Articles

NeuroTrace 500/525 identifies human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived brain pericyte-like cells

In the CNS, pericytes are important for maintaining the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and for controlling blood flow. Recently, several methods were suggested for the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cell...

Authors: Seo Young Kim, Jihye Choi, Junhee Roh and Chul Hoon Kim

Relief of neuropathic pain by cell-specific manipulation of nucleus accumbens dopamine D1- and D2-receptor-expressing neurons

Emerging evidence suggests that the mesolimbic dopaminergic network plays a role in the modulation of pain. As chronic pain conditions are associated with hypodopaminergic tone in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), ...

Authors: Daisuke Sato, Michiko Narita, Yusuke Hamada, Tomohisa Mori, Kenichi Tanaka, Hideki Tamura, Akihiro Yamanaka, Ryosuke Matsui, Dai Watanabe, Yukari Suda, Emiko Senba, Moe Watanabe, Edita Navratilova, Frank Porreca, Naoko Kuzumaki and Minoru Narita

Cell-type-specific DNA methylation analysis of the frontal cortices of mutant Polg1 transgenic mice with neuronal accumulation of deleted mitochondrial DNA

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe psychiatric disorder characterized by repeated conflicting manic and depressive states. In addition to genetic factors, complex gene–environment interactions, which alter the ...

Authors: Hiroko Sugawara, Miki Bundo, Takaoki Kasahara, Yutaka Nakachi, Junko Ueda, Mie Kubota-Sakashita, Kazuya Iwamoto and Tadafumi Kato

Progress on the roles of MEF2C in neuropsychiatric diseases

Myocyte Enhancer Factor 2 C (MEF2C), one of the transcription factors of the MADS-BOX family, is involved in embryonic brain development, neuronal formation and differentiation, as well as in the growth and pr...

Authors: Zhikun Zhang and Yongxiang Zhao

The emergence of molecular systems neuroscience

Systems neuroscience is focused on how ensemble properties in the brain, such as the activity of neuronal circuits, gives rise to internal brain states and behavior. Many of the studies in this field have trad...

Authors: Yang Shen, Alessandro Luchetti, Giselle Fernandes, Won Do Heo and Alcino J. Silva

Stress-induced antinociception to noxious heat requires α_1A-adrenaline receptors of spinal inhibitory neurons in mice

It is well known that acute exposure to physical stress produces a transient antinociceptive effect (called stress-induced analgesia [SIA]). One proposed mechanism for SIA involves noradrenaline (NA) in the ce...

Authors: Sawako Uchiyama, Kohei Yoshihara, Riku Kawanabe, Izuho Hatada, Keisuke Koga and Makoto Tsuda

Effect of soluble amyloid precursor protein-alpha on adult hippocampal neurogenesis in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease

Soluble amyloid precursor protein-alpha (sAPPα) is a regulator of neuronal and memory mechanisms, while also having neurogenic and neuroprotective effects in the brain. As adult hippocampal neurogenesis is imp...

Authors: Shane M. Ohline, Connie Chan, Lucia Schoderboeck, Hollie E. Wicky, Warren P. Tate, Stephanie M. Hughes and Wickliffe C. Abraham

Long non-coding RNA lncC11orf54-1 modulates neuroinflammatory responses by activating NF-κB signaling during meningitic Escherichia coli infection

Escherichia coli is the most common gram-negative pathogenic bacterium causing meningitis. It penetrates the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and activates nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling, which are vital event...

Authors: Bojie Xu, Ruicheng Yang, Bo Yang, Liang Li, Jiaqi Chen, Jiyang Fu, Xinyi Qu, Dong Huo, Chen Tan, Huanchun Chen, Zhong Peng and Xiangru Wang

Ca_vβ surface charged residues contribute to the regulation of neuronal calcium channels

Voltage-gated calcium channels are essential regulators of brain function where they support depolarization-induced calcium entry into neurons. They consist of a pore-forming subunit (Ca_vα₁) that requires co-asse...

Authors: Alexandra Tran-Van-Minh, Michel De Waard and Norbert Weiss

The exit of axons and glial membrane from the developing Drosophila retina requires integrins

Coordinated development of neurons and glia is essential for the establishment of neuronal circuits during embryonic development. In the developing Drosophila visual system, photoreceptor (R cell) axons and wrapp...

Authors: Qian Ren and Yong Rao

Secretory carrier-associated membrane protein 2 (SCAMP2) regulates cell surface expression of T-type calcium channels

Low-voltage-activated T-type Ca²⁺ channels are key regulators of neuronal excitability both in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Therefore, their recruitment at the plasma membrane is critical in determ...

Authors: Leos Cmarko, Robin N. Stringer, Bohumila Jurkovicova-Tarabova, Tomas Vacik, Lubica Lacinova and Norbert Weiss

Integrated genomic and DNA methylation analysis of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer with brain metastases

Brain metastasis is a common and lethal complication of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It is mostly diagnosed only after symptoms develop, at which point very few treatment options are available. Therefor...

Authors: Yanjun Xu, Zhiyu Huang, Xiaoqing Yu, Kaiyan Chen and Yun Fan

Enhanced synchronization between prelimbic and infralimbic cortices during fear extinction learning

The ability to extinguish aversive memories when they are no longer associated with danger is critical for balancing survival with competing adaptive demands. Previous studies demonstrated that the infralimbic...

Authors: Mayumi Watanabe, Akira Uematsu and Joshua P. Johansen

Abolished ketamine effects on the spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic current of medial prefrontal cortex neurons in GluN2D knockout mice

Ketamine, a non-competitive antagonist of the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), generates a rapidly-acting antidepressant effect. It exerts psychomimetic effects, yet demands a further investigation of its m...

Authors: Dae Hee Han, Ilgang Hong, Ja Eun Choi, Pojeong Park, Jun-Yeong Baek, HyoJin Park, Soichiro Ide, Masayoshi Mishina, Kazutaka Ikeda and Bong-Kiun Kaang

A novel red fluorescence dopamine biosensor selectively detects dopamine in the presence of norepinephrine in vitro

Dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) are pivotal neuromodulators that regulate a broad range of brain functions, often in concert. Despite their physiological importance, untangling the relationship between D...

Authors: Chihiro Nakamoto, Yuhei Goto, Yoko Tomizawa, Yuko Fukata, Masaki Fukata, Kasper Harpsøe, David E. Gloriam, Kazuhiro Aoki and Tomonori Takeuchi

Retrosplenial cortex in spatial memory: focus on immediate early genes mapping

The ability to form, retrieve and update autobiographical memories is one of the most fascinating features of human behavior. Spatial memory, the ability to remember the layout of the external environment and ...

Authors: Edyta Balcerek, Urszula Włodkowska and Rafał Czajkowski

Retina-attached slice recording reveals light-triggered tonic GABA signaling in suprachiasmatic nucleus

Light is a powerful external cue modulating the biological rhythm of internal clock neurons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). GABA signaling in SCN is critically involved in this process. Both phasic and t...

Authors: Jea Kwon, Minwoo Wendy Jang and C. Justin Lee

Impaired wakefulness and rapid eye movement sleep in dopamine-deficient mice

Despite the established roles of the dopaminergic system in promoting arousal, the effects of loss of dopamine on the patterns of sleep and wakefulness remain elusive. Here, we examined the sleep architecture ...

Authors: Mitsuaki Kashiwagi, Mika Kanuka, Kaeko Tanaka, Masayo Fujita, Ayaka Nakai, Chika Tatsuzawa, Kazuto Kobayashi, Kazutaka Ikeda and Yu Hayashi

Conditional deletion of ROCK2 induces anxiety-like behaviors and alters dendritic spine density and morphology on CA1 pyramidal neurons

Rho-associated kinase isoform 2 (ROCK2) is an attractive drug target for several neurologic disorders. A critical barrier to ROCK2-based research and therapeutics is the lack of a mouse model that enables inve...

Authors: Audrey J. Weber, Ashley B. Adamson, Kelsey M. Greathouse, Julia P. Andrade, Cameron D. Freeman, Jung Vin Seo, Rosaria J. Rae, Courtney K. Walker and Jeremy H. Herskowitz

Brain substrates for automatic retrieval of value memory in the primate basal ganglia

Our behavior is often carried out automatically. Automatic behavior can be guided by past experiences, such as learned values associated with objects. Passive-viewing and free-viewing tasks with no immediate o...

Authors: Hyoung F. Kim

Avoidance memory requires CaMKII activity to persist after recall

Avoidance memory is destabilized when recalled concurrently with conflicting information, and must undergo a hippocampus-dependent restabilization process called reconsolidation to persist. CaMKII is a serine/...

Authors: Andressa Radiske, Maria Carolina Gonzalez, Janine I. Rossato, Gênedy Apolinário, João R. de Oliveira, Lia R. M. Bevilaqua and Martín Cammarota

The terpenes camphene and alpha-bisabolol inhibit inflammatory and neuropathic pain via Cav3.2 T-type calcium channels

T-type calcium channels are known molecular targets of certain phytocannabinoids and endocannabinoids. Here we explored the modulation of Cav3.2 T-type calcium channels by terpenes derived from cannabis plants...

Authors: Vinicius M. Gadotti, Sun Huang and Gerald W. Zamponi

VMAT2 availability in Parkinson’s disease with probable REM sleep behaviour disorder

REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) can be an early non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD) with pathology involving mainly the pontine nuclei. Beyond the brainstem, it is unclear if RBD patients comorbid...

Authors: Mikaeel Valli, Sang Soo Cho, Carme Uribe, Mario Masellis, Robert Chen, Alexander Mihaescu and Antonio P. Strafella

Correction to: Exposure to mild blast forces induces neuropathological effects, neurophysiological deficits and biochemical changes

Authors: Adan Hernandez, Chunfeng Tan, Florian Plattner, Aric F. Logsdon, Karine Pozo, Mohammad A. Yousuf, Tanvir Singh, Ryan C. Turner, Brandon P. Lucke-Wold, Jason D. Huber, Charles L. Rosen and James A. Bibb

Olig2-astrocytes express neutral amino acid transporter SLC7A10 (Asc-1) in the adult brain

We have reported that the transcription factor Olig2 labels a subpopulation of astrocytes (Olig2-astrocytes), which show distribution patterns different from those of GFAP-expressing astrocytes (GFAP-astrocyte...

Authors: Kouko Tatsumi, Kaoru Kinugawa, Ayami Isonishi, Masahiro Kitabatake, Hiroaki Okuda, Shoko Takemura, Tatsuhide Tanaka, Eiichiro Mori and Akio Wanaka

Molecular motor KIF3B in the prelimbic cortex constrains the consolidation of contextual fear memory

Molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the role of the prelimbic cortex in contextual fear memory remain elusive. Here we examined the kinesin family of molecular motor proteins (KIFs) in the prelimbic c...

Authors: Nadine F. Joseph, Aya Zucca, Jenna L. Wingfield, Isabel Espadas, Damon Page and Sathyanarayanan V. Puthanveettil

Synaptic potentiation of anterior cingulate cortex contributes to chronic pain of Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a multi-system neurodegenerative disorder. Patients with PD often suffer chronic pain. In the present study, we investigated motor, sensory and emotional changes in three different ...

Authors: Zhaoxiang Zhou, Penghai Ye, Xu-Hui Li, Yuxiang Zhang, Muhang Li, Qi-Yu Chen, Jing-Shan Lu, Man Xue, Yanan Li, Weiqi Liu, Lin Lu, Wantong Shi, Ping-Yi Xu and Min Zhuo

Seasonal regulation of singing-driven gene expression associated with song plasticity in the canary, an open-ended vocal learner

Songbirds are one of the few animal taxa that possess vocal learning abilities. Different species of songbirds exhibit species-specific learning programs during song acquisition. Songbirds with open-ended voca...

Authors: Shin Hayase, Chengru Shao, Masahiko Kobayashi, Chihiro Mori, Wan-chun Liu and Kazuhiro Wada

Diverse inflammatory threats modulate astrocytes Ca²⁺ signaling via connexin43 hemichannels in organotypic spinal slices

Neuroinflammation is an escalation factor shared by a vast range of central nervous system (CNS) pathologies, from neurodegenerative diseases to neuropsychiatric disorders. CNS immune status emerges by the int...

Authors: Giulia Panattoni, Roberta Amoriello, Christian Memo, Agnes Thalhammer, Clara Ballerini and Laura Ballerini

Nanoscale organization of Nicastrin, the substrate receptor of the γ-secretase complex, as independent molecular domains

Alterations in the canonical processing of Amyloid Precursor Protein generate proteoforms that contribute to the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease. Modified composition of γ-secretase or mutations in its subunits h...

Authors: Shekhar Kedia, Kousik Mandal, Pallavi Rao Netrakanti, Mini Jose, Sangram S. Sisodia and Deepak Nair

Selectively increasing GHS-R1a expression in dCA1 excitatory/inhibitory neurons have opposite effects on memory encoding

Growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a (GHS-R1a) is widely distributed in brain including the hippocampus. Studies have demonstrated the critical role of hippocampal ghrelin/GHS-R1a signaling in synaptic phys...

Authors: Nan Li, Na Li, Fenghua Xu, Ming Yu, Zichen Qiao and Yu Zhou

Neuronal excitatory-to-inhibitory balance is altered in cerebral organoid models of genetic neurological diseases

The neuro-physiological properties of individuals with genetic pre-disposition to neurological disorders are largely unknown. Here we aimed to explore these properties using cerebral organoids (COs) derived fr...

Authors: Simote T. Foliaki, Benjamin Schwarz, Bradley R. Groveman, Ryan O. Walters, Natalia C. Ferreira, Christina D. Orrù, Anna Smith, Aleksandar Wood, Olivia M. Schmit, Phoebe Freitag, Jue Yuan, Wenquan Zou, Catharine M. Bosio, James A. Carroll and Cathryn L. Haigh

Bisperoxovanadium promotes motor neuron survival and neuromuscular innervation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common motor neuron (MN) disease, with no present cure. The progressive loss of MNs is the hallmark of ALS. We have previously shown the therapeutic effects of t...

Authors: Junmei Wang, Lydia Tierney, Ranjeet Mann, Thomas Lonsway and Chandler L. Walker

Postsynaptic structure formation of human iPS cell-derived neurons takes longer than presynaptic formation during neural differentiation in vitro

The generation of mature synaptic structures using neurons differentiated from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC-neurons) is expected to be applied to physiological studies of synapses in human cells...

Authors: Kazuyuki Togo, Hayato Fukusumi, Tomoko Shofuda, Hiroshi Ohnishi, Hiroyuki Yamazaki, Mariko Kato Hayashi, Nana Kawasaki, Nobuyuki Takei, Takanobu Nakazawa, Yumiko Saito, Kousuke Baba, Hitoshi Hashimoto, Yuko Sekino, Tomoaki Shirao, Hideki Mochizuki and Yonehiro Kanemura

S100B is selectively expressed by gray matter protoplasmic astrocytes and myelinating oligodendrocytes in the developing CNS

Studies on the development of central nervous system (CNS) primarily rely on the use of specific molecular markers for different types of neural cells. S100B is widely being used as a specific marker for astro...

Authors: Junqing Du, Min Yi, Fang Zhou, Wanjun He, Aifen Yang, Mengsheng Qiu and Hao Huang

Comparative metabolic profiling of posterior parietal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus in conditioned fear memory

Fear conditioning and retrieval are suitable models to investigate the biological basis of various mental disorders. Hippocampus and amygdala neurons consolidate conditioned stimulus (CS)-dependent fear memory...

Authors: Yoonjeong Jeon, Yun Lim, Jiwoo Yeom and Eun-Kyoung Kim

Association of CaMK2A and MeCP2 signaling pathways with cognitive ability in adolescents

The glutamatergic signaling pathway is involved in molecular learning and human cognitive ability. Specific single variants (SNVs, formerly single-nucleotide polymorphisms) in the genes encoding N-methyl-d-aspart...

Authors: Li-Ching Lee, Ming-Tsan Su, Hsing-Ying Huang, Ying-Chun Cho, Ting-Kuang Yeh and Chun-Yen Chang

Ackr3-Venus knock-in mouse lights up brain vasculature

The atypical chemokine receptor 3, ACKR3, is a G protein-coupled receptor, which does not couple to G proteins but recruits βarrestins. At present, ACKR3 is considered a target for cancer and cardiovascular di...

Authors: Aliza T. Ehrlich, Meriem Semache, Pierre Couvineau, Stefan Wojcik, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Marcus Thelen, Florence Gross, Mireille Hogue, Christian Le Gouill, Emmanuel Darcq, Michel Bouvier and Brigitte L. Kieffer

Electroacupuncture improves repeated social defeat stress-elicited social avoidance and anxiety-like behaviors by reducing Lipocalin-2 in the hippocampus

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a trauma-related disorder that is associated with pro-inflammatory activation and neurobiological impairments in the brain and leads to a series of affective-like behav...

Authors: Yi-Hung Chen, Sheng-Yun Xie, Chao-Wei Chen and Dah-Yuu Lu

Rapid generation of conditional knockout mice using the CRISPR-Cas9 system and electroporation for neuroscience research

The Cre/LoxP-based conditional knockout technology is a powerful tool for gene function analysis that allows region- and time-specific gene manipulation. However, inserting a pair of LoxP cassettes to generate...

Authors: Hirofumi Nishizono, Yuki Hayano, Yoshihisa Nakahata, Yasuhito Ishigaki and Ryohei Yasuda

Hypoxia with inflammation and reperfusion alters membrane resistance by dynamically regulating voltage-gated potassium channels in hippocampal CA1 neurons

Hypoxia typically accompanies acute inflammatory responses in patients and animal models. However, a limited number of studies have examined the effect of hypoxia in combination with inflammation (Hypo-Inf) on...

Authors: Yoon-Sil Yang, Joon Ho Choi and Jong-Cheol Rah

Histone modification of pain-related gene expression in spinal cord neurons under a persistent postsurgical pain-like state by electrocautery

Chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) is a serious problem. We developed a mouse model of CPSP induced by electrocautery and examined the mechanism of CPSP. In this mouse model, while both incision and electrocaute...

Authors: Yosuke Katsuda, Kenichi Tanaka, Tomohisa Mori, Michiko Narita, Hideyuki Takeshima, Takashige Kondo, Yoshiyuki Yamabe, Misa Matsufuji, Daisuke Sato, Yusuke Hamada, Keisuke Yamaguchi, Toshikazu Ushijima, Eiichi Inada, Naoko Kuzumaki, Masako Iseki and Minoru Narita

Splice-variant specific effects of a CACNA1H mutation associated with writer’s cramp

The CACNA1H gene encodes the α1 subunit of the low voltage-activated Ca_v3.2 T-type calcium channel, an important regulator of neuronal excitability. Alternative mRNA splicing can generate multiple channel variant...

Authors: Ivana A. Souza, Maria A. Gandini and Gerald W. Zamponi

Side-by-side comparison of the effects of Gq- and Gi-DREADD-mediated astrocyte modulation on intracellular calcium dynamics and synaptic plasticity in the hippocampal CA1

Astrocytes express a plethora of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that are crucial for shaping synaptic activity. Upon GPCR activation, astrocytes can respond with transient variations in intracellular Ca²⁺. I...

Authors: Yana Van Den Herrewegen, Thomas M. Sanderson, Surajit Sahu, Dimitri De Bundel, Zuner A. Bortolotto and Ilse Smolders

Endosomal traffic and glutamate synapse activity are increased in VPS35 D620N mutant knock-in mouse neurons, and resistant to LRRK2 kinase inhibition

Vacuolar protein sorting 35 (VPS35) regulates neurotransmitter receptor recycling from endosomes. A missense mutation (D620N) in VPS35 leads to autosomal-dominant, late-onset Parkinson’s disease. Here, we stud...

Authors: Chelsie A. Kadgien, Anusha Kamesh and Austen J. Milnerwood

The phosphorylation status of eukaryotic elongation factor-2 indicates neural activity in the brain

Assessment of neural activity in the specific brain area is critical for understanding the circuit mechanisms underlying altered brain function and behaviors. A number of immediate early genes (IEGs) that are ...

Authors: Sang Ho Yoon, Woo Seok Song, Sung Pyo Oh, Young Sook Kim and Myoung-Hwan Kim

Arginine vasopressin in the medial amygdala causes greater post-stress recruitment of hypothalamic vasopressin neurons

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is expressed in both hypothalamic and extra-hypothalamic neurons. The expression and role of AVP exhibit remarkable divergence between these two neuronal populations. Polysynaptic pa...

Authors: Wen Han Tong, Samira Abdulai-Saiku and Ajai Vyas

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor produced long-term synaptic enhancement in the anterior cingulate cortex of adult mice

Previous studies have demonstrated that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is one of the diffusible messengers for enhancing synaptic transmission in the hippocampus. Less information is available about ...

Authors: Hui-Hui Miao, Zhuang Miao, Ji-Gang Pan, Xu-Hui Li and Min Zhuo

Anxiolytic effect of GABAergic neurons in the anterior cingulate cortex in a rat model of chronic inflammatory pain

Chronic pain easily leads to concomitant mood disorders, and the excitability of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) pyramidal neurons (PNs) is involved in chronic pain-related anxiety. However, the mechanism by w...

Authors: Fang-bing Shao, Jun-fan Fang, Si-si Wang, Meng-ting Qiu, Dan-ning Xi, Xiao-ming Jin, Jing-gen Liu, Xiao-mei Shao, Zui Shen, Yi Liang, Jian-qiao Fang and Jun-ying Du

Functional organization of the midbrain periaqueductal gray for regulating aversive memory formation

Innately aversive experiences produce rapid defensive responses and powerful emotional memories. The midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) drives defensive behaviors through projections to brainstem motor control...

Authors: Li-Feng Yeh, Takaaki Ozawa and Joshua P. Johansen