the cytoplasm remains a matter of debate. In this review, we compile data generated using a wide variety of experimental systems indicating that TCR engagement by an appropriate pMHC triggers allosteric changes transmitted from the ligand-binding loops in the TCRα and TCRβ subunits to the cytoplasmic tails of the CD3 subunits.

Unravelling the complexity of the relationship between social support sources and loneliness: A mixed-methods study with older adults.

Loneliness is an increasingly significant social and public health issue in contemporary societies. The available evidence suggests that social support is one of the key psychosocial processes for the reduction and prevention of loneliness. This study investigated the role played by sources of social support in the experience of social and emotional loneliness, identifying seven sources of support split between family (spouse/partner, children, grandchildren, siblings) and non-family (friends, neighbours).

Antiviral Agents: Structural Basis of Action and Rational Design.

During the last forty years, significant progress has been made in the development of novel antiviral drugs, mainly crystallizing in the establishment of potent antiretroviral therapies and the approval of drugs eradicating hepatitis C virus infection. Although major targets of antiviral intervention involve intracellular processes required for the synthesis of viral proteins and nucleic acids, a number of inhibitors blocking virus assembly, budding, maturation, entry, or uncoating act on virions or viral capsids. In this review, we focus on the drug discovery process while presenting the currently used methodologies to identify novel antiviral drugs by means of computer-based approaches.

Development of Thermosensitive Hydrogels with Tailor-Made Geometries to Modulate Cell Harvesting of Non-Flat Cell Cultures.

Considering the complexity in terms of design that characterizes the different tissues of the human body, it is necessary to study and develop more precise therapies. In this sense, this article presents the possibility of fabricating photocurable thermosensitive hydrogels with free geometry and based on N-Vinyl Caprolactam (VCL) with the aim of modulating the adhesion of non-planar cell cultures. The fabrication process is based on the use as a mold of two-layer thick water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) previously printed by Extrusion Material (MatEx).

Key concepts and a world-wide look at plant recruitment networks.

Plant-plant interactions are major determinants of the dynamics of terrestrial ecosystems. There is a long tradition in the study of these interactions, their mechanisms and their consequences using experimental, observational and theoretical approaches. Empirical studies overwhelmingly focus at the level of species pairs or small sets of species.

Sexual dimorphism on the acute effect of exercise in the morning vs. evening: A randomized crossover study.

Background: Mammalian cells possess molecular clocks, the adequate functioning of which is decisive for metabolic health. Exercise is known to modulate these clocks, potentially having distinct effects on metabolism depending on the time of day. This study aimed to investigate the impact of morning vs.

Model organisms for investigating the functional involvement of NRF2 in non-communicable diseases.

Non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) are most commonly characterized by age-related loss of homeostasis and/or by cumulative exposures to environmental factors, which lead to low-grade sustained generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), chronic inflammation and metabolic imbalance. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-like 2 (NRF2) is a basic leucine-zipper transcription factor that regulates the cellular redox homeostasis. NRF2 controls the expression of more than 250 human genes that share in their regulatory regions a cis-acting enhancer termed the antioxidant response element (ARE).

Combating plant diseases through transition metal allocation.

Understanding how plants fend-off invading microbes is essential for food security and the economy of large parts of the world. Consequently, a sustained and dedicated effort has been directed at unveiling how plants protect themselves from invading microbes. Major defense hormone signaling pathways have been characterized, the identity of many immune response-triggering molecules as well as many of their receptors have been determined, and the mechanisms of pathogen-host arms race are being studied.

Stochastic modeling of single-cell gene expression adaptation reveals non-genomic contribution to evolution of tumor subclones.

Cancer progression is an evolutionary process driven by the selection of cells adapted to gain growth advantage. We present a formal study on the adaptation of gene expression in subclonal evolution. We model evolutionary changes in gene expression as stochastic Ornstein-Uhlenbeck processes, jointly leveraging the evolutionary history of subclones and single-cell expression data.

Photodissociation of the CH2Cl radical: A high-level ab initio study.

Photodissociation of the CH2Cl radical is investigated by using high-level multireference configuration interaction ab initio methods, including the spin-orbit coupling. All possible fragmentation pathways, namely, CH2Cl + hν → CH2 + Cl, HCCl + H, and CCl + H2, have been analyzed. The potential-energy curves of the ground and several excited electronic states along the corresponding dissociating bond distance of each pathway have been calculated.