Parasite-associated changes in host behavior are often framed as manipulation, especially when altered behavior benefits parasite transmission. In the Xenos vesparum/Polistes dominula system, infected wasps abandon nests, aggregate before hibernation, overwinter, and later join established nests; a sequence often described through zombie or puppet-master metaphors. Recent studies have tied this phenotype to caste-related plasticity, gene […]
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are a large class of proteins that form biological condensates to facilitate their functions. Chronic stress, such as occurs in neurodegenerative diseases, stimulates persistent accumulation of particular RBP condensates as part of the translational stress response, termed stress granules (SGs). These persistent SGs serve as a nidus for aggregation of RBPs to […]
Cellular dormancy requires ribosomes to be reversibly silenced yet preserved. Gluc et al. identify Shwachman-Bodian-Diamond syndrome domain-containing hibernation factor (SNOR), a fission yeast hibernation factor induced specifically by perturbed glucose homeostasis. Rather than driving translational shutdown, SNOR maintains dormant ribosomes in a state competent for rapid reactivation.
Insect symbionts are key contributors to many physiological traits of their hosts. The bumblebee microbiota is mainly composed of a few taxa that, although not necessary for their survival, present a long history of coevolution with their hosts, and contribute to their nutrition and defense against pathogens. Mutualistic interactions with endosymbionts can be affected by […]
Despite the overwhelming diversity and ecological impact of insects across most ecosystems, their responses to environmental stress remain underexplored. To survive temperate seasonal stressors, particularly winter cold conditions and nutrient and water shortage, insects undergo physiological changes and overwinter in a diapause state. During diapause, cessation of development is coupled with reduced metabolic activity, analogous […]