Journal of Biosciences最新文献_第2页

Dynamic attributes of the pedicel: Key drivers, structure and function in angiosperms. 花梗的动态特性：被子植物的关键驱动因素、结构和功能。

IF 1.7 4区生物学

Journal of Biosciences Pub Date : 2026-01-01

Shveta Saroop, Monika Koul, Veenu Kaul

{"title":"Dynamic attributes of the pedicel: Key drivers, structure and function in angiosperms.","authors":"Shveta Saroop, Monika Koul, Veenu Kaul","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"Pedicels, the short specialized stems that support reproductive structures in flowering plants, play diverse roles throughout plant development, yet many of their functions remain insufficiently understood. Morphologically and anatomically, they share several features with the main stem, including similar epidermal, cortical, and vascular traits. Variation in pedicel length, branching angle, and orientation influences floral and inflorescence architecture, thereby shaping floral display patterns and ultimately affecting reproductive success. Functionally, pedicels provide mechanical support, maintain vascular continuity between flowers and inflorescence axes, and facilitate the transport of nutrients, water, hormones, and signaling molecules to flowers and developing fruits. Recent studies highlight their additional roles in pollen presentation and seed dispersal, in which pedicel orientation aids effective interactions with pollinators and dispersal agents. Pedicels also serve as important sites of abscission, initiating enzymatic processes that lead to the detachment of flower or fruit. Advances in developmental genetics have identified numerous genes and transcription factors involved in pedicel formation, orientation, and functional modulation. Despite these insights, significant gaps remain, particularly regarding how pedicels adapt structurally and functionally to different pollination strategies. Further integrative research is required to clarify the developmental, ecological, and evolutionary significance of this understudied floral organ.","PeriodicalId":15171,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosciences","volume":"51 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147838334","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Hypercholesterolemia-induced impairment in sorafenib functionality is overcome by avasimibe co-treatment. 高胆固醇血症引起的索拉非尼功能损害可通过阿伐昔米联合治疗来克服。

IF 1.7 4区生物学

Journal of Biosciences Pub Date : 2026-01-01 DOI: 10.1007/s12038-026-00593-z

Dipti Athavale, Himanshi Yaduvanshi, Firoz Khan Bhati, Shyamananda Singh Mayengbam, Tushar H More, Srikanth Rapole, Manoj Kumar Bhat

{"title":"Hypercholesterolemia-induced impairment in sorafenib functionality is overcome by avasimibe co-treatment.","authors":"Dipti Athavale, Himanshi Yaduvanshi, Firoz Khan Bhati, Shyamananda Singh Mayengbam, Tushar H More, Srikanth Rapole, Manoj Kumar Bhat","doi":"10.1007/s12038-026-00593-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12038-026-00593-z","url":null,"abstract":"Avasimibe, a cholesterol-lowering drug with proven safety in clinical trials, has also been repositioned as an anticancer agent in various preclinical investigations. A study from our group reported that hypercholesterolemia promotes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell survival and impairs the cytotoxic effect of sorafenib, a kinase inhibitor. In the present study, we demonstrate that under hypercholesterolemic conditions, the anticancer efficacy of sorafenib in HCC is enhanced by co-treatment with avasimibe. To elucidate the role of hypercholesterolemia in sorafenib efficacy, both in vitro and in vivo models of HCC were used. In vitro, co-treatment with both drugs synergistically inhibited HCC cell viability and induced cell death under both normal and hypercholesterolemic conditions. At the molecular level, the downregulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling and the induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress are likely to contribute to the combinatorial cytotoxic effect of sorafenib and avasimibe in vitro. In mice fed on a high-cholesterol diet, the efficacy of sorafenib was restored by co-administration of avasimibe. Collectively, these findings suggest that the reduction in sorafenib efficacy is due to a hypercholesterolemic phenotype that can be restored by avasimibe co-treatment, with implications for treatment strategy.","PeriodicalId":15171,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosciences","volume":"51 24","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148317120","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Re-imagining T-cell receptor signaling: parallel paths may be key to discriminatory power. 重新想象t细胞受体信号：平行路径可能是歧视性权力的关键。

IF 1.7 4区生物学

Journal of Biosciences Pub Date : 2026-01-01

Akshay Tiwari, Narendra M Dixit

引用次数: 0

Beyond morphology: Material alterations as inducible defenses in Daphnia longicephala. 形态之外：水蚤诱导防御的物质改变。

IF 1.7 4区生物学

Journal of Biosciences Pub Date : 2026-01-01

Wencke Krings, Sarah Becker, Greta Huttegger, Stanislav N Gorb, Martin Horstmann

{"title":"Beyond morphology: Material alterations as inducible defenses in Daphnia longicephala.","authors":"Wencke Krings, Sarah Becker, Greta Huttegger, Stanislav N Gorb, Martin Horstmann","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"The freshwater crustacean Daphnia is well known to adapt to the presence of predators by forming inducible defence structures. Large-scale morphological defensive traits are usually easily recognizable in most species. However, hidden mechanical or microstructural defences in the integument, which can strongly impact defensive success through altered structural stability, remain largely unknown. We therefore investigated the inducible mechanical defenses of Daphnia longicephala against the heteropteran backswimmer Notonecta sp. In its presence, Daphnia individuals develop an elongated, widened head capsule and a more pointed tail spine. Nevertheless, the actual function of these traits is unknown, as Notonecta pierces its prey with a proboscis and is therefore not gape-limited. The increased body dimensions accordingly seem ineffective. In particular, the function of the very pronounced crest on the heads of defended specimens remains unclear. In this study, we documented significant alterations in Young's modulus and hardness of the integument of the crest between undefended and defended D. longicephala. At the same time, elemental composition in the cuticle between animals from different treatments did not differ in any of the investigated crest regions, except for calcium, which was elevated in the defended specimens and correlated with enhanced mechanical properties. This indicates alterations in the degree of mineralization in certain crest regions, which could be responsible for significant changes in hardness and stiffness. It is likely that hidden mechanical defences of D. longicephala's crest impair the predators' handling and hinder or complicate a piercing of the integument in the central head region, protecting the vital organ systems.","PeriodicalId":15171,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosciences","volume":"51 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147639032","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Relative size does matter: Animals see optical illusions. 相对大小很重要：动物看到的是视错觉。

IF 1.7 4区生物学

Journal of Biosciences Pub Date : 2026-01-01

Surbhi Munda, S P Arun

引用次数: 0

Effects of acetylation on human insulin structure, and dynamics at different temperatures: A molecular dynamics simulation study. 乙酰化对人胰岛素结构和不同温度下动力学的影响：分子动力学模拟研究。

IF 1.7 4区生物学

Journal of Biosciences Pub Date : 2026-01-01

Reyhane Kamelnia, Bahram Goliaei, Faramarz Mehrnejad, Seyed Peyman Shariatpanahi, Ashkan Zare Karizak, Elahe Kamelnia, Joulia Alizadeh-Rahrovi, Azadeh Ebrahim-Habibi

{"title":"Effects of acetylation on human insulin structure, and dynamics at different temperatures: A molecular dynamics simulation study.","authors":"Reyhane Kamelnia, Bahram Goliaei, Faramarz Mehrnejad, Seyed Peyman Shariatpanahi, Ashkan Zare Karizak, Elahe Kamelnia, Joulia Alizadeh-Rahrovi, Azadeh Ebrahim-Habibi","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"Insulin was used as a model protein to investigate the effects of acetylation, a significant post-translational modification. Acetylation typically targets terminal and side-chain amine groups, which, in insulin, correspond to three specific sites. Molecular dynamics simulations were conducted at pH 5.0 and three different temperatures on various acetylated insulin forms, in both monomeric and dimeric states. Two acetylation states - modification of the B-chain N-terminus alone, and modification of both the B-chain N-terminus and Lys29 - exhibited distinct properties compared with other acetylation variants. Overall, the results indicate that chemical acetylation can enhance structural compactness and reduce the propensity for protein-protein association. Key evaluated parameters included root-mean-square deviation, root-mean-square fluctuation, complex formation energy, radius of gyration, secondary structure content, and solvent-accessible surface area. At pH 5.0 and 323 K, insulin showed increased structural flexibility, accompanied by a transition from α-helix to 310-helix and β-sheet conformations, along with an increased tendency for intermolecular interactions. These findings suggest that some acetylated insulin forms may exhibit a more constrained and compact structure compared with the non-acetylated insulin form. In summary, this study provides a useful model for exploring how chemical modifications influence the secondary structure and aggregation behavior of insulin, offering valuable insights for the design of stable insulin formulations.","PeriodicalId":15171,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosciences","volume":"51 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147690270","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Cooperation destabilizes communities, but competition pays the price. 合作会破坏社区的稳定，但竞争会付出代价。

IF 1.7 4区生物学

Journal of Biosciences Pub Date : 2026-01-01

Ananda Shikhara Bhat, Suryadeepto Nag, Sutirth Dey

{"title":"Cooperation destabilizes communities, but competition pays the price.","authors":"Ananda Shikhara Bhat, Suryadeepto Nag, Sutirth Dey","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"A classic result in theoretical ecology states that an increase in the proportion of cooperative interactions in unstructured ecological communities leads to a loss of stability to external perturbations. However, the fate and composition of the species that constitute an unstable ecological community following such perturbations remains relatively unexplored. Here, we used an individual-based model to study the population dynamics of unstructured communities following external perturbations to species abundances. We found that while increasing the number of cooperative interactions does indeed increase the probability that a community will experience an extinction following a perturbation, the entire community is rarely wiped out following a perturbation. Instead, only a subset of the ecological community is driven to extinction, and the species that become extinct are more likely to be those engaged in a greater number of competitive interactions. Thus, the resultant community formed after a perturbation has a higher proportion of cooperative interactions than the original community. We showed that this result could be explained by studying the dynamics of the species engaged in the highest number of competitive interactions: After an external perturbation, those species that compete with such a 'top competitor' are more likely to become extinct than expected by chance alone, whereas those that are engaged in cooperative interactions with such a species are less likely to become extinct than expected by chance alone. Our results provide a potential explanation for the ubiquity of cooperative interactions in nature despite the known negative effects of cooperation on community stability.","PeriodicalId":15171,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosciences","volume":"51 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146029688","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Structure evaluation coupled with all-atom molecular dynamics and advanced quantum mechanical DFT revealed kaempferol as a potent binding flavonol for the epigenetic-target HDAC9. 结构评价结合全原子分子动力学和先进量子力学DFT发现山奈酚是表观遗传靶点HDAC9的有效结合黄酮醇。

IF 1.7 4区生物学

Journal of Biosciences Pub Date : 2026-01-01

Shabir Ahmad Ganai, Sundararaj Rajamanikandan, Shahid Ahmad Padder

{"title":"Structure evaluation coupled with all-atom molecular dynamics and advanced quantum mechanical DFT revealed kaempferol as a potent binding flavonol for the epigenetic-target HDAC9.","authors":"Shabir Ahmad Ganai, Sundararaj Rajamanikandan, Shahid Ahmad Padder","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"Aberrant histone deacetylase-9 (HDAC9) activity has been recorded in a plethora of malignant tumors, including gastric cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, and non-small cell lung cancer. Despite the discovery of HDAC9 as an important pharmacological target, the non-availability of its three-dimensional structure has substantially obstructed the process of discovering potent plant-based therapeutics against it. The present study determined the tertiary structure of human HDAC9 and validated its accuracy. Following this, the binding characteristics of diverse flavonoids against HDAC9 were compared using givinostat as a reference molecule. Moreover, the dynamics of the highest affinity flavonoid and HDAC9 were also investigated in the bound state. Furthermore, the energy gap of the defined flavonoid, signifying the reactivity and kinetic stability, was quantified. We employed multiple techniques, including template-steered modeling, molecular docking, all-atom molecular dynamics, and an atomistic quantum mechanical density functional theory in tandem, for comparing the binding strength of 12 flavonoid molecules against HDAC9 using givinostat (an orphan-approved HDAC inhibitor) as the positive control. Following these procedures, it became discernible that all the flavonoid molecules exhibit stronger binding character and interaction status with this epigenetic target than givinostat. Kaempferol, a flavonol, manifested the strongest affinity among the selected flavonoids and interacted with multiple residues of the deacetylase domain of HDAC9. Similar to givinostat, kaempferol exhibited tenable stability in bound form with this acetylation-eraser enzymatic protein. Most importantly, this flavonol demonstrated higher chemical reactivity and, as such, lower kinetic stability than givinostat which is quite important from a pharmacological perspective.","PeriodicalId":15171,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosciences","volume":"51 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147838323","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Genetic variation in IL-6 rs1800796 and its association with non-Hodgkin lymphoma susceptibility in the Egyptian population. 埃及人群IL-6 rs1800796基因变异及其与非霍奇金淋巴瘤易感性的关系

IF 1.7 4区生物学

Journal of Biosciences Pub Date : 2026-01-01 DOI: 10.1007/s12038-026-00612-z

Heba Shamshoun, Mai M Madkour, Afaf M Elsaid, Sherif Refaat, Omali Y El-Khawaga

{"title":"Genetic variation in IL-6 rs1800796 and its association with non-Hodgkin lymphoma susceptibility in the Egyptian population.","authors":"Heba Shamshoun, Mai M Madkour, Afaf M Elsaid, Sherif Refaat, Omali Y El-Khawaga","doi":"10.1007/s12038-026-00612-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12038-026-00612-z","url":null,"abstract":"Non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) are associated malignancies with different morphological, genetic, immunophenotypic, and clinical characteristics. Research on genetic susceptibility to NHL is needed to identify at-risk groups and define important disease pathways. Interleukins (ILs) are cytokines that play important immunomodulatory roles. IL-6 stimulates IgG production, exerts antiviral effects, and has been linked to various diseases. Research on IL-6 mutations and NHL is important due to the role of IL-6 in immune regulation and cancer pathogenesis; however, direct causative links remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between the IL-6 genetic polymorphism at the rs1800796 locus and the risk of NHL in Egyptians using a case-control study. The study comprised 100 patients diagnosed with NHL and 100 age- and gender-matched healthy individuals. Risk factors for NHL were associated with lower hemoglobin and albumin levels, increased aspartate aminotransferase, and substantial outcomes in kidney function tests. The study found an absence of the CC genotype in NHL patients, whereas it was found in five healthy volunteers, suggesting a weak potential protective association. The GG genotype was found in more patients than healthy individuals (84 vs. 75); however, no significant association was found. The G allele was found to be more dominant in NHL patients than controls (184 vs. 170; P=0.02). These findings suggest that individuals carrying the G allele may be at twice the risk of developing NHL compared with those carrying the C allele (OR=2.02; 95% CI: 1.07-3.85). The study found no significant association between the IL-6 polymorphism and clinical presentation, tumor stage, or relapse status in NHL patients. These results support the use of the IL-6 variation in the diagnosis and genetic screening of NHL but not for therapeutic choices.","PeriodicalId":15171,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosciences","volume":"51 38","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149110071","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Decoding the diversity: a comprehensive sequence analysis of accessory viral protein W of Newcastle disease virus. 解码多样性：新城疫病毒附属病毒蛋白W的综合序列分析。

IF 1.7 4区生物学

Journal of Biosciences Pub Date : 2026-01-01 DOI: 10.1007/s12038-026-00605-y

Pachineella Lakshmana Rao, Sangita Venkataraman, Devasmita Dutta, Bnagaraj Nayak, Saraswathy Vaidyanathan, Sandeep Kushwaha, Madhuri Subbiah

{"title":"Decoding the diversity: a comprehensive sequence analysis of accessory viral protein W of Newcastle disease virus.","authors":"Pachineella Lakshmana Rao, Sangita Venkataraman, Devasmita Dutta, Bnagaraj Nayak, Saraswathy Vaidyanathan, Sandeep Kushwaha, Madhuri Subbiah","doi":"10.1007/s12038-026-00605-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12038-026-00605-y","url":null,"abstract":"Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is an avian paramyxovirus that has a significant impact on the global poultry industry. The accessory W protein (W) of NDV is generated by RNA editing of the phosphoprotein (P) gene; however, its precise function remains elusive. Consequently, we conducted an in-silico analysis of the W sequences from 1,011 NDV strains, utilizing the data from GenBank. Our investigation revealed 24 W-length variants ranging between 135 and 231 amino acids (aa), with variant 227 aa being the most prevalent. Further, the W-length variants were distinct for class I and class II NDV strains. We observed no apparent correlation between W lengths and genotype or pathogenicity of NDV. However, a nuclear localization signal (NLS) in the W seemed to be associated with virulence, with 55.9% of virulent strains having an NLS, compared to 38.9% of avirulent strains. Geographical analysis indicated region-specific evolutionary factors, with Asia showing the most W diversity. The lengths of W were more specific to the bird species from which they were isolated/sequenced, suggesting possible adaptation to the host. Molecular clock analysis showed varied evolutionary rates among W types, with variant 185 aa evolving the fastest. Selection pressure analysis indicated that most types are under negative selection, but some presented signs of relaxed or positive selection. Our study provides a broad view of W diversity in NDV, highlighting its complex evolutionary history and possible implications for host adaptation and virulence.","PeriodicalId":15171,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosciences","volume":"51 34","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148793588","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0