A Simple Method for Creating a High-Content Microscope for Imaging Multiplexed Tissue Microarrays.

High-throughput, high-content imaging technologies and multiplex slide scanning have become widely used. Advantages of these approaches include the ability to archive digital copies of slides, review slides as teams using virtual microscopy software, and standardize analytical approaches. The cost and hardware and software inflexibility of dedicated slide scanning devices can, however, complicate implementation.

Type I IFNs and CD8 T cells increase intestinal barrier permeability after chronic viral infection.

Intestinal barrier leakage constitutes a potential therapeutic target for many inflammatory diseases and represents a disease progression marker during chronic viral infections. However, the causes of altered gut barrier remain mostly unknown. Using murine infection with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, we demonstrate that, in contrast to an acute viral strain, a persistent viral isolate leads to long-term viral replication in hematopoietic and mesenchymal cells, but not epithelial cells (IECs), in the intestine.

Differential regulation of claudin-2 and claudin-15 expression in children and adults with malabsorptive disease.

Intestinal Na-nutrient cotransport depends on claudin-2 and claudin-15 mediated Na recycling. Expression of these proteins is coordinately regulated during postnatal development. While expression of claudin-2 and claudin-15 has been studied in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and celiac disease (CD), it has not been assessed in other malabsorptive diseases, and no reports have compared expression in children and adults.

Inflammation-induced Occludin Downregulation Limits Epithelial Apoptosis by Suppressing Caspase-3 Expression.

Background & Aims: Epithelial tight junctions are compromised in gastrointestinal disease. Processes that contribute to the resulting barrier loss include endocytic occludin removal from the tight junction and reduced occludin expression. Nevertheless, the relatively-normal basal phenotype of occludin knockout (KO) mice has been taken as evidence that occludin does not contribute to gastrointestinal barrier function.

Slowed gastric emptying and improved oral glucose tolerance produced by a nanomolar-potency inhibitor of calcium-activated chloride channel TMEM16A.

Interstitial cells of Cajal, which express the calcium-activated chloride channel transmembrane member 16A (TMEM16A), are an important determinant of gastrointestinal (GI) motility. We previously identified the acylaminocycloalkylthiophene class of TMEM16A inhibitors, which, following medicinal chemistry, gave analog 2-bromodifluoroacetylamino-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-4-cyclohepta[]thiophene-3-carboxylic acid -tolylamide (TM-23) with 30 nM half-maximal inhibitory concentration. Here, we tested the efficacy of TM-23 for inhibition of GI motility in mice.

fruitless regulates aggression and dominance in Drosophila.

When competing for resources, two Drosophila melanogaster flies of the same sex fight each other. Males and females fight with distinctly different styles, and males but not females establish dominance relationships. Here we show that sex-specific splicing of the fruitless gene plays a critical role in determining who and how a fly fights, and whether a dominance relationship forms.

Gender-selective patterns of aggressive behavior in Drosophila melanogaster.

Complex behaviors, such as aggression, are comprised of distinct stereospecific behavioral patterns (modules). How such patterns get wired into nervous systems remains unknown. Recently, we reported on a quantitative analysis of fighting behavior in male flies of the common Canton-S strain of Drosophila melanogaster.