{"title":"Factors shaping resource partitioning in predators of clumped patches of bamboo woolly aphids.","authors":"Basant Kumar Agarwala","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Prey-predator interactions favor the aggregation of generalist predators adept at avoiding competition in foraging on temporary food resources. There is scant information on the predator guild on clumpy patches of woolly aphids on bamboo host plants in forested landscapes. Results of a field-cum-laboratory study explain the aggregation of generalist and specialist predators in patchy resources of the bamboo-feeding woolly aphid, <i>Ceratovacuna silvestrii</i>, with particular reference to the specialist giant ladybird predator, <i>Anisolemnia dilatata</i>. This predator's larvae share food resources for 26 weeks including 11 weeks of coexistence with 2 small-sized generalist predators and 11 weeks with the larvae of specialist moth predator. Results show a preference for low prey density patches by small-sized predators in contrast to high prey density by the giant ladybird predator. Between the two woolly aphid prey-specialist predators, the moth caterpillars (<i>Dipha aphidivora</i>) avoided competition with the giant ladybirds by foraging in silken nests in less aggregated aphid patches. Eggs and larvae of the giant ladybird predator are defended from heterospecific and conspecific predators. This trait deters other predators of the guild that avoid prey patches visited by the giant ladybirds. Bigger size, preference for high-density prey patches, and anti-predation trait of eggs and larvae confer selection advantages to giant ladybirds as the top predator of the guild of woolly aphids. This has evolutionary significance for the ecological stability of prey-predator dynamics in a forested landscape.</p>","PeriodicalId":15171,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosciences","volume":"50 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144275033","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}
{"title":"Redefining the nitroplast: Recent insights into the endosymbiontto- organelle transition.","authors":"Amey J Bhide","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>One of the most remarkable events in cellular evolution is the endosymbiosis of α-proteobacteria with a single archaean host cell, a rare evolutionary process, which eventually led to the transformation of symbionts into fully functional mitochondrial organelles in eukaryotes. Evolutionary events related to plants occurred almost 1.6 billion years ago, when eukaryotic heterotrophs acquired a β-cyanobacterium (containing 1B RUBISCO) in what is termed as primary endosymbiosis. Further, this composite cell lineage evolved into three photosynthetic lineages: green algae (plants), red algae and the glaucophytes. Thereafter, a secondary, and tertiary endosymbiosis event occurred giving rise to distinct kinds of green and red-derived photosynthetic plastids, which can be observed in a few haptophytes and dinoflagellates respectively. Eventually, these endosymbionts acquired characteristic cellular properties such as two/multiple envelope membranes and reduction of their genomes through either loss or concerted endosymbiotic gene transfer (EGT) into the nucleus, which ultimately led to the decline of more than three quarters of coding capacity and complete loss of several metabolic pathways. This loss, however, is partly compensated by import of nuclearencoded proteins as well as proteins acquired by horizontal gene transfer (HGT). For most proteins, specific transport mechanisms from nucleus/cytoplasm to organelle exist. The proteins are typically translated as a preprotein with specific signal sequences targeted to the organelle membrane. These membranes harbour receptors, in some cases soluble receptors, for recognition of these signal sequences. Proteins are then internalised using a set of translocation machineries (Gould <i>et al.</i> 2006).</p>","PeriodicalId":15171,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosciences","volume":"50 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144575543","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}
Luis A Sánchez-Briones, Mauricio Gomez-Gallardo, Christian Cortes-Rojo, Elizabeth Sánchez-Duarte, Jesús Campos-García
{"title":"Isa2p is essential in <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> for mitochondrial function and stress resistance by allowing Rip1p subunit assembly into cytochrome <i>bc</i><sub>1</sub> complex.","authors":"Luis A Sánchez-Briones, Mauricio Gomez-Gallardo, Christian Cortes-Rojo, Elizabeth Sánchez-Duarte, Jesús Campos-García","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>, the iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis late-acting subsystem (Fe-S-IBG) comprises the mitochondrial glutaredoxin (Grx5), Isa1, Isa2, and iron-sulfur cluster assembly factor IBA57 (Iba57) proteins. The Fe-S-IBG subsystem assists in inserting [4Fe-4S] clusters into apoproteins, some of which belong to the electron transport chain (ETC). However, whether the Fe-S-IBG subsystem indirectly stabilizes respiratory supercomplexes and proper ETC function via insertion of [Fe-S] proteins into ETC complexes remains to be elucidated. We compared the effects of <i>ISA2</i>- and <i>GRX5</i>-independent mutations on the insertion of Rip1p, a [2Fe-2S]-containing protein involved in both electron transfer in the <i>bc</i><sub>1</sub> complex and the formation of respiratory supercomplexes. The levels of Rip1p, supercomplex assembly, ETC function, oxidative stress, and resistance of yeast to ethanol stress were evaluated on haploid <i>S. cerevisiae</i> cells with independent mutations of the <i>ISA2</i> and <i>GRX5</i> genes. Susceptibility to ethanol was increased in the <i>isa2Δ</i> and <i>grx5Δ</i> mutants, which was associated with enhanced glutathione oxidation due to higher levels of free iron and increased oxidants. Furthermore, the <i>isa2Δ</i> mutant showed decreased Rip1p expression, respiratory dysfunction, and defective respiratory supercomplex formation, which was restored by <i>ISA2</i> complementation. These results suggest that Isa2p is essential for proper respiratory chain function and resistance to oxidative stress by stabilizing supercomplexes in a manner dependent on Rip1p insertion in the cytochrome <i>bc</i><sub>1</sub> complex.</p>","PeriodicalId":15171,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosciences","volume":"50 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144608429","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}
{"title":"Identification of components of the kallikrein-kinin system in the spine epithelium of the Atlantic stingray, <i>Hypanus sabinus</i>.","authors":"E R Lacy, D H Miller, B J Wiley","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The epithelial sheath covering the stingray spine results in wounds to humans that are characterized by edema, necrosis, effusive bleeding and extreme pain. Kinins are potent autocoids that produce each of these symptoms. In this study, the dorsal and ventral portions of the epithelial sheath covering the spine of the Atlantic stingray (<i>Hypanus sabinus</i>) spine were analysed for components of the kallikrein-kinin system. Colorimetric assays showed kallikrein activity in both dorsal and ventral epithelial sheath preparations. Trypsin, which cleaves the inactive proenzyme to its active (kallikrein) form, resulted in an increase in the median kallikrein of 2.02 and 0.94 in dorsal and ventral spine preparations, respectively. Radioimmunoassay of kinin itself showed detectable immunoreactivity in the entire integumentary sheath. Trypsin treatment resulted in an increase in median immunoreactivity by 12.88. <i>In vivo</i> analyses for effects of epithelial extract on mammalian capillary leakage showed an increase in median capillary leakage of 5.25 in spine epithelia-treated animals compared to controls. Components of the kallikrein-kinin system are present in the Atlantic stingray spine epithelium and may account for some of the pathologies of stings in humans.</p>","PeriodicalId":15171,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosciences","volume":"50 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144325832","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}
Razan Aldiqs, Sura Nashwan, Mohammad A Ismail, Tareq Saleh, Raghda Barham, Malik Zihlif, Nidaa A Ababneh
{"title":"Effect of exosomes derived from induced and human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells on human cancer cells.","authors":"Razan Aldiqs, Sura Nashwan, Mohammad A Ismail, Tareq Saleh, Raghda Barham, Malik Zihlif, Nidaa A Ababneh","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Exosomes (Exos) derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are known to influence cancer cell behavior; however, the clinical use of MSCs is limited due to the gradual loss of their differentiation potential with continuous passaging. Induced mesenchymal stem cells (iMSCs) have emerged as a promising alternative source, but the effects of Exos derived from iMSCs (iMSC-Exos) on cancer cells remain incompletely understood. This study aims to compare the effects of iMSC-Exos with ADMSC-Exos derived from adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) on the viability, invasion, and migration of breast (MCF7) and lung (A549) cancer cells. Conditioned media from iMSCs and ADMSCs were collected for isolation and characterization of Exos. MCF7 and A549 cell lines were treated with iMSC- and ADMSC-Exos, and Exos uptake, cell viability, migration, senescence, and expression of <i>BAX</i> and <i>BCL-2</i> genes were evaluated. iMSCand ADMSC-Exos were successfully internalized into cancer cells, with a higher efficiency of ADMSC-Exos uptake in MCF7 cells. Cell viability decreased and migration increased in both cancer cell lines upon treatment. <i>BAX</i> expression was significantly reduced in MCF7 cells following ADMSC-Exos treatment and in A549 cells after iMSC-Exos treatment. In contrast, <i>BCL-2</i> expression was significantly reduced in MCF7 cells treated with both iMSC- and ADMSC-Exos, while it significantly increased in A549 cells after ADMSC-Exos treatment. A549 lung cancer cells showed a higher level of senescence than MCF7 breast cancer cells, particularly when treated with iMSC-Exos. Minimal overall differences were observed in viability, apoptosis, and migration assays between iMSC- and ADMSC-Exos in MCF7 and A549 cells. However, significant differences were observed in the senescence and expression of <i>BAX</i> and <i>BCL-2</i> genes across cancer cell lines. These findings highlight the importance of further investigation into the distinct effects of iMSC- and ADMSC-Exos on cancer cell biology.</p>","PeriodicalId":15171,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosciences","volume":"50 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144275032","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}
{"title":"An RFamide signaling system balances turning and forward locomotion to optimize global food search in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>.","authors":"Anirrban Ghosh, Navneet Shahi, Raja Bhattacharya","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Neuromodulators such as neuropeptides activate specific G-protein-coupled receptors to reconfigure activity patterns of neural circuits and alter animal behavior. However, we have an incomplete understanding of the context-dependent mechanisms through which neuromodulators alter <i>in vivo</i> behavioral states. Here, we report a novel off-food behavioral requirement of the <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> RFamide receptor <i>npr-1</i>. Removal from food initiates a unique motor program where wild-type worms increase their turning frequency during local search for food. Upon longer exposure to starvation, the turns are suppressed and replaced by forward locomotion that favors efficient dispersal during global food search to locate new resources. Animals with loss of mutation in the <i>npr-1</i> locus or the NPR-1(215F) variant exhibit strikingly reduced turning ability during global search. Moreover, in contrast to their high-speed on-food locomotion, mutations in NPR-1 or its ligands FLP-18 and FLP-21 produce dramatic reduction in locomotion rate and dispersal efficiency during global search. Interestingly, <i>npr-1</i> mutants are still capable of resuming high-speed locomotion when re-introduced into food after starvation. Thus, our results probably suggest alternate circuit mechanisms underlying the contradictory NPR-1-mediated modulation of locomotion in the presence and absence of food.</p>","PeriodicalId":15171,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosciences","volume":"50 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144955464","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}
{"title":"ARP2/3 regulates cell surface dynamics of CeTOCA-1 in <i>C. elegans</i> zygotes.","authors":"Aadya Nageswaran, Promiti Mitra, Megha Rai, Diya Anand, Yogesh Pratap, Anup Padmanabhan","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Polymerization of branched actin networks by the ARP2/3 complex plays a critical role in diverse cellular processes. ARP2/3 activity is tightly controlled by the upstream CDC-42 GTPase and effectors such as the Wiscott-Aldrich syndrome protein (N-WASP/Wiscott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein (WSP-1)) and members of the F-BAR containing transducer of CDC-42-dependent actin assembly (TOCA) protein family. While the mechanisms governing WASP/N-WASP (neural-WASP) functioning are well understood, the regulatory dynamics of TOCA proteins at the cell cortex remain poorly characterized. Here, using the <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> zygote as a model system, we investigated the role of cortical F-actin structures - both branched and linear - in modulating surface dynamics of CeTOCA-1, the nematode ortholog of mammalian TOCA-1. In our <i>in silico</i> analysis, iPTM values associated with the interaction between different domains of CeTOCA-1 and CDC-42 suggested that while the HR-1 domain is essential for this interaction, the SH3 domain is dispensable for complex formation between the two proteins. Further, we experimentally disrupted ARP2/3 and CYK-1/ formin-polymerized F-actin structures in <i>C. elegans</i> zygotes to examine the role of cortical F-actin on CeTOCA-1 assembly dynamics and biophysical properties. Co-localization studies revealed a preferential association between CeTOCA-1 and the pool of F-actin structures polymerized by ARP2/3. Disruption of ARP2/3 led to the formation of larger CeTOCA-1 clusters, prolonged cluster lifetime on the cell surface, and reduced cluster mobility. These findings suggest that distinct F-actin structures play specialized roles in mediating plasma membrane interactions and regulating surface dynamics of CeTOCA-1 clusters.</p>","PeriodicalId":15171,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosciences","volume":"50 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144275021","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}
{"title":"Computational identification of perturbed pathways in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients reveals necroptosis and NF-κB pathways with potential for susceptibility to psoriasis.","authors":"Rohit Kumar, Surabhi Seth, Anasuya Bhargav, Neeru Saini, Srinivasan Ramachandran","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Psoriasis (PS) is one of the comorbidities of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The molecular processes leading to the T2DM-PS comorbidity are not fully understood. Recently, six genes (<i>IL23R, IL12B, IL23A, GSK3B, PTPN1,</i> and <i>STX4</i>) were identified as associated with the T2DM-PS comorbidity. Both diseases are multi-genic disorders with the involvement of thousands of genes. We used an integrative approach by sourcing the genes associated with T2DM and PS from the DISGENET database, the genes associated with the T2DM-PS comorbidity from the literature, the differentially expressed genes in a PS blood sample dataset (GSE55201), and the differentially expressed genes in each of three T2DM gene expression datasets of blood samples (GSE69528, GSE15932, and GSE21321). We constructed pathway networks by importing the enriched pathways of these genes into a biological network simulator software. Simulations of these pathway networks were carried out using the average expression values of cases and controls separately in each T2DM dataset until a steady state was reached. Finally, pathway enrichment analysis of the perturbed genes revealed the perturbed pathways in the T2DM condition in the three datasets of T2DM patients. Five perturbed pathways were common among the three T2DM datasets: the NF-κB signaling pathway, necroptosis pathway, NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, and Toll-like receptor signaling pathway. The involvement of these pathways in PS is reported in the literature, thereby suggesting potential susceptibility to PS arising in the T2DM condition. This approach offers a holistic view of T2DM conditions and the pathways reported in individual studies with potential susceptibility to PS.</p>","PeriodicalId":15171,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosciences","volume":"50 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145137631","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}
{"title":"What keeps <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> precise: The spatiotemporal regulation of defecation.","authors":"Qiang Liu, Louis Tao","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Rhythmic behaviors controlled by internal biological clocks are universal among living organisms, ranging from single cells to humans. The inner workings and modulations of the intrinsic oscillatory activities that underlie these rhythmic behaviors are diverse and not well understood across different systems. The <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> defecation behavior, also known as the defecation motor program, is a particularly intriguing rhythmic behavior that has been studied for over 30 years since James Thomas' pioneering work in 1990. Numerous conserved genes and signaling molecules have been identified through meticulous studies of every detail of its genetics, physiology, and behavior. Since earlier works have been reviewed until 2006 in the literature, this review is not intended to be comprehensive and will instead focus on progress since then, with emphases on intestinal calcium and proton oscillations as well as the modulation of the defecation rhythm by the enteric nervous system.</p>","PeriodicalId":15171,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosciences","volume":"50 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144003229","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}
{"title":"Assay medium composition affects <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> thermotaxis behaviours.","authors":"Yanshu Zhang, Masami Shima, Yuki Aoki, Asuka Takeishi","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Animals exhibit behavioural responses to environmental stimuli. To date, various experimental assays have been conducted to investigate the molecular and neural mechanisms underlying behavioural responses in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>. However, behavioural outcomes can vary even under the same stimulus due to factors such as past experience, individual circumstances, and modifications in behavioural assay procedures, which complicate the interpretation of results. In this study, we focussed on the composition of the behavioural assay media and compared the behaviours of <i>C. elegans</i> in response to temperature and odour stimuli using three commonly used media: nematode growth medium (NGM), thermotaxis (TTX), and chemotaxis (Chemo) assay media. Our results demonstrated that in thermotaxis, <i>C. elegans</i> exhibited stable behavioural decisions across all examined media. However, the population of worms reaching the preferable areas was smaller in Chemo and TTX media compared with NGM due to prolonged exploration period and reduced migration speed. By contrast, in chemotaxis, we did not observe significant differences across the tested media. This study provides insights into the significant effects on <i>C. elegans</i> behaviour caused by the modifications of the behavioural assay media and emphasises the importance of further studies to explore the detailed neural mechanisms that regulate animal behaviour under diverse environmental factors.</p>","PeriodicalId":15171,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosciences","volume":"50 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144063953","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}