Journal of Neurochemistry最新文献

Galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) is an unavoidable risk to astronauts that may affect mission success. Male rodents exposed to 33-beam-GCR (33-GCR) show short-term cognitive deficits but reports on female rodents and long-term assessment are lacking. We asked: What are the longitudinal behavioral effects of 33-GCR on female mice? Also, can an antioxidant/anti-inflammatory compound (CDDO-EA) mitigate the impact of 33-GCR? Mature (6-month-old) C57BL/6J female mice received CDDO-EA (400 μg/g of food) or a control diet (vehicle, Veh) for 5 days and Sham-irradiation (IRR) or whole-body 33-GCR (0.75Gy) on the 4th day. Three-months post-IRR, mice underwent two touchscreen-platform tests: (1) location discrimination reversal (tests behavior pattern separation and cognitive flexibility, abilities reliant on the dentate gyrus) and (2) stimulus-response learning/extinction. Mice then underwent arena-based behavior tests (e.g. open field, 3-chamber social interaction). At the experiment's end (14.25-month post-IRR), an index relevant to neurogenesis was quantified (doublecortin-immunoreactive [DCX+] dentate gyrus immature neurons). Female mice exposed to Veh/Sham vs. Veh/33-GCR had similar pattern separation (% correct to 1st reversal). There were two effects of diet: CDDO-EA/Sham and CDDO-EA/33-GCR mice had better pattern separation vs. their respective control groups (Veh/Sham, Veh/33-GCR), and CDDO-EA/33-GCR mice had better cognitive flexibility (reversal number) vs. Veh/33-GCR mice. One radiation effect/CDDO-EA countereffect also emerged: Veh/33-GCR mice had slower stimulus-response learning (days to completion) vs. all other groups, including CDDO-EA/33-GCR mice. In general, all mice showed normal anxiety-like behavior, exploration, and habituation to novel environments. There was also a change relevant to neurogenesis: Veh/33-GCR mice had fewer DCX+ dentate gyrus immature neurons vs. Veh/Sham mice. Our study implies space radiation is a risk to a female crew's longitudinal mission-relevant cognitive processes and CDDO-EA is a potential dietary countermeasure for space-radiation CNS risks.

Reactive astrocyte activation in the context of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury gives rise to two distinct subtypes: the neurotoxic A1 type and the neuroprotective A2 type. DJ-1 (Parkinson disease protein 7, PARK7), originally identified as a Parkinson's disease-associated protein, is a multifunctional anti-oxidative stress protein with molecular chaperone and signaling functions. SHP-1 (Src homology 2 domain-containing phosphatase-1) is a protein tyrosine phosphatase closely associated with cellular signal transduction. miR-155 is a microRNA that participates in cellular functions by regulating gene expression. Recent studies have uncovered the relationship between DJ-1 and astrocyte-mediated neuroprotection, which may be related to its antioxidant properties and regulation of signaling molecules such as SHP-1. Furthermore, miR-155 may exert its effects by influencing SHP-1, providing a potential perspective for understanding the molecular mechanisms of stroke. A middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) model and an oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) model were established to simulate focal cerebral I/R injury in vivo and in vitro, respectively. The in vivo interaction between DJ-1 and SHP-1 has been experimentally validated through immunoprecipitation. Overexpression of DJ-1 attenuates I/R injury and suppresses miR-155 expression. In addition, inhibition of miR-155 upregulates SHP-1 expression and modulates astrocyte activation phenotype. These findings suggest that DJ-1 mediates astrocyte activation via the miR-155/SHP-1 pathway, playing a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. Our results provide a potential way for exploring the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke and present promising targets for pharmacological intervention.

Medial Forebrain Bundle Deep Brain Stimulation (MFB-DBS) can have rapid and long lasting antidepressant effects in Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD) patients. The mechanisms are not well understood, but one hypothesis stipulates that modulation of the dopaminergic (DAergic) fibers contribute to the therapeutic outcome. Acute DBS effects on DA release have been studied; however, longitudinal studies with acute-repetitive DBS are lacking. Long-Evans accumbal DA release and Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) calcium tonic and phasic signaling to different mfb-DBS parameters were measured using fiber photometry over 8 weeks, following acute and repetitive stimulation in behaving and non-behaving animals. DBS-induced release was observed in both targets, with increased frequency and DBS duration. 130 Hz stimulation increased phasic and tonic DA response over time, with the latter being a potential mechanism for its long-term clinical effectiveness. VTA calcium transients decreased, while phasic activity increased with frequency. Pulse width (PW)-mediated differential peak release timing also suggests potential parallel activation of diverse fiber types. Additionally, decreased DA transients rate during Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) suggests context and stimulation duration-dependent DA release. The data confirm chronic antidromic/orthodromic DAergic responses with stimulation parameter dependent variability, providing novel insights into temporal adaptations, connectivity and fiber recruitment on mfb DBS.

Tau is a microtubule-associated protein implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative disorders termed tauopathies. Pathological, aggregated forms of tau form neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), impairing its ability to stabilize microtubules and promoting neurotoxicity. Indeed, NFTs correlate with neuronal loss and cognitive impairment. Hyperphosphorylation of tau is seen in all tauopathies and mirrors disease progression, suggesting an essential role in pathogenesis. However, hyperphosphorylation remains a generic and ill-defined term, obscuring the functional importance of specific sites in different physiological or pathological settings. Here, we focused on global mapping of tau phosphorylation specifically during conditions of neuronal hyperexcitation. Hyperexcitation is a property of AD and other tauopathies linked to human cognitive deficits and increased risk of developing seizures and epilepsy. Moreover, hyperexcitation promotes extracellular secretion and trans-synaptic propagation of tau. Using unbiased mass spectrometry, we identified a novel phosphorylation signature in the C-terminal domain of tau detectable only during neuronal hyperactivity in primary cultured rat hippocampal neurons. These sites influenced tau localization to dendrites as well as the size of excitatory postsynaptic sites. These results demonstrate novel physiological tau functions at synapses and the utility of comprehensive analysis of tau phosphorylation during specific signaling contexts.

Retraction: M. C. Liu, V. Akle, W. Zheng, J. Kitlen, B. O'Steen, S. F. Larner, J. R. Dave, F. C. Tortella, R. L. Hayes, and K. K. W. Wang, "Extensive Degradation of Myelin Basic Protein Isoforms by Calpain Following Traumatic Brain Injury," Journal of Neurochemistry 98, no. 3 (2006): 700-712. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-4159.2006.03882.x. The above article, published online on 19 June 2006, in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), has been retracted by agreement between the journal Editor-in-Chief, Andrew Lawrence; the International Society for Neurochemistry; and John Wiley and Sons Ltd. A third party reported that they had detected evidence of image manipulation and duplication throughout the published article. An investigation by the publisher and the editors concluded that there was evidence of splicing in Figures 2a, 2b, 3a, 5a, 6a, and 8a. The investigation also found duplications of lanes in Figures 3a, 3d, and 4a. Lastly, the investigation found that the same actin blots in Figure 3 have been used in two other articles by many of the same authors, despite representing different experimental conditions. The authors did not respond to an inquiry by the publisher. The retraction has been agreed to because the results presented in the article can no longer be considered reliable. The authors did not respond to the notice of retraction.