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Annual Review of Pharmacology and... Jan 2024I am deeply honored to be invited to write this scientific autobiography. As a physician-scientist, pediatrician, molecular biologist, and geneticist, I have... (Review)
Review
I am deeply honored to be invited to write this scientific autobiography. As a physician-scientist, pediatrician, molecular biologist, and geneticist, I have authored/coauthored more than 600 publications in the fields of clinical medicine, biochemistry, biophysics, pharmacology, drug metabolism, toxicology, molecular biology, cancer, standardized gene nomenclature, developmental toxicology and teratogenesis, mouse genetics, human genetics, and evolutionary genomics. Looking back, I think my career can be divided into four distinct research areas, which I summarize mostly chronologically in this article: () discovery and characterization of the AHR/CYP1 axis, () pharmacogenomics and genetic prediction of response to drugs and other environmental toxicants, () standardized drug-metabolizing gene nomenclature based on evolutionary divergence, and () discovery and characterization of the gene encoding the ZIP8 metal cation influx transporter. Collectively, all four topics embrace gene-environment interactions, hence the title of my autobiography.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Mice; Genomics; Membrane Transport Proteins; Pharmacogenetics; Physicians
PubMed: 37788491
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pharmtox-022323-082311 -
Ageing Research Reviews Mar 2024The human female reproductive lifespan significantly diminishes with age, leading to decreased fertility, reduced fertility quality and endocrine function disorders.... (Review)
Review
The human female reproductive lifespan significantly diminishes with age, leading to decreased fertility, reduced fertility quality and endocrine function disorders. While many aspects of aging in general have been extensively documented, the precise mechanisms governing programmed aging in the female reproductive system remain elusive. Recent advancements in omics technologies and computational capabilities have facilitated the emergence of multiomics deep phenotyping. Through the application and refinement of various high-throughput omics methods, a substantial volume of omics data has been generated, deepening our comprehension of the pathogenesis and molecular underpinnings of reproductive aging. This review highlights current and emerging multiomics approaches for investigating female reproductive aging, encompassing genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and microbiomics. We elucidate their influence on fundamental cell biology and translational research in the context of reproductive aging, address the limitations and current challenges associated with multiomics studies, and offer a glimpse into future prospects.
Topics: Female; Humans; Multiomics; Genomics; Proteomics; Reproduction; Aging
PubMed: 38401570
DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102245 -
Mammalian Genome : Official Journal of... Sep 2023The 35th International Mammalian Genome Conference (IMGC) was held on July 17-20, 2022 in Vancouver, British Columbia; this conference marked the first time the... (Review)
Review
The 35th International Mammalian Genome Conference (IMGC) was held on July 17-20, 2022 in Vancouver, British Columbia; this conference marked the first time the International Mammalian Genome Society (IMGS) hosted a meeting in Canada. Scientists from around the world participated to share advances in genetics and genomics research across mammalian species. A diverse attendance of pre-doctoral and post-doctoral trainees, young investigators, established researchers, clinicians, bioinformaticians, and computational biologists enjoyed a rich scientific program selected from 88 abstracts in the fields of cancer, conservation genetics, developmental biology, epigenetics, human disease modeling, immunology, infectious diseases, systems genetics, translational biology, and technological advances.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Genomics; Genome; Proteomics; Epigenomics; Epigenesis, Genetic; Mammals
PubMed: 36867211
DOI: 10.1007/s00335-023-09983-2 -
Plant Signaling & Behavior Dec 2024The 21st-century "plant neurobiology" movement is an amalgam of scholars interested in how "neural processes", broadly defined, lead to changes in plant behavior.... (Review)
Review
The 21st-century "plant neurobiology" movement is an amalgam of scholars interested in how "neural processes", broadly defined, lead to changes in plant behavior. Integral to the movement (now called plant behavioral biology) is a triad of historically marginalized subdisciplines, namely plant ethology, whole plant electrophysiology and plant comparative psychology, that set plant neurobiology apart from the mainstream. A central tenet held by these "triad disciplines" is that plants are exquisitely sensitive to environmental perturbations and that destructive experimental manipulations rapidly and profoundly affect plant function. Since destructive measurements have been the norm in plant physiology, much of our "textbook knowledge" concerning plant physiology is unrelated to normal plant function. As such, scientists in the triad disciplines favor a more natural and holistic approach toward understanding plant function. By examining the history, philosophy, sociology and psychology of the triad disciplines, this paper refutes in eight ways the criticism that plant neurobiology presents nothing new, and that the topics of plant neurobiology fall squarely under the purview of mainstream plant physiology. It is argued that although the triad disciplines and mainstream plant physiology share the common goal of understanding plant function, they are distinct in having their own intellectual histories and epistemologies.
Topics: Neurobiology; Plant Physiological Phenomena; Plants
PubMed: 38709727
DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2024.2345413 -
International Journal of Molecular... Sep 2023The Special Issue State-of-the-Art Molecular Genetics and Genomics in Germany focuses on German researchers and their international peers, covering their recent advances...
The Special Issue State-of-the-Art Molecular Genetics and Genomics in Germany focuses on German researchers and their international peers, covering their recent advances in genetics, genomics, epigenetics, and cytogenetics/cytogenomics in relation to prokaryotic and eukaryotic multicellular to mammalian organisms in arras ranging from basic to medical research [...].
Topics: Animals; Genomics; Epigenomics; Germany; Biomedical Research; Molecular Biology; Mammals
PubMed: 37762398
DOI: 10.3390/ijms241814096 -
International Journal of Molecular... Mar 2024Reproduction is the important process of transmitting one's genetic information to the next generation [...].
Reproduction is the important process of transmitting one's genetic information to the next generation [...].
Topics: Germ Cells; Genitalia; Reproduction; Biology; Neoplasms
PubMed: 38612451
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073639 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Aug 2023Field-flow fractionation (FFF) is a family of single-phase separative techniques exploited to gently separate and characterize nano- and microsystems in suspension.... (Review)
Review
Field-flow fractionation (FFF) is a family of single-phase separative techniques exploited to gently separate and characterize nano- and microsystems in suspension. These techniques cover an extremely wide dynamic range and are able to separate analytes in an interval between a few nm to 100 µm size-wise (over 15 orders of magnitude mass-wise). They are flexible in terms of mobile phase and can separate the analytes in native conditions, preserving their original structures/properties as much as possible. Molecular biology is the branch of biology that studies the molecular basis of biological activity, while biotechnology deals with the technological applications of biology. The areas where biotechnologies are required include industrial, agri-food, environmental, and pharmaceutical. Many species of biological interest belong to the operational range of FFF techniques, and their application to the analysis of such samples has steadily grown in the last 30 years. This work aims to summarize the main features, milestones, and results provided by the application of FFF in the field of molecular biology and biotechnology, with a focus on the years from 2000 to 2022. After a theoretical background overview of FFF and its methodologies, the results are reported based on the nature of the samples analyzed.
Topics: Biotechnology; Fractionation, Field Flow; Molecular Biology; Food; Industry
PubMed: 37687030
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28176201 -
Frontiers in Bioscience (Landmark... Aug 2023Similar to other polypeptides and electrolytes, proteins undergo phase transitions, obeying physicochemical laws. They can undergo liquid-to-gel and liquid-to-liquid... (Review)
Review
Similar to other polypeptides and electrolytes, proteins undergo phase transitions, obeying physicochemical laws. They can undergo liquid-to-gel and liquid-to-liquid phase transitions. Intrinsically disordered proteins are particularly susceptible to phase separation. After a general introduction, the principles of studies of protein folding, aggregation, and condensation are described. Numerous recent and older studies have confirmed that the process of liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) leads to various condensed bodies in cells, which is one way cells manage stress. We review what is known about protein aggregation and condensation in the cell, notwithstanding the protective and pathological roles of protein aggregates. This includes membrane-less organelles and cytotoxicity of the prefibrillar oligomers of amyloid-forming proteins. We then describe and evaluate bioinformatic () methods for predicting protein aggregation-prone regions of proteins that form amyloids, prions, and condensates.
Topics: Protein Aggregates; Computational Biology; Phase Transition; Protein Domains
PubMed: 37664947
DOI: 10.31083/j.fbl2808183 -
International Journal of Molecular... Dec 2023Cancer is rooted in genetic background, with the expression of oncogenesis playing a pivotal role in the early stages of tumor formation [...].
Cancer is rooted in genetic background, with the expression of oncogenesis playing a pivotal role in the early stages of tumor formation [...].
Topics: Humans; Neoplasms; Molecular Biology; Carcinogenesis; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Biology
PubMed: 38139014
DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417187 -
European Journal of Cell Biology Dec 2023
Topics: Plants; Cell Biology; Plant Cells
PubMed: 37596137
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2023.151345