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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Is Doping Of Cognitive Performance An Anti‐Herbivore Adaptation? Alkaloids Inhibiting Acetylcholinesterase As A Case, Maciej J. Ejsmond, Frederick D. Provenza
Is Doping Of Cognitive Performance An Anti‐Herbivore Adaptation? Alkaloids Inhibiting Acetylcholinesterase As A Case, Maciej J. Ejsmond, Frederick D. Provenza
Wildland Resources Faculty Publications
Historically, people who study interactions between plants and herbivores focused on the ecological costs and benefits of synthesizing secondary metabolites. These compounds have diverse functions including defenses against herbivores. Some plants produce alkaloids that act as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, increasing both the level and duration of action of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine with potential toxic effects in insects and mammals. Yet, among a number of neuroactive plant chemicals, alkaloids that inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AIA) display nootropic activities, that is, positively affect cognition, learning, and memory in mammals. This creates a paradox: Neuroactive AIA, expected to punish herbivores, enhance cognition, learning, and memory. A …
Optogenetic Examination Of Salt Taste In Mice, Martin Raymond
Optogenetic Examination Of Salt Taste In Mice, Martin Raymond
Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations
This thesis describes a series of experiments designed to evaluate the hypothesis that Type I taste receptor cells play a critical role in the detection and transduction of sodium taste via of epithelial sodium channels (ENaCs). Experiment 1 validated the function of a simple and affordable behavioral apparatus (hardware and software) for testing taste preference and taste aversion in mice. Experiment 2 demonstrated a pharmacological method for rapid induction of salt appetite in mice. Experiment 3 showed that optogenetic stimulation of Type I taste receptor cells (TRCs) in transgenic mice could drive consumption of tap water under conditions of salt …
Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Dependent Effects Of Nicotine On Hek293t And Hbo Cells, James D. Larsen
Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Dependent Effects Of Nicotine On Hek293t And Hbo Cells, James D. Larsen
Theses and Dissertations
T2R receptors are the classical bitter taste receptors which detect and transduce bitter taste in a subset of taste receptor cells (TRCs). The TRPM5-dependent T2Rs are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and are linked to G protein, gustducin to initiate an intracellular signaling cascade for the transduction of bitter tastants. Nicotine is bitter. However, at present the transduction mechanisms for the detection of nicotine in are poorly understood. Previous studies from our laboratory using TRPM5 knockout (KO) mice demonstrated that the T2R pathway is insufficient in explaining the taste perception of nicotine. TRPM5 KO mice elicited chorda tympani (CT) taste nerve …