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DEAD-box RNA helicase DDX-23 mediates dietary restriction induced health span in Caenorhabditis elegans

1 month ago
Dietary restriction (DR) extends lifespan in diverse species, from yeast to mammals. However, its underlying mechanisms are not well understood. In this study, through using the tractable model Caenorhabditis elegans, we show a role for the DEAD-box RNA helicase, DDX-23 (homologous to mammal DDX23) as a regulator of healthspan in response to dietary restriction. Meanwhile, DDX-23 is also required for heat and oxidative stress response in C. elegans. Intriguingly, DDX-23 functions in the germline...
Yi Xiao

Functional anatomy of the subthalamic nucleus and the pathophysiology of cardinal features of Parkinson's disease unraveled by focused ultrasound ablation

1 month ago
The subthalamic nucleus (STN) modulates basal ganglia output and plays a fundamental role in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease (PD). Blockade/ablation of the STN improves motor signs in PD. We assessed the topography of focused ultrasound subthalamotomy (n = 39) by voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping to identify statistically validated brain voxels with the optimal effect against each cardinal feature and their respective cortical connectivity patterns by diffusion-weighted tractography....
Rafael Rodriguez-Rojas

CalDAG-GEFI acts as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for LRRK2 to regulate LRRK2 function and neurodegeneration

1 month ago
Mutations in LRRK2 are the most common genetic cause of Parkinson's disease (PD). LRRK2 protein contains two enzymatic domains: a GTPase (Roc-COR) and a kinase domain. Disease-causing mutations are found in both domains. Now, studies have focused largely on LRRK2 kinase activity, while attention to its GTPase function is limited. LRRK2 is a guanine nucleotide-binding protein, but the mechanism of direct regulation of its GTPase activity remains unclear and its physiological GEF is not known....
Qinfang Liu

Hemochromatosis neural archetype reveals iron disruption in motor circuits

1 month ago
Our understanding of brain iron regulation and its disruption in disease is limited. Excess iron affects motor circuitry, contributing to Parkinson's disease (PD) risk. The molecular mechanisms regulating central iron levels, beyond a few well-known genes controlling peripheral iron, remain unclear. We generated scores based on the archetypal brain iron accumulation observed in magnetic resonance imaging scans of individuals with excessive dietary iron absorption and hemochromatosis risk....
Robert Loughnan