Adeno-associated viral tools to trace neural development and connectivity across amphibians.

Amphibians, by virtue of their phylogenetic position, provide invaluable insights on nervous system evolution, development, and remodeling. The genetic toolkit for amphibians, however, remains limited. Recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors (AAVs) are a powerful alternative to transgenesis for labeling and manipulating neurons.

SUMOylation of Na1.2 channels regulates the velocity of backpropagating action potentials in cortical pyramidal neurons.

Voltage-gated sodium channels located in axon initial segments (AIS) trigger action potentials (AP) and play pivotal roles in the excitability of cortical pyramidal neurons. The differential electrophysiological properties and distributions of Na1.2 and Na1.

Temperature-robust rapid eye movement and slow wave sleep in the lizard Laudakia vulgaris.

During sleep our brain switches between two starkly different brain states - slow wave sleep (SWS) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. While this two-state sleep pattern is abundant across birds and mammals, its existence in other vertebrates is not universally accepted, its evolutionary emergence is unclear and it is undetermined whether it is a fundamental property of vertebrate brains or an adaptation specific to homeotherms. To address these questions, we conducted electrophysiological recordings in the Agamid lizard, Laudakia vulgaris during sleep.

Subcellular Distribution of Persistent Sodium Conductance in Cortical Pyramidal Neurons.

Cortical pyramidal neurons possess a persistent Na current ( ), which, in contrast to the larger transient current, does not undergo rapid inactivation. Although relatively quite small, is active at subthreshold voltages and therefore plays an important role in neuronal input-output processing. The subcellular distribution of channels responsible for and the mechanisms that render them persistent are not known.