Open Biology[JOURNAL]
Sun
200 papers
Monitoring extracellular vesicle surface glyco-properties using fluorescent lectins and nanoparticle tracking analysis.
Mitic N, Janjic F, Danilovic-Lukovic J … +3 more , Goc S, Jankovic T, Jankovic M
Open Biol · 2025 Nov · PMID 41290145 · Full text
Extracellular vesicles are small particles released by all cell types. Different extracellular vesicle isolation methods are widely used, yet none achieve an optimal balance between yield, purity and structural integrity...
Extracellular vesicles are small particles released by all cell types. Different extracellular vesicle isolation methods are widely used, yet none achieve an optimal balance between yield, purity and structural integrity. This study aimed to establish a comparative approach for evaluating different extracellular vesicle preparations using nanoparticle tracking analysis. A simple one-step assay relying on fluorescence-based nanoparticle tracking analysis was used to evaluate lectin binding to extracellular vesicles as a measure of possible changes in their surface glycosylation during various isolation methods. Seminal extracellular vesicles were isolated from normozoospermic men using ultracentrifugation alone-UC-sEVs-or combined with size exclusion chromatography-UC-SEC-sEVs-or microfiltration-UC-MF-sEVs. They were analysed based on their size and lectin-binding properties using wheat germ agglutinin and agglutinin I. While total seminal extracellular vesicles and tetraspanin-positive seminal extracellular vesicles maintained similar size distributions across all isolates, lectin-positive seminal extracellular vesicles displayed a shift towards larger than 200 nm seminal extracellular vesicles in UC-SEC-sEVs and UC-MF-sEVs, as compared to UC-sEVs. The ratio of larger (>200 nm) to smaller (30-200 nm) lectin-positive sEVs was increased, particularly for wheat germ agglutinin in UC-MF-sEVs and agglutinin I in UC-SEC-sEVs. These findings demonstrate that size exclusion chromatography and microfiltration combined with ultracentrifugation influence seminal extracellular vesicle surface glycosylation and alter lectin binding across extracellular vesicles of different sizes.
Trypanosomes in Neotropical frogs: unveiling hidden megadiversity and complex host-parasite patterns.
Votýpka J, Jirků M, Spodareva V … +9 more , Režnarová J, Poloprutská K, Pajer P, Milner D, Richards T, Yurchenko V, Ibáñez R, Lukeš J, Kostygov AY
Open Biol · 2025 Nov · PMID 41253277 · Full text
Amphibia-infecting members of the genus represent its most divergent lineage and exhibit remarkable morphological and genetic diversity. However, their detailed study has been hindered by pleomorphism, morphological con...
Amphibia-infecting members of the genus represent its most divergent lineage and exhibit remarkable morphological and genetic diversity. However, their detailed study has been hindered by pleomorphism, morphological convergence, multiple infections and scarcity of molecular data. By combining light microscopy with molecular phylogenetics, we investigated trypanosome diversity in a broad sample of frogs from Panama, a climatically stable tropical biodiversity hotspot. The uncovered diversity of trypanosomes parasitizing amphibians was exceptional, exceeding the host species richness twofold. Phylogenetic analyses revealed conspicuous ecological partitioning: distinct lineages were primarily associated with the arboreal hylids, with only rare host switches to understorey species, suggesting that vector feeding preferences structure the parasites' community. Notably, none of the identified haplotypes matched those from South America, underscoring geographic isolation as a driver of diversification. This study revealed a vast, previously undescribed diversity of trypanosomes that reflects the ecological and taxonomic breadth of their amphibian hosts. Given the ongoing global amphibian decline, documenting these parasitic communities is urgent. Our findings highlight how host ecology and biogeography shape parasite evolution, and offer a framework for future research in threatened tropical ecosystems.
Bacterial infection elicits the unfolded protein response.
Magistrado D, Short SM
Open Biol · 2025 Nov · PMID 41218768 · Full text
The unfolded protein response (UPR) is an ancient, highly conserved homeostatic cellular stress response pathway with diverse functions that include, but are not limited to, alleviating stress resulting from the presence...
The unfolded protein response (UPR) is an ancient, highly conserved homeostatic cellular stress response pathway with diverse functions that include, but are not limited to, alleviating stress resulting from the presence of unfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum of cells. Maintaining homeostasis and managing stress are critical to infection tolerance (i.e. host ability to mitigate infection-induced disease independently of strategies involving pathogen elimination). Stress responses such as the UPR are general mediators of tolerance, and the UPR may be activated during infections to promote host health. Understanding tolerance is an emerging priority in animal immunity, and there is unique motivation to understand how disease vectors tolerate infections because tolerance has implications for the efficiency of human pathogen transmission. However, stress responses are scarcely studied in arthropods, and the UPR has not been investigated in the context of a systemic mosquito infection. Herein, we characterize the trajectories of mortality and UPR transcript abundance in in response to infection with the opportunistic bacterial pathogen . We reveal that, with the exception of , which displayed comparatively delayed activation, transcript levels of all UPR genes we measured harmoniously activate, peak, then diminish prior to the advent of appreciable infection-induced mortality.
Epstein-Barr virus functional RNAs as part of its immune evasion strategy: a role for EBER1?
Farrell PJ
Open Biol · 2025 Nov · PMID 41218767 · Full text
Several types of cancer and some auto-immune diseases are linked to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. In addition to viral proteins, EBV expresses many functional RNAs to influence cell biology, avoiding the immune res...
Several types of cancer and some auto-immune diseases are linked to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. In addition to viral proteins, EBV expresses many functional RNAs to influence cell biology, avoiding the immune responses that would be targeted to viral proteins. Some of these RNAs are also exported from the EBV-infected cells into surrounding cells, including those involved in immune surveillance of the EBV infected cells. EBER1 is the most abundant of these EBV RNAs and recent progress in understanding EBER1 mechanisms might make it a drug target for some diseases associated with EBV.
Essential and dispensable domains of DivIVA for walled growth in filamentous Actinomycetota.
Lubbers M, Bajramović B, Ongenae V … +10 more , Willemse J, de Bruin D, Mulder N, Zhang L, Vriesendorp B, Barona-Gomez F, Briegel A, van Wezel GP, Flärdh K, Claessen D
Open Biol · 2025 Nov · PMID 41187904 · Full text
The morphogenetic protein DivIVA exhibits diverse functions across bacterial phyla. In Bacillota, DivIVA is primarily involved in cell division, whereas in Actinomycetota, it plays a central role in coordinating polar gr...
The morphogenetic protein DivIVA exhibits diverse functions across bacterial phyla. In Bacillota, DivIVA is primarily involved in cell division, whereas in Actinomycetota, it plays a central role in coordinating polar growth. Due to its essentiality in Actinomycetota, gaining insight into its structural functions is challenging. We studied truncated DivIVA proteins using a unique deletion mutant in cell wall-deficient L-forms. DivIVA comprises an N-terminal domain consisting of a coiled-coil segment bearing a membrane-targeting structure at the N-terminal end, followed by an intercoil region, a larger coiled-coil and a C-terminal domain. Deleting either the intercoil or C-terminal region affected branching. We also created a minimized variant in which both were deleted simultaneously, retaining the N-terminal domain and the second coiled-coil. Expression of this variant caused severe growth defects. Cells showed increased hyphal width, thicker cell walls and frequent tip bursting. Finally, we successfully introduced chimeric DivIVA from the unicellular actinobacterium with the membrane targeting domain of DivIVA, demonstrating functional conservation within the phylum. By contrast, chimeric DivIVA proteins from could not support growth, underscoring that polar growth is encoded in Actinomycetota-specific amino acid motifs in the first and second coiled-coils. These findings enhance our understanding of the structure-function relationship for DivIVA and present new opportunities to study polar growth.
N-terminal oligomerization drives HDAC4 nuclear condensation and neurodevelopmental dysfunction in .
Hawley HR, Sutherland-Smith AJ, Savoian MS … +1 more , Fitzsimons HL
Open Biol · 2025 Oct · PMID 41151763 · Full text
Histone deacetylase four (HDAC4) undergoes dynamic nucleocytoplasmic shuttling, a process critical for regulating its activity. However, aberrant nuclear accumulation of HDAC4 is associated with both neurodevelopmental a...
Histone deacetylase four (HDAC4) undergoes dynamic nucleocytoplasmic shuttling, a process critical for regulating its activity. However, aberrant nuclear accumulation of HDAC4 is associated with both neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disease, and in our model, impairs normal neuronal development. Upon nuclear accumulation, HDAC4 forms biomolecular condensates, previously termed aggregates, that correlate with the severity of defects in development of the mushroom body and adult eye. Here we determined that nuclear condensation of HDAC4 is dependent on self-oligomerization, and that impairing oligomerization reduces condensation and the severity of neurodevelopmental phenotypes in . HDAC4 condensates are highly dynamic and are stabilized by the presence of MEF2, which promotes their formation, ultimately exacerbating phenotypic severity. These data provide insight into the role of HDAC4 condensates in normal neuronal function and suggest that their dysregulation may contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders. Consequently, targeting oligomerization of HDAC4 and its interaction with MEF2 present potential therapeutic strategies for diseases associated with HDAC4 nuclear accumulation.
Autophagy: a novel target in order to overcome drug resistance in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
Amiri BS, Naserranjbar M, Aliabadi F … +2 more , Hejrati A, Hejrati L
Open Biol · 2025 Oct · PMID 41151762 · Full text
Typically, unchecked pancreatic cell proliferation results in the development of pancreatic cancer, which has the potential to spread to other bodily organs. About 90% of instances of pancreatic cancer are pancreatic ade...
Typically, unchecked pancreatic cell proliferation results in the development of pancreatic cancer, which has the potential to spread to other bodily organs. About 90% of instances of pancreatic cancer are pancreatic adenocarcinomas. About 10-20% of pancreatic carcinomas are resectable and potentially curable, and the 5-year survival rate is only 4%; as a result, the majority of pancreatic cancer treatments are palliative in nature. Surgical resection is the only curative treatment; however, because of late diagnosis, the majority of patients appear at an advanced stage, and only a small percentage (10-20%) of them are candidates for surgery. Due to pancreatic cancer's strong resistance to practically all chemotherapeutic drugs and conventional radiotherapies, conventional radiation and chemotherapies have little effectiveness in extending patients' overall life. A lot of scientific studies, however, frequently use the metaphorical term 'double-edged sword' to indicate how autophagy plays a different function in cancer. The use of autophagy inhibitors is thought to be advantageous in combining antineoplastic drugs to improve the sensitivity of cancer cells to therapeutic compounds that activate autophagy. In this review, we aim to look into autophagy along with searching for the most effective strategy in order to treat pancreatic adenocarcinoma with the least drug resistance.
Keratinocyte self-renewal and differentiation is dictated by extrinsic signals from dermal extracellular matrices.
Wong CW, LeGrand CF, Kinnear BF … +6 more , Denil SLIJ, Dye DE, Benny P, Chan JKY, Lane EB, Coombe DR
Open Biol · 2025 Oct · PMID 41122980 · Full text
Fetal skin has an intrinsic regenerative capability to restore an injured site's architecture and functionality. This is preserved until the third trimester, when wound healing transitions to a scarring reparative respon...
Fetal skin has an intrinsic regenerative capability to restore an injured site's architecture and functionality. This is preserved until the third trimester, when wound healing transitions to a scarring reparative response. This change coincides with the dynamic remodelling of dermal extracellular matrix (ECM). Here, we used primary human fetal or adult dermal fibroblast (fHDF and aHDF)-derived ECMs to demonstrate that different extrinsic signals from these ECMs dramatically altered gene expression in a primary human keratinocyte population grown on these matrices. Gene array data revealed keratinocytes grown on fHDF ECM markedly upregulated expression of cell-cycle genes, whereas on aHDF ECM expression of differentiation genes was favoured. Detailed proteomic analyses indicated compositionally distinct ECMs were deposited by aHDFs and fHDFs. Moreover, aHDFs and fHDFs contained subpopulation(s) that differentially expressed CD90, CD146 and CD26. On fHDFs the extracellular domain of CD26 was shed whereas on aHDFs full-length CD26 dominated. The proteomic and gene array data supported the fine-tuning of BMP/TGFβ/SMAD signalling pathways being a mechanism by which fetal matrices promote keratinocyte self-renewal. Collectively, these findings revealed that a fundamental aspect of skin development is dictated by the ECM of the dermis, specifically extrinsic signals from dermal fibroblast ECM direct keratinocyte self-renewal or differentiation.
The evolutionary entanglement of flipons with zinc fingers and retroelements has engendered a large family of Z-DNA and G-quadruplex binding proteins.
Herbert A
Open Biol · 2025 Oct · PMID 41119994 · Full text
Sequences called flipons can adopt discrete, alternative nucleic acid conformations, such as the left-handed Z-DNA and Z-RNA double helices (referred to collectively as ZNA), and the four-stranded RNA and DNA G-quadruple...
Sequences called flipons can adopt discrete, alternative nucleic acid conformations, such as the left-handed Z-DNA and Z-RNA double helices (referred to collectively as ZNA), and the four-stranded RNA and DNA G-quadruplexes. Each flipon conformation encodes different information. For example, the base-specific interactions of proteins with B-DNA enable sequence-specific recognition. In contrast, the higher energy Z-DNA and G-quadruplexes facilitate the speedy scanning of chromosomes to locate active regions of the genome. Results synthesized from small-scale benchside and large-scale computational experimental approaches provide compelling evidence that zinc-finger protein domains (ZFDs) not only engage in base-specific recognition of B-DNA, but also bind directly to Z-DNA and G-quadruplexes. The findings address the long-standing speed-stability paradox of how high-affinity ZFPs with multiple zinc fingers can rapidly localize to a specific binding site. The energy gap between different DNA interaction modes enables fast off-rates during the scanning of Z-DNA for cognate binding sites, and a slow off-rate following engagement of the B-DNA conformer. ZFPs represent the most prominent human transcription factor family with 804 annotated members. The coevolution of flipons and ZFP enhances suppression of retroelements and enables rapid, context-specific responses. ZNA and GQ binding proteins are consequently more frequent in the proteome than currently conceded.
Revealing the ultrastructure of live using stimulated emission depletion microscopy.
Baxter KJ, Rooney LM, Foylan S … +2 more , Gould GW, McConnell G
Open Biol · 2025 Oct · PMID 41119993 · Full text
, a commensal fungal pathogen, is a leading cause of opportunistic infections in immunocompromised individuals. High-resolution imaging of its cellular architecture is essential for uncovering pathogenic mechanisms and i...
, a commensal fungal pathogen, is a leading cause of opportunistic infections in immunocompromised individuals. High-resolution imaging of its cellular architecture is essential for uncovering pathogenic mechanisms and identifying antifungal targets. Here, we applied live-cell stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy to visualize subcellular structures in with nanoscale precision. We found that fluorophores commonly used for STED imaging in mammalian cells were ineffective in . In contrast, Nile Red enabled robust labelling of dynamic lipid-rich structures, including lipid droplets and intracellular membranes, with sufficient signal for long-term imaging. Using Nile Red with STED microscopy, we achieved over threefold improvement in lateral resolution (approx. 85 nm) compared to confocal microscopy, with minimal photobleaching even during continuous time-lapse acquisition over 8 h. Notably, dynamic tracking of lipid droplets revealed heterogeneous mobility patterns across individual cells, suggesting functional compartmentalization. Our findings establish STED microscopy with Nile Red staining as a powerful approach for visualizing dynamic ultrastructure in live fungal cells, expanding the toolkit for high-resolution fungal cell biology and offering new avenues for studying fungal pathogenesis and antifungal action at the nanoscale.
FLP-15 modulates the amplitude of body-bends during locomotion in .
Bhat US, H S, Surendran S … +2 more , Tasnim N, Babu K
Open Biol · 2025 Oct · PMID 41086862 · Full text
Locomotion is essential for executing most behaviours. In , efficient locomotion is exhibited as a result of the coordination of excitatory and inhibitory signals from the nervous system onto the body-wall muscles. Altho...
Locomotion is essential for executing most behaviours. In , efficient locomotion is exhibited as a result of the coordination of excitatory and inhibitory signals from the nervous system onto the body-wall muscles. Although neurotransmitters play a vital role in maintaining and executing coordinated movements, neuropeptides have emerged as important players in the regulation and sustenance of locomotory states. In this study we show that mutants in the neuropeptide show a large increase in the mean amplitude of body-bends, indicating defects in the locomotory state of these animals. Our data suggest that FLP-15 partially functions through the G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) NPR-3 to regulate the amplitude of body-bends. Finally, we show that loss of leads to an increase in the expression of another neuropeptide, NLP-12, whose over-expression has been implicated in causing increased amplitude of body-bends, allowing us to speculate that the regulation of NLP-12 by FLP-15 may allow for the observed locomotory defects in mutant animals.
Prenatal alcohol exposure dysregulates the expression of clock genes and alters rhythmic behaviour in mice.
Reina-Campos M, Gallego-Landin I, Medrano M … +2 more , Garcia-Baos A, Valverde O
Open Biol · 2025 Oct · PMID 41086861 · Full text
Foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) refer to a range of adverse physical, behavioural and cognitive effects caused by perinatal alcohol exposure. While cognitive impairments are well documented, FASD has also been...
Foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) refer to a range of adverse physical, behavioural and cognitive effects caused by perinatal alcohol exposure. While cognitive impairments are well documented, FASD has also been associated with sleep disturbances and circadian rhythm disruptions. This study aimed to examine the effects of perinatal alcohol exposure on circadian rhythms at behavioural and gene expression levels across two developmental stages (adolescence and adulthood) in both male and female mice. Using a validated prenatal and lactation alcohol exposure (PLAE) protocol, we assessed circadian patterns of locomotor activity under free-running conditions and spatial memory performance during adolescence and adulthood. Additionally, we evaluated the impact of PLAE on circadian expression of clock and non-circadian genes involved in neurotransmission across key brain regions, including the medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. PLAE altered circadian rhythmicity and impaired spatial memory. Gene expression analyses revealed disrupted oscillatory patterns in clock genes and in genes related to plasticity and cognition, including those from the expanded endocannabinoid system (e.g. , , ) and other neurotransmitter systems (e.g. , , , ). These findings underscore the impact of early alcohol exposure on biological rhythms and neurobehavioural function, highlighting circadian dysregulation as a contributing factor to FASD.
HMGB1 and mitochondrial dysfunction: a double-edged sword in ageing.
Wahid M, Cunningham M
Open Biol · 2025 Oct · PMID 41086860 · Full text
Ageing is an intricate and progressive decline across all biological systems, marked by various molecular and cellular processes termed as the hallmarks of ageing. One of the hallmarks is mitochondrial dysfunction, which...
Ageing is an intricate and progressive decline across all biological systems, marked by various molecular and cellular processes termed as the hallmarks of ageing. One of the hallmarks is mitochondrial dysfunction, which is brought about through several pathways: mutations in mitochondrial DNA, elevated reactive oxygen species production, disrupted mitochondrial dynamics and impaired mitophagy. Here, we explore the role of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) as a potential contributor to mitochondrial dysfunction, examining how it may influence these pathways through its dual roles as both a protector of mitochondrial integrity and a promoter of inflammatory damage. Furthermore, we consider how mitochondrial dysfunction, possibly mediated by HMGB1, could link to other hallmarks of ageing, positioning HMGB1 as a possible central regulator in the ageing process.
tRNA-modifying enzymes in bacterial stress adaptation.
Fruchard L, Salinas C, Carvalho A … +1 more , Baharoglu Z
Open Biol · 2025 Oct · PMID 41057015 · Full text
Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) and their modifications are central to bacterial translation and physiology, yet their roles in stress adaptation remain underexplored. While extensively studied in eukaryotes, and linked to disease...
Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) and their modifications are central to bacterial translation and physiology, yet their roles in stress adaptation remain underexplored. While extensively studied in eukaryotes, and linked to diseases, bacterial tRNA modifications are only recently gaining attention. This review highlights emerging insights into how tRNA modifications and associated enzymes contribute to bacterial survival under oxidative and antibiotic stresses, both disrupting proteostasis. We examine the environmental and physiological stresses bacteria encounter, focussing on reactive oxygen species and sub-lethal antibiotic exposure. These stresses challenge proteome integrity and trigger adaptive responses involving key stress regulators. We explore the expanding field of bacterial epitranscriptomics, detailing the diversity, dynamics and structural impact of tRNA modifications, and how they influence selective translation. Central to this is the concept of modification tunable transcripts, linking specific codon usage patterns to stress-responsive translation reprogramming. Beyond their catalytic roles, tRNA-modifying enzymes also have additional functions. We discuss this dual functionality and its broader implications for bacterial adaptability. By integrating recent technological advances and conceptual models, this review underscores the potential of targeting tRNA modifications as a novel strategy to combat bacterial pathogenicity and antibiotic resistance. With many aspects still unresolved, the study of bacterial tRNA modifications promises rich opportunities for discovery and therapeutic innovation.
Transcriptomic and metabolomic insights into light-mediated unicellular-to-multicellular transition in .
Tian Y, Liu H, Xu S … +4 more , Wang Z, He Z, Liu R, Shu L
Open Biol · 2025 Oct · PMID 41057014 · Full text
is a social amoeba that transitions from unicellular to multicellular forms in response to environmental signals, making it an intriguing model for studying cell aggregation and differentiation. Although previous studies...
is a social amoeba that transitions from unicellular to multicellular forms in response to environmental signals, making it an intriguing model for studying cell aggregation and differentiation. Although previous studies have demonstrated that slugs exhibit phototaxis, the mechanisms behind light-induced developmental changes remain unclear. In this study, we investigated how light triggers the transition to multicellularity and its associated metabolites and genes. Our findings revealed that spore yield depends on light exposure, with slower multicellular development under dark incubation. Transcriptomics analysis on QS9 amoebae identified upregulation of small GTPases such as and in response to light, which likely promote cell movement, phagocytosis and actin protrusions. Light also enhanced cAMP production, driving the aggregation, post-aggregation and development of single cells. Additionally, c-di-GMP was essential for cell differentiation during multicellular growth and was upregulated by light. Metabolomic analysis on QS9 amoebae revealed that the downregulation of LPC (lysophosphatidylcholine) was detected under both unicellular and multicellular phases. Moreover, reduced levels of GSH (glutathione) in dark may impede multicellular structures of . These findings provide insights into light-triggered cell differentiation and pattern formation, offering a better understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying the transition to multicellularity in cells.
Effects of food availability on larval development during ontogenetic niche shift in a marine annelid.
Randel N
Open Biol · 2025 Oct · PMID 41057013 · Full text
Many marine invertebrates have a biphasic life cycle with a free-swimming larva and a bottom-dwelling adult. The transition from a planktonic to a benthic lifestyle is a significant step in the animal's life history, hig...
Many marine invertebrates have a biphasic life cycle with a free-swimming larva and a bottom-dwelling adult. The transition from a planktonic to a benthic lifestyle is a significant step in the animal's life history, highly regulated and influenced by external and internal factors. Since the readiness to settle and the presence of a suitable seafloor habitat do not always coincide, larvae sometimes need to extend their planktonic phase. Little is currently known regarding how larvae partition their energy for coordinating development and growth according to food type and availability in their settlement habitat. Here, I investigate the effect of food availability and type on development in larvae. I assessed cell proliferation, growth and feeding onset over six days using two different food sources. The results indicate that food availability and type affect larval growth, with starved larvae slowing development and conserving resources, whereas fed larvae allocate resources to brain development and posterior growth. Overall, this work contributes to our understanding of how competent marine larvae regulate the duration of their planktonic phase and how nutritional status affects development.
Bone marrow endosteum in homeostasis and metastasis.
Nakai Y, Ono W, Ono N
Open Biol · 2025 Oct · PMID 41027468 · Full text
The endosteum is a thin layer of connective tissue lining the inner surfaces of bones adjoining the medullary cavity. The endosteum houses a variety of cells crucial for bone growth, repair and remodelling, including bon...
The endosteum is a thin layer of connective tissue lining the inner surfaces of bones adjoining the medullary cavity. The endosteum houses a variety of cells crucial for bone growth, repair and remodelling, including bone-forming osteoblasts, bone-resorbing osteoclasts and their precursor cells. Historically, the endosteum has been extensively studied as a key site for haematopoiesis by which blood cells are incessantly produced. However, recent studies have defined the endosteum as a niche for skeletal stem cells, underscoring the importance of the harmony between the inner endosteum and the outer periosteum in maintaining bone homeostasis. The endosteum also plays a significant role in pathological conditions, as it is recognized as a preferential site for bone metastasis of several common carcinomas, including breast and prostate cancers. The uniquely complex microenvironment of the endosteum favours the survival of cancer cells, contributing to dormancy, resistance to therapies and eventually, reemergence and progression. In this review, we discuss the multifaceted functions of the bone marrow endosteum, focusing on its dual roles in normal bone haematopoiesis and tumour metastasis.
Temperature and the progression of developmental milestones in embryogenesis of a marine ectotherm.
Belcher EK, Johnson TK, Mirth C … +1 more , Monro K
Open Biol · 2025 Sep · PMID 40987317 · Full text
Embryos are among the most temperature-sensitive life stages. To survive and produce juvenile stages, embryos must be robust to changes in temperature that also change development time profoundly. Yet, how robustness is...
Embryos are among the most temperature-sensitive life stages. To survive and produce juvenile stages, embryos must be robust to changes in temperature that also change development time profoundly. Yet, how robustness is achieved during embryogenesis, and which developmental events are most prone to perturbation by temperature, is only known for a handful of species. Such insights are especially lacking for marine ectotherms, which often develop in direct contact with the external environment. We address these gaps using the tubeworm, , a typical marine ectotherm with external development. We fluorescently labelled F-actin and nuclear DNA in embryos sampled hourly throughout embryogenesis at the minimum temperature of the coldest month (11°C), annual mean temperature (17°C) and maximum temperature of the warmest month (22°C) in nature. Based on confocal imaging, we identified key developmental stages (milestones) in embryogenesis and compared their progression across temperatures. We found that developmental progression is similar across temperatures when normalized to development time, but earlier milestones are less robust to warming than later ones. Our results suggest that embryos achieve robustness by tightly coordinating the relative timing of embryonic events, offering clues to how embryos may withstand contemporary climate change in marine systems.
Implications of canonical histone H3.1 and histone variant H3.3 in cancer.
Wu P, Wang L, Wen T … +1 more , Chen QY
Open Biol · 2025 Sep · PMID 40987316 · Full text
Histones are the fundamental building blocks of chromatin and serve as pivotal regulators of gene expression. Differential expression and mutations of H3.1 and H3.3 genes have been implicated in the pathogenesis of vario...
Histones are the fundamental building blocks of chromatin and serve as pivotal regulators of gene expression. Differential expression and mutations of H3.1 and H3.3 genes have been implicated in the pathogenesis of various cancer types. Mutations in H3.3, especially lysine to methionine substitutions (K27M/K36M), are particularly prevalent. Moreover, genetic alterations such as G34R/W/V/L, as well as variations in and genes, have also been identified. Despite high similarity in amino acid sequences, H3.1 and H3.3 have discrete functions in cancer. In this review, we delve into the recent advances in elucidating the implications of canonical histone H3.1 and its variant H3.3 on chromatin structure and function. Additionally, we explore how potential enhancing factors such as PTEN, MLL5, GPR87 and histone chaperones influence H3.1/H3.3 function.
An pipeline identifies new neuropeptides and reveals a non-amidated regulator of muscle contraction in the freshwater cnidarian .
Prabhu P, Reddy PC
Open Biol · 2025 Sep · PMID 40957560 · Full text
Neuropeptides play a critical role in neurotransmission and organismal development. Members of the phylum Cnidaria, with a diffused nervous system, are one of the earliest divergent animals and might provide insights int...
Neuropeptides play a critical role in neurotransmission and organismal development. Members of the phylum Cnidaria, with a diffused nervous system, are one of the earliest divergent animals and might provide insights into the fundamentals of the emergence of neuronal communications. The neuropeptide diversity in (a cnidarian model) has been extensively studied using various strategies, each with certain limitations. Here, we have developed an pipeline which identified both reported peptides and many new potential candidates. A comparative analysis within Cnidaria suggests a rapid divergence of neuropeptides which might be involved in complex behaviours. We identified new neuropeptides that belong to the RFamide and PRXamide families and a novel class of peptides lacking amidation (LW-peptides). A detailed expression and functional analysis of a new LW-peptide indicates its role in the longitudinal contraction of polyps. This study provides compelling evidence for the existence of intricate peptidergic communication in early neuronal circuits. The extensive diversity of neuropeptides within this phylum underscores their rapid evolutionary adaptability. This current pipeline also proves to be simple and adaptable to perform neuropeptide identification in other multicellular organisms.
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