Exposure to D2-like dopamine receptor agonists inhibits swimming in Daphnia magna.

Daphnia are freshwater crustaceans that have been used for decades in ecotoxicology research. Despite the important role that Daphnia have played in environmental toxicology studies, very little is known about the neurobiology of Daphnia. Although many studies have investigated the swimming movements of these "water fleas", few studies have examined the underlying neurochemical basis for these movements.

Stereoselective inhibition of serotonin transporters by antimalarial compounds.

The serotonin (5-HT) transporter (SERT) is an integral membrane protein that functions to reuptake 5-HT released into the synapse following neurotransmission. This role serves an important regulatory mechanism in neuronal homeostasis. Previous studies have demonstrated that several clinically important antimalarial compounds inhibit serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) reuptake.

Oxygen glucose deprivation in rat hippocampal slice cultures results in alterations in carnitine homeostasis and mitochondrial dysfunction.

Mitochondrial dysfunction characterized by depolarization of mitochondrial membranes and the initiation of mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis are pathological responses to hypoxia-ischemia (HI) in the neonatal brain. Carnitine metabolism directly supports mitochondrial metabolism by shuttling long chain fatty acids across the inner mitochondrial membrane for beta-oxidation. Our previous studies have shown that HI disrupts carnitine homeostasis in neonatal rats and that L-carnitine can be neuroprotective.

Characterization of a functional bacterial homologue of sodium-dependent neurotransmitter transporters.

The tnaT gene of Symbiobacterium thermophilum encodes a protein homologous to sodium-dependent neurotransmitter transporters. Expression of the tnaT gene product in Escherichia coli conferred the ability to accumulate tryptophan from the medium and the ability to grow on tryptophan as a sole source of carbon. Transport was Na(+)-dependent and highly selective.