A new study shows that coral reefs don’t just provide a home for ocean life, they also help set the daily “schedule” for tiny microbes living in the water nearby. Over the course of a single day, the quantity and types of microbes present can shift dramatically. To see this in detail, researchers took frequent water samples and used a mix of genetic and ecological methods and tools, as well as advanced imaging techniques, to track what was happening hour by hour. They found that reefs can shape microbial communities through natural interactions like grazing and predation, as well as changes in the reef’s close microbial partners. These daily ups and downs offer a fresh window into how reefs work and influence the surrounding environment— and could even point to new ways to keep an eye on reef health.

This study is the first to demonstrate that extracellular vesicles transport functionally active hormones. Specifically, it shows that porcine seminal extracellular vesicles carry oxytocin at levels associated with male fertility.

Exosomes facilitate cell-to-cell communication and are involved in key biological processes. Understanding the mechanisms regulating exosome production could offer new therapeutic insights for various diseases. Here, Prof. Zhong’s team demonstrates that exosome secretion is significantly inhibited when glucose is replaced with galactose as the primary carbon source in the culture medium. This glycometabolic regulation of exosome secretion is dependent on the cellular hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP). Inhibition of HBP via gene knockdown, pharmacological blockade, or metabolite deprivation markedly suppresses exosome secretion. Mechanistically, HBP regulates multivesicular body (MVB) outward trafficking and its fusion with the plasma membrane via synaptosomal-associated protein 25 (SNAP25). O-GlcNAcylation of SNAP25 promotes soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) complex assembly, thereby facilitating exosome release. In summary, these findings reveal a critical role of HBP and protein O-GlcNAcylation in exosome secretion, which may provide new therapeutic targets for exosome-associated diseases, including cancer and inflammatory disorders.

Hair loss and graying, the earliest visible hallmarks of skin aging, result from the functional decline of hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) and their niche. Dr. Zhao and colleagues conducted a comprehensive analysis of human scalp samples using single-cell RNA sequencing (11 samples, 57,181 cells in total) and spatial transcriptomics (1 sample) to detail the mechanisms involved. The study confirmed the transitional stages of three mitotic keratinocyte subtypes. Comparison of middle-aged and young scalps revealed three key age-associated changes: activated AP-1 transcription factor complex in keratinocytes; up-regulated DCT gene in melanocytes; and a dramatic decrease in BMP and non-canonical WNT (ncWNT) signaling within the critical dermal papilla-keratinocyte crosstalk. This breakdown of essential inter-cellular communication and activation of stress signals provides valuable, cell-resolved insights into hair follicle aging, supporting the development of future regenerative therapies targeting these pathways.

The fungal species Candida auris is spreading across the globe, and gaining in virulence - but there are strategies available and underway to combat the invasive and drug resistant germ, according to a new review by a Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI) scientist and colleagues.