08.03.2024
Authors Lázaro DF, Amen T, Gerhardt E, Santos PI, Milovanovic D, Höglinger G, Outeiro TF Journal BioRxiv Citation bioRxiv 2024.03.05.583522. Abstract Alpha-synuclein (aSyn) is an intrinsically disordered protein that undergoes phase-separation and is associated with several neurodegenerative conditions. However, the function and the pathological role of aSyn are still elusive.
06.03.2024
Towards a biological diagnosis of PD
Authors Chopra A, Lang AE, Höglinger G, Outeiro TF Journal Parkinsonism & Related Disorders Citation Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2024 Mar 6:106078. Abstract Since the original description by James Parkinson, Parkinson’s disease (PD) has intrigued us for over 200 years. PD is a progressive condition that is incurable so far, and
02.03.2024
First heat map for individual red blood cells
Researchers measure heat flow: from active metabolic forces inside cell to flickering cell membrane Entropy is often associated with disorder and chaos, but in biology it is related to energy efficiency and is closely linked to metabolism, the set of chemical reactions that sustain life. An international research team
01.03.2024
Light into the darkness of photosynthesis: 3D insights into the copying machine of chloroplasts
For life on Earth, it is essential that plants carry out photosynthesis and ultimately produce oxygen and chemical energy with the help of sunlight. Researchers from Göttingen and Hannover have now succeeded for the first time in visualizing the copying machine of chloroplasts, the RNA polymerase PEP, in high-resolution 3D.
01.03.2024
Light into the darkness of photosynthesis: 3D insights into the copying machine of chloroplasts
• A molecular 3D snapshot of the copying machine in chloroplasts, the RNA polymerase PEP, provides new insights into the evolution and function of plant photosynthesis. • Using a cryo-electron microscope, a high-resolution image of a 19-subunit PEP complex from white mustard (Sinapis alba) was taken. • Evolutionary analyses indicate
01.03.2024
Lipid fibrils: A new building block for understanding Alzheimer’s disease
Lipids play an important role in the development of Alzheimer’s dementia. However, more details about this process were previously unknown. A team of scientists from Göttingen, Jülich, and Düsseldorf has now determined the atomic structures of lipid-fibril complexes for the first time. Link to the press release article (in
29.02.2024
Structure of the multi-subunit chloroplast RNA polymerase
Authors do Prado PFV, Ahrens FM, Liebers M, Ditz N, Braun HP, Pfannschmidt T, Hillen HS Journal Molecular Cell Citation Mol Cell (2024) 84, 1–16. Abstract Chloroplasts contain a dedicated genome that encodes subunits of the photosynthesis machinery. Transcription of photosynthesis genes is predominantly carried out by
29.02.2024
Variance sum rule for entropy production
Authors Di Terlizzi I, Gironella M, Herraez-Aguilar D, Betz T, Monroy F, Baiesi M, Ritort F Journal Science Citation Science. 2024 Mar;383(6686):971-976. Abstract Entropy production is the hallmark of nonequilibrium physics, quantifying irreversibility, dissipation, and the efficiency of energy transduction processes. Despite many efforts, its measurement at
28.02.2024
Optical measurement of glutamate release robustly reports short-term plasticity at a fast central synapse
Authors Hain PJH, Moser T Journal Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience Citation Front. Mol. Neurosci. 17:1351280. Abstract Introduction: Recently developed fluorescent neurotransmitter indicators have enabled direct measurements of neurotransmitter in the synaptic cleft. Precise optical measurements of neurotransmitter release may be used to make inferences about presynaptic function independent of electrophysiological
28.02.2024
Human serum-derived α-synuclein auto-antibodies mediate NMDA receptor-dependent degeneration of CNS neurons
Authors Garg P, Würtz F, Hobbie F, Buttgereit K, Aich A, Leite K, Rehling P, Kügler S, Bähr M Journal Journal of Neuroinflammation Citation J Neuroinflammation. 2024 Feb 28;21(1):62. Abstract Background Presence of autoantibodies against α-synuclein (α-syn AAb) in serum of the general population has been widely





