Biological Substrates Research Articles

Association between gene expression and altered resting-state functional networks in type 2 diabetes

BackgroundType 2 diabetes (T2DM) is a polygenic metabolic disorder that accelerates brain aging and harms cognitive function. The underlying mechanism of T2DM-related brain functional changes has not been clarified.MethodsResting-fMRI data were obtained from 99 T2DM and 109 healthy controls (HCs). Resting-state functional connectivity networks (RSNs) were separated using the Independent Component Analysis (ICA) method, and functional connectivity (FC) differences between T2DM patients and HCs within the RSNs were detected. A partial least squares (PLS) regression was used to test the relation between gene expression from Allen Human Brain Atlas (AHBA) and intergroup FC differences within RSNs. Then the FC differences-related gene sets were enriched to determine the biological processes and pathways related to T2DM brain FC changes.ResultThe T2DM patients showed significantly increased FC in the left middle occipital gyrus (MOG) of the precuneus network (PCUN) and the right MOG / right precuneus of the dorsal attention network (DAN). FC differences within the PCUN were linked with the expression of genes enriched in the potassium channel and TrkB-Rac1 signaling pathways and biological processes related to synaptic function.ConclusionThis study linked FC and molecular alterations related to T2DM and suggested that the T2DM-related brain FC changes may have a genetic basis. This study hoped to provide a unique perspective to understand the biological substrates of T2DM-related brain changes.

Recent Progress of In Vitro 3D Culture of Male Germ Stem Cells.

Male germline stem cells (mGSCs), also known as spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs), are the fundamental seed cells of male animal reproductive physiology. However, environmental influences, drugs, and harmful substances often pose challenges to SSCs, such as population reduction and quality decline. With advancements in bioengineering technology and biomaterial technology, an increasing number of novel cell culture methods and techniques have been employed for studying the proliferation and differentiation of SSCs in vitro. This paper provides a review on recent progress in 3D culture techniques for SSCs in vitro; we summarize the microenvironment of SSCs and spermatocyte development, with a focus on scaffold-based culture methods and 3D printing cell culture techniques for SSCs. Additionally, decellularized testicular matrix (DTM) and other biological substrates are utilized through various combinations and approaches to construct an in vitro culture microenvironment suitable for SSC growth. Finally, we present some perspectives on current research trends and potential opportunities within three areas: the 3D printing niche environment, alternative options to DTM utilization, and advancement of the in vitro SSC culture technology system.

Sexually dimorphic effects of a modified adolescent social isolation paradigm on behavioral risk factors of alcohol use disorder in Long Evans Rats

Early life stress (ELS) is a major risk factor for alcohol use disorder (AUD) and comorbid neuropsychiatric conditions. We previously demonstrated that an adolescent social isolation (aSI) model of ELS significantly increased behavioral risk factors for these disorders (e.g. anxiety-like behaviors, alcohol drinking) in male, but not female rats. Since many neurodevelopmental milestones are accelerated in females, we investigated whether an earlier/shorter isolation window (PND 21-38) would yield comparable phenotypes in both sexes. In two experiments, Long Evans rats were socially isolated (SI) or group-housed (GH) on postnatal day (PND) 21 and locomotion was assessed in the open field test (OFT; PND 30). Experiment 1 also assessed behavior on the elevated plus-maze (EPM) (PND 32). In Experiment 2, all rats were single housed on PND 38 to assess home cage alcohol drinking. Experiment 1 revealed that SI females had increased locomotor activity in the OFT but did not differ from GH subjects on the EPM. The OFT results were replicated in both sexes in Experiment 2 and both male and female SI rats had significantly greater ethanol consumption during an eight day continuous access paradigm. In contrast, during subsequent intermittent two-bottle choice drinking, only SI females displayed greater ethanol intake and preference and increased consumption of a quinine-adulterated alcohol solution. These findings demonstrate that early life social isolation can promote AUD vulnerability-related phenotypes in female rats but that there are profound sex differences in the vulnerability window to this early life stressor. Uncovering the neural mechanisms responsible for these sexually dimorphic differences in sensitivity to ELS may shed light on the biological substrates associated with vulnerability to AUD and comorbid disorders of negative emotion in men and women.

Lipid environment modulates processivity and kinetics of a presenilin homolog acting on multiple substrates in vitro

Intramembrane proteases (IPs) hydrolyze peptides in the lipid membrane where they participate in a number of cellular pathways including immune response and surveillance, cholesterol biosynthesis, and they are exploited by viruses for replication. Despite their broad importance across biology, how activity is regulated in the cell to control protein maturation and release of specific bioactive peptides at the right place and right time remains largely unanswered, particularly for the intramembrane aspartyl protease (IAP) subtype. At a molecular biochemical level, different IAP homologs can cleave non-biological substrates and there is no sequence recognition motif among the nearly 150 substrates identified for just one IAP, presenilin-1, the catalytic component of γ-secretase known for its involvement in production of amyloid-β plaques associated with Alzheimer disease. Here we used gel-based assays combined with quantitative mass spectrometry and FRET-based kinetics assays to probe the cleavage profile of the presenilin homolog from the methanogen Methanoculleus marisnigri JR1 as a function of the surrounding lipid-mimicking environment, either detergent micelles or bicelles. We selected four biological IAP substrates that have not undergone extensive cleavage profiling previously, namely, the viral core protein of Hepatitis C virus, the viral core protein of Classical Swine Fever virus, the transmembrane segment of Notch-1, and the tyrosine receptor kinase ErbB4. Our study demonstrates a proclivity toward cleavage of substrates at positions of low average hydrophobicity and a consistent role for the lipid environment in modulating kinetic properties.

Optical Determination of Tryptophan Using Persistent Luminescence Nanoparticles (PLNPs)

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that is an important part of the human diet. In this work, label-free photoluminescence sensing based upon persistent luminescent nanoparticles (PLNPs) Zn0.8Ga2O4: Cr3+ is reported to determine tryptophan. Following 254 nm excitation, the PLNPs released luminescence after storing the absorbed light. Compared to the standard fluorescence, the persistent afterglow of the PLNPs was used for detection and imaging without external illumination, thereby eliminating autofluorescence and scattered light generated by biological substrates. For tryptophan concentrations from 4 to 240 µM, a linear relationship was described by F/F 0 = 0.9416 − 0.0024 [Trp] with a correlation coefficient of 0.9911 and a detection limit of 0.19 µM. The recoveries of analyzed samples were between 97.9 and 101.9% providing good accuracy and simple methodology.

PDMS/magnetic lignin sponge for oil/water separation

Recyclable, non-toxic, and degradable biological substrates contribute significantly to super-wetting surfaces. In this work, we prepared magnetic micro-nano super-hydrophobic surfaces through a robust solution with magnetic modified lignin particles as the supporting structure. A novel PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane)/magnetic lignin particle (lignin@Fe3O4)/PDA sponge composite was fabricated. Through dopamine (DA) self-polymerization, covalent deposition of magnetic lignin (ML), and PDMS silane modification, the magnetic super-hydrophobic polyurethane sponge composite (Sponge-P) was synthesized so that the Fe3O4 nanoscale microspheres wrapped with microscale lignin magnetic particles adhered to the sponge surface tighter and were barely dislodged. The as-prepared Sponge-P displayed excellent flexibility and a water contact angle of up to 152.2°. The super-hydrophobic sponge prepared with the proposed method was acid-base stable (pH = 2–12), self-cleaning, and suitable for high-salinity seawater. The magnetic super-hydrophobic sponge has good oil-water separation ability and can absorb 43 times its own weight of oil. In the meantime, due to the introduction of magnetic materials into lignin, we not only constructed micro-nanostructures to improve the surface super-hydrophobicity, but also made Sponge-P have the function of magnetic recovery, which has a unique advantage in treating oily wastewater.

Using the Soundscape Code to compare coastal marine habitats in the Gulf of Maine

Identifying similarities and differences in soundscape properties among coastal marine habitats is valuable for determining indicators of habitat composition, assessing functional connectivity among habitats, and informing management decisions regarding the soundscapes of these habitats. The “Soundscape Code,” proposed and developed by Dylan Wilford, enables rapid calculation of values for four salient soundscape properties: amplitude, impulsivity, periodicity, and dissimilarity. This enables multivariate statistical analyses to quantitatively compare soundscapes in different habitat types and geographic regions. The objective of the current work was to determine whether geographic region or habitat type accounts for more variability in coastal soundscape properties. Passive acoustic recordings were acquired in three different habitat types (sand, macroalgae, and eelgrass dominated substrates), in each of four different geographic locations along the New Hampshire/Maine coastline, to compare the soundscapes of habitats with varied biological and geophysical substrate composition. Results indicate that geographic location accounted for more variability in the soundscapes than habitat type, suggesting that habitats’ local connectivity outweighs acoustic and biological uniformity of the same habitat type over broader spatial scales. Future analyses will incorporate metagenomic data for predictive modeling of habitat composition through the combined use of passive acoustic monitoring and metabarcoding of seawater samples.

Identity Narrative as an Unconscious Scaffold for Human Autobiography

Abstract Over the past years, a multi-disciplinary literature on the significance of personal narratives in autobiography and identity has emerged. This subject has been of interest to authors in the fields of humanities, psychology, and medicine alike. In this paper, we are proposing the term Identity Narrative (IdN) to define a cognitive and emotional framework that serves as an implicit (unconscious) scaffolding of memory on which to build human autobiography. The authors first classify narratives into external (universal history, the humanities, culture) and internal (autobiography, based on personal experiences, both directly and indirectly, through identification and education). All philosophy and social commentary has utilized history for the purposes of prediction and meaning-making. Personalities including Aristotle, St. Augustine, Rousseau, Freud, Marx, Spengler, and Benjamin Franklin have reread history to gain insight about human nature. History has inspired the enlightenment and renaissance of a new reality for humanity. It is widely known that history can also be misused to justify aggression and human suffering. The use of history to create deep convictions that annihilate moral imperatives is only possible because of unconsciously consolidated internal narratives, the IdN. IdN is reshaped through life, both by “bottom-up” acquisition of information, as well as a “top-down” learning model, which includes the following circumstances: (a) sudden insight and awareness; (b) experiences with high emotional valence; (c) high frequency of repetition; and (d) prolonged duration of exposure. In this way, IdN, a form of relatively stable unconscious, anoetic memory, provides a “first-person” experience to autobiography. Autobiography then, becomes part of auto-noetic consciousness, the human ability to mentally time travel and have self-knowledge. IdN parallels lifelong growth and development, language acquisition, and maturing of attachment. The extensive brain activation during communication and speech, revealed by neuroimaging studies, will be referred to as the “communication beltway.” We hypothesize that the alternation in activation between the default mode (midline structures) of the brain (previously associated with the Self) and the language brain creates a platform that encodes crucial components of IdN throughout life. In this way, IdN, autobiographical memory, and the language brain are parts of a larger biological substrate of social affiliations.

Microbiological biotechnological interventions for mushroom improvement: A comprehensive review

The scope of this comprehensive review is to explore the multifaceted landscape of microbiological biotechnological interventions within the domain of mushroom cultivation. By investigating pivotal aspects such as mycorrhizal symbiosis, biological control agents, substrate microbiota, disease suppression, nutrient cycling, bioremediation, and microbial consortia, this paper sheds light on the integral role of microorganisms in influencing the development, productivity, and caliber of cultivated mushroom.

Co-Effects of Nitrogen Fertilizer and Straw-Decomposing Microbial Inoculant on Decomposition and Transformation of Field Composted Wheat Straw.

Although straw is an abundant and useful agricultural byproduct, it, however, exhibits hardly any decomposition and transformation. Despite the successful application of chemical and biological substrates for accelerating straw decomposition, the co-effects and mechanisms involved are still unknown. Herein, we performed a 120 day field trial to examine the co-effects of a nitrogen fertilizer (N) and a straw-decomposing microbial inoculant (SDMI) on the straw mass, nutrient release, and the straw chemical structure of composted wheat straw in the Chaohu Lake area, East China. For this purpose, four treatments were selected with straw: S (straw only), NS (N + straw), MS (SDMI + straw), and NMS (N + SDMI + straw). Our results indicated that NMS caused a higher straw decomposition rate than S, NS, and MS (p < 0.05) after 120 days of composting. The N, P, and K discharge rates in treating with NMS were higher than other the treatments at 120 days. The A/OA ratios of the straw residues were gradually increased during the composting, but the treatment of NMS and MS was lower than the CK at the latter stage. The RDA showed that the decomposition rate, nutrient release, and the chemical structure change in the straw were cumulative, while respiration was strongly correlated with lignin peroxidase, manganese peroxidase, and neutral xylanase. In conclusion, nitrogen fertilizer or straw-decomposing microbial inoculant application can improve the decomposition rate and nutrient release with oxidase activity intensified. However, the co-application of nitrogen fertilizer and a straw-decomposing microbial inoculant promoted straw decomposition and enzyme activity better than a single application and showed a lower decomposition degree, which means more potential for further decomposing after 120 days.

Tomography of memory engrams in self-organizing nanowire connectomes

Self-organizing memristive nanowire connectomes have been exploited for physical (in materia) implementation of brain-inspired computing paradigms. Despite having been shown that the emergent behavior relies on weight plasticity at single junction/synapse level and on wiring plasticity involving topological changes, a shift to multiterminal paradigms is needed to unveil dynamics at the network level. Here, we report on tomographical evidence of memory engrams (or memory traces) in nanowire connectomes, i.e., physicochemical changes in biological neural substrates supposed to endow the representation of experience stored in the brain. An experimental/modeling approach shows that spatially correlated short-term plasticity effects can turn into long-lasting engram memory patterns inherently related to network topology inhomogeneities. The ability to exploit both encoding and consolidation of information on the same physical substrate would open radically new perspectives for in materia computing, while offering to neuroscientists an alternative platform to understand the role of memory in learning and knowledge.

The pigeon as a machine: Complex category structures can be acquired by a simple associative model

Never known for its smarts, the pigeon has proven to be a prodigious classifier of complex visual stimuli. What explains its surprising success? Does it possess elaborate executive functions akin to those deployed by humans? Or does it effectively deploy an unheralded, but powerful associative learning mechanism? In a series of experiments, we first confirm that pigeons can learn a variety of category structures- some devised to foil the use of advanced cognitive processes. We then contrive a simple associative learning model to see how effectively the model learns the same tasks given to pigeons. The close fit of the associative model to pigeons' categorization behavior provides unprecedented support for associative learning as a viable mechanism for mastering complex category structures and for the pigeon's using this mechanism to adapt to a rich visual world. This model will help guide future neuroscientific research into the biological substrates of visual cognition.

Comparative Study of Heart Rate Variability in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder and Normal Subjects

Introduction: Major Depressive Disorder is a mood disorder diagnosed on the basis of DSM-5 criteria. Cardiovascular disorders are among the most common causes of deaths worldwide, accounting for about one-third of the mortality in both genders. Cardiac illnesses seem to have a bidirectional relationship with depression. Altered cardiac autonomic tone remains one of the most plausible explanations, which also appears to be a central biological substrate linking depression to a number of concurrent physical (e.g., cardiovascular) dysfunctions. Heart Rate Variability has become the conventionally accepted term to describe variations of both instantaneous heart rate and RR intervals (measured in ms) obtained from ECG or plethysmogram. Material and Method: This study was a prospective observational study involved 150 individuals divided into two groups. Group A – Patients having first episode major depression or new recurrent depressive episode recruited from psychiatric OPD (n=75), Group B– Age, Sex, Height and Weight matched healthy controls (n=75). Results: In our study, among the time domain indices, Mean heart rate was increased in MDD patients in comparison to healthy controls and the difference was statistically significant. Root mean square of successive differences was reduced in MDD patients in comparison to healthy controls and the difference was statistically significant. Standard deviation of NN intervals and percentage of NN intervals differing by &gt;50 ms also showed reduction in depressed patients than controls, but the difference was not statistically significant. The frequency domain indices Total power, very low frequency, High frequency were reduced in MDD patients in comparison to healthy controls and the difference was statistically significant. Low Frequency and Low Frequency / High Frequency ratio were increased in patients of MDD in comparison to healthy controls and the difference was statistically significant. Conclusion: From our study we can conclude that HRV is reduced in MDD patients. We suggest that HRV parameters can be used as diagnostic or predictive biomarkers of depression. Keywords: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), cardiovascular disease (CVD), Heart Rate Variability (HRV), Time Domain Indices, Frequency Domain Indices.

Application of Biological Glue-Clay Composite Substrate in Slope Ecological Restoration.

Given the issues of soil cracking, poor water retention during drought, and erosion damage caused by rainfall, we conducted an in-depth study on the water retention properties, cracking resistance, and scouring resistance of biogel-amended clay using evaporation cracking and scouring tests. The hydrophysical properties and cohesive aggregation mechanism of biogel-amended clay were explored, and the results showed that the incorporation of biogel improved the water retention, cracking resistance, and scour resistance of the clay samples. With an increase in the biogel content, the biogel mucous membrane inside the samples improved the cohesion between soil particles, reduced the generation and development of cracks, and improved the cracking resistance. There was no significant cracking of the samples after the biogel content reached 0.3%, which changed the migration of water in the sample, prevented water evaporation, and improved the water retention of the clay samples. Biofilm can change the migration of water in the sample, prevent some evaporation, and reduce the evaporation rate. To a certain extent, it can enhance the water retention capacity of the sample. Enhanced biofilm content significantly reduced scouring in the process of rainfall and runoff erosion of the sample, and biofilm content of 0.2% significantly reduced the surface of the specimen damaged by erosion. The hydrophysical properties of the composite-adhesive-amended clay samples were significantly improved compared with those of the single-bioadhesive-amended clay samples.

Area-Selective Deposition by Cyclic Adsorption and Removal of 1-Nitropropane.

The ever-greater complexity of modern electronic devices requires a larger chemical toolbox to support their fabrication. Here, we explore the use of 1-nitropropane as a small molecule inhibitor (SMI) for selective atomic layer deposition (ALD) on a combination of SiO2, Cu, CuOx, and Ru substrates. Results using water contact angle goniometry, Auger electron spectroscopy, and infrared spectroscopy show that 1-nitropropane selectively chemisorbs to form a high-quality inhibition layer on Cu and CuOx at an optimized temperature of 100 °C, but not on SiO2 and Ru. When tested against Al2O3 ALD, however, a single pulse of 1-nitropropane is insufficient to block deposition on the Cu surface. Thus, a new multistep process is developed for low-temperature Al2O3 ALD that cycles through exposures of 1-nitropropane, an aluminum metalorganic precursor, and coreactants H2O and O3, allowing the SMI to be sequentially reapplied and etched. Four different Al ALD precursors were investigated: trimethylaluminum (TMA), triethylaluminum (TEA), tris(dimethylamido)aluminum (TDMAA), and dimethylaluminum isopropoxide (DMAI). The resulting area-selective ALD process enables up to 50 cycles of Al2O3 ALD on Ru but not Cu, with 98.7% selectivity using TEA, and up to 70 cycles at 97.4% selectivity using DMAI. This work introduces a new class of SMI for selective ALD at lower temperatures, which could expand selective growth schemes to biological or organic substrates where temperature instability may be a concern.

Automated Segmentation of the Mouse Body Language to Study Stimulus-Evoked Emotional Behaviors.

Understanding the neural basis of emotions is a critical step to uncover the biological substrates of neuropsychiatric disorders. To study this aspect in freely behaving mice, neuroscientists have relied on the observation of ethologically relevant bodily cues to infer the affective content of the subject, both in neutral conditions or in response to a stimulus. The best example of that is the widespread assessment of freezing in experiments testing both conditioned and unconditioned fear responses. While robust and powerful, these approaches come at a cost: they are usually confined within selected time windows, accounting for only a limited portion of the complexity of emotional fluctuation. Moreover, they often rely on visual inspection and subjective judgment, resulting in inconsistency across experiments and questionable result interpretations. To overcome these limitations, novel tools are arising, fostering a new avenue in the study of the mouse naturalistic behavior. In this work we developed a computational tool [stimulus-evoked behavioral tracking in 3D for rodents (SEB3R)] to automate and standardize an ethologically driven observation of freely moving mice. Using a combination of machine learning-based behavioral tracking and unsupervised cluster analysis, we identified statistically meaningful postures that could be used for empirical inference on a subsecond scale. We validated the efficacy of this tool in a stimulus-driven test, the whisker nuisance (WN) task, where mice are challenged with a prolonged and invasive whisker stimulation, showing that identified postures can be reliably used as a proxy for stimulus-driven fearful and explorative behaviors.

Early maladaptive schemas and depression: Epigenetics as a possible link

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a widespread mood disorder affecting millions of people. Because of heterogeneity and complexity of MDD, new hypotheses are needed to describe the pathological aspects of this debilitating disorder. Phenotypic changes by epigenetic modifications (DNA methylation, histone modifications, and the regulation of non-coding RNAs) cause long-lasting changes in gene expression leading to the development of MDD. On the other hand, Childhood maltreatment and trauma as early life adversities are associated with the development of dysfunctional early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) and MDD similarly produce long-term changes. Indeed, early life adverse patterns are closely related to EMS formation. The focus of this hypothesis will beon how epigenetics implicit EMSs. There are common characteristics between epigenetic modifications and EMSs: 1) both early life stress and epigenetic modulations have impact on expression of genes encoding proteins play key roles in MDD (e.g. brain derived neurotrophic factor, glucocorticoid receptor, serotonin transporter, and oxytocin receptor), 2) Both of them are induced synchronal by adverse social environment during childhood, 3) both of them are known to have a permanent, stable, and unchangeable effects on behavior, 4) both of them are linked to development of psychological disorders such as MDD. Overall, our hypothesis emphasizes that epigenetic factors are biological substrate of EMSs formation in psychological disorders, particularly MDD.

A novel approach of 19F NMR based sensor

Reliable and precise methods are to be applied ranging from biological field to diagnosis and quality control to identify target analytes in samples. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a strongly recommended process that is suitable for collecting data multidimensionally at molecular and atomic levels. Information obtained from the NMR technique provides molecular structures, molecular interactions, dynamic and diffusional properties of molecules. Overlapping of NMR signals of each component makes it difficult to interpret data and low sensitivity makes it unfitting for many samples with a low concentration of analytes. These limitations can be rectified by adding heteronuclear specially designed sensors, inventive transduction mechanism and strong pulse sequences. 19F NMR tool is extensively accepted method to detect the interactions among a variety of biological substrates with 19F-isotopic species. This review includes the detection of biomolecules, mainly enzymes and enzymatic reactions based on sensor applicability.

Predicting long-term outcome in anorexia nervosa: a machine learning analysis of brain structure at different stages of weight recovery.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is characterized by sizable, widespread gray matter (GM) reductions in the acutely underweight state. However, evidence for persistent alterations after weight-restoration has been surprisingly scarce despite high relapse rates, frequent transitions to other psychiatric disorders, and generally unfavorable outcome. While most studies investigated brain regions separately (univariate analysis), psychiatric disorders can be conceptualized as brain network disorders characterized by multivariate alterations with only subtle local effects. We tested for persistent multivariate structural brain alterations in weight-restored individuals with a history of AN, investigated their putative biological substrate and relation with 1-year treatment outcome. We trained machine learning models on regional GM measures to classify healthy controls (HC) (N = 289) from individuals at three stages of AN: underweight patients starting intensive treatment (N = 165, used as baseline), patients after partial weight-restoration (N = 115), and former patients after stable and full weight-restoration (N = 89). Alterations after weight-restoration were related to treatment outcome and characterized both anatomically and functionally. Patients could be classified from HC when underweight (ROC-AUC = 0.90) but also after partial weight-restoration (ROC-AUC = 0.64). Alterations after partial weight-restoration were more pronounced in patients with worse outcome and were not detected in long-term weight-recovered individuals, i.e. those with favorable outcome. These alterations were more pronounced in regions with greater functional connectivity, not merely explained by body mass index, and even increases in cortical thickness were observed (insula, lateral orbitofrontal, temporal pole). Analyzing persistent multivariate brain structural alterations after weight-restoration might help to develop personalized interventions after discharge from inpatient treatment.

LIRcentral: a manually curated online database of experimentally validated functional LIR motifs

ABSTRACT Several selective macroautophagy receptor and adaptor proteins bind members of the Atg8 (autophagy related 8) family using short linear motifs (SLiMs), most often referred to as Atg8-family interacting motifs (AIMs) or LC3-interacting regions (LIRs). AIM/LIR motifs have been extensively studied during the last fifteen years, since they can uncover the underlying biological mechanisms and possible substrates for this key catabolic process of eukaryotic cells. Prompted by the fact that experimental information regarding LIR motifs can be found scattered across heterogeneous literature resources, we have developed LIRcentral (https://lircentral.eu), a freely available online repository for user-friendly access to comprehensive, high-quality information regarding LIR motifs from manually curated publications. Herein, we describe the development of LIRcentral and showcase currently available data and features, along with our plans for the expansion of this resource. Information incorporated in LIRcentral is useful for accomplishing a variety of research tasks, including: (i) guiding wet biology researchers for the characterization of novel instances of LIR motifs, (ii) giving bioinformaticians/computational biologists access to high-quality LIR motifs for building novel prediction methods for LIR motifs and LIR containing proteins (LIRCPs) and (iii) performing analyses to better understand the biological importance/features of functional LIR motifs. We welcome feedback on the LIRcentral content and functionality by all interested researchers and anticipate this work to spearhead a community effort for sustaining this resource which will further promote progress in studying LIR motifs/LIRCPs. Abbreviations: AIM, Atg8-family interacting motif; Atg8, autophagy related 8; GABARAP, GABA type A receptor-associated protein; LIR, LC3-interacting region; LIRCP, LIR-containing protein; MAP1LC3/LC3, microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3; PMID, PubMed identifier; PPI, protein-protein interaction; SLiM, short linear motif