CalDAG-GEFI acts as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for LRRK2 to regulate LRRK2 function and neurodegeneration.

Mutations in are the most common genetic cause of Parkinson's disease (PD). LRRK2 protein contains two enzymatic domains: a GTPase (Roc-COR) and a kinase domain. Disease-causing mutations are found in both domains.

Increased gene dosage of RFWD2 causes autistic-like behaviors and aberrant synaptic formation and function in mice.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interactions, communication deficits and repetitive behaviors. A study of autistic human subjects has identified RFWD2 as a susceptibility gene for autism, and autistic patients have 3 copies of the RFWD2 gene. The role of RFWD2 as an E3 ligase in neuronal functions, and its contribution to the pathophysiology of ASD, remain unknown.

Klotho Regulated by Estrogen Plays a Key Role in Sex Differences in Stress Resilience in Rats.

Klotho (KL) is a glycosyl hydrolase and aging-suppressor gene. Stress is a risk factor for depression and anxiety, which are highly comorbid with each other. The aim of this study is to determine whether KL is regulated by estrogen and plays an important role in sex differences in stress resilience.

[Effects of irrigation at flowering stage on soil nutrient and root distribution in wheat field].

To provide theoretical support the full use of water and fertilizer resources for wheat, we explored the effects of irrigation on wheat yield, plant and soil nutrient distribution during flowering period and its relationship with root characteristics. We set up two treatments by using the 2 m deep soil column cultivation method with irrigation during flowering (T) and no irrigation during flowering (T), with the drought-resistant and high-yield cultivar Luomai 28 (LM28) and the high photosynthetic efficiency cultivar Bainong 207 (BN207) as materials. We measured contents of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in plants and soils, as well as the characteristics of soil roots.

Endogenous hippocampal estrogen is involved in stress-induced depression-like behaviors and spine plasticity in male rats.

The estrogen (17β-estradiol, E2) level in the hippocampus is higher and more stable in male rats than female rats. Both stress and estrogen affect spine plasticity, and many studies have demonstrated that peripheral estrogen treatment can prevent stress-induced spine loss in both males and females. Some in vitro studies have indicated that neural estrogen (nE2) participates in the modulation of spine plasticity in cultured neurons.

Osthole Ameliorates Estrogen Deficiency-Induced Cognitive Impairment in Female Mice.

Loss of endogenous estrogen and dysregulation of the estrogen receptor signaling pathways are associated with an increase in risk for cognitive deficit and depression in women after menopause. Estrogen therapy for menopause increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancers, and stroke. Therefore, it is critical to find an alternate treatment for menopausal women.

[Effects of row spacing and sowing rate on vertical distribution of photosynthetically active radiation, biomass, and grain yield in winter wheat canopy.].

To clarify the effects of row spacing and sowing rate on the vertical distribution of canopy PAR, biomass, and grain yield in winter wheat, a field experiment was conducted without increa-sing water and fertilizer input. There were two row spacing modes, R (equal spacing, 20 cm+20 cm) and R(wide and narrow row spacing, 12 cm+12 cm+12 cm+24 cm), and three sowing rates, D (low, 120 kg·hm), D (medium, 157.5 kg·hm), D (high, 195 kg·hm).

Cell-type specific knockout of peptidylglycine α-amidating monooxygenase reveals specific behavioral roles in excitatory forebrain neurons and cardiomyocytes.

Neuropeptides and peptide hormones play a crucial role in integrating the many factors that affect physiologic and cognitive processes. The potency of many of these peptides requires an amidated amino acid at the C-terminus; a single enzyme, peptidylglycine α-amidating monooxygenase (PAM), catalyzes this modification. Anxiety-like behavior is known to be altered in mice with a single functional Pam allele (Pam ) and in mice unable to express Pam in excitatory forebrain neurons (Pam ) or in cardiomyocytes (Pam ).

7, 8-Dihydroxy-4-methylcoumarin reverses depression model-induced depression-like behaviors and alteration of dendritic spines in the mood circuits.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common mental disorder characterized by a persistent feeling of sadness, slow thought, impaired focus and loss of interest but the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. Dendritic spines play an important role in the formation and maintenance of emotional circuits in the brain. Abnormalities in this process can lead to psychiatric diseases.

Sex difference in depression: Which animal models mimic it.

Depression affects both women and men, but women are 2 times more susceptible to the incidence of depression. Although a number of studies report sex differences in stress responses, it remains unclear which animal models of depression can better mimic the sex difference in human depression. The majority of stress models used male rodents whereas fewer studies included females.

Impact of subchronic variable stress on ovariectomy and dendritic spine density in prefrontal cortex in mice.

Major depressive disorder affects both women and men but females are two times more susceptible to the incidence of depression. The majority of stress models used male rodents, whereas fewer studies included females. Volumetric reductions have been reported in brain areas critical for the stress response, such as prefrontal cortex, and remodeling of dendritic spines has been proposed as an underlying factor.

Estradiol Alters Hippocampal Gene Expression during the Estrous Cycle.

Estrogen (E2) modulates a wide range of neural functions such as spine formation, synaptic plasticity, and neurotransmission in the hippocampus. Dendritic spines and synapse numbers in hippocampal neurons of female rats cyclically fluctuate across the estrous cycle, but the key genes responsible for these fluctuations are still unknown. In order to address this question, we explore the hippocampal transcriptome via RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) at the proestrus () and estrus () stages in female rats.

Involvement of D2 receptor in the NAc in chronic unpredictable stress-induced depression-like behaviors.

D2 receptors (D2Rs) located in both pre- and postsynaptic membranes of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) are involved in the stress response and associated behaviors. The role of D2Rs in chronic unpredictable stress (CUS)-induced depression-like behaviors is not clear. Quinpirole (a D2R agonist) and eticlopride (a D2R antagonist) were stereotactically delivered into the NAc before Sprague Dawley rats underwent CUS.

Identifying roles for peptidergic signaling in mice.

Despite accumulating evidence demonstrating the essential roles played by neuropeptides, it has proven challenging to use this information to develop therapeutic strategies. Peptidergic signaling can involve juxtacrine, paracrine, endocrine, and neuronal signaling, making it difficult to define physiologically important pathways. One of the final steps in the biosynthesis of many neuropeptides requires a single enzyme, peptidylglycine α-amidating monooxygenase (PAM), and lack of amidation renders most of these peptides biologically inert.

Treadmill Exercise Reverses Depression Model-Induced Alteration of Dendritic Spines in the Brain Areas of Mood Circuit.

Depression is one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders. Exercise has been shown to be effective in the amelioration of depression, but the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. Alterations in the density and morphology of dendritic spines are associated with psychiatric diseases.

Increased anxiety and decreased sociability induced by paternal deprivation involve the PVN-PrL OTergic pathway.

Early adverse experiences often have devastating consequences. However, whether preweaning paternal deprivation (PD) affects emotional and social behaviors and their underlying neural mechanisms remain unexplored. Using monogamous mandarin voles, we found that PD increased anxiety-like behavior and attenuated social preference in adulthood.

Sequential formation of different layers of dystrophic neurites in Alzheimer's brains.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the presence of neuritic plaques in which dystrophic neurites (DNs) are typical constituents. We recently showed that DNs labeled by antibodies to the tubular endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein reticulon-3 (RTN3) are enriched with clustered tubular ER. However, multi-vesicle bodies are also found in DNs, suggesting that different populations of DNs exist in brains of AD patients.

Role of Cdk5 in Kalirin7-Mediated Formation of Dendritic Spines.

A majority of excitatory synapses in the brain are localized on the dendritic spines. Alterations of spine density and morphology are associated with many neurological diseases. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying spine formation is important for understanding these diseases.

Modulation of Kalirin-7 expression by hippocampal CA1 5-HT receptors in spatial memory consolidation.

Serotonin 5-HT1B receptors (5-HT1BRs) are distributed in hippocampal CA1 and play a pivotal role in cognitive function. Activation of 5-HT1BRs regulates synaptic plasticity at the excitatory synapses in the hippocampus. However, the role and its underlying mechanism of 5-HT1BR activation-mediated glutamatergic synaptic plasticity in spatial memory are not fully understood.

Role of proBDNF and BDNF in dendritic spine plasticity and depressive-like behaviors induced by an animal model of depression.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorder, but the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. Increasing evidence shows that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays an important role in the structural plasticity induced by depression. Considering the opposite effects of BDNF and its precursor proBDNF on neural plasticity, we hypothesized that the balance of BDNF and proBDNF plays a critical role in chronic unpredicted mild stress (CUMS)-induced depressive-like behaviors and structural plasticity in the rodent hippocampus.

UPLC-QTOF analysis reveals metabolomic changes in the flag leaf of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under low-nitrogen stress.

Wheat is one of the most important grain crop plants worldwide. Nitrogen (N) is an essential macronutrient for the growth and development of wheat and exerts a marked influence on its metabolites. To investigate the influence of low nitrogen stress on various metabolites of the flag leaf of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.

Orbitofrontal cortex 5-HT2A receptor mediates chronic stress-induced depressive-like behaviors and alterations of spine density and Kalirin7.

Neuroimaging studies show that patients with major depression have reduced volume of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Although the serotonin (5-HT) 2A receptor, which is abundant in the OFC, has been implicated in depression, the underlying mechanisms in the development of stress-induced depression remain unclear. Kalirin-7 (Kal7) is an essential component of mature excitatory synapses for maintaining dendritic spines density, size and synaptic functions.