BioEssays最新文献

{"title":"Relationship of PSC to embryos: Extending and refining capture of PSC lines from mammalian embryos","authors":"Qi-Long Ying,&nbsp;Jennifer Nichols","doi":"10.1002/bies.202400077","DOIUrl":"10.1002/bies.202400077","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Pluripotent stem cell lines derived from preimplantation mouse embryos have opened opportunities for the study of early mammalian development and generation of genetically uncompromised material for differentiation into specific cell types. Murine embryonic stem cells are highly versatile and can be engineered and introduced into host embryos, transferred to recipient females, and gestated to investigate gene function at multiple levels as well as developmental mechanisms, including lineage segregation and cell competition. In this review, we summarize the biomedical motivation driving the incremental modification to culture regimes and analyses that have advanced stem cell research to its current state. Ongoing investigation into divergent mechanisms of early developmental processes adopted by other species, such as agriculturally beneficial mammals and birds, will continue to enrich knowledge and inform strategies for future in vitro models.</p>","PeriodicalId":9264,"journal":{"name":"BioEssays","volume":"46 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/bies.202400077","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142458491","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"How bacteria initiate DNA replication comes into focus","authors":"Fahad Rashid,&nbsp;James M. Berger","doi":"10.1002/bies.202400151","DOIUrl":"10.1002/bies.202400151","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The ability to initiate DNA replication is a critical step in the proliferation of all organisms. In bacteria, this process is mediated by an ATP-dependent replication initiator protein, DnaA, which recognizes and melts replication origin (<i>oriC</i>) elements. Despite decades of biochemical and structural work, a mechanistic understanding of how DnaA recognizes and unwinds <i>oriC</i> has remained enigmatic. A recent study by Pelliciari et al. provides important new structural insights into how DnaA from <i>Bacillus subtilis</i> recognizes and processes its cognate <i>oriC</i>, showing how DnaA uses sequence features encoded in the origin to engage melted DNA. Comparison of the DnaA-<i>oriC</i> structure with archaeal/eukaryl replication origin complexes based on Orc-family proteins reveals a high degree of similarity in origin engagement by initiators from di domains of life, despite fundamental differences in origin melting mechanisms. These findings provide valuable insights into bacterial replication initiation and highlight the intriguing evolutionary history of this fundamental biological process.</p>","PeriodicalId":9264,"journal":{"name":"BioEssays","volume":"47 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142399466","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mitochondrial dysfunction, cause or consequence in neurodegenerative diseases?","authors":"Zoë P. Van Acker,&nbsp;Thomas Leroy,&nbsp;Wim Annaert","doi":"10.1002/bies.202400023","DOIUrl":"10.1002/bies.202400023","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Neurodegenerative diseases encompass a spectrum of conditions characterized by the gradual deterioration of neurons in the central and peripheral nervous system. While their origins are multifaceted, emerging data underscore the pivotal role of impaired mitochondrial functions and endolysosomal homeostasis to the onset and progression of pathology. This article explores whether mitochondrial dysfunctions act as causal factors or are intricately linked to the decline in endolysosomal function. As research delves deeper into the genetics of neurodegenerative diseases, an increasing number of risk loci and genes associated with the regulation of endolysosomal and autophagy functions are being identified, arguing for a downstream impact on mitochondrial health. Our hypothesis centers on the notion that disturbances in endolysosomal processes may propagate to other organelles, including mitochondria, through disrupted inter-organellar communication. We discuss these views in the context of major neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, and their relevance to potential therapeutic avenues.</p>","PeriodicalId":9264,"journal":{"name":"BioEssays","volume":"47 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/bies.202400023","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142375107","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Regulation and signaling of the LIM domain kinases","authors":"Gabriela Casanova-Sepúlveda,&nbsp;Titus J. Boggon","doi":"10.1002/bies.202400184","DOIUrl":"10.1002/bies.202400184","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The LIM domain kinases (LIMKs) are important actin cytoskeleton regulators. These proteins, LIMK1 and LIMK2, are nodes downstream of Rho GTPases and are the key enzymes that phosphorylate cofilin/actin depolymerization factors to regulate filament severing. They therefore perform an essential role in cascades that control actin depolymerization. Signaling of the LIMKs is carefully regulated by numerous inter- and intra-molecular mechanisms. In this review, we discuss recent findings that improve the understanding of LIM domain kinase regulation mechanisms. We also provide an up-to-date review of the role of the LIM domain kinases, their architectural features, how activity is impacted by other proteins, and the implications of these findings for human health and disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":9264,"journal":{"name":"BioEssays","volume":"47 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142364480","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Calmly coasting towards complete collapse","authors":"Dave Speijer","doi":"10.1002/bies.202400223","DOIUrl":"10.1002/bies.202400223","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;I have been brooding on the title for this editorial. Discarded ideas included: “The sleep of reason breeds monsters,” “Will shifting baseline syndrome kill us all?,” “Path to perdition,” and “Lessons from biology: limitless growth ends in extinction.” Quite apocalyptic titles, I know, but alas, there is no exaggeration here. The various titles share an (implicit) urgent “call to action” character because we really are &lt;i&gt;on the brink of ecological, climate, and societal disaster&lt;/i&gt;. That qualifier “really” is the linguistic canary in the coalmine because as I write down this ominous message, it is hard for me, and others as well probably, to believe it is true. How can this be? I focussed on specific biological (“neoteny”) and social (“shifting baseline syndrome”) explanations for our irrational behavior before.&lt;sup&gt;[&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;sup&gt;]&lt;/sup&gt; Now I want to highlight some psychological aspects, point out the powerful forces we are up against and end with an urgent plea.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Coming out of high school, I started studying philosophy and psychology. In the last decades of the 20th century, a lot of thought went into explaining why people witnessing ongoing emergencies could often remain aloof, even if action would involve no personal risks. In psychological experiments, there was one constant finding: the effect correlated directly with the number of onlookers. To explain such inaction and the correlation, theories resolved around two major concepts: “diffusion of responsibility” (related to the pernicious “tragedy of the commons” in economic theory, which indeed contributed to, and has negative consequences for, our present-day state of emergency) and the “bystander effect.” An important aspect of the latter also contributes to our current dangerous inertia: &lt;i&gt;we interpret the severity of a situation based on the behavior of others&lt;/i&gt;. If most of us, and even more importantly our governments, hardly do anything and in the main, it is “business as usual,” then what I said about being close to disaster must be an exaggeration or even completely false. This was pointed out in a recent article of the indefatigable George Montbiot (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/aug/28/dear-ministers-i-am-a-climate-crisis-campaigner-nationalise-me-right-now; assessed August 28, 2024). Thus, we are watching the collapse of our life support system, and do nothing. I was reminded of cultivating flasks of microbes, which after exponential growth, if left unattended, all die. The earth is our flask, and we are indeed leaving it unattended. If we persist in this behavior, our species is going to have a hard time surviving.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;So, what are these forces (and ideas) that we are up against? What I might colloquially refer to as the “tech bros” and media moguls, a group of powerful, extremely rich, and influential individuals, representing the current winners of the unbridled economic growth game. They can be described as advocat","PeriodicalId":9264,"journal":{"name":"BioEssays","volume":"47 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/bies.202400223","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142370969","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Issue Information: BioEssays 10/2024","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/bies.202470017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bies.202470017","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9264,"journal":{"name":"BioEssays","volume":"46 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/bies.202470017","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142324695","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"2024: A “nucleoid space” odyssey featuring H-NS","authors":"Fatema-Zahra M. Rashid,&nbsp;Remus T. Dame","doi":"10.1002/bies.202400098","DOIUrl":"10.1002/bies.202400098","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The three-dimensional architecture of the bacterial chromosome is intertwined with genome processes such as transcription and replication. Conspicuously so, that the structure of the chromosome permits accurate prediction of active genome processes. Although appreciation of this interplay has developed rapidly in the past two decades, our understanding of this subject is still in its infancy, with research primarily focusing on how the process of transcription regulates and is regulated by chromosome structure. Here, we summarize the latest developments in the field with a focus on the interplay between chromosome structure and transcription in <i>Escherichia coli</i> (<i>E. coli</i>) as mediated by H-NS—a model nucleoid structuring protein. We describe how the organization of chromosomes at the global and local scales is dependent on transcription, and how transcription is regulated by chromosome structure. Finally, we take note of studies that highlight our limited knowledge of structure-function relationships in the chromosome, and we point out research tracks that will improve our insight in the topic.</p>","PeriodicalId":9264,"journal":{"name":"BioEssays","volume":"46 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/bies.202400098","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142342056","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Can stable introns and noncoding RNAs be harnessed to improve health through activation of mitohormesis?","authors":"Seow Neng Chan,&nbsp;Jun Wei Pek","doi":"10.1002/bies.202400143","DOIUrl":"10.1002/bies.202400143","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Ever since their introduction a decade ago, stable introns, a type of noncoding (nc)RNAs, are found to be key players in different important cellular processes acting through regulation of gene expression and feedback loops to maintain cellular homeostasis. Despite being commonly regarded as useless byproducts, recent studies in yeast suggested that stable introns are essential for cell survivability under starvation. In <i>Drosophila</i>, we found that a stable intron, sisR-1, has a direct effect in regulating mitochondrial dynamics during short-term fasting and subsequently improved overall oocyte quality. We speculated that the beneficial effects implicated by sisR-1 is through the activation of mitohormesis, an interesting phenomenon in mitochondrial biology. Mitohormesis is suggested to improve health span and lifespan of cells and organisms, but the involvement of ncRNAs is not well-documented. Here, we discuss the potential role of sisR-1 and other ncRNAs in activating mitohormesis and the possible applications in improving cellular and organismal health.</p>","PeriodicalId":9264,"journal":{"name":"BioEssays","volume":"46 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142268017","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Linking secretion and cytoskeleton in immunity– a case for Arabidopsis TGNap1","authors":"Deepak D. Bhandari,&nbsp;Federica Brandizzi","doi":"10.1002/bies.202400150","DOIUrl":"10.1002/bies.202400150","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In plants, robust defense depends on the efficient and resilient trafficking supply chains to the site of pathogen attack. Though the importance of intracellular trafficking in plant immunity has been well established, a lack of clarity remains regarding the contribution of the various trafficking pathways in transporting immune-related proteins. We have recently identified a trans-Golgi network protein, TGN-ASSOCIATED PROTEIN 1 (TGNap1), which functionally links post-Golgi vesicles with the cytoskeleton to transport immunity-related proteins in the model plant species <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>. We propose new hypotheses on the various functional implications of TGNap1 and then elaborate on the surprising heterogeneity of TGN vesicles during immunity revealed by the discovery of TGNap1 and other TGN-associated proteins in recent years.</p>","PeriodicalId":9264,"journal":{"name":"BioEssays","volume":"46 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/bies.202400150","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142268019","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cytoskeletal mechanisms regulating attaching/effacing bacteria interactions with host cells: It takes a village to build the pedestal","authors":"Nayden G. Naydenov,&nbsp;Armando Marino-Melendez,&nbsp;Kenneth G. Campellone,&nbsp;Andrei I. Ivanov","doi":"10.1002/bies.202400160","DOIUrl":"10.1002/bies.202400160","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The actin cytoskeleton is a key cellular structure subverted by pathogens to infect and survive in or on host cells. Several pathogenic strains of <i>Escherichia coli</i>, such as enteropathogenic <i>E. coli</i> (EPEC) and enterohemorrhagic <i>E. coli</i> (EHEC), developed a unique mechanism to remodel the actin cytoskeleton that involves the assembly of actin filament-rich pedestals beneath the bacterial attachment sites. Actin pedestal assembly is driven by bacterial effectors injected into the host cells, and this structure is important for EPEC and EHEC colonization. While the interplay between bacterial effectors and the actin polymerization machinery of host cells is well-understood, how other mechanisms of actin filament remodelling regulate pedestal assembly and bacterial attachment are poorly investigated. This review discusses the gaps in our understanding of the complexity of the actin cytoskeletal remodelling during EPEC and EHEC infection. We describe possible roles of actin depolymerizing, crosslinking and motor proteins in pedestal dynamics, and bacterial interactions with the host cells. We also discuss the biological significance of pedestal assembly for bacterial infection.</p>","PeriodicalId":9264,"journal":{"name":"BioEssays","volume":"46 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/bies.202400160","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142268018","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}