Aim: Vascular calcification, a major complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD), refers to the mineralization of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), resulting from a phenotypic change towards osteoblast-like cells. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDIs), potential therapeutic agents for CKD, are known to promote the differentiation and mineralization of osteoblasts. In this ...

Alkaline phosphatases (ALP) in arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi have been suggested to be involved in transfer of phosphate from the mycorrhizal fungus to the host plant, but exact mechanisms are still unknown, partially due to the lack of molecular information. We isolated a full-length cDNA (FmALP) from the AM fungus ...

CD4 protein is a single chain transmembrane glycoprotein belonging to the immunoglobin superfamily that recognize the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules. It plays an important role in cell-mediated immunity. Here, the full-length cDNA of CD4 in Chinese goose (Anser cygnoides) was cloned and identified. The goose CD4 is ...

Vascular calcification (VC) represents a major cardiovascular risk factor in chronic kidney disease patients. High phosphate (Pi) levels are strongly associated with VC in this population. Therefore, Pi binders are commonly used to control high Pi levels. The aim of this work was to study the mechanism of action of ...

Inorganic phosphate (Pi) is an essential nutrient to living organisms. It plays a key role in diverse biological processes, including osteoblast differentiation and skeletal mineralization. Maintenance of proper Pi homeostasis is a critical event, as any deviation from that state can lead to several acute and chronic disease states and ...

In plants, microRNA399 (miR399) is a major regulator of phosphate (Pi) homeostasis by way of post-transcriptional mechanisms including transcript cleavage and transcriptional repression. Although miRNA genomic organization, biogenesis, and mode of action in plants are known, the regulatory mechanisms affecting miRNAs are poorly understood. We have shown that AtMYB2 functions ...

Phosphorus is involved in various biological processes including membrane integrity, maintenance and inheritance of genetic materials, energy metabolism, intracellular signaling and skeletal mineralization. In addition, accumulating evidences have indicated that alteration in the levels of extracellular inorganic phosphate (Pi) itself triggers signaling to regulate gene expression and cellular functions in ...

Period1 (PER1) is an important core clock gene, which regulates normal cell proliferations and physiological rhythms of human beings. Recent studies have showed aberrant expressions and altered rhythms of PER1 were highly correlated to the carcinogenesis and development of malignant tumors. However, there is no study on the correlation of ...

Hyperphosphatemia has emerged as a cardiovascular risk factor that stimulates calcification in vessels. We explored molecules that were induced by inorganic phosphate (Pi) at an early stage in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). In the present study, we examined the role of thrombomodulin (TM) in Pi-induced VSMC calcification based on ...

The Tel2 (also known as Telo2) and Tti1 proteins control the cellular abundance of mammalian PIKKs and are integral components of mTORC1 and mTORC2. Here we report that Tel2 and Tti1 are targeted for degradation within mTORC1 by the SCF(Fbxo9) ubiquitin ligase to adjust mTOR signalling to growth factor availability. ...

1α,25-dihydroxy vitamin D(3) (1,25D) is reported to up-regulate the expression of the osteocyte-derived phosphatonin, fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), an effect increased by high concentrations of extracellular phosphate (Pi). Osteocytes therefore appear to sense Pi directly and this may be an important means, by which FGF23 production is regulated. The ...

Fcγ receptors I and III are thought to be involved in the development of lupus nephritis. Expression of Fc receptor common gamma chain (FcRr) is necessary for the stable expression of Fcγ receptors I and III. The aim of this study was to develop a novel agent for the treatment ...

BACKGROUND: Impaired neuronal plasticity and, specifically, altered expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were shown to play a critical role in depressive behavior and the mechanism of various antidepressant treatments including electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Interestingly, opposing roles were suggested for BDNF in the hippocampus and the ventral tegmental area (VTA), ...

Background and purpose:  Carbamazepine, known for its anti-epileptic, analgesic and mood-stabilizing properties, is known to induce weight gain but the pathophysiology of this adverse event is still largely unknown. We tested the hypothesis that carbamazepine could have a direct effect on adipocyte development and metabolism. Experimental research:  we studied the ...

Editing by ADAR enzymes is essential for mammalian life. Still, knowledge of the spatio-temporal editing patterns in mammals is limited. By use of 454 amplicon sequencing we examined the editing status of 12 regionally extracted mRNAs from porcine developing brain encompassing a total of 64 putative ADAR editing sites. In ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Status epilepticus induces subcellular changes that may lead to neuronal cell death in the hippocampus. However, the mechanism of seizure-induced neuronal cell death remains unclear. The mitochondrial uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) is expressed in selected regions of the brain and is emerged as an endogenous neuroprotective molecule in ...

Endocannabinoid (eCB) signaling serves as an on-demand neuroprotective system. eCBs are produced postsynaptically in response to depolarization or activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) and act on presynaptic cannabinoid receptor-1 to suppress synaptic transmission. Here, we examined the effects of epileptiform activity on these two forms of eCB signaling in ...

The β3 subunit of the γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptors (GABA(A) -Rs) is an essential component of GABA(A) -Rs in fetal, perinatal, and adult mammalian brain. Various transcripts of the β3 subunit gene (GABRB3) produce various proteins with different N-termini. Rare variants in this N-terminus (exon 1A and exon 2) ...

This review discusses the experimental and clinical studies those show the expression of connexin 36 in the central nervous system and the possible role of connexin 36 in epileptic seizure. All articles used in this review were mainly searched from PubMed published in English from 1996 to 2012. Original articles ...

Temporal lobe epilepsy is a common, chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent spontaneous seizures. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNAs that regulate post-transcriptional expression of protein-coding mRNAs, which may have key roles in the pathogenesis of neurological disorders. In experimental models of prolonged, injurious seizures (status epilepticus) and in human ...

The GABRG2 nonsense mutation, Q40X, is associated with the severe epilepsy syndrome, Dravet syndrome, and is predicted to generate a premature translation-termination codon (PTC) in the GABA(A) receptor γ2 subunit mRNA in a position that codes for the first amino acid of the mutant subunit. We determined the effects of ...

The availability of animal models of epileptic seizures provides opportunities to identify novel anticonvulsants for treatment of people with epilepsy. We found that exposure of 2 day-old zebrafish embryos to the convulsant agent Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) rapidly induced the expression of synaptic activity-regulated genes in the CNS, and elicited vigorous episodes ...

Methyl CpG binding protein-2 (MeCP2) is a multifunctional nuclear protein, and regulates dendritic morphology, synaptic transmission, spontaneous neurotransmission, and short-term synaptic plasticity in the central nervous system. This study was designed to investigate the expression of MeCP2 mRNA and protein in intractable temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients and an experimental ...

Deletion of LIM homeodomain transcription factor-encoding Lhx6 gene in mice results in defective tangential migration of cortical interneurons and failure of differentiation of the somatostatin (Sst)- and parvalbumin (Pva)-expressing subtypes. Here, we characterize a novel hypomorphic allele of Lhx6 and demonstrate that reduced activity of this locus leads to widespread ...

BACKGROUND: Clandestine laboratory operators commonly extract ephedrine and pseudoephedrine-precursor chemicals used to synthesize methamphetamine-from over-the-counter cold/allergy/sinus products. To prevent this activity, two states, Oregon in 07/2006 and Mississippi in 07/2010, implemented regulations classifying ephedrine and pseudoephedrine as Schedule III substances, making products containing them available by prescription only. Using simple ...

Homer1a regulates expression of group I metabotropic glutamate receptors type I (mGluR1 and mGluR5) and is involved in neuronal plasticity. It has been reported that Homer1a expression is upregulated in the kindling model and hypothesized to act as an anticonvulsant. In the present work, we investigated whether pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus ...

Depressive disorders represent a significant health concern as they are associated with high social and physical dysfunction and increased risk for suicide. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the most effective treatment for patients with drug-resistant severe depressive disorders. However, the underlying biological mechanisms of ECT are not well characterized. In particular, ...

The aim of this study was to explore the effects of the bisphosphonate zoledronate on calcification induced by inorganic phosphate (Pi) and/or bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) and the underlying mechanisms. Primary vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) from rats were treated with 3 mM Pi or 3 mM Pi/BMP-2, with ...

Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE) is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures. The pathogenic mechanisms underlying mTLE may involve defects in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs that control the expression of genes at the post-transcriptional level. Here, we performed a genome-wide miRNA ...

The intronic GABRG2 mutation, IVS6+2T→G, was identified in an Australian family with childhood absence epilepsy and febrile seizures (Kananura et al., 2002). The GABRG2 intron 6 splice donor site was found to be mutated from GT to GG. We generated wild-type and mutant γ2 subunit bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) driven ...

Glycogen is accumulated during the latter half of the diel cycle in Synechococcus sp. strain WH8103 following a midday maximum in glgA (encoding glycogen synthase) mRNA abundance. This temporal pattern is quite distinct from that of Prochlorococcus and may highlight divergent regulatory control of carbon/nitrogen metabolism in these closely related ...

OBJECTIVE: The expression of 2-amino-3-(5-methyl-3-oxo-1, 2-oxazol-4-yl) propanoic acid receptor (AMPAR) subunits in the hippocampus of naive immature and adult rats (IRs, ARs) was investigated after status convulsion (SC). METHODS: Seizures were induced in IRs and ARs with intraperitoneal injections of lithium and pilocarpine. Rats were killed at four time points ...

Mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) is a maternally inherited mitochondrial syndrome characterized by seizures, migrainous headaches, lactic acidosis, vomiting, and recurrent stroke-like episodes. Patients often suffer from cognitive dysfunction of unclear pathogenesis. In this study, we explored a possible link between cognitive dysfunction and hippocampal expression of ...

In certain gastropod mollusks, the central neurons VD(1) and RPD(2) express a distinct peptide, the so-called VD(1)/RPD(2) α1-neuropeptide. In order to test whether this peptide is also present in the complex cephalopod central nervous system (CNS), we investigated several octopod and squid species. In the adult decapod squid Idiosepius notoides ...

The hyperpolarization-activated cation current I(h) is an important regulator of neuronal excitability and may contribute to the properties of the dentate gyrus granule (DGG) cells, which constitute the input site of the canonical hippocampal circuit. Here, we investigated changes in I(h) in DGG cells in human temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) ...

The Collapsin Response Mediator Protein-1 (CRMP-1) is a brain specific protein identified as a signaling molecule of Semaphorin-3A and act as axon repellent guidance factor in nervous system. Recent studies indicated that axon guidance molecules may play a role in synaptic reorganization in the adult brain and thereby promote epileptogenesis. ...

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is one of the most common focal epilepsy syndromes. In a genome-wide expression study of the human TLE hippocampus we previously showed up-regulation of genes involved in chemokine signalling. Here we investigate in the rat pilocarpine model for TLE, whether changes in chemokine signalling occur during ...

The gene encoding dystrobrevin-binding-protein-1 (dysbindin) is expressed in many areas of the central nervous system and play a role in intracellular vesicle trafficking, synaptic vesicle trafficking and neurotransmitter release. At a cellular level, dysbindin is thought to mediate presynaptic glutamatergic transmission. Using Western blotting and immunofluorescence, we investigated dysbindin expression ...

In the pathogenesis of epilepsy aberrant synaptic plasticity plays an important role. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their inhibitors (TIMPs) are responsible for nervous tissue remodelling resulting in synaptic plasticity in the central nervous system (CNS) and might therefore be crucially involved in epileptogenesis. To assess the potential pathogenetic role of ...

Phosphorus (P) is one of the essential nutrient elements for plant development. In this work, BnPHR1 encoding a MYB transcription activator was isolated from Brassica napus. The characterization of nuclear localization and transcription activation ability suggest BnPHR1 is a transcriptional activator. The tissue expression and histochemical assay showed that BnPHR1 ...

BACKGOUND: An elevated serum inorganic phosphate (Pi) level is a major risk factor for kidney disease and downstream vascular complications. We focused on the effect of Pi levels on human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), with an emphasis on the role of microRNAs (miRNAs). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Exposure of human ...

The relationship between methylmercury (MeHg) exposure and aquaporin (AQP) expression in the brain is currently unknown. To investigate this, we used a common marmoset model of acute MeHg exposure to examine AQP1, AQP4 and AQP11 gene expression. MeHg (1.5 mg Hg/kg/day p.o.) was given to three marmosets for 14 days, ...

Hippocampal sclerosis (HS) is a common pathological finding in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and is associated with altered expression of genes controlling neuronal excitability, glial function, neuroinflammation and cell death. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small non-coding RNAs, function as post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression and are critical ...

Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is the main astrocytic intermediate filament (IF). GFAP splice isoforms show differential expression patterns in the human brain. GFAPδ is preferentially expressed by neurogenic astrocytes in the subventricular zone (SVZ), whereas GFAP(+1) is found in a subset of astrocytes throughout the brain. In addition, the ...

The phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase/Akt signaling pathway has a prominent role in cell survival and proliferation, in part, by regulating gene expression at the transcriptional level. Previous work using global expression profiling identified FOXOs and the E-box-binding transcription factors MITF and USF1 as key targets of PI 3-kinase signaling that lead ...

This study was undertaken to assay the effect of lovastatin on the glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK-3β) and collapsin responsive mediator protein-2 (CRMP-2) signaling pathway and mossy fiber sprouting (MFS) in epileptic rats. MFS in the dentate gyrus (DG) is an important feature of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and is ...

Seizure-related gene 6 (sez-6) was originally identified in a study of pentylenetetrazole-treated cortical neurons. Further studies on the structure and expression pattern suggested that Sez-6 may play an important role in neuronal development and function. In the present study, PC12 cells were used as a model to investigate the role ...

The objectives were to determine the effects of tocopherol on serum concentrations of 8-epi-prostaglandin F2 alpha (isoprostane) and adiponectin, and to determine mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), adiponectin (ADIPQ), and related genes in the uterus and placentome of tocopherol-supplemented ewes during late pregnancy. Pregnant ewes were individually ...

The importance of mitochondrial biogenesis in the pathogenesis of mitochondrial diseases has been widely recognised but little is known about it with regard to NARP (Neuropathy, Ataxia and Retinitis Pigmentosa) syndrome. Since such knowledge would contribute to the understanding of the pathogenesis of this disease, we designed a study to ...

Metazoan replication-dependent histone mRNAs are the only nonpolyadenylated cellular mRNAs. Formation of the histone mRNA 3' end requires the U7 snRNP, which contains Lsm10 and Lsm11, and FLASH, a processing factor that binds Lsm11. Here, we identify sequences in Drosophila FLASH (dFLASH) that bind Drosophila Lsm11 (dLsm11), allow localization of ...