The emerging roles of long non-coding RNAs in the nervous system.

Tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcribed from mammalian genomes, especially in the brain, wherein most exhibit region-specific and/or cell-specific expression patterns. Many lncRNAs are nuclear-localized and appear to be the products of developmental enhancers, whereas others are found in the cytoplasm, including at the synapse. Here, we describe the lncRNAs that have been shown to have roles in various aspects of brain development, synaptic function, learning, behaviour and brain disorders.

Arsenic bioaccumulation in fish of the lower meghna river: Seasonal dynamics, species sensitivity, and public health implications.

The Lower Meghna River (LMR), located in one of Bangladesh's most arsenic-contaminated regions, is essential for local fisheries and provides water for drinking, irrigation, and daily use. Consequently, this study investigates arsenic accumulation in ten edible, small indigenous species (SIS) of fish, considering their morphology, habitats, diets, and water and sediment conditions. Samples were analysed across three distinct river segments during three seasons.

Procollagen IIA mediates positive feedback control of the mouse cardiogenic transcriptional network.

Cardiogenesis relies on the integrated interplay between cardiac transcription factors and signaling pathways. Here, we uncover a role for type IIA procollagen (IIA), an extracellular matrix (ECM) protein encoded by an alternatively spliced transcript, encoding a N-terminal cysteine-rich domain, as a critical regulator in a cardiac gene regulatory feedback loop. The cysteine-rich domain of IIA protein was previously reported to interact with bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and transforming growth factors-beta (TGFβ) in in vitro binding assays and acts as a BMP antagonist in amphibian embryo assays.

Capsaicinoids and capsinoids of chilli pepper as feed additives in livestock production: Current and future trends.

Population growth and income increase have promoted a greater consumption of animal-based food. To increase the yield of livestock animals, antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) have been provided at sub-therapeutic doses in water and feed for production animals. Unfortunately, the misuse of antibiotics has been associated with antimicrobial resistance (AMR), resulting in their ban as animal growth promoters in different countries.

A mouse organoid platform for modeling cerebral cortex development and cis-regulatory evolution in vitro.

Natural selection has shaped the gene regulatory networks that orchestrate cortical development, leading to structural and functional variation across mammals, but the molecular and cellular mechanisms underpinning these changes have only begun to be characterized. Here, we develop a reproducible protocol for cerebral cortex organoid generation from mouse epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs), which recapitulates the timing and cellular differentiation programs of the embryonic cortex. We generated cortical organoids from F1 hybrid EpiSCs derived from crosses between laboratory mice (C57BL/6J) and four wild-derived inbred strains spanning ∼1 M years of evolutionary divergence to comprehensively map cis-acting transcriptional regulatory variation across developing cortical cell types, using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq).

CHP1 promotes lipid droplet growth and regulates the localization of key enzymes for triacylglycerol synthesis.

The glycerol-3-phosphate (G-3-P) pathway is central to the synthesis of triacylglycerols (TAGs) and glycerophospholipids, essential for membrane biogenesis and lipid storage. The first and rate-limiting step in this pathway is catalyzed by glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferases (GPATs), with microsomal GPAT3 and GPAT4 being evolutionarily conserved and predominant in most tissues. While previous studies have implicated Calcineurin B homologous protein 1 (CHP1) as a cofactor for GPAT4, the broader role of CHP1 in regulating microsomal GPATs and TAG biosynthesis remains unclear.

ECSFinder: optimized prediction of evolutionarily conserved RNA secondary structures from genome sequences.

Accurate prediction of RNA secondary structures is essential for understanding the evolutionary conservation and functional roles of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) across diverse species. In this study, we benchmarked two leading tools for predicting evolutionarily conserved RNA secondary structures (ECSs), SISSIz and R-scape, using two distinct experimental frameworks: one focusing on well-characterized mitochondrial RNA structures and the other on experimentally validated Rfam structures embedded within simulated genome alignments. While both tools performed similarly overall, each displayed subtle preferences in detecting ECSs.

Titin-related familial dilated cardiomyopathy: factors associated with disease onset.

Background And Aims: Truncating variants in the TTN gene (TTNtv) are the most common genetic cause of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) but also occur as incidental findings in the general population. This study investigated factors associated with the clinical manifestation of TTNtv.

Methods: An international multicentre retrospective observational study was performed in families with TTNtv-related DCM.

The type 6 secretion system immunity protein RhsFI has been repurposed for small RNA regulation in pathogenic Escherichia coli.

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) play key roles in regulating virulence gene expression in pathogenic enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC). To capture the RNA-binding proteome in EHEC, total RNA-associated protein purification (TRAPP) was employed and identified 443 RNA-associated proteins. These included 35 encoded within pathogenicity islands, with RNA-binding confirmed in vitro for four, including RhsFI.

Rescue of bacterial motility using two- and three-species FliC chimeras.

The bacterial flagellar filament acts as a propeller to drive most bacterial swimming. The filament is made of flagellin, known as FliC in . FliC consists of four domains, the highly conserved core D0 and D1 domains and the hypervariable outer D2 and D3 domains.

Dissection of surface area-dependent lipolysis at a single organelle level.

Lipid droplets are dynamic organelles whose size and number signify their role in energy. However, owing to cellular heterogeneity and technological limitations, the relationship between the lipolytic ability and lipid droplet morphology is unclear. Here, we developed a live-cell imaging assay using geometric analysis to quantify cellular lipolysis at a single organelle level, designated imaging lipolysis.

An ureido-substituted benzenesulfonamide carbonic anhydrase inhibitor exerts a potent antitumor effect in vitro and in vivo.

Carbonic anhydrase IX (CA IX) is a tumor-specific metallo-enzyme upregulated during hypoxic conditions and implicated in several pathophysiological processes where tissue pH regulation is required such as cancer, cell invasion, metastatic and stem-like features, drug resistance and recurrence. Indeed, CA IX expression has been correlated with poor prognosis, aggressiveness and disease progression in several solid tumors, and its targeting has been proposed as a therapeutic approach to treat aggressive cancers. To date, several CA IX targeting approaches have been developed to inhibit its activity in neoplastic tissues including the clinical grade (Phase Ib/II) ureido-substituted benzenesulfonamide SLC-0111, which has been widely investigated over the past years.

Opportunities, challenges, and policy implications of the aerobiome paradigm shift.

Historically, bioaerosol research has focused on identifying and mitigating the harmful effects of airborne pathogens and particles. These bioaerosols-including bacteria, viruses, fungal spores, and non-biological particles, such as particulate matter up to 2.5 µm (PM2.

Typhi Mykrobe: fast and accurate lineage identification and antimicrobial resistance genotyping directly from sequence reads for the typhoid fever agent Typhi.

Background: Typhoid fever results from systemic infection with serovar Typhi (Typhi) and causes 10 million illnesses annually. Disease control relies on prevention (water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions or vaccination) and effective antimicrobial treatment. Antimicrobial resistant (AMR) Typhi lineages have emerged and become established in many parts of the world.

NCAM2 promotes targeting of APP from the cell surface to BACE1-containing recycling endosomes.

Convergence of amyloid precursor protein (APP) and β-site APP cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) in endosomes initiates the production of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides that accumulate in brains of Alzheimer's disease patients. APP and BACE1 are segregated in neurons, and mechanisms triggering their convergence have remained poorly understood, limiting therapeutic attempts to reduce Aβ production. Neural cell adhesion molecule 2 (NCAM2) is a cell surface localized protein, which increases Aβ levels via mechanisms that are not known.

Propolis compound inhibits profibrotic TGF-β1/SMAD signalling in human fibroblasts.

Hypertrophic scarring of the skin is a cause of pain, disfigurement, and restricted mobility. Excessive TGF-β1 signalling leads to SMAD3 phosphorylation, which is implicated in hypertrophic scarring. In this study, we examined the mechanism of action of tomentosenol A, a small compound that we isolated from the propolis of the Australian stingless bee Tetragonula carbonaria.

Removal of promoter CpG methylation by epigenome editing reverses HBG silencing.

β-hemoglobinopathies caused by mutations in adult-expressed HBB can be treated by re-activating the adjacent paralogous genes HBG1 and HBG2 (HBG), which are normally silenced perinatally. Although HBG expression is induced by global demethylating drugs, their mechanism is poorly understood, and toxicity limits their use. We identify the DNMT1-associated maintenance methylation protein UHRF1 as a mediator of HBG repression through a CRISPR/Cas9 screen.

The Reciprocal Relationship Between Cell Adhesion Molecules and Reactive Oxygen Species.

Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) are cell-surface-localized proteins mediating interactions of cells with other cells and the extracellular matrix. CAMs influence cell behavior and survival by inducing various intracellular signaling cascades that regulate diverse cellular processes including cytoskeleton remodeling and gene expression. Here, we review the evidence demonstrating that the levels, subcellular distribution, and binding affinities of CAMs of several major families including integrins, cadherins, immunoglobulin superfamily, and selectins are regulated by intracellularly generated or extracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Multiple cross displacement amplification (MCDA) for rapid detection of toxigenic as a potential point-of-care testing.

Toxigenic is the cause of infection, highlighting the critical need for rapid and easy-to-use detection. In this study, a multiple cross displacement amplification (MCDA) assay was developed to detect toxigenic and evaluated against real-time PCR and VIDAS toxin A & B assay (CDAB). The results showed that MCDA targeting the gene had a limit of detection (LOD) of 12.

Respiratory infections in pregnancy and early life-association with the development of islet autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes in children: systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

Background: Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in pregnancy and early childhood are potential environmental triggers of islet autoimmunity (IA) and type 1 diabetes (TD). We reviewed the association between gestational and childhood RTIs and the development of IA or T1D in the offspring.

Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis, analysed using random effects models, of observational human studies from Medline and EMBASE, without language restriction, from inception until Jan 6, 2025.

Comparative genomic analysis of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium isolates from the chicken production chain and table egg livestock in New South Wales, Australia.

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (STm) is a globally prevalent pathogen, causing foodborne illnesses in humans through contaminated food products. Poultry products are known reservoirs of STm. This study performed a comparative genomic analysis of STm isolates from different stages of the Australian broiler chicken production chain and table egg livestock, to investigate their transmission dynamics within the production chain.

Characterization of extensive diversity in immunoglobulin light chain variable germline genes across biomedically important mouse strains.

The light chain immunoglobulin (IG) genes of inbred mouse strains are poorly documented in current gene databases. We previously showed that IG heavy chain (IGH) loci of wild-derived mouse strains, representing the major mouse subspecies, contained 247 IGH variable (V) sequences not curated in the International ImMunoGeneTics (IMGT) information system database, commonly used for adaptive immune receptor repertoire sequencing (AIRR-seq) analysis. Despite containing levels of polymorphism similar to the IGH locus, the germline gene content and diversity of the light chain loci (kappa, IGK; lambda, IGL) have not been comprehensively cataloged.

ORP2 regulates free cholesterol accumulation in hepatocytes during MASH.

Background: Cholesterol crystals in hepatocytes are known to strongly associate with human metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis. However, it remains unclear which molecular pathway(s) regulates free cholesterol accumulation and the formation of cholesterol crystals in hepatocytes. In cultured cell lines, oxysterol-binding protein-related protein 2 (ORP2) functions to deliver cholesterol to the plasma membrane from endosomal compartments.

Diverse actions of 15 structurally unrelated mitochondrial uncouplers in cells and mice.

Objective: Mitochondrial uncouplers are used as chemical tools to study mitochondrial function in vitro and in vivo, and some molecules are in development for the treatment of metabolic diseases. One problem in the field is that any molecule that increases proton transport into the mitochondrial matrix independent of ATP production can be classified as an uncoupler regardless of off-target activities. Therefore, there are dozens of classes of molecules that exhibit a wide spectrum of phenotypes.