Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mohammad I. K. Hamad, Abdalrahim Jbara, Obada Rabaya, Petya Petrova, Solieman Daoud, Nesrine Melliti, Maurice Meseke, David Lutz, Elisabeth Petrasch-Parwez, Jan Claudius Schwitalla, Melanie D. Mark, Stefan Herlitze, Gebhard Reiss, Joachim Herz, Eckart Foerster
Summary: Reelin plays a crucial role in controlling early network activity by modulating GABA(B)R function, affecting the excitability of the cortical network.
JOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Noemi Rook, John Michael Tuff, Sevim Isparta, Olivia Andrea Masseck, Stefan Herlitze, Onur Guentuerkuen, Roland Pusch
Summary: Rook et al. established a viral gene transfer system for optogenetics in pigeons, showing that AAV1 is the most efficient vector for ChR2 expression in various brain regions. They also demonstrated the involvement of the entopallium in contrast perception through transient optical stimulation of ChR2 expressing cells. This study verifies the feasibility of optogenetics in avian species and paves the way for other methods relying on viral gene transfer in birds.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dirk Jancke, Stefan Herlitze, Morten L. Kringelbach, Gustavo Deco
Summary: The study explores the impact of activating a single modulatory neuronal receptor type on brain network dynamics and introduces the concept of the cortical 'receptome'. It demonstrates how the distribution and densities of different modulatory receptor types in the brain anatomy matrix influence brain function and behavior.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Gordon F. Buchanan, Bruce J. Gluckman, Franck K. Kalume, Samden Lhatoo, Rama K. Maganti, Jeffrey L. Noebels, Kristina A. Simeone, Mark S. Quigg, Milena K. Pavlova
Summary: SUDEP is the leading cause of death in patients with refractory epilepsy, with likely pathophysiological mechanisms including cardiac and respiratory dysregulation. SUDEP cases frequently occur at night, raising the question of a role for sleep in its regulation. Studies have identified an association with sleep in SUDEP and animal models, emphasizing the importance of understanding the role of sleep and time of day in its pathophysiology.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Peter Jaegers, Louisa Wagner, Robin Schuetz, Maximilian Mucke, Budiono Senen, Gino V. Limmon, Stefan Herlitze, Jens Hellinger
Summary: Intraspecific communication in the schooling flashlight fish A. katoptron is defined by specific blink patterns, with individuals adjusting blink frequencies and nearest neighbor distances based on environmental context. This species modifies its blink frequencies according to light intensities and changes in occlusion time, suggesting that blink patterns play a crucial role in social interactions and group cohesion.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Raziye Karapinar, Jan Claudius Schwitalla, Dennis Eickelbeck, Johanna Pakusch, Brix Mucher, Michelle Grommke, Tatjana Surdin, Thomas Knopfel, Melanie D. Mark, Ida Siveke, Stefan Herlitze
Summary: Opn7b is a non-visual G protein-coupled receptor expressed in zebrafish that can be controlled by light to modulate neuronal activity and neural circuit properties.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Sina M. Langer, Martin Horstmann, Linda C. Weiss, Winfried Junke, Stefan Herlitze, Ralph Tollrian
Summary: Analyzing movement is crucial for understanding complex behavioral interactions. Different methods for movement analysis exist, including 2D and 3D systems. 3D movement analysis is essential for analyzing movements in air or in water. Implementing a customizable 3D movement analysis system using technological advances can lead to accuracy improvement.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jan Claudius Schwitalla, Johanna Pakusch, Brix Muecher, Alexander Brueckner, Dominic Alexej Depke, Thomas Fenzl, Chris De Zeeuw, Lieke Kros, Freek E. Hoebeek, Melanie D. Mark
Summary: This study reveals the involvement of P/Q-type calcium channels in cerebellar granule cells and Purkinje cells in epileptogenesis. Activation of CN neurons can reduce the occurrence of SWDs, while inhibition of CN neurons can increase the occurrence of SWDs. These findings contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms underlying epileptic seizures and have implications for future therapeutic development.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Justine H. Liang, Jonathan Alevy, Viktor Akhanov, Ryan Seo, Cory A. Massey, Danye Jiang, Joy Zhou, Roy V. Sillitoe, Jeffrey L. Noebels, Melanie A. Samuel
Summary: Mutations in the KCTD7 gene are associated with a severe neurodegenerative phenotype characterized by childhood onset of progressive and intractable myoclonic seizures accompanied by developmental regression. Kctd7-deficient mice develop similar symptoms, indicating that Kctd7 is involved in the pathogenesis of KCTD7-related diseases. Furthermore, Kctd7 is required for Purkinje cell survival in the cerebellum and is linked to microvascular alterations in vulnerable regions.
DISEASE MODELS & MECHANISMS
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Pauline Bohne, Achim Volkmann, Martin K. Schwarz, Melanie D. Mark
Summary: This study found that deletion of the P/Q-type calcium channel from serotonergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nuclei (DRN) increases aggressive behavior in male mice, while anxiety is not affected. The study also confirmed a neural projection from the DRN to the ventrolateral part of the ventromedial hypothalamus, and inhibiting these projections effectively reduces aggressive behavior.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Christoph H. R. Senges, Helen L. Warmuth, Melissa Vazquez-Hernandez, Huriye Deniz Uzun, Leonie Sagurna, Pascal Dietze, Claudia Schmidt, Brix Muecher, Stefan Herlitze, Ute Kraemer, Ingo Ott, Thomas Gunther Pomorski, Julia E. Bandow
Summary: Ionophores are small molecules or peptides that transport metal ions across biological membranes. In this study, the effects of the semisynthetic polyether ionophore 4-Br-A23187 on the model organism Bacillus subtilis were investigated. The treatment led to an increase in intracellular copper levels and a decrease in intracellular manganese and magnesium, which resulted in oxidative stress and disturbance of proteostasis. A liposome model confirmed the ionophore's role as a copper transporter in vitro.
Article
Neurosciences
Ina Gasterstadt, Max Schroder, Lukas Cronin, Julian Kusch, Lisa-Marie Rennau, Brix Mucher, Stefan Herlitze, Alexander Jack, Petra Wahle
Summary: Designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) were used to investigate the influence of prolonged silencing on the maturation of dendrites and axons in differentiating cortical neurons. The results showed that the drug treatment delayed the maturation of certain dendrites and reduced the number of collaterals arising from the main axon. However, other types of neurons were not affected by the drug treatment. Furthermore, returning the drug-treated cultures to drug-free medium was sufficient to recover the complexity of dendrites and axons.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
Sandra T. Suess, Linda M. Olbricht, Stefan Herlitze, Katharina Spoida
Summary: In this study, the researchers used a 5-HT2CR knock-out mouse model to investigate the role of 5-HT2CRs in the fear circuitry. The results showed that the loss of 5-HT2CRs exclusively accelerated fear extinction without affecting fear acquisition and fear expression. They also discovered alterations in neuronal activity in specific subregions of the DRN and the BNST in the knock-out mice. Additionally, they identified a specific serotonergic pathway from the DRC to the BNSTad that showed increased neuronal activity in the knock-out mice. These findings provide new insights into the fear extinction network and have important implications for the treatment of PTSD.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tatjana Surdin, Bianca Preissing, Lennard Rohr, Michelle Groemmke, Hanna Boeke, Maike Barcik, Zohre Azimi, Dirk Jancke, Stefan Herlitze, Melanie D. Mark, Ida Siveke
Summary: Neuronal plasticity is closely related to mGluR1 signaling, and optogenetic activation of this pathway can induce synaptic plasticity. Activation of mGluR1a signaling pathway by light can enhance intrinsic activity of cerebellar cells and improve learning behavior.
Correction
Neurosciences
Ewa E. Bres, Dina Safina, Julia Muller, Peter Bedner, Honghong Yang, Xavier Helluy, Olena Shchyglo, Stephan Jansen, Melanie D. Mark, Alexander Esser, Christian Steinhauser, Stefan Herlitze, Claus U. Pietrzik, Swetlana Sirko, Denise Manahan-Vaughan, Andreas Faissner