Cryptochrome 4b protein is probably irrelevant for radical pair-based magnetoreception in the European robin.

Avian cryptochrome 4 (Cry4) protein is a putative magnetosensitive molecule facilitating precise long-distance navigation in migratory birds. Two splice variants of Cry4 have been reported in the European robin (), namely Cry4a and Cry4b. Cry4a protein is known to generate magnetically sensitive radical pairs for magnetoreception through electron transfer between the flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) cofactor and tryptophan residues within the protein.

AAV-mediated transduction of songbird retina.

Introduction: Genetic manipulation of murine retinal tissue through ocular administration of adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) has become a standard technique to investigate a multitude of mechanisms underlying retinal physiology. Resultantly, developments of recombinant viral vectors with improved transduction efficiency and further methodological improvements have mostly focused on murine tissue, whereas AAVs successfully targeting avian retinae have remained scarce.

Methodology: Using a custom-designed injection setup, we identified a viral serotype with the capability to successfully induce widespread transduction of the bird retina.

Upper bound for broadband radiofrequency field disruption of magnetic compass orientation in night-migratory songbirds.

Night-migratory songbirds have a light-dependent magnetic compass sense, the mechanism of which is thought to depend on the photochemical formation of radical pairs in cryptochrome (Cry) proteins located in the retina. The finding that weak radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields can prevent birds from orienting in the Earth's magnetic field has been regarded as a diagnostic test for this mechanism and as a potential source of information on the identities of the radicals. The maximum frequency that could cause such disorientation has been predicted to lie between 120 and 220 MHz for a flavin-tryptophan radical pair in Cry.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis elevates SLIT2 expression within the host and contributes to oxidative stress responses during infection.

During infection, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) rewires distinct host signaling pathways that results in pathogen-favorable outcomes. Oxidative stress build-up is a key cellular manifestation that occurs due to the cumulative effect of elevated reactive oxygen species generation (ROS) and the inept ability of the cell to mitigate ROS levels. Here, we report the Mtb-induced expression of the neuronal ligand, SLIT2, to be instrumental in ROS accumulation during infection.

Jack of all trades: Genome assembly of Wild Jack and comparative genomics of .

(Moraceae), known as breadfruits for their diverse nutritious fruits, is prized for its high-quality timber, medicinal value, and economic importance. Breadfruits are native to Southeast Asia but have been introduced to other continents. The most commonly cultivated species are (Jackfruit) and (Breadfruit).