Issues
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Cover image
Cover Image
Cover: Primary cell populations isolated from neonatal rat myocardium co-cultured with human extraembryonic mesenchymal stem cells (FTM HUCPVCs). Human cells (purple nuclei) integrate with the primary rat cardiac tissue (blue nuclei) and assume cardiac phenotypes, including sarcomeric actinin (red) positivity. Endoplasmic reticulum labelling is applied as counterstain (green). Such phenotypical and lineage commitment changes are only detectable during long term maintenance of co-cultures, providing high homogeneity and high cell viability even with high starting cell numbers. Homogenous and long-lasting cultures from high seeding density were achieved using the column-augmented culture dish described in Szaraz et al. Image licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
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RESEARCH ARTICLES
Acclimation temperature changes spermatozoa flagella length relative to head size in brown trout
Summary: Two different acclimation temperatures cause divergence in brown trout sperm morphometry through changes in the relative head surface area to flagellum length ratio.
Lineage-specific determination of ring neuron circuitry in the central complex of Drosophila
Summary: The formation of ring neurons is described from a pair of embryonic stem cells to engrailed and Poxn neuro-dependent lineage-specific determination of neural circuits in the central complex of Drosophila.
Characterization of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and their benefits on growth and phosphate nutrition of faba bean and wheat
Summary: We provide phenotypic and molecular characterization of rhizobacterial strains and their effectiveness in the field to boost growth and phosphorus nutrition of wheat and faba bean.
Minimal effects of spargel (PGC-1) overexpression in a Drosophila mitochondrial disease model
Summary: Overexpression of spargel, the fly PGC-1 homologue proposed as a mitochondrial biogenesis regulator, has minimal effects on the phenotype of tko25t, considered a fly model for mitochondrial disease.
Surface expression marker profile in colon cancer cell lines and sphere-derived cells suggests complexity in CD26+ cancer stem cells subsets
Summary: In our model of eight established cell lines from colorectal cancer patients we show the presence of different putative cancer stem cell (CSC) subsets with expression of CD26/DPP4.
Intestinal lipid droplets as novel mediators of host–pathogen interaction in Drosophila
Summary: Lipid droplets are inducible organelles, act as inflammatory markers and, depending on the nature of challenge, can dictate the outcome of the infection.
Exogenous hydrogen sulfide mitigates NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated inflammation through promoting autophagy via the AMPK-mTOR pathway
Summary: We prove that exogenous H2S can suppress NLRP3-mediated inflammation by promoting autophagy via the AMPK/mTOR pathway in L02 cells, providing insights into the anti-inflammatory mechanism of H2S.
Effects of fish caudal fin sweep angle and kinematics on thrust production during low-speed thunniform swimming
Summary: The study examines the impact of scombrid fish caudal fin sweep angle and angle of attack on thrust production across a range of Strouhal numbers using a robophysical model.
The Prrx1 limb enhancer marks an adult subpopulation of injury-responsive dermal fibroblasts
Summary: Dermal Prrx1-enhancer cells are injury-responsive fibroblasts. Prrx1enh+ cells readily migrate into the wound bed and amplify on average 16-fold beyond their uninjured numbers.
Chemotropic signaling by BMP7 requires selective interaction at a key residue in ActRIIA
Summary: Chemotropic BMPs, typified by BMP7, mediate selective receptor recruitment and transduction of PI3K-dependent intracellular signals through interaction with a key residue in the ActRIIA type II BMP receptor.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids promote Plasmodium falciparum gametocytogenesis
Summary: Supplementation of extracellular lipids with unsaturated fatty acids can boost the production of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes under laboratory culture conditions. Lipid uptake and metabolism are important processes for sustainable gametocytogenesis.
Analysis of novel hyperosmotic shock response suggests ‘beads in liquid’ cytosol structure
Summary: We describe a novel cellular response to hyperosmotic shock – rapid reversible formation of foci by various proteins. Data on foci behavior suggest a novel ‘beads in liquid’ cytosolic structure.
Finding a home in the noise: cross-modal impact of anthropogenic vibration on animal search behaviour
Summary: Chemical cues enable animals to sense their surroundings and find key resources. Here we show that anthropogenic noise affects a chemically-guided search behaviour by acting cross-modally.
In the human sperm nucleus, nucleosomes form spatially restricted domains consistent with programmed nucleosome positioning
Summary: Programmed gene expression is the key to life, confirmed experimentally in this study, which shows that nucleosomes in human sperm are specifically localized in genomic regions, guiding programmed gene expression.
The effects of crizotinib in a transgenic Drosophila model expressing the human TPM4-ALK fusion gene or TPM4
Summary: In this study, we find that crizotinib extends the lifespan of Drosophila overexpressing hTPM4-ALK and hTPM4, which are linked with a variety of human tumors.
Cell migration directionality and speed are independently regulated by RasG and Gβ in Dictyostelium cells in electrotaxis
Summary: Cell migration directionality and speed are independently regulated by RasG and Gβ, respectively, in electric field-directed cell migration in Dictyostelium, suggesting the points of molecular divergence of the two characteristics.
Collagen vitrigel promotes hepatocytic differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells into functional hepatocyte-like cells
Summary: We found that collagen vitrigel membrane used as scaffold potentiates differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells to differentiate into mature hepatocyte-like cells that exhibit mature functions of the hepatocytes.
Whole-brain mapping of projection from mouse lateral septal nucleus
Summary: We identified the sequence of projections from the lateral septal nucleus by virus tracing and expanded the data on neural circuits, which could help to understand brain function.
The Y227N mutation affects bestrophin-1 protein stability and impairs sperm function in a mouse model of Best vitelliform macular dystrophy
Summary: Mice carrying the human Y227N mutation in the endogenous Best1 gene reveal a pathologic phenotype in testis providing an in vivo tool to evaluate therapeutic efficacies aimed at restoring protein function.
Role of ALDH1A1 and HTRA2 expression in CCL2/CCR2-mediated breast cancer cell growth and invasion
Summary: Chemokines are known to regulate immune cell recruitment during inflammation. This report characterizes novel molecular mechanisms through which CCL2/CCR2 chemokine signaling in breast cancer cells regulates growth and invasion.
Different functional roles for K+ channel subtypes in regulating small intestinal glucose and ion transport
Summary: This study examines the different functions of various K+ channel subtypes in small intestinal epithelial, which proposes a novel concept for the development of weight-loss drugs and hypoglycemic drugs.
METHODS & TECHNIQUES
A solution to prevent secondary flow in adherent cell cultures
Summary: Secondary flow in small scale cultures can crucially affect cell phenotype and function. A simple modification of the classical round-shaped cell culture vessels can minimize the adverse effect of secondary flow.
FIRST PERSON
CORRECTION
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