Hypothalamic Npy mRNA is correlated with increased wheel running and decreased body fat in calorie-restricted rats.

The neuro-molecular mechanisms that regulate the relationship between physical activity level, energy homeostasis regulation, and body fat are unclear. Thus, we aimed to investigate the relationship between mRNAs in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) related to energy homeostasis, wheel running distance, and body fat in ad lib (AL) and calorie-restricted (CR) growing rats. We hypothesized that changes in select mRNAs (Pomc, Cart, Agrp, Npy, Lepr, Insr, Mc4r, Ampk, Sirt1, Sirt3) in CR would be associated with decreases in body fat percentage and increased wheel running behavior.

Control of vascular tube morphogenesis and maturation in 3D extracellular matrices by endothelial cells and pericytes.

An important advance using in vitro EC tube morphogenesis and maturation models has been the development of systems using serum-free defined media. Using this approach, the growth factors and cytokines which are actually necessary for these events can be determined. The first model developed by our laboratory was such a system where we showed that phorbol ester was needed in order to promote survival and tube morphogenesis in 3D collagen matrices.

The neuropilin 1 cytoplasmic domain is required for VEGF-A-dependent arteriogenesis.

Neuropilin 1 (NRP1) plays an important but ill-defined role in VEGF-A signaling and vascular morphogenesis. We show that mice with a knockin mutation that ablates the NRP1 cytoplasmic tail (Nrp1(cyto)) have normal angiogenesis but impaired developmental and adult arteriogenesis. The arteriogenic defect was traced to the absence of a PDZ-dependent interaction between NRP1 and VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2) complex and synectin, which delayed trafficking of endocytosed VEGFR2 from Rab5+ to EAA1+ endosomes.

The radish gene reveals a memory component with variable temporal properties.

Memory phases, dependent on different neural and molecular mechanisms, strongly influence memory performance. Our understanding, however, of how memory phases interact is far from complete. In Drosophila, aversive olfactory learning is thought to progress from short-term through long-term memory phases.