Brief Bursts Self-Inhibit and Correlate the Pyramidal Network

Inhibitory pathways are an essential component in the function of the neocortical microcircuitry. Despite the relatively small fraction of inhibitory neurons in the neocortex, these neurons are strongly activated due to their high connectivity rate and the intricate manner in which they interconnect with pyramidal cells (PCs). One prominent pathway is the frequency-dependent disynaptic inhibition (FDDI) formed between layer 5 PCs and mediated by Martinotti cells (MCs). Here, we show that simultaneous short bursts in four PCs are sufficient to exert FDDI in all neighboring PCs within the dimensions of a cortical column. This powerful inhibition is mediated by few interneurons, leading to strongly correlated membrane fluctuations and synchronous spiking between PCs simultaneously receiving FDDI. Somatic integration of such inhibition is independent and electrically isolated from monosynaptic excitation formed between the same PCs. FDDI is strongly shaped by I(h) in PC dendrites, which determines the effective integration time window for inhibitory and excitatory inputs. We propose a key disynaptic mechanism by which brief bursts generated by a few PCs can synchronize the activity in the pyramidal network.     

Rethinking trophic niches: Speed and body mass colimit prey space of mammalian predators

1. Realized trophic niches of predators are often characterized along a one‐dimensional range in predator–prey body mass ratios. This prey range is constrained by an “energy limit” and a “subdue limit” toward small and large prey, respectively. Besides these body mass ratios, maximum speed is an additional key component in most predator–prey interactions.
2. Here, we extend the concept of a one‐dimensional prey range to a two‐dimensional prey space by incorporating a hump‐shaped speed‐body mass relation. This new “speed limit” additionally constrains trophic niches of predators toward fast prey.
3. To test this concept of two‐dimensional prey spaces for different hunting strategies (pursuit, group, and ambush predation), we synthesized data on 63 terrestrial mammalian predator–prey interactions, their body masses, and maximum speeds.
4. We found that pursuit predators hunt smaller and slower prey, whereas group hunters focus on larger but mostly slower prey and ambushers are more flexible. Group hunters and ambushers have evolved different strategies to occupy a similar trophic niche that avoids competition with pursuit predators. Moreover, our concept suggests energetic optima of these hunting strategies along a body mass axis and thereby provides mechanistic explanations for why there are no small group hunters (referred to as “micro‐lions”) or mega‐carnivores (referred to as “mega‐cheetahs”).
5. Our results demonstrate that advancing the concept of prey ranges to prey spaces by adding the new dimension of speed will foster a new and mechanistic understanding of predator trophic niches and improve our predictions of predator–prey interactions, food web structure, and ecosystem functions.

     

Rapid determination of substrate specificity of Clostridium histolyticum beta-collagenase using an immobilized peptide library.

The molecular basis of the substrate specificity of Clostridium histolyticum beta-collagenase was investigated using a combinatorial method. An immobilized positional peptide library, which contains 24,000 sequences, was constructed with a 7-hydroxycoumarin-4-propanoyl (Cop) fluorescent group attached at the N terminus of each sequence. This immobilized peptide library was incubated with C. histolyticum beta-collagenase, releasing fluorogenic fragments in the solution phase. The relative substrate specificity (k(cat)/K(m)) for each member of the library was determined by measuring fluorescence intensity in the solution phase. Edman sequencing was used to assign structure to subsites of active substrate mixtures. Collectively, the substrate preference for subsites (P(3)-P(4)') of C. histolyticum beta-collagenase was determined. The last position on the C-terminal side in which the identity of the amino acids affects the activity of the enzyme is P(4)', and an aromatic side chain is preferred in this position. The optimal P(1)'-P(3)' extended substrate sequence is P(1)'-Gly/Ala, P(2)'-Pro/Xaa, and P(3)'-Lys/Arg/Pro/Thr/Ser. The Cop group in either the P(2) or P(3) position is required for a high substrate activity with C. histolyticum beta-collagenase. S(2) and S(3) sites of the protease play a dominant role in fixing the substrate specificity. The immobilized peptide library proved to be a powerful approach for assessing the substrate specificity of C. histolyticum beta-collagenase, so it may be applied to the study of other proteases of interest.     

Binding of [3H]estradiol- and [3H]H1285-receptor complexes to rabbit uterine chromatin

In the present study we investigated the binding characteristics of estrogen and antiestrogen-receptor complexes to rabbit uterine chromatin. Activated or nonactivated estrogen receptors were partially purified by DEAE-cellulose chromatography using low (1 mM) or high (10 mM) concentrations of sodium molybdate. Activated [³H]estradiol-receptor complexes showed enhanced binding to chromatin acceptor sites unmasked by 1 M, 4 M and 6 M guanidine hydrochloride. We also examined the chromatin-binding characteristics of the estrogen receptors when bound by the high-affinity triphenylethylene antiestrogen, H1285. The acceptor site activity for the [³H]H1285-receptor complexes was markedly decreased at sites unmasked by 4 M and 6 M guanidine hydrochloride. Further, the nonactivated receptor complexes showed very low binding to deproteinized chromatin. The estrogen-receptor chromatin-acceptor sites were tissue specific and saturable. These chromatin acceptor sites differ in their affinity and capacity (number of binding sites per cell) for the estrogen- and antiestrogen-receptor complexes. Thus, we suggest that the differences in the physiological and physicochemical properties of estrogens and antiestrogens may be related to their differential interaction with uterine chromatin subfractions.     

Can People Guess What Happened to Others from Their Reactions?

Are we able to infer what happened to a person from a brief sample of his/her behaviour? It has been proposed that mentalising skills can be used to retrodict as well as predict behaviour, that is, to determine what mental states of a target have already occurred. The current study aimed to develop a paradigm to explore these processes, which takes into account the intricacies of real-life situations in which reasoning about mental states, as embodied in behaviour, may be utilised. A novel task was devised which involved observing subtle and naturalistic reactions of others in order to determine the event that had previously taken place. Thirty-five participants viewed videos of real individuals reacting to the researcher behaving in one of four possible ways, and were asked to judge which of the four ‘scenarios’ they thought the individual was responding to. Their eye movements were recorded to establish the visual strategies used. Participants were able to deduce successfully from a small sample of behaviour which scenario had previously occurred. Surprisingly, looking at the eye region was associated with poorer identification of the scenarios, and eye movement strategy varied depending on the event experienced by the person in the video. This suggests people flexibly deploy their attention using a retrodictive mindreading process to infer events.     

The effect of exogenous hormone treatment on spermiation and vitellogenesis in the grey mullet, Mugil cephalus L.

The effects of mammalian gonadotropins, methyltestosterone and partially purified salmon gonadotropin on spermiation and oocyte maturation were studied in adult grey mullet. Methyltestosterone was a potent spermiating agent in both prespawning and spawning trials. The most effective dose was 5 mg/100 g body weight. Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) was moderately effective at a dose rate of 20 IU/100 g body weight. Both hormones blocked resorption of milt in captive animals. The HCG, FSH/LH combination, Synahorin+mullet pituitary homogenate, and partially purified salmon gonadotropin were equally effective, at the doses used, in inducing oocyte maturation and preventing onset of atrophy before completion of vitellogenesis. Atrophy occurred in all experimental fish at mean oocyte diameter of 750 μ. The significance of this finding is discussed. (Oceanic Institute Contribution No. 98).