Area-Specific Information Processing in Prefrontal Cortex during a Probabilistic Inference Task: A Multivariate fMRI BOLD Time Series Analysis

Introduction

Discriminating spatiotemporal stages of information processing involved in complex cognitive processes remains a challenge for neuroscience. This is especially so in prefrontal cortex whose subregions, such as the dorsolateral prefrontal (DLPFC), anterior cingulate (ACC) and orbitofrontal (OFC) cortices are known to have differentiable roles in cognition. Yet it is much less clear how these subregions contribute to different cognitive processes required by a given task. To investigate this, we use functional MRI data recorded from a group of healthy adults during a “Jumping to Conclusions” probabilistic reasoning task.

Methods

We used a novel approach combining multivariate test statistics with bootstrap-based procedures to discriminate between different task stages reflected in the fMRI blood oxygenation level dependent signal pattern and to unravel differences in task-related information encoded by these regions. Furthermore, we implemented a new feature extraction algorithm that selects voxels from any set of brain regions that are jointly maximally predictive about specific task stages.

Results

Using both the multivariate statistics approach and the algorithm that searches for maximally informative voxels we show that during the Jumping to Conclusions task, the DLPFC and ACC contribute more to the decision making phase comprising the accumulation of evidence and probabilistic reasoning, while the OFC is more involved in choice evaluation and uncertainty feedback. Moreover, we show that in presumably non-task-related regions (temporal cortices) all information there was about task processing could be extracted from just one voxel (indicating the unspecific nature of that information), while for prefrontal areas a wider multivariate pattern of activity was maximally informative.

Conclusions/Significance

We present a new approach to reveal the different roles of brain regions during the processing of one task from multivariate activity patterns measured by fMRI. This method can be a valuable tool to assess how area-specific processing is altered in psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, and in healthy subjects carrying different genetic polymorphisms.     

Design, synthesis, and biological activity of novel triazole amino acids used to probe binding interactions between ligand and neutral amino acid transport protein SN1

Novel triazole amino acids were synthesized as probes to investigate ligand-protein binding interactions of the neutral amino acid transporter SN1. The bonding hypothesis to be tested was that the side chains of endogenous substrates are acting as H-bond acceptors. Although limited inhibition of (3)H-L-glutamine uptake by SN1 expressing oocytes was observed, the synthetic compounds show a trend that suggests a hydrogen bond interaction just outside the endogenous ligand binding pocket.     

Identification of MarvelD3 as a tight junction-associated transmembrane protein of the occludin family

Background

Protein translocation across the membrane of the Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) is the first step in the biogenesis of secretory and membrane proteins. Proteins enter the ER by the Sec61 translocon, a proteinaceous channel composed of three subunits, α, β and γ. While it is known that Sec61α forms the actual channel, the function of the other two subunits remains to be characterized.

Results

In the present study we have investigated the function of Sec61β in Drosophila melanogaster. We describe its role in the plasma membrane traffic of Gurken, the ligand for the Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) receptor in the oocyte. Germline clones of the mutant allele of Sec61β show normal translocation of Gurken into the ER and transport to the Golgi complex, but further traffic to the plasma membrane is impeded. The defect in plasma membrane traffic due to absence of Sec61β is specific for Gurken and is not due to a general trafficking defect.

Conclusion

Based on our study we conclude that Sec61β, which is part of the ER protein translocation channel affects a post-ER step during Gurken trafficking to the plasma membrane. We propose an additional role of Sec61β beyond protein translocation into the ER.     

Almbornia, a new lichen genus from South Africa

The new lichen genus Almbornia , characterized by a densely agglutinated, proso–plectenchymatous medulla, is described from South Africa. It is tentatively assigned to the Parmeliaceae, allied perhaps to Neofuscelia.     

Sequence of a cDNA for mouse thymidylate synthase reveals striking similarity with the prokaryotic enzyme

We report the nucleotide sequence of a cloned cDNA, pMTS-3, that contains a 1-kb insert corresponding to mouse thymidylate synthase (E.C. 2.1.1.45). The open reading frame of 921 nucleotides from the first AUG to the termination codon specifies a protein with a molecular mass of 34,962 daltons. The predicted amino acid sequence is 90% identical with that of the human enzyme. The mouse sequence also has an extremely high degree of similarity (as much as 55% identity) with prokaryotic thymidylate synthase sequences, indicating that thymidylate synthase is among the most highly conserved proteins studied to date. The similarity is especially pronounced (as much as 80% identity) in the 44-amino-acid region encompassing the binding site for deoxyuridylic acid. The cDNA sequence also suggests that mouse thymidylate synthase mRNA lacks a 3' untranslated region, since the termination codon, UAA, is followed immediately by a poly(A) segment.      

Quinoline-2,4-dicarboxylic acids: synthesis and evaluation as inhibitors of the glutamate vesicular transport system.

Twenty-six quinoline-2,4-dicarboxylic acids (QDC's) were synthesized by a modified Doebner-von Miller pathway and tested as inhibitors against the glutamate vesicular transport (GVT) protein. The QDC's were active as inhibitors with the most potent QDC's found to contain halogens at the 6-/8-position, a hydroxyl at the 8-position, or a tethered aromatic moiety at the 6- or 7-position of the quinoline.     

Methylation of L-trans-2,4-pyrrolidine dicarboxylate converts the glutamate transport inhibitor from a substrate to a non-substrate inhibitor

The 4-methyl analogue of the potent inhibitor of CNS L-glutamate neurotransmitter transporters, L-trans-2,4-PDC, was synthesized via a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction sequence. The bioassays performed not only exhibit increased potency of the methylated derivative over L-trans-2,4-PDC, but also exhibit non-substrate properties at the rat forebrain synaptosomal glutamate transporter while the parent L-trans-2,4-PDC exhibits substrate properties. These results support two hypotheses developed for distinguishing the physiological properties of transport inhibitors based on molecular modeling studies, and are reported here.     

Synthesis and preliminary pharmacological evaluation of novel derivatives of L-beta-threo-benzylaspartate as inhibitors of the neuronal glutamate transporter EAAT3

A series of beta-benzylaspartate derivatives were prepared from N-trityl-L-aspartate dimethyl ester and evaluated as inhibitors of neuronal glutamate transporter EAAT3. The result of the structure-activity studies suggests that the position occupied by the aromatic ring of beta-benzylaspartate within the binding site of EAAT3 may be different from that occupied by comparable groups in previously identified inhibitors, such as L-threo-benzyloxy aspartate (TBOA). Further, halogen substitutions at the 3-position of the aromatic ring of beta-benzylaspartate can increase the potency with which the analogues inhibit EAAT3.