Are there roles for heterogeneous ribosomes during sleep in the rodent brain?

The regulation of mRNA translation plays an essential role in neurons, contributing to important brain functions, such as brain plasticity and memory formation. Translation is conducted by ribosomes, which at their core consist of ribosomal proteins (RPs) and ribosomal RNAs. While translation can be regulated at diverse levels through global or mRNA-specific means, recent evidence suggests that ribosomes with distinct configurations are involved in the translation of different subsets of mRNAs.

Full-bandwidth electrophysiology of seizures and epileptiform activity enabled by flexible graphene microtransistor depth neural probes.

Mapping the entire frequency bandwidth of brain electrophysiological signals is of paramount importance for understanding physiological and pathological states. The ability to record simultaneously DC-shifts, infraslow oscillations (<0.1 Hz), typical local field potentials (0.

Characterization of optogenetically-induced cortical spreading depression in awake mice using graphene micro-transistor arrays.

The development of experimental methodology utilizing graphene micro-transistor arrays to facilitate and advance translational research into cortical spreading depression (CSD) in the awake brain.CSDs were reliably induced in awake nontransgenic mice using optogenetic methods. High-fidelity DC-coupled electrophysiological mapping of propagating CSDs was obtained using flexible arrays of graphene soultion-gated field-effect transistors (gSGFETs).

Methodology for quantifying excitability of identified projection neurons in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, specifically to study spinal cord stimulation paradigms.

Background: Using in and ex vivo preparations, electrophysiological methods help understand the excitability of biological tissue, particularly neurons, by providing microsecond temporal resolution. However, for in vivo recordings, in the context of extracellular recordings, it is often unclear precisely which type of neuron the tip of the electrode is recording from. This is particularly true in the densely-populated central nervous system, such as the spinal cord dorsal horn at both superficial and deep levels.

Optimisation of bioimpedance measurements of neuronal activity with an ex vivo preparation of Cancer pagurus peripheral nerves.

Background: In mammals, fast neural Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) can image the myelinated component of the compound action potentials (CAP) using a nerve cuff. If applied to unmyelinated fibres this has great potential to improve selective neuromodulation ("electroceuticals") to avoid off-target effects. Previously, bioimpedance recordings were averaged from unmyelinated crab leg nerve fibres, but the signal to noise ratio (SNR) needs improving.

G9a is essential for epigenetic silencing of K(+) channel genes in acute-to-chronic pain transition.

Neuropathic pain is a debilitating clinical problem and difficult to treat. Nerve injury causes a long-lasting reduction in K(+) channel expression in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG), but little is known about the epigenetic mechanisms involved. We found that nerve injury increased dimethylation of Lys9 on histone H3 (H3K9me2) at Kcna4, Kcnd2, Kcnq2 and Kcnma1 promoters but did not affect levels of DNA methylation on these genes in DRGs.