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Karen Rihani et al. demonstrate that fruit flies need an odorant-binding protein OBP19b, which is highly expressed in taste sensilla, to prefer select amino acids such as essential l-phenylalanine. This study provides insights into the mechanisms by which insects ensure their dietary intake of essential amino acids.
Claire Chewapreecha et al. combine 753 newly sequenced Thai Burkholderia pseudomallei isolates with 258 Australian isolates to identify genes associated with either clinical or environmental strains. They find 47 genes, 12 of which replicate in both locations, that may provide clues to the strategy used by this microbe to adapt to survive in wide range of ecological niches, including human hosts.
Endow et al. find that protrusions associated with quiescent neural stem cells and intestinal stem cells in Drosophila contain clustered mitochondria. Live imaging and drug treatment provide evidence that mitochondrial positioning is microtubule-dependent. The authors suggest the protrusions function in niche communication.
Fujita et al. demonstrate that a TonB-dependent receptor (TBDR) is involved in the outer membrane transport of lignin-derived biphenyl in a Gram-negative bacterial strain capable of degrading lignin-derived aromatic compounds. They also show that overexpression of corresponding TBDR gene enhances uptake of the compound, providing basis for establishing engineered strains optimized for use in lignin valorization.
Imai et al. show that the light-dependent activation of a proton transporter, Delta-rhodopsin, reverses the pathology caused by the loss of a Parkinson’s disease-associated gene, improving motor behaviors of flies. This study suggests that maintaining the mitochondrial proton-motive force may serve as a therapeutic strategy for Parkinson’s disease.
Thomas et al. uses ancestral sequence reconstruction (ASR) tool to reconstruct functional ancestors of the Mycobacterial and Nocardial CAR1 orthologues, representing one of the largest reconstructed proteins to date. These ancestral CARs display varied tolerances to solvents, pH and in vivo-like salt concentrations along with high thermostability compared to well-studied extant CARs.
Belorusova et al. use HDX-MS to identify specific regions of liver X receptors LXRα/β which differentially correlate with anti-atherogenic and lipogenic activities of ligands. They also show that their differential stabilisation can allow the separation of beneficial anti-atherogenic from adverse lipogenic effects and thus help in the design of drugs with improved therapeutic indexes.
Taherian et al. show a correlation between the severity of apnea-hypopnea and the adjusted pressure coefficient. This study suggests that anatomy-based models coupled with computational fluid dynamics may serve to identify biomarkers that report the severity of sleep obstruction.
Shoichi Nakamura, Seiji Hira et al. demonstrate that a truncated form of Mamo lacking the BTB/POZ domain (MamoAF) is a potent transcriptional activator of a germline gene vasa. This study suggests that MamoAF cooperates with transcriptional activators CBP and OvoB to regulate the development of germline cells.
Özbay et al. show the contribution of fluctuations in sympathetic activation on global fMRI signals in human brain during sleep. Such an inference is based on simultaneously acquiring and correlating EEG K-complexes and episodic drops in finger skin signatures with BOLD-fMRI changes during sleep.
Makoto Nagano et al show that in budding yeast, endosome formation requires vesicle transport from the Golgi. They find that endocytic internalisation is not needed for activation of the key early endosome regulator Rab5, but instead this involves the recruitment of the Rab5 GEF Vps9p to the trans-Golgi network and its subsequent shuttling to the endosome.
Schreiber et al characterize a common inhibitory mechanism for ifenprodil and its derived compounds acting on GluN2B-containing N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs). These insights, generated through mutagenesis of the receptor binding site, chemical modifications of the compounds and structural modeling, may aid in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases where GluN2B is involved.
Chamadia et al. show that a delta-higher frequency phase-amplitude coupling syntax, rather than coherent frontal alpha oscillations, is fundamental to sevoflurane anesthesia. Their conclusion is based on analyzing different EEG measures across different anesthetic states.
Mélanie Roch et al. demonstrate that extracellular protein folding factors contribute to MRSA’s resistance to β-lactam antibiotics by influencing PBP2A quality control. This study suggests that targeting chaperones or disrupting partially folded proteins represents an effective strategy to combat the spread of antibiotic resistance.
Govender et al. report that the common African mutation V260E in the podocin protein is associated with autosomal recessive steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome in black South African children with biopsy-proven focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. This variant was absent in children with steroid sensitive nephrotic syndrome, indicating its utility in treatment decisions.
Olga Trubetckai et al. show targeted pre- and post-synaptic alpha-synuclein upregulation that is modified by the duration and systemic presence of cocaine. The observed changes in pre-synaptic alpha-synuclein location may be important for modulating the complex afferent information controlling mesolimbic dopamine activity as substance abuse develops.
Sinkala et al. perform an integrated pan-cancer analysis of 10,528 tumors from 32 cancer types and 825 human cancer cell lines to identify metabolic pathways associated with anti-cancer drug responses and clinical outcomes. This study suggests that metabolic features associated with specific cancer types may be used to effectively target these cancers.
Kenji Keyamura and Takashi Hishida demonstrate that RecN binds to single-stranded and double-stranded DNA through topological entrapment and stimulates RecA-mediated strand exchange activity in bacteria. The results provide mechanistic insights into how RecN is recruited to and repairs DNA double-strand breaks.
A new fossil bird from the Early Cretaceous of Japan provides evidence that the evolutionary history of early birds was more complex than previously realised. This new species also has important implications for the distribution of early birds, demonstrating that they inhabited temperate, lowland regions.
Jianfeng Lin et al. report the identification and characterization of the phylum specific SWI/SNF subunit Brf1 from Cryptococcus neoformans. They show that the chromatin remodeling complex works with the transcription factor Znf2 in cellular differentiation.