Self-Stimulation Rewarding Experience Restores Stress-Induced CA3 Dendritic Atrophy,Spatial Memory Deficits and Alterations in the Levels of Neurotransmitters in the Hippocampus

Chronic restraint stress causes spatial learning and memory deficits, dendritic atrophy of the hippocampal pyramidal neurons and alterations in the levels of neurotransmitters in the hippocampus. In contrast, intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) rewarding behavioral experience is known to increase dendritic arborization, spine and synaptic density, and increase neurotransmitter levels in the hippocampus. In addition, ICSS facilitates operant and spatial learning, and ameliorates fornix-lesion induced behavioral deficits. Although the effects of stress and ICSS are documented, it is not known whether ICSS following stress would ameliorate the stress-induced deficits. Accordingly, the present study was aimed to evaluate the role of ICSS on stress-induced changes in hippocampal morphology, neurochemistry, and behavioral performance in the T-maze. Experiments were conducted on adult male Wistar rats, which were randomly divided into four groups; normal control, stress (ST), self-stimulation (SS), and stress + self-stimulation (ST + SS). Stress group of rats were subjected to restraint stress for 6 h daily over 21 days, SS group animals were subjected to SS from ventral tegmental area for 10 days and ST + SS rats were subjected to restraint stress for 21 days followed by 10 days of SS. Interestingly, our results show that stress-induced behavioral deficits, dendritic atrophy, and decreased levels of neurotransmitters were completely reversed following 10 days of SS experience. We propose that SS rewarding behavioral experience ameliorates the stress-induced cognitive deficits by inducing structural and biochemical changes in the hippocampus.     

Molecular Inversion Probe: A New Tool for Highly Specific Detection of Plant Pathogens

Highly specific detection methods, capable of reliably identifying plant pathogens are crucial in plant disease management strategies to reduce losses in agriculture by preventing the spread of diseases. We describe a novel molecular inversion probe (MIP) assay that can be potentially developed into a robust multiplex platform to detect and identify plant pathogens. A MIP has been designed for the plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. conglutinans and the proof of concept for the efficiency of this technology is provided. We demonstrate that this methodology can detect as little as 2.5 ng of pathogen DNA and is highly specific, being able to accurately differentiate Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. conglutinans from other fungal pathogens such as Botrytis cinerea and even pathogens of the same species such as Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici. The MIP assay was able to detect the presence of the pathogen in infected Arabidopsis thaliana plants as soon as the tissues contained minimal amounts of pathogen. MIP methods are intrinsically highly multiplexable and future development of specific MIPs could lead to the establishment of a diagnostic method that could potentially screen infected plants for hundreds of pathogens in a single assay.     

Differential proteomic profiling identifies novel molecular targets of pterostilbene against experimental diabetes

Pterostilbene (PTS), a naturally occurring stilbene, confers protection against oxidative and cytokine stress induced pancreatic β-cell apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. To provide insights into the molecular mechanism, we performed a proteomic study on the pancreas of PTS-treated diabetic mice using electrospray ionization tandem–mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). A total of 1,260 proteins were detected in triplicate samples. Of which, 359 proteins were found to be differentially regulated in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice pancreas with two fold difference ( P < 0.05, two or more peptides) and on PTS treatment 315 proteins were normalized to control levels. Gene ontology (GO) indicated that majority of the differentially regulated proteins are involved in cellular functions such as metabolism, cellular structure, oxidative stress, endoplasmic-reticulum-associated protein degradation (ERAD) pathway and several stress sensors. Protein–protein interaction network analysis of these differentially expressed proteins showed clustering of proteins involved in protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum (protein synthesis machinery and protein folding), oxidative phosphorylation/oxidative stress proteins, oligosaccharide metabolic process, and antioxidant activity. Our results highlighted that PTS administration rehabilitated the defective metabolic process and redox imbalance, and also suppressed the unfolded protein response and ERAD pathways. The effects on targeting ER machinery and suppressing oxidative stress suggest the great potential of PTS for diabetes management.     

Short fetal leukocyte telomere length and preterm prelabor rupture of the membranes

Background

Rupture of the fetal membranes is a common harbinger of imminent labor and delivery. Telomere shortening is a surrogate for oxidative stress (OS) and senescence. Fetal leukocyte and placental membrane DNA telomere lengths were evaluated to determine their association with preterm prelabor rupture of the membranes (pPROM) or spontaneous preterm births with intact membranes (PTB), compared to term birth.

Methods

Telomere lengths were quantified in cord blood leukocytes (n = 133) from three major groups: 1) pPROM (n = 28), 2) PTB (n = 69) and 3) uncomplicated full term births (controls, n = 35), using real-time quantitative PCR. Placental membrane specimens (n = 18) were used to correlate fetal leukocyte and placental telomere lengths. Telomere length differences among the groups were analyzed by ANOVA. Pearson correlation coefficients determined relationships between leukocyte and placental membrane telomere lengths.

Results

In pregnancies with intact membranes, fetal leukocyte telomere length was inversely proportional to gestational age. The mean telomere length decreased as gestation progressed, with the shortest at term. pPROM had telomere lengths (9962±3124 bp) that were significantly shorter than gestational age-matched PTB (11546±4348 bp, p = 0.04), but comparable to term births (9011±2497 bp, p = 0.31). Secondary analyses revealed no effects of race (African American vs. Caucasian) or intraamniotic infection on telomere length. A strong Pearson''s correlation was noted between fetal leukocyte and placental membrane telomere lengths (ρ = 0.77; p<0.01).

Conclusions

Fetal leukocyte telomere length is reduced in pPROM compared to PTB but is similar to term births. pPROM represents a placental membrane disease likely mediated by OS-induced senescence.     

Senescence of Primary Amniotic Cells via Oxidative DNA Damage

Objective

Oxidative stress is a postulated etiology of spontaneous preterm birth (PTB) and preterm prelabor rupture of the membranes (pPROM); however, the precise mechanistic role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in these complications is unclear. The objective of this study is to examine impact of a water soluble cigarette smoke extract (wsCSE), a predicted cause of pregnancy complications, on human amnion epithelial cells.

Methods

Amnion cells isolated from fetal membranes were exposed to wsCSE prepared in cell culture medium and changes in ROS levels, DNA base and strand damage was determined by using 2′7′-dichlorodihydro-fluorescein and comet assays as well as Fragment Length Analysis using Repair Enzymes (FLARE) assays, respectively. Western blot analyses were used to determine the changes in mass and post-translational modification of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase (ASK1), phospho-p38 (P-p38 MAPK), and p19^arf. Expression of senescence-associated β-galectosidase (SAβ-gal) was used to confirm cell ageing in situ.

Results

ROS levels in wsCSE-exposed amnion cells increased rapidly (within 2 min) and significantly (p<0.01) at all-time points, and DNA strand and base damage was evidenced by comet and FLARE assays. Activation of ASK1, P-p38 MAPK and p19^Arf correlated with percentage of SAβ-gal expressing cells after wsCSE treatment. The antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) prevented ROS-induced DNA damage and phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, whereas activation of ASK1 and increased expression of p19^Arf were not significantly affected by NAC.

Conclusions

The findings support the hypothesis that compounds in wsCSE induces amnion cell senescence via a mechanism involving ROS and DNA damage. Both pathways may contribute to PTB and pPROM. Our results imply that antioxidant interventions that control ROS may interrupt pathways leading to pPROM and other causes of PTB.     

Studies of asymmetry in the three-dimensional structure of lobster D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase.

An improved electron density map of lobster holo-D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase has been computed to 2.9 A resolution based on two heavy atom isomorphous derivatives. This has been averaged only over the Q molecular 2-fold axis, which is known to be exact in the human holoenzyme. The map showed possible asymmetry between the subunits in which the active centers are closely related across the R axis (that is, between the red and green or between the yellow and blue subunits). A difference map between the electron density of citrate and sulfate-soaked crystals gave further evidence for possible asymmetry. The major differences of electron density between R axis-related subunits appear around the active center and suggest the following interpretations. 1. The conformation of the adenine about the glycosidic bond is the more frequently observed anti with a C-2' endo conformation for the ribose ring in the red and yellow subunits, but is probably syn with a C-3' endo conformation in the green and blue subunits.2. The adenine ribose has its 3'-hydroxyl group hydrogen-bonded to a main chain carbonyl group in the red and yellow subunits but not in the green and blue subunits, as a consequence of the differing ribose conformations. 3. Cysteine-149 is more closely associated with histidine-176 in the green and blue subunits, and appears nearer the nicotinamide in the red and yellow subunits.