Neuroscience
SIRT6 overexpression in the nucleus protects mouse retinal pigment epithelium from oxidative stressOxidative stress causes a rapid translocation of SIRT6 from the nucleus to the cytoplasm leading to nuclear SIRT6 depletion and results in RPE damage that is more severe in the central region in mice.
Cognitive decline in diabetic mice predisposed to Alzheimer’s disease is greater than in wild typeThis work proposes that T2DM is particularly harmful to brain function in individuals with a genetic predisposition to neurodegenerative pathology via, among others, γ-secretase inhibition.
New botulinum neurotoxin constructs for treatment of chronic painA new technique to make therapeutic botulinum neurotoxins via isopeptide bonding is described. The novel elongated botulinum neurotoxin can treat nerve injury pain without causing muscle paralysis.
Bats experience age-related hearing loss (presbycusis)Bats exhibited age-related hearing loss. Bats are exposed to immense conspecific noise, but the frequency-dependent hearing loss was not correlated to the noise.
Structure-based design and characterization of Parkin-activating mutationsParkin, an E3 ubiquitin ligase involved in Parkinson’s disease, is inactive in the basal state and is activated by PINK1 to mediate mitophagy. Here, we characterized 31 mutations and discovered three that activate Parkin and rescue loss of PINK1 phosphorylation.
MicroRNAs in tear fluids predict underlying molecular changes associated with Alzheimer’s diseaseThis study demonstrated the translational potential of deregulated tear fluid miRNAs associated with amyloid beta production and proinflammation in a transgenic AD mouse model.
The TUDOR domain of SMN is an H3K79me1 histone mark readerThe survival of motor neuron (SMN) protein is depleted in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) pathology and herein defined as the first reader of histone H3 mono-methylated on lysine 79 through its central TUDOR domain.
A multiplexed siRNA screen identifies key kinase signaling networks of brain gliaThis study reports a multiplexed brain glial kinase screen, providing insight into the largely unknown glial intracellular signaling networks controlling neuroinflammation and highlights the therapeutic potential of targeting glial kinases to modulate glial phenotypes and treat neuroinflammatory disorders.
The ribose methylation enzyme FTSJ1 has a conserved role in neuron morphology and learning performanceThis study adds insights into FTSJ1 tRNA 2′-O-methylation–associated pathologies in humans and Drosophila by identification of novel FTSJ1 targets and neuron morphology defects.
SorCS1 inhibits amyloid-β binding to neurexin and rescues amyloid-β–induced synaptic pathologyThe protein sorting receptor SorCS1 shields the synapse organizer β-neurexins from amyloid-β oligomers (AβOs) to alleviate AβO-induced synaptic pathology.