Aggregator

New satellite method does not align with past estimates from aerial surveys, but some biologists are skeptical

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) regulates hippocampal-dependent functions and is targeted by physiological aging and neurodegenerative conditions. Patients with neuropsychiatric disorders show hippocampal abnormalities that might be related to changes in AHN. Here, we sought to determine whether major depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder threaten the integrity of human AHN and the homeostasis of the dentate gyrus (DG) neurogenic niche-a specialized microenvironment in which new...

Older adults often experience deterioration in oral health and oral-related abilities, with tooth loss, impaired masticatory performance, alterations to salivary flow and composition all being common. Additionally, other ageing-related physiological changes happen, including delayed gastric emptying and higher postprandial glycemic responses. The interaction between oral-related factors and metabolic responses has been researched in younger adults, but not in older age groups. This study aimed...

The microbiota has a fundamental role in regulating homeostasis and inflammation across the barrier surfaces of the body. The gut is a unique bioreactor where the high concentration of microorganisms, microbial and dietary metabolites, microbial-derived molecular structures, immune cells, stroma and neurons form a complex, highly interactive and precisely regulated system. The mucosal immune system in the gut has profound local and systemic effects, influencing both health and disease. A...

Naked mole-rats (NMR, Heterocephalus glaber) defy Gompertzian rules of mortality and age-dependent senescence to lead healthy lives well into their fourth decade. The NMR immune system likely contributes to this phenotype by protecting against infections, regulating tissue repair, and eradicating neoplastic cells. In keeping with their many other paedomorphic traits, adult NMRs retain functional thymic tissue in the submandibular triangle. Despite this additional thymic tissue, perinatal NMR...

VPS13 is the founding member of a family of proteins that mediate lipid transfer at intracellular membrane contact sites by a bridge-like mechanism. Mammalian genomes comprise 4 VPS13 genes encoding proteins with distinct localizations and function. The gene duplication resulting in VPS13A and VPS13C is the most recent in evolution and, accordingly, these two proteins are the most similar to each other. However, they have distinct subcellular localizations and their loss of function mutations in...

Neurodegenerative diseases present one of the most significant global health challenges. These disorders are defined by the accumulation of abnormal protein aggregates that impair synaptic function and cause progressive neuronal degeneration. Therefore, stimulating protein clearance mechanisms may be neuro-protective. Variants in FBXO7/PARK15 cause Parkinsonian Pyramidal Syndrome, an early-onset parkinsonian neurodegenerative disorder in humans, and inactivation of this gene in mice...