Scientists show that endocrine stem cells in the pancreas disappear after birth, and detail the genetic identity of the different types of pancreatic hormone-producing cells.

Researchers have found that heterozygous loss of the methyl-CpG binding protein Zbtb38 downregulated the expression of the transcription factors Nanog and Sox2, as well as genes involved in epiblast proliferation, differentiation, and viability. This finding highlights the methyl-CpG binding protein's physiological significance throughout embryonic development.

Proteins are the molecular machinery that makes life possible, and researchers have long been interested in a key trait of protein function: their three-dimensional structure. A new study details a computational tool able to predict the structure protein complexes -- and lends new insights into the biomolecular mechanisms of their function.

Scientists want to increase their understanding of circadian rhythms, those internal 24-hour biological clock cycles of sleeping and waking that occur in organisms, ranging from humans to plants to fungi to bacteria. Researchers have examined the complex workings of cyanobacteria and can now better comprehend what drives its circadian clock.

Gut microbiota by-products circulate in the bloodstream, regulating host physiological processes including immunity, metabolism and brain functions. Scientists have discovered that hypothalamic neurons in an animal model directly detect variations in bacterial activity and adapt appetite and body temperature accordingly. These findings demonstrate that a direct dialog occurs between the gut microbiota and the brain, a discovery that could lead to new therapeutic approaches for tackling metaboli...