Cdc42GAP deficiency contributes to the Alzheimer's disease phenotype.

Alzheimer's disease, the most common cause of dementia, is a chronic degenerative disease with typical pathological features of extracellular senile plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles and a significant decrease in the density of neuronal dendritic spines. Cdc42 is a member of the small G protein family that plays an important role in regulating synaptic plasticity and is regulated by Cdc42GAP, which switches Cdc42 from active GTP-bound to inactive GDP-bound states regulating downstream pathways via effector proteins. However, few studies have focused on Cdc42 in the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

Cdc42 signaling regulated by dopamine D2 receptor correlatively links specific brain regions of hippocampus to cocaine addiction.

Background: Hippocampus plays critical roles in drug addiction. Cocaine-induced modifications in dopamine receptor function and the downstream signaling are important regulation mechanisms in cocaine addiction. Rac regulates actin filament accumulation while Cdc42 stimulates the formation of filopodia and neurite outgrowth.

Regulation of Cdc42 signaling by the dopamine D2 receptor in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease.

Substantial spine loss in striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) and abnormal behaviors are common features of Parkinson's disease (PD). The caudate putamen (CPu) mainly contains MSNs expressing dopamine D1 receptor (dMSNs) and dopamine D2 receptor (iMSNs) exerting critical effects on motor and cognition behavior. However, the molecular mechanisms contributing to spine loss and abnormal behaviors in dMSNs and iMSNs under parkinsonian state remain unknown.

[Optimization and stability of denitrifying-phosphorus removal in a two-sludge system for treating wastewater with low carbon source].

Poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) could be efficiently accumulated under optimized conditions in a sequencing batch moving bed biological reactor (SBMBBR), and a high performance of denitrifying phosphorus removal in the reactor could be achieved by coupling with a two-sludge system. Denitrifying phosphorus removal achieved the highest efficiency under influent COD of 200 mg/L, neutral pH and stirring speed of 80 r/min. The removal rates of phosphorus, NO3(-)-N and NO2(-)-N reached 83.