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Neurobiol Aging 2021 Feb 2;101:221-223. Epub 2021 Feb 2.

Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Berlin, Germany.

Serum BDNF concentrations in 2053 participants of the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II; 1572 individuals from the older age group [60-85 years], 481 individuals from the younger-age reference group [22-37 years]) were studied. There was no effect of age, sex, body mass index, self-reported depression, or BDNF Val66Met variant on serum BDNF concentrations. Multiple linear regression analysis failed to detect significant relationships of Digit Symbol Substitution Test score and Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease memory score to BDNF levels. Read More

Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2021 Feb 17;85:5-10. Epub 2021 Feb 17.

German Center of Cardiovascular Research (DZHK); Partner Site Hamburg/Lübeck/Kiel, Hamburg, Germany; Department of General and Interventional Cardiology, University Heart and Vascular Center, Hamburg, Germany.

Objectives: In prospective cohort studies different blood lipid fractions have been identified as risk factors of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, data relating lipoproteins to disease phenotypes and progression in advanced PD patients are sparse. Therefore, we assessed the most common lipoproteins in a case-control design and evaluated their associations with motor and cognitive function and decline in PD patients. Read More

Biochim Biophys Acta Proteins Proteom 2021 Feb 23:140634. Epub 2021 Feb 23.

Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien 97004, Taiwan; Laboratory of Synthetic Biophysics and Chemical Biology, Biophysics Institute for Research and Development (BIRD), Chiang Mai 50230, Thailand; Bacterial Toxin Research Innovation Cluster (BRIC), Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Salaya Campus, Nakornpathom 73170, Thailand. Electronic address:

One proposed toxic mechanism of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry δ-endotoxins involves pore formation in target membranes by the α4-α5 transmembrane hairpin constituting their pore-forming domain. Here, nine selected charged and uncharged polar residues in the pore-lining α4 of the Cry4Aa mosquito-active toxin were substituted with Ala. All mutant toxins, i. Read More

Prog Lipid Res 2021 Feb 23:101094. Epub 2021 Feb 23.

Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università di Perugia, Perugia, Italy.

Bile acids are a large family of atypical steroids which exert their functions by binding to a family of ubiquitous cell membrane and nuclear receptors. There two receptors, FXR and GPBAR1, that are exclusively activated by bile acids while other receptors RORγT, S1PR2, CAR, LXRs, PXR and VDR are activated by bile acids in addition to other more selective endogenous ligands. In the intestine, activation of FXR and GPBAR1 promotes the release of FGF15/19 and GLP1 which integrate their signaling with direct effects exerted by the two receptors in target tissues. Read More

Exp Cell Res 2021 Feb 23:112519. Epub 2021 Feb 23.

Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology Institute, Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities, Tongliao, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region 028002, P.R. China; Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Mongolian Medicine Pharmacology for Cardio-Cerebral Vascular System, Tongliao, Inner Mongolia, P.R. China. Electronic address:

Objective: Atherosclerosis (AS) is an inflammatory disease and the formation of atherosclerotic plaque plays a critical role in AS progression. We aimed to investigate the effect of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) activated by DNA damage (NORAD)/microRNA-495-3p (miR-495-3p)/Krüppel-like factor 5 (KLF5) axis on atherosclerotic plaque formation.

Methods: The ApoE mice were fed a high-fat diet to construct AS mouse models and the modeled mice were treated with altered NORAD, miR-495-3p or KLF5. Read More