Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons^™

Chronic Stress Elevates Telomerase Activity In Rats, Annaliese K. Beery, Jue Lin, Joshua S. Biddle, Darlene D. Francis, Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Elissa S. Epel

Neuroscience: Faculty Publications

The enzyme telomerase lengthens telomeres—protective structures containing repetitive DNA sequences at chromosome ends. Telomere shortening is associated with diseases of ageing in mammals. Chronic stress has been related to shorter immune-cell telomeres, but telomerase activity under stress may be low, permitting telomere loss, or high, partially attenuating it. We developed an experimental model to examine the impacts of extended unpredictable stress on telomerase activity in male rats. Telomerase activity was 54 per cent higher in stressed rats than in controls, and associated with stress-related physiological and behavioural outcomes. This significant increase suggests a potential mechanism for resilience to stress-related replicative …

The Doublecortin-Related Gene Zyg-8 Is A Microtubule Organizer In Caenorhabditis Elegans Neurons, Jean Bellanger, Juan Cueva, Renee Baran, Garland Tang, Miriam Goodman, Anne Debant

Renee Baran

Doublecortin-domain containing (DCDC) genes play key roles in the normal and pathological development of the human brain cortex. The origin of the cellular specialisation and the functional redundancy of these microtubule (MT)-associated proteins (MAPs), especially those of Doublecortin (DCX) and Doublecortin-like kinase (DCLKs) genes, is still unclear. The DCX domain has the ability to control MT architecture and bundling. However, the physiological significance of such properties is not fully understood. To address these issues, we sought post-mitotic roles for zyg-8, the sole representative of the DCX–DCLK subfamily of genes in C. elegans. Previously, zyg-8 has been shown to control anaphase-spindle …

Halloween 2012 Jack O'Lanterns Trick Or Treat, George Mcnamara

George McNamara

Halloween 2012 makes trick or treating more visual and interactive than in past years.

the download is a ZIP file containing three files.

Print out the (unnumbered) image on as large and nice printer paper as possible - I used glossy 44" wide here in Miami (University of Miami, MillerSchool of Medicine, Calder Library, Biomedical Communications dept - I also made another print on "fabric", also 44" wide to take with me to an HHMI Janelia Farm conference on 'turning images into knowledge' that ends on Oct 31 - might stay up for a second conference, "GFP..." that start Nov …

Mcnamara 20120831fri-20120904tue Cosmic Ray Particles By Ccd Imaging, George Mcnamara

George McNamara

McNamara 20120831Fri-20120904Tue Cosmic Ray Particles by CCD imaging.zip contains image files in support of a Microscopy Today article - please see

http://www.microscopy-today.com/

Long-Term Effects Of Estradiol Replacement In The Olfactory System, Britto P. Nathan, Michael Tonsor, Robert G. Struble

Britto P. Nathan

Olfactory dysfunction often precedes other clinical symptoms in chronic neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Estrogen deficiency and apoE genotype are known risk factors in these diseases and these factors also affect olfaction. Therefore we examined the effects of estradiol replacement following ovariectomy on expression of apoE and markers of cell proliferation, neuronal maturation, synaptogenesis and reactive gliosis in the primary olfactory pathway of wild-type (WT) and apoE knockout (KO) mice. Estradiol replacement increased apoE staining in the olfactory nerve and glomerular layers. Estradiol increased astrocyte density and olfactory epithelium (OE) thickness regardless of the genotype. In addition estradiol …

Long-Term Effects Of Estradiol Replacement In The Olfactory System, Britto P. Nathan, Michael Tonsor, Robert G. Struble

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Olfactory dysfunction often precedes other clinical symptoms in chronic neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Estrogen deficiency and apoE genotype are known risk factors in these diseases and these factors also affect olfaction. Therefore we examined the effects of estradiol replacement following ovariectomy on expression of apoE and markers of cell proliferation, neuronal maturation, synaptogenesis and reactive gliosis in the primary olfactory pathway of wild-type (WT) and apoE knockout (KO) mice. Estradiol replacement increased apoE staining in the olfactory nerve and glomerular layers. Estradiol increased astrocyte density and olfactory epithelium (OE) thickness regardless of the genotype. In addition estradiol …

Long-Term Effects Of Estradiol Replacement In The Olfactory System, Britto Nathan, Michael Tonsor, Robert Struble

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Olfactory dysfunction often precedes other clinical symptoms in chronic neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Estrogen deficiency and apoE genotype are known risk factors in these diseases and these factors also affect olfaction. Therefore we examined the effects of estradiol replacement following ovariectomy on expression of apoE and markers of cell proliferation, neuronal maturation, synaptogenesis and reactive gliosis in the primary olfactory pathway of wild-type (WT) and apoE knockout (KO) mice. Estradiol replacement increased apoE staining in the olfactory nerve and glomerular layers. Estradiol increased astrocyte density and olfactory epithelium (OE) thickness regardless of the genotype. In addition estradiol …

Preserved Self-Awareness Following Extensive Bilateral Brain Damage To The Insula, Anterior Cingulate, And Medial Prefrontal Cortices, Carissa Philippi, Justin Feinstein, Sahib Khalsa, Antonio Damasio, Daniel Tranel, Gregory Landini, Kenneth Williford, David Rudrauf

Psychology Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Cosmic Ray Particles Images With Orca-Ii Erg, George Mcnamara

George McNamara

Cosmic ray particles image series acquired using a Hamamatsu ORCA-II ERG scientific grade CCD camera, cooled to -60 C. Each image is a consecutive 600 second (10 minute) exposure time with no light to the camera.

While processing the data, I discoverd that the background changed around planes 25 and 227 (see Excel file and jpeg screenshots), so I also processed only planes 025-227 (203 planes total, 2030 minutes, 33.83 hours). the CCD industry "rule of thumb" for a "typical" CCD sensor (i.e. 1/3" CCD) is that one cosmic ray particle strikes a sensor approximately every 30 seconds (assuming not …

Connexin-32 And Connexin-43 Immunoreactivity In Rodent Taste Buds, Amanda E. Bond

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Studies indicate that ATP is one of the primary neurotransmitters in taste transduction. ATP release occurs from taste cells via specific hemichannels such as pannexin/connexin hemichannels (Huang et al., 2007; Romanov et al., 2007). We hypothesize that Type II (receptor) and possibly Type III (presynaptic) cells release ATP at sites containing pannexin/connexin hemichannels. In this study, we examine the presence of connexin–32–LIR (Like Immunoreactivity) and connexin–43–LIR in rodent taste buds through immunocytochemical analysis and DAB (Di–amino–benzidine) immunoelectron microscopy. We observed that connexin–32–LIR co–localizes with P2X2–LIR in nerve fibers and in a small subset of NCAM–LIR cells. Connexin–32–LIR does not co–localize …

Flatbed Scanner Report - Optical Density Dynamic Range, George Mcnamara

George McNamara

George McNamara (now at University of Miami) report for Hua Yu and Richard Jove, City of Hope National Medical Center, on optical density dynamic range of several flatbed scanners.

A Drosophila Deg/Enac Subunit Functions Specifically In Gustatory Neurons Required For Male Courtship Behavior, E. Starostina, T. Liu, V. Vijayan, Zheng Zheng , '11, Kathleen King Siwicki, C. W. Pikielny

Biology Faculty Works

Detection of specific female pheromones stimulates courtship behavior in Drosophila melanogaster males, but the chemosensory molecules, cells, and mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. Here we show that ppk25, a DEG/ENaC ion channel subunit required for normal male response to females, is expressed at highest levels in a single sexually dimorphic gustatory neuron of most taste hairs on legs and wings, but not in neurons that detect courtship-inhibiting pheromones or food. Synaptic inactivation of ppk25-expressing neurons, or knockdown of ppk25 expression in all gustatory neurons, significantly impairs male response to females, whereas gustatory expression of ppk25 rescues the courtship behavior of …

Integration Of Subthreshold And Suprathreshold Excitatory Barrages Along The Somatodendritic Axis Of Pyramidal Neurons, Hysell V. Oviedo, Alex D. Reyes

Publications and Research

Neurons integrate inputs arriving in different cellular compartments to produce action potentials that are transmitted to other neurons. Because of the voltage- and time-dependent conductances in the dendrites and soma, summation of synaptic inputs is complex. To examine summation of membrane potentials and firing rates, we performed whole-cell recordings from layer 5 cortical pyramidal neurons in acute slices of the rat’s somatosensory cortex. We delivered subthreshold and suprathreshold stimuli at the soma and several sites on the apical dendrite, and injected inputs that mimic synaptic barrages at individual or distributed sites. We found that summation of subthreshold potentials differed from …

Introduction To Nanoscopy Nano-Talk, George Mcnamara

George McNamara

T7-1 is the designation for the LMRG Nanoscopy session at ABRF in Orlando, FL, on March 20, 2012. The PDF file here is a draft of my presentation.

May not be very helpful since (1) would probably help to know what is in my head and each slide will [hopefully] prompt me to say, and (2) 10 minute talk so I am going to push the "next slide" button after saying very little.

__________________

Publisher statement:

The T7-1 Introduction to Nanoscopy Nano Talk is copyrighted (c) George McNamara, 2012. Except for (1) screenshots from research articles (which are copyrighted by …

Pubspectra - Open Data Access Fluorescence Spectra, George Mcnamara

George McNamara

The Internet is enabling greater access to spectral imaging publications, spectral graphs, and data than that was available a generation ago. The spectral imaging systems discussed in this issue of Cytometry work because reagent and hardware spectra are reproducible, reusable, and provide input to spectral unmixing and spectral components recognition algorithms. These spectra need to be readily available in order to determine what to purchase, how to use it, and what the output means. We refer to several commercially sponsored and academic spectral web sites and discuss our spectral graphing and data sites. Sites include fluorescent dye graph servers from …

Mcnamara 2011 Feature Extraction (Image Analysis), George Mcnamara

George McNamara

Feature Extraction presentation and movies in a ZIP file from a presentation I gave at ISAC 2011 in Baltomore, Md.

Feature extraction is one phrase for image analysis.

Rogers Pmn Movie - Background Information, George Mcnamara

George McNamara

Please see

http://mdc.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/18689/~/metamatters-newsletters

for my series of MetaMorph MetaMatters articles in volume 2, numbers 3 through 6, on the Rogers PMN Panorama data set.

http://mdc.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/18689/~/metamatters-newsletters

Brief summary (for more, see the Word doc)

Pten Regulation Of Local And Long-Range Connections In Mouse Auditory Cortex, Qiaojie Xiong, Hysell V. Oviedo, Lloyd C. Trotman, Anthony M. Zador

Publications and Research

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are highly heritable developmental disorders caused by a heterogeneous collection of genetic lesions. Here we use a mouse model to study the effect on cortical connectivity of disrupting the ASD candidate gene PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10). Through Cre-mediated recombination, we conditionally knocked out PTEN expression in a subset of auditory cortical neurons. Analysis of long-range connectivity using channelrhodopsin-2 revealed that the strength of synaptic inputs from both the contralateral auditory cortex and from the thalamus onto PTEN-cko neurons was enhanced compared with nearby neurons with normal PTEN expression. Laser-scanning photostimulation showed …

Nutraceutical Antioxidants And Their Therapeutic Potential In Neurodegeneration, Erika Kristine Ross

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neuromuscular disease that affects motor neurons of the brain and spinal cord. Many studies indicate that mitochondrial oxidative stress (MOS) is a principal mechanism underlying the pathophysiology of this and other devastating neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we investigated a unique whey protein supplement (Immunocal®) to determine its neuroprotective efficacy in several in vitro models of MOS and in an in vivo mouse model of ALS. This non-denatured whey supplement contains cystine which is an oxidized form of cysteine, an essential precursor for synthesis of the endogenous antioxidant, glutathione (GSH). In primary cultured rat cerebellar …

A Proposal To Test The Effects Of Factor Ecat1 On Pluripotency, From Reprogramming To Differentiation Of Human Somatic Cells, Vritti R. Goel

CMC Senior Theses

The field of stem cell research has been growing more because of the interest in using stem cells to cure diseases and heal injuries. Human embryonic stem cells, because of the controversy surrounding them—and subsequently the difficulties in acquiring samples of the existing aging cell lines—can only be used in limited capacities. While the development of induced pluripotent stem cells in the last decade has allowed the field to progress closer to medical treatments, the low efficiency of reprogramming a somatic cell to a pluripotent state, and the vast molecular and genomic differences between human embryonic stem cells and human …

Characterization Of Postsynaptic Calcium(Ii) Signals And Their Role In Synaptic Regulation At The Drosophila Larval Neuromuscular Junction, Sunil Ashok Desai

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Postsynaptic [Ca2+]i has been proposed to play an important role in both synaptic plasticity and synaptic homeostasis. Postsynaptic Ca2+ signals appear to regulate synaptic transmission at the Drosophila larval NMJ; however, they have not been characterized at a NMJ. We were interested in examining the postsynaptic Ca2+ signals in this system and determining its influence on synaptic strength. The muscle Ca2+ transients were recorded by injecting the muscle fibers with Ca2+ indicators; discrete postsynaptic Ca2+ transients were observed along the NMJ during evoked and spontaneous transmitter release. The magnitude of the Ca2+ signals was correlated with synaptic efficacy, terminals producing …

Expression Of Suppressor Of Cytokine Signaling 2 (Socs2) During Optic Nerve Regeneration In Xenopus Laevis, Rupa Priscilla Choudhary

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The optic nerve and other central nervous system (CNS) axons tend to lose their capacity to regenerate following an injury in adult amniotes, but these axons are able to regenerate throughout life in anamniotes. The long-term goal of my study is to identify molecular mechanisms responsible for the retention of this regenerative capacity. Specifically, I will examine the role of the gene Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 2 (SOCS2) in the successful regeneration of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons of the South African claw-toed frog, Xenopus laevis, after injury.

The Role Of An Rna Binding Protein Hnrnp K During Axon Development And Regeneration In Xenopus Laevis, Yuanyuan Liu

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Coordinated synthesis and assembly of the cytoskeletal network contribute significantly to morphological changes during axon outgrowth. Previous studies demonstrated that heterogeneous ribonucleoprotein K (hnRNP K), an RNA binding protein, binds to the 3'-untranslated regions of all neurofilament triplet subunits, the most abundant components of the axonal cytoskeleton. These findings raised the hypothesis that hnRNP K post-transcriptionally mediates the coordinated expression of axonal cytoskeletal components. In my thesis, I test this hypothesis during both axonal development and regeneration.

A New Eusuchian Crocodyliform With Novel Cranial Integument And Its Significance For The Origin And Evolution Of Crocodylia, Casey Holliday, Nicholas Gardner

Nicholas Gardner

Crocodyliforms were one of the most successful groups of Mesozoic tetrapods, radiating into terrestrial, semiaquatic and marine environments, while occupying numerous trophic niches, including carnivorous, insectivorous, herbivorous, and piscivorous species. Among these taxa were the enigmatic, poorly represented flat-headed crocodyliforms from the late Cretaceous of northern Africa. Here we report a new, giant crocodyliform from the early Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Kem Kem Formation of Morocco. Represented by a partial braincase, the taxon has an extremely long, flat skull with large jaw and craniocervical muscles. The skull roof is ridged and ornamented with a broad, rough boss surrounded by significant vascular …

Dr. Sulie Lin Chang's Website, Sulie Chang

Sulie Chang

No abstract provided.