-
Cell Stem Cell Jul 2023Differential speeds in biochemical reactions have been proposed to be responsible for the differences in developmental tempo between mice and humans. However, the...
Differential speeds in biochemical reactions have been proposed to be responsible for the differences in developmental tempo between mice and humans. However, the underlying mechanism controlling the species-specific kinetics remains to be determined. Using in vitro differentiation of pluripotent stem cells, we recapitulated the segmentation clocks of diverse mammalian species varying in body weight and taxa: marmoset, rabbit, cattle, and rhinoceros. Together with mouse and human, the segmentation clock periods of the six species did not scale with the animal body weight, but with the embryogenesis length. The biochemical kinetics of the core clock gene HES7 displayed clear scaling with the species-specific segmentation clock period. However, the cellular metabolic rates did not show an evident correlation. Instead, genes involving biochemical reactions showed an expression pattern that scales with the segmentation clock period. Altogether, our stem cell zoo uncovered general scaling laws governing species-specific developmental tempo.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Humans; Cattle; Rabbits; Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors; Biological Clocks; Cell Differentiation; Pluripotent Stem Cells; Mammals; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
PubMed: 37343565
DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2023.05.014 -
Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences 2023
PubMed: 37529376
DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1239005 -
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 -
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... Aug 2023Sirtuins (SIRTs) are a nicotinic adenine dinucleotide (+) -dependent histone deacetylase that regulates critical signaling pathways in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.... (Review)
Review
Sirtuins (SIRTs) are a nicotinic adenine dinucleotide (+) -dependent histone deacetylase that regulates critical signaling pathways in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Studies have identified seven mammalian homologs of the yeast SIRT silencing message regulator 2, namely, SIRT1-SIRT7. Recent in vivo and in vitro studies have successfully demonstrated the involvement of SIRTs in key pathways for cell biological function in physiological and pathological processes of the cardiovascular system, including processes including cellular senescence, oxidative stress, apoptosis, DNA damage, and cellular metabolism. Emerging evidence has stimulated a significant evolution in preventing and treating cardiovascular disease (CVD). Here, we review the important roles of SIRTs for the regulatory pathways involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases and their molecular targets, including novel protein post-translational modifications of succinylation. In addition, we summarize the agonists and inhibitors currently identified to target novel specific small molecules of SIRTs. A better understanding of the role of SIRTs in the biology of CVD opens new avenues for therapeutic intervention with great potential for preventing and treating CVD.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Cardiovascular Diseases; Sirtuins; Cellular Senescence; Oxidative Stress; Molecular Biology; Mammals
PubMed: 37263163
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114931 -
Frontiers in Plant Science 2024
PubMed: 38504904
DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1392149 -
The 2024 Nucleic Acids Research database issue and the online molecular biology database collection.Nucleic Acids Research Jan 2024The 2024 Nucleic Acids Research database issue contains 180 papers from across biology and neighbouring disciplines. There are 90 papers reporting on new databases and...
The 2024 Nucleic Acids Research database issue contains 180 papers from across biology and neighbouring disciplines. There are 90 papers reporting on new databases and 83 updates from resources previously published in the Issue. Updates from databases most recently published elsewhere account for a further seven. Nucleic acid databases include the new NAKB for structural information and updates from Genbank, ENA, GEO, Tarbase and JASPAR. The Issue's Breakthrough Article concerns NMPFamsDB for novel prokaryotic protein families and the AlphaFold Protein Structure Database has an important update. Metabolism is covered by updates from Reactome, Wikipathways and Metabolights. Microbes are covered by RefSeq, UNITE, SPIRE and P10K; viruses by ViralZone and PhageScope. Medically-oriented databases include the familiar COSMIC, Drugbank and TTD. Genomics-related resources include Ensembl, UCSC Genome Browser and Monarch. New arrivals cover plant imaging (OPIA and PlantPAD) and crop plants (SoyMD, TCOD and CropGS-Hub). The entire Database Issue is freely available online on the Nucleic Acids Research website (https://academic.oup.com/nar). Over the last year the NAR online Molecular Biology Database Collection has been updated, reviewing 1060 entries, adding 97 new resources and eliminating 388 discontinued URLs bringing the current total to 1959 databases. It is available at http://www.oxfordjournals.org/nar/database/c/.
Topics: Computational Biology; Databases, Genetic; Databases, Nucleic Acid; Genomics; Internet; Molecular Biology
PubMed: 38035367
DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad1173 -
Nature Reviews. Nephrology Dec 2023Primary aldosteronism is the most common single cause of hypertension and is potentially curable when only one adrenal gland is the culprit. The importance of primary... (Review)
Review
Primary aldosteronism is the most common single cause of hypertension and is potentially curable when only one adrenal gland is the culprit. The importance of primary aldosteronism to public health derives from its high prevalence but huge under-diagnosis (estimated to be <1% of all affected individuals), despite the consequences of poor blood pressure control by conventional therapy and enhanced cardiovascular risk. This state of affairs is attributable to the fact that the tools used for diagnosis or treatment are still those that originated in the 1970-1990s. Conversely, molecular discoveries have transformed our understanding of adrenal physiology and pathology. Many molecules and processes associated with constant adrenocortical renewal and interzonal metamorphosis also feature in aldosterone-producing adenomas and aldosterone-producing micronodules. The adrenal gland has one of the most significant rates of non-silent somatic mutations, with frequent selection of those driving autonomous aldosterone production, and distinct clinical presentations and outcomes for most genotypes. The disappearance of aldosterone synthesis and cells from most of the adult human zona glomerulosa is the likely driver of the mutational success that causes aldosterone-producing adenomas, but insights into the pathways that lead to constitutive aldosterone production and cell survival may open up opportunities for novel therapies.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Aldosterone; Hyperaldosteronism; Public Health; Molecular Medicine; Adenoma
PubMed: 37612380
DOI: 10.1038/s41581-023-00753-6 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jun 2024In recent years, as biotechnological advancements have continued to unfold, our understanding of plant molecular biology has undergone a remarkable transformation [...].
In recent years, as biotechnological advancements have continued to unfold, our understanding of plant molecular biology has undergone a remarkable transformation [...].
Topics: Plants; Molecular Biology; Biotechnology
PubMed: 38928115
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126408 -
Biomolecules Jul 2023Homocysteine is increasingly recognized as an important molecule in a wide variety of cellular functions [...].
Homocysteine is increasingly recognized as an important molecule in a wide variety of cellular functions [...].
Topics: Homocysteine; Molecular Biology; Biochemistry
PubMed: 37509148
DOI: 10.3390/biom13071111 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jan 2024The advances in molecular biology techniques and omics approaches have made it possible to take giant steps in applied research in life sciences [...].
The advances in molecular biology techniques and omics approaches have made it possible to take giant steps in applied research in life sciences [...].
Topics: Genomics; Proteomics; Systems Biology
PubMed: 38279361
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021361