Specificity and non-specificity of synaptic connections within mammalian visual cortex

It is clear from reviewing the findings of our own studies and those of others that the cerebral cortex has combined two very different strategies of organisation. Firstly it has a strictly defined genetically determined substrate of specific neurons classes, specific rules for which kinds of cells interconnect, a laminar architecture where efferent and afferent relays and interlaminar links are predetermined. But, as well, a second strategy allows great developmental lability in the precise spatial patterns of intralaminar circuits of the excitatory neurons and in the actual weights of excitatory and inhibitory synapses that are contributed to each neuron. This second strategy presumably allows the cortex to be tailor-made to the early experience of each individual and, as well, allow for lability of responses to different conditions of stimulation and adjustment of the system to compensate to some degree for injuries affecting afferents and circuitry in the adult system.     

Genome-wide CRISPR Screens Reveal Host Factors Critical for SARS-CoV-2 Infection

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Efficient use and recycling of the micronutrient iodide in mammals

Daily ingestion of iodide alone is not adequate to sustain production of the thyroid hormones, tri- and tetraiodothyronine. Proper maintenance of iodide in vivo also requires its active transport into the thyroid and its salvage from mono- and diiodotyrosine that are formed in excess during hormone biosynthesis. The enzyme iodotyrosine deiodinase responsible for this salvage is unusual in its ability to catalyze a reductive dehalogenation reaction dependent on a flavin cofactor, FMN. Initial characterization of this enzyme was limited by its membrane association, difficult purification and poor stability. The deiodinase became amenable to detailed analysis only after identification and heterologous expression of its gene. Site-directed mutagenesis recently demonstrated that cysteine residues are not necessary for enzymatic activity in contrast to precedence set by other reductive dehalogenases. Truncation of the N-terminal membrane anchor of the deiodinase has provided a soluble and stable source of enzyme sufficient for crystallographic studies. The structure of an enzyme·substrate co-crystal has become invaluable for understanding the origins of substrate selectivity and the mutations causing thyroid disease in humans.     

Retinal Changes Precede Visual Dysfunction in the Complement Factor H Knockout Mouse

We previously reported that aged mice lacking complement factor H (CFH) exhibit visual defects and structural changes in the retina. However, it is not known whether this phenotype is age-related or is the consequence of disturbed development. To address this question we investigated the effect of Cfh gene deletion on the retinal phenotype of young and mid-age mice. Cfh ^−/− mouse eyes exhibited thickening of the retina and reduced nuclear density, but relatively normal scotopic and photopic electroretinograms. At 12 months there was evidence of subtle astroglial activation in the Cfh ^−/− eyes, and significant elevation of the complement regulator, decay-accelerating factor (DAF) in Müller cells. In the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) of young control and Cfh ^−/− animals mitochondria and melanosomes were oriented basally and apically respectively, whereas the apical positioning of melanosomes was significantly perturbed in the mid-age Cfh ^−/− RPE. We conclude that deletion of Cfh in the mouse leads to defects in the retina that precede any marked loss of visual function, but which become progressively more marked as the animals age. These observations are consistent with a lifelong role for CFH in retinal homeostasis.     

Analysis and visualization of H7 influenza using genomic,evolutionary and geographic information in a modular web service

We have reported previously on use of a web‐based application, Supramap ( http://supramap.org ) for the study of biogeographic, genotypic, and phenotypic evolution. Using Supramap we have developed maps of the spread of drug‐resistant influenza and host shifts in H1N1 and H5N1 influenza and coronaviruses such as SARS. Here we report on another zoonotic pathogen, H7 influenza, and provide an update on the implementation of Supramap as a web service. We find that the emergence of pathogenic strains of H7 is labile with many transitions from high to low pathogenicity, and from low to high pathogenicity. We use Supramap to put these events in a temporal and geospatial context. We identify several lineages of H7 influenza with biomarkers of high pathogenicity in regions that have not been reported in the scientific literature. The original implementation of Supramap was built with tightly coupled client and server software. Now we have decoupled the components to provide a modular web service for POY ( http://poyws.org ) that can be consumed by a data provider to create a novel application. To demonstrate the web service, we have produced an application, Geogenes ( http://geogenes.org ). Unlike in Supramap, in which the user is required to create and upload data files, in Geogenes the user works from a graphical interface to query an underlying dataset. Geogenes demonstrates how the web service can provide underlying processing for any sequence and metadata database. © The Willi Hennig Society 2012.     

Diminished Reovirus Capsid Stability Alters Disease Pathogenesis and Littermate Transmission

Reovirus is a nonenveloped mammalian virus that provides a useful model system for studies of viral infections in the young. Following internalization into host cells, the outermost capsid of reovirus virions is removed by endosomal cathepsin proteases. Determinants of capsid disassembly kinetics reside in the viral σ3 protein. However, the contribution of capsid stability to reovirus-induced disease is unknown. In this study, we found that mice inoculated intramuscularly with a serotype 3 reovirus containing σ3-Y354H, a mutation that reduces viral capsid stability, succumbed at a higher rate than those infected with wild-type virus. At early times after inoculation, σ3-Y354H virus reached higher titers than wild-type virus at several sites within the host. Animals inoculated perorally with a serotype 1 reassortant reovirus containing σ3-Y354H developed exaggerated myocarditis accompanied by elaboration of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Surprisingly, unchallenged littermates of mice infected with σ3-Y354H virus displayed higher titers in the intestine, heart, and brain than littermates of mice inoculated with wild-type virus. Together, these findings suggest that diminished capsid stability enhances reovirus replication, dissemination, lethality, and host-to-host spread, establishing a new virulence determinant for nonenveloped viruses.     

Isomeric lipid signatures reveal compartmentalized fatty acid metabolism in cancer

The cellular energy and biomass demands of cancer drive a complex dynamic between uptake of extracellular FAs and their de novo synthesis. Given that oxidation of de novo synthesized FAs for energy would result in net-energy loss, there is an implication that FAs from these two sources must have distinct metabolic fates; however, hitherto, all FAs have been considered part of a common pool. To probe potential metabolic partitioning of cellular FAs, cancer cells were supplemented with stable isotope-labeled FAs. Structural analysis of the resulting glycerophospholipids revealed that labeled FAs from uptake were largely incorporated to canonical (sn-) positions on the glycerol backbone. Surprisingly, labeled FA uptake also disrupted canonical isomer patterns of the unlabeled lipidome and induced repartitioning of n-3 and n-6 PUFAs into glycerophospholipid classes. These structural changes support the existence of differences in the metabolic fates of FAs derived from uptake or de novo sources and demonstrate unique signaling and remodeling behaviors usually hidden from conventional lipidomics.