This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Research has identified remarkably effective treatments for breast cancer But translation of these results to all patients requires pharmacogenetic research using diverse patient populations Although tamoxifen has been used to reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence for the past 40 years Little is known about how well the drug works in American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) people A recent study focused on genetic variants of the cytochrome P450 gene CYP2D6, which is critical for tamoxifen activation Looking at AIAN participants in Alaska and Montana they identified common CYP2D6 variants in these populations that may affect tamoxifen metabolism Patients with these variants may not respond well to tamoxifen treatment and may benefit from alternative therapies This study highlights the key role of CYP2D6-mediated metabolism in tamoxifen response and suggests that considering genetic variation in diverse populations can help to improve the efficacy of breast cancer treatment We thank women from the Confed.."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"The gilthead sea bream is one of the most important fish farmed in the Mediterranean. Selecting for economically valuable genetic traits has helped improve bream farming efficiency. But little is known about the role played by intestinal microbes in selective breeding practices. To find out, researchers examined how genetic selection for different growth rates and diet affect intestinal bacteria in the gilthead sea bream. Bream were divided into three groups according to genetically selected growth rate: slow, intermediate, and fast, and were fed a plant-based diet, a sustainable alternative for the normally carnivorous gilthead sea bream. The plant-based diet significantly changed the microbial makeup of the slow- and intermediate-growth groups, with a much weaker effect observed for the fast-growth group. And when exposed to an intestinal parasite common to the gilthead sea bream, the fast-growth group showed significantly lower parasite intensity and abundance than the slow-growth group..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Glaciers and ice sheets may seem dead and empty to the naked eye, but the dust that coats them, cryoconite, is a hotspot for microbes and microbe-driven biogeochemical cycling. However, little is known about the geographical diversity in cryoconite microbial communities. Most cryoconite research focuses on polar microbial communities, and reports on Asia’s high mountain glaciers are rare. A recent metagenomics study found key metabolic and light harvesting differences between polar and Asian alpine cryoconite microbiota. The Asian cryoconite community had more abundant genes for denitrification, suggesting that denitrification is enhanced there compared to polar regions. While Asian cryoconite is dominated by multiple cyanobacterial lineages that possess phycoerythrin, a green-light harvesting protein, polar cryoconite is dominated by a single cyanobacterial species (_Phormidesmis priestleyi_) that lacks phycoerythrin..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Overconsumption of food is one factor linked to obesity. In certain individuals, the pleasure experienced from food rewards may override signals indicating “I’m full.” One possible influencer in this process is the gut microbiome. The composition of the gut microbiota is known to be unbalanced in obesity. But how it contributes to further dysregulating eating behaviors via the food reward system is poorly understood. To assess the role of the gut microbiota in food intake regulation, researchers transferred gut-microbe-containing fecal material from obese donor mice into lean recipient mice. Experiments revealed that recipient mice developed excessive motivation for a food reward and that the gut microbes from obese donor mice altered the brain reward system of recipient mice. Motivation for food rewards was associated with changes in gut microbe-produced metabolites. with the metabolite 33HPP being identified as a modulator of neurotransmitter signalling..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"One underexplored factor that affects the food industry is the gut microbiome of animals raised for consumption. Gut microbes play big roles in how animals break down food and absorb nutrients and thus how animals grow and develop. A new study explored the links between gut microbial communities, fish feed conversion, and fish genetics in the domestic Atlantic salmon. While researchers observed weak associations between host genetics and microbial composition, they did identify bacteria linked to carbon metabolism in fat tissue and feed efficiency, as well as weight gain. The findings highlight some of the roles played by gut microbes in the metabolism of Atlantic salmon, which could affect how the fish are raised for consumption..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second-most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide, and a cure remains elusive. Although its hallmarks are motor symptoms resulting from neuronal loss, increasing attention has been paid to the effect of gut microbiota on PD. A recent study examined this connection by focusing on the effect of a unique protein. Osteocalcin (OCN), a protein secreted by osteoblasts during bone formation, can pass through the blood-brain barrier. OCN can modulate brain function, and patients with PD are highly susceptible to osteoporosis, suggesting a link between bone health and PD. Using a mouse model of PD, researchers found that injecting OCN had a protective effect, ameliorating motor deficits and neuronal loss. Antibiotic exposure prior to OCN treatment revealed that this effect was dependent on gut microbiota..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) is one of our gut microbiota’s key roles. These microbes primarily produce SCFAs from dietary fiber; then the SCFAs reduce inflammation and promote gastrointestinal barrier integrity. The impact of supplemental dietary fiber, or prebiotics, varies among individuals. Is this because individuals respond differently to different prebiotics? Or does a given person respond to various prebiotics similarly? A recent study examined this question using a crossover study in healthy adults. Metabolic responses to the three prebiotics were similar within each individual, and a major determinant of SCFA response was individual identity. Further, higher habitual fiber consumption was associated with elevated basal fecal SCFA concentrations, which was then associated with a smaller prebiotic response. The same effect was seen in culture-based experiments: the participant's microbial SCFA production capacity was negatively associated with their habitual fiber consumption..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

In this video we're going to learn about how the concentration of hormones in our blood is regulated. By Ryan Patton.

The purpose of this lesson is to expand the student´s knowledge about diabetes.
The world experience an epidemic of type 2 diabetes, especially in low and middle-income countries. Diabetes is no longer a disease of high-income countries and urban cities but impact upon rural populations and the poorest segments of the population.
Participants: Professor Venkat Narayan.

The Los Angeles and the Future of Mono Lake WebQuest leads students in a guided exploration of Mono Lake's extreme environment and asks them to consider the preservation of this environment in relation to the needs of humans.

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This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Ruminants are the only animals not dependent on dietary amino acids as a source of nitrogen. They have ureolytic bacteria in their rumen that hydrolyze urea into ammonia and use it as a nitrogen source. However, very few ureolytic bacteria have been isolated and studied in pure culture to date. To close this gap, researchers established and used a new integrated approach on bacteria from cattle rumens. They started with urease gene (ureC) guided enrichment and then embedded single cells in agarose microspheres for in situ cultivation. This allowed them to isolate and characterize diverse ureolytic bacteria with demonstrated urease activity. The researchers sequenced a subset of the isolated bacteria and found 28 strains from 12 species with urease genes. These bacterial species had not previously been found in the rumen, but this team detected them in metagenomes from 6 ruminant species. The new strains contained unique genes compared to known related strains, indicating new metabolic functions..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Today's obesity epidemic is driven by increased consumption of foods that are high in fat and low in soluble fiber, which alters the makeup of the gut microbiome. These changes also vary by age and sex, causing differences in susceptibility to obesity. Unfortunately, most animal studies compare diets that vary in both fat and fiber, making it difficult to determine which has an effect. Now, a new study suggests that fiber could play the more prominent role. The authors of the study profiled the microbial community in mice fed diets varying in either fiber or fat, but not both. 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that changes in fiber accounted for most of the variance in microbes. While these changes were age- and sex-specific, they were not dependent on dietary fat. Although further studies are needed to fully understand these effects, the results suggest that in animal obesity studies, the choice of control diet matters..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Postpartum systemic oxidative stress is common in dairy cows and can lead to health complications and production loss. While the gut microbiota can influence host health and stress, its role in dairy cow postpartum oxidative stress was unclear until a recent study found a strong link between the fecal microbiota and postpartum oxidative stress in dairy cows. Compared to low oxidative stress (LOS) cows, those with high oxidative stress (HOS) had altered bacterial community composition, including 16 species from 9 genera that were negatively correlated with oxidative stress. There were also changes in the microbiota’s functional behavior and related metabolites, and the findings suggested that changes in glutathione synthesis played a causative role in oxidative stress. Specifically, HOS cows had reduced microbial metabolism of amino acids involved in glutathione synthesis..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate the transcription, translation, and post-translational modification of target genes and have been a recent target of interest in cancer research for their roles in regulating amino acid metabolism. Cancer cells undergo significant metabolic reprogramming and depend on amino acids as key nutrients. This reprogramming is a critical part of tumorigenesis and cancer progression. Thus, finding ways to measure or target metabolic reprogramming may lead to new diagnostics and treatment methods. Research has demonstrated that lncRNAs participate in the reprogramming of amino acid metabolism in cancer cells. However, there are still significant gaps in the literature. Namely, the secondary structures, functions, and molecular mechanisms of lncRNA action are not fully understood, and systemic studies on the function of lncRNAs in tumor amino acid metabolism are still needed. Further, current studies have a long way to go before reaching the clinical stage..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Cancer involves the reprogramming of the body’s cells to allow them to grow, divide, and travel throughout the body. One of the processes involved – metabolic reprogramming – allows cells to use new energy sources for fuel, switching from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis. and enabling tumor cells to grow uncontrolled. A recent study evaluated the involvement of the tumor suppressor gene PTEN in metabolic reprogramming. Researchers compared cancerous and noncancerous liver tissue from 128 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. They found that in cancerous liver tissue, PTEN had a reciprocal relationship with another protein, PI3K. PTEN was downregulated in HCC tissues, and its loss predicted a poor prognosis. Overexpressing PTEN blocked the switch to glycolysis, while elevated PI3K expression was observed in HCC tissues and was inhibited by PTEN overexpression..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Global urbanization is driving a flood of plastic pollution, and we desperately need ways to break these plastics down. And plastic-eating insects may be able to help. Such insects leverage their gut microbes to degrade plastic polymers, but little is known about how insects acquired this ability. To learn more, researchers examined the mealworm gut microbiome’s response to different diets. The bonds in synthetic plastic polymers can resemble those in natural polymers. Polystyrene, for example, has bonds like lignin, a polymer found in all vascular plants. So, the researchers fed mealworms polystyrene or corn straw, which is high in lignin. Neither experimental diet had a negative effect on the mealworms’ survival compared to a normal cabbage diet. Both polymer-heavy diets led to similar gut microbial community structures, metabolic pathways, and enzymatic profiles..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Deep shale formations underlie most of North America and are typically inhospitable to microbial life. However, hydrologic fracturing of shale creates space and injects moisture and nutrients into the system, thus allowing new microbial communities to form. These communities can cause problems by corroding infrastructure and souring the hydrocarbon steam. Understanding the behavior of these microbial communities could lead to better management techniques. Recently, researchers examined the microbial genomes and metabolic capacity of fractured shale wells in Oklahoma, USA. Oklahoma shale is much hotter and has lower salinity than the previously characterized formations in the eastern USA. This study found that the Oklahoma formations had greater microbial taxonomic and metabolic diversity than the eastern formations. Sampling over time revealed that this microbial community broke down complex polymers from the fracturing process and used them for nutrients..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Metabolism is a complex process that has a lot more going on than personal trainers and commercials might have you believe. Today we are exploring some of its key parts, including vital nutrients -- such as water, vitamins, minerals, carbs, fats, and proteins -- as well as how anabolic reactions build structures and require energy, while catabolic reactions tear things apart and release energy.

Chapters:
Introduction: Metabolism
Metabolism, Anabolism, & Catabolism
Essential Nutrients: Water, Vitamins, Minerals
Carbohydrates
Lipids
Proteins
Review
Credits