VDAC1 regulates neuronal cell loss after retinal trauma injury by a mitochondria-independent pathway.

The voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1) was first described as a mitochondrial porin that mediates the flux of metabolites and ions, thereby integrating both cell survival and death signals. In the nervous system, the functional roles of VDAC1 remain poorly understood. Herein, the rat retina was employed to study VDAC1.

Small Molecule GSK-J1 Affects Differentiation of Specific Neuronal Subtypes in Developing Rat Retina.

Histone post-translational modification has been shown to play a pivotal role in regulating gene expression and fate determination during the development of the central nervous system. Application of pharmacological blockers that control histone methylation status has been considered a promising avenue to control abnormal developmental processes and diseases as well. In this study, we focused on the role of potent histone demethylase inhibitor GSK-J1 as a blocker of Jumonji domain-containing protein 3 (Jmjd3) in early postnatal retinal development.

Evaluation of Possible Consequences of Zika Virus Infection in the Developing Nervous System.

The Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak that occurred in the northeast of Brazil in 2015 led to alarming numbers of babies born with microcephaly in this region. Since then, several studies have evaluated the relationship between ZIKV infection and development of the malformation although the specific mechanistic interaction between ZIKV and human physiological processes that ultimately manifest as microcephaly remains debated. Importantly, most current studies did not consider the specificities of the biology and life cycle of ZIKV.

Pilocarpine-induced seizures trigger differential regulation of microRNA-stability related genes in rat hippocampal neurons.

Epileptogenesis in the temporal lobe elicits regulation of gene expression and protein translation, leading to reorganization of neuronal networks. In this process, miRNAs were described as being regulated in a cell-specific manner, although mechanistics of miRNAs activity are poorly understood. The specificity of miRNAs on their target genes depends on their intracellular concentration, reflecting the balance of biosynthesis and degradation.

Functional regulation of neuronal nitric oxide synthase expression and activity in the rat retina.

In the nervous system within physiological conditions, nitric oxide (NO) production depends on the activity of nitric oxide synthases (NOSs), and particularly on the expression of the neuronal isoform (nNOS). In the sensory systems, the role of NO is poorly understood. In this study, we identified nNOS-positive cells in the inner nuclear layer (INL) of the rat retina, with distinct characteristics such as somata size, immunolabeling level and location.

MicroRNAs in neuronal communication.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short nucleotides sequences that regulate the expression of genes in different eukaryotic cell types. A tremendous amount of knowledge on miRNAs has rapidly accumulated over the last few years, revealing the growing interest in this field of research. On the other hand, clarifying the physiological regulation of gene expression in the central nervous system is important for establishing a reference for comparison to the diseased state.

Developmental and functional expression of miRNA-stability related genes in the nervous system.

In the nervous system, control of gene expression by microRNAs (miRNAs) has been investigated in fundamental processes, such as development and adaptation to ambient demands. The action of these short nucleotide sequences on specific genes depends on intracellular concentration, which in turn reflects the balance of biosynthesis and degradation. Whereas mechanisms underlying miRNA biogenesis has been investigated in recent studies, little is known about miRNA-stability related proteins.

A new and reliable guide for studies of neuronal loss based on focal lesions and combinations of in vivo and in vitro approaches.

In this study, we describe a simple and reliable method to study neuroprotective effects in living and organized neural tissue. This method, which was based on retinal explants for in vivo focal lesions, was conceived as a collection of modular procedures, which can be customized for particular demands. With this model, it is possible to combine immunohistochemistry with image data analysis to track the two- or three-dimensional redistribution of proteins as a time/space function of primary cell loss.