microPublication biologyPub Date : 2026-08-22eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.002306
Yu-Chuan Chen, Emily Chung, Kristen DeJanes, Kiri Diaz-Asper, Anna Hayashizaki, Valerie Jackson, Nikhita Lalwani, John Lin, Martin Lin, Sarah Liu, Taylor Palmore, Rouida Siddiqui, Neron Xavier, Nic M Vega
{"title":"Host range of 30 novel <i>Arthrobacter globiformis</i> bacteriophages shows modularity and nestedness.","authors":"Yu-Chuan Chen, Emily Chung, Kristen DeJanes, Kiri Diaz-Asper, Anna Hayashizaki, Valerie Jackson, Nikhita Lalwani, John Lin, Martin Lin, Sarah Liu, Taylor Palmore, Rouida Siddiqui, Neron Xavier, Nic M Vega","doi":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002306","DOIUrl":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002306","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The SEA-PHAGES program maintains an extensive archive of student-discovered Actinobacteriophage as a resource for understanding phage diversity. Here, we examine host range of thirty phages isolated on <i>Arthrobacter globiformis</i> B-2979 against additional strains of <i>A. globiformis</i> and against other isolates within ' <i>Arthrobacter sensu stricto</i> '. Consistent with other reports, host range of these phages was generally narrow. A general relationship between magnitude and prevalence was observed in efficiency of plating on <i>globiformis</i> isolates other than the isolation host, suggesting underlying mechanisms of cross-infectivity.</p>","PeriodicalId":74192,"journal":{"name":"microPublication biology","volume":"2026 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13545664/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148898627","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 : 2026-08-22eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.002365
Caleb T Cross, Rentse Gj De Jong, Sunny P Horner, Jordan L Johnston, Cole D Davidson
{"title":"Bavachin inhibits cell viability and migration in human pancreatic cancer cells.","authors":"Caleb T Cross, Rentse Gj De Jong, Sunny P Horner, Jordan L Johnston, Cole D Davidson","doi":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002365","DOIUrl":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002365","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive malignancy with poor survival and limited treatment options, highlighting the need for novel therapies. Bavachin, a naturally occurring compound derived from <i>Psoralea corylifolia</i> , has demonstrated anticancer activity in other cancer models. We evaluated the effects of bavachin on PANC-1 pancreatic cancer cells <i>in vitro</i> . Sulforhodamine B and trypan blue assays assessed cell viability and determined the IC₅₀, while a wound healing assay evaluated migration. Bavachin significantly reduced PANC-1 cell viability (IC₅₀ = 30.30 μM) and inhibited migration, providing evidence that bavachin affects viability and ability to migrate in PANC-1 cells.</p>","PeriodicalId":74192,"journal":{"name":"microPublication biology","volume":"2026 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13546459/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148901761","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 : 2026-08-21eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.002326
John White
{"title":"Gap junction innexin asymmetry in C. elegans suggests a diode blocking mechanism to prevent antidromic backpropagation from motor neurons to command interneurons.","authors":"John White","doi":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002326","DOIUrl":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002326","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In <i>C. elegans</i> , gap junctions between command interneurons and motor neurons mediate rapid behavioural transitions. However, antidromic backpropagation driven by the putative proprioceptive activity of motor neurons with Extended Longitudinal Neurites (ELNs) must be blocked to maintain circuit directionality. Analysing single-cell transcriptomics (CeNGEN), I identify systematic innexin gene expression asymmetry across major motor circuit electrical synapses. Presynaptic interneurons and postsynaptic motor neurons express distinct, non-overlapping innexin subunits. This molecular asymmetry suggests a rectified, diode-like gating mechanism that favours orthodromic signalling while preventing antidromic backpropagation from proprioceptive motor neurons, providing a structural framework for directional electrical transmission.</p>","PeriodicalId":74192,"journal":{"name":"microPublication biology","volume":"2026 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13542893/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148898552","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 : 2026-08-20eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.002218
George J Todd, Aimee S Dunlap
{"title":"Hover Fly Eyes and Antennae Are Sexually Dimorphic but Do Not Tradeoff.","authors":"George J Todd, Aimee S Dunlap","doi":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002218","DOIUrl":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002218","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sensory systems are energetically expensive and may evolve through tradeoffs between modalities. We tested the sensory tradeoff hypothesis in four hover fly species by examining allometry and sexual dimorphism in eye and antennal (funiculus) size. Across species, larger flies exhibited larger sensory structures and males generally possessed relatively larger eyes and funiculi than females after controlling for body size. However, we found no consistent negative relationship between eye and antennal investment within species. These findings suggest that sensory investment in hover flies is shaped more strongly by allometric and sex-specific selection pressures than by compensatory tradeoffs between sensory modalities.</p>","PeriodicalId":74192,"journal":{"name":"microPublication biology","volume":"2026 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13539386/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148889710","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 : 2026-08-19eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.002343
Stephen A Banse, Anna L Coleman-Hulbert, Christine A Sedore, Erik Johnson, Gordon J Lithgow, Monica Driscoll, Patrick C Phillips
{"title":"<i>Caenorhabditis</i> Intervention Testing Program: all-trans retinoic acid lifespan extension in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> requires 5-Fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine (FUdR).","authors":"Stephen A Banse, Anna L Coleman-Hulbert, Christine A Sedore, Erik Johnson, Gordon J Lithgow, Monica Driscoll, Patrick C Phillips","doi":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002343","DOIUrl":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002343","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The <i>Caenorhabditis</i> Intervention Testing Program recently characterized the longevity-promoting effects of all-trans-retinoic acid (atRA) in <i>C. elegans</i> . While we observed that atRA extended lifespan across multiple genetic backgrounds, environmental factors may influence its efficacy. One such factor is 5-Fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine (FUdR), used to prevent progeny contamination in lifespan assays. Here, we show that FUdR enhances atRA's lifespan effects, but that this potentiation is not simply due to progeny elimination, as sterilization through auxin-mediated disruption of spermatogenesis does not potentiate atRA in lifespan extension. We conclude that atRA longevity is dependent on additional effects of FUdR that remain uncharacterized.</p>","PeriodicalId":74192,"journal":{"name":"microPublication biology","volume":"2026 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13539385/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148889750","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 : 2026-08-19eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.002150
Charlie Ake, Eric Cervantes, Christal Garcia, Hannah Hammons, Lisa Obawole, Isabella Morton, Lexie Pham, Brandon Salas, Sadie Stacks, Luis Villarreal, Faith York, Samaneh Biglari, Eshani Yeragi, Elizabeth Lillvis, Matthew Moulton, Alex Keene
{"title":"The effects of obesogenic diet on a <i>Drosophila</i> model of frontotemporal dementia.","authors":"Charlie Ake, Eric Cervantes, Christal Garcia, Hannah Hammons, Lisa Obawole, Isabella Morton, Lexie Pham, Brandon Salas, Sadie Stacks, Luis Villarreal, Faith York, Samaneh Biglari, Eshani Yeragi, Elizabeth Lillvis, Matthew Moulton, Alex Keene","doi":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002150","DOIUrl":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002150","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tau aggregation is a hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia. Here, we tested how an obesogenic diet affects a Drosophila tauopathy model across multiple behavioral assays. In group-housed flies, mutant tau shortened lifespan, and this effect was worsened by a high-sugar diet. We also examined sleep, motor behavior, and sensory responsiveness. Tau-expressing flies differed from controls in all assays, but these deficits were not further exacerbated by diet. These findings reveal assay-specific diet effects and highlight the value of using multiple behavioral measures to characterize tau mutant phenotypes.</p>","PeriodicalId":74192,"journal":{"name":"microPublication biology","volume":"2026 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13539387/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148889766","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 : 2026-08-18eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.002301
Lexi-Amber Hassell, Mika Gallati, Monica Thoma, Selamawit Asfaw, Anne Church Hart
{"title":"Glutamatergic neuron degeneration in <i>C. elegans</i> models of Frontotemporal Dementia and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.","authors":"Lexi-Amber Hassell, Mika Gallati, Monica Thoma, Selamawit Asfaw, Anne Church Hart","doi":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002301","DOIUrl":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002301","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) overlap considerably in genetic origin and pathology. Multiple <i>C. elegans</i> models of ALS/FTD have been developed, but the integrity of glutamatergic neurons in these models has not been thoroughly evaluated. Here, we report degeneration of glutamatergic phasmid neurons in animals expressing either wild-type or disease variant V337M human tau, and mild degeneration in animals expressing disease variant M337V human TDP-43. Defects caused by ectopic expression of tau were suppressed by loss of the known modifier, <i>spop-1</i> , suggesting that SPOP-1-dependent pathways are also involved in glutamatergic neuron degeneration.</p>","PeriodicalId":74192,"journal":{"name":"microPublication biology","volume":"2026 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13535777/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148882870","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 : 2026-08-18eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.002249
Allison Walsh, Abigail Wendland, Sofia Uriarte, Caroline Oliynyk, Anitej Akella, Lexxie Padron, Leonard Lorusso, Alice Tsybulski, Nahila Davis, Panteha Sartipi, Casey Spencer
{"title":"Neurons and Glia Exhibit Distinct Age-Associated MitoTimer-Based Mitochondrial Dynamics in the <i>Drosophila</i> Mushroom Body Calyx.","authors":"Allison Walsh, Abigail Wendland, Sofia Uriarte, Caroline Oliynyk, Anitej Akella, Lexxie Padron, Leonard Lorusso, Alice Tsybulski, Nahila Davis, Panteha Sartipi, Casey Spencer","doi":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002249","DOIUrl":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002249","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Aging increases the prevalence of diseases with mitochondrial dysfunction, notably Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. This study assesses MitoTimer-based mitochondrial dynamics across the lifespan between neurons and glia. MitoTimer was expressed in neurons using nSyb-Gal4 and in glia using Repo-Gal4. MitoTimer red:green fluorescence ratios were quantified within or surrounding the mushroom body calyx of young, middle-aged, and old female <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> . Paraquat-supplemented food increased red:green ratios relative to controls, supporting our use of MitoTimer. Neuronal red:green ratios peaked in middle age, whereas glial ratios were highest in young flies. These findings reveal distinct, age-dependent mitochondrial dynamics in neurons and glia.</p>","PeriodicalId":74192,"journal":{"name":"microPublication biology","volume":"2026 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13535776/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148883032","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 : 2026-08-18eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.002196
Thomas Liontis, Alla Grishok
{"title":"Spermatogenesis-specific Argonautes ALG-3/4 promote LEA-1 expression in oocytes.","authors":"Thomas Liontis, Alla Grishok","doi":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002196","DOIUrl":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002196","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Small interfering RNAs bound to Argonautes ALG-3 and ALG-4 ( ALG-3 /4) in spermatocytes regulate fertility and aging in <i>C. elegans</i> . ALG-3 /4 cell non-autonomously repress DAF-18 /PTEN in the oocyte, thereby limiting the activity of DAF-16 /FOXO and longevity. We find that the DAF-16 and ALG-3 /4 target gene <i>lea-1</i> is downregulated in precursor germ cells and oocytes of <i>alg-3 /4</i> mutants while being upregulated in <i>age-1 ( hx546 )</i> PI3K mutants, where DAF-16 is activated. The downregulation of <i>lea-1</i> in <i>alg-3 /4</i> mutants is inherited, unlike the elevation in DAF-18 levels. We therefore propose that ALG-3 /4 regulate LEA-1 and DAF-18 through distinct non-autonomous mechanisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":74192,"journal":{"name":"microPublication biology","volume":"2026 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13535778/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148883040","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 : 2026-08-17eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.002261
Adrianna Highgate, Patrick T Stillson, Jandolyn Washington, Dwann Davenport
{"title":"Predicting Antileishmanial Activity of Plant-Derived Compounds Using Random Forest Modeling.","authors":"Adrianna Highgate, Patrick T Stillson, Jandolyn Washington, Dwann Davenport","doi":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002261","DOIUrl":"10.17912/micropub.biology.002261","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease for which existing treatments can be toxic and costly, and resistance to current therapies is becoming increasingly common. This study implemented a systematic review of data regarding antileishmanial activity in plant-derived compounds and used machine learning techniques to train and test a Random Forest algorithm to predict the antileishmanial activity of plant-derived compounds. Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Lamiaceae, and Myrtaceae plant families were identified for their high or moderate antileishmanial activity and nativity to areas of high leishmaniasis prevalence. The Random Forest model had 89% prediction accuracy, with an out-of-bag error rate of 16%.</p>","PeriodicalId":74192,"journal":{"name":"microPublication biology","volume":"2026 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13535773/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148882984","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}