Aggregator
Daily briefing: Explore 2024 with Leif Penguinson
Is political interference causing faculty brain drain in the southern United States?
Can novelty scores on papers shift the power dynamics in scientific publishing?
Stem cells head to the clinic: treatments for cancer, diabetes and Parkinson’s disease could soon be here
That Christmas jumper is a marvel of complicated physics
Behind the scenes of <i>Nature</i> News & Views in 2024
I create routes through trees to help stop howler monkeys being electrocuted by power lines
A cellulose synthase–like protein governs the biosynthesis of Solanum alkaloids
Science, Volume 386, Issue 6728, December 2024.
Boosting neuronal activity-driven mitochondrial DNA transcription improves cognition in aged mice
Science, Volume 386, Issue 6728, December 2024.
Quantifying the global biodiversity of Proterozoic eukaryotes
Science, Volume 386, Issue 6728, December 2024.
Cellular RNA interacts with MAVS to promote antiviral signaling
Science, Volume 386, Issue 6728, December 2024.
U.S. science funding agencies roll out policies on free access to journal articles
NIH and DOE are first to act, with implementation by all set to begin by end of 2025
Some whales may live nearly twice as long as believed—if we let them
Study extends lifespan estimate for one whale species and suggests researchers have been underestimating others as well
U.S. scientists brace for looming government shutdown
House Republicans walk away from spending deal after Trump objects to its scope
AI writing is improving, but it still can’t match human creativity
Computer program finds that ChatGPT and its ilk remix words well, yet their output remains derivative
Biomarkers of Synaptic Degeneration in Alzheimer's Disease
Synapse has been considered a critical neuronal structure in the procession of Alzheimer's disease (AD), attacked by two pathological molecule aggregates (amyloid-β and phosphorylated tau) in the brain, disturbing synaptic homeostasis before disease manifestation and subsequently causing synaptic degeneration. Recently, evidence has emerged indicating that soluble oligomeric amyloid-β (AβO) and tau exert direct toxicity on synapses, causing synaptic damage. Synaptic degeneration is closely...
Plasma volume variations in response to high intensity interval training in obese women: The influential role of menopausal status and age
CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that HIIT is effective in enhancing plasma volume among obese menopausal women, attenuating the age-related decline in PV.
Boosting neuronal activity-driven mitochondrial DNA transcription improves cognition in aged mice
Deciphering the complex interplay between neuronal activity and mitochondrial function is pivotal in understanding brain aging, a multifaceted process marked by declines in synaptic function and mitochondrial performance. Here, we identified an age-dependent coupling between neuronal and synaptic excitation and mitochondrial DNA transcription (E-TC(mito)), which operates differently compared to classic excitation-transcription coupling in the nucleus (E-TC(nuc)). We demonstrated that E-TC(mito)...
A molecular glue for Prkn/parkin
Parkinson disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, primarily due to mitochondria dysfunction. PRKN (parkin RBR E3 ubiquitin protein ligase) and PINK1 (PTEN induced kinase 1) are linked to early-onset cases of PD and essential for the clearance of damaged mitochondria via selective mitochondrial autophagy (mitophagy). In a recent publication, we detail how a small molecule can activate PRKN mutants that are unable to be...
Intramolecular feedback regulation of the LRRK2 Roc G domain by a LRRK2 kinase-dependent mechanism
The Parkinson's disease (PD)-linked protein Leucine-Rich Repeat Kinase 2 (LRRK2) consists of seven domains, including a kinase and a Roc G domain. Despite the availability of several high-resolution structures, the dynamic regulation of its unique intramolecular domain stack is nevertheless still not well understood. By in-depth biochemical analysis, assessing the Michaelis-Menten kinetics of the Roc G domain, we have confirmed that LRRK2 has, similar to other Roco protein family members, a K(M)...