Article
Cell Biology
Johannes N. Greve, Frederic Schwaebe, Thomas Pokrant, Jan Faix, Nataliya Di Donato, Manuel H. Taft, Dietmar J. Manstein
Summary: The study investigated the heterozygous dominant mutations in the cytoskeletal actin isoform 13 that lead to various human disease phenotypes. Biochemical characterization of the ACTB-AST mutant revealed altered actin polymerization and actin-profilin interactions.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Dandan Wang, Brian W. Howell, Eric C. Olson
Summary: The study found that alcohol exposure can induce tyrosine phosphorylation response in the fetal brain, affecting cortical development. This initial phosphorylation response activated by alcohol has the potential to disrupt multiple developmentally important signaling systems.
MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Anne-Sophie Ribba, Sandrine Fraboulet, Karin Sadoul, Laurence Lafanechere
Summary: The organization of cell populations within animal tissues is crucial for organ morphogenesis. Remodeling of actin filaments plays a key role in cell morphological changes, with Cofilin being an important binding protein. The activity of Cofilin is spatiotemporally inhibited via phosphorylation, which is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism controlling actin cytoskeleton reorganization during complex multicellular processes like embryogenesis.
Review
Cell Biology
James R. Bamburg, Laurie S. Minamide, O'Neil Wiggan, Lubna H. Tahtamouni, Thomas B. Kuhn
Summary: Proteins of the ADF/cofilin family are essential regulators of actin dynamics and function in eukaryotes. Cofilin-1 is the major isoform expressed in mammalian neurons, with ADF and cofilin-2 also present. Cofilin modulates actin transport and function, as well as plays a role in mitochondrial fission and mitophagy in neurons.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Wangping Jia, Han Ke, Shengshu Wang, Song Yang, Shanshan Yang, Wenzhe Cao, He Yao, Liu Miao
Summary: This study evaluated the combined effects of anemia and cognitive function on the risk of all-cause mortality in oldest-old individuals. The results showed a significant association between anemia and mortality, as well as a reverse J-shaped association between hemoglobin levels and mortality risk. Cognitive impairment was found to modify the association between Hb levels and mortality.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Amy Niego, Antonio Benitez-Burraco
Summary: Autism spectrum disorders and Williams syndrome exhibit opposite social features but share common underlying deficits. A comparative molecular approach found overlapping gene dysregulation in the blood of patients, with more dysregulated genes in Williams syndrome. These genes are involved in brain development and expressed in relevant brain areas for the etiopathogenesis of both conditions.
Article
Neurosciences
Agustin Laguardia, Agustina Dapueto, Hanna McCuistion, Francesco Mattia Rossi
Summary: Using a differential proteomic approach, this study identified cofilin 1 as a potential candidate for controlling plasticity levels in the mouse visual cortex. The expression of cofilin 1 decreased from the critical period to the adult stage, in correlation with the decreasing level of cortical plasticity. Monocular deprivation increased cofilin 1 expression in the cortex contralateral to the deprived eye during the critical period.
Article
Biology
Sierra C. Dixon, Bailey J. Calder, Shane M. Lilya, Brandon M. Davies, Annalie Martin, Maggie Peterson, Jason M. Hansen, Arminda Suli
Summary: The mammalian superior colliculus and its non-mammalian homolog, the optic tectum (OT), are midbrain structures that integrate multimodal sensory inputs and guide non-voluntary movements in response to prevalent stimuli. Recent studies have implicated this structure as a possible site affected in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Interestingly, fetal exposure to valproic acid (VPA) has also been associated with an increased risk of ASD in humans and animal models. Therefore, we took the approach of determining the effects of VPA treatment on zebrafish OT development as a first step in identifying the mechanisms that allow its formation. We describe normal OT development during the first 5 days of development and show that in VPA-treated embryos, neuronal specification and neuropil formation was delayed. VPA treatment was most detrimental during the first 3 days of development and did not appear to be linked to oxidative stress. In conclusion, our work provides a foundation for research into mechanisms driving OT development, as well as the relationship between the OT, VPA, and ASD.
Article
Transplantation
Hui Juan Chen, Jie Qiu, Yonghui Qi, Lili Fu, Qingqing Fu, Wenyuan Wu, Ganmian Dai, Feng Chen
Summary: This study found that hemodialysis patients have smaller volumes in multiple hippocampal subfields, which are associated with impaired cognition. However, the results may be confounded by multiple clinical factors, and therefore, caution is needed in interpreting these findings.
NEPHROLOGY DIALYSIS TRANSPLANTATION
(2023)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Zhengrui Xiao, Irina Murakhovskaya
Summary: AIHA is a rare autoimmune disorder characterized by the destruction of red blood cells mediated by autoantibodies, presenting challenges in treatment. Traditional first-line therapies have associated adverse effects and treatment failures, with high rates of relapse. Some patients are refractory to available treatments, leading to the importance of novel therapies.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dhananjay K. Pandey, Bhupendra Chaudhary
Summary: The study revealed a strong correlation between domestication-driven profilin genes and floral/fiber architecture in cotton. Modulating the expression levels of the GhPRF1 gene significantly impacted floral and fiber development in cotton, suggesting the importance of these genes in cotton improvement.
PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Economics
Marion Kraemer, Santosh Kumar, Sebastian Vollmer
Summary: The study found that even when parents are informed about their children's health risks, light-touch nutrition information alone may not induce adoption of healthy behaviors. Factors other than information may constrain households in making nutritional investments for their children.
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC BEHAVIOR & ORGANIZATION
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Naila Umer, Lena Arevalo, Sharang Phadke, Keerthika Lohanadan, Gregor Kirfel, Dominik Sons, Denise Sofia, Walter Witke, Hubert Schorle
Summary: Profilin (PFN) proteins play crucial roles in actin polymerization and are encoded by four Pfn genes in mice and humans. PFNs, particularly PFN3, are essential for spermiogenesis, sperm morphology, and fertility in males. Lack of PFN3 leads to abnormal acrosome formation, reduced sperm motility, and dysregulation of autophagy, ultimately impacting male reproductive function.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Yingying Sun, Yu Zhang, Hong Yu, Huaquan Wang, Zonghong Shao, Chunyan Liu
Summary: Cofilin-1 participates in the hyperfunction of myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs) in patients with severe aplastic anaemia (SAA), and downregulating its expression in mDCs from SAA patients could be a novel treatment approach for SAA.
JOURNAL OF CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Youngsub Lee, Hyun S. Lillehoj
Summary: This study developed an antigen-capture ELISA method for detecting the immunodominant antigen of Eimeria, 3-1E, using specific mouse monoclonal antibodies. The new immunoassay demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity for monitoring coccidiosis in commercial poultry farms before clinical symptoms develop.
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Katharine J. Liang, Erik S. Carlson
NEUROBIOLOGY OF LEARNING AND MEMORY
(2020)
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Jonah Heskje, Kelsey Heslin, Benjamin J. De Corte, Kyle P. Walsh, Youngcho Kim, Sangwoo Han, Erik S. Carlson, Krystal L. Parker
NEUROBIOLOGY OF LEARNING AND MEMORY
(2020)
Article
Neurosciences
Timothy M. Locke, Hirofumi Fujita, Avery Hunker, Shelby S. Johanson, Martin Darvas, Sascha du Lac, Larry S. Zweifel, Erik S. Carlson
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2020)
Article
Clinical Neurology
James S. Meabon, David G. Cook, Mayumi Yagi, Garth E. Terry, Donna J. Cross, Mark Muzi, Kathleen F. Pagulayan, Aric F. Logsdon, Abigail G. Schindler, Vikas Ghai, Kai Wang, Shannon Fallen, Yong Zhou, Taek-Kyun Kim, Inyoul Lee, William A. Banks, Erik S. Carlson, Cynthia Mayer, Rebecca C. Hendrickson, Murray A. Raskind, Desiree A. Marshall, Daniel P. Perl, C. Dirk Keene, Elaine R. Peskind
JOURNAL OF THE NEUROLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2020)
Article
Neurosciences
Hirofumi Fujita, Erik S. Carlson
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Luke N. Erber, Ang Luo, Yao Gong, Montana Beeson, Maolin Tu, Phu Tran, Yue Chen
Summary: Iron deficiency in neuronal cells leads to alterations in key metabolic and epigenetic pathways, impacting the phosphorylation of essential proteins. Specifically, iron deficiency increases the phosphorylation of GFPT1, reducing its enzymatic activity and subsequently lowering global O-GlcNAc modification in neuronal cells. This adaptive cellular response highlights the importance of post-translational modifications in intracellular signaling and epigenetic programming.
Article
Neurosciences
Erik S. Carlson, Avery C. Hunker, Stefan G. Sandberg, Timothy M. Locke, Julianne M. Geller, Abigail G. Schindler, Steven A. Thomas, Martin Darvas, Paul E. M. Phillips, Larry S. Zweifel
Summary: The study reveals that cerebellar catecholamines play a role in cognitive behaviors, particularly in the lateral cerebellar nucleus (LCN). Norepinephrine is the major catecholamine in LCN, originating from locus coeruleus and a subset of Purkinje cells positive for TH staining. Deletion of TH in fibers innervating LCN results in impairments in sensorimotor integration, associative fear learning, response inhibition, and working memory.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Substance Abuse
Shirelle X. Liu, Mari S. Gades, Yayi Swain, Aarthi Ramakrishnan, Andrew C. Harris, Phu Tran, Jonathan C. Gewirtz
Summary: Repeated morphine exposure induces changes in neural activity and gene expression in male and female rats, leading to behavioral abnormalities. The majority of differentially expressed genes are involved in synaptic signaling and neuroplasticity, with commonalities and some differences observed between sexes.
DRUG AND ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE
(2021)
Article
Developmental Biology
Amanda Barks, Montana M. Beeson, Timothy C. Hallstrom, Michael K. Georgieff, Phu Tran
Summary: Iron deficiency during neurodevelopment can lead to long-lasting cognitive and socioemotional deficits, as well as increased risk for neuropsychiatric disease. This study investigated the mechanism by which iron deficiency affects gene regulation in the brain. The researchers found that the epigenetic modification of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), or DNA hydroxymethylation, plays a role in these neurophenotypical changes. Additionally, they discovered that iron treatment can partially reverse these changes in the developing brain.
DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Luke Erber, Shirelle Liu, Yao Gong, Phu Tran, Yue Chen
Summary: Iron and oxygen deficiencies are common in pathophysiological conditions. Adaptive responses to these deficiencies include repression of mitochondrial respiration, promotion of angiogenesis, and cell cycle control. This study used a proteomics analysis to identify global proteomic changes caused by hypoxia and iron deficiency in neuronal cells.
Article
Pediatrics
Garima Singh, Diana J. Wallin, Juan E. Abrahante Llorens, Phu Tran, Henry A. Feldman, Michael K. Georgieff, Tate Gisslen
Summary: Phlebotomy-induced anemia in neonatal mice leads to altered hippocampal transcriptome, with changes severity depending on the degree of anemia and sex of the neonatal mice. This study provides insights into sex-specific outcomes in preterm infants and may inform sex-based treatment strategies for neonatal anemia. The findings suggest that the consequences of PIA may be linked to sex-specific transcriptomic alterations and could also be relevant for other causes of neonatal anemia affecting term infants.
PEDIATRIC RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Shirelle X. Liu, Amanda K. Barks, Scott Lunos, Jonathan C. Gewirtz, Michael K. Georgieff, Phu Tran
Summary: Early-life iron deficiency leads to long-term gene dysregulation, including downregulation of JARID1B and BDNF genes in the rat hippocampus. Prenatal choline supplementation does not prevent the chromatin modifications induced by iron deficiency, but induces long-lasting repressive modifications in iron-sufficient rats, suggesting a separate mechanism for rescuing neural gene regulation. The negative epigenetic effects of choline supplementation in iron-sufficient rats warrant further investigation before considering it as an adjunctive therapeutic agent.
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Amanda K. Barks, Shirelle X. Liu, Michael K. Georgieff, Timothy C. Hallstrom, Phu V. Tran
Summary: Iron deficiency anemia is a major global micronutrient deficiency, affecting pregnant women and young children. Iron deficiency during prenatal and early postnatal periods can have long-term effects on neurodevelopment, such as cognitive impairment and increased risk for neuropsychiatric disorders. In animal models, developmental iron deficiency can lead to abnormal gene regulation, potentially causing lifelong deficits. Iron-dependent epigenetic modifications may play a role in the direct impact of iron deficiency on gene regulation.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Shirelle X. Liu, Tenille K. Fredrickson, Natalia Calixto Mancipe, Michael K. Georgieff, Phu V. Tran
Summary: Fetal-neonatal iron deficiency (ID) causes long-term neurocognitive and affective dysfunctions, with sex-specific effects that are poorly understood at the molecular level. In this study using a rat model, both ID and prenatal choline treatment induced sex-specific transcriptome alterations in the adult rat hippocampus. ID induced changes in gene networks related to enhanced neuroinflammation, while choline supplementation partially rescued ID-induced dysregulation and had both beneficial and adverse effects on hippocampal gene expression.
Article
Developmental Biology
Amanda K. Barks, Montana M. Beeson, Tatyana Matveeva, Jonathan J. Gale, Raghavendra Rao, Phu V. Tran
DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2019)