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Absence of CD47 maintains brown fat thermogenic capacity and protects mice from aging-related obesity and metabolic diso...

Published in Biochemical and biophysical research communications

Brown and beige adipocytes burn energy to produce heat and could serve as a therapeutic target to counteract metabolic diseases including obesity and type 2 diabetes. Aging is associated with reduced brown fat mass and thermogenic capacity and a risk factor for metabolic diseases. Our previous studies implicated a role for CD47 in regulating brown ...

Human Vγ9Vδ2 T cells exert anti-tumor activity independently of PD-L1 expression in tumor cells.

Published in Biochemical and biophysical research communications

Human γδ T cells expressing Vγ9Vδ2 T cell receptors play a crucial role in the innate immune system and have an attracted interest as effector cells in adoptive cellular immunotherapy. However, the efficacy of adoptive cellular immunotherapy for the treatment of tumors requires overcoming the immunosuppressive microenvironment. αβ T cell inhibition...

Recombinant sulfated CCR2 peptide trap reduces retinal degeneration in mice.

Published in Biochemical and biophysical research communications

Chemokine receptors are generally sulfated at tyrosine residues of the N-terminal region. Tyrosine sulfation of the C-C chemokine receptor type 2 (CCR2) enhances its interaction with the chemokine ligand CCL2. Here, we generated a recombinant sulfated CCR2 peptide trap (mCCR2-S2) and investigated its effects on retinal degeneration in mice. Treatme...

Cognition and intelligence of green plants. Information for animal scientists.

Published in Biochemical and biophysical research communications

On-line control of movement in plants.

Published in Biochemical and biophysical research communications

At first glance, plants seem relatively immobile and, unlike animals, unable to interact with the surroundings or escape stressful environments. But, although markedly different from those of animals, movement pervades all aspects of plant behaviour. Here, we focused our investigation on the approaching movement of climbing plants, that is the move...

Cognition in some surprising places.

Published in Biochemical and biophysical research communications

The most widely accepted view in the biopsychological sciences is that the cognitive functions that are diagnostic of mental operations, sentience or, more commonly, consciousness emerged fairly late in evolution, most likely in the Cambrian period. Our position dovetails with James's below - subjectivity, feeling, consciousness has a much longer e...

A sense of number in invertebrates.

Published in Biochemical and biophysical research communications

Non-symbolic numerical abilities are widespread among vertebrates due to their important adaptive value. Moreover, these abilities were considered peculiar of vertebrate species as numerical competence is regarded as cognitively sophisticated. However, recent evidence convincingly showed that this is not the case: invertebrates, with their limited ...

Odour priming of a mosquito-specialist predator's vision-based detouring decisions.

Published in Biochemical and biophysical research communications

A capacity to execute long detours that are planned ahead of time has cognitive implications pertaining to reliance on internal representation. Here we investigate the detouring behaviour of Evarcha culicivora, an East African salticid spider that specializes at preying on blood-carrying mosquitoes. The findings from our experiments are the first e...

All living cells are cognitive.

Published in Biochemical and biophysical research communications

All living cells sense and respond to changes in external or internal conditions. Without that cognitive capacity, they could not obtain nutrition essential for growth, survive inevitable ecological changes, or correct accidents in the complex processes of reproduction. Wherever examined, even the smallest living cells (prokaryotes) display sophist...

Integrated information as a possible basis for plant consciousness.

Published in Biochemical and biophysical research communications

It is commonly assumed that plants do not possess consciousness. Since the criterion for this assumption is usually human consciousness this assumption represents a top down attitude. It is obvious that plants are not animals and using animal criteria of consciousness will lead to its rejection in plants. However using a bottom up evolutionary appr...