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Topic Review
Artificial Light at Night and Associated Neuronal Changes
Artificial light at night (ALAN) has changed the pattern of the natural day-night environment. In recent times, a good amount of focus has been put on the research related with changes in night illumination due to rapid urbanization. It has shown to affect circadian rhythms that regulate almost all physiological processes in animals including sleep and cognition. In the early 2010s, most behavioural and molecular studies of light at night were focused on nocturnal rodents. However, until recently, songbirds have taken the front seat, as most are diurnal and show higher cognitive behaviour like mammalian model systems. Artificial light at night (ALAN) affects circadian rhythms and physiology in songbirds. Most of the studies, both in wild and captive birds, have shown negative consequences of ALAN on daily timing, sleep, physiology and higher brain functions.
  • 655
  • 24 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Resveratrol’s Bioavailability
Resveratrol is a naturally occurring polyphenol that has been shown to elicit a variety of beneficial effects in vitro.
  • 654
  • 09 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Phagocytosis in Human and C.elegans
Endocytosis provides the cellular nutrition and homeostasis of organisms, but pathogens often take advantage of this entry point to infect host cells. This is counteracted by phagocytosis that plays a key role in the protection against invading microbes both during the initial engulfment of pathogens and in the clearance of infected cells. Phagocytic cells balance two vital functions: preventing the accumulation of cell corpses to avoid pathological inflammation and autoimmunity, whilst maintaining host defence. In this review, we compare elements of phagocytosis in mammals and the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Initial recognition of infection requires different mechanisms. In mammals, pattern recognition receptors bind pathogens directly, whereas activation of the innate immune response in the nematode rather relies on the detection of cellular damage. In contrast, molecules involved in efferocytosis—the engulfment and elimination of dying cells and cell debris—are highly conserved between the two species. Therefore, C. elegans is a powerful model to research mechanisms of the phagocytic machinery. Finally, we show that both mammalian and worm studies help to understand how the two phagocytic functions are interconnected: emerging data suggest the activation of innate immunity as a consequence of defective apoptotic cell clearance. 
  • 654
  • 18 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Adrenomedullin/PAMP’s Roles in the Digestive System
Adrenomedullin (AM) and proadrenomedullin N-terminal 20 peptide (PAMP) are two bioactive peptides derived from the same precursor with several biological functions including vasodilation, angiogenesis, or anti-inflammation, among others. AM and PAMP are widely expressed throughout the gastrointestinal (GI) tract where they behave as GI hormones, regulating numerous physiological processes such as gastric emptying, gastric acid release, insulin secretion, bowel movements, or intestinal barrier function. 
  • 652
  • 15 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Metabolic Syndrome (MetS)
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of several disorders, such as hypertension, central obesity, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
  • 652
  • 06 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Alternative Splicing Landscape in Rice
Alternative splicing (AS) is a vital post-transcriptional modulator of gene expression that amplifies the proteome diversity and regulates many physiological processes essential for mounting responses to stresses in plants.
  • 651
  • 24 May 2021
Topic Review
Melatonin Function under Normal and Stressful Conditions
Plants are exposed to a variety of environmental stresses (biotic and abiotic) during the course of development. Stressful conditions alter the basic metabolism of the affected plants. Plants must cope with environmental constraints to effectively complete their life cycle. Plant produce and regulate various biomolecules to adapt to adverse environmental conditions. Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is a ubiquitous molecule that is present in plants, animals, and microorganisms. It has been revealed as an indolic chemical compound with structural similarities with other vital compounds such as tryptophan, serotonin, and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). In plants, melatonin is a putative hormone involved in the regulation of plant growth and productivity, even under biotic and abiotic stress conditions.
  • 651
  • 27 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Allelopathy of Knotweeds as Invasive Plants
Perennial herbaceous Fallopia is native to East Asia, and was introduced to Europe and North America in the 19th century as an ornamental plant. Fallopia has been spreading quickly and has naturalized in many countries. It is listed in the world’s 100 worst alien species. Fallopia often forms dense monospecies stands through the interruption of the regeneration process of indigenous plant species. Allelopathy of Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica), giant knotweed (Fallopia sachalinensis), and Bohemian knotweed (Fallopia x bohemica) has been reported to play an essential role in its invasion. The exudate from their roots and/or rhizomes, and their plant residues inhibited the germination and growth of some other plant species. These knotweeds, which are non-mycorrhizal plants, also suppressed the abundance and species richness of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in the rhizosphere soil. Such suppression was critical for most territorial plants to form the mutualism with AMF, which enhances the nutrient and water uptake, and the tolerance against pathogens and stress conditions.
  • 651
  • 31 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Polyploidy Events in Grasses
Polyploidy events have long been recognized as the primary driving force behind the survival of the vast majority of plant lineages, playing critical roles in crop evolution, speciation, and domestication. The fascinating modern genomics era has revealed that the genomes of all flowering plants have been polyploidized multiple times. To help safeguard the future of the global food supply in the face of climate change, a thorough understanding of polyploid genomes is critical, especially for the improvement of members of the grass family, Poaceae, which includes the world’s big three cereals—rice, wheat, and maize—as well as some potential underutilized ancient grasses (such as teff) that are less well known or studied. 
  • 650
  • 23 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Black Slug
The black slug (also known as black arion, European black slug, or large black slug) Arion ater L. is a large terrestrial gastropod mollusk in the family Arionidae—the round back slugs. Land slugs lack shells like other terrestrial mollusks (such as snails). Without such shells, slugs produce unappetizing mucus—that may also contain toxins—to deter predators. Terrestrial slugs produce two other forms of mucus that facilitate locomotion and prevent death from drying. Such mollusks are hermaphroditic. Slugs most often function as decomposers but are also often omnivores. Arion ater is one such slug, decomposing organic matter, preying on other organisms, and consuming vegetative matter—including agricultural crops. Native to Europe, the black slug is an invasive species in Australia, Canada (British Columbia, Newfoundland, Quebec), and the United States—Pacific Northwest.
  • 649
  • 14 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Microorganisms as a Source of Antioxidant Compounds
Microorganisms are a diverse group of microscopic organisms including archaea, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, algae, and viruses. Microbial diversity produces a massive pool of unique chemicals, which have become a valuable source for innovative biotechnology. Microorganisms can be used as a source of antioxidants with the advantage of fast growth under controlled conditions. 
  • 649
  • 02 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Melissa officinalis subsp. officinalis
The investigation aimed to study the in vitro and in silico antioxidant properties of Melissa officinalis subsp. officinalis essential oil (MOEO). The chemical composition of MOEO was determined using GC–MS analysis. Among 36 compounds identified in MOEO, the main were beta-cubebene (27.66%), beta-caryophyllene (27.41%), alpha-cadinene (4.72%), caryophyllene oxide (4.09%), and alpha-cadinol (4.07%), respectively. In vitro antioxidant properties of MOEO have been studied in 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free-radical scavenging, and inhibition of β-carotene bleaching assays. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) for the radical scavenging abilities of ABTS and DPPH were 1.225 ± 0.011 μg/mL and 14.015 ± 0.027 μg/mL, respectively, demonstrating good antioxidant activity. Moreover, MOEO exhibited a strong inhibitory effect (94.031 ± 0.082%) in the β-carotene bleaching assay by neutralizing hydroperoxides, responsible for the oxidation of highly unsaturated β-carotene. Furthermore, molecular docking showed that the MOEO components could exert an in vitro antioxidant activity through xanthine oxidoreductase inhibition. The most active structures are minor MOEO components (approximately 6%), among which the highest affinity for the target protein belongs to carvacrol.
  • 646
  • 12 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Roles of miRNAs in Neurodegenerative Diseases
There are many types of neurodegenerative diseases, and the most common ones are Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Huntington’s disease (HD). AD is a neuron-centered disease generally characterized by Aβ and tau phosphorylation. PD is generally characterized by progressive deterioration of motor function due to loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons with muscle rigidity, bradykinesia and resting tremor. ALS is a fatal onset disease characterized by selective loss of upper and lower motor neurons. HD is a predominantly genetic disease, for which there is no drug cure and it is ultimately fatal. Although their underlying mechanisms remain elusive, many studies have revealed that a series of miRNAs are involved in the development of these diseases. MiRNA regulation happens prior to neurological damage, which emphasizes the significance of miRNA alterations in the disease development. Upregulation/downregulation of miRNA expression leads to the alteration of the protein expressed by the corresponding pathogenic gene, which ultimately results in occurrence and development of neurodegenerative diseases.
  • 646
  • 13 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Anhydrobiosis
Anhydrobiosis is induced by loss of water and indicates dehydration tolerance. Survival of dehydration is possible through changes at different levels of organism organization, including a remarkable reduction in metabolic activity at the cellular level. Thus, anhydrobiosis may be regarded as an anti-aging strategy.
  • 646
  • 23 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Role of Raf Family in Biology
The Raf kinase family consists of three isoforms, C-Raf/Raf-1, B-Raf and A-Raf. They are located directly downstream of Ras and upstream of MEK1/2. Since the discovery of v-Ras, v-Raf and ERK and the connection of this regulatory hub with oncogenesis, tremendous efforts have been invested in the elucidation of the mechanisms underlying the activation of Raf kinases. The Raf/MEK/ERK pathway is the first and clearly defined mitogenic pathway whose signal is invoked by extracellular mitogenic ligands and serves as a framework for other MAPK pathways. Among three isoforms of the Raf family, B-Raf is the only one that has so far been found mutated in many types of cancers. As all of the Raf family members directly act downstream of Ras, C-Raf and A-Raf are also important factors contributing to oncogenesis, either mediating the effects of mutated Ras or participating in oncogenic B-Raf-mediated pathogenesis. Thus, the development of Raf inhibitors has been a focus in cancer therapy.
  • 643
  • 19 May 2022
Topic Review
Role of Oxidative Stress in Age-Related Neurological Diseases
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been described to induce a broad range of redox-dependent signaling reactions in physiological conditions. Nevertheless, an excessive accumulation of ROS leads to oxidative stress, which was traditionally considered as detrimental for cells and organisms, due to the oxidative damage they cause to biomolecules. During ageing, elevated ROS levels result in the accumulation of damaged proteins, which may exhibit altered enzymatic function or physical properties (e.g., aggregation propensity). Emerging evidence also highlights the relationship between oxidative stress and age-related pathologies, such as protein misfolding-based neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Parkinson’s (PD), Alzheimer’s (AD) and Huntington’s (HD) diseases). 
  • 642
  • 16 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Pre-Eclampsia in SARS-CoV-2 pregnant woman
Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy (>140/90 mmHg), occurring after 20th week of gestation associated to proteinuria and/or other complications. PE is a multifactorial disease whose pathogenes. COVID-19 has the same pathological characteristics. Whereas PE and COVID-19 have overlapping clinical features, a role for SARS-CoV-2 as a leading cause of pre-eclampsia in COVID-19 positive pregnant women has not been clarified yet but there is the possibility to existence of such a link.
  • 641
  • 07 Jun 2021
Topic Review
The Patient-Derived Cancer Organoids
The cancer burden is rapidly increasing in most countries, and thus, new anticancer drugs for effective cancer therapy must be developed. Cancer model systems that recapitulate the biological processes of human cancers are one of the cores of the drug development process. PDCO has emerged as a unique model that preserves the genetic, physiological, and histologic characteristics of original cancer, including inter- and intratumoral heterogeneities. 
  • 641
  • 27 Jun 2022
Topic Review
PCSK6 in Cardiovascular Biology and Disease
Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 6 (PCSK6) is a secreted serine protease expressed in most major organs, where it cleaves a wide range of growth factors, signaling molecules, peptide hormones, proteolytic enzymes, and adhesion proteins. In the cardiovascular system, PCSK6 acts as a key modulator in heart formation, lipoprotein metabolism, body fluid homeostasis, cardiac repair, and vascular remodeling. To date, dysregulated PCSK6 expression or function has been implicated in major cardiovascular diseases.
  • 641
  • 02 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Peripheral Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive disease, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen. The causes of AD are complex and are characterized by changes in the brain that lead to the accumulation of two proteins, amyloid beta and tau, forming structures called plaques and tangles, respectively. It is challenging to identify the mechanisms for the initiation and progression of AD. Oxidative stress and inflammation derived from peripheral mitochondrial dysfunction have also been suggested as alternative contributors of AD pathogenesis.
  • 641
  • 04 Aug 2023
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