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Topic Review
Mammalian Synapse by the Post-Translational Modification SUMOylation
Neurotransmission occurs within highly specialized compartments forming the active synapse where the complex organization and dynamics of the interactions are tightly orchestrated both in time and space. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are central to these spatiotemporal regulations to ensure an efficient synaptic transmission. SUMOylation is a dynamic PTM that modulates the interactions between proteins and consequently regulates the conformation, the distribution and the trafficking of the SUMO-target proteins. SUMOylation plays a crucial role in synapse formation and stabilization, as well as in the regulation of synaptic transmission and plasticity. 
  • 238
  • 08 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Red Fox
The Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) is a highly adaptable mammal belonging to the Canidae family, widely distributed across the Northern Hemisphere. Renowned for its stunning reddish-orange fur and bushy tail, the Red Fox is a proficient predator, preying on small mammals, birds, and even insects. Its remarkable ability to thrive in various habitats, from forests to urban areas, has cemented its status as one of the most successful carnivores worldwide.
  • 343
  • 08 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Autocrine IGF-II-Associated Cancers
The paraneoplastic syndrome referred in the literature as non-islet-cell tumor hypoglycemia (NICTH) and extra-pancreatic tumor hypoglycemia (EPTH) was first reported almost a century ago, and the role of cancer-secreted IGF-II in causing this blood glucose-lowering condition has been widely established. The landscape emerging, based on molecular and cellular findings, supports a broader role for IGF-II in cancer biology beyond its involvement in the paraneoplastic syndrome. In particular, a few key findings are constantly observed during tumorigenesis, (a) a relative and absolute increase in fetal insulin receptor isoform (IRA) content, with (b) an increase in IGF-II high-molecular weight cancer-variants (big-IGF-II), and (c) a stage-progressive increase in the IGF-II autocrine signal in the cancer cell, mostly during the transition from benign to malignant growth. An increasing and still under-exploited combinatorial pattern of the IGF-II signal in cancer is shaping up in the literature with respect to its transducing receptorial system and effector intracellular network. Interestingly, while surgical and clinical reports have traditionally restricted IGF-II secretion to a small number of solid malignancies displaying paraneoplastic hypoglycemia, a retrospective literature analysis, along with publicly available expression data from patient-derived cancer cell lines conveyed in the present perspective, clearly suggests that IGF-II expression in cancer is a much more common event, especially in overt malignancy.
  • 133
  • 08 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Effects of PACAP on Schwann Cells
Schwann cells, the most abundant glial cells of the peripheral nervous system, represent the key players able to supply extracellular microenvironment for axonal regrowth and restoration of myelin sheaths on regenerating axons. Following nerve injury, Schwann cells respond adaptively to damage by acquiring a new phenotype. In particular, some of them localize in the distal stump to form the Bungner band, a regeneration track in the distal site of the injured nerve, whereas others produce cytokines involved in recruitment of macrophages infiltrating into the nerve damaged area for axonal and myelin debris clearance. Several neurotrophic factors, including pituitary adenylyl cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP), promote survival and axonal elongation of injured neurons. 
  • 128
  • 08 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Biocontrol of L. monocytogenes in Meat Products
Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that causes listeriosis, a group of human illnesses that appear more frequently in countries with better-developed food supply systems. Meat and meat products, especially the ready-to-eat (RTE) ones, have been reported as being a major food vehicle for L. monocytogenes transmission to humans. The cause of this phenomenon is mainly attributed to the contamination during processing or post-processing steps, such as slicing and packaging, followed by the growth of the pathogen during storage to numbers that endanger the consumers’ health.  In the attempt to satisfy the consumers’ demand with respect to both healthy and safe foods, studies have focused on biocontrol methods, including bacteriophages, antagonistic microbial interactions, and plant- or microbe-derived substances having antilisterial activity.
  • 123
  • 08 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Food Proteins
Proteins are critical macronutrients, and beyond their physiological importance, they also contribute to satiety, aiding in weight management and reducing the risk of chronic diseases. Protein-based foods stand as a foundation in global diets, contributing significantly to human health, nutrition, and overall well-being. The essential role of proteins as building blocks for tissues, enzymes, hormones, and various bodily functions underlines their vital significance in sustaining life. Emerging alternative food processing technologies now offer solutions to enhance protein functionality and create opportunities for innovation.
  • 206
  • 08 Mar 2024
Topic Review
EMP/EMT-Dependent Fibrosis
Fibrosis represents a process characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. It often represents the evolution of pathological conditions, causes organ failure, and can, in extreme cases, compromise the functionality of organs to the point of causing death.
  • 158
  • 08 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Cytochalasins as Modulators of Stem Cell Differentiation
Regenerative medicine aims to identify new research strategies for the repair and restoration of tissues damaged by pathological or accidental events. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) play a key role in regenerative medicine approaches due to their specific properties, such as the high rate of proliferation, the ability to differentiate into several cell lineages, the immunomodulatory potential, and their easy isolation with minimal ethical issues. One of the main goals of regenerative medicine is to modulate, both in vitro and in vivo, the differentiation potential of MSCs to improve their use in the repair of damaged tissues. Over the years, much evidence has been collected about the ability of cytochalasins, a large family of 60 metabolites isolated mainly from fungi, to modulate multiple properties of stem cells (SCs), such as proliferation, migration, and differentiation, by altering the organization of the cyto- and the nucleo-skeleton. The ability of two different cytochalasins, cytochalasins D and B, to influence specific SC differentiation programs modulated by several agents (chemical or physical) or intra- and extra-cellular factors, is discussed herein, with particular attention to human MSCs (hMSCs).
  • 152
  • 08 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Phosphorus HotSpots in Crop Plants on the Farm
Phosphorus resources, both in phosphate rocks and in the soil, are limited. However, effective food production is not possible without the use of P fertilizers. Recognizing and eliminating or at least ameliorating factors (hot spots) that interfere with the uptake and use of phosphorus (P) by crop plants is of key importance for effective use of both P and nitrogen (N) on the farm. Plants have developed many adaptation mechanisms to their environment, i.e., soil low in available phosphorus. The most important ones include the secretion of organic compounds into the rhizosphere and the association of plant roots with microorganisms. A classic example is mycorrhiza. These mechanisms can be used by the farmer to sequentially select plants in the crop rotation. The uptake of inorganic P (Pi) by plants from the soil is reduced by environmental (temperature and water) and soil factors (low content of available phosphorus, soil acidity, soil compaction). These factors are responsible for the growth and size of the root system. Mitigating these negative effects improves the efficiency of phosphorus uptake from the soil. The second group of critical factors, limiting both root growth and availability of phosphorus, can be effectively controlled using simple measures (for example, lime).
  • 168
  • 07 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Amino Acids Biostimulants and Protein Hydrolysates
The effects of different types of biostimulants on crops include improving the visual quality of the final products, stimulating the immune systems of plants, inducing the biosynthesis of plant defensive biomolecules, removing heavy metals from contaminated soil, improving crop performance, reducing leaching, improving root development and seed germination, inducing tolerance to abiotic and biotic stressors, promoting crop establishment and increasing nutrient-use efficiency. Protein hydrolysates are mixtures of polypeptides and free amino acids resulting from enzymatic and chemical hydrolysis of agro-industrial protein by-products obtained from animal or plant origins, and they are able to alleviate environmental stress effects, improve growth, and promote crop productivity. Amino acids involve various advantages such as increased yield and yield components, increased nutrient assimilation and stress tolerance, and improved yield components and quality characteristics.
  • 177
  • 07 Mar 2024
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