Hyperactive delta isoform of PI3Kinase enables long distance regeneration of adult rat corticospinal tract.

Neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) lose regenerative potential with maturity, leading to minimal corticospinal tract (CST) axon regrowth after spinal cord injury (SCI). In young rodents, knockdown of PTEN, which antagonises PI3K signalling by hydrolysing PIP3, promotes axon regeneration following SCI. However, this effect diminishes in adults, potentially due to lower PI3K activation leading to reduced PIP3.

Modeling the Distribution of the Rare and Red-Listed Halophytic Moss Species Under Various Climate Change Scenarios in Serbia.

is a rare moss species of the salty grasslands in Serbia. It is threatened with extinction due to habitat destruction and loss, although it reproduces sexually. In this study, we tested different models predicting its distribution under several climate scenarios over the next 8 decades.

Two new species of Plutomurus Yosii (Collembola: Tomoceridae) from Georgia and Iran.

Plutomurus weinerae sp. nov. from Usholta Cave, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti region, Georgia, and P.

Differential impact of infection on the microbiota of and .

The Western honey bee () is a vital agricultural pollinator whose populations are threatened by the parasitic mite destructor and associated pathogens. While the impact of species on honey bees, particularly larvae causing American foulbrood, is documented, their effect on the microbiota of mites remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the influence of sp.

Gyrophoric Acid, a Secondary Metabolite of Lichens, Exhibits Antidepressant and Anxiolytic Activity In Vivo in Wistar Rats.

Gyrophoric acid (GA) is a secondary metabolite of various lichens. It exhibits various biological activities in vitro, but only one study has been carried out in vivo. Because our previous study showed that GA stimulates neurogenesis in healthy rats, the current study aimed to explore the potential of GA during stress-induced depressive-like states in male Wistar rats.

Comparative genomic analysis of two putative novel Idiomarina species from hypersaline miocene deposits.

Background: Hypersaline habitats, as extreme environments, are a great source of well-adapted organisms with unique properties as they have evolved various strategies to cope with these extreme conditions. Bioinformatics and genomic mining may shed light on evolutionary relationships among them. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the biodiversity and especially the strategies evolved within the Idiomarina genus, with the primary focus on the taxonomy and genomic adaptations of two novel strains affiliated with Idiomarina genus isolated from unique environment - brines of two Early Miocene salt deposits.

Secondary Metabolites from Australian Lichens and Affect Growth and Metabolism of Photobiont through Allelopathy.

In the present work, the phytotoxic effects of secondary metabolites extracted from lichen (usnic acid) and lichen (a naturally occurring mixture of atranorin and perlatolic acid, approx. 3:1) on cultures of the aposymbiotically grown lichen photobiont were evaluated. Algae were cultivated on the surface of glass microfiber disks with applied crystals of lichen extracts for 14 days.

Adolescents' health literacy is directly associated with their physical activity but indirectly with their body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness: mediation analysis of the Slovak HBSC study data.

Background: Health literacy is a core public health issue in relation to children and adolescents associated with multiple health behaviours and health outcomes. The aim of the study is to test the direct associations between health literacy, physical activity behaviour, health outcomes of body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness among Slovak adolescents and possible indirect effect of health literacy on health outcomes of body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness mediated by adolescents' physical activity behaviour.

Methods: Data from the Slovak Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study conducted in 2022 were used.

Biodiversity of a temperate karst landscape-ice cave collapse doline supports high α-diversity of the soil mesofauna.

Caves represent a specific environment with a special microclimate and fauna adapted to it. However, we have still a restricted knowledge on soil fauna communities in an environments with a marked microclimate gradient at the interface between cave and surface habitats. In the present study, we investigated the community patterns of dominant soil microarthropod group, oribatid mites, and their relationship to environmental factors across the microclimate gradient along a transect with seven study sites from cold and wet cave entrance zone to warm and drier deciduous forest.

Functional redundancy and niche specialization in honeybee and Varroa microbiomes.

The honeybee (Apis mellifera) is a key pollinator critical to global agriculture, facing threats from various stressors, including the ectoparasitic Varroa mite (Varroa destructor). Previous studies have identified shared bacteria between Varroa mites and honeybees, yet it remains unclear if these bacteria assemble similarly in both species. This study builds on existing knowledge by investigating co-occurrence patterns in the microbiomes of both Varroa mites and honeybees, shedding light on potential interactions.

Sex determination in bryophytes: current state of the art.

With the advent of genomic and other omics technologies, the last decades have witnessed a series of steady and important breakthroughs in the understanding of genetic determinants of different reproductive systems in vascular plants and especially on how sexual reproduction shaped their evolution. In contrast, the molecular mechanisms of these fundamental aspects of the biology of bryophytes, a group of non-vascular embryophyte plants sister to all tracheophytes, are still largely obscure. The recent characterization of the sex chromosomes and genetic switches determining sex in bryophytes and emerging approaches for molecular sexing of gametophytes hold great promise for elucidation of the evolutionary history as well as the conservation of this species-rich but understudied group of land plants.

Blood parasites of water frogs (Pelophylax esculentus complex) from the Danube Delta, Romania.

Water frogs of the genus Pelophylax host a variety of parasites, from protozoa to helminths. Among the blood parasites, representatives of Apicomplexa, Trypanosoma and Nematoda show the highest prevalence. In this study, we focused on blood parasites of water frogs living in the Danube Delta, Romania.

The First In Vivo Study Shows That Gyrophoric Acid Changes Behavior of Healthy Laboratory Rats.

Gyrophoric acid (GA), a lichen secondary metabolite, has attracted more attention during the last years because of its potential biological effects. Until now, its effect in vivo has not yet been demonstrated. The aim of our study was to evaluate the basic physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties of GA, which are directly associated with its biological activities.

Comparative analysis of geotypic variations in the proteome of .

Cyanobacterium is a filamentous terrestrial prokaryotic organism widely distributed, which suggest its high adaptive potential to environmental or abiotic stress. Physiological parameters and proteomic analysis were performed in two accession of with the aim to elucidate the differences of physiological trails between distant geotypes, namely Antarctic (AN) and central European (CE). The result obtained clearly showed that the AN geotype demonstrates elevated levels of total phenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, and phycobiliproteins, indicative of its adaptation to environmental stress as referred by comparison to CE sample.

The surface modification of the silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles and their application in molecular diagnostics of virus infection.

The study presents a series of examples of magnetic nanoparticle systems designed for the diagnosis of viral diseases. In this interdisciplinary work, we describe one of the most comprehensive synthetic approaches for the preparation and functionalization of smart nanoparticle systems for rapid and effective RT-PCR diagnostics and isolation of viral RNA. Twelve different organic ligands and inorganic porous silica were used for surface functionalization of the FeO magnetic core to increase the number of active centres for efficient RNA binding from human swab samples.

Effects of the Salt Stress Duration and Intensity on Developmental and Physiological Features of the Moss .

The two accessions of the polytrichaceous moss species , namely German and Serbian genotypes, were subjected to salt stress, aiming to study the species' developmental and physiological features. Various concentrations of sodium chloride were applied to an axenic culture of the two moss genotypes, and the growth parameters as well as physiological feature changes were followed. As inferred by the morpho-developmental parameters and survival index, the Serbian genotype showed higher resistance to salt stress as compared to the German one.

Mini-encyclopedia of mitochondria-relevant nutraceuticals protecting health in primary and secondary care-clinically relevant 3PM innovation.

Despite their subordination in humans, to a great extent, mitochondria maintain their independent status but tightly cooperate with the "host" on protecting the joint life quality and minimizing health risks. Under oxidative stress conditions, healthy mitochondria promptly increase mitophagy level to remove damaged "fellows" rejuvenating the mitochondrial population and sending fragments of mtDNA as SOS signals to all systems in the human body. As long as metabolic pathways are under systemic control and well-concerted together, adaptive mechanisms become triggered increasing systemic protection, activating antioxidant defense and repair machinery.

In silico prediction of polyketide biosynthetic gene clusters in the genomes of Hypericum-borne endophytic fungi.

Background: The search for new bioactive natural compounds with anticancer activity is still of great importance. Even though their potential for diagnostics and treatment of cancer has already been proved, the availability is still limited. Hypericin, a naphthodianthrone isolated essentially from plant source Hypericum perforatum L.

Comparative model of minimal spinal cord injury reveals a rather anti-inflammatory response in the lesion site as well as increased proliferation in the central canal lining in the neonates compared to the adult rats.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) resulting from trauma decreases the quality of human life. Numerous clues indicate that the limited endogenous regenerative potential is a result of the interplay between the inhibitory nature of mature nervous tissue and the inflammatory actions of immune and glial cells. Knowledge gained from comparing regeneration in adult and juvenile animals could draw attention to factors that should be removed or added for effective therapy in adults.

Exploring In Vitro Immunomodulatory Properties of Moss Extracts.

Bryophytes are rich sources of diverse secondary metabolites with a wide range of biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antitumor and antimicrobial effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical composition of extracts from two different genotypes (Serbian and Hungarian) of the axenic moss and evaluate the immunomodulatory potential of the prepared extracts in vitro. Both genotypes of moss samples were cultivated in vitro and subsequently extracted in a Soxhlet apparatus with methanol or ethyl acetate.

Microcystin-LR, a cyanotoxin, modulates division of higher plant chloroplasts through protein phosphatase inhibition and affects cyanobacterial division.

Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) is a harmful cyanotoxin that inhibits 1 and 2A serine-threonine protein phosphatases. This study examines the influence of MC-LR on chloroplast division and the underlying mechanisms and consequences in Arabidopsis. MC-LR increased the frequency of dividing chloroplasts in hypocotyls in a time range of 1-96 h.

The Effects of Bioactive Compounds on Human Brain Structures and Diseases.

The human brain is the most intricate organ in the body [...

Comparative Phytotoxicity of Metallic Elements on Duckweed L. Using Growth- and Chlorophyll Fluorescence Induction-Based Endpoints.

In this study, we exposed a commonly used duckweed species- L.-to twelve environmentally relevant metals and metalloids under laboratory conditions. The phytotoxic effects were evaluated in a multi-well-plate-based experimental setup by means of the chlorophyll fluorescence imaging method.

Beneficial Effect of Faecal Microbiota Transplantation on Mild, Moderate and Severe Dextran Sodium Sulphate-Induced Ulcerative Colitis in a Pseudo Germ-Free Animal Model.

Transplantation of faecal microbiota (FMT) is generally considered a safe therapeutic procedure with few adverse effects. The main factors that limit the spread of the use of FMT therapy for idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are the necessity of minimising the risk of infection and transfer of another disease. Obtaining the animal model of UC (ulcerative colitis) by exposure to DSS (dextran sodium sulphate) depends on many factors that significantly affect the result.