Kv2.1 expression in giant reticular neurons of the postnatal mouse brain.

Previous experiments charted the development of behavioral arousal in postnatal mice. From Postnatal Day 3 (P3) to Postnatal Day 6 (P6) mice (a) become significantly more active, "arousable"; and (b) in large reticular neurons, nucleus gigantocellularis (NGC), patch clamp recordings reveal a significantly increased ability to fire high frequency trains of action potentials as are associated with elevated cortical arousal. These action potential trains depend on delayed rectifiers such as Kv2.

Potassium channels and the development of arousal-relevant action potential trains in primary hindbrain neurons.

Neurons in nucleus gigantocellularis (NGC) have been shown by many lines of evidence to be important for regulating generalized CNS arousal. Our previous study on mouse pups suggested that the development of NGC neurons' capability to fire action potential (AP) trains may both lead to the development of behavioral arousal and may itself depend on an increase in delayed rectifier currents. Here with whole-cell patch clamp we studied delayed rectifier currents in two stages.

The Feasibility of Encapsulated Embryonic Medullary Reticular Cells to Grow and Differentiate Into Neurons in Functionalized Gelatin-Based Hydrogels.

The study of the behavior of embryonic neurons in controlled conditions require methodologies that take advantage of advanced tissue engineering approaches to replicate elements of the developing brain extracellular matrix. We report here a series of experiments that explore the potential of photo-polymerized gelatin hydrogels to culture primary embryonic neurons. We employed large medullary reticular neurons whose activity is essential for brain arousal as well as a library of gelatin hydrogels that span a range of mechanical properties, inclusion of brain-mimetic hyaluronic acid, and adhesion peptides.

Impacts of stress on reproductive and social behaviors.

Impacts of steroid stress hormones on the brain have provided multiple opportunities for linking specific molecular phenomena to behavioral state. The negative impacts of stress on female reproductive biological processes have been documented thoroughly at the endocrine and behavioral levels. More recently, a '3-hit' theory of autism has identified early stress as one of the hits.

Sexual Motivation in the Female and Its Opposition by Stress.

A well worked-out motivational system in laboratory animals produces estrogen-dependent female sex behavior. Here, we review (a) the logical definition of sexual motivation and (b) the basic neuronal and molecular mechanisms that allow the behavior to occur. Importantly, reproductive mechanisms in the female can be inhibited by stress.