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Abnormalities in brain structure and behavior in GSK-3 mutant miceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: Taken together, our data support a role for the GSK-3alpha gene in CNS functioning and possible involvement in the development of psychiatric disorders. (Source: Molecular Brain)
Source: Molecular Brain - November 19, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Oksana Kaidanovich-BeilinTatiana LipinaKeizo TakaoMatthijs van EedeSatoko HattoriChristine LaliberteMustafa KhanKenichi OkamotoJohn ChambersPaul FletcherKatrina MacAulayBradley DobleMark HenkelmanTsuyoshi MiyakawaJohn RoderJames Woodgett Source Type: journals

CBP/p300 is a cell type-specific modulator of CLOCK/BMAL1-mediated transcriptionEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: Our findings indicate possible mechanisms by which CBP/p300 tissue-specifically acts cooperatively with pCAF and HDAC3 either as a co-activator or co-repressor, respectively, for CLOCK/BMAL1. (Source: Molecular Brain)
Source: Molecular Brain - November 19, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Hiroshi HosodaKenichi KatoHidenori AsanoMotonori ItoHaruno KatoTaku IwamotoAkinobu SuzukiShoichi MasusigeSatoshi Kida Source Type: journals

Genetic and pharmacological inhibition of calcineurin corrects the BDNF transport defect in Huntington's diseaseEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurogenerative disease caused by an abnormal expansion of glutamine repeats in the huntingtin protein. There is currently no treatment to prevent the neurodegeneration caused by this devastating disorder. Huntingtin has been shown to be a positive regulator of vesicular transport, particularly for neurotrophins such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This function is lost in patients with HD, resulting in a decrease in neurotrophic support and subsequent neuronal death. One promising line of treatment is therefore the restoration of huntingtin function in BDNF transport....
Source: Molecular Brain - October 27, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Jose PinedaRaul PardoDiana ZalaHua YuSandrine HumbertFrederic Saudou Source Type: journals

Characterization of intracortical synaptic connections in the mouse anterior cingulate cortex using dual patch clamp recordingEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is involved in sensory, cognitive and executive functions. Studies of synaptic transmission and plasticity in the ACC provide basic cellular and molecular mechanisms for brain functions. Previous anatomic studies suggest complex local interactions between neurons within the ACC. However, there is lack of functional studies of such synaptic connections between ACC neurons. In the present study, we characterized the neuronal connections in the superficial layers (I-III) of the mouse ACC using dual whole-cell patch clamp recording technique. Four types of synaptic connections were observed,...
Source: Molecular Brain - October 14, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Long-Jun WuXiangyao LiTao ChenMing RenMin Zhuo Source Type: journals

NADPH oxidase mediates beta-amyloid peptide-induced activation of ERK in hippocampal organotypic culturesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: Our findings indicate that NADPH oxidase-dependent redox signaling is required for A-beta-induced activation of ERK, and suggest a similar mechanism may occur during early stages of Alzheimer's disease. (Source: Molecular Brain)
Source: Molecular Brain - October 4, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Faridis SerranoAngela ChangCaterina HernandezRobia PautlerJ. SweattEric Klann Source Type: journals

The emerging role of autophagy in Parkinson's diseaseEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder that affects about 1% of the population worldwide. Despite significant advances in the identification of genetic mutations and signaling pathways that are associated with the disease, the precise mechanisms implicated in the pathophysiology of the disease are not well understood. More importantly, treatments that are effective in reversing the progression of the disease is essentially lacking. Further investigation into the pathogenic mechanisms of PD thus presents a pressing concern for neuroscientists. Recently, deregulation of the autophagic...
Source: Molecular Brain - September 15, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Zelda CheungNancy Ip Source Type: journals

A riot of rhythms: neuronal and glial circadian oscillators in the mediobasal hypothalamusEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: Our results provide the first single cell resolution of endogenous circadian rhythms in clock gene expression in any intact tissue outside the SCN, reveal the cellular basis for tissue level damping in extra-SCN oscillators and demonstrate that an oscillator in the ME/PT is responsive to changing metabolic environments. (Source: Molecular Brain)
Source: Molecular Brain - August 26, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Clare GuildingAlun HughesTimothy BrownSara NamvarHugh Piggins Source Type: journals

Multiple functions of precursor BDNF to CNS neurons: negative regulation of neurite growth, spine formation and cell survivalEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: These results suggest that proBDNF has distinct functions in different populations of CNS neurons and might be responsible for specific physiological cellular processes in the brain. (Source: Molecular Brain)
Source: Molecular Brain - August 12, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Hisatsugu KoshimizuKazuyuki KiyosueTomoko HaraShunsuke HazamaShingo SuzukiKoichi UegakiGuhan NagappanEugene ZaitsevTakatsugu HirokawaYoshiro TatsuAkihiko OguraBai LuMasami Kojima Source Type: journals

cGMP-dependent protein kinase Ialpha associates with the antidepressant-sensitive serotonin transporter and dictates rapid modulation of serotonin uptakeEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: Our findings provide evidence of a physical and compartmentalized association between SERT and PKGIα that supports rapid, 8-Br-cGMP-induced regulation of SERT. We discuss a model wherein SERT-associated PKGIα supports sequentially the mobilization of intracellular transporter-containing vesicles, leading to enhanced surface expression, and the production of catalytic-modulatory SERT phosphorylation, leading to a maximal enhancement of 5-HT clearance capacity. (Source: Molecular Brain)
Source: Molecular Brain - August 4, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Jennifer SteinerAna Marin CarneiroJane WrightHeinrich MatthiesHarish PrasadChristian NickiWolfgang DostmannCarrie BuchananJackie CorbinSharron FrancisRandy Blakely Source Type: journals

cGMP-dependent protein kinase Ialpha associates with the antidepressant-sensitive serotonin transporter and dictates rapid modulation of serotonin uptakeEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: Our findings provide evidence of a physical, and compartmentalized association between SERT and PKGIalpha that supports rapid, 8-Br-cGMP induced regulation of SERT. We discuss a model wherein SERT-associated PKGIalpha supports sequentially the mobilization of intracellular transporter-containing vesicles, leading to enhanced surface expression, and the production of catalytic-modulatory SERT phosphorylation, leading to a maximal enhancement of 5-HT clearance capacity. (Source: Molecular Brain)
Source: Molecular Brain - August 4, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Jennifer SteinerAna Marin CarneiroJane WrightHeinrich MatthiesHarish PrasadChristian NickiWolfgang DostmannCarrie BuchananJackie CorbinSharron FrancisRandy Blakely Source Type: journals

Basic mechanisms for recognition and transport of synaptic cargosEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Synaptic cargo trafficking is essential for synapse formation, function and plasticity. In order to transport synaptic cargo, such as synaptic vesicle precursors, mitochondria, neurotransmitter receptors and signaling proteins to their site of action, neurons make use of molecular motor proteins. These motors operate on the microtubule and actin cytoskeleton and are highly regulated so that different cargos can be transported to distinct synaptic specializations at both pre- and post-synaptic sites. How synaptic cargos achieve specificity, directionality and timing of transport is a developing area of investigation. Recent...
Source: Molecular Brain - August 3, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Max SchlagerCasper Hoogenraad Source Type: journals

Autophagy activation and enhanced mitophagy characterize the Purkinje cells of pcdmice prior to neuronal deathEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Purkinje cells are a class of specialized neurons in the cerebellum, and are among the most metabolically active of all neurons, as they receive immense synaptic stimulation, and provide the only efferent output from the cerebellum. Degeneration of Purkinje cells is a common feature of inherited ataxias in humans and mice. To understand Purkinje neuron degeneration, investigators have turned to naturally occurring Purkinje cell degeneration phenotypes in mice to identify key regulatory proteins and cellular pathways. The Purkinje cell degeneration (pcd) mouse is a recessive mutant characterized by complete and dramatic pos...
Source: Molecular Brain - July 28, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Lisa ChakrabartiJeremiah EngNishi IvanovGwenn GardenAlbert La Spada Source Type: journals

Autophagy activation and enhanced mitophagy characterize the Purkinje cells of pcd mice prior to neuronal deathEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Purkinje cells are a class of specialized neurons in the cerebellum, and are among the most metabolically active of all neurons, as they receive immense synaptic stimulation, and provide the only efferent output from the cerebellum. Degeneration of Purkinje cells is a common feature of inherited ataxias in humans and mice. To understand Purkinje neuron degeneration, investigators have turned to naturally occurring Purkinje cell degeneration phenotypes in mice to identify key regulatory proteins and cellular pathways. The Purkinje cell degeneration (pcd) mouse is a recessive mutant characterized by complete and dramatic pos...
Source: Molecular Brain - July 28, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Lisa ChakrabartiJeremiah EngNishi IvanovGwenn GardenAlbert La Spada Source Type: journals

Regulation of endosomal motility and degradation by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 2/alsinEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Dysfunction of alsin, particularly its putative Rab5 guanine-nucleotide-exchange factor activity, has been linked to one form of juvenile onset recessive familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS2). Multiple lines of alsin knockout (ALS2-/-) mice have been generated to model this disease. However, it remains elusive whether the Rab5-dependent endocytosis is altered in ALS2-/- neurons. To directly examine the Rab5-mediated endosomal trafficking in ALS2-/- neurons, we introduced green fluorescent protein-tagged Rab5 into cultured hippocampal neurons to monitor the morphology and motility of Rab5-associated early endosomes....
Source: Molecular Brain - July 23, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Chen LaiChengsong XieHoon ShimJayanth ChandranBrian HowellHuaibin Cai Source Type: journals

A systematic investigation of the protein kinases involved in NMDA receptor-dependent LTD: evidence for a role of GSK-3 but not other serine/threonine kinasesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: The present study is the first to investigate the role of 58 ser/thr protein kinases in LTD in the same study. Of these 58 protein kinases, we have found evidence for the involvement of only one, GSK-3, in LTD. (Source: Molecular Brain)
Source: Molecular Brain - July 6, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Stephane PeineauCeline NicolasZuner BortolottoRatan BhatW. RyvesAdrian HarwoodPascal DournaudStephen FitzjohnGraham Collingridge Source Type: journals

Nuclear accumulation of polyglutamine disease proteins and neuropathologyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
There are nine inherited neurodegenerative disorders caused by polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion in various disease proteins. Although these polyglutamine proteins have different functions and are localized in different subcellular regions, all the polyQ diseases share a common pathological feature: the nuclear accumulation of polyQ disease proteins and the formation of inclusions. The nuclear accumulation of polyQ proteins in turn leads to gene transcriptional dysregulation and neuropathology. Here we will discuss potential mechanisms behind the nuclear accumulation of mutant polyQ proteins, since an understanding of how po...
Source: Molecular Brain - July 2, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Lauren HavelShihua LiXiao-Jiang Li Source Type: journals

Maternal epileptic seizure induced by Pentylenetetrazol: Apoptotic neurodegeneration and decreased GABAB1 receptor expression in prenatal rat brainEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study for the first time indicate that PTZ-induced seizures triggered activation of caspases-3 to induce widespread apoptotic neuronal death and decreased GABAB1R expression in hippocampal neurons, providing a possible mechanistic link between maternal epilepsy induced neurodegeneration alteration of GABAB1R and PKA expression level during prenatal brain development. This revealed new aspects of PTZ and ethanol's modulation on GABAB1R, learning and memory. Further, explain the possibility that children delivered by epileptic mothers may have higher risk of developmental disturbances and malformations. (Source: Molecular Brain)
Source: Molecular Brain - June 21, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Muhammad Imran NaseerShupeng LiMyeong Kim Source Type: journals

Abnormal social behavior, hyperactivity, impaired remote spatial memory, and increased D1-mediated dopaminergic signaling in neuronal nitric oxide synthase knockout miceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions These findings indicate that nNOS KO upregulates dopamine D1 receptor signaling, and induces abnormal social behavior, hyperactivity and impaired remote spatial memory. nNOS KO mice may serve as a unique animal model of psychiatric disorders. (Source: Molecular Brain)
Source: Molecular Brain - June 17, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Koichi TandaAkinori NishiNaoki MatsuoKazuo NakanishiNobuyuki YamasakiTohru SugimotoKeiko ToyamaKeizo TakaoTsuyoshi Miyakawa Source Type: journals

Hook-up of GluA2, GRIP and liprin-alpha for cholinergic muscarinic receptor-dependent LTD in the hippocampusEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The molecular mechanism underlying muscarinic acetylcholine receptor-dependent LTD (mAChR-LTD) in the hippocampus is less studied. In a recent study, a novel mechanism is described. The induction of mAChR-LTD required the activation of protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP), and the expression was mediated by AMPA receptor endocytosis via interactions between GluA2, GRIP and liprin-alpha. The hook-up of these proteins may result in the recruitment of leukocyte common antigen-related receptor (LAR), a PTP that is known to be involved in AMPA receptor trafficking. Interestingly, the similar molecular interaction cannot be applie...
Source: Molecular Brain - June 16, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Long-Jun WuYu-Tian WangMin Zhuo Source Type: journals

A novel mechanism of hippocampal LTD involving muscarinic receptor-triggered interactions between AMPARs, GRIP and liprin-alphaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: Our results suggest that mAChR-LTD selectively involves interactions between GRIP and liprin-alpha. These data indicate a novel mechanism of synaptic plasticity in which activation of M1 receptors results in AMPAR endocytosis, via a mechanism involving interactions between GluA2, GRIP and liprin-alpha. (Source: Molecular Brain)
Source: Molecular Brain - June 16, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Bryony DickinsonJihoon JoHeon SeokGi Hoon SonDaniel WhitcombCeri DaviesMorgan ShengGraham CollingridgeKwangwook Cho Source Type: journals

Two major gate-keepers in the self-renewal of neural stem cells: Erk1/2 and PLCgamma1 in FGFR signalingEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Neural stem cells are undifferentiated precursor cells that proliferate, self-renew, and give rise to neuronal and glial lineages. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying their self-renewal is an important aspect in neural stem cell biology. The regulation mechanisms governing self-renewal of neural stem cells and the signaling pathways responsible for the proliferation and maintenance of adult stem cells remain largely unknown. In this issue of Molecular Brain [Ma DK et al. Molecular genetic analysis of FGFR1 signaling reveals distinct roles of MAPK and PLCgamma1 activation for self-renewal of adult neural stem ...
Source: Molecular Brain - June 8, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Jin-A LeeDeok-Jin JangBong-Kiun Kaang Source Type: journals

Molecular genetic analysis of FGFR1 signalling reveals distinct roles of MAPK and PLCg1 activation for self-renewal of adult neural stem cellsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: These studies reveal two amino acid residues in FGFR1 with linked downstream intracellular signal transduction pathways that are essential for maintaining adult NSC self-renewal. The findings provide novel insights into the molecular mechanism regulating adult NSC self-renewal, and pose implications for using these cells in potential therapeutic applications. (Source: Molecular Brain)
Source: Molecular Brain - June 8, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Dengke MaKarthikeyan PonnusamyMi-Ryoung SongGuo-li MingHongjun Song Source Type: journals

In vivo multiplex quantitative analysis of 3 forms of alpha melanocyte stimulating hormone in pituitary of prolyl endopeptidase deficient mice.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: The multiplex targeted quantitative peptidomics technique we present in this study will be decidedly useful to monitor several neuropeptide enzymatic reactions in vivo under varying conditions. (Source: Molecular Brain)
Source: Molecular Brain - June 2, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Bertrand PerroudRudy AlvaradoGlenda EspinalAlex MoradoBrett PhinneyCraig Warden Source Type: journals

Dynamic regulation of RNA editing of ion channels and receptors in the mammalian nervous systemEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The post-transcriptional modification of mammalian transcripts in the central nervous system by adenosine-to-inosine RNA editing is an important mechanism for the generation of molecular diversity, and serves to regulate protein function through recoding of genomic information. As the molecular players and an increasing number of edited targets are identified and characterized, adenosine-to-inosine modification serves as an exquisite mechanism for customizing channel function within diverse biological niches. Here, we review the mechanisms that could regulate adenosine-to-inosine RNA editing and the impact of dysregulation...
Source: Molecular Brain - May 29, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Bao Zhen TanHua HuangRunyi LamTuck Wah Soong Source Type: journals

Protein synthesis is essential not only for consolidation but also for maintenance and post-retrieval reconsolidation of acrobatic motor skill in ratsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
It has been reported that consolidation of motor skill, a type of non-declarative memories, requires protein synthesis, as hippocampus-dependent declarative memory does. However, little is known about the importance of protein synthesis in maintenance and especially post-retrieval reconsolidation of acrobatic motor skill. Here, we show that protein synthesis is essential not only for the consolidation but also for the maintenance and reconsolidation of a rotarod-running skill. Intra-ventricle infusion of the protein synthesis inhibitor anisomycin 0 h but not 2 h post-training caused a severe deficit in the acquisition of t...
Source: Molecular Brain - May 28, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Ji-Yun PengBao-Ming Li Source Type: journals

Enhanced synaptic long-term potentiation in the anterior cingulate cortex of adult wild mice as compared with that in laboratory miceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this report we performed whole-cell patch-clamp recordings from both laboratory wild-type mice and wild mice from a natural environment. We found that LTP was significantly enhanced in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of the wild mice as compared with that of laboratory mice. In parallel, NMDA receptor NR2B/total NMDA receptor mediated EPSC ratio was significantly increased in slices of wild mice. Our findings provide the first evidence that NMDA NR2B receptors play an important role in experience-dependent synaptic potentiation within the ACC in wild mice as previously reported in laboratory mice. (Source: Molecular Brain)
Source: Molecular Brain - May 16, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Ming-Gao Zhao, Hiroki Toyoda, Yu-Kun Wang and Min Zhuo Source Type: journals

Sexual attraction enhances glutamate transmission in mammalian anterior cingulate cortexEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Functional brain imaging studies have indicated the essential role of cortical regions, such as the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), in love and sex. However, the neurobiological basis of how the ACC neurons are activated and engaged in sexual attraction remains unknown. Using transgenic mice in which the expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) is controlled by the promoter of the activity-dependent gene c-fos, we found that ACC pyramidal neurons are activated by sexual attraction. The presynaptic glutamate release to the activated neurons is increased and pharmacological interventions of transmitter releases or acti...
Source: Molecular Brain - May 6, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Long-Jun Wu, Susan S Kim, Xiangyao Li, Fuxing Zhang and Min Zhuo Source Type: journals

Regulation of dopamine transporter activity by carboxypeptidase EEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: Taken together, our results reveal a novel role for CPE in the regulation of DAT trafficking and DAT-mediated DA uptake, which may provide a novel target in the treatment of dopamine associated diseases such as drug addiction and obesity. (Source: Molecular Brain)
Source: Molecular Brain - May 6, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Heping Zhang, Shupeng Li, Min Wang, Brian Vukusic, Zdenek B Pristupa and Fang Liu Source Type: journals

Tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase is a key modulator of physiological neurogenesis and anxiety-related behavior in miceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Although nutrients, including amino acids and their metabolites such as serotonin (5-HT), are strong modulators of anxiety-related behavior, the metabolic pathway(s) responsible for this physiological modulation is not fully understood. Regarding tryptophan (Trp), the initial rate-limiting enzymes for the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism are tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO) and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO). Here, we generated mice deficient for tdo (Tdo-/-). Compared with wild-type littermates, Tdo-/- mice showed increased plasma levels of Trp and its metabolites 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and kynu...
Source: Molecular Brain - March 27, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Masaaki Kanai, Hiroshi Funakoshi, Hisaaki Takahashi, Tomoko Hayakawa, Shinya Mizuno, Kunio Matsumoto and Toshikazu Nakamura Source Type: journals

Requirement of the immediate early gene vesl-1S/homer-1a for fear memory formationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: These results indicate that the short form of the Vesl family of proteins plays a role in multiple steps of long-term, but not short-term, fear memory formation. (Source: Molecular Brain)
Source: Molecular Brain - March 5, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Naoko Inoue, Harumi Nakao, Rika Migishima, Toshiaki Hino, Minoru Matsui, Fumihiko Hayashi, Kazuki Nakao, Toshiya Manabe, Atsu Aiba and Kaoru Inokuchi Source Type: journals

Cathepsin D expression level affects alpha-synuclein processing, aggregation, and toxicity in vivoEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: We conclude from these complementary investigations that: one, CathD can effectively degrade excess aSyn in dopaminergic cells; two, ctsd gene mutations result in a lysosomal storage disorder that includes microscopic and biochemical evidence of aSyn misprocessing; and three, CathD deficiency facilitates aSyn toxicity. We therefore postulate that CathD promotes 'synucleinase' activity, and that enhancing its function may lower aSyn concentrations in vivo. (Source: Molecular Brain)
Source: Molecular Brain - February 9, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Valerie Cullen, Maria Lindfors, Juliana Ng, Anders Paetau, Erika Swinton, Piotr Kolodzeij, Heather Boston, Paul Saftig, John Woulfe, Mel B Feany, Liisa Myllykangas, Michael G Schlossmacher and Jaana Tyynela Source Type: journals

Plasticity of NMDA receptor NR2B subunit in memory and chronic painEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Glutamatergic synapses play critical roles in brain functions and diseases. Long-term potentiation (LTP) is a most effective cellular model for investigating synaptic changes underlie learning as well as brain disease, although different molecular mechanisms are likely involved in LTP in physiological and pathological conditions. In case of learning, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor is known to be important for triggering learning-related plasticity; alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic (AMPA) receptors are thought to be important for the expression of synaptic changes. In this review, I will review rece...
Source: Molecular Brain - February 3, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Min Zhuo Source Type: journals

Effect of ablated hippocampal neurogenesis on the formation and extinction of contextual fear memoryEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Newborn neurons in the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the hippocampus incorporate into the dentate gyrus and mature. Numerous studies have focused on hippocampal neurogenesis because of its importance in learning and memory. However, it is largely unknown whether hippocampal neurogenesis is involved in memory extinction per se. Here, we sought to examine the possibility that hippocampal neurogenesis may play a critical role in the formation and extinction of hippocampus-dependent contextual fear memory. By methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM) or gamma-ray irradiation, hippocampal neurogenesis was impaired in adult mice. Under our ...
Source: Molecular Brain - January 13, 2009 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Hyoung-Gon Ko, Deok-Jin Jang, Junehee Son, Chuljung Kwak, Jun-Hyeok Choi, Young-Hoon Ji, Yun-Sil Lee, Hyeon Son and Bong-Kiun Kaang Source Type: journals

Decreased postnatal neurogenesis in the hippocampus combined with stress experience during adolescence is accompanied by an enhanced incidence of behavioral pathologies in adult miceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: These results suggest that mice with decreased postnatal neurogenesis during adolescence exhibit vulnerability to stress, and that persistence of this condition may result in decreased activity, and cognitive deficits in adulthood. (Source: Molecular Brain)
Source: Molecular Brain - December 17, 2008 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Fumihiko Hayashi, Noriko Takashima, Akiko Murayama and Kaoru Inokuchi Source Type: journals

Normal mitochondrial respiratory function is essential for spatial remote memory in miceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: Our results indicated that normal mitochondrial respiratory function is necessary for retention and consolidation of memory trace; deficiencies in this function due to high loads of pathogenically mutated mtDNA are responsible for the preferential impairment of spatial remote memory. (Source: Molecular Brain)
Source: Molecular Brain - December 16, 2008 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Daisuke Tanaka, Kazuto Nakada, Keizo Takao, Emi Ogasawara, Atsuko Kasahara, Akitsugu Sato, Hiromichi Yonekawa, Tsuyoshi Miyakawa and Jun-Ichi Hayashi Source Type: journals

alpha-Actinin interacts with rapsyn in agrin-stimulated AChR clusteringEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
AChR is concentrated at the postjunctional membrane at the neuromuscular junction. However, the underlying mechanism is unclear. We show that alpha-actinin, a protein known to cross-link F-actin, interacts with rapsyn, a scaffold protein essential for neuromuscular junction formation. alpha-Actinin, rapsyn, and surface AChR form a ternary complex. Moreover, the rapsyn-alpha-actinin interaction is increased by agrin, a factor known to stimulate AChR clustering. Downregulation of alpha-actinin expression inhibits agrin-mediated AChR clustering. Furthermore, the rapsyn-alpha-actinin interaction can be disrupted by inhibiting ...
Source: Molecular Brain - December 3, 2008 Category: Neuroscience Authors: G. CLEMENT Dobbins, Shiwen Luo, Zhihua Yang, Wen C. Xiong and Lin Mei Source Type: journals

Quantification of gamma-secretase modulation differentiates inhibitor compound selectivity between two substrates Notch and amyloid precursor proteinEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: our ELISA-based quantification of Abeta and Nbeta* in combination with the test in zebrafish provides a novel approach for efficient cell-based screening and in vivo validation of APP selective gamma-secretase inhibitors. (Source: Molecular Brain)
Source: Molecular Brain - November 4, 2008 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Ting Yang, Dilyara Arslanova, Yongli Gu, Corinne Augelli-Szafran and Weiming Xia Source Type: journals

Development of selective blockers for Ca2+-activated Cl- channel using Xenopus laevis oocytes with an improved drug screening strategyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: Our results provide an optimal drug screening strategy suitable for high throughput screening, and propose N-(4-trifluoromethylphenyl)anthranilic acid as an improved CaCC blocker. (Source: Molecular Brain)
Source: Molecular Brain - October 29, 2008 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Soo-Jin Oh, Jung Hwan Park, Sungyu Han, Jae Kyun Lee, Eun Joo Roh and C. Justin Lee Source Type: journals

Environmental neurotoxic chemical induces apoptosis in mesencephalic dopaminergic neuronal cells via caspase-3-dependent proteolytic activation of protein kinase Cdelta: Implications for molecular mechanisms of dopaminergic degeneration in Parkinson's disease.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: Together, we conclude that caspase-3-dependent proteolytic activation of PKCdelta is a critical event in dieldrin-induced apoptotic cell death in dopaminergic neuronal cells. (Source: Molecular Brain)
Source: Molecular Brain - October 22, 2008 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Anumantha G Kanthasamy, Masashi Kitazawa, Yongjie Yang, Vellareddy Anantharam and Arthi Kanthasamy Source Type: journals

Induction- and conditioning-protocol dependent involvement of NR2B-containing NMDA receptors in synaptic potentiation and contextual fear memory in the hippocampal CA1 region of ratsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampal CA1 region requires the activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs). Studies using genetic and pharmacological approaches have reported inconsistent results of the requirement of NR2B-containing NMDARs in LTP in the CA1 region. Pharmacological studies showed that NR2B-containing NMDARs are not required for LTP, while genetic studies reported that over-expression of NR2B-NMDARs enhances LTP and hippocampus-dependent memory. Here, we provide evidence showing that the functional role of NR2B-NMDARs in hippocampal LTP and memory depends on LTP-inducing and behavior-cond...
Source: Molecular Brain - September 30, 2008 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Xue-Han Zhang, Long-Jun Wu, Bo Gong, Ming Ren, Bao-Ming Li and Min Zhuo Source Type: journals

Midbrain dopaminergic neuron fate specification: of mice and embryonic stem cellsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) neurons of the substantia nigra and the ventral tegmental area play a fundamental role in the control of voluntary movement and the regulation of emotion, and are severely affected in Parkinson's disease. Recent advances in mouse genetics and vertebrate development have provided us with insight into the genetic cascades involved in the development of mDA neurons, including the induction of mDA neuron progenitors in the ventral mesencephalon, the specification of the mDA neuronal fate and the maintenance of postmitotic mDA neurons. In parallel, rapid progress has been made in the generation o...
Source: Molecular Brain - September 30, 2008 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Emily Gale and Meng Li Source Type: journals

Induction- and conditioning-protocol dependent involvement of NR2B-containing NMDA receptors in synaptic potentiation and contextual fear in the hippocampal CA1 region of ratsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampal CA1 region requires the activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs). Studies using genetic and pharmacological approaches have reported inconsistent results of the requirement of NR2B-containing NMDARs in LTP in the CA1 region. Pharmacological studies showed that NR2B-containing NMDARs are not required for LTP, while genetic studies reported that over-expression of NR2B-NMDARs enhances LTP and hippocampus-dependent memory. Here, we provide evidence showing that the functional role of NR2B-NMDARs in hippocampal LTP and memory depends on LTP-inducing and behavior-cond...
Source: Molecular Brain - September 30, 2008 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Xue-Han Zhang, Long-Jun Wu, Bo Gong, Min Ren, Bao-Ming Li and Min Zhuo Source Type: journals

Comprehensive behavioral phenotyping of calpastatin-knockout miceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: These results suggest that calpastatin is likely to be more closely associated with affective rather than cognitive aspects of brain function. (Source: Molecular Brain)
Source: Molecular Brain - September 15, 2008 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Ryuichi Nakajima, Keizo Takao, Shu-Ming Huang, Jiro Takano, Nobuhisa Iwata, Tsuyoshi Miyakawa and Takaomi C Saido Source Type: journals

Starting at the endophenotype: A role for alpha-CaMKII in schizophrenia?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Using an endophenotype-driven screen, a new study finds that alpha-calcium/calmodulin kinase II mutant mice exhibit a range of behavioral abnormalities related to schizophrenia. Perhaps most strikingly, this cluster of schizophrenia-related endophenotypes was associated with abnormal neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus, raising the possibility that disrupted adult neurogenesis lies at the core of this and other psychiatric disorders. (Source: Molecular Brain)
Source: Molecular Brain - September 10, 2008 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Paul W Frankland, Masanori Sakaguchi and Maithe Arruda-Carvalho Source Type: journals

Atypical evening cortisol profile induces visual recognition memory deficit in healthy human subjectsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: This study suggests that atypical evening salivary cortisol levels have an important role in the early deterioration of recognition memory. The loss of recognition memory, which is vital for everyday life, is a major symptom of the amnesic syndrome and early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, this study will promote a potential physiologic marker of early deterioration of recognition memory and possible diagnostic strategy for Alzheimer's disease. (Source: Molecular Brain)
Source: Molecular Brain - August 21, 2008 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Heather Gilpin, Daniel Whitcomb and Kwangwook Cho Source Type: journals

Welcome to Molecular BrainEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We are delighted to announce the arrival of a brand new journal dedicated to the ever-expanding field of neuroscience. Molecular Brain is a peer-reviewed, open-access online journal that aims at publishing high quality articles as rapidly as possible. The journal will cover a broad spectrum of neuroscience ranging from molecular/cellular to behavioral/cognitive neuroscience and from basic to clinical research. Molecular Brain will publish not only research articles, but also methodology articles, editorials, reviews, and short reports. It will be a premier platform for neuroscientists to exchange their ideas with researche...
Source: Molecular Brain - June 17, 2008 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Lin Mei, Kei Cho, C Justin Lee, Xiao-Jiang Li, Min Zhuo and Bong-Kiun Kaang Source Type: journals

Cingulate NMDA NR2B receptors contribute to morphine-induced analgesic toleranceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study suggests that selective inhibition of NMDA NR2B receptors may prove useful in combating the development of analgesic tolerance to morphine and proposes a novel role for the ACC in opioid tolerance and morphine induced changes in synaptic plasticity. (Source: Molecular Brain)
Source: Molecular Brain - June 17, 2008 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Shana W Ko, Long-jun Wu, Fanny Shum, Jessica Quan and Min Zhuo Source Type: journals

Transcriptional regulation of long-term memory in the marine snail AplysiaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Whereas the induction of short-term memory involves only covalent modifications of constitutively expressed preexisting proteins, the formation of long-term memory requires gene expression, new RNA, and new protein synthesis. On the cellular level, transcriptional regulation is thought to be the starting point for a series of molecular steps necessary for both the initiation and maintenance of long-term synaptic facilitation (LTF). The core molecular features of transcriptional regulation involved in the long-term process are evolutionally conserved in Aplysia, Drosophila, and mouse, and indicate that gene regulation by th...
Source: Molecular Brain - June 17, 2008 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Yong-Seok Lee, Craig H Bailey, Eric R Kandel and Bong-Kiun Kaang Source Type: journals