Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Miguel A. Ortega, Cielo Garcia-Montero, Oscar Fraile-Martinez, Diego De Leon-Oliva, Diego Liviu Boaru, Coral Bravo, Juan A. De Leon-Luis, Miguel A. Saez, Angel Asunsolo, Ignacio Romero-Gerechter, Alejandro Sanz-Giancola, Raul Diaz-Pedrero, Laura Lopez-Gonzalez, Luis G. Guijarro, Silvestra Barrena-Blazquez, Julia Bujan, Natalio Garcia-Honduvilla, Melchor Alvarez-Mon, Miguel Angel Alvarez-Mon, Guillermo Lahera
Summary: Psychosis is a mental health condition characterized by a loss of touch with reality. A first-episode psychosis during pregnancy can have adverse effects on both the mother and newborn. This study aimed to analyze the gene and protein expression of oxytocin (OXT), oxytocin receptor (OXTR), vasopressin (AVP), and vasopressin receptor 1a (AVPR1a) in the placental tissue of pregnant women after a first-episode psychosis. The results showed increased gene and protein expression of OXT, AVP, OXTR, and AVPR1A in the placental tissue of these women. This suggests that an abnormal paracrine/endocrine activity of the placenta may be associated with a first-episode psychosis during pregnancy, negatively impacting the well-being of both the mother and fetus.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Hildebrando C. Ferreira-Neto, Javier E. Stern
Summary: Glutamatergic NMDA receptors (NMDARs) and small conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (SK) channels are critical in regulating the activity of hypothalamic magnocellular neurosecretory neurons (MNNs). The functional coupling between NMDARs and SK channels forms a negative feedback loop, which is blunted or absent in MNNs of heart failure (HF) rats, contributing to exacerbated neuronal activity.
JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-LONDON
(2021)
Article
Biology
Hiroki Tanaka, Kuniyuki Nishina, Qiulu Shou, Hidehiko Takahashi, Masamichi Sakagami, Tetsuya Matsuda, Miho Inoue-Murayama, Haruto Takagishi
Summary: This study shows the association between genetic mutations in three genes associated with human sociality and individuals' aversion to inequity. The participants took part in five economic game experiments and their behavioral responses were used to calculate the level of disadvantageous inequity aversion and advantageous inequity aversion. The study found that there was an association between the AVPR1A gene mutation and advantageous inequity aversion, suggesting the important role of AVPR1A in aversion when individuals' gain is greater than that of others.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michael R. Perkinson, Rachael A. Augustine, Gregory T. Bouwer, Emily F. Brown, Isaiah Cheong, Alexander J. Seymour, Martin Fronius, Colin H. Brown
Summary: Oxytocin and vasopressin secretion are crucial for pregnancy and lactation, with oxytocin promoting uterus contractions and milk ejection, while vasopressin helps retain water for the demands of pregnancy and lactation. The excitability of oxytocin neurons is increased in late pregnancy and lactation, leading to higher frequency firing, while the activity of vasopressin neurons remains consistent despite lower osmolality. Delta N-TRPV1 channels may play a role in maintaining vasopressin neuron activity for water retention during pregnancy and lactation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Mariela Mitre, Khalil Saadipour, Kevin Williams, Latika Khatri, Robert C. Froemke, Moses V. Chao
Summary: The study shows that oxytocin can enhance the activity of BDNF in neurons by transactivating the TrkB receptor. This finding is important for understanding the mechanism of oxytocin and its relationship with neural development and social behaviors.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Abigail R. Walker, Camilla B. Larsen, Samit Kundu, Christina Stavrinidis, Sung Hye Kim, Asuka Inoue, David F. Woodward, Yun S. Lee, Roberta Migale, David A. Macntyre, Vasso Terzidou, Francesca Fanelli, Shirin Khanjani, Philip R. Bennet, Aylin C. Hanyaloglu
Summary: Current strategies to manage preterm labor focus on inhibiting uterine contractions, but do not improve neonatal outcomes. This study identifies a mechanism in which activated oxytocin receptor reprograms prostaglandin E2 receptor to promote pro-labor/inflammatory responses during human labor. It suggests a potential therapeutic solution by exploiting the functional associations between these receptors to delay preterm labor.
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Haiyan Zheng, Ji Yeon Lim, Yerin Kim, Sang Taek Jung, Sun Wook Hwang
Summary: Oxytocin and vasopressin, neurohypophyseal hormones, play a central role in regulating bodily homeostasis and are strongly involved in downregulating pain. By modulating nociceptors, the first component of the pain signaling pathway, these peptides contribute to pain attenuation, sparking scientific interest in their physiological processes.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yann Waltenspuhl, Jeliazko R. Jeliazkov, Lutz Kummer, Andreas Pluckthun
Summary: This study presents an engineering strategy to improve the properties of challenging GPCRs by combining three directed evolution methods. Utilizing a Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) strategy, the study successfully selected improved variants of the human oxytocin receptor and compared mutations in different hosts. This research provides insights into the evolutionary pressure on the same membrane protein in prokaryotes and eukaryotes and offers a general methodology for accurate analysis of point mutants during directed evolution.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Physiology
Antonio G. Soares, Jorge Contreras, Crystal R. Archer, Elena Mironova, Rebecca Berdeaux, James D. Stockand, Tarek Mohamed Abd El-Aziz
Summary: The study demonstrates that targeted activation of Gs signaling exclusively in renal principal cells (PC) is sufficient to increase ENaC activity and decrease urinary sodium excretion in live animals.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Stephen P. H. Alexander, Arthur Christopoulos, Anthony P. Davenport, Eamonn Kelly, Alistair Mathie, John A. Peters, Emma L. Veale, Jane F. Armstrong, Elena Faccenda, Simon D. Harding, Adam J. Pawson, Christopher Southan, Jamie A. Davies, Maria Pia Abbracchio, Wayne Alexander, Khaled Al-hosaini, Magnus Baeck, Nicholas M. Barnes, Ross Bathgate, Jean-Martin Beaulieu, Kenneth E. Bernstein, Bernhard Bettler, Nigel J. M. Birdsall, Victoria Blaho, Francois Boulay, Corinne Bousquet, Hans Braeuner-Osborne, Geoffrey Burnstock, Girolamo Calo, Justo P. Castano, KevinJ Catt, Stefania Ceruti, Paul Chazot, Nan Chiang, Bice Chini, Jerold Chun, Antonia Cianciulli, Olivier Civelli, Lucie H. Clapp, Rejean Couture, Zsolt Csaba, Claes Dahlgren, Gordon Dent, Khuraijam Dhanachandra Singh, Steven D. Douglas, Pascal Dournaud, Satoru Eguchi, Emanuel Escher, Edward J. Filardo, Tung Fong, Marta Fumagalli, Raul R. Gainetdinov, Marc de Gasparo, Craig Gerard, Marvin Gershengorn, Fernand Gobeil, Theodore L. Goodfriend, Cyril Goudet, Karen J. Gregory, Andrew L. Gundlach, Joerg Hamann, Julien Hanson, Richard L. Hauger, Debbie L. Hay, Akos Heinemann, Morley D. Hollenberg, Nicholas D. Holliday, Mastgugu Horiuchi, Daniel Hoyer, Laszlo Hunyady, Ahsan Husain, Adriaan P. IJzerman, Tadashi Inagami, Kenneth A. Jacobson, Robert T. Jensen, Ralf Jockers, Deepa Jonnalagadda, Sadashiva Karnik, Klemens Kaupmann, Jacqueline Kemp, Charles Kennedy, Yasuyuki Kihara, Takio Kitazawa, Pawel Kozielewicz, Hans-Juergen Kreienkamp, Jyrki P. Kukkonen, Tobias Langenhan, Katie Leach, Davide Lecca, John D. Lee, Susan E. Leeman, Jerome Leprince, Xaria X. Li, Tom Lloyd Williams, Stephen J. Lolait, Amelie Lupp, Robyn Macrae, Janet Maguire, Jean Mazella, Craig A. McArdle, Shlomo Melmed, Martin C. Michel, Laurence J. Miller, Vincenzo Mitolo, Bernard Mouillac, Christa E. Mueller, Philip Murphy, Jean-Louis Nahon, Tony Ngo, Xavier Norel, Duuamene Nyimanu, Anne-Marie Ocarroll, Stefan Offermanns, Maria Antonietta Panaro, Marc Parmentier, Roger G. Pertwee, Jean-Philippe Pin, Eric R. Prossnitz, Mark Quinn, Rithwik Ramachandran, Manisha Ray, Rainer K. Reinscheid, Philippe Rondard, G. Enrico Rovati, Chiara Ruzza, Gareth J. Sanger, Torsten Schoeneberg, Gunnar Schulte, Stefan Schulz, Deborah L. Segaloff, Charles N. Serhan, Leigh A. Stoddart, Yukihiko Sugimoto, Roger Summers, Valerie P. Tan, David Thal, Walter (Wally) Thomas, PieterB M. W. M. Timmermans, Kalyan Tirupula, Giovanni Tulipano, Hamiyet Unal, Thomas Unger, Celine Valant, Patrick Vanderheyden, David Vaudry, Hubert Vaudry, Jean-Pierre Vilardaga, Christopher S. Walker, Ji Ming Wang, Donald T. Ward, Hans-Juergen Wester, Gary B. Willars, Trent M. Woodruff, Chengcan Yao, Richard D. Ye
Summary: The Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2021/22 presents concise overviews of nearly 1900 human drug targets with an emphasis on selective pharmacology, along with links to a more detailed knowledgebase. It serves as a permanent, citable record for researchers, providing useful information in the field of pharmacology.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Xiao-E Cai, Jiao Le, Xiao-Jing Shou, Gao-Wa Wu-Yun, Xiao-Xi Wang, Song-Ping Han, Ji-Sheng Han, Keith M. Kendrick, Rong Zhang
Summary: Children with autism exhibit reduced attention to social paired with nonsocial stimuli compared to typically developing children. Using eye-tracking we show this difference is due to typically developing rather than autistic boys being more influenced by how interesting competing nonsocial objects are. On the other hand, reduced time looking at the eyes in autistic relative to typically developing boys is unaffected by nonsocial object salience. Time spent viewing social stimuli is associated with cognitive development and blood levels of oxytocin.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Harmandeep Kaur, Veera Ganesh Yerra, Sri Nagarjun Batchu, Duc Tin Tran, M. D. Golam Kabir, Youan Liu, Suzanne L. Advani, Phelopater Sedrak, Laurette Geldenhuys, Karthik K. Tennankore, Penelope Poyah, Ferhan S. Siddiqi, Andrew Advani
Summary: In this study, a transcriptional profile of activated kidney fibroblasts and the GPCRs they express was established in mouse models of kidney disease. The marker Tcf21 and the GPCRs Adgra2 and S1pr3 were found to be highly expressed in these activated fibroblasts. This research provides new insights into potential therapeutic targets for treating CKD.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Arne Thies, Vikram Sunkara, Sourav Ray, Hanna Wulkow, M. Oezguer Celik, Fatih Yergoez, Christof Schuette, Christoph Stein, Marcus Weber, Stefanie Winkelmann
Summary: We have successfully designed, synthesized, and tested the prototype opioid painkiller NFEPP, which does not have adverse side effects. The design process was based on mathematical modeling of interactions between G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and ligands, considering the different functions of GPCRs under pathological and healthy conditions. Additionally, we have proposed a novel stochastic model of GPCR function that takes into account intracellular dissociation of G-protein subunits and modulation of plasma membrane calcium channels, which depend on the parameters of inflamed and healthy tissue (pH, radicals). The model has been validated using in vitro experimental data for NFEPP and fentanyl at different pH values and radical concentrations.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
D. Grassi, M. Marraudino, L. M. Garcia-Segura, G. C. Panzica
Summary: This article reviews the roles of estradiol and hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in coordinating reproduction, body physiology, growth, and metabolism. The authors discuss the cyto- and chemo-architecture, connectivity, and function of PVN, as well as the sex-specific regulation exerted by estradiol on PVN neurons and the expression of neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, neuropeptides, and neurohormones in PVN. The study also highlights the importance of classical and non-classical estrogen receptors (ERs) in modulating body homeostasis through PVN.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Lais Campelo Mendes, Gabriela Magnolia Melo Viana, Ana Leonor Abrahao Nencioni, Daniel Carvalho Pimenta, Emidio Beraldo-Neto
Summary: The scorpion family Buthidae includes arthropods whose venom contains diverse biomolecules, including neurotoxins that target ion channels in cell membranes. Disturbances in ion channel activity can lead to channelopathies, causing a range of diseases. Scorpion peptides offer potential as resources for developing drugs that specifically target ion channels. This review provides a comprehensive overview of ion channels, scorpion toxins, and potential areas for future research, emphasizing the significance of scorpion venom in discovering novel drugs for treating channelopathies.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Marsha L. Pierce, Suneet Mehrotra, Aaryn C. Mustoe, Jeffrey A. French, Thomas F. Murray
MOLECULAR PHARMACOLOGY
(2019)
Review
Neurosciences
Samantha A. Banks, Marsha L. Pierce, Garrett A. Soukup
MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yueying Li, Hao-Bing Yu, Yi Zhang, Tiago Leao, Evgenia Glukhov, Marsha L. Pierce, Chen Zhang, Hyunwoo Kim, Huanru Henry Mao, Fang Fang, Garrison W. Cottrell, Thomas F. Murray, Lena Gerwick, Huashi Guan, William H. Gerwick
JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS
(2020)
Meeting Abstract
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marsha Pierce
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Marsha L. Pierce, Jeffrey A. French, Thomas F. Murray
BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Erica Sequeira, Marsha L. Pierce, Dina Akasheh, Stacey Sellers, William H. Gerwick, Daniel G. Baden, Thomas F. Murray
Article
Plant Sciences
Suneet Mehrotra, Marsha L. Pierce, Zhengyu Cao, Sairam Jabba, William H. Gerwick, Thomas F. Murray
Summary: Voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) activators like ATX promote neurite outgrowth by increasing intracellular Na+ concentration and upregulating NMDAR function. ATX enhances the synthesis and release of BDNF and enhances neurite outgrowth through the NMDAR-BDNF-TrkB-dependent mechanism.
JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Arnaud Taton, Sebastian Rohrer, Brienna Diaz, Raphael Reher, Andres Mauricio Caraballo Rodriguez, Marsha L. Pierce, Pieter C. Dorrestein, Lena Gerwick, William H. Gerwick, James W. Golden
Summary: This study reports the heterologous expression of the columbamide biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) in Anabaena, which encodes for the synthesis of columbamides. Several new columbamide analogs were identified using LC-MS/MS and NMR. The production of columbamides in Anabaena was found to be influenced by culture conditions, particularly the concentration of NaCl.
ACS CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Alejandro M. S. Mayer, Marsha L. Pierce, Katelyn Howe, Abimael D. Rodriguez, Orazio Taglialatela-Scafati, Fumiaki Nakamura, Nobuhiro Fusetani
Summary: The 2018 marine pharmacology literature review continues to provide novel pharmacology and lead compounds for clinical marine pharmaceutical research. The review reports antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral activities of various marine compounds, as well as their effects on diabetes, inflammation, immune system, and nervous system.
PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Suneet Mehrotra, Marsha L. Pierce, Shashank M. Dravid, Thomas F. Murray
Summary: The sodium channel activator PbTx-2 influences neuronal morphology by modulating the GluN2B and PAK1 signaling pathways, leading to neurite outgrowth, spinogenesis, and synapse formation.
Meeting Abstract
Cell Biology
Bisini Panicker, Supriya Bhuvanagiri, Marsha L. Pierce
IN VITRO CELLULAR & DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY-ANIMAL
(2021)
Meeting Abstract
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marsha Pierce, Nishita Vattem, Madeline Scoles, Ashleigh Gore, Areej Aziz, Marissa Gehr
Meeting Abstract
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Erica Sequeira, Marsha Pierce, Dina Gomez, Thomas Murray
Meeting Abstract
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Erica Sequeira, Marsha Pierce, Dina Gomez, Thomas Murray