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PubMed2026

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the late positive potential and internalizing psychopathology.

The present study leveraged the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) framework to conduct a systematic meta-analysis to determine the association between the late positive potential (LPP) index of emotional reactivity and internalizing psychopathology. PRISMA guidelines were followed. Articles were identified through PubMed, APA PsycInfo, and Web of Science online platforms in May 2025. Included articles examined associations between the LPP to positive and/or negative stimuli and internalizing psychopathology. Risk of bias and publication bias were assessed. Results were examined for individual disorders, distress and fear subfactors, and the internalizing spectrum using two approaches: standard analyses that examined aggregate effects and hierarchical analyses that examined direct and indirect relationships. We conducted moderator analyses for sample, task design, LPP quantification, and psychopathology measurement. We included 63 studies across 5,360 participants (Mage = 19.65, SD = 11.1; 58.7% female). In standard meta-analyses, depression was associated with a smaller LPP to positive stimuli (r = -.06, 95% confidence interval [CI; -.12, -.003]). Specific phobia was associated with a larger LPP to negative stimuli (r = .21, 95% CI [.02, .37]). Distress was associated with a smaller LPP to both positive (r = -.12) and negative (r = -.11) stimuli when measured via clinical interview, and fear was associated with a larger LPP to negative stimuli (r = .10, 95% CI [.03, .16]). Hierarchical analyses indicated that the depression results were specific to the disorder, whereas the fear disorder-level results were due to the higher order fear subfactor. The LPP demonstrates discriminant relationships with distress and fear disorders and subfactors. Results were largely robust against methodological factors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Evaluation of pilocarpine effects on sweat proteome.

BACKGROUND: Sweat is increasingly recognized as a valuable, non-invasive biofluid for biomarker discovery, yet its composition depends on the stimulation method. This study aimed to determine how pharmacological induction with pilocarpine compares to physiologically induced sweat through exercise in shaping the sweat proteome. RESULTS: We analyzed thermoregulatory sweat from exercise, pilocarpine-induced sweat, and combined pilocarpine plus exercise sweat. Total protein concentrations were similar across conditions, but pilocarpine markedly increased proteomic diversity, with combined pilocarpine plus exercise sweat showing the highest number of identifications. The core sweat proteome remained stable, while pilocarpine selectively enriched low-abundance proteins involved in vesicular trafficking, cytoskeletal remodelling, and metabolism. Proteins linked to the canonical M3-Gq-PLC-Ca2+ pathway, including AQP5, CALML5, and CLIC1, were consistently enriched, confirming cholinergic activation. Pilocarpine-induced sweat also contained plasma-derived and immune-related proteins, reflecting enhanced secretion and reduced ductal reabsorption. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise yields a physiologically relevant but less complex proteome, pilocarpine-induced sweat produces a pharmacologically enriched yet biased profile, and combined pilocarpine plus exercise sweat maximizes protein detection at the expense of interpretability. These findings highlight the critical impact of stimulation paradigm on sweat proteomics and provide a reference framework for biomarker research. SIGNIFICANCE: This study employed LC-MS/MS to systematically characterize eccrine sweat and delineate how stimulation paradigms-exercise, pilocarpine, and their combination-shape its proteomic landscape. By demonstrating that pharmacological induction profoundly alters protein diversity and composition compared to physiologically induced sweat, these findings establish a critical benchmark for sweat-based biomarker research and highlight the need for paradigm-aware sampling strategies in clinical and translational contexts. Nonetheless, several methodological constraints warrant consideration: the limited sample size (five individuals per group), the exclusive inclusion of women under combined oral contraceptive treatment (21 active pills followed by 7 pill-free days), which restricts extrapolation to naturally cycling women, and the focus on healthy young adults (18-25 years), limiting generalizability to older or clinically heterogeneous populations. Despite these limitations, this work provides a foundational framework for optimizing sweat collection protocols and advancing precision approaches in non-invasive diagnostics.

Pilocarpine↗

PubMed2026

Transcriptomic insights into thermal stress reveal physiological trade-off between thermal stress adaptation and reproductive investment in Spodoptera litura.

Spodoptera litura, a highly polyphagous lepidopteran pest, poses a major threat to agricultural productivity due to its remarkable adaptability to diverse environmental conditions. Although heat stress is known to trigger transcriptional reprogramming in insects, the molecular mechanisms underlying thermal stress responses in S. litura remain poorly understood. In the present study, fourth-instar larvae were exposed to acute heat stress (44 °C) and compared with control conditions (27 ± 1 °C) to investigate heat-induced transcriptional alterations affecting physiology and reproduction. High-quality RNA-Seq data achieved more than 80% mapping efficiency, with a total of 15,782 transcripts were identified. Transcriptome analysis of S. litura larvae showed 323 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), of which 262 genes were significantly upregulated and 61 were downregulated in heat-stressed larvae compared to the control group. The DEGs were associated with stress response, reproduction, signalling, proteostasis, detoxification, oxidative stress, metabolism, development, and chromatin regulation. Heat shock proteins genes, including HSP70, HSP90, and HSP27, together with co-chaperones such as TRET-1, STIP1, and Starvin, were strongly upregulated, indicating enhanced cellular protection against protein damage and oxidative stress under heat stress. Conversely, key reproductive and cell cycle-related genes, including BARR, CAPD2, FEO, CDK2 and MORULA, were significantly downregulated, suggesting reproductive impairment and developmental arrest. RT-qPCR validation corroborated the RNA-Seq findings, demonstrating a heat-induced physiological trade-off that prioritizes survival over reproduction. Consistent with these molecular responses, heat-stressed insects exhibited marked reproductive impairment, including significant reductions in gonadosomatic index, eupyrene sperm bundle count, mating frequency, mating success, female calling behaviour, copulation duration, fecundity, and egg fertility. Collectively, these findings provide comprehensive insights into the molecular basis of thermal adaptation in S. litura and demonstrate that acute heat stress compromises reproductive fitness while activating conserved stress-response pathways that promote short-term survival.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

ER proteostasis failure in HYOU1 deficiency alters B cells, neutrophils, and interferon signalling.

Hypoxia upregulated 1 (HYOU1) is a stress-inducible ER chaperone. We investigated 2 unrelated patients carrying biallelic HYOU1 variants and presenting with primary immunodeficiency. Patient 1, homozygous for p.Pro444His, displayed failure to thrive, hypoglycemia, B cell lymphopenia, and neutropenia. Patient 2, compound heterozygous for p.Arg262Gln and p.Pro757_Glu758insAla, exhibited recurrent infections, enteropathy, and hypogammaglobulinemia. In Patient 1, while HYOU1 transcription was preserved, the protein was severely reduced. Tunicamycin treatment of dermal fibroblasts showed a blunted unfolded protein response and defective induction of ER stress-responsive genes. Immunophenotyping showed near-absence of circulating B cells, and single-cell RNA sequencing of bone marrow identified an arrest at the pro-B cell stage. Neutrophils displayed hypogranulation and dysregulated IFN- and apoptosis-associated transcriptional signatures, unresponsive to G-CSF. HYOU1 deficiency hence results in ER stress-induced proteostasis failure that simultaneously impairs adaptive immunity through B cell developmental arrest and innate immunity through neutrophil dysfunction and IFN pathway imbalance. This work expands the spectrum of HYOU1 deficiency and further identifies ER proteostasis as a central determinant of immune homeostasis.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2026

First evaluation of a novel recombinant eCG molecule in ewes reveals a discrepancy between ovulatory response and pregnancy outcome.

This study evaluated the reproductive performance and clinical safety of a novel recombinant eCG (r-eCG) in ewes. Two weeks prior to study onset (Day 0: intravaginal progesterone device insertion), 45 ewes were randomly assigned to negative control (NC; no eCG; n = 10), positive control (PC; 400IU commercial non-recombinant eCG; n = 20), or treatment group (T; 400IU r-eCG; n = 15). Ewes were inseminated with fresh-diluted semen (200 × 106 sperm). Ultrasonography assessed follicle count/diameter (days 11, 13), ovulation (day 13), corpus luteum (CL) number/characteristics (day 20), and pregnancy (day 44). Serum progesterone was measured on day 20; Group T underwent clinical/hematological evaluations (days 0, 20, and 44). Estrus signs were more frequent (P < 0.01) in T (100%) than NC (50%), while PC (85%) did not differ. Ovulation rates were similar between T (93%) and PC (95%), but higher than NC (50%; P < 0.05). On day 13, largest follicle diameter did not differ (P > 0.05) among groups; however, fewer follicles > 2 mm occurred in PC than NC and T (P < 0.05). CL number was higher in T than PC (2.0 ± 0.3 vs. 1.0 ± 0.0, P < 0.01), while NC did not differ (1.0 ± 0.25). Conversely, pregnancy rate was higher (P < 0.05) in PC (70%) than T (28.6%) and NC (20%). Among ovulated ewes, progesterone concentration and progesterone/CL ratio did not differ among groups (P = 0.92 and P = 0.08, respectively). No relevant r-eCG-related clinical or hematological alterations occurred. In conclusion, 400IU r-eCG effectively induces estrus and ovulation without adverse effects; however, the discrepancy between ovulatory response and pregnancy rate underscores the need for further study refinement to improve fertility.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Diurnal differences in the effects of heat exposure on renal function: A randomized controlled crossover trial.

High temperature is a major risk factor for kidney injury, and population exposure to nighttime heat is increasing as the climate warms. However, whether renal responses to heat exposure differ between daytime and nighttime remains unclear. Forty-one healthy adults participated in a randomized crossover experiment conducted in a controlled laboratory setting. Participants were exposed to heat (32°C during daytime; 30°C during nighttime) and thermoneutral conditions (26°C) for 8 h. Blood and urine samples were collected before and after each exposure to examine various renal biomarkers reflecting glomerular filtration function, tubular injury, and early kidney stress. Heat exposure affected both blood and urinary biomarkers of kidney function, with notable diurnal differences in renal responses. Daytime heat exposure primarily affected blood markers of glomerular filtration, increasing creatinine by 7.67% (95% CI: 4.73%-10.61%) and cystatin C by 3.05% (95% CI: 0.17%-5.93%), while reducing estimated glomerular filtration rate by 0.05% (95% CI: 0.02%-0.08%). In contrast, nighttime heat exposure predominantly elevated urinary biomarkers of early kidney stress, including insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 7 (58.40%, 95% CI: 27.66%-89.14%), kidney injury molecule-1 (47.25%, 95% CI: 18.91%-75.59%), and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-2 (51.88%, 95% CI: 22.26%-81.51%). Moreover, increases in insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 7 were significantly greater at night than during the day. Sleep-related parameters, including sleep quality, duration, and heart rate variability, partially mediated nighttime heat effects on renal responses. These results indicated that heat exposure induced different diurnal patterns in renal responses.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Genome-wide characterization of heat shock protein genes reveals thermal stress-responsive candidates in Litopenaeus vannamei.

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are conserved molecular chaperones involved in protein folding, refolding, aggregation prevention, and degradation of damaged proteins. However, the genomic organization and thermal responsiveness of HSP genes in the Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) remain incompletely understood. Here, we performed a genome-wide analysis of the HSP gene family and examined its phylogenetic relationships, structural features, duplication patterns, sequence variation, interaction networks, and transcriptional responses to acute heat stress. A total of 34 HSP genes were identified and classified into the HSP90, HSP70, HSP40/DNAJ, HSP60, and small HSP families. Phylogenetic, motif, gene structure, synteny, and subcellular localization analyses revealed evolutionary conservation and structural diversification among family members. Three duplicated gene pairs were identified, comprising two segmental duplications and one tandem duplication. All pairs exhibited Ka/Ks ratios below 1, consistent with purifying selection of varying strength. Sequence analysis identified 295 nonsynonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms, of which 12 were consistently predicted to be deleterious by multiple algorithms. Protein-protein interaction analysis indicated enrichment of protein-folding and cellular stress-response functions. RT-qPCR analysis showed significant induction of HSPA4, HSP90AA1, TRAP1, BiP, and DNAJA1 after 6, 12, and 24 h of exposure to 34 °C, whereas DNAJC3 was significantly induced only at 12 h. All six genes reached their highest transcript abundance at 12 h. These findings may provide a genomic framework for HSP genes in L. vannamei and identify candidate genes and variants associated with thermal stress responses.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

The effects of cold temperature on the development, microbiome, and transcriptome of the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis.

Thermal conditions impact essentially all aspects of the physiology for ectotherms. While the effects of high temperatures have been widely studied, cold temperature effects on aquatic invertebrates and their microbial communities have been poorly characterized. To determine the diverse effects of exposure to cold temperatures, we assessed acute and long-term impacts of ecologically relevant low temperatures on the development, microbiome, and gene expression of the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. Two hours post fertilization, embryos were exposed to temperatures from 4°C to 35°C and development rate to the juvenile stage was quantified. We found temperature impacts the development rate of embryos, where lower temperatures extended development time and resulted in mortality below 10°C. For both microbiome and host transcriptomic responses, anemones were held at 20°C, 10°C, and 0°C and compared at 24 hours and 7 days. Extended exposures to colder temperatures caused restructuring of the host-associated microbiome, with the loss of common taxonomic groups from the class Bacteroidia and Bacilli. Lastly, cold stress induced significant changes in gene expression, which were more pronounced at the 10°C than 0°C but showed little change over time in each temperature. Interestingly, expression of genes associated with innate immunity were among the most differentially expressed genes including heat shock proteins and innate immune genes providing a potential host-imposed mechanism to explain the shift in the microbiome. Overall, cold temperatures have broad effects on many facets of this sea anemone and its microbial community and indicate the importance of cold temperature events when characterizing how ectotherms acclimate to thermal variation.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Molecular characterization of 16 MAPK genes in silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and the differences of their mRNA expression between Qiandao Lake and Taihu Lake.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), a serine-threonine protein kinase, is involved in a variety of stress-induced responses and also plays an important regulatory role in cell metabolism. In the study the open reading frames (ORFs) of 16 MAPK genes in silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) were obtained and verified, with the evaluations of their taxonomy, structures, conserved motifs, and evolutionary linkages. And the expression patterns of these genes in the silver carp from Qiandao Lake and Taihu Lake were explored for better understanding the response of MAPK genes to different water environment. MAPK genes of silver carp were divided into three subfamilies, including extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) subfamily, p38 subfamily and C-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) subfamily. All these genes possessed similar structures and conserved motifs of MAPK family. Realtime qPCR revealed that the expression patterns of 10 MAPK genes (ScMAPK1, ScMAPK3, ScMAPK4, ScMAPK7, ScMAPK15, ScMAPK8a, ScMAPK8b, ScMAPK9, ScMAPK10 and ScMAPK11) in head kidney, spleen and gill of silver carp in Taihu Lake and Qiandao Lake were different. These findings provide a basis for further research on the function of MAPK in silver carp.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Biochemical Insights Into the Conserved Interactions of NMD Factors From Budding Yeast to Humans.

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is one of the most extensively studied pathways of cytoplasmic mRNA degradation. It plays a critical role in diverse cellular processes by eliminating aberrant transcripts containing premature stop codons and by regulating the stability of physiological mRNAs. NMD factors were initially identified through genetic screens in S. cerevisiae (UPF1, 2, 3) and C. elegans (SMG-1, SMG5-7). Subsequent biochemical and genetic studies revealed the composition of NMD complexes and identified additional factors. A major protein hub for NMD is Upf1, an ATP-dependent RNA helicase that is part of two mutually exclusive NMD assemblies, the Upf1-Upf2-Upf3 complex and the Upf1-decapping complex, which contains the decapping enzyme and its co-factors. Here, we discuss recent findings, primarily from budding yeast, on the protein-protein interactions driving NMD complexes dynamics and their similarities to human NMD. Together, the N-terminal cysteine and histidine rich (CH) and helicase domains (HD) of Upf1 act as a hub for binding multiple partners. Upf1 is required for binding to NMD substrates and for the initiation of RNA degradation through decapping (yeast) or endonucleolytic hydrolysis (humans). We focus on the interplay between Upf2, Dcp2 and Nmd4 (yeast SMG6), which ensures the mutually exclusive formation of Upf1-bound subcomplexes modulating Upf1's affinity for RNA. Thus, the study of NMD factors interactions in different organisms sheds new light on the remarkable conservation of NMD molecular mechanisms.

Nonsense Mediated mRNA Decay↗

PubMed2026

Seventeen-year follow-up of hypophosphatasia diagnosed in middle-aged siblings harboring a novel intronic and a rare missense ALPL gene mutation.

Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is the rare inborn-error-of-metabolism that features impaired mineralization of the skeleton and teeth due to a deactivating mutation or mutations of the gene ALPL which encodes the tissue-nonspecific isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase (TNSALP). We report 17-year follow-up of twin sisters and a brother referred in middle-age for painful proximal femoral "stress fractures" and then diagnosed with HPP. They reported generalized muscle and bone pain, metatarsal fractures, arthropathy and, since childhood, tooth loss. Their concordant findings were explained by compound heterozygosity in ALPL for a rare maternal missense mutation (c.1403C > T, p.Ala468Val) in exon 12, together with a novel presumably paternal change (c.863-14G > A) predicting a cryptic mRNA splice site in intron 8. Fractures continued during follow-up until one sister received a three-and-one-half-year course of hydroxyapatite-targeted TNSALP supplementation therapy (asfotase alfa) during which substantial improvement occurred in her clinical, biochemical, and functional parameters as well as quality of life. Following subsequent unplanned treatment cessation she suffered significant clinical deterioration, including new fractures and loss of mobility. Her bone histopathology documented osteomalacia. Treatment resumption restored its benefits. Among ten asymptomatic family members evaluated in this four-generation kindred, eight were carriers heterozygous for either ALPL mutation. Those harboring the maternal missense defect manifested mild hypophosphatasemia, suggesting a dominant-negative mutation effect. This experience underscores the importance of in-depth phenotyping and then clinical follow-up to characterize ALPL variant combinations, and for maintaining effective asfotase alfa treatment.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

A conserved distal-tail helical extension defines a tailspike attachment architecture in Gram-negative siphophages.

Rapid growth of bacteriophage genome collections has outpaced functional annotation of tail-tip proteins, limiting comparative analysis of host-recognition structures. Starting from a shared distal-tail gene organization in the Salmonella phages 9NA and Jersey, I developed a morphogenetic bioinformatic framework integrating gene synteny, sequence comparison, profile hidden Markov model (HMM) screening, structural evidence, structure-aware searching, and AlphaFold modeling. Comparison with the experimentally characterized lambda and Sf11 tail assemblies identified a predominantly alpha-helical C-terminal extension of the distal-tail (DT) protein associated with tailspike attachment, termed the distal-tail helical extension (DT-helix). Screening 541,986 proteins from 5167 complete NCBI RefSeq tailed-phage genomes, followed by evidence-based evaluation of sequence, genomic context, and structural architecture, identified 165 curated DT-helical-extension-associated phages. Their DT proteins segregated into six sequence groups. In the four principal multi-member groups, cognate tailspikes showed group-specific conservation in proximal N-terminal regions but substantially greater downstream diversity, consistent with sequence constraint at the DT-tailspike attachment boundary. A complementary ProstT5/Foldseek search supported the established groups but revealed no convincing additional highly divergent family. Together with the experimentally characterized Sf11 attachment interface, these findings define a recurrent morphogenetic architecture linking conserved distal-tail scaffolds to more variable receptor-binding proteins across siphophages infecting Gram-negative bacteria. Although universal exchangeability is not established, the identified scaffold-receptor-binding boundaries provide a framework for molecular characterization and rational phage engineering. Accession-level information for the 165 curated phages is available through PhageTailDB.

Viral Tail Proteins↗

PubMed2026

Development and validation of a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the quantification of twenty-five steroids in equine serum.

Steroids are potential biomarkers for monitoring equine pregnancy. However, immunoassays currently used for their quantification suffer from cross-reactivity and limited specificity, thus requiring more accurate methods. This study reports the development and validation of a robust liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for simultaneous quantification of 25 steroids covering the main biosynthetic pathways of progestogens, corticosteroids, androgens, and estrogens. Steroids were extracted by protein precipitation followed by evaporation, derivatization, and reconstitution before LC-MS/MS analysis. A surrogate matrix was used for calibration and validation to avoid endogenous interference. Validation was performed according to and partly adapted from Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines (CLSI), including linearity, trueness, precision, limits of detection and quantification, measurement uncertainty, recovery, matrix effects, carryover, selectivity, and stability. Calibration curves were fitted using the best-performing weighted linear or quadratic regression model, yielding excellent linearity (R2 > 0.990), trueness between -9.0% and 2.3%, and intra- and inter-day precision <6.3%. Lower limits of quantification ranged from 2.07 to 2250 pg/mL depending on physiological analytes concentration. Extraction recovery averaged 24.3-114.9%, matrix effects were acceptable, and accuracy ranged from 94.4% to 98.9%. No carryover or interferences were detected. Measurement uncertainty remained <15%. This study presents the first LC-MS/MS method partially validated per CLSI criteria for the quantification of 24 steroids in equine serum. The method offers a sensitive and specific alternative to immunoassays and provides a robust tool for equine steroid profiling with potential applications in pregnancy monitoring, placentitis diagnosis, and fetal sex determination.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses provide new insights into the response of black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii) larvae to temperature fluctuations.

Sebastes schlegelii usually encounter elevated and fluctuating water temperatures near its upper thermal limit in summer, yet the hepatic responses of larvae to repeated temperature fluctuation regimes remain unclear. To address this question, S. schlegelii larvae were exposed for 8 days to four thermal regimes: constant 18 °C (CT), constant 28 °C (HT), intermittent cooling from 18 to 8 °C followed by recovery to 18 °C (FL), and intermittent warming from 18 to 28 °C followed by recovery to 18 °C (FH). Survival rate was evaluated, and integrated liver transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were performed. Final survival rates were 96.67% in the CT group, 97.78% in the FL group, and 77.78% in the FH group. Survival rate in the HT group (38.89%) was significantly lower than that in the other three groups (P < 0.05). HTvsCT, FLvsCT, FHvsCT, and FHvsHT comparisons identified 2598, 1207, 622, and 2404 differentially expressed genes and 627, 606, 690, and 610 differential metabolites, respectively. KEGG enrichment analyses of DEGs and SDMs in HTvsCT highlighted HSP-mediated proteostasis, endoplasmic-reticulum protein processing, branched-chain and sulfur amino acid metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and central carbon metabolism, with upregulated hsp90aa1, bckdha, gclc, and pfkp and reduced levels of branched-chain amino acids and methionine. Compared with HT, FH showed attenuated disturbances in proteostasis, amino acid and redox regulation, and central carbon metabolism, together with recovery-associated glycerophospholipid turnover. FL primarily induced polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-related membrane lipid remodeling. These findings indicate that hepatic responses differed between continuous high-temperature exposure and temperature fluctuations and between fluctuation regimes.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Integrated physiological and transcriptomic analyses reveal coordinated gill responses to heat stress in pikeperch (Sander lucioperca).

Climate change-driven warming of aquatic environments has made thermal stress an increasingly important factor influencing fish physiological homeostasis. Given their central roles in respiration and osmoregulation, gills are particularly responsive to variations in ambient temperature. Histological examination, physiological measurements, and transcriptome profiling were integrated to investigate the mechanisms associated with heat stress-induced gill injury in pikeperch (Sander lucioperca). Histological analysis revealed that exposure to 29 °C directly caused structural damage to the gills of pikeperch. Oxidative status was evaluated by measuring malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and the activities of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT). MDA accumulation was significantly enhanced under heat stress, while antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, POD, and CAT) displayed a transient increase followed by a subsequent decline. Transcriptome profiling showed marked enrichment of the protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum pathway after heat stress, suggesting activation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in pikeperch gills. With increasing stress duration, the unfolded protein response (UPR) appeared unable to re-establish ER homeostasis, shifting ire1 and atf6 toward a pro-apoptotic state. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis further highlighted hub genes potentially involved in heat stress-induced ER stress and apoptosis. TUNEL staining and western blotting collectively confirmed that heat stress triggered apoptosis in pikeperch gill tissue. Overall, this study provides new insights into the physiological and molecular responses of pikeperch gills to heat stress and enhances our understanding of thermal stress adaptation in cold-water aquaculture species under climate change.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Reducing state anxiety with alpha-frequency transcranial alternating current stimulation.

BACKGROUND: Anxiety reactivity to acute stress is a transdiagnostic vulnerability factor. We tested whether a single session of alpha-frequency transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) targeting the frontoparietal control network reduces stress-evoked state anxiety in healthy adults. METHODS: In a randomized, blinded, sham-controlled study, 42 participants (mean age 58.9 years) completed an acute stress task before and after stimulation. The task was an adapted moving-circles paradigm in which circle collisions triggered a brief aversive event (mild electric shock plus unpleasant noise and a white flash). Active stimulation consisted of 20 min of 10-Hz tACS (2.0 mA/channel; 30-s ramp up/down) delivered via electrodes at F3, P3, Cz, and T7 (0° phase at F3/P3; 180° at Cz/T7). Sham stimulation used the same montage and ramp periods but no sustained current. RESULTS: State anxiety showed a significant Time × Protocol interaction (F(1,35) = 4.22, p = .047): STAI-S decreased after active tACS (Δ = -3.16) but increased slightly after sham (Δ = +1.17). Perceived stress appraisal (SAAS) did not change. Resting-state alpha power at F3/P3 showed no reliable pre-post effects. During the task, left-frontal relative alpha differed by protocol and showed a trend toward larger increases following active tACS. Electrodermal and pupil indices changed across sessions in both groups, with no differential stimulation effects. CONCLUSIONS: A single alpha-tACS session produced a modest, selective reduction in stress-evoked state anxiety, supporting oscillatory neuromodulation as a scalable approach to dampen anxiety reactivity.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Identification of aquaporin (AQP) genes in the noble scallop Chlamys nobilis and characterization of their expression under low-temperature stress.

Aquaporins (AQPs) are transmembrane channel proteins essential for water homeostasis and cellular stress responses. In marine bivalves, their roles in cold tolerance remain poorly understood despite frequent winter mortality events in aquaculture. Here, we identified nine AQP genes in the genome of the economically important noble scallop Chlamys nobilis. Phylogenetic analysis revealed strong conservation with other bivalve AQPs, and structural features, including conserved NPA motifs and ar/R selectivity filters, support their canonical water/glycerol transport functions. Tissue-specific expression profiling showed predominant enrichment in osmoregulatory tissues (gills, intestine) and gonads. Under both chronic and acute low-temperature stress from 23 °C to 9 °C, most CnAQP genes exhibited transient upregulation followed by suppression. Notably, CnAQP4 displayed sustained upregulation, implicating it as a key mediator of long-term cold adaptation. Promoter analysis further revealed abundant cis-elements linked to growth and development as well as immune regulation. Our findings provide the first comprehensive characterization of the AQP family in C. nobilis, highlighting its critical role in maintaining cellular integrity during cold stress and offering molecular targets for selective breeding of cold-tolerant scallop strains.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Cloning of two Hsp70 genes and association analysis between SNP haplotypes and high temperature tolerance trait in red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii).

Aquaculture is suffering the challenge from high temperature climate. Two Hsp70 genes, PcHsp70-1 and PcHsp70-2, as key genes involved in the high temperature tolerance of red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) were identified and cloned in this study. Their molecular features and expression patterns were characterized, revealing the distinct tissue-specific upregulation expression under high temperature stress (33 °C). Two SNPs, PcHsp70-1 (SNP258) and PcHsp70-2 (SNP555) were examined to associate with high temperature tolerance in three populations (n = 675). The genotypes of PcHsp70-1-SNP258 (GA) and PcHsp70-2-SNP555 (TT) were significantly associated with stronger high temperature tolerance. Notably, individuals carrying the haplotype of Hap I (GG + TT) showed a survival rate exceeding 70% under high temperature stress, whereas, the Hap VIII (AA + CT) showed it at 5.2%. RNA interference of PcHsp70-1 resulted in a significant decrease expression of the gene GSH-Px and its encoding protein (glutathione peroxidase) activity, and damage in intestinal tissue under high temperature stress. The transcriptome result revealed that PcHsp70-1 participates in regulation of the pathways related to cytoskeletal construction, immune response, apoptosis, and antioxidant defense. These findings indicate that PcHsp70 genes are crucial for the cellular stress response under high temperature stress. The developed Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) markers provide valuable tools for the marker-assisted selection of high temperature tolerant crayfish varieties, supporting the sustainable development of aquaculture under the challenge of global warming.

Animals↗