{"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":"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}
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":1.7,"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":"Co-chaperones fine-tune the function of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), whether to fold, hold, or degrade substrates in ensuring cellular protein homeostasis.","authors":"Pramit Bhattacharjee, Joydeep Roy, Atin Kumar Mandal","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The molecular chaperone Hsp70 is a pivotal player in cellular protein quality control due to its wide range of substrates ranging from unfolded, native, to misfolded proteins. Increasing evidence suggests that Hsp70 decides the fate of proteins; however, the inherent rules that govern the decision-making capacity of Hsp70 are not clear. In this review, we have articulated the functions of Hsp70 with respect to proteostasis and established a link between its co-chaperones in deciding the fate of the substrate. The substrate binding of Hsp70 is mediated by its catalytic cycle where Hsp70 achieves high- and low-substrate-affinity ADP- and ATP-bound forms, respectively. This catalytic cycle of Hsp70 is maintained by co-chaperones J-domain proteins (JDPs), and nucleotide exchange factors (NEFs). JDPs bind to the ATP-bound form of Hsp70 and hydrolyze ATP that enhances substrate binding, whereas NEFs exchange ADP with ATP and facilitate substrate release. During evolution, several isoforms of Hsp70 and its co-chaperones have emerged which may have functional significance. Apart from facilitating the catalytic cycle of Hsp70, co-chaperones often mediate collaboration between Hsp70 and downstream protein quality-control pathways such as the ubiquitin proteasome system, autophagy, or disaggregase machinery. Therefore, co-chaperones have a significant role in Hsp70's triage decision of whether to fold, hold, or degrade.</p>","PeriodicalId":15171,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosciences","volume":"50 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144325830","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":1.7,"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}
{"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":1.7,"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}
Manish Chamoli, Anna Foulger, Prachi Singh, Gordon Lithgow, Arnab Mukhopadhyay
{"title":"Kinome-wide RNAi screening in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> reveals new modulators of insulin signaling and longevity.","authors":"Manish Chamoli, Anna Foulger, Prachi Singh, Gordon Lithgow, Arnab Mukhopadhyay","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The insulin/IGF-I-like signaling (IIS) pathway is a highly conserved signaling cascade that plays a crucial role in regulating longevity across species. Given its significance in aging, identifying novel kinases interacting with the IIS pathway can provide deeper insights into the mechanisms governing longevity. In this study, we performed a targeted RNAi screening of the <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> kinome, using dauer formation as a phenotypic readout. We identified several known and novel kinase modulators of the IIS pathway. These hits were enriched with both previously documented and undocumented lifespan regulators. Thermotolerance assays revealed mixed trends, with some kinase inhibitions increasing while others decreasing protection against thermal stress. We observed a positive correlation between thermotolerance and lifespan extension, as well as between dauer formation and lifespan extension, with thermotolerance proving to be a better predictor of longevity. Our findings offer a valuable resource for researchers exploring the IIS pathway and highlight novel, unannotated kinases as potential new therapeutic targets for aging interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":15171,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosciences","volume":"50 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143811388","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}
Loick Pradel Kojom Foko, Joseph Hawadak, Soumyananda Chakraborti, Veena Pande, Vineeta Singh
{"title":"Contrasting sequence polymorphism and structural basis patterns of <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> histidine-rich proteins 2/3 in Cameroon and India.","authors":"Loick Pradel Kojom Foko, Joseph Hawadak, Soumyananda Chakraborti, Veena Pande, Vineeta Singh","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The bulk of malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) target <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> histidine-rich protein 2 (<i>Pf</i>HRP2), but several reports have shown that sequence variations in this protein are associated with falsenegative RDT results. The polymorphism of <i>Pf</i>HRP2/3 was analyzed from Cameroonian and Indian <i>P. falciparum</i> isolates. Cameroon and India are two of eleven countries with the highest malaria burden. Exon 2 of <i>pfhrp 2/3</i> genes were PCR-amplified, and the amplicons were purified and sequenced. A total of 25 <i>Pf</i>HRP2 and 12 <i>Pf</i>HRP3 novel repeat type variants were found. The nature and organization of <i>Pf</i>HRP3 sequences were quite similar between Cameroon and India. Some structurally unique <i>Pf</i>HRP2/3 sequences, characterized by a high proportion of proline (5.8-10.3%) for <i>Pf</i>HRP2, and two non-repeat regions for <i>Pf</i>HRP3, were found in both countries. Most of the Cameroonian isolates belonged to group B (66.7%), while the Indian isolates belonged to group C (69.2%) (<i>p</i>=0.03). Three epitope motifs (AHHAHHA, HATDAHH, and YAHHAHHA) were found in all Cameroonian and Indian <i>Pf</i>HRP2 sequences. Mutations observed in unique sequences were mainly associated with alterations of helical structures in the <i>Pf</i>HRP2 C-terminal region. The high genetic diversity, epitope availability, and structural basis patterns found here could help develop the next generation of RDTs with improved quality.</p>","PeriodicalId":15171,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosciences","volume":"50 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143255556","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":1.7,"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":"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":1.7,"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}