scholarly journals Contribution of EAG to excitability and potassium currents in Drosophila larval motoneurons

2012 ◽  
Vol 107 (10) ◽  
pp. 2660-2671 ◽  
Author(s):  
Subhashini Srinivasan ◽  
Kimberley Lance ◽  
Richard B. Levine

Diversity in the expression of K+ channels among neurons allows a wide range of excitability, growth, and functional regulation. Ether-à-go-go (EAG), a voltage-gated K+ channel, was first characterized in Drosophila mutants by spontaneous firing in nerve terminals and enhanced neurotransmitter release. Although diverse functions have been ascribed to this protein, its role within neurons remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to characterize the function of EAG in situ in Drosophila larval motoneurons. Whole cell patch-clamp recordings performed from the somata revealed a decrease in IAv and IKv K+ currents in eag mutants and with targeted eag RNAi expression. Spontaneous spike-like events were observed in eag mutants but absent in wild-type motoneurons. Thus our results provide evidence that EAG represents a unique K+ channel contributing to multiple K+ currents in motoneurons helping to regulate excitability, consistent with previous observations in the Drosophila larval muscle.

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eder Gambeta ◽  
Maria A. Gandini ◽  
Ivana A. Souza ◽  
Laurent Ferron ◽  
Gerald W. Zamponi

AbstractA novel missense mutation in the CACNA1A gene that encodes the pore forming α1 subunit of the CaV2.1 voltage-gated calcium channel was identified in a patient with trigeminal neuralgia. This mutation leads to a substitution of proline 2455 by histidine (P2455H) in the distal C-terminus region of the channel. Due to the well characterized role of this channel in neurotransmitter release, our aim was to characterize the biophysical properties of the P2455H variant in heterologously expressed CaV2.1 channels. Whole-cell patch clamp recordings of wild type and mutant CaV2.1 channels expressed in tsA-201 cells reveal that the mutation mediates a depolarizing shift in the voltage-dependence of activation and inactivation. Moreover, the P2455H mutant strongly reduced calcium-dependent inactivation of the channel that is consistent with an overall gain of function. Hence, the P2455H CaV2.1 missense mutation alters the gating properties of the channel, suggesting that associated changes in CaV2.1-dependent synaptic communication in the trigeminal system may contribute to the development of trigeminal neuralgia.


2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
SPRING R. FARRELL ◽  
ALLISON SARGOY ◽  
NICHOLAS C. BRECHA ◽  
STEVEN BARNES

AbstractThe α2δ auxiliary subunits of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCCs) are important modulators of VGCC function. Gabapentin interacts with α2δ1 and α2δ2 subunits and is reported to reduce Ca2+ channel current amplitude (ICa). This study aimed to determine the effects of gabapentin on VGCCs in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Whole cell patch clamp was used to record ICa in isolated RGCs, and calcium imaging was used to measure Ca2+ transients from RGCs in situ. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the presence of α2δ1-containing VGCCs in isolated RGCs in the absence and presence of gabapentin pretreatment. Acute administration of gabapentin reduced ICa and Ca2+ transients compared to control conditions. In isolated RGCs, pretreatment with gabapentin (4–18 h) reduced ICa, and cell surface α2δ1 staining was reduced compared to nonpretreated cells. Acute administration of gabapentin to isolated RGCs that had been pretreated further reduced ICa. These results show that gabapentin has both short-term and long-term mechanisms to reduce ICa in isolated RGCs. Some Ca2+ channel blockers have been shown to protect RGCs in retinal trauma suggesting that modulation of VGCCs by gabapentin may prevent the deleterious effects of elevated Ca2+ levels in RGCs in trauma and disease.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chi-Wei Tien ◽  
Bin Yu ◽  
Mengjia Huang ◽  
Karolina P. Stepien ◽  
Kyoko Sugita ◽  
...  

SummaryAssembly of SNARE complexes that mediate neurotransmitter release requires opening of a ‘closed’ conformation of UNC-64/syntaxin. Rescue of unc-13/Munc13 phenotypes by overexpressed open UNC-64/syntaxin suggested a specific function of UNC-13/Munc13 in opening UNC-64/ syntaxin. Here, we revisit the effects of open unc-64/syntaxin by generating knockin (KI) worms. The KI animals exhibited enhanced spontaneous and evoked exocytosis compared to wild-type animals. Unexpectedly, the open syntaxin KI partially suppressed exocytosis defects of various mutants, including snt-1/synaptotagmin, unc-2/P/Q/N-type Ca2+ channel alpha-subunit, and unc-31/CAPS in addition to unc-13/Munc13 and unc-10/RIM, and enhanced exocytosis in tom-1/Tomosyn mutants. However, open syntaxin aggravated the defects of unc-18/Munc18 mutants. Correspondingly, open syntaxin partially bypasses the requirement of Munc13 but not Munc18 for liposome fusion. Our results show that facilitating opening of syntaxin enhances exocytosis in a wide range of genetic backgrounds, and may provide a general means to enhance synaptic transmission in normal and disease states.


2004 ◽  
Vol 20 (12) ◽  
pp. 3313-3321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth E. Brooke ◽  
Thomas S. Moores ◽  
Neil P. Morris ◽  
Simon H. Parson ◽  
Jim Deuchars

Author(s):  
W. E. King

A side-entry type, helium-temperature specimen stage that has the capability of in-situ electrical-resistivity measurements has been designed and developed for use in the AEI-EM7 1200-kV electron microscope at Argonne National Laboratory. The electrical-resistivity measurements complement the high-voltage electron microscope (HVEM) to yield a unique opportunity to investigate defect production in metals by electron irradiation over a wide range of defect concentrations.A flow cryostat that uses helium gas as a coolant is employed to attain and maintain any specified temperature between 10 and 300 K. The helium gas coolant eliminates the vibrations that arise from boiling liquid helium and the temperature instabilities due to alternating heat-transfer mechanisms in the two-phase temperature regime (4.215 K). Figure 1 shows a schematic view of the liquid/gaseous helium transfer system. A liquid-gas mixture can be used for fast cooldown. The cold tip of the transfer tube is inserted coincident with the tilt axis of the specimen stage, and the end of the coolant flow tube is positioned without contact within the heat exchanger of the copper specimen block (Fig. 2).


2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-67

<p>The Soil Science Institute of Thessaloniki produces new digitized Soil Maps that provide a useful electronic database for the spatial representation of the soil variation within a region, based on in situ soil sampling, laboratory analyses, GIS techniques and plant nutrition mathematical models, coupled with the local land cadastre. The novelty of these studies is that local agronomists have immediate access to a wide range of soil information by clicking on a field parcel shown in this digital interface and, therefore, can suggest an appropriate treatment (e.g. liming, manure incorporation, desalination, application of proper type and quantity of fertilizer) depending on the field conditions and cultivated crops. A specific case study is presented in the current work with regards to the construction of the digitized Soil Map of the regional unit of Kastoria. The potential of this map can easily be realized by the fact that the mapping of the physicochemical properties of the soils in this region provided delineation zones for differential fertilization management. An experiment was also conducted using remote sensing techniques for the enhancement of the fertilization advisory software database, which is a component of the digitized map, and the optimization of nitrogen management in agricultural areas.</p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 900-908
Author(s):  
Ram Naresh Yadav ◽  
Amrendra K Singh ◽  
Bimal Banik

Numerous O (oxa)- and S (thia)-glycosyl esters and their analogous glycosyl acids have been accomplished through stereoselective glycosylation of various peracetylated bromo sugar with benzyl glycolate using InBr3 as a glycosyl promotor followed by in situ hydrogenolysis of resulting glycosyl ester. A tandem glycosylating and hydrogenolytic activity of InBr3 has been successfully investigated in a one-pot procedure. The resulting synthetically valuable and virtually unexplored class of β-CMGL (glycosyl acids) could serve as an excellent potential chiral auxiliary in the asymmetric synthesis of a wide range of enantiomerically pure medicinally prevalent β-lactams and other bioactive molecules of diverse medicinal interest.


2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (9) ◽  
pp. 2373-2378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Budhaditya Chowdhury ◽  
Yick-Bun Chan ◽  
Edward A. Kravitz

By selection of winners of dyadic fights for 35 generations, we have generated a hyperaggressive Bully line of flies that almost always win fights against the parental wild-type Canton-S stock. Maintenance of the Bully phenotype is temperature dependent during development, with the phenotype lost when flies are reared at 19 °C. No similar effect is seen with the parent line. This difference allowed us to carry out RNA-seq experiments and identify a limited number of genes that are differentially expressed by twofold or greater in the Bullies; one of these was a putative transmembrane transporter, CG13646, which showed consistent and reproducible twofold down-regulation in Bullies. We examined the causal effect of this gene on the phenotype with a mutant line for CG13646, and with an RNAi approach. In all cases, reduction in expression of CG13646 by approximately half led to a hyperaggressive phenotype partially resembling that seen in the Bully flies. This gene is a member of a very interesting family of solute carrier proteins (SLCs), some of which have been suggested as being involved in glutamine/glutamate and GABA cycles of metabolism in excitatory and inhibitory nerve terminals in mammalian systems.


Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 1031
Author(s):  
Joseba Gorospe ◽  
Rubén Mulero ◽  
Olatz Arbelaitz ◽  
Javier Muguerza ◽  
Miguel Ángel Antón

Deep learning techniques are being increasingly used in the scientific community as a consequence of the high computational capacity of current systems and the increase in the amount of data available as a result of the digitalisation of society in general and the industrial world in particular. In addition, the immersion of the field of edge computing, which focuses on integrating artificial intelligence as close as possible to the client, makes it possible to implement systems that act in real time without the need to transfer all of the data to centralised servers. The combination of these two concepts can lead to systems with the capacity to make correct decisions and act based on them immediately and in situ. Despite this, the low capacity of embedded systems greatly hinders this integration, so the possibility of being able to integrate them into a wide range of micro-controllers can be a great advantage. This paper contributes with the generation of an environment based on Mbed OS and TensorFlow Lite to be embedded in any general purpose embedded system, allowing the introduction of deep learning architectures. The experiments herein prove that the proposed system is competitive if compared to other commercial systems.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sungmin O. ◽  
Rene Orth

AbstractWhile soil moisture information is essential for a wide range of hydrologic and climate applications, spatially-continuous soil moisture data is only available from satellite observations or model simulations. Here we present a global, long-term dataset of soil moisture derived through machine learning trained with in-situ measurements, SoMo.ml. We train a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model to extrapolate daily soil moisture dynamics in space and in time, based on in-situ data collected from more than 1,000 stations across the globe. SoMo.ml provides multi-layer soil moisture data (0–10 cm, 10–30 cm, and 30–50 cm) at 0.25° spatial and daily temporal resolution over the period 2000–2019. The performance of the resulting dataset is evaluated through cross validation and inter-comparison with existing soil moisture datasets. SoMo.ml performs especially well in terms of temporal dynamics, making it particularly useful for applications requiring time-varying soil moisture, such as anomaly detection and memory analyses. SoMo.ml complements the existing suite of modelled and satellite-based datasets given its distinct derivation, to support large-scale hydrological, meteorological, and ecological analyses.


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