Concentration-dependent effects of CSF1R inhibitors on oligodendrocyte progenitor cells ex vivo and in vivo.

Microglia are the principal resident immune cells in the central nervous system (CNS) and play important roles in CNS development, maintenance and repair. The survival and development of microglia depends on colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R), a member of the platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) family of tyrosine kinases. Recently pharmacological CSF1R inhibition has been used to investigate the effects of microglial depletion in numerous animal models of CNS disease.

Identification of a new gene required for the biosynthesis of rhodoquinone in Rhodospirillum rubrum.

Rhodoquinone (RQ) is a required cofactor for anaerobic respiration in Rhodospirillum rubrum, and it is also found in several helminth parasites that utilize a fumarate reductase pathway. RQ is an aminoquinone that is structurally similar to ubiquinone (Q), a polyprenylated benzoquinone used in the aerobic respiratory chain. RQ is not found in humans or other mammals, and therefore, the inhibition of its biosynthesis may provide a novel antiparasitic drug target.