Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Johannes Morstein, Giovanna Romano, Belinda E. Hetzler, Ambrose Plante, Caleb Haake, Joshua Levitz, Dirk Trauner
Summary: This study develops tools for optical control of serotonin receptors, providing a new method for studying receptor function. By constructing a repeatable and reversible optical control system, this study lays the foundation for extending photopharmacology to the serotonin receptor family.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Biology
Damien Jullie, Camila Benitez, Tracy A. Knight, Milos S. Simic, Mark von Zastrow
Summary: This study reveals the cellular mechanism underlying opioid tolerance, mainly through presynaptic tolerance and the endocytosis and recycling process of opioid receptors. The endocytic process of the μ-opioid receptor (MOR) requires phosphorylation mediated by GRK2/3, while the endocytosis of the δ-opioid receptor (DOR) does not require this process. In addition, DOR has a lower efficiency of recycling, resulting in stronger tolerance.
Article
Physiology
Jessica Rodgers, Phillip Wright, Edward R. Ballister, Rebecca B. Hughes, Riccardo Storchi, Jonathan Wynne, Franck P. Martial, Robert J. Lucas
Summary: This study explores methods to improve the temporal resolution of animal opsins in non-native cellular environment. It finds that the classic signal termination mechanism is complicated, but using phosphorylation-independent mutants of arrestin or point mutations stabilizing the Schiff base of the opsin can overcome this limitation.
PFLUGERS ARCHIV-EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Developmental Biology
Natalie S. Roberts, Joanna F. D. Hagen, Robert J. Johnston
Summary: This article reviews the diversity of visual opsins and differences in opsin gene expression in different animal groups. The study reveals significant variations in the numbers, types, and spectral sensitivities of visual opsins across lineages. The functional significance of opsin expression differences and spectral tuning among lineages is discussed. Some cases show that opsin evolution is linked to the detection of specific visual signals, while in other cases, variation in opsins is not directly related to functional or ecological differences. Overall, the diversity of opsin expression patterns and sensitivities in invertebrate lineages highlights the variability of opsins over evolutionary time.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jessica Rodgers, Beatriz Bano-Otalora, Mino D. C. Belle, Sarika Paul, Rebecca Hughes, Phillip Wright, Richard McDowell, Nina Milosavljevic, Patrycja Orlowska-Feuer, Franck P. Martial, Jonathan Wynne, Edward R. Ballister, Riccardo Storchi, Annette E. Allen, Timothy Brown, Robert J. Lucas
Summary: There is no consensus on the best inhibitory optogenetic tool. Gi/o signalling is a native mechanism of neuronal inhibition, and Lamprey Parapinopsin (Lamplight) can be used for optogenetic silencing by switching between stable signalling active and inactive states with different wavelengths. The properties of Lamplight can be applied to achieve switchable neuronal hyperpolarisation and suppression of spontaneous spike firing in specific brain regions. Expressing Lamplight in ON bipolar cells can photosensitise retinas following advanced photoreceptor degeneration, showing potential for scalable, sustained, and reversible optogenetic inhibition.
Article
Biology
Nobuhiro Yamagata, Takahiro Ezaki, Takahiro Takahashi, Hongyang Wu, Hiromu Tanimoto
Summary: Regulation of reward signaling in the brain is crucial for appropriate judgement of the environment and self. In Drosophila, inhibitory input to the presynaptic terminals of dopamine neurons mediate reward signals and control memory specificity. The disruption of GABA signaling reduces memory specificity and causes optimistic cognitive bias.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xiling Li, Chun Chien, Yifu Han, Zihan Sun, Xun Chen, Dion Dickman
Summary: The study revealed that the Glutamate-gated chloride channel (GluCl alpha) in Drosophila neurons plays a critical role in presynaptic homeostatic depression (PHD), driving the process through an activity-dependent anionic conductance.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Oleg Babii, Sergii Afonin, Christian Diel, Marcel Huhn, Jennifer Dommermuth, Tim Schober, Serhii Koniev, Andrii Hrebonkin, Alexander Nesterov-Mueller, Igor V. Komarov, Anne S. Ulrich
Summary: Chemical modification of a bicyclic peptide scaffold led to the development of photoswitchable inhibitors based on diarylethene for serine protease Bos taurus trypsin 1 (T1). These inhibitors exhibited low nanomolar K-i values and a 20-fold activity modulation under irradiation. The study also demonstrated the feasibility of manipulating enzyme activity in time and space.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Physiology
William Dan, Ga Hyun Park, Shruti Vemaraju, Amy D. Wu, Kristina Perez, Meenakshi Rao, Dan E. Berkowitz, Richard A. Lang, Peter D. Yim
Summary: Opsin receptors in the colon have been found to mediate light-induced relaxation of smooth muscle, suggesting a potential new target for the treatment of gastrointestinal motility disorders.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ryan M. Woloschuk, P. Maximilian M. Reed, Anna S. Jaikaran, Karl Z. Demmans, Jeffrey Youn, Voula Kanelis, Maruti Uppalapati, G. Andrew Woolley
Summary: The research focused on developing a photo-controlled affinity reagent Z-PYP to achieve controllable switching of target affinity in the dark and under light. Experimental results confirmed that mutants with decreased Z-domain folding energy could alter target affinity without affecting switching.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Solival Santos Filho, Daniel Boari Coelho, Carlos Ugrinowitsch, Caroline Ribeiro de Souza, Fernando Henrique Magalhaes, Andrea Cristina de Lima-Pardini, Eden Marcos Braga de Oliveira, Eugenia Mattos, Luis Augusto Teixeira, Carla Silva-Batista
Summary: The study found that older adults showed higher levels of presynaptic inhibition, longer duration, and lower amplitude of anticipatory postural adjustments during gait initiation compared to young adults; older adults also had higher co-contraction ratio in both tasks. Correlations were found between presynaptic inhibition levels and APA amplitude, as well as co-contraction ratio during gait initiation, in older adults but not in young adults.
JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY SERIES A-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND MEDICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yuri Kim, Ramar Thangam, Jounghyun Yoo, Jeongyun Heo, Jung Yeon Park, Nayeon Kang, Sungkyu Lee, Jiwon Yoon, Kwang Rok Mun, Misun Kang, Sunhong Min, Seong Yeol Kim, Subin Son, Jihwan Kim, Hyunsik Hong, Gunhyu Bae, Kanghyeon Kim, Sanghyeok Lee, Letao Yang, Ja Yeon Lee, Jinjoo Kim, Steve Park, Dong-Hyun Kim, Ki-Bum Lee, Woo Young Jang, Bong Hoon Kim, Ramasamy Paulmurugan, Seung-Woo Cho, Hyun-Cheol Song, Seok Ju Kang, Wujin Sun, Yangzhi Zhu, Junmin Lee, Han-Jun Kim, Ho Seong Jang, Jong Seung Kim, Ali Khademhosseini, Yongju Kim, Sehoon Kim, Heemin Kang
Summary: This study developed a method to induce the swelling and deswelling of microgels using different wavelengths of light, controlling the availability of RGD in the microgels and affecting the polarization of host macrophages, with potential biomedical applications.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Baris Alten, Natalie J. Guzikowski, Zack Zurawski, Heidi E. Hamm, Ege T. Kavalali
Summary: Inhibition of neurotransmitter release plays a fundamental role in neuromodulation, but the mechanisms underlying inhibition of spontaneous release are still unclear. This study investigates the inhibition of spontaneous glutamate and GABA release by GABA(B) receptors and reveals that the inhibition relies on G beta gamma subunit action at the membrane, with different mechanisms for glutamate and GABA release.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zongliang Xie, Xiayu Zhang, Yuxin Xiao, Hailan Wang, Mingyao Shen, Simin Zhang, Haodong Sun, Rongjuan Huang, Tao Yu, Wei Huang
Summary: In this study, a photoswitchable mechanoluminescent material with reversible photochromism was successfully realized. The material exhibited high stability and repeatability under alternate UV and visible light irradiation. This research provides a new method to control organic mechanoluminescence and paves the way for the development of smart luminescent materials.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jingwen Shou, Ayumi Komazawa, Yuusaku Wachi, Minoru Kawatani, Hiroyoshi Fujioka, Spencer John Spratt, Takaha Mizuguchi, Kenichi Oguchi, Hikaru Akaboshi, Fumiaki Obata, Ryo Tachibana, Shun Yasunaga, Yoshio Mita, Yoshihiro Misawa, Ryosuke Kojima, Yasuteru Urano, Mako Kamiya, Yasuyuki Ozeki
Summary: Super-resolution vibrational microscopy using photoswitchable stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) overcomes limitations of current techniques and enables the imaging of live cells with excellent chemical specificity and spatial resolution beyond the optical diffraction limit.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Munir Gunes Kutlu, Jennifer E. Zachry, Patrick R. Melugin, Stephanie A. Cajigas, Maxime F. Chevee, Shannon J. Kelly, Banu Kutlu, Lin Tian, Cody A. Siciliano, Erin S. Calipari
Summary: Research has shown that dopamine release patterns conform to different encoding mechanisms in different contexts, not solely determined by reward prediction error theory.
Review
Neurosciences
Nikki Tjahjono, Yihan Jin, Alice Hsu, Michael Roukes, Lin Tian
Summary: This article reviews the development of measurement methods for neurotransmitter release and discusses the advantages and challenges of each technology, providing a guide for tool engineering and applications in recording neurochemical release.
NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Emily C. Wheeler, Shailee Vora, Daniel Mayer, Andriana G. Kotini, Malgorzata Olszewska, Samuel S. Park, Ernesto Guccione, Julie Teruya-Feldstein, Lewis Silverman, Roger K. Sunahara, Gene W. Yeo, Eirini P. Papapetrou
Summary: The study identified a long isoform of GNAS as a direct target of convergent missplicing by mutant U2AF1 and SRSF2, which activates G protein and ERK/MAPK signaling, driving MDS and rendering mutant cells sensitive to MEK inhibition. The findings suggest a potential therapeutic target for MDS and other SF-mutant neoplasms.
Review
Neurosciences
Chunyang Dong, Yu Zheng, Kiran Long-Iyer, Emily C. Wright, Yulong Li, Lin Tian
Summary: Recent advances in fluorescence imaging have allowed us to record neural activity and neurochemical release with unprecedented resolution. Genetically encoded fluorescent indicators provide valuable insights into neural activity and neuromodulation.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biology
Carmen Klein Herenbrink, Jonatan Fullerton Stoier, William Dalseg Reith, Abeer Dagra, Miguel Alejandro Cuadrado Gregorek, Reto B. Cola, Tommaso Patriarchi, Yulong Li, Lin Tian, Ulrik Gether, Freja Herborg
Summary: This study develops dopamine sensor cell lines expressing fluorescent reporters, which can be used to detect endogenous dopamine release, determine dopamine tissue content, and measure dopamine uptake and efflux. This versatile tool has a wide range of applications.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tucker Stuart, William J. Jeang, Richard A. Slivicki, Bobbie J. Brown, Alex Burton, Victoria E. Brings, Lilian C. Alarcon-Segovia, Prophecy Agyare, Savanna Ruiz, Amanda Tyree, Lindsay Pruitt, Surabhi Madhvapathy, Martin Niemiec, James Zhuang, Siddharth Krishnan, Bryan A. Copits, John A. Rogers, Robert W. Gereau, Vijay K. Samineni, Amay J. Bandodkar, Philipp Gutruf
Summary: Neurotransmitters and neuromodulators play a crucial role in neuronal communication, but studying their release dynamics has been challenging due to technical limitations. Researchers have developed an implantable, wireless, and battery-free platform that allows real-time optogenetic stimulation and electrochemical recording of catecholamine dynamics. The platform has a small size and high sensitivity, making it suitable for studying these dynamics in small animal models. In vitro and in vivo experiments have demonstrated the platform's capabilities and its potential applications in studying dopamine concentration changes and opioid effects in freely behaving subjects.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shuya Kate Huang, Louis-Philippe Picard, Rima S. M. Rahmatullah, Aditya Pandey, Ned Van Eps, Roger K. Sunahara, Oliver P. Ernst, Adnan Sljoka, R. Scott Prosser
Summary: Fluorine nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to study the conformational equilibria of the human stimulatory G-protein alpha subunit (G(s)α) in different states. The results showed that the equilibrium is influenced by nucleotide, beta gamma subunit, lipid bilayer, and adenosine A(2A) receptor (A(2A)R). Different helices of G(s)α exhibited dynamic behavior and underwent interactions and transitions associated with G-protein activation. The study revealed a conformational landscape influenced by nucleotides, lipid bilayer, and G-protein-coupled receptor.
NATURE STRUCTURAL & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maxemiliano V. Vargas, Lee E. Dunlap, Chunyang Dong, Samuel J. Carter, Robert J. Tombari, Shekib A. Jami, Lindsay P. Cameron, Seona D. Patel, Joseph J. Hennessey, Hannah N. Saeger, John D. McCorvy, John A. Gray, Lin Tian, David E. Olson
Summary: Decreased dendritic spine density in the cortex is a common feature of neuropsychiatric diseases, and psychedelics have been found to promote cortical neuron growth. This study shows that intracellular 5-HT2A receptors mediate the plasticity-promoting effects of psychedelics, providing insight into the mechanisms behind their therapeutic effects. The findings suggest that targeting intracellular 5-HT2A receptors could be a potential therapeutic approach.
Editorial Material
Biochemical Research Methods
Alessio Andreoni, Lin Tian
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Miguel R. Chuapoco, Nicholas C. Flytzanis, Nick Goeden, J. Christopher Octeau, Kristina M. Roxas, Ken Y. Chan, Jon Scherrer, Janet Winchester, Roy J. Blackburn, Lillian J. Campos, Kwun Nok Mimi Man, Junqing Sun, Xinhong Chen, Arthur Lefevre, Vikram Pal Singh, Cynthia M. Arokiaraj, Timothy F. Shay, Julia Vendemiatti, Min J. Jang, John K. Mich, Yemeserach Bishaw, Bryan B. Gore, Victoria Omstead, Naz Taskin, Natalie Weed, Boaz P. Levi, Jonathan T. Ting, Cory T. Miller, Benjamin E. Deverman, James Pickel, Lin Tian, Andrew S. Fox, Viviana Gradinaru
Summary: Crossing the blood-brain barrier in primates is a major challenge for gene delivery. Researchers have identified an engineered variant, AAV.CAP-Mac, which efficiently delivers genes to the brains of multiple non-human primate species, potentially enabling non-invasive systemic gene transfer.
NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
R. R. Dalangin, A. Pal, J. Roshgadol, J. Sun, J. A. Chouinard, S. Kulhavy, Y. Hua, J. R. Wickens, L. Tian
Article
Biology
Zoe G. Beatty, Anand K. Muthusamy, Elizabeth K. Unger, Dennis A. Dougherty, Lin Tian, Loren L. Looger, Amol V. Shivange, Kallol Bera, Henry A. Lester, Aaron L. Nichols
Summary: Subcellular pharmacokinetic measurements play a crucial role in understanding the mechanisms of CNS-acting drugs. The use of genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors has greatly improved recent investigations, allowing researchers to observe drug behavior at the plasma membrane and in organelles. This study provides protocols for screening and validating hit pairs of drugs and biosensors, as well as optimizing the biosensors for sensitivity and selectivity. The protocols will assist scientists in identifying suitable fluorescent biosensor variants for CNS-acting drugs that currently lack corresponding biosensor partners.
Meeting Abstract
Neurosciences
Emily Wright, Rochelin Dalangin, Sally Ho, Lin Tian
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Elizabeth K. Serafin, Robert Burns, Judy Yoo, Mark L. Baccei
Summary: Gucy2d is selectively expressed in dynorphin-lineage neurons in lamina I-III of the adult mouse spinal cord but not in the brain or DRG. Spinal Gucy2d-expressing neurons are inhibitory neurons that also express the transcription factor Bhlhb5 and the cGMP-dependent phosphodiesterase Pde2a. Gucy2d knockout mice did not exhibit altered responses to itch or pain.