CRTC1 Nuclear Translocation Following Learning Modulates Memory Strength via Exchange of Chromatin Remodeling Complexes on the Fgf1 Gene.

Memory is formed by synapse-to-nucleus communication that leads to regulation of gene transcription, but the identity and organizational logic of signaling pathways involved in this communication remain unclear. Here we find that the transcription cofactor CRTC1 is a critical determinant of sustained gene transcription and memory strength in the hippocampus. Following associative learning, synaptically localized CRTC1 is translocated to the nucleus and regulates Fgf1b transcription in an activity-dependent manner.

Hippocampal MicroRNA-124 Enhances Chronic Stress Resilience in Mice.

Unlabelled: Chronic stress-induced aberrant gene expression in the brain and subsequent dysfunctional neuronal plasticity have been implicated in the etiology and pathophysiology of mood disorders. In this study, we examined whether altered expression of small, regulatory, noncoding microRNAs (miRNAs) contributes to the depression-like behaviors and aberrant neuronal plasticity associated with chronic stress. Mice exposed to chronic ultra-mild stress (CUMS) exhibited increased depression-like behaviors and reduced hippocampal expression of the brain-enriched miRNA-124 (miR-124).

Methods for imaging individual cilia in living echinoid embryos.

The embryos of echinoids (sea urchins and sand dollars) serve as excellent models for studying cilia differentiation and stages of the cilia life cycle including ciliogenic initiation, growth, maintenance, and retraction. Early in echinoid development, uniform motile cilia form on all cells simultaneously but then rapidly differentiate into multiple cilia types that differ in morphology, motility, and signaling sensitivity. Metal ion treatments that shift germ layer boundaries and thereby "animalize" or "vegetalize" embryos can be used to enrich for low-abundance cilia types rendering those specialized cilia and the differentiation processes they exhibit much easier to study.

Human endothelial cells internalize Candida parapsilosis via N-WASP-mediated endocytosis.

Candida parapsilosis is a frequent cause of disseminated candidiasis and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Although important in pathogenesis, interactions of this organism with endothelial cells have received less attention than those of Candida albicans. Internalization of C.