Zika Virus Causes Acute and Chronic Prostatitis in Mice and Macaques.

Background: Sexual transmission and persistence of Zika virus (ZIKV) in the male reproductive tract has raised concerned for potential damaging effects on function. Animal studies have demonstrated that ZIKV virus can infect and damage the testis and epididymis, and these results has been correlated to lower sperm counts in ZIKV-infected humans. The prostate plays a vital role in the male reproductive tract, with acute and chronic prostatitis linked to male infertility.

Ranking Cognitive Flexibility in a Group Setting of Rhesus Monkeys with a Set-Shifting Procedure.

Attentional set-shifting ability is an executive function underling cognitive flexibility in humans and animals. In humans, this function is typically observed during a single experimental session where dimensions of playing cards are used to measure flexibility in the face of changing rules for reinforcement (i.e.

GLP-1 based therapeutics: simultaneously combating T2DM and obesity.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) enhances meal-related insulin secretion, which lowers blood glucose excursions. In addition to its incretin action, GLP-1 acts on the GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) in the brain to suppress feeding. These combined actions of GLP-1R signaling cause improvements in glycemic control as well as weight loss in type II diabetes (T2DM) patients treated with GLP-1R agonists.

Pyoverdine synthesis by the Mn(II)-oxidizing bacterium Pseudomonas putida GB-1.

When iron-starved, the Mn(II)-oxidizing bacteria Pseudomonas putida strains GB-1 and MnB1 produce pyoverdines (PVDGB-1 and PVDMnB1), siderophores that both influence iron uptake and inhibit manganese(II) oxidation by these strains. To explore the properties and genetics of a PVD that can affect manganese oxidation, LC-MS/MS, and various siderotyping techniques were used to identify the peptides of PVDGB-1 and PVDMnB1 as being (for both PVDs): chromophore-Asp-Lys-OHAsp-Ser-Gly-aThr-Lys-cOHOrn, resembling a structure previously reported for P. putida CFML 90-51, which does not oxidize Mn.

Contrasting genomic properties of free-living and particle-attached microbial assemblages within a coastal ecosystem.

The Columbia River (CR) is a powerful economic and environmental driver in the US Pacific Northwest. Microbial communities in the water column were analyzed from four diverse habitats: (1) an estuarine turbidity maximum (ETM), (2) a chlorophyll maximum of the river plume, (3) an upwelling-associated hypoxic zone, and (4) the deep ocean bottom. Three size fractions, 0.

Beyond Leptin: Emerging Candidates for the Integration of Metabolic and Reproductive Function during Negative Energy Balance.

Reproductive status is tightly coupled to metabolic state in females, and ovarian cycling in mammals is halted when energy output exceeds energy input, a metabolic condition known as negative energy balance. This inhibition of reproductive function during negative energy balance occurs due to suppression of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) release in the hypothalamus. The GnRH secretagogue kisspeptin is also inhibited during negative energy balance, indicating that inhibition of reproductive neuroendocrine circuits may occur upstream of GnRH itself.