Small Protein, Big Impact: Microprotein Discovery Offers Hope for Obesity and Aging

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Researchers have uncovered a tiny but powerful protein that helps keep our cells’ energy factories humming – a discovery that could spark new approaches to tackling obesity and age-related decline. Scientists at the Salk Institute in La Jolla found that a  “microprotein”  in mouse fat cells plays a critical role in maintaining healthy  mitochondria , the structures that generate energy in our cells. By preserving mitochondrial function, this diminutive protein helps cells burn fuel efficiently, which in turn could influence body weight and the aging process. The findings shine light on how molecular biology connects to everyday health, opening the door to  science-backed strategies for better metabolism and longevity. Mature brown fat cells from a mouse, with the newly discovered microprotein shown in red inside mitochondria (green) and nuclei in blue. This tiny protein helps preserve mitochondrial health under stress. (Credit: Salk Institute) Mighty Mitochondria in ...

Pollination from squash Bees of the Americas

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Acorn squash and other winter squashes at your local supermarket likely got their start months ago, when their colorful blossoms were pollinated by hardworking bees. An ongoing, science-based census called "Squash Bees of the Americas" is providing new information about the abundance of these bees and their excellence as squash and gourd pollinators.

Squash bee flying onto a squash flower. (Credit: Photo courtesy of Holly Prendeville, University of Nebraska). Agricultural Research Service (ARS) entomologists Blair Sampson, James Cane and Frank Eischen are among the researchers and other specialists who document their observations for this international survey of 20 or so wild, indigenous bee species. Cane, based at the agency’s Pollinating Insects Biology, Management and Systematics Research Unit in Logan, Utah, originated the survey. Eischen, at the ARS Honey Bee Research Unit in Weslaco, Texas, has contributed three years’ worth of data about squash pollinators of the Rio Grande Valley. Sampson, at the ARS Southern Horticultural Laboratory in Poplarville, Miss., has scrutinized bees pollinating pumpkin, zucchini, and crookneck and straightneck squash in fields near his laboratory. According to Sampson, the pollinators that he studied--primarily Peponapis pruinosa and Xenoglossa strenua--appear to have all five traits of the world’s most proficient pollinators: They're fast, efficient, competitive, abundant and consistent in their choice of crop. These and other bee investigations at the three labs provide new insights into how growers, commercial and hobbyist beekeepers, and backyard gardeners can enhance populations of wild bees that pollinate crop plants. These bees augment the work of America’s top pollinator, the European honey bee, Apis mellifera.

Today's honey bees not only have to deal with the still-puzzling colony collapse disorder, but also face on-going hassles from the usual sources--mites, beetles, disease organisms and Africanized honey bees.
Source: USDA.

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