Doublecortin-like knockdown in mice attenuates obesity by stimulating energy expenditure in adipose tissue.

Crosstalk between peripheral metabolic organs and the central nervous system is essential for body weight control. At the base of the hypothalamus, β-tanycytes surround the portal capillaries and function as gatekeepers to facilitate transfer of substances from the circulation into the cerebrospinal fluid and vice versa. Here, we investigated the role of the neuroplasticity gene doublecortin-like (DCL), highly expressed by β-tanycytes, in body weight control and whole-body energy metabolism.

Doublecortin-like expressing astrocytes of the suprachiasmatic nucleus are implicated in the biosynthesis of vasopressin and influences circadian rhythms.

We have recently identified a novel plasticity protein, doublecortin-like (DCL), that is specifically expressed in the shell of the mouse suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). DCL is implicated in neuroplastic events, such as neurogenesis, that require structural rearrangements of the microtubule cytoskeleton, enabling dynamic movements of cell bodies and dendrites. We have inspected DCL expression in the SCN by confocal microscopy and found that DCL is expressed in GABA transporter-3 (GAT3)-positive astrocytes that envelope arginine vasopressin (AVP)-expressing cells.

Doublecortin-Like Is Implicated in Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis and in Motivational Aspects to Escape from an Aversive Environment in Male Mice.

Doublecortin (DCX)-like (DCL) is a microtubule (MT)-associated protein (MAP) that is highly homologous to DCX and is crucially involved in embryonic neurogenesis. Here, we have investigated the role of DCL in adult hippocampal neurogenesis by generating transgenic mice producing inducible shRNA molecules that specifically target DCL but no other splice variants produced by the DCLK gene. DCL knock-down (DCL-KD) resulted in a significant increase in the number of proliferating BrdU+ cells in the subgranular zone (SGZ) 1 d after BrdU administration.

Stress, glucocorticoid receptors, and adult neurogenesis: a balance between excitation and inhibition?

Adult neurogenesis, the birth of new neurons in the mature brain, has attracted considerable attention in the last decade. One of the earliest identified and most profound factors that affect adult neurogenesis both positively and negatively is stress. Here, we review the complex interplay between stress and adult neurogenesis.

Silencing of doublecortin-like (DCL) results in decreased mitochondrial activity and delayed neuroblastoma tumor growth.

Doublecortin-like (DCL) is a microtubule-binding protein crucial for neuroblastoma (NB) cell proliferation. We have investigated whether the anti-proliferative effect of DCL knockdown is linked to reduced mitochondrial activity. We found a delay in tumor development after DCL knockdown in vivo in doxycycline-inducible NB tumor xenografts.

Doublecortin and doublecortin-like are expressed in overlapping and non-overlapping neuronal cell population: implications for neurogenesis.

We have characterized the expression of doublecortin-like (DCL), a microtubule-associated protein involved in embryonic neurogenesis that is highly homologous to doublecortin (DCX), in the adult mouse brain. To this end, we developed a DCL-specific antibody and used this to compare DCL expression with DCX. In the neurogenic regions of the adult brain like the subventricular zone (SVZ), the rostral migratory stream (RMS), the olfactory bulb (OB), and the hippocampus, DCL colocalizes with DCX in immature neuronal cell populations.

Leptin administration restores the fasting-induced increase of hepatic type 3 deiodinase expression in mice.

Background: Decreased serum leptin has been proposed as a critical signal initiating the neuroendocrine response to fasting. Leptin administration partially reverses the fasting-induced suppression of the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis at the central level. It is, however, unknown to what extent leptin affects peripheral thyroid hormone metabolism.

Behavioral responses to combinations of timed light, food availability, and ultradian rhythms in the common vole (Microtus arvalis).

Light is the main entraining signal of the central circadian clock, which drives circadian organization of activity. When food is made available during only certain parts of the day, it can entrain the clock in the liver without changing the phase of the central circadian clock. Although a hallmark of food entrainment is a behavioral anticipation of food availability, the extent of behavioral alterations in response to food availability has not been fully characterized.

Age-dependent alterations in human PER2 levels after early morning blue light exposure.

In our modern society, we are exposed to different artificial light sources that could potentially lead to disturbances of circadian rhythms and, hence, represent a risk for health and welfare. Investigating the acute impact of light on clock-gene expression may thus help us to better understand the mechanisms underlying disorders rooted in the circadian system. Here, we show an overall significant reduction in PER2 expression in oral mucosa with aging in the morning, noon, and afternoon.

Delineation of violence from functional aggression in mice: an ethological approach.

The present study aims at delineating violence from aggression, using genetically selected high (SAL, TA, NC900) and low (LAL, TNA NC100) aggressive mouse strains. Unlike aggression, violence lacks intrinsic control, environmental constraints as well as functional endpoints. Conventional measures namely latency, frequency and duration were used initially to accomplish the objective of delineation using the above strains.