Paralytic, the Drosophila voltage-gated sodium channel, regulates proliferation of neural progenitors.

Proliferating cells, typically considered "nonexcitable," nevertheless, exhibit regulation by bioelectric signals. Notably, voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSC) that are crucial for neuronal excitability are also found in progenitors and up-regulated in cancer. Here, we identify a role for VGSC in proliferation of Drosophila neuroblast (NB) lineages within the central nervous system. Loss of paralytic (para), the sole gene that encodes Drosophila VGSC, reduces neuroblast progeny cell number. The type II neuroblast lineages, featuring a population of transit-amplifying intermediate neural progenitors (INP) similar to that found in the developing human cortex, are particularly sensitive to para manipulation. Following a series of asymmetric divisions, INPs normally exit the cell cycle through a final symmetric division. Our data suggests that loss of Para induces apoptosis in this population, whereas overexpression leads to an increase in INPs and overall neuroblast progeny cell numbers. These effects are cell autonomous and depend on Para channel activity. Reduction of Para expression not only affects normal NB development, but also strongly suppresses brain tumor mass, implicating a role for Para in cancer progression. To our knowledge, our studies are the first to identify a role for VGSC in neural progenitor proliferation. Elucidating the contribution of VGSC in proliferation will advance our understanding of bioelectric signaling within development and disease states.

The neural circuits and synaptic mechanisms underlying motor initiation in C. elegans.

C. elegans is widely used to dissect how neural circuits and genes generate behavior. During locomotion, worms initiate backward movement to change locomotion direction spontaneously or in response to sensory cues; however, the underlying neural circuits are not well defined. We applied a multidisciplinary approach to map neural circuits in freely behaving worms by integrating functional imaging, optogenetic interrogation, genetic manipulation, laser ablation, and electrophysiology. We found that a disinhibitory circuit and a stimulatory circuit together promote initiation of backward movement and that circuitry dynamics is differentially regulated by sensory cues. Both circuits require glutamatergic transmission but depend on distinct glutamate receptors. This dual mode of motor initiation control is found in mammals, suggesting that distantly related organisms with anatomically distinct nervous systems may adopt similar strategies for motor control. Additionally, our studies illustrate how a multidisciplinary approach facilitates dissection of circuit and synaptic mechanisms underlying behavior in a genetic model organism.

Ion Channels in Gliomas-From Molecular Basis to Treatment.

Ion channels provide the basis for the nervous system's intrinsic electrical activity. Neuronal excitability is a characteristic property of neurons and is critical for all functions of the nervous system. Glia cells fulfill essential supportive roles, but unlike neurons, they also retain the ability to divide. This can lead to uncontrolled growth and the formation of gliomas. Ion channels are involved in the unique biology of gliomas pertaining to peritumoral pathology and seizures, diffuse invasion, and treatment resistance. The emerging picture shows ion channels in the brain at the crossroads of neurophysiology and fundamental pathophysiological processes of specific cancer behaviors as reflected by uncontrolled proliferation, infiltration, resistance to apoptosis, metabolism, and angiogenesis. Ion channels are highly druggable, making them an enticing therapeutic target. Targeting ion channels in difficult-to-treat brain tumors such as gliomas requires an understanding of their extremely heterogenous tumor microenvironment and highly diverse molecular profiles, both representing major causes of recurrence and treatment resistance. In this review, we survey the current knowledge on ion channels with oncogenic behavior within the heterogeneous group of gliomas, review ion channel gene expression as genomic biomarkers for glioma prognosis and provide an update on therapeutic perspectives for repurposed and novel ion channel inhibitors and electrotherapy.

Rationally designed fluorogenic protease reporter visualizes spatiotemporal dynamics of apoptosis in vivo.

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based reporters have been widely used in imaging cell signaling; however, their in vivo application has been handicapped because of poor signal. Although fluorogenic reporters overcome this problem, no such reporter of proteases has been demonstrated for in vivo imaging. Now we have redesigned an infrared fluorescent protein so that its chromophore incorporation is regulated by protease activity. Upon protease activation, the infrared fluorogenic protease reporter becomes fluorescent with no requirement of exogenous cofactor. To demonstrate biological applications, we have designed an infrared fluorogenic executioner-caspase reporter, which reveals spatiotemporal coordination between cell apoptosis and embryonic morphogenesis, as well as dynamics of apoptosis during tumorigenesis in Drosophila. The designed scaffold may be used to engineer reporters of other proteases with specific cleavage sequence.

A C. elegans neuron both promotes and suppresses motor behavior to fine tune motor output.

How neural circuits drive behavior is a central question in neuroscience. Proper execution of motor behavior requires precise coordination of many neurons. Within a motor circuit, individual neurons tend to play discrete roles by promoting or suppressing motor output. How exactly neurons function in specific roles to fine tune motor output is not well understood. In C. elegans, the interneuron RIM plays important yet complex roles in locomotion behavior. Here, we show that RIM both promotes and suppresses distinct features of locomotion behavior to fine tune motor output. This dual function is achieved via the excitation and inhibition of the same motor circuit by electrical and chemical neurotransmission, respectively. Additionally, this bi-directional regulation contributes to motor adaptation in animals placed in novel environments. Our findings reveal that individual neurons within a neural circuit may act in opposing ways to regulate circuit dynamics to fine tune behavioral output.

The neural circuits and sensory channels mediating harsh touch sensation in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Most animals can distinguish two distinct types of touch stimuli: gentle (innocuous) and harsh (noxious/painful) touch, however, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Caenorhabditis elegans is a useful model for the study of gentle touch sensation. However, little is known about harsh touch sensation in this organism. Here we characterize harsh touch sensation in C. elegans. We show that C. elegans exhibits differential behavioural responses to harsh touch and gentle touch. Laser ablations identify distinct sets of sensory neurons and interneurons required for harsh touch sensation at different body segments. Optogenetic stimulation of the circuitry can drive behaviour. Patch-clamp recordings reveal that TRP family and amiloride-sensitive Na(+) channels mediate touch-evoked currents in different sensory neurons. Our work identifies the neural circuits and characterizes the sensory channels mediating harsh touch sensation in C. elegans, establishing it as a genetic model for studying this sensory modality.

A C. elegans model of nicotine-dependent behavior: regulation by TRP-family channels.

Nicotine, the primary addictive substance in tobacco, induces profound behavioral responses in mammals, but the underlying genetic mechanisms are not well understood. Here we develop a C. elegans model of nicotine-dependent behavior. We show that worms exhibit behavioral responses to nicotine that parallel those observed in mammals, including acute response, tolerance, withdrawal, and sensitization. These nicotine responses require nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) family genes that are known to mediate nicotine dependence in mammals, suggesting functional conservation of nAChRs in nicotine responses. Importantly, we find that mutant worms lacking TRPC (transient receptor potential canonical) channels are defective in their response to nicotine and that such a defect can be rescued by a human TRPC channel, revealing an unexpected role for TRPC channels in regulating nicotine-dependent behavior. Thus, C. elegans can be used to characterize known genes as well as to identify new genes regulating nicotine responses.