Article
Biology
Sungho Jin, Nal Ae Yoon, Zhong-Wu Liu, Jae Eun Song, Tamas L. Horvath, Jung Dae Kim, Sabrina Diano
Summary: The study reveals that mitochondrial dynamics and fatty acids oxidation in hypothalamic AgRP neurons play a critical role in AgRP neuronal function and body-weight regulation. Mice lacking Dnm1l in adult AgRP neurons showed decreased fasting-induced AgRP neuronal activity and feeding, as well as a significant decrease in body weight, fat mass, and feeding. This suggests that mitochondrial fission and fatty acid utilization are important mechanisms for energy homeostasis and weight regulation.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Akiko Maruko, Koichi M. Iijima, Kanae Ando
Summary: This study investigates the molecular pathways involved in the generation of daily feeding patterns in Drosophila. The results show that quasimodo (qsm) and CLK play important roles in regulating feeding rhythms, and the generation of feeding/fasting episodes is independent of the molecular clock machinery.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Yang Hu, Yuanyuan Yao, Honggang Qi, Jiurong Yang, Canyu Zhang, Aifeng Zhang, Xiufang Liu, Chenchen Zhang, Guangming Gan, Xinjian Zhu
Summary: This study reveals the mechanism by which microglia regulate epileptic neuronal hyperexcitability through CD39-dependentsignaling, highlighting the importance of the interaction between microglia and neurons in epilepsy.
PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gabriel N. Aughey, Elhana Forsberg, Krista Grimes, Shen Zhang, Tony D. Southall
Summary: During neuronal development, chromatin states change extensively to regulate gene expression. The molecular factors involved in repressing non-neuronal genes in differentiated neurons are not well understood. The Mi2/NuRD complex is a multiprotein complex that can remodel nucleosomes and remove acetyl groups from histones. In this study, we found that Mi-2 activity is essential for preventing the abnormal expression of germline genes in neurons, and components of NuRD, including Mi-2, regulate neural gene expression for proper development of the larval nervous system. We also observed that Mi-2 binding in the genome is dynamic during neuronal maturation, and its repression of ectopic gene expression is limited to the early stages of neuronal development, suggesting its role in establishing stable neuronal transcriptomes.
Review
Neurosciences
Ayden Gouveia, Rui de Oliveira Beleza, Sophie M. Steculorum
Summary: Recent studies have refined and re-evaluated our understanding of the regulatory principles and behavioral effects of AgRP circuits, revealing a fine-tuned regulation of their activity dynamics across the whole sequence of feeding-related behaviors.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Linjie Shi, Jiao Li, Xu-Fang Liang, Shan He, Yaqi Dou, Jian Peng, Wenjing Cai, Hui Liang
Summary: Memory plays a crucial role in the feeding habit transformation of Chinese perch, with the ERK1/2-CREB and PP1-CREB pathways regulating the transcription of memory-related genes and appetite-related genes. The phosphorylation levels of certain proteins, such as ERK1/2 and CaMKII, and the mRNA levels of specific genes were found to be associated with the re-training process in Chinese perch.
FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Moritz Armbruster, Saptarnab Naskar, Jacqueline Garcia, Mary Sommer, Elliot Kim, Yoav Adam, Philip G. Haydon, Edward S. Boyden, Adam E. Cohen, Chris G. Dulla
Summary: This study reveals a novel form of communication between astrocytes and neurons, where neuronal activity induces significant depolarizations in astrocyte processes. These depolarizations are driven by presynaptic potassium efflux and glutamate transporters, and they inhibit astrocyte glutamate clearance, enhancing neuronal activation by glutamate.
NATURE NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bryce T. Bajar, Nguyen T. Phi, Jesse Isaacman-Beck, Jun Reichl, Harpreet Randhawa, Orkun Akin
Summary: Research has found that patterned neural activity during the development of the fruit fly's central nervous system is coordinated by a small population of neurons expressing the Trp gamma gene. This activity is essential for the formation of synaptic connections and the assembly of the brain. The study establishes the fruit fly's brain as a useful model system for investigating how neural activity contributes to the formation of synapses and circuits.
Article
Biology
Carson Fulgham, Austin P. Dreyer, Anita Nasseri, Asia N. Miller, Jacob Love, Madison M. Martin, Daniel A. Jabr, Sumit Saurabh, Daniel J. Cavanaugh
Summary: Research in fruit flies shows that the generation of feeding rhythms is dependent on molecular clock function in ventrolateral clock neurons in the central brain. The speed of molecular clock oscillations in these neurons dictates the period length of feeding rhythms. Central brain clock cells play a primary role in dictating the timing of feeding behavior, while peripheral tissue clocks also contribute to the regulation of feeding rhythms.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL RHYTHMS
(2021)
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Debra K. M. Tacad, Ashley P. Tovar, Christine E. Richardson, William F. Horn, Giri P. Krishnan, Nancy L. Keim, Sridevi Krishnan
Summary: Time-restricted feeding and continuous calorie restriction have similar effects on gut peptides involved in satiety, but the former may reduce hunger. Current research is still lacking, and more evidence and studies are needed to draw definitive conclusions.
ADVANCES IN NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Niyas Rehman, Jishy Varghese
Summary: This study explores the impact of nutrient status during the larval growth phase on adult metabolism in Drosophila, finding that restricted food supply in larvae leads to increased fat reserves and starvation resistance in mature adult flies due to low insulin signalling. The lesser mobilization of stored fat during early adult stages and acute starvation explains the observed metabolic effects. Additionally, larval diet influences the expression of fat mobilization genes in adult flies, contributing to the metabolic phenotypes observed.
Article
Cell Biology
Shuwa Xu, Alina P. Sergeeva, Phinikoula S. Katsamba, Seetha Mannepalli, Fabiana Bahna, Jude Bimela, S. Lawrence Zipursky, Lawrence Shapiro, Barry Honig, Kai Zinn
Summary: The study reveals that CAM binding affinities and expression levels play crucial roles in neuronal development, influencing synaptic targeting and survival of neurons, with surface avidity being the key parameter controlling circuit assembly.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tina Notter, Sina M. Schalbetter, Nicholas E. Clifton, Daniele Mattei, Juliet Richetto, Kerrie Thomas, Urs Meyer, Jeremy Hall
Summary: The study found that neuronal activity can modify TSPO levels in the adult central nervous system. TSPO gene and protein are widely expressed in the hippocampus, but their levels increase only in neurons after stimulating neuronal activity, rather than in glial cells.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Gabriella L. Boulting, Ershela Durresi, Bulent Ataman, Maxwell A. Sherman, Kevin Mei, David A. Harmin, Ava C. Carter, Daniel R. Hochbaum, Adam J. Granger, Jesse M. Engreitz, Sinisa Hrvatin, Michael R. Blanchard, Marty G. Yang, Eric C. Griffith, Michael E. Greenberg
Summary: The study identified a possible role for activity-dependent gene expression in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived GABAergic neurons in autism risk. The research fills the gap in exploring the transcriptional and epigenetic effects of neuronal activity in humans and suggests that sequence variation within activity-inducible promoters of developing human forebrain GABAergic neurons contributes to ASD risk.
NATURE NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Eli-Eelika Esvald, Jurgen Tuvikene, Andra Moistus, Kathy Rannaste, Susann Koomagi, Tonis Timmusk
Summary: In this study, the regulation of BDNF expression in different brain regions was investigated using neuronal populations from rat cerebral cortices and hippocampi. It was found that the expression of BDNF is region-specific and depends on different transcription factors. Additionally, several neurodevelopmentally important transcription factors were identified as brain region-specific regulators of BDNF expression.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)