Histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4): a new player in anorexia nervosa?

Anorexia nervosa (AN) and other eating disorders continue to constitute significant challenges for individual and public health. AN is thought to develop as a result of complex interactions between environmental triggers, psychological risk factors, sociocultural influences, and genetic vulnerability. Recent research developments have highlighted a novel potentially relevant component in the AN etiology-activity of the histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) gene that has emerged in several recent studies related to AN.

TPH2 polymorphisms across the spectrum of psychiatric morbidity: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) is the rate-limiting enzyme in brain serotonin synthesis. The TPH2 gene has frequently been investigated in relation to psychiatric morbidity. The aim of the present review is to integrate results from association studies between TPH2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and various psychiatric disorders, which we furthermore quantified with meta-analysis.

Major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders from the glial perspective: Etiological mechanisms, intervention and monitoring.

Despite intense ongoing research efforts, the etiology of psychiatric disorders remains incompletely understood. Among biological factors playing a role in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Anxiety Disorders (ANX), emerging evidence points to the relevance of different types of glia cells and efficient neuron-glia interactions. Here, we review recent findings highlighting the involvement of central nervous system (CNS) glia in MDD and ANX etiology and treatment response.

Endocannabinoid signaling enhances visual responses through modulation of intracellular chloride levels in retinal ganglion cells.

Type 1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1Rs) are widely expressed in the vertebrate retina, but the role of endocannabinoids in vision is not fully understood. Here, we identified a novel mechanism underlying a CB1R-mediated increase in retinal ganglion cell (RGC) intrinsic excitability acting through AMPK-dependent inhibition of NKCC1 activity. Clomeleon imaging and patch clamp recordings revealed that inhibition of NKCC1 downstream of CB1R activation reduces intracellular Cl(-) levels in RGCs, hyperpolarizing the resting membrane potential.

Neural Activity-Dependent Regulation of Radial Glial Filopodial Motility Is Mediated by Glial cGMP-Dependent Protein Kinase 1 and Contributes to Synapse Maturation in the Developing Visual System.

Unlabelled: Radial glia in the developing optic tectum extend highly dynamic filopodial protrusions within the tectal neuropil, the motility of which has previously been shown to be sensitive to neural activity and nitric oxide (NO) release. Using in vivo two-photon microscopy, we performed time-lapse imaging of radial glial cells and measured filopodial motility in the intact albino Xenopus laevis tadpole. Application of MK801 to block neuronal NMDA receptor (NMDAR) currents confirmed a significant reduction in radial glial filopodial motility.

Improved method for the quantification of motility in glia and other morphologically complex cells.

Cells such as astrocytes and radial glia with many densely ramified, fine processes pose particular challenges for the quantification of structural motility. Here we report the development of a method to calculate a motility index for individual cells with complex, dynamic morphologies. This motility index relies on boxcar averaging of the difference images generated by subtraction of images collected at consecutive time points.

D-serine as a gliotransmitter and its roles in brain development and disease.

The development of new techniques to study glial cells has revealed that they are active participants in the development of functional neuronal circuits. Calcium imaging studies demonstrate that glial cells actively sense and respond to neuronal activity. Glial cells can produce and release neurotransmitter-like molecules, referred to as gliotransmitters, that can in turn influence the activity of neurons and other glia.

Radial glia: progenitor, pathway, and partner.

Radial glia (RG) are a glial cell type that can be found from the earliest stages of CNS development. They are clearly identifiable by their unique morphology, having a periventricular cell soma and a long process extending all the way to the opposite pial surface. Due to this striking morphology, RG have long been thought of as a transient substrate for neuron migration in the developing brain.

The Werner syndrome protein affects the expression of genes involved in adipogenesis and inflammation in addition to cell cycle and DNA damage responses.

Werner syndrome (WS) is characterized by the premature onset of several age-associated pathologies. The protein deficient in WS (WRN) is a RecQ-type DNA helicase involved in DNA repair, replication, telomere maintenance and transcription. However, precisely how WRN deficiency leads to the numerous WS pathologies is still unknown.

Possible associations between successful aging and polymorphic markers in the Werner gene region.

Werner syndrome (WS) is an autosomal recessive segmental progeroid syndrome caused by mutations in the Werner (WRN) gene leading to the early onset of many (but not all) aspects of normal aging. To investigate whether the WRN gene affects the course of aging in non-Werner syndrome individuals, we performed association studies analyzing several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the WRN locus. We found certain close-set SNPs in the 5' flanking region and 5' UTR to be significantly associated with the cognitive functioning level in old age.