Article
Biology
Christian Keine, Mohammed Al-Yaari, Tamara Radulovic, Connon Thomas, Paula Valino Ramos, Debbie Guerrero-Given, Mrinalini Ranjan, Holger Taschenberger, Naomi Kamasawa, Samuel M. Young
Summary: This study reveals the key regulatory role of Rac1 in synaptic transmission, mainly through modulating the dynamics of synaptic vesicle priming and potentially the release probability, affecting synaptic strength and short-term plasticity.
Article
Neurosciences
Tyne W. Miller-Fleming, Andrea Cuentas-Condori, Laura Manning, Sierra Palumbos, Janet E. Richmond, David M. Miller
Summary: This study demonstrates the important role of the transcription factor Iroquois/IRX-1 in regulating synaptic disassembly during development, as well as the identification of an additional pathway, independent of ENaC/UNC-8, that coordinates the removal of specific active zone proteins to dismantle functional presynaptic terminals.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Mason Parkes, Nathan L. Landers, Michael W. Gramlich
Summary: Presynapses efficiently communicate information by locally recycling synaptic vesicles. This study investigates the mechanisms of trafficking older synaptic vesicles back to the soma for recycling, and shows that the choice of microtubule or actin cytoskeleton networks depends on the speed of vesicle trafficking and the direction of transport. The loss of synaptic vesicle with bound myosin V is identified as the differentiating mechanism. These findings provide insights into the maintenance and plasticity of presynaptic function.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Yan-yan Guo, Ying Zhou, Yu-jiao Li, An Liu, Jiao Yue, Qing-qing Liu, Le Yang, Yu-mei Wu, Shui-bing Liu, Kun Zhang, Ming-gao Zhao
Summary: This study reveals that Scutellarin has a protective effect against stress-induced anxiety in mice by restoring neurotransmitter levels and improving behavioral abnormalities.
PHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Yiyang Zhu, Claire I. C. Warrenfelt, Jill C. Flannery, Clark A. Lindgren
Summary: The study indicates that ASIC channels and extracellular protons play a role in mediating presynaptic homeostatic potentiation (PHP) at the mouse neuromuscular junction (NMJ), with blocking ASICs or changing proton concentration affecting the occurrence of PHP.
Article
Cell Biology
Kathryn N. Becker, Krista M. Pettee, Amanda Sugrue, Kevin A. Reinard, Jason L. Schroeder, Kathryn M. Eisenmann
Summary: Targeting mDia is an effective strategy against invasion and tumor microtube networking, while inhibiting ROCK is contraindicated for treating brain cancer.
Article
Developmental Biology
Michelle S. Giedt, Jonathon M. Thomalla, Roger P. White, Matthew R. Johnson, Zon Weng Lai, Tina L. Tootle, Michael A. Welte
Summary: Lipid droplets play a crucial role in lipid metabolism and are important for oocyte development and fertility. They release arachidonic acid to promote actin remodeling necessary for follicle development.
Article
Cell Biology
Andrea Cuentas-Condori, Siqi Chen, Mia Krout, Kristin L. Gallik, John Tipps, Casey Gailey, Leah Flautt, Hongkyun Kim, Ben Mulcahy, Mei Zhen, Janet E. Richmond, David M. Miller
Summary: Circuit refinement involves the formation of new presynaptic boutons as others are dismantled. This study found that the developmentally regulated expression of UNC-8, an epithelial Na+ channel, promotes a Ca2+ and actin-dependent mechanism that recycles presynaptic material for reassembly at new synapses. They discovered that a mechanism similar to activity-dependent bulk endocytosis (ADBE) is involved in the distal recycling of synaptic material from old to new synapses.
Article
Neurosciences
Sushma Dagar, Zenghui Teng, Kurt Gottmann
Summary: Studies have shown that N-cadherin plays an important modulatory role in synaptic vesicle endocytosis at near physiological temperature, potentially mediated by actin filaments. The expression and function of N-cadherin affect different modes of endocytosis, and it is recruited to glutamatergic synapses upon massive vesicle release.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yusuke Sakai, Haiyan Li, Hiromichi Inaba, Yuki Funayama, Erina Ishimori, Ayako Kawatake-Kuno, Hirotaka Yamagata, Tomoe Seki, Teruyuki Hobara, Shin Nakagawa, Yoshifumi Watanabe, Susumu Tomita, Toshiya Murai, Shusaku Uchida
Summary: The study explores the role of CaMKII beta in the ventral hippocampus in depression susceptibility and resilience, revealing that its modulation of TARP gamma-8 phosphorylation enhances stress resilience by increasing the expression of AMPA receptor subunit GluA1. These findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying chronic stress-induced behavioral changes and offer strategies for preventing and treating stress-related psychiatric disorders.
Article
Cell Biology
Mai Thi Nguyen, Wan Lee
Summary: Kank1 is a critical regulator of actin dynamics and cell proliferation in muscle progenitor cells, with its depletion impairing myogenic differentiation by promoting myoblast proliferation through F-actin-induced YAP1 nuclear translocation.
Article
Plant Sciences
Haibo Wang, YuanYuan Luo, Shiya Ou, Tengyang Ni, Zewen Chu, Xinyi Feng, Xiaojun Dai, Xiaochun Zhang, Yanqing Liu
Summary: This study investigated the effect and mechanism of Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb. extract (COE) on inhibiting the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis of gastric cancer cells. The results showed that COE significantly reduced the movement distance and average movement speed of gastric cancer cells, changed the distribution of cytoskeleton proteins, and decreased the expression of Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2, MMP-9). Additionally, COE accelerated the degradation of CFL1 protein, which further inhibited EMT and metastasis of gastric cancer cells. Animal experiments demonstrated a significant reduction in peritoneal metastases of gastric cancer cells after COE treatment. In conclusion, COE can effectively inhibit EMT and metastasis of gastric cancer cells by reducing the stability of CFL1 and inhibiting actin assembly.
JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Physiology
Qin Yang, Wei Shi
Summary: Abnormal airway remodeling in chronic respiratory diseases is characterized by altered proliferation and differentiation of airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs), which are difficult to restore. Understanding the regulation of airway smooth muscle growth is crucial for identifying intervention targets, including the potentially important RhoA/ROCK-MYOCD/MRTFs pathway.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-LUNG CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Guanghui Hu, Ning Huang, Jing Zhang, Die Zhang, Shuren Wang, Yuanyuan Zhang, Liming Wang, Yingxi Du, Shuwen Kuang, Kai Ma, Hongxia Zhu, Ningzhi Xu, Mei Liu
Summary: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignant tumor and the role of LKB1 in CRC remains unclear. This study generated LKB1 knockout (KO) CRC cell lines and showed that LKB1 deficiency promoted CRC cell metastasis through upregulation of TNIK and subsequent cytoskeleton remodeling. These findings suggest that the LKB1-TNIK axis may play a crucial role in CRC progression.
MOLECULAR CARCINOGENESIS
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Natasha Parikh, Felipe De Brigard, Kevin S. LaBar
Summary: Creating downward counterfactual thinking can regulate the impact of aversive autobiographical memories and help reduce negative emotions, especially in individuals with higher trait anxiety.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Letter
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Takuo Emoto, Hiroyuki Yamamoto, Tomoya Yamashita, Tomofumi Takaya, Takahiro Sawada, Shintaro Takeda, Masayuki Taniguchi, Naoto Sasaki, Naofumi Yoshida, Yoshihiro Saito, Tharini Sivasubramaniyam, Hiromasa Otake, Tomoyuki Furuyashiki, Clinton S. Robbins, Hiroya Kawai, Ken-ichi Hirata
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Yusuke Kawashima, Hirotaka Nagai, Ryo Konno, Masaki Ishikawa, Daisuke Nakajima, Hironori Sato, Ren Nakamura, Tomoyuki Furuyashiki, Osamu Ohara
Summary: This paper discusses the demand for high proteome coverage in single-shot measurements and focuses on data-independent acquisition (DIA)-MS and ion mobility spectrometry as techniques for deep proteome analysis. The researchers aimed to expand the proteome coverage by optimizing high-field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry parameters in DIA-MS. The approach was applied to the analysis of host proteins in mouse feces and proved to be useful in understanding mental illness pathologies.
JOURNAL OF PROTEOME RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Satoshi Akiyama, Hirotaka Nagai, Shota Oike, Io Horikawa, Masakazu Shinohara, Yabin Lu, Takashi Futamura, Ryota Shinohara, Shiho Kitaoka, Tomoyuki Furuyashiki
Summary: This study found that chronic social stress increases the amount of lipid mediators related to 12S-LOX activity in the nucleus accumbens of mice. The increase is greater in stress-resilient mice, suggesting a correlation with stress resilience. These findings suggest that chronic social stress leads to a late increase in the amounts of 12S-LOX metabolites derived from brain vasculature in the nucleus accumbens.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Vincent Pascoli, Agnes Hiver, Yue Li, Masaya Harada, Vahid Esmaeili, Christian Luscher
Summary: Recent studies suggest that the strengthening of glutamatergic transmission from the orbitofrontal cortex to the dorsal striatum is involved in the transition from controlled to compulsion-like drug self-administration in rodents. This study reveals the cell-type specific sequence of synaptic plasticity induction during the punishment sessions, which may eventually lead to compulsion-like drug self-administration.
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhiqian Yu, Mai Sakai, Hotaka Fukushima, Chiaki Ono, Yoshie Kikuchi, Ryuta Koyama, Ko Matsui, Tomoyuki Furuyashiki, Satoshi Kida, Hiroaki Tomita
Summary: This study investigated the gene transcription changes in microglia and peripheral monocytes after contextual fear conditioning in C57BL/6 J mice using Illumina MouseWG-6v2 microarrays. The findings are valuable for researchers interested in glial cells and neurotransmission studies.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Hisayoshi Kubota, Kazuo Kunisawa, Bolati Wulaer, Masaya Hasegawa, Hitomi Kurahashi, Takatoshi Sakata, Hiroyuki Tezuka, Masanori Kugita, Shizuko Nagao, Taku Nagai, Tomoyuki Furuyashiki, Shuh Narumiya, Kuniaki Saito, Toshitaka Nabeshima, Akihiro Mouri
Summary: High salt intake is associated with hypertension and cognitive impairment. The angiotensin II (Ang II)-AT(1) receptor and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)-EP1 receptor systems are involved in hypertension and neurotoxicity, but their role in high salt-induced hypertension and emotional and cognitive impairments is unclear. This study found that high salt intake leads to hypertension and cognitive impairments, potentially due to increased tau phosphorylation, decreased phosphorylation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), and reduced expression of postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus (HIP). These changes can be blocked by pharmacological treatment with an AT(1) receptor blocker or EP1 receptor gene knockout.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mai Sakai, Zhiqian Yu, Masayuki Taniguchi, Rosanne Picotin, Nanami Oyama, David Stellwagen, Chiaki Ono, Yoshie Kikuchi, Ko Matsui, Miharu Nakanishi, Hatsumi Yoshii, Tomoyuki Furuyashiki, Takaaki Abe, Hiroaki Tomita
Summary: N-acetylcysteine (NAC) acts as an antioxidant and prevents cell death induced by tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, but it can also promote cell death through reactive oxygen species. This study investigated the effects of NAC on microglia and stress-induced behavior abnormalities in mice. The findings suggest that NAC has both beneficial and deleterious effects, with inhibitory effects on TNF-alpha and nitric oxide synthesis but high concentrations causing cell death in microglia.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Rei Mishima, Masayuki Taniguchi, Kazutoshi Matsushita, Bowen Tian, Tomoyuki Furuyashiki
Summary: Using single-cell RNA sequencing, distinct microglial subpopulations with different transcriptome signatures were identified in the resting brain. The distribution of these subpopulations varied across brain regions, particularly between the cerebral cortices and the hypothalamus. Lipopolysaccharide and chronic social defeat stress, both involving the innate immune receptor TLR4, upregulated marker genes of selective microglial subpopulations. These findings highlight the contribution of microglial subpopulations to the heterogeneity of microglial transcriptome and responsiveness in different brain regions.
JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tadaaki Nishioka, Suthinee Attachaipanich, Kosuke Hamaguchi, Michael Lazarus, Alban de Kerchove d'Exaerde, Tom Macpherson, Takatoshi Hikida
Summary: Learned associations between environmental cues and outcomes play a crucial role in behavioral control, and D2-MSNs in the NAc are involved in inhibiting inappropriate responses. Error-signaling by NAc D2-MSNs contributes to the ability to use environmental cues to inhibit inappropriate behavior.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Han Guo, Jian-Bo Jiang, Wei Xu, Mu-Tian Zhang, Hui Chen, Huan-Ying Shi, Lu Wang, Miao He, Michael Lazarus, Shan-Qun Li, Zhi-Li Huang, Wei-Min Qu
Summary: In this study, the authors found that neurons expressing calretinin in the parasubthalamic nucleus play a key role in the induction and maintenance of wakefulness associated with exploration. They demonstrate that these neurons regulate wakefulness by innervating the ventral tegmental area. These findings provide new insights into the neural circuits regulating wakefulness.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Yasutaka Mukai, Tatsuo S. Okubo, Michael Lazarus, Daisuke Ono, Kenji F. Tanaka, Akihiro Yamanaka
Summary: This study established an efficient screening method for identifying substances that modulate the activity of LC-NA neurons. Five novel substances were discovered, with neuromedin U showing the strongest response in female mice. Prostaglandin E2 was identified as a substance that can suppress LC-NA neuronal activity and modulate behavioral response to stress.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Zacharoula Kagiampaki, Valentin Rohner, Cedric Kiss, Sebastiano Curreli, Alexander Dieter, Maria Wilhelm, Masaya Harada, Sian N. N. Duss, Jan Dernic, Musadiq A. A. Bhat, Xuehan Zhou, Luca Ravotto, Tim Ziebarth, Laura Moreno Wasielewski, Latife Soenmez, Dietmar Benke, Bruno Weber, Johannes Bohacek, Andreas Reiner, J. Simon Wiegert, Tommaso Fellin, Tommaso Patriarchi
Summary: Researchers have developed a family of sensitive multicolor indicators for norepinephrine, which enable high-resolution imaging of neuromodulators in vivo. These indicators, named nLightG and nLightR, show improved sensitivity, ligand selectivity, kinetics, and pharmacological profile compared to previous indicators. By using these indicators, researchers were able to monitor optogenetically evoked norepinephrine release in the mouse locus coeruleus and hippocampus, and observe locomotion and reward-related norepinephrine transients in the dorsal CA1 area of the hippocampus. These sensitive norepinephrine indicators provide valuable tools for investigating the norepinephrine system.
Article
Neurosciences
Toshinori Yoshioka, Daisuke Yamada, Eri Segi-Nishida, Hiroshi Nagase, Akiyoshi Saitoh
Summary: This study investigates the effects of DOP agonist KNT-127 on the pathophysiological factors of depression in cVSDS mice. KNT-127 improves social interaction behaviors and corticosterone levels in cVSDS mice, as well as regulates neurogenesis and neuroinflammation. It also suppresses microglial overactivation in the hippocampal dentate gyrus.
Article
Neurosciences
Nanami Kasakura, Yuka Murata, Asuka Shindo, Shiho Kitaoka, Tomoyuki Furuyashiki, Kanzo Suzuki, Eri Segi-Nishida
Summary: The dentate gyrus of the hippocampus plays a regulatory role in stress-related emotional behaviors and neurogenesis. NT-3 is expressed in the adult dentate gyrus and is enhanced under chronic stress conditions in rodents. However, the functional modulation of the dentate gyrus by NT-3 signaling is still unclear.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Shiho Kitaoka, Ayaka Tomohiro, Shinya Ukeshima, Keyue Liu, Hidenori Wake, Shinya H. Kimura, Yasuhiko Yamamoto, Masahiro Nishibori, Tomoyuki Furuyashiki
Summary: Inflammation is associated with depression, and HMGB1 plays an important role in chronic stress-induced depression-related behaviors. HMGB1 can affect depression-related behaviors by regulating the Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2/4 in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). The study found that HMGB1 has an antidepressive effect on social avoidance behavior, but the role of endogenous HMGB1 under chronic stress is still unknown.