Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)

A team of scientists in Singapore and the US uncovered how a protein that controls our biological clock modifies its own function, offering new ways for treating jet lag and seasonal adjustments

The Androgen Receptor in Mesenchymal Progenitor Cells Drives Skeletal Muscle Mass Regulation

Our understanding of Venus' water history and the potential that it was once habitable in the past is being challenged by observations made by researchers from Tohoku University.

- DGIST Professor Ko Jaewon and team identify a single family of synaptic membrane proteins that inhibit excitatory and synaptic properties - The findings may provide key clues to the development of therapeutics for related brain disorders targeting different synaptic protein complexes inhibited by MDGA proteins * MDGA: a synaptic adhesion protein that plays an essential role in how nerve cells connect with each other to transmit neural signals.

New research employs shutter speed analogies to validate 55-year-old theory about chemical reaction rates.

A new technology to increase visibility of cancer cells to the immune system using CRISPR has been developed, and could lead to a new way to treat cancer.

Researchers from Osaka University have discovered a novel treatment to relieve cytokine release syndrome (CRS), a life-threatening inflammation triggered by a serious infection or severe burn. Treatment with a short-acting antibody reduces the inflammatory effects of interleukin-6, a key cytokine in CRS while avoiding the side effects associated with previous longer-acting therapies.

Research by Assistant Professor Edison Ang Huixiang and his team from National Institute of Education/Nanyang Technological University Singapore

Researchers from Osaka University have shown that a protein called HKDC1 is a new target of another protein, TFEB, and plays key roles in maintaining the stability of both mitochondria and lysosomes. HKDC1 is essential for mitophagy to remove damaged mitochondria, and mediates mitochondria–lysosome contact, which is critical for lysosomal repair. The role of HKDC1 in maintaining the stability of these organelles counteracts cellular senescence, revealing HKDC1 as a potential therapeutic target for age-related diseases.

A broad-spectrum antiviral drug candidate, 2-thiouridine, that targets positive-strand RNA viruses has been identified and characterized.

The authors identified a structure in the circadian mRNA Period2 that affects the sleep-wake cycle. The results indicate how translation and post-transcriptional processes influence the body’s internal clock and its impact on sleep patterns.

This novel technology: - provides potential treatment in relation to restoring aging muscle cells obtained from older adults and remedying sarcopenia in aging animals through bioelectric medicine - presents a new paradigm for treating sarcopenia, for which no drugs are currently available to treat this condition - has been reported in the internationally renowned academic journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)

Study addresses gaps in understanding of swine influenza A virus evolution and highlights need for early warning of disease emergence

DNA and RNA, the two main types of nucleic acid and the building blocks of life, are susceptible to environmental stimuli, which can cause them to deform, bend or twist. These deformations can significantly affect gene regulation and protein functions, but they are extremely difficult to measure using traditional techniques. Recently, a research team co-led by a physicist from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) accurately measured the change in a nucleic acid induced by salt, temperature change and stretching force. Their findings help reveal the underlying universal deformation mechanisms of DNA and RNA.

Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, provide physical insights into porous soft materials, which will facilitate the design of many energy, medical, and other technologies.

The brain is a highly efficient, sophisticated information processing system. To achieve maximum efficiency, it can store reservoirs of interconnected nodes that transform input signals into a more complex representation. This has inspired a theoretical computational model known as reservoir computing. A research team has recently harnessed this model to analyze the computational capabilities of an artificially cultured brain composed of neurons derived from the cerebral cortex of rats.

Researchers at Kanazawa University report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) high-speed atomic force microscopy experiments that show how ligands associated with stimulating and suppressing activation of the TRPV1 protein increase and decrease the molecule’s structural variations. The observations provide insights into how these heat- and chilli-sensing proteins function.

To survive, all organisms must regulate their appetite. Hormones and small proteins called neuropeptides perform this process, stimulating feelings of hunger and fullness. When researchers noted the similarities between GAWamide, a neuropeptide that regulates feeding in the Cladonema jellyfish, and myoinhibitory peptide, a neuropeptide that regulates feeding in fruit flies, they decided to test whether they could exchange the two. Their success in doing so highlights the deep evolutionary origins of feeding regulation.

A group including Osaka Metropolitan University researchers discovered that the rhodopsin—a protein in the eye that detects light—of whale sharks has changed to efficiently detect blue light, which penetrates deep-sea water easily. The amino acid substitutions–one of which is counterintuitively associated with congenital stationary night blindness in humans—aid in detecting the low levels of light in the deep-sea. Although these changes make the whale shark rhodopsin less thermally stable the deep-sea temperature, allows their rhodopsin to keep working. This suggests that the unique adaptation evolved to function in the low-light low-temperature environment where whale sharks live.

Researchers from Osaka University identified the role of a protein known as testis-specific kinase substrate (TSKS) in the process of spermiation, the release of mature sperm. Analysis of a gene-modified mouse model in which TSKS is disrupted revealed that TSKS is necessary for sperm to eliminate cytoplasm and become streamlined. These findings may lead to the development of diagnostic tests and male contraceptives.

Researchers from Osaka University have shown sex-specific differences in the immune response to COVID-19 infection. By identifying and analyzing the immune cell population in COVID-19 patients, they showed that infection results in a reduced ratio of circulating follicular T regulatory (cTfr) cells to a network of antibody-producing proteins, correlated with dysregulated antibody production. This cTfr cell reduction is more significant in males, providing cellular evidence for the observed association between increased risk and male sex.

Osaka Metropolitan University scientists have demonstrated that fish can recognize “it’s me” when they themselves in a picture for the first time in non-human animals. Further testing made it clear that the fish recognize their own face in the pictures like humans.

Researchers led by Osaka University demonstrated the role of endothelial cell-specific protein Roundabout4 (Robo4) in the reduction of vascular permeability and mortality in mouse models of severe infection. The research team identified a drug inhibitor that increased Robo4 expression and reduced mortality in sepsis and SARS-CoV-2 mouse models of infection. These findings may aid in the development of drugs to reduce the mortality rate of severe infectious diseases.

The Sox9 gene is upregulated in the absence of sex-determining Y chromosome and Sry gene in Amami spiny rat.

A research group at the Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Science has revealed a new system that allows them to control the behavior of the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans, using two different animal opsins, a type of light-sensitive protein. The first opsin was expressed in the worms’ sensory cells responsible for triggering avoidance behavior, making the worms move. This opsin was found to be approximately 7,000 times more sensitive to white light than the commonly used optogenetic protein channelrhodopsin-2. Likewise, a UV-sensitive opsin was expressed in the worms’ motor neurons, causing the worms to stop when exposed to UV light and start moving again when exposed to green light. Both opsins tested can be switched on and off repeatedly without breaking down, making them robust tools for future research, including the field of drug discovery.

Intestinal bacteria composition is crucial to driving the recovery of neutrophils counts in the blood of mice following treatments such as stem cell transplants or chemotherapy.

Researchers led by Osaka University have shown that a molecule known as ATAD3A is essential for the movement of genetic material inside cellular substructures called mitochondria. Appropriate distribution of this DNA, organized into “nucleoid” structures, is key for the generation of energy by the “respiratory chain” protein complex. This study opens up opportunities for developing new methods to alter nucleoid movement and affect mitochondrial function, thereby providing potential therapies against mitochondrial diseases.

The metal-carbon dioxide battery is a promising and environmentally friendly technology, but its energy efficiency is limited. Recently, a research team co-led by chemists from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) discovered an innovative way to overcome this problem by introducing an unconventional phase nanomaterial as a catalyst, boosting battery energy efficiency up to 83.8%. The study reveals a novel design of catalysts for the new generation of meta-gas batteries that can contribute to carbon neutral goals.

Investigations in Japan have uncovered some molecular mechanisms behind mitochondrial dysfunction in chronic heart failure.

A research team co-led by materials scientists from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has recently discovered a new mechanism to increase the strength and ductility of a high-entropy alloy, two properties which normally vary inversely with each other. The findings provide important insights for the future design of strong yet ductile high-entropy alloys and high-entropy ceramics.