Crym-positive striatal astrocytes gate perseverative behaviour.

Astrocytes are heterogeneous glial cells of the central nervous system. However, the physiological relevance of astrocyte diversity for neural circuits and behaviour remains unclear. Here we show that a specific population of astrocytes in the central striatum expresses μ-crystallin (encoded by Crym in mice and CRYM in humans) that is associated with several human diseases, including neuropsychiatric disorders.

Econazole selectively induces cell death in NF1-homozygous mutant tumor cells.

Cutaneous neurofibromas (cNFs) are tumors that develop in more than 99% of individuals with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). They develop in the dermis and can number in the thousands. cNFs can be itchy and painful and negatively impact self-esteem.

Astrocyte-neuron subproteomes and obsessive-compulsive disorder mechanisms.

Astrocytes and neurons extensively interact in the brain. Identifying astrocyte and neuron proteomes is essential for elucidating the protein networks that dictate their respective contributions to physiology and disease. Here we used cell-specific and subcompartment-specific proximity-dependent biotinylation to study the proteomes of striatal astrocytes and neurons in vivo.

Neurofibromin and suppression of tumorigenesis: beyond the GAP.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant genetic disease and one of the most common inherited tumor predisposition syndromes, affecting 1 in 3000 individuals worldwide. The NF1 gene encodes neurofibromin, a large protein with RAS GTP-ase activating (RAS-GAP) activity, and loss of NF1 results in increased RAS signaling. Neurofibromin contains many other domains, and there is considerable evidence that these domains play a role in some manifestations of NF1.

Local and CNS-Wide Astrocyte Intracellular Calcium Signaling Attenuation with CalEx Mice.

Astrocytes exist throughout the CNS and affect neural circuits and behavior through intracellular Ca signaling. Studying the function(s) of astrocyte Ca signaling has proven difficult because of the paucity of tools to achieve selective attenuation. Based on recent studies, we generated and used male and female knock-in mice for Cre-dependent expression of mCherry-tagged hPMCA2w/b to attenuate astrocyte Ca signaling in genetically defined cells (CalEx mice for lcium trusion).

Visualizing Astrocyte Morphology Using Lucifer Yellow Iontophoresis.

Astrocytes are essential components of neural circuits. They tile the entire central nervous system (CNS) and are involved in a variety of functions, which include neurotransmitter clearance, ion regulation, synaptic modulation, metabolic support to neurons, and blood flow regulation. Astrocytes are complex cells that have a soma, several major branches, and numerous fine processes that contact diverse cellular elements within the neuropil.

Reduced brain mammillary body volumes and memory deficits in adolescents who have undergone the Fontan procedure.

Background: Adolescents with single ventricle heart disease (SVHD) who have undergone the Fontan procedure show cognitive/memory deficits. Mammillary bodies are key brain sites that regulate memory; however, their integrity in SVHD is unclear. We evaluated mammillary body (MB) volumes and their associations with cognitive/memory scores in SVHD and controls.