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Catalytic asymmetric fragmentation of cyclopropanes
Science, Volume 386, Issue 6718, Page 225-230, October 2024.
Polar and quasicrystal vortex observed in twisted-bilayer molybdenum disulfide
Science, Volume 386, Issue 6718, Page 198-205, October 2024.
Evidence of a European seed dispersal crisis
Science, Volume 386, Issue 6718, Page 206-211, October 2024.
Direct optical measurement of intramolecular distances with angstrom precision
Science, Volume 386, Issue 6718, Page 180-187, October 2024.
Denizens of the dark
Science, Volume 386, Issue 6718, Page 154-154, October 2024.
The life of “ideas worth spreading”
Science, Volume 386, Issue 6718, Page 155-155, October 2024.
Twenty years after its discovery, graphene is finally living up to the hype
Atom-thin sheets of carbon are finding applications not just in consumer electronics, but cars, concrete, and brain implants
News at a glance: Plutonium restart, health data trove, and dusting ivory for fingerprints
The latest in science and policy
‘Alarming’ decline of seed-dispersing animals threatens Europe’s plants
First broad look at conservation status of animals that transport seeds raises alarms
Indian government accused of political meddling in science prizes
Researchers suspect they were passed over for major awards after criticizing government policies
Polo-like kinase 2 promotes microglial activation via regulation of the HSP90α/IKKβ pathway
Polo-like kinase 2 (PLK2) is a serine/threonine protein kinase associated with the regulation of synaptic plasticity and centriole duplication. We identify PLK2 as a crucial early-response gene in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated microglial cells. Knockdown or inhibition of PLK2 remarkably attenuates LPS-induced expression of proinflammatory factors in microglial cells by suppressing the inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B kinase subunit beta (IKKβ)-nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling pathway....
Self-limiting multimerization of alpha-synuclein on membrane and its implication in Parkinson's diseases
α-Synuclein (α-syn), a crucial molecule in Parkinson's disease (PD), is known for its interaction with lipid membranes, which facilitates vesicle trafficking and modulates its pathological aggregation. Deciphering the complexity of the membrane-binding behavior of α-syn is crucial to understand its functions and the pathology of PD. Here, we used single-molecule imaging to show that α-syn forms multimers on lipid membranes with huge intermultimer distances. The multimers are characterized by...
β-synuclein regulates the phase transitions and amyloid conversion of α-synuclein
Parkinson's disease (PD) and Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) are neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the accumulation of α-synuclein aggregates. α-synuclein forms droplets via liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), followed by liquid-solid phase separation (LSPS) to form amyloids, how this process is physiologically-regulated remains unclear. β-synuclein colocalizes with α-synuclein in presynaptic terminals. Here, we report that β-synuclein partitions into α-synuclein condensates...
Targeting serum response factor (SRF) deactivates deltaFosB and mitigates Levodopa-induced dyskinesia in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease
L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) is currently the preferred treatment for Parkinson's Disease (PD) and is considered the gold standard. However, prolonged use of L-DOPA in patients can result in involuntary movements known as Levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID), which includes uncontrollable dystonia affecting the trunk, limbs, and face. The role of ΔFosB protein, a truncated splice variant of the FosB gene, in LID has been acknowledged, but its underlying mechanism has remained elusive....
One-step nanoscale expansion microscopy reveals individual protein shapes
The attainable resolution of fluorescence microscopy has reached the subnanometer range, but this technique still fails to image the morphology of single proteins or small molecular complexes. Here, we expand the specimens at least tenfold, label them with conventional fluorophores and image them with conventional light microscopes, acquiring videos in which we analyze fluorescence fluctuations. One-step nanoscale expansion (ONE) microscopy enables the visualization of the shapes of individual...
LINE1 modulate human T cell function by regulating protein synthesis during the life span
The molecular mechanisms responsible for the heightened reactivity of quiescent T cells in human early life remain largely elusive. Our previous research identified that quiescent adult naïve CD4^(+) T cells express LINE1 (long interspersed nuclear elements 1) spliced in previously unknown isoforms, and their down-regulation marks the transition to activation. Here, we unveil that neonatal naïve T cell quiescence is characterized by enhanced energy production and protein synthesis. This...
Transgenic sensors reveal compartment-specific effects of aggregation-prone proteins on subcellular proteostasis during aging
Loss of proteostasis is a hallmark of aging that underlies many age-related diseases. Different cell compartments experience distinctive challenges in maintaining protein quality control, but how aging regulates subcellular proteostasis remains underexplored. Here, by targeting the misfolding-prone Fluc^(DM) luciferase to the cytoplasm, mitochondria, and nucleus, we established transgenic sensors to examine subcellular proteostasis in Drosophila. Analysis of detergent-insoluble and -soluble...
Cellular senescence by loss of Men1 in osteoblasts is critical for age-related osteoporosis
Recent evidence suggests an association between age-related osteoporosis and cellular senescence in the bone; however, the specific bone cells that play a critical role in age-related osteoporosis and the mechanism remain unknown. Results revealed that age-related osteoporosis is characterized by the loss of osteoblast Men1. Osteoblast-specific inducible knockout of Men1 caused structural changes in the mice bones, matching the phenotypes in patients with age-related osteoporosis....
Lens capsule advanced glycation end products induce senescence in epithelial cells: Implications for secondary cataracts
Posterior capsule opacification (PCO) is a common complication after cataract surgery. Residual lens epithelial cells (LECs) on the anterior lens capsule, after cataract surgery, migrate to the posterior lens capsule and undergo transdifferentiation into myofibroblast-like cells. Those cells synthesize excessive amounts of extracellular matrix and contribute to fibrosis during PCO. Cellular senescence, a phenomenon that increases with aging, has been implicated in several fibrotic diseases....
β-synuclein regulates the phase transitions and amyloid conversion of α-synuclein
Parkinson's disease (PD) and Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) are neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the accumulation of α-synuclein aggregates. α-synuclein forms droplets via liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), followed by liquid-solid phase separation (LSPS) to form amyloids, how this process is physiologically-regulated remains unclear. β-synuclein colocalizes with α-synuclein in presynaptic terminals. Here, we report that β-synuclein partitions into α-synuclein condensates...