microPublication biologyPub Date : 2026-09-25eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.002342
Alexis Manfredy Dedós, Alanis G Carmona Beltrán, Lilli R Hanson, Andrea M Núñez Ortiz, Jomitsy N Santana Rivera, Naiomy Ríos Colón, Jesus M Ramos Arroyo, Christopher A Sambolín-Pérez
{"title":"Culture-Dependent and Molecular Characterization of Bacteria Associated with Banana Fruits in Puerto Rico.","authors":"Alexis Manfredy Dedós, Alanis G Carmona Beltrán, Lilli R Hanson, Andrea M Núñez Ortiz, Jomitsy N Santana Rivera, Naiomy Ríos Colón, Jesus M Ramos Arroyo, Christopher A Sambolín-Pérez","doi":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002342","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17912/micropub.biology.002342","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The genus <i>Musa</i> spp. encompasses significant global food crops, including bananas and plantains, which play an essential role in the economies, nutrition, and culinary practices of developing countries. Nonetheless, <i>Musa</i> spp. face threats from abiotic and biotic stressors, including phytopathogens. Consequently, exploring cultivable bacteria on fruits is vital for understanding bacterial ecological dynamics. Isolates were characterized using culture-dependent techniques: 16S rDNA barcoding and functional prediction, phylogenetic analysis, and morphological approaches. This exploratory study identified three isolates associated with plants and the environment. Future research should conduct larger surveys and genomic analyses around the island to understand bacterial ecology in bananas.</p>","PeriodicalId":74192,"journal":{"name":"microPublication biology","volume":"2026 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13653270/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149168218","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
microPublication biologyPub Date : 2026-09-25eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.002420
Mingze Gao, Corrin C Hays, Jennifer A Schisa
{"title":"The CCT chaperonin is a context-dependent regulator of RNA-binding protein phase transitions.","authors":"Mingze Gao, Corrin C Hays, Jennifer A Schisa","doi":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002420","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17912/micropub.biology.002420","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) undergo regulated phase transitions during oogenesis that are critical for maternal mRNA regulation. In <i>C. elegans</i> , the CCT chaperonin prevents ectopic condensation of RBPs in maturing oocytes, including MEX-3 and CAR-1 . Here, we show that CCT differentially affects oocyte RBP condensation depending on protein identity and cellular context. Depletion of CCT did not cause ectopic condensation of the P-granule proteins GLH-1 and PGL-1 . During heat stress, CCT depletion reduced MEX-3 and CAR-1 condensation, opposite from the phenotype in normally maturing oocytes. These findings reveal CCT as a context-dependent regulator of RBP phase transitions in oocytes.</p>","PeriodicalId":74192,"journal":{"name":"microPublication biology","volume":"2026 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13653271/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149171339","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
microPublication biologyPub Date : 2026-09-24eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.002371
Mya G Flannery, Mona A Hamad, Spencer S Gang
{"title":"Purine salvage enzymes are innate immune regulators in <i>Caenorhabditis briggsae</i> and <i>Caenorhabditis remanei</i>.","authors":"Mya G Flannery, Mona A Hamad, Spencer S Gang","doi":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002371","DOIUrl":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002371","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> , disruption of the purine salvage enzymes ADAH-1 or PNP-1 induces an innate immune program coined the Intracellular Pathogen Response (IPR). To determine if these enzymes have conserved immune regulatory roles, we utilized RNAi-competent strains of <i>Caenorhabditis briggsae</i> and <i>Caenorhabditis remanei</i> to knock down <i>Cbr/ Cre-adah-1</i> and <i>Cbr/ Cre-pnp-1</i> . In both species, knockdown of these enzymes induces expression of <i>Cbr/Cre-pals</i> genes, a hallmark of the <i>C. elegans</i> IPR. Furthermore, knockdown of <i>Cbr- adah-1</i> or <i>Cbr- pnp-1</i> promotes resistance to the microsporidia species <i>Nematocida parisii</i> . Our results suggest that perturbations to purine salvage metabolism may activate innate immune programs across <i>Caenorhabditis</i> species.</p>","PeriodicalId":74192,"journal":{"name":"microPublication biology","volume":"2026 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13647126/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149139715","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
microPublication biologyPub Date : 2026-09-24eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.002386
Graycen Horne, Xiaofei Bai
{"title":"Endogenous Expression of the Class I Phosphatidylinositol Transfer Protein PPIT-2 in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>.","authors":"Graycen Horne, Xiaofei Bai","doi":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002386","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17912/micropub.biology.002386","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Phosphatidylinositol transfer proteins (PITPs) transfer phosphatidylinositol (PI) between the ER and target membranes to regulate phosphoinositide metabolism. However, the expression patterns of class I PITPs in <i>C. elegans</i> remain largely uncharacterized. Here, we generated an endogenous GFP knock-in reporter for PPIT-2 (formerly Y71G12B.17), a conserved homolog of human PITPNA and PITPNB. GFP::PPIT-2 was prominently expressed in the excretory system and canals, with additional expression in the hypodermis, sperm, developing vulva, and germline-adjacent pseudocoelom. PPIT-2 expression notably overlaps with fatty acid synthase FASN-1, establishing candidate tissues to investigate its roles in PI transfer, membrane trafficking, and lipid homeostasis.</p>","PeriodicalId":74192,"journal":{"name":"microPublication biology","volume":"2026 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13650621/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149169267","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
microPublication biologyPub Date : 2026-09-24eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.002346
Summer Dieterle, Pablo Chialvo, Clare Scott Chialvo
{"title":"Gene model for the ortholog of <i>ABCB7</i> in <i>Drosophila funebris</i>.","authors":"Summer Dieterle, Pablo Chialvo, Clare Scott Chialvo","doi":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002346","DOIUrl":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002346","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We developed a gene model for the ortholog of the <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> <i>ATP binding cassette subfamily B member 7</i> ( <i>ABCB7</i> ) gene in the ASM1890182v1 Genome Assembly (GenBank Accession: GCA_018901825.1 ) of <i>Drosophila funebris</i> . This ortholog was characterized as part of a developing dataset for a comparative study of detoxification gene family evolution in the <i>immigrans</i> - <i>tripunctata</i> radiation of the genus <i>Drosophila</i> using an adapted Genomics Education Partnership gene annotation protocol for Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences.</p>","PeriodicalId":74192,"journal":{"name":"microPublication biology","volume":"2026 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13647128/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149139660","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
microPublication biologyPub Date : 2026-09-23eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.002330
Jacob Krzeminski, Irene K Guttilla Reed
{"title":"CXCR2 knockdown reduces ERK and AKT signaling and migration in PANC-1 pancreatic cancer cells.","authors":"Jacob Krzeminski, Irene K Guttilla Reed","doi":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002330","DOIUrl":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002330","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pancreatic cancer mortality is primarily driven by metastatic disease, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is one mechanism that promotes this process. The chemokine receptor CXCR2 has been implicated in tumor progression, but its role in pancreatic cancer remains unclear. We investigated CXCR2 in HPAF-II (epithelial-like) and PANC-1 (mesenchymal-like) pancreatic cancer cells. siRNA-mediated CXCR2 knockdown reduced ERK and AKT phosphorylation and decreased PI3K subunit expression in PANC-1 cells, but not HPAF-II cells. Furthermore, CXCR2 knockdown significantly reduced wound closure in PANC-1 cells. These findings indicate that CXCR2 may regulate EMT-associated signaling and migration in mesenchymal-like pancreatic cancer cells.</p>","PeriodicalId":74192,"journal":{"name":"microPublication biology","volume":"2026 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13647129/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149139678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
microPublication biologyPub Date : 2026-09-23eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.002168
Sophia Kousnetzov, Angela C Incollingo Rodriguez, Richard B Lopez, Jagan Srinivasan
{"title":"Semaglutide Reduces Odorant-Driven Chemotaxis and Reproductive Output in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>.","authors":"Sophia Kousnetzov, Angela C Incollingo Rodriguez, Richard B Lopez, Jagan Srinivasan","doi":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002168","DOIUrl":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002168","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) reduce food intake and body weight in humans, partly via neural circuits governing reward and energy homeostasis. Using <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> as a tractable model, we examined neurobehavioral and physiological effects of semaglutide, a long-acting GLP-1RA. Wild-type N2 animals exposed to semaglutide (1 μM and 10 μM) showed significantly reduced chemotaxis toward the volatile odorant diacetyl. Semaglutide also reduced egg-laying and delayed larval development at both concentrations tested. These phenotypes demonstrate that semaglutide alters multiple <i>C. elegans</i> behaviors and developmental processes, supporting its utility as a model system for investigating GLP-1RA mechanisms at cellular resolution.</p>","PeriodicalId":74192,"journal":{"name":"microPublication biology","volume":"2026 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13647127/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149139676","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
microPublication biologyPub Date : 2026-09-23eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.002285
Robert S Mirabello, Mohammad M Rahman, Abigail Ruddick, Danielle R Hamill, Bruce Bowerman, Richa Maheshwari, Orna Cohen-Fix
{"title":"Tags Attached to the Centrosomal Protein SPD-5 Can Disrupt Centrosome Flattening During Anaphase of the 1-cell <i>C. elegans</i> Embryo.","authors":"Robert S Mirabello, Mohammad M Rahman, Abigail Ruddick, Danielle R Hamill, Bruce Bowerman, Richa Maheshwari, Orna Cohen-Fix","doi":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002285","DOIUrl":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002285","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Centrosomes promote mitotic spindle assembly by nucleating microtubules from the peri-centriolar material (PCM). At mitotic exit, centrosomes disassemble and the PCM disperses. In the 1-cell <i>C. elegans</i> embryo, polarity cues result in distinct disassembly patterns of the anterior vs. posterior centrosome. Here, we show that commonly used alleles of GFP-tagged SPD-5 , a major PCM protein, can interfere with posterior centrosome flattening during disassembly. We also report the development of endogenous super-folder GFP:: SPD-5 (sfGFP:: SPD-5 ) that exhibits normal centrosome flattening. This highlights the ability of tags to interfere with cellular structures and processes, and provides a new tool to symmetrize centrosome disassembly.</p>","PeriodicalId":74192,"journal":{"name":"microPublication biology","volume":"2026 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13643532/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149139653","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
microPublication biologyPub Date : 2026-09-21eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.002351
James Matthew Ragle, Guinevere Ashley, Jordan D Ward
{"title":"An F2A sequence permits correct localization of a secreted and a nuclear localized reporter in <i>C. elegans</i>.","authors":"James Matthew Ragle, Guinevere Ashley, Jordan D Ward","doi":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002351","DOIUrl":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002351","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Multicistronic expression systems enable production of multiple proteins from a single transcript, with internal ribosome entry sites (IRES), SL2 trans-splicing, and 2A peptides as common tools. Because 2A peptides rely on a single translation event, we tested whether nuclear-localized mStayGold (mSG::H2B) and secreted mScarlet (ssmScarlet) reporters separated by F2A in <i>C. elegans</i> produced the expected localization pattern. mSG::H2B::F2A::ssmScarlet and ssmScarlet::F2A::mSG::H2B expressed in body wall muscle produced nuclear mSG in muscle and ssmScarlet in coelomocytes, indicating that downstream secreted proteins could be correctly directed to the secretory pathway. These data provide a configuration for driving nuclear and secreted proteins from a single-copy transgene.</p>","PeriodicalId":74192,"journal":{"name":"microPublication biology","volume":"2026 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13639729/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149119660","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
microPublication biologyPub Date : 2026-09-20eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.002421
Andrew D Countryman, Zachary M Geisterfer, R Christine Cao, Amy S Gladfelter
{"title":"Distinct actin architectures across a giant syncytial cell.","authors":"Andrew D Countryman, Zachary M Geisterfer, R Christine Cao, Amy S Gladfelter","doi":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002421","DOIUrl":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002421","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The syncytial slime mold <i>Physarum polycephalum</i> exhibits cytosolic streaming, cell migration, and cell network remodeling within a single cell. It is unclear how cytoskeletal elements are spatiotemporally organized to mediate these processes. Here, we combine live and fixed imaging of <i>Physarum</i> F-actin to uncover organizational and dynamic signatures of the actin cytoskeleton across cell structures. We find circumferential actin filaments constrict and relax to drive peristaltic contractions in feeding tubes, while migratory fans are characterized by actin patches and comets. Our work presents undescribed actin structures in <i>Physarum</i> and demonstrates that different actin-based behaviors coexist within a contiguous cytoplasm.</p>","PeriodicalId":74192,"journal":{"name":"microPublication biology","volume":"2026 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13635908/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149119652","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}