Decreased Brain Serotonin in Mutant Zebrafish and Partial Reversion of Behavioural Alterations by the SSRI Fluoxetine.

functions as a master regulator of thousands of genes, exerting a pleiotropic effect on numerous neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. A potential mechanism by which may impact these disorders is through its modulation of serotonergic neurotransmission, a common target for pharmacological intervention in psychiatric conditions linked to . However, the precise effects of on the serotonergic system remain largely unexplored.

The Adaptive Value of Chromosomal Inversions and Climatic Change-Studies on the Natural Populations of from the Balkans.

The adaptive value of the chromosomal inversion polymorphism with regard to environmental effects is well-known. However, the specific details of the inversion adaptations to the global warming scenario deserve to be analyzed. Toward this aim, polymorphism and karyotypes were studied in 574 individuals from Petnica (Serbia) in annual samples taken in June for the period 2019-2022.

Long-term changes in the inversion chromosomal polymorphism: population from Rasht (north of Iran).

is characterized by a rich chromosomal polymorphism for inversions. Many inversions are adaptive to global warming and can be classified as 'warm' or 'cold' adapted. However, most studies were carried out from European populations located in the central area of the species distribution or from American colonizing populations.

Interannual fluctuations in connectivity among crab populations (Liocarcinus depurator) along the Atlantic-Mediterranean transition.

An interesting evolutionary question that still remains open is the connectivity between marine populations. Marine currents can favour the dispersal of larvae or adults, but they can also produce eddies and gyres generating oceanographic fronts, thus limiting gene flow. To address this subject, we selected the Atlantic-Mediterranean transition, where several fronts are located: Gibraltar Strait (GS), Almeria-Oran Front (AOF) and Ibiza Channel (IC).

Adaptation of Drosophila subobscura chromosomal inversions to climatic variables: the Balkan natural population of Avala.

The adaptive value of chromosomal inversions continues raising relevant questions in evolutionary biology. In many species of the Drosophila genus, different inversions have been recognized to be related to thermal adaptation, but it is necessary to determine to which specific climatic variables the inversions are adaptive. With this aim, the behavior of thermal adapted inversions of Drosophila subobscura regarding climatic variables was studied in the natural population of Avala (Serbia) during the 2014-2017 period.

DDC expression is not regulated by NFAT5 (TonEBP) in dopaminergic neural cell lines.

The nuclear factor of activated T-cells 5 (NFAT5), also known as tonicity-responsive enhancer-binding protein (TonEBP), is a transcription factor that regulates osmoadaptive response in multiple tissues and is highly expressed in the developing central nervous system. A former study reported that NFAT5 activation through hypertonic stress increases the expression of the dopa decarboxylase enzyme (DDC), also known as aromatic-l-amino-acid decarboxylase (AADC), in human renal proximal tubule cells, leading to an increase of dopamine synthesis. In a previous study, we identified NFAT5 as a candidate gene for cocaine dependence, a complex psychiatric disorder in which dopaminergic neurotransmission plays an important role.

MiR-9, miR-153 and miR-124 are down-regulated by acute exposure to cocaine in a dopaminergic cell model and may contribute to cocaine dependence.

Cocaine is one of the most used psychostimulant drugs worldwide. MicroRNAs are post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression that are highly expressed in brain, and several studies have shown that cocaine can alter their expression. In a previous study, we identified several protein-coding genes that are differentially expressed in a dopaminergic neuron-like model after an acute exposure to cocaine.

Association of the PLCB1 gene with drug dependence.

Genetic factors involved in the susceptibility to drug addiction still remain largely unknown. MiRNAs seem to play key roles in the drug-induced plasticity of the brain that likely drives the emergence of addiction. In this work we explored the role of miRNAs in drug addiction.

A Highly Polymorphic Copy Number Variant in the NSF Gene is Associated with Cocaine Dependence.

Cocaine dependence is a complex psychiatric disorder involving both genetic and environmental factors. Several neurotransmitter systems mediate cocaine's effects, dependence and relapse, being the components of the neurotransmitter release machinery good candidates for the disorder. Previously, we identified a risk haplotype for cocaine dependence in the NSF gene, encoding the protein N-Ethylmaleimide-Sensitive Factor essential for synaptic vesicle turnover.

Replication study of previous migraine genome-wide association study findings in a Spanish sample of migraine with aura.

Background: Migraine is a common disabling condition that affects approximately 15% of the population. Several genome-wide association studies have attempted to identify susceptibility variants involved in migraine, reporting several candidate loci for the disorder.

Methods: In order to replicate findings from previous genome-wide association studies, a case-control association study was performed.

Evolution of Chilean colonizing populations of Drosophila subobscura: lethal genes and chromosomal arrangements.

Knowledge of the frequency, distribution, and fate of lethal genes in chromosomal inversions helps to illuminate the evolution of recently founded populations. We analyze the relationship between lethal genes and inversions in two colonizing populations of D. subobscura in Chile.

The genetic structure of Balkan populations of Drosophila subobscura.

Although Drosophila subobscura has been a model organism for European and American population geneticists, little information is available on the genetic structure of its natural populations. In this paper we report the estimates of some population parameters. We have used data from lethal allelism tests in four Balkan populations (Kamariste, Djerdap and Petnica in Serbia and Zanjic in Montenegro).