RESEARCH ARTICLES
- Krüppel-like factor 6 mediates pulmonary angiogenesis in rat experimental hepatopulmonary syndrome and is aggravated by bone morphogenetic protein 9
Summary: Krüppel-like factor 6, which is triggered by pulmonary injury and promoted by bone morphogenetic protein 9, mediates pulmonary angiogenesis in rat experimental hepatopulmonary syndrome and then aggravates lung dysfunction.
- Overexpression of long noncoding RNA GAS5 suppresses tumorigenesis and development of gastric cancer by sponging miR-106a-5p through the Akt/mTOR pathway
Summary: GAS5, a tumor suppressor, was confirmed to suppress tumorigenesis and development of gastric cancer by sponging miR-106a-5p through the Akt/mTOR pathway, which provides a novel regulatory axis of GC progression.
- Ambient temperature effects on stress-induced hyperthermia in Svalbard ptarmigan
Summary: Handling in severe cold causes hyperthermia in well-insulated Svalbard ptarmigan. Hence, pronounced cooling in cold-handled poorly insulated birds likely reflects high heat-loss rate rather than a different physiological response.
- Ubiquitin-mediated proteasome degradation regulates optic fissure fusion
Summary: Optic fissure fusion, a key retinal morphogenic event highly sensitive to developmental signaling, is directly regulated by ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal degradation uncovering a novel regulatory pathway potentially correlated to incidence of coloboma.
- The Drosophila protein, Nausicaa, regulates lamellipodial actin dynamics in a Cortactin-dependent manner
Summary: The Drosophila Cortactin-binding protein Nausicaa regulates actin branching and lamellipodial dynamics through its anchoring of Cortactin in the lamellipodia.
- Spring-loaded inverted pendulum goes through two contraction-extension cycles during the single-support phase of walking
Summary: We quantitatively evaluate a simple model for human walking based on two-spring and find that this model describes many features of human walking.
- Intraspecific variation in metabolic rate and its correlation with local environment in the Chinese scorpion Mesobuthus martensii
Summary: Metabolic rate variation is observed between the two sexes and among populations in the Chinese scorpion, with the latter being correlated negatively with local mean temperature and positively with annual days of rainfall.
- Is blood cortisol or vateritic otolith composition associated with natal dispersal or reproductive performance on the spawning grounds of straying and homing hatchery-produced chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) in Southeast Alaska?
Summary: Straying mediates ecological interactions and gene flow between salmon populations. Understanding physiological controls and underlying causes of straying by hatchery-produced salmon may help managers minimize deleterious interactions.
- Effectors of the spindle assembly checkpoint are confined within the nucleus of Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Summary: The effectors of the spindle assembly checkpoint are confined with the nuclear compartment of budding yeast, and cannot exchange between nuclei in a binucleate zygote.
- Cell recovery by reversal of ferroptosis
Summary: Programmed cell death is generally assumed to be irreversible. Interestingly, we discovered reversible apoptosis. Here, we further demonstrate reversible ferroptosis, thereby adding a new example of reversible programmed cell death.
- Influence of arm swing on cost of transport during walking
Summary: Excessive arm swing reduces the vertical angular momentum and ground reaction moment, but not necessarily the energetic cost of transport.
- Eyes and negative phototaxis in juvenile crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthaster species complex
Summary: The juvenile crown-of-thorns starfish has much smaller eyes than adults do, which results in worse spatial resolution. Still, they use the eyes for negative phototaxis seeking shelter.
- Evidence of dietary protein restriction regulating pupation height, development time and lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster
Summary: In studying protein-restricted diet-mediated interplay between major traits during pre-adult to adult stages in Drosophila melanogaster, we found various existing positive and negative correlations being challenged and supported upon differing diets.
- Zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) shift toward aerodynamically efficient flight kinematics in response to an artificial load
Summary: When equipped with an artificial load, zebra finch diverge from their typical flap-bounding pattern of flight, potentially reducing their muscular efficiency, and adopt more aerodynamically efficient kinematics.
- Suppressor of Fused regulates the proliferation of postnatal neural stem and precursor cells via a Gli3-dependent mechanism
Summary: Conditional deletion of Sufu causes dramatic expansion of neural stem/precursor cells in the neonatal ventricular-subventricular (SVZ) zone. This defect occurs through a Gli3-dependent mechanism resulting in the downregulation of Shh signaling.
- Fgf3 is crucial for the generation of monoaminergic cerebrospinal fluid contacting cells in zebrafish
Summary: This study highlights Fgf3 in a novel context where it is part of a signalling pathway of critical importance for development of hypothalamic monoaminergic cells in zebrafish.
- An essential role of the mouse synapse-associated protein Syap1 in circuits for spontaneous motor activity and rotarod balance
Summary: Knockout of the Syap1 gene in mice causes a distinct motor behaviour phenotype characterised by reduced initial locomotor activity and impaired rotarod performance.
METHODS & TECHNIQUES
- Establishing simple image-based methods and a cost-effective instrument for toxicity assessment on circadian rhythm dysregulation in fish
Summary: A cost-effective device and two methods to measure the circadian rhythm in diurnal and nocturnal fish, providing a reliable entry point for toxicity assessment on circadian rhythm dysregulation in fish.
- An instrumented centrifuge for studying mouse locomotion and behaviour under hypergravity
Summary: We present a system for exposing mice to hypergravity and measuring the effects on their locomotion and activity. We include details of the design and implementation, and example experimental data.
This issue
Other journals from The Company of Biologists
Biology Open and COVID-19
We are aware that the COVID-19 pandemic is having an unprecedented impact on researchers worldwide. The Editors of all The Company of Biologists’ journals have been considering ways in which we can alleviate concerns that members of our community may have around publishing activities during this time. Read about the actions we are taking at this time.
Please don’t hesitate to contact the Editorial Office if you have any questions or concerns.
Interview – Savant Thakur
Savant Thakur was a Ph.D. student in Professor Gordon S. Lynch’s lab (The University of Melbourne) working towards understanding the mechanisms of defective muscle repair in muscle diseases and wasting disorders. Sadly, Savant passed away on June 16, 2019 and so one of his supervisors, Professor Lynch, spoke to BiO about Savant's work and character.
A day in the life of a returning spider lab
Back in 2016, two PhD students in Alistair McGregor’s lab at Oxford Brookes shared a day in the life of a spider lab on the Node. Four years and one pandemic later, we caught up with Alistair to find out how his lab has responded to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.