Relaxin family peptide receptor 3 (RXFP3) expressing cells in the zona incerta/lateral hypothalamus augment behavioural arousal.

Fear-related psychopathologies, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, are linked to dysfunction in neural circuits that govern fear memory and arousal. The lateral hypothalamus (LH) and zona incerta (ZI) regulate fear, but our understanding of the precise neural circuits and cell types involved remains limited. Here, we examined the role of relaxin family peptide receptor 3 (RXFP3) expressing cells in the LH/ZI in conditioned fear expression and general arousal in male RXFP3-Cre mice.

Ex vivo intestinal permeability assay (X-IPA) for tracking barrier function dynamics.

The intestinal epithelial barrier facilitates homeostatic host-microbiota interactions and immunological tolerance. However, mechanistic dissections of barrier dynamics following luminal stimulation pose a substantial challenge. Here, we describe an ex vivo intestinal permeability assay, X-IPA, for quantitative analysis of gut permeability dynamics at the whole-tissue level.

Sequestration of gut pathobionts in intraluminal casts, a mechanism to avoid dysregulated T cell activation by pathobionts.

T cells that express the transcription factor RORγ, regulatory (Treg), or conventional (Th17) are strongly influenced by intestinal symbionts. In a genetic approach to identify mechanisms underlying this influence, we performed a screen for microbial genes implicated, in germfree mice monocolonized with Nissle. The loss of capsule-synthesis genes impaired clonal expansion and differentiation of intestinal RORγ T cells.

Human standing and walking: comparison of the effects of stimulation of the vestibular system.

The adoption of bipedalism by hominids including man has complicated the tasks of balance control and the minimisation of body sway. We have investigated the role of the vestibular organs in controlling sway in the roll direction using galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS). Two stance conditions were studied: during forward lean posterior compartment muscles are activated and during backward lean anterior compartment muscles are activated.