Novelty-like activation of locus coeruleus protects against deleterious human pretangle tau effects while stress-inducing activation worsens its effects.

The earliest abnormality associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the presence of persistently phosphorylated pretangle tau in locus coeruleus (LC) neurons. LC neuron numbers and fiber density are positive predictors of cognition prior to death. Using an animal model of LC pretangle tau, we ask if LC activity patterns influence the sequelae of pretangle tau.

Locus Coeruleus Activation Patterns Differentially Modulate Odor Discrimination Learning and Odor Valence in Rats.

The locus coeruleus (LC) produces phasic and tonic firing patterns that are theorized to have distinct functional consequences. However, how different firing modes affect learning and valence encoding of sensory information are unknown. Here, we show bilateral optogenetic activation of rat LC neurons using 10-Hz phasic trains of either 300 ms or 10 s accelerated acquisition of a similar odor discrimination.

Shared Pheromonal Communication of Specific Fear Between Adult Sprague Dawley Rats.

Rats are highly social animals, and mainly communicate with one another in two ways: through ultrasonic vocalizations and pheromones. Most research on pheromones has been dedicated those regarding sexual behavior, but more recently pheromones which signal danger to conspecifics have been identified in rodents. In fact, rats are capable of communicating information regarding a specific fear to a companion with which they share a cage.

Atomoxetine Does Not Improve Complex Attention in Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease Patients with Cognitive Deficits: A Meta-Analysis.

Objectives: To evaluate the effects of atomoxetine on complex attention and other neurocognitive domains in idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: Interventional trials reporting changes in complex attention and other neurocognitive functions (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5) following administration of atomoxetine for at least 8 weeks in adults with idiopathic PD were included. Effect sizes (Cohen's ), the standardized mean difference in the scores of each cognitive domain, were compared using a random-effects model (MetaXL version 5.

Novel cortex lytic enzymes in Bacillus megaterium QM B1551 spores.

Present models for spore germination in Bacillus species include a requirement for either the SleB or CwlJ cortex lytic enzymes to efficiently depolymerise the spore cortex. Previous work has demonstrated that B. megaterium spores may differ to other species in this regard, since sleB cwlJ null mutant spores complemented with the gene in trans for the non-peptidoglycan lysin YpeB can efficiently degrade the cortex.

An experimental model of Braak's pretangle proposal for the origin of Alzheimer's disease: the role of locus coeruleus in early symptom development.

Background: The earliest brain pathology related to Alzheimer's disease (AD) is hyperphosphorylated soluble tau in the noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) neurons. Braak characterizes five pretangle tau stages preceding AD tangles. Pretangles begin in young humans and persist in the LC while spreading from there to other neuromodulatory neurons and, later, to the cortex.

Pheromone-Induced Odor Associative Fear Learning in Rats.

Alarm pheromones alert conspecifics to the presence of danger. Can pheromone communication aid in learning specific cues? Such facilitation has an evident evolutionary advantage. We use two associative learning paradigms to test this hypothesis.

Orthologues of Bacillus subtilis Spore Crust Proteins Have a Structural Role in the Bacillus megaterium QM B1551 Spore Exosporium.

The exosporium of QM B1551 spores is morphologically distinct from exosporia observed for the spores of many other species. Previous work has demonstrated that unidentified genes carried on one of the large indigenous plasmids are required for the assembly of the exosporium. Here, we provide evidence that pBM600-encoded orthologues of the CotW and CotX proteins, which form the crust layer in spores of that species, are structural components of the QM B1551 spore exosporium.

Proteins Encoded by the Operon Are Localized to the Inner Coat in Bacillus cereus Spores and Are Dependent on GerPA and SafA for Assembly.

The germination of spores is triggered by certain amino acids and sugar molecules which permeate the outermost layers of the spore to interact with receptor complexes that reside in the inner membrane. Previous studies have shown that mutations in the hexacistronic locus reduce the rate of spore germination, with experimental evidence indicating that the defect stems from reduced permeability of the spore coat to germinant molecules. Here, we use the ellipsoid localization microscopy technique to reveal that all six GerP proteins share proximity with cortex-lytic enzymes within the inner coat.

The Role of L-type Calcium Channels in Olfactory Learning and Its Modulation by Norepinephrine.

L type calcium channels (LTCCs) are prevalent in different systems and hold immense importance for maintaining/performing selective functions. In the nervous system, CaV and CaV are emerging as critical modulators of neuronal functions. Although the general role of these calcium channels in modulating synaptic plasticity and memory has been explored, their role in olfactory learning is not well understood.

β-Adrenoceptor activation enhances L-type calcium channel currents in anterior piriform cortex pyramidal cells of neonatal mice: implication for odor learning.

Early odor preference learning occurs in one-week-old rodents when a novel odor is paired with a tactile stimulation mimicking maternal care. β-Adrenoceptors and L-type calcium channels (LTCCs) in the anterior piriform cortex (aPC) are critically involved in this learning. However, whether β-adrenoceptors interact directly with LTCCs in aPC pyramidal cells is unknown.

SpoVT: From Fine-Tuning Regulator in to Essential Sporulation Protein in .

Sporulation is a highly sophisticated developmental process adopted by most Bacilli as a survival strategy to withstand extreme conditions that normally do not support microbial growth. A complicated regulatory cascade, divided into various stages and taking place in two different compartments of the cell, involves a number of primary and secondary regulator proteins that drive gene expression directed toward the formation and maturation of an endospore. Such regulator proteins are highly conserved among various spore formers.

Norepinephrine Modulates Pyramidal Cell Synaptic Properties in the Anterior Piriform Cortex of Mice: Age-Dependent Effects of β-adrenoceptors.

Early odor preference learning in rodents occurs within a sensitive period [≤postnatal day (P)10-12], during which pups show a heightened ability to form an odor preference when a novel odor is paired with a tactile stimulation (e.g., stroking).

Differential alterations in the expression of neurotransmitter receptors in inner retina following loss of photoreceptors in rd1 mouse.

Loss of photoreceptors leads to significant remodeling in inner retina of rd1 mouse, a widely used model of retinal degeneration. Several morphological and physiological alterations occur in the second- and third-order retinal neurons. Synaptic activity in the excitatory bipolar cells and the predominantly inhibitory amacrine cells is enhanced.

Oral aripiprazole-induced severe hypoglycemia.

This case report highlights a very rare adverse drug reaction caused by oral aripiprazole resulting in severe hypoglycemia. A 72-year-old-male patient suffering from Parkinson disease on prolonged carbidopa plus levodopa combination therapy (carbidopa 25 mg plus levodopa 100 mg, thrice daily) for 1.3 years was recently diagnosed with psychosis and was initiated 10 mg/day oral aripiprazole.

Oral pantoprazole-induced acute pancreatitis in an 11-year-old child.

This case report highlights a very rare adverse drug reaction caused by oral pantoprazole resulting in acute pancreatitis. An 11-year-old boy was diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease. Apart from general advice for lifestyle and dietary changes, he was symptomatically prescribed oral pantoprazole 40 mg once daily 30 minutes before meals for 4 weeks.