Featured
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| Open AccessLoss of the transcription factor RBPJ induces disease-promoting properties in brain pericytes
Pericytes are perivascular cells essential for blood-brain barrier maintenance. Here Diéguez-Hurtado et al. show that depletion of the transcription factor RBPJ in pericytes affects their molecular identity and disturbs endothelial cell behaviour, inducing the formation of vascular lesions in the brain.
- Rodrigo Diéguez-Hurtado
- , Katsuhiro Kato
- & Ralf H. Adams
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Article
| Open AccessDevelopmental kinetics and transcriptome dynamics of stem cell specification in the spermatogenic lineage
In neonatal testes, prospermatogonia generate both spermatogonia for the first wave of spermatogenesis and spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) for maintenance of spermatogenesis in males. Here the authors characterize the development of mouse SSCs from prospermatogonia using single-cell RNA-seq and transplantation assays.
- Nathan C. Law
- , Melissa J. Oatley
- & Jon M. Oatley
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Article
| Open AccessEndothelial cell clonal expansion in the development of cerebral cavernous malformations
Cerebral cavernous malformation is a vascular disease characterized by capillary-venous cavernomas in the central nervous system. Here the authors show that cavernomas display benign tumor characteristics and originate from the clonal expansion of mutated endothelial progenitors which can attract surrounding wild-type cells, inducing their mesenchymal transition and leading to growth of the cavernoma.
- Matteo Malinverno
- , Claudio Maderna
- & Elisabetta Dejana
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Article
| Open AccessSkeletal muscle PGC-1α1 reroutes kynurenine metabolism to increase energy efficiency and fatigue-resistance
PGC-1α is activated by exercise and promotes resistance to fatigue in muscles. Here, the authors show that PGC-1α activates the malate-aspartate shuttle, and allows muscle to utilise kynurenine, leading to more efficient glucose oxidation and mitochondrial respiration.
- Leandro Z. Agudelo
- , Duarte M. S. Ferreira
- & Jorge L. Ruas
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Article
| Open AccessSMPDL3b modulates insulin receptor signaling in diabetic kidney disease
Sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase acid-like 3b (SMPDL3b) is a lipid raft enzyme known to affect membrane lipid composition. Here, Mitrofanova et al. show that increased expression of SMPDL3b in diabetes impairs insulin signaling and ceramide-1-phosphate (C1P) availability in podocytes, and that C1P supplementation protects mice from diabetic kidney disease.
- A. Mitrofanova
- , S. K. Mallela
- & A. Fornoni
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Article
| Open AccessXX sex chromosome complement promotes atherosclerosis in mice
Men and women differ in their risk of developing coronary artery disease, in part due to differences in their levels of sex hormones. Here, AlSiraj et al. show that the XX sex genotype regulates lipid metabolism and promotes atherosclerosis independently of sex hormones in mice.
- Yasir AlSiraj
- , Xuqi Chen
- & Lisa A. Cassis
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Article
| Open AccessRegulation of forward and backward locomotion through intersegmental feedback circuits in Drosophila larvae
Locomotion involves the coordinated contraction of antagonistic muscles. Here, the authors report that in Drosophila larvae a pair of higher-order feedback neurons temporally regulates the intersegmental coordination of contraction of synergistic muscles enabling bidirectional movement.
- Hiroshi Kohsaka
- , Maarten F. Zwart
- & Akinao Nose
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Article
| Open AccessAdiponectin receptor PAQR-2 signaling senses low temperature to promote C. elegans longevity by regulating autophagy
Decreased temperatures lengthen C. elegans lifespan by mechanisms that are not fully understood. Here the authors show that autophagy activation contributes to lifespan extension at low temperatures and that this involves adiponectin receptor PAQR-2 signaling.
- Yuan-Li Chen
- , Jun Tao
- & Cheng-Gang Zou
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Article
| Open AccessDRP1-mediated mitochondrial shape controls calcium homeostasis and muscle mass
Muscle loss is associated with altered expression of proteins involved in mitochondrial homeostasis, but whether this is causative remains unclear. Here, the authors show that genetic ablation of the pro-fission protein DRP1 leads to accumulation of abnormal mitochondria that induce muscle atrophy by altering Ca2+ homeostasis and cellular stress responses.
- Giulia Favaro
- , Vanina Romanello
- & Marco Sandri
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Article
| Open AccessLobular architecture of human adipose tissue defines the niche and fate of progenitor cells
In human adipose tissue (AT), adipocytes are organized into units of lobules. Here the authors identify distinct fibrous septal and stromal compartments within AT lobules that differ in composition and potential between subcutaneous and visceral regions and are disturbed in obesity and metabolic syndrome.
- D. Estève
- , N. Boulet
- & J. Galitzky
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Article
| Open AccessNatural hypothalamic circuit dynamics underlying object memorization
Hypothalamus is implicated in memory disorders but the neural mechanisms are unknown. Here, the authors report that MCH expressing hypothalamic neurons respond to novel object exposure, are inhibited by local GAD65 expressing neurons and these local circuit interactions are causally involved in object memory formation.
- Christin Kosse
- & Denis Burdakov
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Article
| Open AccessDiabetes causes marked inhibition of mitochondrial metabolism in pancreatic β-cells
Pancreatic beta-cell glucose metabolism is coupled to insulin secretion. Here the authors set out to characterize changes in beta-cell metabolism in hyperglycemia which may contribute to insufficient insulin secretion in type 2 diabetes and, using a multi-omics approach, find that mitochondrial metabolism is perturbed.
- Elizabeth Haythorne
- , Maria Rohm
- & Frances M. Ashcroft
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Article
| Open AccessHeterochronic faecal transplantation boosts gut germinal centres in aged mice
Microbiota impacts all major aspects of physiology, but little is known about its effects on age-related changes in immune responses. Here the authors show that gut microbiota transfer between adult and old mice increases local but not systemic germinal centre responses regardless of age directionality.
- Marisa Stebegg
- , Alyssa Silva-Cayetano
- & Michelle A. Linterman
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Article
| Open AccessSenescent cells evade immune clearance via HLA-E-mediated NK and CD8+ T cell inhibition
Senescent cells increase with ageing and may cause inflammatory conditions, but how this accumulation is mediated is still unclear. Here the authors show that senescent cells express HLA-E to suppress NKG2A-mediated natural killer and CD8 T cell activation to avoid targeted elimination, while blocking NKG2A helps promote immunity against senescent cells.
- Branca I. Pereira
- , Oliver P. Devine
- & Arne N. Akbar
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Article
| Open AccessFibroadipogenic progenitors are responsible for muscle loss in limb girdle muscular dystrophy 2B
Fibroadipogenic precursor cells (FAPs) contribute to fibrosis and adipogenic replacement in muscular dystrophies. Here, the authors show that FAPs contribute to adipogenic loss in mouse models of limb girdle muscular dystrophy 2B via a mechanism dependent on expression of Annexin A2, and that this process can be prevented by its pharmacologic inhibition in mice.
- Marshall W. Hogarth
- , Aurelia Defour
- & Jyoti K. Jaiswal
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Article
| Open AccessSex-specific association between gut microbiome and fat distribution
The gut microbiome has been reported to be associated with obesity; here, the authors show that there are sex-specific differences in the relationship between gut microbes and abdominal obesity.
- Yan Min
- , Xiaoguang Ma
- & Shankuan Zhu
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Article
| Open AccessSensory perception of dead conspecifics induces aversive cues and modulates lifespan through serotonin in Drosophila
Different sensory experiences can affect longevity in Drosophila. Here the authors find that exposure of Drosophila directly to dead conspecifics affects longevity via a serotonergic mechanism, and that Drosophila exposed to dead conspecifics also become an aversive stimulus to naïve choosers.
- Tuhin S. Chakraborty
- , Christi M. Gendron
- & Scott D. Pletcher
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Article
| Open AccessDDX5 plays essential transcriptional and post-transcriptional roles in the maintenance and function of spermatogonia
Sustained sperm production is dependent on activity of undifferentiated spermatogonia. Here, the authors demonstrate an essential role for RNA helicase DDX5 in maintenance of spermatogonia in adults through control of gene transcription plus RNA processing and export.
- Julien M. D. Legrand
- , Ai-Leen Chan
- & Robin M. Hobbs
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Article
| Open AccessCoordinated representational reinstatement in the human hippocampus and lateral temporal cortex during episodic memory retrieval
Episodic memory retrieval is hypothesized to rely on hippocampal reinstatement of item-context associations which drives reinstatement of item information in cortex. Here, the authors confirm this sequence of events, using iEEG recordings from the human hippocampus and lateral temporal cortex.
- D. Pacheco Estefan
- , M. Sánchez-Fibla
- & P. F. M. J. Verschure
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Article
| Open AccessUbiquitylome study identifies increased histone 2A ubiquitylation as an evolutionarily conserved aging biomarker
Post-translational protein modifications can affect lifespan and aging but age-dependent ubiquitylation changes have not yet been systematically characterized. Here, the authors analyze age-related proteome and ubiquitylome dynamics in Drosophila and identify increasing H2A ubiquitylation as a conserved aging marker.
- Lu Yang
- , Zaijun Ma
- & Yaoyang Zhang
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Article
| Open AccessExcitatory rubral cells encode the acquisition of novel complex motor tasks
The red nucleus (RN) is a midbrain nucleus known to be involved in the fine control of limb movements, but its role in motor learning is unclear. Here, the authors identified a neuronal population within the red nucleus, co-expressing Vglut2, PV and C1Ql2, which undergoes training-dependent plasticity.
- Giorgio Rizzi
- , Mustafa Coban
- & Kelly R. Tan
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Article
| Open AccessAntidiabetic and cardiovascular beneficial effects of a liver-localized mitochondrial uncoupler
Mitochondrial uncoupling is a treatment strategy for metabolic diseases that reduces the efficiency of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and ATP generation. Here the authors characterize the pharmacokinetic and therapeutic properties of the liver-localized mitochondrial uncoupler OPC-163493, which leads to amelioration of diabetes and hypertension in several rodent disease models.
- Naohide Kanemoto
- , Takashi Okamoto
- & Seiji Sato
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Review Article
| Open AccessCompetition for nutrients and its role in controlling immune responses
Immune cells adapt distinct metabolic strategies to accommodate specific functions associated with cell types or differentiation stages. Here in this review the authors discuss the nutrients, sensors, and mediators of such a metabolic adaption in nutrient-limiting immune microenvironments such as tumors or infections.
- Nidhi Kedia-Mehta
- & David K. Finlay
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Article
| Open AccessSox17 is required for endothelial regeneration following inflammation-induced vascular injury
Endothelial cell regeneration is essential for blood vessels to recover from inflammation-induced injury. Here Liu et al. show that the transcription factor Sox17 is required for endothelial regeneration following endotoxemia, and that delivery of a transgene expressing Sox17 to lung endothelial cells enhances recovery after injury.
- Menglin Liu
- , Lianghui Zhang
- & Asrar B. Malik
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Article
| Open AccessA fat-tissue sensor couples growth to oxygen availability by remotely controlling insulin secretion
The mechanisms by which organisms adapt their growth according to the availability of oxygen are incompletely understood. Here the authors identify the Drosophila fat body as a tissue regulating growth in response to oxygen sensing via a mechanism involving Hph inhibition, HIF1-a activation and insulin secretion.
- Michael J. Texada
- , Anne F. Jørgensen
- & Kim F. Rewitz
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Article
| Open AccessThe cyclooxygenase-1/mPGES-1/endothelial prostaglandin EP4 receptor pathway constrains myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury
The use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs inhibiting COX-1/2 is associated with an increased risk of heart failure. Here the authors show that mPGES-1, a therapeutic target downstream of COX enzymes, protects from cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury, limiting leukocyte-endothelial interactions and preserving microvascular perfusion partly via the endothelial EP4 receptor.
- Liyuan Zhu
- , Chuansheng Xu
- & Miao Wang
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Article
| Open AccessGut microbiome-derived phenyl sulfate contributes to albuminuria in diabetic kidney disease
Diabetes is a major cause of kidney disease. Here Kikuchi et al. show that phenol sulfate, a gut microbiota-derived metabolite, is increased in diabetic kidney disease and contributes to the pathology by promoting kidney injury, suggesting phenyl sulfate could be used a marker and therapeutic target for the treatment of diabetic kidney disease.
- Koichi Kikuchi
- , Daisuke Saigusa
- & Takaaki Abe
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Article
| Open AccessNeural substrates, dynamics and thresholds of galvanic vestibular stimulation in the behaving primate
Galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) uses transmastoid electrical currents to activate the vestibular system in humans without head movement. Here, the authors apply GVS to monkeys and record the activity of vestibular afferents to both GVS and motion to reveal the neural substrate underlying GVS evoked perceptual, ocular and postural responses.
- Annie Kwan
- , Patrick A. Forbes
- & Kathleen E. Cullen
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Article
| Open AccessZFP30 promotes adipogenesis through the KAP1-mediated activation of a retrotransposon-derived Pparg2 enhancer
Although Krüppel-associated box zinc finger proteins (KZFPs) were found to mostly repress transposable elements, recent studies found that KFZPs also play other roles in cells. Here, the authors provide evidence that the KZFP ZFP30 promotes adipogenesis by targeting and activating a retrotransposon-derived Pparg2 enhancer in cooperation with co-regulator KRAB-associated protein 1 (KAP1).
- Wanze Chen
- , Petra C. Schwalie
- & Bart Deplancke
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Article
| Open AccessA conserved CCM complex promotes apoptosis non-autonomously by regulating zinc homeostasis
Cerebral Cavernous Malformations (CCM) are often caused by mutations in CCM1/KRIT1. Here, Chapman et al. elegantly show that the CCM complex promotes apoptosis by regulating zinc homeostasis and storage via a conserved mechanism that likely generates the pathological defects observed in CCM.
- Eric M. Chapman
- , Benjamin Lant
- & W. Brent Derry
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Article
| Open AccessTherapeutic role of miR-19a/19b in cardiac regeneration and protection from myocardial infarction
The miR-17-92 cluster has been shown to regulate cardiomyocyte proliferation in vitro and in genetic mutation and overexpression models. Here the authors show that the cluster member miR-19a/19b regulates cardiomyocyte proliferation in vivo, and that delivery of miR-19a/19b to the heart leads to both short-term and long-term protective responses to myocardial infarction.
- Feng Gao
- , Masaharu Kataoka
- & Da-Zhi Wang
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Article
| Open AccessHepatic arginase 2 (Arg2) is sufficient to convey the therapeutic metabolic effects of fasting
Fasting is known for its beneficial effects on obesity and diabetes-related health complications. Here Zhang et al. show that fasting induces expression of arginase-2 (Arg2) in the liver, and that hepatic Arg2, by suppressing the expression of the regulator of G-protein signalling 16, recapitulates the positive effects of fasting in obesity and diabetes.
- Yiming Zhang
- , Cassandra B. Higgins
- & Brian J. DeBosch
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Article
| Open AccessTMCO1-mediated Ca2+ leak underlies osteoblast functions via CaMKII signaling
TMCO1 is a recently described endoplasmic reticular Ca2+ channel. Here, the authors show it is important for osteoblast function and bone formation in mice, and identify a novel pathway linking local increases in Ca2+ at the ER surface with the posttranslational modification of RUNX2.
- Jianwei Li
- , Caizhi Liu
- & Yingxian Li
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Article
| Open AccessThe class 3 PI3K coordinates autophagy and mitochondrial lipid catabolism by controlling nuclear receptor PPARα
Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor alpha (PPARα) drives fatty acid catabolism. Here, the authors show that in liver of autophagy deficient class 3 phosphoinositide 3-kinase mutant mice PPARα transcriptional repressors fail to degrade in lysosomes and accumulate leading to PPARα inhibition and blunted transcriptional responses during fasting.
- Anton Iershov
- , Ivan Nemazanyy
- & Ganna Panasyuk
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Article
| Open AccessN-terminal syndecan-2 domain selectively enhances 6-O heparan sulfate chains sulfation and promotes VEGFA165-dependent neovascularization
Proteoglycans are glycosylated proteins that play a number of structural and signalling functions. Here, Corti, Wang et al. show that the N-terminal sequence of proteoglycan Syndecan-2 selectively increases 6-O sulfation of its heparan sulfate chains, and that this promotes formation of a ternary Sdc2/VEGFA/VEGFR2 complex leading to increased angiogenesis.
- Federico Corti
- , Yingdi Wang
- & Michael Simons
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Article
| Open AccessEnhanced β-adrenergic signalling underlies an age-dependent beneficial metabolic effect of PI3K p110α inactivation in adipose tissue
Insulin/IGF-1 signalling plays an important role in the regulation of metabolism and ageing. Here the authors show that inactivation of the pathway component PI3K p110α in the adipose tissue of mice produces a beneficial metabolic effect by enhancing β-adrenergic signalling thus energy expenditure.
- Caroline Araiz
- , Anqi Yan
- & Lazaros C. Foukas
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Article
| Open AccessSterol regulatory element binding protein 1 couples mechanical cues and lipid metabolism
SREBP transcription factors activate lipid synthesis and generate raw materials to lipidate various proteins. Here, the authors show that a stiff cellular environment causes RhoA lipidation and acto-myosin contraction, which inhibits SREBP1 and connects the extracellular matrix to lipid metabolism.
- Rebecca Bertolio
- , Francesco Napoletano
- & Giannino Del Sal
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Article
| Open AccessBreeders that receive help age more slowly in a cooperatively breeding bird
Sociality explains substantial variation in ageing across species, but less is known about this relationship within species. Here, the authors show that female dominant Seychelles warblers with helpers at the nest have higher late-life survival and lower telomere attrition and the probability of having helpers increases with age.
- Martijn Hammers
- , Sjouke A. Kingma
- & David S. Richardson
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Article
| Open AccessNeutrophil activation and NETosis are the major drivers of thrombosis in heparin-induced thrombocytopenia
The pathogenesis of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (HIT) is mediated by heparin-reactive autoantibodies binding to platelets (thrombocytes). Here the authors show neutrophil activation and NETosis are elevated in patients with HIT, and are essential for thrombosis in HIT mouse models.
- José Perdomo
- , Halina H. L. Leung
- & Beng H. Chong
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Article
| Open AccessOptogenetic stimulation of Gs-signaling in the heart with high spatio-temporal precision
Studying adrenergic signalling in the heart requires perfusion with receptor agonists, which lacks cell specificity and spatiotemporal control. Here the authors use the light sensitive G-coupled receptor JellyOp to optogenetically control Gs-signaling in cardiomyocytes and intact hearts with high spatiotemporal precision.
- Philipp Makowka
- , Tobias Bruegmann
- & Philipp Sasse
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Article
| Open AccessContractile forces in platelet aggregates under microfluidic shear gradients reflect platelet inhibition and bleeding risk
Platelet aggregates generate contractile forces that contribute to their cohesion and adhesion. Here, Ting et al. develop a microfluidic device to measure contractile forces generated by platelet aggregates, and find it can detect the response of platelets to pharmacological agents and predict bleeding risk in trauma patients.
- Lucas H. Ting
- , Shirin Feghhi
- & Nathan J. Sniadecki
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Article
| Open AccessGenome-wide association study identifies genetic loci for self-reported habitual sleep duration supported by accelerometer-derived estimates
Sleep is essential for homeostasis and insufficient or excessive sleep are associated with adverse outcomes. Here, the authors perform GWAS for self-reported habitual sleep duration in adults, supported by accelerometer-derived measures, and identify genetic correlation with psychiatric and metabolic traits
- Hassan S. Dashti
- , Samuel E. Jones
- & Richa Saxena
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Article
| Open AccessAssessing the causal association of glycine with risk of cardio-metabolic diseases
Epidemiological studies have associated circulating levels of the amino acid glycine with cardiometabolic outcomes. Here, in a genome-wide meta-analysis of 80,003 individuals, Wittemans et al. identify 22 novel genetic loci for glycine and find a causal relationship with coronary heart disease using MR.
- Laura B. L. Wittemans
- , Luca A. Lotta
- & Claudia Langenberg
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Article
| Open AccessDeep brain activities can be detected with magnetoencephalography
Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a non-invasive method of measuring neural activity but the hippocampus and amygdala are difficult to measure with MEG because of their deep localization. Here, the authors show with simultaneous MEG and invasive recordings that hippocampus and amygdala activity can be retrieved from the surface.
- Francesca Pizzo
- , N. Roehri
- & C. G. Bénar
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Article
| Open AccessAn atlas of the aging lung mapped by single cell transcriptomics and deep tissue proteomics
Aging impacts lung functionality and makes it more susceptible to chronic diseases. Combining proteomics and single cell transcriptomics, the authors chart molecular and cellular changes in the aging mouse lung, discover aging hallmarks, and predict the cellular sources of regulated proteins.
- Ilias Angelidis
- , Lukas M. Simon
- & Herbert B. Schiller
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Article
| Open AccessIntradermal delivery of modified mRNA encoding VEGF-A in patients with type 2 diabetes
Chemically modified mRNA is a new approach for therapeutic protein expression that could be applied to angiogenesis. Here the authors show in a phase 1 clinical trial that a modified mRNA encoding VEGF-A is well tolerated in patients with type 2 diabetes.
- Li-Ming Gan
- , Maria Lagerström-Fermér
- & Regina Fritsche-Danielson
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Article
| Open AccessThe flavonoid 4,4′-dimethoxychalcone promotes autophagy-dependent longevity across species
Although ageing is the most important risk factor for chronic ailments, effective interventions remain rare. Here, the authors identify the flavonoid 4,4’-dimethoxychalcone and demonstrate that it extends lifespan and promotes health in multiple organisms by inducing autophagy.
- Didac Carmona-Gutierrez
- , Andreas Zimmermann
- & Frank Madeo
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Article
| Open AccessLack of androgen receptor SUMOylation results in male infertility due to epididymal dysfunction
SUMOylation is known to regulate androgen receptor (AR) activity in cultured cells. Here, using SUMOylation-deficient AR knock-in mice, the authors demonstrate that SUMOylation is required for AR-related gene expression specifically in the epididymal tissues, but not the testis.
- Fu-Ping Zhang
- , Marjo Malinen
- & Jorma J. Palvimo
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Article
| Open AccessInhibition of upper small intestinal mTOR lowers plasma glucose levels by inhibiting glucose production
The mechanistic target of rapamycin (TOR) functions as an energy sensor and contributes to the control of glucose homeostasis. Here, the authors show that mTOR in the upper small intestine regulates hepatic glucose production and is required for the glucose lowering effect of metformin.
- T. M. Zaved Waise
- , Mozhgan Rasti
- & Tony K. T. Lam