Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Caroline S. Copeland, Stuart A. Neale, Eric S. Nisenbaum, Thomas E. Salt
Summary: The activation of mGlu(3) receptors in the thalamus potentiates responses to somatosensory stimulation by reducing inhibition from TRN. This mechanism may play a crucial role in governing attentional processes and could be a specific therapeutic target for cognitive function enhancement in diseases like schizophrenia.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Reuben Levy-Myers, Daniel Daudelin, Chan Hyun Na, Shanthini Sockanathan
Summary: This study demonstrates that the protein GDE3 regulates actin remodeling to release a unique subtype of extracellular vesicles (EVs) with distinct functions. GDE3 is expressed in astrocytes but not neurons and is responsible for releasing EVs containing annexin A1 and GDE3 via the protein WAVE3. Mice lacking GDE3 show decreased miniature excitatory postsynaptic current amplitudes in hippocampal neurons.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carlos Alberto Castillo, Inmaculada Ballesteros-Yanez, David Agustin Leon-Navarro, Jose Luis Albasanz, Mairena Martin
Summary: The amyloid beta peptide plays a central role in Alzheimer's disease pathology. Exposure to A beta(25-35) in rat cortical neurons increased mGluR density and affinity, along with up-regulation of adenosine A(1)R and A(2A)R. The study highlights the possible involvement of metabotropic glutamate and adenosine receptors in the early events of AD physiopathology.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shofiul Azam, Md. Jakaria, JoonSoo Kim, Jaeyong Ahn, In-Su Kim, Dong-Kug Choi
Summary: Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs), especially mGluR5, play important roles in neurodegenerative diseases and neuropsychiatric disorders. Recent research suggests that mGluR5 radioligands could be used to assess disease progression and track drug properties.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ewelina Bratek-Gerej, Apolonia Ziembowicz, Elzbieta Salinska
Summary: This study found that activation of group II mGlu receptors can prevent brain damage and regulate apoptosis and neuroprotective mechanisms in experimental birth asphyxia. Agonists LY379268 and NAAG can inhibit excessive glutamate release and apoptotic damage, and restore the concentration of neurotrophins.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Jongyun Myeong, Vitaly A. Klyachko
Summary: This study identified a distinctive release-dependent form of synaptic facilitation, which dynamically amplifies multi-vesicular release and requires neuronal contact with astrocytes and astrocytic glutamate uptake.
Article
Neurosciences
Caroline Garceau, Justine Marsault, Mike J. F. Robinson, Anne-Noel Samaha
Summary: Across both sexes, there are similar cue-triggered increases in reward seeking behaviors, and thirst satiation suppresses both water-seeking behavior and the anticipation of water reward. The activity of mGlu(2/3) receptors plays a regulatory role in cue-triggered increases in reward seeking.
PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Zahra Ghasemi, Nima Naderi, Amir Shojaei, Mohammad Reza Raoufy, Nooshin Ahmadirad, Victoria Barkley, Javad Mirnajafi-Zadeh
Summary: The study reveals that low-frequency deep brain stimulation exerts its inhibitory action on neuronal hyperexcitability following epileptiform activity partly through the activity of metabotropic glutamate receptor I and a PKC-related signaling pathway.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Vanessa Pereira, Juri Aparicio Arias, Amadeu Llebaria, Cyril Goudet
Summary: Neuropathic pain is a challenging condition to manage. In this study, the role of the amygdala in regulating neuropathic pain was investigated. The activation of mGlu4 receptors in the amygdala was found to alleviate sensory and depressive-like symptoms in a mouse model of neuropathy.
PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Neurosciences
Ananth Prasad Burada, Rajesh Vinnakota, Bertrand Lambolez, Ludovic Tricoire, Janesh Kumar
Summary: Enigmatic orphan glutamate delta receptors (GluD) are a type of ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) that do not bind glutamate or evoke currents when binding glycine and D-serine. They are believed to function as structural proteins that facilitate synapse formation, maturation, and maintenance in the hippocampus and cerebellum. Recent research suggests that GluD receptors have interactions with metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGlus) and are gated by their activation, with new tools and structures helping to define their role in synaptic physiology.
Article
Reproductive Biology
Alexandra Spirkova, Veronika Kovarikova, Zuzana Sefcikova, Jozef Pisko, Martina Ksinanova, Juraj Koppel, Dusan Fabian, Stefan Cikos
Summary: The study reveals that glutamic acid can affect preimplantation embryo development through cell membrane receptors. High extracellular concentrations of glutamic acid can inhibit blastocyst development, which is of practical significance.
BIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Wen-Long Qiao, Qing-Rui Qin, Qing Li, Jia-Wei Hao, Shuang Wei, Xue-Mei Li, Ting-Ting Liu, Chun-Yu Qiu, Wang-Ping Hu
Summary: P2X3 receptors and group II mGluRs are expressed in primary sensory neurons. Activation of group II mGluRs inhibits the electrophysiological activity of P2X3 receptors. LY354740, a group II mGluR agonist, decreases the inward currents mediated by P2X3 receptors in rat DRG neurons.
Review
Neurosciences
Alexandra Tzilivaki, John J. Tukker, Nikolaus Maier, Panayiota Poirazi, Rosanna P. Sammons, Dietmar Schmitz
Summary: This article explores the brain's ability to capture and store information, focusing on the types, plasticity, and activity patterns of interneurons in the hippocampus and their impact on memory processing.
Article
Mathematics, Applied
Zhuan Shen, Honghui Zhang, Lin Du, Xiaoyan He, Xiaojuan Sun
Summary: This paper establishes a coupling model of neuronal populations and astrocytes and explores the mechanism of EEG slowing in Alzheimer's disease. The results show that dysfunctional astrocytes disrupt the physiological state and cause EEG slowing phenomena.
Article
Biology
Julia Chu-Ning Hsu, Shinichi Sekizawa, Ryota Tochinai, Masayoshi Kuwahara
Summary: The study suggests that injecting a metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonist into the brainstem can slightly increase systolic blood pressure in young spontaneously hypertensive rats. This effect is associated with an increase in blood catecholamine concentration and can last even after the treatment ends. However, this treatment has little effect on autonomic activity.
Article
Neurosciences
Yasir Gallero-Salas, Shuting Han, Yaroslav Sych, Fabian F. Voigt, Balazs Laurenczy, Ariel Gilad, Fritjof Helmchen
Summary: This study observed distinct patterns of neuronal activity in layer 2/3 of the cortex in mice trained in auditory and tactile tasks, regardless of whether they were active or passive. Auditory and tactile stimulation activated different subdivisions of the posterior parietal cortex, while short-term memory location was determined by behavioral strategy rather than sensory modality. These results suggest behavior-dependent routing of sensory-driven cortical signals in the neocortex.
Article
Neurosciences
Peter Rupprecht, Stefano Carta, Adrian Hoffmann, Mayumi Echizen, Antonin Blot, Alex C. Kwan, Yang Dan, Sonja B. Hofer, Kazuo Kitamura, Fritjof Helmchen, Rainer W. Friedrich
Summary: Researchers developed an algorithm for spike inference (CASCADE) based on supervised deep networks, utilizing a large ground truth database to infer absolute spike rates and outperforming existing model-based algorithms. CASCADE optimizes performance for unseen data by resampling ground truth data, matching the respective sampling rate and noise level, without the need for user adjustment of any parameters.
NATURE NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Przemyslaw Jarzebowski, Y. Audrey Hay, Benjamin F. Grewe, Ole Paulsen
Summary: Hippocampal place cells in the brain encode spatial relations and reward locations. Dorsal CA1 (dCA1) cells accumulate at reward, while intermediate CA1 (iCA1) cells may have a different role in spatial navigation. Little is known about the involvement of the intermediate-to-ventral hippocampus in reward-directed navigation. This study used calcium imaging to track the activity of CA1 cells in mice as they learned different reward locations. The results suggest that dCA1 encodes reward proximity through changing populations of cells, while iCA1 provides a reward-predictive code through a dedicated subpopulation. Both codes persist over time and assist goal-directed navigation.
Article
Biology
Adrian Cortes Sanchon, Harshitha Santhosh Kumar, Matilde Mantovani, Ivan Osinnii, Jose Maria Mateos, Andres Kaech, Dimitri Shcherbakov, Rashid Akbergenov, Erik C. Boettger
Summary: Misfolded proteins formed in the endoplasmic reticulum can associate with and be partly transported into mitochondria, resulting in impaired mitochondrial function in both mammalian and yeast cells. Components of the ERMES-mediated ER-mitochondria contacts are necessary for this mechanism, which is named ERAMS, for ER-associated mitochondrial sequestration.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Optics
Luis E. Villegas-Hernandez, Vishesh Dubey, Mona Nystad, Jean-Claude Tinguely, David A. Coucheron, Firehun T. Dullo, Anish Priyadarshi, Sebastian Acuna, Azeem Ahmad, Jose M. Mateos, Gery Barmettler, Urs Ziegler, Asa Birna Birgisdottir, Aud-Malin Karlsson Hovd, Kristin Andreassen Fenton, Ganesh Acharya, Krishna Agarwal, Balpreet Singh Ahluwalia
Summary: This study introduces a photonic chip as a high-throughput microscopy platform for super-resolution imaging of histological samples. It demonstrates diverse imaging capabilities and paves the way for the adoption of super-resolution high-throughput multimodal analysis of cryopreserved tissue samples.
LIGHT-SCIENCE & APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marcello Polesel, Monika Kaminska, Dominik Haenni, Milica Bugarski, Claus Schuh, Nevena Jankovic, Andres Kaech, Jose M. Mateos, Marine Berquez, Andrew M. Hall
Summary: The study visualizes the plasma protein filtration, uptake, and metabolism in the kidneys of living mice in real-time. It reveals the coordinated activity of different specialized tubular segments and major compensatory adaptations in disease states. The findings provide insights into the spatiotemporal organization of renal protein metabolism and suggest that measurement of proteinuria underestimates the severity of endocytic defects in patients.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Yaroslav Sych, Aleksejs Fomins, Leonardo Novelli, Fritjof Helmchen
Summary: By training mice in a tactile discrimination task, we found that the functional networks in the brain undergo dynamic reorganization and establish mesoscale network dynamics suitable for goal-oriented behavior.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Paula Ballikaya, Jose Maria Mateos, Ivano Brunner, Andres Kaech, Paolo Cherubini
Summary: In a greenhouse experiment, silver nanoparticles were applied to European beech leaves and were found to primarily aggregate on the leaf surface, surrounding the stomata. Further analysis revealed that some nanoparticles adhered to the cell walls, suggesting that they were absorbed as particles rather than ions through the stomata. These findings provide new insights into the ability of trees to uptake nanosized particles and their potential transportation within the tree.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Fabian F. F. Voigt, Anna Maria Reuss, Thomas Naert, Sven Hildebrand, Martina Schaettin, Adriana L. L. Hotz, Lachlan Whitehead, Armin Bahl, Stephan C. F. Neuhauss, Alard Roebroeck, Esther T. T. Stoeckli, Soeren S. S. Lienkamp, Adriano Aguzzi, Fritjof Helmchen
Summary: Imaging of large, cleared samples is achieved using a multi-immersion 'Schmidt objective' consisting of a spherical mirror and an aspherical correction plate. This objective is compatible with all homogeneous immersion media and achieves an NA of 1.08 at a refractive index of 1.56, with a 1.1-mm FOV and 11-mm WD.
NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biochemical Research Methods
Jerome A. Lecoq, Roman Boehringer, Benjamin F. Grewe
Summary: New three-photon miniature microscopes enable the study of neuronal networks in the deep regions of the brains of behaving animals.
Review
Neurosciences
Abhishek Banerjee, Bin A. Wang, Jasper Teutsch, Fritjof Helmchen, Burkhard Pleger
Summary: Evolution has shaped the sensory capacities of different species. Rodents rely heavily on the whisker-based somatosensory system for environmental exploration and navigation, while humans rely more on visual and auditory inputs. Recent research has found surprisingly similar processing rules for detecting tactile stimuli and rule learning across species. This article reviews how the brain utilizes these processing rules during tactile learning and discusses the challenges and relevance of cross-species research.
PROGRESS IN NEUROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Upasana Maheshwari, Jose M. Mateos, Ulrike Weber-Stadlbauer, Ruiqing Ni, Virgil Tamatey, Sucheta Sridhar, Alejandro Restrepo, Pim A. de Jong, Sheng-Fu Huang, Johanna Schaffenrath, Sebastian A. Stifter, Flora Szeri, Melanie Greter, Huiberdina L. Koek, Annika Keller
Summary: Calcification of cerebral microvessels in the basal ganglia is a key feature of primary familial brain calcification (PFBC), a rare neurodegenerative disorder. Mutations in certain genes, including XPR1, have been identified to cause PFBC. This study shows that mice with heterozygous XPR1 mutations display reduced inorganic phosphate levels in the cerebrospinal fluid and age-related vascular calcifications in the thalamus.
Article
Biology
Elisabeth Jongsma, Anita Goyala, Jose Maria Mateos, Collin Yves Ewald
Summary: Collagens found in the amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients may influence the formation and clearance of Aβ aggregates. In a Caenorhabditis elegans strain, different collagens were identified to either improve or enhance Aβ aggregation. The metalloprotease ADM-2 was shown to reduce the load of extracellular Aβ aggregates and is necessary for their removal.
Article
Computer Science, Cybernetics
Francesco Laessig, Pau Vilimelis Aceituno, Martino Sorbaro, Benjamin F. Grewe
Summary: The ability to learn multiple tasks without forgetting is a challenge for deep learning. Existing continual learning approaches require discrete task boundaries, which is biologically implausible and limits their application in the real world. To address this, we propose a bio-plausible learning algorithm inspired by sparse neuronal representations and incorporate sparsity and recurrent connections to improve continual learning performance.
BIOLOGICAL CYBERNETICS
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Biagio Brattoli, Uta Buchler, Michael Dorkenwald, Philipp Reiser, Linard Filli, Fritjof Helmchen, Anna-Sophia Wahl, Bjorn Ommer
Summary: This study introduces an automatic deep learning algorithm for analyzing deviations in behavior, demonstrating its wide applicability on rodents and human patients. The method not only discovers and quantifies deviations in behavior, but also proposes a generative model for amplifying subtle behavior differences.
NATURE MACHINE INTELLIGENCE
(2021)