Maternal Immune Activation imprints translational dysregulation and differential MAP2 phosphorylation in descendant neural stem cells.

Alterations induced by maternal immune activation (MIA) during gestation impact the subsequent neurodevelopment of progeny, a process that in humans, has been linked to the development of several neuropsychiatric conditions. To undertake a comprehensive examination of the molecular mechanisms governing MIA, we have devised an in vitro model based on neural stem cells (NSCs) sourced from fetuses carried by animals subjected to Poly I:C treatment. These neural progenitors demonstrate proliferative capacity and can be effectively differentiated into both neurons and glial cells.

Relationship between the order of permanent tooth eruption and the predominance of motor function laterality: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: To assess whether the order of permanent tooth eruption may be a useful indicator of motor function laterality.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in schoolchildren aged 6-8 years old evaluated in the annual school-based routine dental health examinations conducted by the staff of the primary care centre of an urban district in Barcelona, Spain. We also evaluated hand, foot, eye, and auditory lateralities using a battery of simple exercises.

His452Tyr polymorphism in the human 5-HT receptor affects clozapine-induced signaling networks revealed by quantitative phosphoproteomics.

Antipsychotic drugs remain the current standard for schizophrenia treatment. Although they directly recognize the orthosteric binding site of numerous monoaminergic G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), these drugs, and particularly second-generation antipsychotics such as clozapine, all have in common a very high affinity for the serotonin 5-HT receptor (5-HTR). Using classical pharmacology and targeted signaling pathway assays, previous findings suggest that clozapine and other atypical antipsychotics behave principally as 5-HTR neutral antagonists and/or inverse agonists.

Interclass GPCR heteromerization affects localization and trafficking.

Membrane trafficking processes regulate G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) activity. Although class A GPCRs are capable of activating G proteins in a monomeric form, they can also potentially assemble into functional GPCR heteromers. Here, we showed that the class A serotonin 5-HT receptors (5-HTRs) affected the localization and trafficking of class C metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGluR2) through a mechanism that required their assembly as heteromers in mammalian cells.

Essential role of the C148-C227 disulphide bridge in the human 5-HT homodimeric receptor.

The 5-HT receptor is a homodimeric G protein-coupled receptor implied in multiple diseases, including schizophrenia. Recently, its co-crystallisation with the antipsychotic drugs zotepine and risperidone has revealed the importance of its extracellular domains in its pharmacology. Previous studies have shown that the non-specific disruption of extracellular disulphide bridges in the 5-HT receptor decreases ligand binding and receptor activation.