The loss of inner ear hair cells causes permanent hearing and balance deficits in humans and other mammals, but nonmammals recover after supporting cells (SCs) divide and replace hair cells. The proliferative capacity of mammalian SCs declines as exceptionally thick circumferential F-actin bands develop at their adherens junctions. We hypothesized that the reinforced junctions were limiting regenerative responses of mammalian SCs by impeding changes in cell shape and epithelial tension. Using micropipette aspiration and atomic force microscopy, we measured mechanical properties of utricles from mice and chickens. Our data show that the epithelial surface of the mouse utricle stiffens significantly during postnatal maturation. This stiffening correlates with and is dependent on the postnatal accumulation of F-actin and the cross-linker Alpha-Actinin-4 at SC-SC junctions. In chicken utricles, where SCs lack junctional reinforcement, the epithelial surface remains compliant. There, SCs un
The space-for-time substitution approach provides a valuable empirical assessment to infer temporal effects of disturbance from spatial gradients. Applied to predict the response of different ecosystems under current climate change scenarios, it remains poorly tested in microbial ecology studies, partly due to the trophic complexity of the ecosystems studied. The McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica represent a trophically simple polar desert projected to experience drastic changes in water availability under current climate change predictions. We used this ideal model system to develop and validate a microbial space-for-time sampling approach, using the variation of geochemical profiles that follow alterations in water availability and reflect past and future changes in the system. Our framework measured soil electrical conductivity, pH, and water activity in situ to geochemically define 17 space-for-time transects from the shores of four dynamic and two static Dry Valley lakes. We ident
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most neurodegenerative disease in the world. T cell infiltration in the central nervous system (CNS) has provided insights that the peripheral immune cells participate in the pathogenesis of PD. However, the association between the peripheral immune system and CNS is remained to be elucidated. Here, we analyzed an incorporative substantial nigra expression data as well as another blood expression data using the CIBERSORT to obtain the 22 immune cells fraction and then explored the molecular function to identify the potential key immune cell types and genes of PD. We observed the proportions of naïve CD4 T cells, gamma delta T cells, resting NK cells, neutrophils in the blood, and regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the substantial nigra were significantly different between PD patients and healthy controls (HC). We identified p53-induced death domain protein 1 (PIDD1) as the hub gene of a Parkinson’s disease-related module. The set of neuron-spe
Despite the potentially huge contributions that coastal communities might make in marine resource management and sustainability, their participation in such efforts have only been recognized recently, particularly in Southeast Asia. Involving community perceptions can offer new insights for policy makers and resource managers and can elicit strong commitment and support from the communities themselves. This paper aims to understand perceptions of coastal communities of local environmental issues, specifically how these have developed over time, to understand expectations and perceptions of trends. Sixteen marine environmental issues were identified during stakeholder meetings in Palawan, Philippines. A co-developed survey was administered to 431 respondents from coastal communities in two municipalities (Taytay and Aborlan) and the city of Puerto Princesa in Palawan. The results show variation in perceptions and expectations between issues. We find that communities expect positive tren
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