Optimizing GABA receptor antagonism for the induction of long-term potentiation in the mouse and rat dentate gyrus in vitro.

The reliable induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the dentate gyrus (DG) in vitro requires the blockade of the γ-aminobutyric acid A (GABA) receptor. In these studies we examined the effectiveness of the specific GABA receptor antagonist bicuculline methiodide (BMI) in facilitating LTP in the DG from hippocampal slices obtained from either C57Bl/6 mice or Sprague-Dawley rats, two species commonly used for electrophysiology. In the C57Bl/6 mice, maximal short-term potentiation and LTP in the DG were produced with a concentration of 5 µM BMI.

Influence of the Maturity Stage on the Phytochemical Composition and the Antioxidant Activity of Four Andean Blackberry Cultivars ( Benth) from Ecuador.

Andean blackberries ( Benth) are fruits rich in phytocomponents with high antioxidant activity. In this work, the changes in the total polyphenol content (TPC), the total flavonoid content (TFC), and the total anthocyanin content (TAC) of four blackberry varieties at three maturity stages (E1-25%, E2-50%, and E3-100%) were measured. The antioxidant activity (AA) was evaluated using the 2,2'azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazolin 6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) methods.

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis occurs in the absence of Presenilin 1 and Presenilin 2.

Mutations in the presenilin genes (PS1 and PS2) are a major cause of familial-Alzheimer's disease (FAD). Presenilins regulate neurogenesis in the developing brain, with loss of PS1 inducing aberrant premature differentiation of neural progenitor cells, and additional loss of PS2 exacerbating this effect. It is unclear, however, whether presenilins are involved in adult neurogenesis, a process that may be impaired in Alzheimer's disease within the hippocampus.

Excitable Adult-Generated GABAergic Neurons Acquire Functional Innervation in the Cortex after Stroke.

Ischemic stroke enhances the proliferation of adult-generated precursor cells that ectopically migrate toward the infarct. Studies have correlated precursor cell proliferation and subsequent adult neurogenesis with enhanced stroke recovery, yet it remains unclear whether stroke can generate new neurons capable of functional integration into the injured cortex. Here, using single and bitransgenic reporter mice, we identify spatial and temporal features of a multilineage cellular response to focal ischemia.

The Multi-pronged Regulation of Adult Neurogenesis by Forkhead Box O Family Members.

In this issue of Neuron, Schäffner et al. (2018) discover multiple effects of the Forkhead Box O (FoxO) transcription factor family on the different stages of adult neurogenesis, including the genesis of dendrites and spines regulated by FoxO-dependent autophagic activity.