Previous studies on both human infants and baby domestic chickens showed that, after exposure to sets of even numerosities, subjects discriminate and spontaneously prefer prime (7 or 11) over non-prime (9) novel sets. This discrimination is considered to be based on a perceptual property unique to prime numbers, namely the impossibility to disassemble a prime set into same-sized subsets, (e.g. 9 = 3+3+3, however 7 = 3+4 or 2+2+3, etc). However, the direction of the preference toward prime set...
Glioblastoma (GBM) is a type of primary brain tumour and is one of the most frequent, aggressive and lethal types of brain cancer worldwide. The standard treatment is a combinational therapy consisting of surgical resection, followed by radiation therapy and chemotherapeutic temozolomide (TMZ). Ultimately, immunotherapies failed due to challenging characteristics of GBM, such as having high tumour heterogeneity, high invasiveness and recurrences of cancer in distant areas, unresectable nature...
DNA polymerase gamma (Pol-γ) is a heterotrimeric complex responsible for the replication of the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA). It is composed of a large catalytic subunit (Pol-γA), encoded by the nuclear POLG gene, and two smaller accessory subunits (Pol-γβ), encoded by the nuclear POLG2 gene. Mutations in POLG have been recognized among the most prevalent causes of inherited mitochondrial disease, resulting from the impaired function of the enzyme, leading to accumulation of large-scale mtDNA...
The ketogenic diet (KD) is a nutritional approach characterized by high fat, adequate protein, and restricted carbohydrate intake (5% of total daily intake) that induces a state of physiological ketosis. However, metabolic adaptations may potentially interfere with muscle hypertrophy signaling pathways. Thus, this study sought to assess the impact of KD on muscle adaptation to resistance training (RT) in trained, healthy male subjects. Nineteen subjects (28.7 ± 8.1 years) were randomized to e...
The Yakut represent a remarkable example of a population that had successfully adapted to one of the most remote and climatically extreme environments inhabited by modern humans: the harshly cold region of Siberia. Adaptation to such conditions required much more than cultural adaptations, it also necessitated the evolution of biological adaptations with a genetic basis. This thesis just explores the patterns of genomic variation that might have led to relevant metabolic adjustments, which en...
DXO is a decapping exoribonuclease enzyme capable of recognizing, targeting, and degrading aberrantly capped mRNA, thereby contributing to RNA quality control and preventing the accumulation of aberrant transcripts.
A conventional knock-out (KO) model was generated using CRISPR-Cas9 in A549 cells, in which the gene encoding for DXO was deleted. The KO exhibits a hyperinflammation phenotype compared with the wild-type (WT) A549 cells. The hyperinflammatory phenotype is characterized by increa...
The earthquakes that struck Kahramanmaraş on February 6, 2023 caused extensive destruction in Adıyaman and increased the potential for environmental contamination. Dust, particulate matter, and construction debris originating from collapsed structures may have facilitated the release of various heavy metals into the environment. This study aimed to assess post-earthquake environmental pollution by determining heavy metal accumulation in the needle leaves of Pinus brutia, a species commonly us...
The Neuropeptide S receptor (NPSR) is a class A G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) activated by the endogenous ligand Neuropeptide S (NPS). NPSR activation engages both Gs- and Gq-mediated signalling pathways, resulting in increased intracellular cAMP production and calcium mobilization. Through these signalling mechanisms, the NPS–NPSR system contributes to the regulation of several physiological processes, including arousal, anxiety, learning, memory consolidation, stress responses, and noci...
Background: Actin is a major component of the cytoskeleton and plays a key role in maintaining cell shape, motility, and intracellular organization, ACTB encoding cytoplasmic β-actin, is associated with several human disorders, including Baraitser-Winter syndrome and ACTB-associated syndromic thrombocytopenia. Although variants in exons 5 and 6 are mainly associated with the latter, their contribution to the broader ACTB-related disease spectrum remains unclear. Here, we describe a novel de n...
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the deadliest and most aggressive malignancies worldwide, characterized by late diagnosis, limited therapeutic options, and extensive metabolic reprogramming. While oncogenic KRAS signaling extensively rewires PDAC metabolism towards glycolysis, pancreatic cancer cells remain actively reliant on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and generally on mitochondrial function for survival and proliferation. Mitochondrial dynamics a...
