Biology最新文献

{"title":"Post-Translational Modifications (PTMs) of mutp53 and Epigenetic Changes Induced by mutp53","authors":"Rossella Benedetti, Michele Di Crosta, G. D’Orazi, M. Cirone","doi":"10.3390/biology13070508","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13070508","url":null,"abstract":"Wild-type (wt) p53 and mutant forms (mutp53) play a key but opposite role in carcinogenesis. wtP53 acts as an oncosuppressor, preventing oncogenic transformation, while mutp53, which loses this property, may instead favor this process. This suggests that a better understanding of the mechanisms activating wtp53 while inhibiting mutp53 may help to design more effective anti-cancer treatments. In this review, we examine possible PTMs with which both wt- and mutp53 can be decorated and discuss how their manipulation could represent a possible strategy to control the stability and function of these proteins, focusing in particular on mutp53. The impact of ubiquitination, phosphorylation, acetylation, and methylation of p53, in the context of several solid and hematologic cancers, will be discussed. Finally, we will describe some of the recent studies reporting that wt- and mutp53 may influence the expression and activity of enzymes responsible for epigenetic changes such as acetylation, methylation, and microRNA regulation and the possible consequences of such changes.","PeriodicalId":504576,"journal":{"name":"Biology","volume":"105 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141667294","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biosynthesis and Pharmacological Activities of the Bioactive Compounds of White Mulberry (Morus alba): Current Paradigms and Future Challenges","authors":"Maryam Fatima, M. Dar, M. Dhanavade, Syed Zaghum Abbas, Mohammad Nadeem Bukhari, Abdullah Arsalan, Yangzhen Liao, Jingqiong Wan, Jehangir Shah Syed Bukhari, Ouyang Zhen","doi":"10.3390/biology13070506","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13070506","url":null,"abstract":"Traditional natural products have been the focus of research to explore their medicinal properties. One such medicinally important plant is the white mulberry, Morus alba, widely distributed in the Asian subcontinent. It is one of the most cultivated species of mulberry tree and has attracted more focus from researchers because of its abundance in phytochemicals as well as multipurpose uses. The leaves, fruits and other parts of the white mulberry plant act as a source of valuable bioactive compounds like flavonoids, phenolic acids, terpenoids and alkaloids. These secondary metabolites have manifold healthy uses as they possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, neutrotrophic, and anticancer properties. Despite the increasing scientific interest in this plant, there are very few reviews that highlight the phytochemistry and biological potential of white mulberry for biomedical research. To this end, this review elaborates the phytochemistry, biosynthetic pathways and pharmacological activities of the glycoside flavonoids of Morus alba. A comprehensive analysis of the available literature indicates that Morus alba could emerge as a promising natural agent to combat diverse conditions including diabetes, cancer, inflammation and infectious diseases. To achieve such important objectives, it is crucial to elucidate the biosynthesis and regulation mechanisms of the bioactive compounds in white mulberry as well as the multifaceted pharmacological effects attributed to this plant resource. The present review paper is intended to present a summary of existing scientific data and a guide for further research in the phytochemistry and pharmacology of white mulberry. Further, a biosynthetic pathway analysis of the glycoside flavonoid in mulberry is also given. Lastly, we discuss the pros and cons of the current research to ensure the prudent and effective therapeutic value of mulberry for promoting human and animal health.","PeriodicalId":504576,"journal":{"name":"Biology","volume":" 40","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141670914","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Involvement of microRNAs in Bone Remodeling Signaling Pathways and Their Role in the Development of Osteoporosis","authors":"Rogelio F. Jiménez-Ortega, A. I. Ortega-Meléndez, N. Patiño, B. Rivera-Paredez, A. Hidalgo-Bravo, R. Velázquez-Cruz","doi":"10.3390/biology13070505","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13070505","url":null,"abstract":"Bone remodeling, crucial for maintaining the balance between bone resorption and formation, relies on the coordinated activity of osteoclasts and osteoblasts. During osteoclastogenesis, hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) differentiate into the osteoclast lineage through the signaling pathways OPG/RANK/RANKL. On the other hand, during osteoblastogenesis, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) differentiate into the osteoblast lineage through activation of the signaling pathways TGF-β/BMP/Wnt. Recent studies have shown that bone remodeling is regulated by post-transcriptional mechanisms including microRNAs (miRNAs). miRNAs are small, single-stranded, noncoding RNAs approximately 22 nucleotides in length. miRNAs can regulate virtually all cellular processes through binding to miRNA-response elements (MRE) at the 3’ untranslated region (3′UTR) of the target mRNA. miRNAs are involved in controlling gene expression during osteogenic differentiation through the regulation of key signaling cascades during bone formation and resorption. Alterations of miRNA expression could favor the development of bone disorders, including osteoporosis. This review provides a general description of the miRNAs involved in bone remodeling and their significance in osteoporosis development.","PeriodicalId":504576,"journal":{"name":"Biology","volume":" 68","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141670757","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Limbic Network and Papez Circuit Involvement in ALS: Imaging and Clinical Profiles in GGGGCC Hexanucleotide Carriers in C9orf72 and C9orf72-Negative Patients","authors":"Foteini Christidi, Jana Kleinerova, E. Tan, S. Delaney, Asya Tacheva, Jennifer C. Hengeveld, Mark A. Doherty, R. Mclaughlin, Orla Hardiman, W. Siah, K. Chang, J. Lope, P. Bede","doi":"10.3390/biology13070504","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13070504","url":null,"abstract":"Background: While frontotemporal involvement is increasingly recognized in Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the degeneration of limbic networks remains poorly characterized, despite growing evidence of amnestic deficits, impaired emotional processing and deficits in social cognition. Methods: A prospective neuroimaging study was conducted with 204 individuals with ALS and 111 healthy controls. Patients were stratified for hexanucleotide expansion status in C9orf72. A deep-learning-based segmentation approach was implemented to segment the nucleus accumbens, hypothalamus, fornix, mammillary body, basal forebrain and septal nuclei. The cortical, subcortical and white matter components of the Papez circuit were also systematically evaluated. Results: Hexanucleotide repeat expansion carriers exhibited bilateral amygdala, hypothalamus and nucleus accumbens atrophy, and C9orf72 negative patients showed bilateral basal forebrain volume reductions compared to controls. Both patient groups showed left rostral anterior cingulate atrophy, left entorhinal cortex thinning and cingulum and fornix alterations, irrespective of the genotype. Fornix, cingulum, posterior cingulate, nucleus accumbens, amygdala and hypothalamus degeneration was more marked in C9orf72-positive ALS patients. Conclusions: Our results highlighted that mesial temporal and parasagittal subcortical degeneration is not unique to C9orf72 carriers. Our radiological findings were consistent with neuropsychological observations and highlighted the importance of comprehensive neuropsychological testing in ALS, irrespective of the underlying genotype.","PeriodicalId":504576,"journal":{"name":"Biology","volume":" 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141672457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Olfactory Function as a Potential Predictor of Cognitive Impairment in Men and Women","authors":"C. Masala, Francesco Loy, Ilenia Pinna, Nicoletta Aurora Manis, T. Ercoli, Paolo Solla","doi":"10.3390/biology13070503","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13070503","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Different previous studies indicated olfactory function as a predictor of several types of cognitive impairment, in particular related to neurodegenerative disease. However, scanty data are available on the role of odor threshold (OT), odor discrimination (OD), and odor identification (OI) as a predictor of cognitive impairment. The aim of this study was to evaluate potential correlations between each factor of the olfactory function versus each specific cognitive domain of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test on healthy subjects in relation to gender and age. Methods: Sniffin’ Sticks and MoCA tests were used to determine olfactory function and cognitive abilities, respectively. Results: In men, significant correlations were found in OT versus language index score and OI versus language and executive index score, while in women, OD and OI were correlated to visuospatial index score. Conclusions: Our data suggested that olfactory function (OT, OD, and OI) may be considered a predictor for cognitive impairment in relation to gender and age.","PeriodicalId":504576,"journal":{"name":"Biology","volume":" 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141676154","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unusual Patterns of Lateral Scutes in Two Olive Ridley Turtles and Their Genetic Assignment to the Thai Andaman Sea Populations of Lepidochelys olivacea Eschscholtz, 1829","authors":"Patcharaporn Kaewmong, K. Kittiwattanawong, K. Nganvongpanit, Promporn Piboon","doi":"10.3390/biology13070500","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13070500","url":null,"abstract":"Two stranded Lepidochelys-like sea turtles were rescued from the Thai Andaman Sea coastline by veterinarians of the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC), one in May of 2019 and another in July of 2021. They were first identified as olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea), as the external appearance of both turtles was closer to that species than the other four species found in the Thai Andaman Sea. In fact, when carefully examined, an unusual pattern of the lateral scutes on each turtle was observed, specifically symmetric 5/5 and asymmetric 5/6, both of which are considered rare for L. olivacea and had never been reported in the Thai Andaman Sea. In contrast, this characteristic was more common for the closely related species, Kemp’s ridley (L. kempii), although this species is not distributed in the Indo-Pacific Ocean. Thus, we further investigated their genetic information to confirm species identification using two molecular markers, namely the mtDNA control region and nDNA RAG2. The results from the mtDNA control region sequences using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) indicated that both individuals exhibited a higher percent identity with L. olivacea (99.81–100.00%) rather than L. kempii (94.29–95.41%) or any other species. A phylogenetic tree confirmed that these two turtles belonged to the L. olivacea clade. Moreover, the results of RAG2 also supported the mtDNA result, as both individuals shared the same RAG2 haplotype with L. olivacea. Thus, we have concluded that the two turtles with unusual lateral scute patterns exhibited genetic consistency with their original species, L. olivacea, which has brought attention to the importance of exploring rare phenotypes in sea turtle populations residing in Thai Seas.","PeriodicalId":504576,"journal":{"name":"Biology","volume":" 28","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141677923","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Therapeutic Potential of the Specific Intestinal Microbiome (SIM) Diet on Metabolic Diseases","authors":"Nhs Chu, Elaine Chow, Juliana C. N. Chan","doi":"10.3390/biology13070498","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13070498","url":null,"abstract":"Exploring the intricate crosstalk between dietary prebiotics and the specific intestinal microbiome (SIM) is intriguing in explaining the mechanisms of current successful dietary interventions, including the Mediterranean diet and high-fiber diet. This knowledge forms a robust basis for developing a new natural food therapy. The SIM diet can be measured and evaluated to establish a reliable basis for the management of metabolic diseases, such as diabetes, metabolic (dysfunction)-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), obesity, and metabolic cardiovascular disease. This review aims to delve into the existing body of research to shed light on the promising developments of possible dietary prebiotics in this field and explore the implications for clinical practice. The exciting part is the crosstalk of diet, microbiota, and gut–organ interactions facilitated by producing short-chain fatty acids, bile acids, and subsequent metabolite production. These metabolic-related microorganisms include Butyricicoccus, Akkermansia, and Phascolarctobacterium. The SIM diet, rather than supplementation, holds the promise of significant health consequences via the prolonged reaction with the gut microbiome. Most importantly, the literature consistently reports no adverse effects, providing a strong foundation for the safety of this dietary therapy.","PeriodicalId":504576,"journal":{"name":"Biology","volume":" 33","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141678828","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hypoglycemic Effect of Polysaccharides from Physalis alkekengi L. in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Mice","authors":"Yun Zhang, Minghao Wang, Peng Li, Ge Lv, Jing Yao, Lin Zhao","doi":"10.3390/biology13070496","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13070496","url":null,"abstract":"Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a common metabolic disease that adversely impacts patient health. In this study, a T2DM model was established in ICR mice through the administration of a high-sugar and high-fat diet combined with the intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin to explore the hypoglycemic effect of polysaccharides from Physalis alkekengi L. After six weeks of treatment, the mice in the high-dosage group (800 mg/kg bw) displayed significant improvements in terms of fasting blood glucose concentration, glucose tolerance, serum insulin level, insulin resistance, and weight loss (p < 0.05). The polysaccharides also significantly regulated blood lipid levels by reducing the serum contents of total triglycerides, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoproteins and increasing the serum content of high-density lipoproteins (p < 0.05). Furthermore, they significantly enhanced the hepatic and pancreatic antioxidant capacities, as determined by measuring the catalase and superoxide dismutase activities and the total antioxidant capacity (p < 0.05). The results of immunohistochemistry showed that the P. alkekengi polysaccharides can increase the expression of GPR43 in mice colon epithelial cells, thereby promoting the secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1. In summary, P. alkekengi polysaccharides can help to regulate blood glucose levels in T2DM mice and alleviate the decline in the antioxidant capacities of the liver and pancreas, thus protecting these organs from damage.","PeriodicalId":504576,"journal":{"name":"Biology","volume":" 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141679589","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Prostate Cancer Diagnosis, Staging, and Treatment: A Population-Based Study in Northern Italy","authors":"L. Mangone, F. Marinelli, I. Bisceglia, Angelina Filice, M. B. Braghiroli, F. Roncaglia, A. Palicelli, F. Morabito, A. Neri, Roberto Sabbatini, C. Iotti, C. Pinto","doi":"10.3390/biology13070499","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13070499","url":null,"abstract":"The COVID-19 pandemic has caused delays in cancer diagnoses and reductions in treatments. The aim of this work is to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on prostate cancer by evaluating whether there has been a shift towards more aggressive (Gleason) and more advanced tumors (stage IV) and a decline in treatments. The study was conducted on 1123 cases of prostate cancer incident in the Province of Reggio Emilia, Northern Italy, in the period of 2018–2021. In 2020, there was a decline in new diagnoses of prostate cancer (−31%), followed by a slight recovery in 2021 (+5%). While Gleason 7 and 8–10 values remained constant, a significant decrease was recorded in stage I (38.7%, 41.6%, 35.5%, and 27.7%) and an increase in stage IV (13.1%, 13%, 15.4%, and 20%) cases in the years 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021, respectively. However, there was no impact on surgical treatment (which remained constant at around 35%) and radiotherapy (around 39%). Our findings underline the profound impact of COVID-19 on prostate cancer management, highlighting the importance of healthcare resilience in the face of unprecedented disruptions.","PeriodicalId":504576,"journal":{"name":"Biology","volume":" 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141678491","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Network Pharmacology Reveals Curcuma aeruginosa Roxb. Regulates MAPK and HIF-1 Pathways to Treat Androgenetic Alopecia","authors":"Aaron Marbyn L. Sintos, Heherson S Cabrera","doi":"10.3390/biology13070497","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13070497","url":null,"abstract":"Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most prevalent hair loss disorder worldwide, driven by excessive sensitivity or response to androgen. Herbal extracts, such as Curcuma aeruginosa Roxb., have shown promise in AGA treatment due to their anti-androgenic activities and hair growth effects. However, the precise mechanism of action remains unclear. Hence, this study aims to elucidate the active compounds, putative targets, and underlying mechanisms of C. aeruginosa for the therapy of AGA using network pharmacology and molecular docking. This study identified 66 bioactive compounds from C. aeruginosa, targeting 59 proteins associated with AGA. Eight hub genes were identified from the protein–protein interaction network, namely, CASP3, AKT1, AR, IL6, PPARG, STAT3, HIF1A, and MAPK3. Topological analysis of components–targets network revealed trans-verbenol, myrtenal, carvone, alpha-atlantone, and isoaromandendrene epoxide as the core components with potential significance in AGA treatment. The molecular docking verified the binding affinity between the hub genes and core compounds. Moreover, the enrichment analyses showed that C. aeruginosa is involved in hormone response and participates in HIF-1 and MAPK pathways to treat AGA. Overall, this study contributes to understanding the potential anti-AGA mechanism of C. aeruginosa by highlighting its multi-component interactions with several targets involved in AGA pathogenesis.","PeriodicalId":504576,"journal":{"name":"Biology","volume":" 35","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141679752","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}