Higher ATM expression in lymphoblastoid cell lines from centenarian compared with younger women.

With increased life expectancies in developed countries, cancer rates are becoming more common among the elderly. Cancer is typically driven by a combination of germline and somatic mutations accumulating during an individual's lifetime. Yet, many centenarians reach exceptionally old age without experiencing cancer.

Recent advances in user-friendly computational tools to engineer protein function.

Progress in technology and algorithms throughout the past decade has transformed the field of protein design and engineering. Computational approaches have become well-engrained in the processes of tailoring proteins for various biotechnological applications. Many tools and methods are developed and upgraded each year to satisfy the increasing demands and challenges of protein engineering.

SIRT1, miR-132 and miR-212 link human longevity to Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly. Centenarians - reaching the age of >100 years while maintaining good cognitive skills - seemingly have unique biological features allowing healthy aging and protection from dementia. Here, we studied the expression of SIRT1 along with miR-132 and miR-212, two microRNAs known to regulate SIRT1, in lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) from 45 healthy donors aged 21 to 105 years and 24 AD patients, and in postmortem olfactory bulb and hippocampus tissues from 14 AD patients and 20 age-matched non-demented individuals.

Visualization of cytosolic ribosomes on the surface of mitochondria by electron cryo-tomography.

We employed electron cryo-tomography to visualize cytosolic ribosomes on the surface of mitochondria. Translation-arrested ribosomes reveal the clustered organization of the TOM complex, corroborating earlier reports of localized translation. Ribosomes are shown to interact specifically with the TOM complex, and nascent chain binding is crucial for ribosome recruitment and stabilization.

TRIM28 epigenetic corepressor is indispensable for stable induced pluripotent stem cell formation.

Cellular reprogramming proceeds in a stepwise pathway initiated by binding and transcription of pluripotency factors followed by genome-wide epigenetic changes. Priming events, such as erasure of DNA methylation and chromatin remodeling determines the success of pluripotency acquisition later. Therefore, growing efforts are made to understand epigenetic regulatory network that makes reprogramming possible and efficient.

PET/CT evaluation of F-FDG uptake in pericoronary adipose tissue in patients with stable coronary artery disease: Independent predictor of atherosclerotic lesions' formation?

Background: Inflammatory infiltrations in EAT which releases inflammatory cytokines correspond anatomically to the atheromatous plaques in underlying coronary vessels. However, it is unknown whether inflammatory activity of pericoronary adipose tissue (PCAT) promotes coronary atherosclerosis.

Methods And Results: 35 non-diabetic patients with confirmed CAD and 35 non-CAD controls matched for age and BMI underwent 18F-FDG-PET/CT.

GSK-3β and MMP-9 Cooperate in the Control of Dendritic Spine Morphology.

Changes in the morphology of dendritic spines are prominent during learning and in different neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases, including those in which glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) has been implicated. Despite much evidence of the involvement of GSK-3β in functional synaptic plasticity, it is unclear how GSK-3β controls structural synaptic plasticity (i.e.

miR-132 Regulates Dendritic Spine Structure by Direct Targeting of Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 mRNA.

Mir-132 is a neuronal activity-regulated microRNA that controls the morphology of dendritic spines and neuronal transmission. Similar activities have recently been attributed to matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), an extrasynaptic protease. In the present study, we provide evidence that miR-132 directly regulates MMP-9 mRNA in neurons to modulate synaptic plasticity.

Structural Plasticity of Dendritic Spines Requires GSK3α and GSK3β.

Although memories appear to be elusive phenomena, they are stored in the network of physical connections between neurons. Dendritic spines, which are actin-rich dendritic protrusions, serve as the contact points between networked neurons. The spines' shape contributes to the strength of signal transmission.

Cox17 Protein Is an Auxiliary Factor Involved in the Control of the Mitochondrial Contact Site and Cristae Organizing System.

The mitochondrial contact site and cristae organizing system (MICOS) is a recently discovered protein complex that is crucial for establishing and maintaining the proper inner membrane architecture and contacts with the outer membrane of mitochondria. The ways in which the MICOS complex is assembled and its integrity is regulated remain elusive. Here, we report a direct link between Cox17, a protein involved in the assembly of cytochrome c oxidase, and the MICOS complex.

Oncogenesis and induced pluripotency - commonalities of signalling pathways.

Rapid progress in the field of adult cells reprogramming back into a stem cell-like fate revealed shared mechanisms of action with tumoural reprogramming. A hallmark of stem cells - self-renewal and differentiation potential - seems to be tightly interlaced with large proliferation capacity and cellular plasticity of cancer cells. In this review, we briefly summarise the core transcription factors critical to maintenance of ES cell signature and overexpressed in many types of cancer, as well as signalling pathways involved in both induced pluripotency and oncogenesis, with particular regard to the role of tumour suppressor p53.

Interrelation between genotypes of the vitamin D receptor gene and serum sex hormone concentrations in the Polish elderly population: the PolSenior study.

Aim: Vitamin D co-regulates the synthesis of sex hormones. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether the presence of certain genotypes of the vitamin D receptor gene (VDR) is associated with the serum levels of sex hormones in the elderly Polish population.

Materials And Methods: The rs10735810, rs1544410, rs7975232, and rs731236 polymorphisms of VDR, the serum levels of testosterone and estradiol, as well as free estrogen index (FEI) and free androgen index (FAI) were evaluated in 360 women and 400 men aged 65-90years selected from 5695 respondents of the PolSenior survey.

The Fragile X mental retardation protein regulates matrix metalloproteinase 9 mRNA at synapses.

Activity-dependent protein synthesis at synapses is dysregulated in the Fragile X syndrome (FXS). This process contributes to dendritic spine dysmorphogenesis and synaptic dysfunction in FXS. Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) is an enzyme involved in activity-dependent reorganization of dendritic spine architecture and was shown to regulate spine morphology in a mouse model of FXS, the Fmr1 knock-out mice.

Organization of the G protein-coupled receptors rhodopsin and opsin in native membranes.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which constitute the largest and structurally best conserved family of signaling molecules, are involved in virtually all physiological processes. Crystal structures are available only for the detergent-solubilized light receptor rhodopsin. In addition, this receptor is the only GPCR for which the presumed higher order oligomeric state in native membranes has been demonstrated (Fotiadis, D.