Science with Angela
Science is an adventure.
Science is exploring uncharted territory. Science is elevating your skills. Science is experiencing something new. Science is progress that doesn't always feel like progress. Science is a tough climb, but the view is worth it.
Work out your Abstracts
Abstract Watch: An assortment of abstracts to inspire awe.
Featured Abstract
Enhanced Branched-Chain Amino Acid Metabolism Improves Age-related Reproductive Function
Chen Lesnik, Salman Sohrabi, Jasmine M. Ashraf, Rachel Kaletsky, Vanessa Cota, Titas Sengupta, William Keyes, Coleen T. Murphy
bioRxiv 2023.02.09.527915; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.02.09.527915
Reproductive aging is one of the earliest aging phenotypes, and mitochondrial dysfunction has been linked to a decline in oocyte quality. However, the mitochondria-related processes that are critical for oocyte quality maintenance with age have not been fully identified. We isolated mitochondria from young and aged wild-type and long-reproductive daf-2 mutant C. elegans for proteomic analysis. We found that the mitochondrial proteomic profiles of young wild-type and daf-2 worms are similar and are distinct from mitochondrial proteins of aged wild-type animals. The first enzyme of the branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) metabolism pathway, BCAT-1, is more abundant in young and daf-2 mitochondria. Upon knockdown of bcat-1 in daf-2, reproduction is shortened, mitochondrial ROS levels are elevated, and mitochondria shift to a perinuclear distribution within the mature oocytes. Moreover, bcat-1 knockdown decreases daf-2 oocyte quality and reduces reproductive capability in late age, indicating the importance of this pathway in the maintenance of oocyte quality with age. Importantly, we can extend reproduction in wild-type animals both by bcat-1 overexpression and by supplementing vitamin B1, a cofactor needed for the BCAA metabolism.
About Angela
Angela Andersen is part scientist, part philanthropist, and part entrepreneur. Her passion is to encourage growth - personal growth and scientific growth.
She is driven to build everyone's enthusiasm and love for science by guiding and encouraging regular engagement with the scientific literature.
About Abstract Watch
We would routinely track and present Abstracts when I was an editor at Cell (a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away).
For Abstract Watch, you read the abstracts - just the abstracts - from recent papers. This keeps you up-to-date on the literature, broadens your perspective, reveals emerging themes and fields, and helps you connect seemingly disparate advances.
Science with Angela
Science with Angela is a fun journey into the latest science to help you figure out what we know,
what we don't know, what's been discovered, and why you should care.
Life Science Editors Foundation
Angela co-founded the Life Science Editors Foundation (LSEF) based on the belief that everyone deserves an opportunity to succeed. There is talent everywhere, but people can be unfairly excluded from the scientific community. LSEF aims to make the scientific culture more inclusive, equitable, and diverse. You belong here!
"Better we raise our skill than lower the climb"
Royal Robbins
