Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Huiying Li, Yingyin Wu, Yuhao Qiu, Xinru Li, Yuting Guan, Xiya Cao, Meizhen Liu, Dan Zhang, Sijie Huang, Longnian Lin, Lijian Hui, Xueyun Ma, Mingyao Liu, Xueli Zhang, Liren Wang, Dali Li
Summary: This study reports the generation of an enhanced photoactivatable Cre recombinase (ePA-Cre) transgenic mouse strain with stringent light responsiveness and high recombination efficiency. Through optimization, a transgenic mouse line with 175-fold induction upon illumination is developed, which shows efficient light-dependent recombination in tested tissues with minimal background Cre activity.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Irena Krueger, Friedrich Reusswig, Kim Juergen Krott, Celina Fabienne Lersch, Martina Spelleken, Margitta Elvers
Summary: The study demonstrates that the mT/mG Cre reporter mouse is a suitable model for real-time visualization of platelets, analysis of cell morphology, and identification of non-recombined platelets. However, a small proportion of leukocytes exhibit mG fluorescence in PF4-Cre positive mice. Therefore, careful evaluation of platelet analysis beyond hemostasis and thrombosis should be conducted when increasing recombination of immune cells.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Suk Joon Lee, Bart Lodder, Yao Chen, Tommaso Patriarchi, Lin Tian, Bernardo L. Sabatini
Summary: Dopamine modulates the PKA activity in spiny projection neurons during learning, with positive and negative effects occurring at different phases and being associated with different types of dopamine receptors.
Article
Immunology
Agata N. Rumianek, Ben Davies, Keith M. Channon, David R. Greaves, Gareth S. D. Purvis
Summary: In this study, a novel transgenic mouse (hCD68-CreERT2) was successfully generated to target macrophages in vivo under continuous tamoxifen induction, without affecting the expression of other myeloid cells. Through mating with the tdTomato variant mouse, the efficiency and specificity of this transgenic mouse were validated.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ophthalmology
Ming Chen, Lily Kim, Carolyn W. Lu, Hong Zeng, Douglas Vollrath
Summary: The study successfully generated a transgenic mouse line with consistently efficient RPE-selective Cre activity that could be temporally regulated using phi C31 integrase. This line provides a useful tool for temporally regulated modulation of gene function in the murine RPE.
EXPERIMENTAL EYE RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hiroshi Kitamura, Tetsuya Oishi, Shohei Murakami, Tomoe Yamada-Kato, Isao Okunishi, Masayuki Yamamoto, Yukio Katori, Hozumi Motohashi
Summary: This study developed a new reporter mouse model to detect cellular response to electrophilic stress. The compound mutant reporter mice showed accumulation of reporter-positive cells in various organs after repeated administration of a specific electrophile and successfully detected cells that experienced a cisplatin-induced electrophilic stress response.
FREE RADICAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Brian H. Trieu, Bailey C. Remmers, Carlee Toddes, Dieter D. Brandner, Emilia M. Lefevre, Adrina Kocharian, Cassandra L. Retzlaff, Rachel M. Dick, Mohammed A. Mashal, Elysia A. Gauthier, Wei Xie, Ying Zhang, Swati S. More, Patrick E. Rothwell
Summary: This study found that ACE degrades an unconventional enkephalin heptapeptide in the nucleus accumbens of mice and regulates neuronal function by affecting the activation of opioid receptors. Systemic ACE inhibition not only reduces preference for fentanyl but also enhances social interaction.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Laura Pilar Aguado-Alvaro, Nerea Garitano, Gloria Abizanda, Eduardo Larequi, Felipe Prosper, Beatriz Pelacho
Summary: This study compares the efficiency and specificity of three commonly used fibroblast reporter transgenic mouse models for studying cardiac fibrosis. The results suggest that the PDGFRa-creERT2 mouse strain is the optimal model for CF tracking, while the Col1a1-CreERT2 mouse strain is not suitable. The PostnMCM line is the most reliable model for future cardiovascular disease studies, with specific fluorescent reporter expression in activated CF but not in ECs.
Article
Plant Sciences
Qian Yin, Ruyu Li, David W. Ow
Summary: Transgene integration usually occurs in easy-to-transform laboratory varieties before being introgressed into elite cultivars through backcrossing. In this study, a new feature of in planta gene-stacking scheme was described, where the Cre recombinase not only deletes unnecessary transgenic DNA, but also facilitates recombination between homologous or non-homologous chromosomes, enabling a linkage drag-free introgression of subsequent transgenes to field cultivars.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jun-Yi Wang, Yue-Yang Cao, Ya-Nan Chen, Xiao-Le Wu, Bo-Tao He, Si-Yu Zhu, Xiao Zhou, Yi Wu, Bing-Zhi Li, Ying-Jin Yuan
Summary: Site-specific recombination systems (SRSs) play an important role in synthetic biology research. Nondirectional SRSs can randomly trigger genome recombination, and in this study, 6 new nondirectional SRSs were designed and successfully generated random recombination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These SRSs can independently initiate large-scale gene recombination in different regions of the genome, and they exhibit stability in different cell growth stages and chromosome structures.
Review
Cell Biology
Cayo Almeida, Renan Paschoalino Pongilio, Marilia Ines Movio, Guilherme Shigueto Vilar Higa, Rodrigo Ribeiro Resende, Jianxiong Jiang, Erika Reime Kinjo, Alexandre Hiroaki Kihara
Summary: Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is associated with oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, which involve various types of cells. Molecules involved in oxidative stress response and neuroinflammation have been proposed as potential targets for TLE treatment. This review examines the roles of Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate (NADPH) oxidase 2 (NOX2) and Myeloid Differentiation Primary Response 88 (MyD88) in astrocytes, microglia, and neurons during epileptogenesis. The use of single-cell RNA sequencing, transgenic technologies, and viral serotypes with specific promoters is also discussed for studying gene expression in different cells.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Lucas T. Graybuck, Tanya L. Daigle, Adriana E. Sedeno-Cortes, Miranda Walker, Brian Kalmbach, Garreck H. Lenz, Elyse Morin, Thuc Nghi Nguyen, Emma Garren, Jacqueline L. Bendrick, Tae Kyung Kim, Thomas Zhou, Marty Mortrud, Shenqin Yao, La' Akea Siverts, Rachael Larsen, Bryan B. Gore, Eric R. Szelenyi, Cameron Trader, Pooja Balaram, Cindy T. J. van Velthoven, Megan Chiang, John K. Mich, Nick Dee, Jeff Goldy, Ali H. Cetin, Kimberly Smith, Sharon W. Way, Luke Esposito, Zizhen Yao, Viviana Gradinaru, Susan M. Sunkin, Ed Lein, Boaz P. Levi, Jonathan T. Ting, Hongkui Zeng, Bosiljka Tasic
Summary: New genomic single-cell analysis methods have enabled rapid cell type identification, but efficient experimental access to these cell types remains a challenge. By collecting chromatin accessibility data and identifying enhancers specific to cell subclasses and types, researchers have been able to label different neuronal subclasses in the mouse cortex using recombinant adeno-associated viruses (AAVs). Through coupling enhancer viruses expressing recombinases with a newly generated transgenic mouse, strong labeling of multiple neuronal classes/subclasses can be achieved in the brain of a single transgenic animal, providing unprecedented flexibility and specificity for investigating cell types in the mouse brain and beyond.
Article
Biology
Sun-Hee Hwang, Bandarigoda N. Somatilaka, Kevin White, Saikat Mukhopadhyay
Summary: Compartmentalized signaling in primary cilia plays a crucial role in tissue morphogenesis, with Gpr161 modulating the hedgehog pathway through cAMP signaling. The knock-in mutation at the Gpr161 locus in mice revealed that ciliary and extraciliary Gpr161 pools establish tissue-specific Gli repressor thresholds, influencing morpho-phenotypic outcomes.
Article
Cell Biology
Daniel J. Kramer, Erin E. Aisenberg, Polina Kosillo, Drew Friedmann, David A. Stafford, Angus Yiu-Fai Lee, Liqun Luo, Dirk Hockemeyer, John Ngai, Helen S. Bateup
Summary: In this study, a new mouse line with Flpo recombinase expressed from the endogenous dopamine active transporter (DAT) locus was established to efficiently and selectively label dopaminergic subpopulations. This method can help parse the diverse functions mediated by dopaminergic circuits.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Paulina Chalupnik, Alina Vialko, Darryl S. Pickering, Markus Hinkkanen, Stephanie Donbosco, Thor C. Moller, Anders A. Jensen, Birgitte Nielsen, Yasmin Bay, Anders S. Kristensen, Tommy N. Johansen, Kamil Latka, Marek Bajda, Ewa Szymanska
Summary: A new selective antagonist for GluK3 receptors with high affinity and selectivity has been discovered. This antagonist shows a 400-fold preference for GluK3 over other homomeric receptors and does not exhibit agonist or antagonist activity in functional assays.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Oliya S. Abdullaeva, Frank Balzer, Matthias Schulz, Juergen Parisi, Arne Luetzen, Karin Dedek, Manuela Schiek
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2019)
Article
Neurosciences
Lena Nemitz, Karin Dedek, Ulrike Janssen-Bienhold
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2019)
Article
Neurosciences
Stephan Tetenborg, Shubhash Chandra Yadav, Bianca Brueggen, Georg R. Zoidl, Sheriar G. Hormuzdi, Hannah Monyer, Geeske M. van Woerden, Ulrike Janssen-Bienhold, Karin Dedek
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2019)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Angelika Einwich, Karin Dedek, Pranav Kumar Seth, Sascha Laubinger, Henrik Mouritsen
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2020)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Petra Bolte, Angelika Einwich, Pranav K. Seth, Raisa Chetverikova, Dominik Heyers, Irina Wojahn, Ulrike Janssen-Bienhold, Regina Feederle, Peter Hore, Karin Dedek, Henrik Mouritsen
Summary: The magnetic compass of birds is based on light-dependent radical-pair processes in the eyes, with cryptochromes being the primary candidate proteins for magnetoreceptor molecules. A study on various bird species confirmed the localization of Cry1a in the UV/V cone outer segments, suggesting accumulation of Cry1a molecules in distinct spots. No significant difference in Cry1a immunoreactivity was observed between light- and dark-adapted retinae, indicating that a C-terminal antibody against Cry1a does not specifically label a light-activated form of the protein.
ETHOLOGY ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Silke Haverkamp, Laszlo Albert, Vaishnavi Balaji, Pavel Nemec, Karin Dedek
Summary: In this study, various transcription factors were tested in two avian species, revealing their crucial role in the ganglion cells of birds. The markers established may serve as valuable tools for further detailed studies on the retinal circuitry of these highly visual animals.
JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Anja Guenther, Karin Dedek, Silke Haverkamp, Stephan Irsen, Kevin L. Briggman, Henrik Mouritsen
Summary: Research has found that double cones in avian retinas are highly interconnected with neighboring double cones and other photoreceptor cells through telodendria-to-terminal and telodendria-to-telodendria contacts. Additionally, 15 bipolar cell types have been identified in the chicken retina based on different criteria such as axonal stratifications, photoreceptor contact patterns, soma position, and dendritic and axonal field mosaics. This study reveals a more complex connectivity network in the outer plexiform layer of the avian retina than previously thought.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Physics, Condensed Matter
Timo Grothe, Tobias Boehm, Karim Habashy, Oliya S. Abdullaeva, Jennifer Zablocki, Arne Luetzen, Karin Dedek, Manuela Schiek, Andrea Ehrmann
Summary: Recent advances in optoelectronics are often based on thin-film organic semiconductors, such as squaraines, which show excitonic coupling with visible light. Coating squaraine films on electrospun nanofiber mats and nanomembranes made conductive by PEDOT:PSS can significantly alter the thin film formation and improve optical properties.
PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI B-BASIC SOLID STATE PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Lena Nemitz, Karin Dedek, Ulrike Janssen-Bienhold
Summary: Early postnatal ablation of horizontal cells in the mouse retina leads to differential remodeling in the cone pathway, where new synapses are established between cones and OFF bipolar cells while connections with ON bipolar cells are lost.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christian Behrens, Shubhash Chandra Yadav, Maria M. Korympidou, Yue Zhang, Silke Haverkamp, Stephan Irsen, Anna Schaedler, Xiaoyu Lu, Zhuohe Liu, Jan Lause, Francois St-Pierre, Katrin Franke, Anna Vlasits, Karin Dedek, Robert G. Smith, Thomas Euler, Philipp Berens, Timm Schubert
Summary: The study revealed the existence of two synaptic strata in the outer plexiform layer of the mouse retina, where horizontal cells provide global signaling to CBCs through bulbs and local, cone-specific feedback to cones through dendritic tips. This spatial arrangement of synaptic contacts allows for simultaneous different modes of signaling by horizontal cells.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Angelika Einwich, Pranav Kumar Seth, Rabea Bartoelke, Petra Bolte, Regina Feederle, Karin Dedek, Henrik Mouritsen
Summary: Research has shown that Cry2 protein is located in different layers of cells in the retina of night-migratory European robins, homing pigeons, and domestic chickens, and at a subcellular level, it is present in both the cytoplasm and the nucleus of these cells.
JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY A-NEUROETHOLOGY SENSORY NEURAL AND BEHAVIORAL PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Neurosciences
Tamas Kovacs-Oller, Karin Dedek, Daniel Hillier
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Vaishnavi Balaji, Silke Haverkamp, Pranav Kumar Seth, Anja Guenther, Ezequiel Mendoza, Jessica Schmidt, Maike Herrmann, Leonie Lovis Pfeiffer, Pavel Nemec, Constance Scharff, Henrik Mouritsen, Karin Dedek
Summary: Visual signal processing starts at the first synapse, where different types of bipolar cells receive information from photoreceptors and feed it into different processing channels. This study systematically tested 12 antibodies for their ability to label individual bipolar cells in the bird retina and identified 8 suitable antibodies across different bird species and retinal regions. The catalog of bipolar cell markers provided in this study will greatly facilitate the analysis of retinal circuitry in birds on a larger scale.
JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Raisa Chetverikova, Glen Dautaj, Leonard Schwigon, Karin Dedek, Henrik Mouritsen
Summary: Through studying the retinas of European robins and domestic chickens, it has been found that their double cone photoreceptors are highly ordered, which may aid their function in light-dependent magnetoreception and/or polarized light sensing.
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Stephan Tetenborg, Helen Y. Wang, Lena Nemitz, Anne Depping, Alexsandra B. Espejo, Jaya Aseervatham, Mark T. Bedford, Ulrike Janssen-Bienhold, John O'Brien, Karin Dedek
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2020)