Single-neuron analysis of aging-associated changes in learning reveals impairments in transcriptional plasticity.

The molecular mechanisms underlying age-related declines in learning and long-term memory are still not fully understood. To address this gap, our study focused on investigating the transcriptional landscape of a singularly identified motor neuron L7 in Aplysia, which is pivotal in a specific type of nonassociative learning known as sensitization of the siphon-withdraw reflex. Employing total RNAseq analysis on a single isolated L7 motor neuron after short-term or long-term sensitization (LTS) training of Aplysia at 8, 10, and 12 months (representing mature, late mature, and senescent stages), we uncovered aberrant changes in transcriptional plasticity during the aging process.

Host response to Aplysia Abyssovirus 1 in nervous system and gill.

The California sea hare (Aplysia californica) is a model for age associated cognitive decline. Recent researched identified a novel nidovirus, Aplysia Abyssovirus 1, with broad tropism enriched in the Aplysia nervous system. This virus is ubiquitous in wild and maricultured, young and old animals without obvious pathology.

Expression dynamics of the aplysia abyssovirus.

Two recent studies documented the genome of a novel, extremely large (35.9 kb), nidovirus in RNA sequence databases from the marine neural model Aplysia californica. The goal of the present study was to document the distribution and transcriptional dynamics of this virus, Aplysia abyssovirus 1 (AAbV), in maricultured and wild animals.

Changes in Metabolism and Proteostasis Drive Aging Phenotype in Sensory Neurons.

Aging is associated with cognitive declines that originate in impairments of function in the neurons that make up the nervous system. The marine mollusk (Aplysia) is a premier model for the nervous system uniquely suited to investigation of neuronal aging due to uniquely identifiable neurons and molecular techniques available in this model. This study describes the molecular processes associated with aging in two populations of sensory neurons in Aplysia by applying RNA sequencing technology across the aging process (age 6-12 months).

Enrofloxacin Pharmacokinetics and Sampling Techniques in California Sea Hares ().

This pharmacokinetic study was designed to determine the pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin at 5 mg/kg when given to sea hares in their hemolymph. Enrofloxacin is a commonly used antimicrobial in veterinary medicine and potentially could be used to treat sea hares exposed to susceptible bacterial species. We individually identified 8 juvenile and group housed them in an open seawater flow system at 14 to 18 °C; 2 served as untreated controls.

Whole-transcriptome changes in gene expression accompany aging of sensory neurons in Aplysia californica.

Background: Large-scale molecular changes occur during aging and have many downstream consequences on whole-organism function, such as motor function, learning, and memory. The marine mollusk Aplysia californica can be used to study transcriptional changes that occur with age in identified neurons of the brain, because its simplified nervous system allows for more direct correlations between molecular changes, physiological changes, and their phenotypic outcomes. Behavioral deficits in the tail-withdrawal reflex of aged animals have been correlated with reduced excitation in sensory neurons that control the reflex.

Carotenoid glycosides from cyanobacteria are teratogenic in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo model.

Toxigenicity of cyanobacteria is widely associated with production of several well-described toxins that pose recognized threats to human and ecosystem health as part of both freshwater eutrophication, and episodic blooms in freshwater and coastal habitats. However, a preponderance of evidence indicates contribution of additional bioactive, and potentially toxic, metabolites. In the present study, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo was used as a model of vertebrate development to identify, and subsequently isolate and characterize, teratogenic metabolites from two representative strains of C.

A group-enhanced sprint interval training program for amateur athletes.

Sprint interval training (SIT) can elicit improvements in aerobic and anaerobic capacity. While variations in SIT protocols have been investigated, the influence of social processes cannot be overlooked. As research supports the use of groups to influence individual cognitions and behaviours, the current project assessed the effectiveness of a group-based intervention with participants conducting SIT.

Effects of exercise intensity on plasma concentrations of appetite-regulating hormones: Potential mechanisms.

The physiological control of appetite regulation involves circulating hormones with orexigenic (appetite-stimulating) and anorexigenic (appetite-inhibiting) properties that induce alterations in energy intake via perceptions of hunger and satiety. As the effectiveness of exercise to induce weight loss is a controversial topic, there is considerable interest in the effect of exercise on the appetite-regulating hormones such as acylated ghrelin, peptide YY (PYY), glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), and pancreatic polypeptide (PP). Research to date suggests short-term appetite regulation following a single exercise session is likely affected by decreases in acylated ghrelin and increases in PYY, GLP-1, and PP.

Indole alkaloids from Fischerella inhibit vertebrate development in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo model.

Cyanobacteria are recognized producers of toxic or otherwise bioactive metabolite associated, in particular, with so-called "harmful algal blooms" (HABs) and eutrophication of freshwater systems. In the present study, two apparently teratogenic indole alkaloids from a freshwater strain of the widespread cyanobacterial genus, Fischerella (Stigonemataceae), were isolated by bioassay-guided fractionation, specifically using the zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo, as a model of vertebrate development. The two alkaloids include the previously known 12-epi-hapalindole H isonitrile (1), and a new nitrile-containing variant, 12-epi-ambiguine B nitrile (2).

Whole-body aerobic resistance training circuit improves aerobic fitness and muscle strength in sedentary young females.

This study aimed to determine whether a time-effective whole-body aerobic resistance training circuit using only body weight exercises is as effective in improving aerobic and anaerobic fitness, as well as muscular strength and endurance as a traditional concurrent style training combining resistance and endurance training. Thirty-four sedentary females (20.9 ± 3.

Isolation of sensory neurons of Aplysia californica for patch clamp recordings of glutamatergic currents.

The marine gastropod mollusk Aplysia californica has a venerable history as a model of nervous system function, with particular significance in studies of learning and memory. The typical preparations for such studies are ones in which the sensory and motoneurons are left intact in a minimally dissected animal, or a technically elaborate neuronal co-culture of individual sensory and motoneurons. Less common is the isolated neuronal preparation in which small clusters of nominally homogeneous neurons are dissociated into single cells in short term culture.

Polymethoxy-1-alkenes from Aphanizomenon ovalisporum inhibit vertebrate development in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo model.

Cyanobacteria are recognized producers of a wide array of toxic or otherwise bioactive secondary metabolites. The present study utilized the zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo as an aquatic animal model of vertebrate development to identify, purify and characterize lipophilic inhibitors of development (i.e.

[Hyperbaric oxygenation for necrotizing soft tissue infections: pro].

Necrotizing soft tissue infections are a complex pathological spectrum of symptoms and result in a significantly increased risk of mortality depending on the degree of dissemination as well as the underlying bacterial infection. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) can significantly improve the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary treatment concept consisting of surgical debridement, critical care and antibiotic treatment. HBOT itself assists solid wound healing by bactericidal and bacteriostatic effects and by increasing the oxygen supply up to the cellular level resulting in an optimization of oxygen-dependent metabolic processes.

Changes in D-aspartate ion currents in the Aplysia nervous system with aging.

D-Aspartate (D-Asp) can substitute for L-glutamate (L-Glu) at excitatory Glu receptors, and occurs as free D-Asp in the mammalian brain. D-Asp electrophysiological responses were studied as a potential correlate of aging in the California sea hare, Aplysia californica. Whole cell voltage- and current clamp measurements were made from primary neuron cultures of the pleural ganglion (PVC) and buccal ganglion S cluster (BSC) in 3 egg cohorts at sexual maturity and senescence.

The transcriptome of the early life history stages of the California Sea Hare Aplysia californica.

Aplysia californica is a marine opisthobranch mollusc used as a model organism in neurobiology for cellular analyses of learning and behavior because it possesses a comparatively small number of neurons of large size. The mollusca comprise the second largest animal phylum, yet detailed genetic and genomic information is only recently beginning to accrue. Thus developmental and comparative evolutionary biology as well as biomedical research would benefit from additional information on DNA sequences of Aplysia.

Toxicity of cylindrospermopsin, and other apparent metabolites from Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii and Aphanizomenon ovalisporum, to the zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo.

Cyanobacteria produce a diverse array of toxic or otherwise bioactive compounds that pose growing threats to human and environmental health. We utilized the zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo, as a model of vertebrate development, to investigate the inhibition of development pathways (i.e.

Larval growth, development, and survival of laboratory-reared Aplysia californica: effects of diet and veliger density.

Over the last three decades, the California sea hare, Aplysia californica, has played an increasingly important role as a model organism in the neurosciences. Since 1995, the National Resource for Aplysia has supported a growing research community by providing a consistent supply of laboratory-reared individuals of known age, reproductive status, and environmental history. The purpose of the present study was to resolve the key biological factors necessary for successful culture of large numbers of high quality larval Aplysia.

The zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo as a model system for identification and characterization of developmental toxins from marine and freshwater microalgae.

The zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo has emerged as an important model of vertebrate development. As such, this model system is finding utility in the investigation of toxic agents that inhibit, or otherwise interfere with, developmental processes (i.e.

Patterns of transcription of a virus-like agent in tumor and non-tumor tissues in bicolor damselfish.

Damselfish neurofibromatosis (DNF) is a transmissible disease characterized by peripheral nerve sheath and pigment cell tumors which occurs in bicolor damselfish (Stegastes partitus) on Florida reefs. The damselfish virus-like agent (DVLA) is associated with the development of DNF and contains a 2.4-kb DNA genome which was found at high levels in tumors and tumor-derived cell lines and at lower levels in non-tumor tissues of both spontaneously diseased fish (TF) and fish with experimentally induced tumors (EF).

Cloning of anthozoan fluorescent protein genes.

Many cnidarians display vivid fluorescence under proper lighting conditions. In general, these colors are due to the presence of fluorescent proteins similar to the green fluorescent protein (GFP) originally isolated from the hydrozoan medusa Aequorea victoria (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa). To optimize the search for new fluorescent proteins (FPs), a technique was developed that allows for the rapid cloning and screening of FP genes without the need for a prior knowledge of gene sequence.