Article
Neurosciences
Marina Arribas-Blazquez, Dolores Piniella, Luis A. Olivos-Ore, David Bartolome-Martin, Cristiana Leite, Cecilio Gimenez, Antonio R. Artalejo, Francisco Zafra
Summary: The voltage-sensitive sodium channel Na(V)1.1 is regulated by multiple protein kinases, with AKT1 identified as a novel regulator through direct phosphorylation. AKT1 activation leads to decreased Na+ currents and altered inactivation properties, mimicked by its specific activator SC79 and reverted by a selective inhibitor triciribine. This novel mechanism proposes AKT1 as a key regulator in modulating neuronal excitability under physiological and pathological conditions, including epileptogenesis.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pamela Reinagel
Summary: In the laboratory, animals' motivation to work is positively correlated with reward magnitude, but in nature, rewards earned by work are essential to survival. Rats in a closed economy did more work for water rewards when the rewards were stably smaller, showing elasticity of demand like human consumers. Neural mechanisms underlying such rational market behaviors, such as glutamatergic neurons in the subfornical organ, remain largely unexplored.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Review
Neurosciences
Elizabeth A. Schroder, Makoto Ono, Sidney R. Johnson, Ezekiel R. Rozmus, Don E. Burgess, Karyn A. Esser, Brian P. Delisle
Summary: This article focuses on the impact of circadian rhythms, environmental and behavioral changes on 24-hour rhythms in heart rate and ventricular repolarization. The circadian clock in cardiomyocytes regulates the expression of cardiac ion channels, influences the sinoatrial node excitability and the duration of the ventricular action potential waveform. However, autonomic signaling primarily drives the 24-hour rhythms. Changing rhythmic behaviors can significantly affect heart rate and ventricular repolarization. Targeting endogenous circadian mechanisms and modifying rhythmic behaviors may emerge as therapeutic strategies for regulating cardiac electrophysiology.
JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-LONDON
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Afroditi Petsakou, Norbert Perrimon
Summary: Proper regulation of ion balance in the intestinal epithelium is crucial for physiological functions, while imbalance can lead to intestinal disorders with significant health consequences. Recent studies involving Drosophila gut have identified conserved molecular pathways linking regulators of Ca2+, Na+, and Cl- with intestinal stem cell proliferation, providing insights into bioelectrically induced proliferative responses. This review discusses the significance of these studies and emphasizes the advantages of using Drosophila to uncover conserved molecular pathways in the intestinal epithelium under different conditions.
TRENDS IN CELL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Reham H. Soliman, David M. Pollock
Summary: Limiting dietary sodium plays a beneficial role in preventing and managing essential hypertension, and the timing of salt intake may impact cardiovascular health and blood pressure regulation. Cell autonomous molecular clocks function independently to maintain optimal functional rhythmicity in the face of environmental stressors.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HYPERTENSION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marialuisa Perrotta, Daniela Carnevale
Summary: Hypertension is a multifactorial disease with pathophysiological mechanisms involving not only classical factors but also the immune system. Studies have shown the important role of neuroimmune interactions in hypertension, with specific brain areas modulating immune responses playing a crucial role in the development of high blood pressure.
ANTIOXIDANTS & REDOX SIGNALING
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Janin Riedelsberger, Julia K. Miller, Braulio Valdebenito-Maturana, Miguel A. Pineros, Wendy Gonzalez, Ingo Dreyer
Summary: HKT channels are a plant protein family responsible for sodium and potassium uptake, as well as Na+-K+ homeostasis. They are divided into two classes based on sequence polymorphisms and play diverse roles in salt tolerance and potassium shortage responses in plants.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kirin D. Gada, Diomedes E. Logothetis
Summary: Ion channels rely on phosphatidylinositol (4,5) bisphosphate for their gating, and their expression and function are regulated by protein phosphorylation by PKC isoforms.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Zainab Taleb, Phillip Karpowicz
Summary: The circadian clock is a molecular timekeeper that regulates 24-hour rhythms in animals, impacting behavior and physiology, including metabolic and digestive systems. Animal models targeting circadian clock genes have shown their role in regulating liver diseases, inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal cancer, and obesity. Thus, the circadian clock plays a crucial role in maintaining metabolic and digestive health.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-CELL PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yifan Yao, Alana B'nai Taub, Joseph LeSauter, Rae Silver
Summary: The study describes a second portal system in mice that enables important secreted signals to reach specialized targets in high concentrations without dilution. These brain clock portal vessels provide a new route and targets for SCN signals, potentially reshaping our understanding of brain communication pathways.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Review
Neurosciences
Jiaxu Wang, Fenglin Lv, Wei Yin, Zhanpeng Gao, Hongyu Liu, Zhen Wang, Jinhao Sun
Summary: This article discusses the regulation of thirst and water intake by the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis (OVLT) and subfornical organ (SFO), which sense dynamic changes in sodium and water balance in body fluids. The neural circuits and intracellular mechanisms involved in thirst regulation and osmosensitive function of OVLT and SFO are reviewed. Furthermore, the vital role of OVLT in sleep-arousal regulation is discussed, with vasopressin proposed as the mediator when OVLT senses osmotic stimuli.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Ryan P. D. Alexander, Derek Bowie
Summary: NMDA receptors induce long-term changes in firing rates of inhibitory stellate cells by driving intrinsic plasticity through a Ca2+- and CaMKII-dependent pathway, which alters the activation and inactivation properties of voltage-gated Na+ channels. This signaling pathway also lowers the action potential threshold by causing a hyperpolarizing shift in Na+ channel gating, suggesting a potential mechanism for fine-tuning motor behavior.
JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-LONDON
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shuaiwei Qi, Chenyang Zhang, Hao Yu, Jing Zhang, Tengfei Yan, Ze Lin, Bing Yang, Zeyuan Dong
Summary: Small molecules with natural channel-like functions have potential in treating human diseases. Aromatic helical scaffolds were used to develop foldamer-based ion channels of varying sizes, demonstrating the importance of channel size in ion transport selectivity and leading to the discovery of promising artificial K+ and sodiumpreferential channels.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Dermatology
Theodora M. Mauro
Summary: The study demonstrated that skin sodium ion (Na+) is increased in patients with psoriasis, particularly those with a PASI > 5, and correlates with disease severity. The findings support a proposed mechanism where increased Na+ concentrations enhance IL-17 expression from CD4(+) cells. These results suggest a novel pathologic mechanism for psoriasis development and potential target for treatment.
JOURNAL OF INVESTIGATIVE DERMATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Sean D. Stocker
Summary: This study found that a high salt diet activates NaCl-responsive neurons in the OVLT and leads to salt-sensitive hypertension. Inhibiting the activity of OVLT neurons can decrease sympathetic nerve activity and blood pressure in salt-sensitive hypertensive rats.