RESUMO
Multiple lines of evidence suggest that plant water-use efficiency (WUE)-the ratio of carbon assimilation to water loss-has increased in recent decades. Although rising atmospheric CO2 has been proposed as the principal cause, the underlying physiological mechanisms are still being debated, and implications for the global water cycle remain uncertain. Here, we addressed this gap using 30-y tree ring records of carbon and oxygen isotope measurements and basal area increment from 12 species in 8 North American mature temperate forests. Our goal was to separate the contributions of enhanced photosynthesis and reduced stomatal conductance to WUE trends and to assess consistency between multiple commonly used methods for estimating WUE. Our results show that tree ring-derived estimates of increases in WUE are consistent with estimates from atmospheric measurements and predictions based on an optimal balancing of carbon gains and water costs, but are lower than those based on ecosystem-scale flux observations. Although both physiological mechanisms contributed to rising WUE, enhanced photosynthesis was widespread, while reductions in stomatal conductance were modest and restricted to species that experienced moisture limitations. This finding challenges the hypothesis that rising WUE in forests is primarily the result of widespread, CO2-induced reductions in stomatal conductance.
Assuntos
Carbono/metabolismo , Florestas , Modelos Biológicos , Fotossíntese/fisiologia , Estômatos de Plantas/fisiologia , Água/metabolismo , Dióxido de Carbono/metabolismo , Estados UnidosRESUMO
Midbrain dopaminergic neurons are essential for appropriate voluntary movement, as epitomized by the cardinal motor impairments arising in Parkinson's disease. Understanding the basis of such motor control requires understanding how the firing of different types of dopaminergic neuron relates to movement and how this activity is deciphered in target structures such as the striatum. By recording and labeling individual neurons in behaving mice, we show that the representation of brief spontaneous movements in the firing of identified midbrain dopaminergic neurons is cell-type selective. Most dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), but not in ventral tegmental area or substantia nigra pars lateralis, consistently represented the onset of spontaneous movements with a pause in their firing. Computational modeling revealed that the movement-related firing of these dopaminergic neurons can manifest as rapid and robust fluctuations in striatal dopamine concentration and receptor activity. The exact nature of the movement-related signaling in the striatum depended on the type of dopaminergic neuron providing inputs, the striatal region innervated, and the type of dopamine receptor expressed by striatal neurons. Importantly, in aged mice harboring a genetic burden relevant for human Parkinson's disease, the precise movement-related firing of SNc dopaminergic neurons and the resultant striatal dopamine signaling were lost. These data show that distinct dopaminergic cell types differentially encode spontaneous movement and elucidate how dysregulation of their firing in early Parkinsonism can impair their effector circuits.
Assuntos
Neurônios Dopaminérgicos/fisiologia , Movimento/fisiologia , Transtornos Parkinsonianos/fisiopatologia , Animais , Corpo Estriado/fisiologia , Dopamina/fisiologia , Masculino , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Transgênicos , Modelos Biológicos , Substância Negra/fisiologia , Área Tegmentar Ventral/fisiologia , alfa-Sinucleína/genéticaRESUMO
RATIONALE: We evaluated the applicability of tree-ring δ13 C and δ18 O values in bulk wood - instead of the more time and lab-consuming α-cellulose δ13 C and δ18 O values, to assess climate and physiological signals across multiple sites and for six tree species along a latitudinal gradient (35°97'N to 45°20'N) of the northeastern United States. METHODS: Wood cores (n = 4 per tree) were sampled from ten trees per species. Cores were cross-dated within and across trees at each site, and for the last 30 years. Seven years, including the driest on record, were selected for this study. The δ13 C and δ18 O values were measured on two of the ten trees from the bulk wood and the α-cellulose. The offsets between materials in δ13 C and δ18 O values were assessed. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were used to evaluate the strength of the climate signal across sites. Finally the relationship between δ13 C and δ18 O values in bulk wood vs α-cellulose was analyzed to assess the consistency of the interpretation, in terms of CO2 assimilation and stomatal conductance, from both materials. RESULTS: We found offsets of 1.1 and 5.6 between bulk and α-cellulose for δ13 C and δ18 O values, respectively, consistent with offset values reported in the literature. Bulk wood showed similar or stronger correlations to climate parameters than α-cellulose for the investigated sites. In particular, temperature and vapor pressure deficit and standard precipitation-evaporation index (SPEI) were the most visible climate signals recorded in δ13 C and δ18 O values, respectively. For most of the species, there was no relationship between δ13 C and δ18 O values, regardless of the wood material considered. CONCLUSIONS: Extraction of α-cellulose was not necessary to detect climate signals in tree rings across the four investigated sites. Furthermore, the physiological information inferred from the dual isotope approach was similar for most of the species regardless of the material considered.
Assuntos
Isótopos de Carbono/análise , Celulose/química , Clima , Isótopos de Oxigênio/análise , Madeira/química , Carya/química , Celulose/análise , Espectrometria de Massas , New England , Pinaceae/química , Quercus/química , Análise de Regressão , Árvores/química , Água/química , Madeira/análiseRESUMO
Dopamine function is disturbed in Parkinson's disease (PD), but whether and how release of dopamine from surviving neurons is altered has long been debated. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) on dopamine axons powerfully govern dopamine release and could be critical contributing factors. We revisited whether fundamental properties of dopamine transmission are changed in a parkinsonian brain and tested the potentially profound masking effects of nAChRs. Using real-time detection of dopamine in mouse striatum after a partial 6-hydroxydopamine lesion and under nAChR inhibition, we reveal that dopamine signals show diminished sensitivity to presynaptic activity. This effect manifested as diminished contrast between DA release evoked by the lowest versus highest frequencies. This reduced activity-dependence was underpinned by loss of short-term facilitation of dopamine release, consistent with an increase in release probability (Pr). With nAChRs active, the reduced activity-dependence of dopamine release after a parkinsonian lesion was masked. Consequently, moment-by-moment variation in activity of nAChRs may lead to dynamic co-variation in dopamine signal impairments in PD.
Assuntos
Corpo Estriado/metabolismo , Dopamina/metabolismo , Transtornos Parkinsonianos/metabolismo , Receptores Nicotínicos/metabolismo , Transmissão Sináptica/fisiologia , Animais , Cocaína/farmacologia , Corpo Estriado/efeitos dos fármacos , Inibidores da Captação de Dopamina/farmacologia , Masculino , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Oxidopamina , Terminações Pré-Sinápticas/efeitos dos fármacos , Terminações Pré-Sinápticas/metabolismo , Transmissão Sináptica/efeitos dos fármacos , Técnicas de Cultura de TecidosRESUMO
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder classically characterized by the death of dopamine (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta and by intracellular Lewy bodies composed largely of α-synuclein. Approximately 5-10% of PD patients have a familial form of Parkinsonism, including mutations in α-synuclein. To better understand the cell-type specific role of α-synuclein on DA neurotransmission, and the effects of the disease-associated A30P mutation, we generated and studied a novel transgenic model of PD. We expressed the A30P mutant form of human α-synuclein in a spatially-relevant manner from the 111kb SNCA genomic DNA locus on a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) insert on a mouse null (Snca-/-) background. The BAC transgenic mice expressed α-synuclein in tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons and expression of either A30P α-synuclein or wildtype α-synuclein restored the sensitivity of DA neurons to MPTP in resistant Snca-/- animals. A30P α-synuclein mice showed no Lewy body-like aggregation, and did not lose catecholamine neurons in substantia nigra or locus coeruleus. However, using cyclic voltammetry at carbon-fiber microelectrodes we identified a deficit in evoked DA release in the caudate putamen, but not in the nucleus accumbens, of SNCA-A30P Snca-/- mice but no changes to release of another catecholamine, norepinephrine (NE), in the NE-rich ventral bed nucleus of stria terminalis. SNCA-A30P Snca-/- mice had no overt behavioral impairments but exhibited a mild increase in wheel-running. In summary, this refined PD mouse model shows that A30P α-synuclein preferentially perturbs the dopaminergic system in the dorsal striatum, reflecting the region-specific change seen in PD.
Assuntos
Gânglios da Base/metabolismo , Dopamina/metabolismo , Neurônios Dopaminérgicos/metabolismo , Norepinefrina/metabolismo , alfa-Sinucleína/genética , Fatores Etários , Animais , Cromossomos Artificiais Bacterianos , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Transgênicos , Núcleos Septais/metabolismo , alfa-Sinucleína/metabolismoRESUMO
The 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) transporter (5-HTT) is believed to play a key role in both normal and pathological psychological states. Much previous data suggest that the s allele of the polymorphic regulatory region of the 5-HTT gene promoter is associated with reduced 5-HTT expression and vulnerability to psychiatric disorders, including anxiety and depression. In comparison, the l allele, which increases 5-HTT expression, is generally considered protective. However, recent data link this allele to both abnormal 5-HT signalling and psychopathic traits. Here, we studied the processing of aversive and rewarding cues in transgenic mice that over-express the 5-HTT (5-HTTOE mice). Compared with wild-type mice, 5-HTTOE mice froze less in response to both a tone that had previously been paired with footshock, and the conditioning context. In addition, on a decision-making T-maze task, 5-HTTOE mice displayed reduced preference for a larger, delayed reward and increased preference for a smaller, immediate reward, suggesting increased impulsiveness compared with wild-type mice. However, further inspection of the data revealed that 5-HTTOE mice displayed a relative insensitivity to reward magnitude, irrespective of delay. In contrast, 5-HTTOE mice appeared normal on tests of spatial working and reference memory, which required an absolute choice between options associated with either reward or no reward. Overall, the present findings suggest that 5-HTT over-expression results in a reduced sensitivity to both positive and negative reinforcers. Thus, these data show that increased 5-HTT expression has some maladaptive effects, supporting recent suggestions that l allele homozygosity may be a potential risk factor for disabling psychiatric traits.
Assuntos
Reforço Psicológico , Proteínas da Membrana Plasmática de Transporte de Serotonina/metabolismo , Animais , Encéfalo/fisiologia , Condicionamento Psicológico/fisiologia , Sinais (Psicologia) , Tomada de Decisões/fisiologia , Medo/fisiologia , Comportamento Impulsivo/fisiologia , Aprendizagem em Labirinto/fisiologia , Memória/fisiologia , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Endogâmicos CBA , Camundongos Transgênicos , Testes Neuropsicológicos , Serotonina/metabolismo , Proteínas da Membrana Plasmática de Transporte de Serotonina/genética , Percepção Espacial/fisiologia , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
Genetic variation in 5-HT transporter (5-HTT) expression is a key risk factor for psychiatric disorder and has been linked to changes in the expression of certain 5-HT receptor subtypes. This study investigated the effect of variation in 5-HTT expression on 5-HT4 receptor levels in both 5-HTT knockout (KO) and overexpressing (OE) mice using autoradiography with the selective 5-HT4 receptor radioligand, [³H]SB207145. Compared to wild-type (5-HTTâº/âº) controls, homozygous 5-HTT KO mice (5-HTTâ»/â») had reduced 5-HT4 receptor binding site density in all brain regions examined (35-65% of 5-HTTâº/âº). In contrast, the density of 5-HT4 receptor binding sites was not significantly different between heterozygous 5-HTT KO mice (5-HTTâ»/âº) and 5-HTTâº/⺠mice. The 5-HT synthesis inhibitor p-chlorophenylalanine (250 mg/kg twice daily for 3 d) abolished the difference in 5-HT4 binding between 5-HTTâ»/â» and 5-HTTâº/⺠mice in all brain regions. Compared to wild-type (WT) littermate controls, 5-HTT OE mice had increased 5-HT4 binding density across all brain regions, except amygdala (118-164% of WT) and this difference between genotypes was reduced by the 5-HTT inhibitor, fluoxetine (20 mg/kg twice daily, 3 d). Together, these findings suggest that variation in 5-HTT expression causes adaptive changes in 5-HT4 receptor levels which are directly linked to alterations in 5-HT availability.
Assuntos
Encéfalo/metabolismo , Regulação da Expressão Gênica/genética , Variação Genética/genética , Receptores 5-HT4 de Serotonina/metabolismo , Proteínas da Membrana Plasmática de Transporte de Serotonina/genética , Proteínas da Membrana Plasmática de Transporte de Serotonina/metabolismo , Análise de Variância , Animais , Autorradiografia , Encéfalo/diagnóstico por imagem , Encéfalo/efeitos dos fármacos , Relação Dose-Resposta a Droga , Fluoxetina/farmacologia , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Knockout , Piperidinas/farmacocinética , Piperidinas/farmacologia , Propano/análogos & derivados , Propano/farmacologia , Ligação Proteica/efeitos dos fármacos , Ligação Proteica/genética , Cintilografia , Receptores 5-HT4 de Serotonina/genética , Serotoninérgicos/farmacologia , Proteínas da Membrana Plasmática de Transporte de Serotonina/deficiência , Inibidores Seletivos de Recaptação de Serotonina/farmacologia , Trítio/farmacocinéticaRESUMO
Increased drought frequency and severity are a pervasive global threat, yet the capacity of mesic temperate forests to maintain resilience in response to drought remains poorly understood. We deployed a throughfall removal experiment to simulate a once in a century drought in New Hampshire, USA, which coupled with the region-wide 2016 drought, intensified moisture stress beyond that experienced in the lifetimes of our study trees. To assess the sensitivity and threshold dynamics of two dominant northeastern tree genera (Quercus and Pinus), we monitored sap flux density (Js), leaf water potential and gas exchange, growth and intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE) for one pretreatment year (2015) and two treatment years (2016-17). Results showed that Js in pine (Pinus strobus L.) declined abruptly at a soil moisture threshold of 0.15 m3 m-3, whereas oak's (Quercus rubra L. and Quercus velutina Lam.) threshold was 0.11 m3 m-3-a finding consistent with pine's more isohydric strategy. Nevertheless, once oaks' moisture threshold was surpassed, Js declined abruptly, suggesting that while oaks are well adapted to moderate drought, they are highly susceptible to extreme drought. The radial growth reduction in response to the 2016 drought was more than twice as great for pine as for oaks (50 vs 18%, respectively). Despite relatively high precipitation in 2017, the oaks' growth continued to decline (low recovery), whereas pine showed neutral (treatment) or improved (control) growth. The iWUE increased in 2016 for both treatment and control pines, but only in treatment oaks. Notably, pines exhibited a significant linear relationship between iWUE and precipitation across years, whereas the oaks only showed a response during the driest conditions, further underscoring the different sensitivity thresholds for these species. Our results provide new insights into how interactions between temperate forest tree species' contrasting physiologies and soil moisture thresholds influence their responses and resilience to extreme drought.
Assuntos
Pinus , Quercus , Secas , Florestas , Árvores , ÁguaRESUMO
Much evidence suggests that variation in expression of the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) transporter (5-HTT) is linked to risk of psychiatric illness, but the neurobiological basis of this association is uncertain. In this study, we investigated the impact of variation in 5-HTT expression on subsecond fluctuations in extracellular 5-HT concentrations ([5-HT](o) ). Stimulus-evoked [5-HT](o) was detected using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry at carbon-fibre microelectrodes in the substantia nigra in brain slices from 5-HTT knockout (KO) and 5-HTT over-expressing (OE) mice. Compared with wild-type (WT) controls, evoked [5-HT](o) was greater in KO and less in OE mice. In WT controls, evoked [5-HT](o) was frequency-sensitive; however, in both KO and OE mice, evoked [5-HT](o) showed a striking loss of frequency sensitivity. The latter was observed in WT mice after application of a 5-HTT blocker. These data show that while variation in 5-HTT expression modified the peak magnitude of [5-HT](o) evoked by any given stimulus in a gene dose dependent manner, there was a non-linear relationship between 5-HTT expression and frequency sensitivity. Overall, the findings suggest that variation in 5-HTT expression has a marked effect on frequency sensitivity which is a fundamental property of normal 5-HT transmission.
Assuntos
Regulação da Expressão Gênica/fisiologia , Modelos Genéticos , Dinâmica não Linear , Proteínas da Membrana Plasmática de Transporte de Serotonina/biossíntese , Proteínas da Membrana Plasmática de Transporte de Serotonina/genética , Serotonina/biossíntese , Serotonina/genética , Transdução de Sinais/fisiologia , Animais , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Knockout , Camundongos Transgênicos , Serotonina/fisiologia , Proteínas da Membrana Plasmática de Transporte de Serotonina/fisiologia , Transdução de Sinais/genética , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
Stable carbon isotope ratios (δ13C) in tree rings have been widely used to study changes in intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE), sometimes with limited consideration of how C-isotope discrimination is affected by tree height and canopy position. Our goals were to quantify the relationships between tree size or tree microenvironment and wood δ13C for eight functionally diverse temperate tree species in northern New England and to better understand the physical and physiological mechanisms underlying these differences. We collected short increment cores in closed-canopy stands and analyzed δ13C in the most recent 5 years of growth. We also sampled saplings in both shaded and sun-exposed environments. In closed-canopy stands, we found strong tree-size effects on δ13C, with 3.7-7.2 of difference explained by linear regression vs height (0.11-0.28 m-1), which in some cases is substantially stronger than the effect reported in previous studies. However, open-grown saplings were often isotopically more similar to large codominant trees than to shade-grown saplings, indicating that light exposure contributes more to the physiological and isotopic differences between small and large trees than does height. We found that in closed-canopy forests, δ13C correlations with diameter at breast height were nonlinear but also strong, allowing a straightforward procedure to correct tree- or stand-scale δ13C-based iWUE chronologies for changing tree size. We demonstrate how to use such data to correct and interpret multi-decadal composite isotope chronologies in both shade-regenerated and open-grown tree cohorts, and we highlight the importance of understanding site history when interpreting δ13C time series.
Assuntos
Florestas , Madeira/química , Dióxido de Carbono , Isótopos de Carbono/análise , ÁguaRESUMO
Weed emergence models have the potential to be important tools for automating weed control actions; however, producing the necessary data (e.g., seedling counts) is time consuming and tedious. If similar weed emergence models could be created by deriving emergence data from images rather than physical counts, the amount of generated data could be increased to create more robust models. In this research, repeat RGB images taken throughout the emergence period of Raphanus raphanistrum L. and Senna obtusifolia (L.) Irwin and Barneby underwent pixel-based spectral classification. Relative cumulative pixels generated by the weed of interest over time were used to model emergence patterns. The models that were derived from cumulative pixel data were validated with the relative emergence of true seedling counts. The cumulative pixel model for R. raphanistrum and S. obtusifolia accounted for 92% of the variation in relative emergence of true counts. The results demonstrate that a simple image analysis approach based on time-dependent changes in weed cover can be used to generate weed emergence predictive models equivalent to those produced based on seedling counts. This process will help researchers working on weed emergence models, providing a new low-cost and technologically simple tool for data collection.
RESUMO
Both the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and mesolimbic dopamine, particularly in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), have been implicated in allowing an animal to overcome effort constraints to obtain greater benefits. However, their exact contribution to such decisions has, to date, never been directly compared. To investigate this issue we tested rats on an operant effort-related cost-benefit decision-making task where animals selected between two response alternatives, one of which involved investing effort by lever pressing on a high fixed-ratio (FR) schedule to gain high reward [four food pellets (HR)], whereas the other led to a small amount of food on an FR schedule entailing less energetic cost [two food pellets, low reward (LR)]. All animals initially preferred to put in work to gain the HR. Systemic administration of a D2 antagonist caused a significant switch in choices towards the LR option. Similarly, post-operatively, excitotoxic ACC lesions caused a significant bias away from HR choices compared with sham-lesioned animals. There was no slowing in the speed of lever pressing and no correlation between time to complete the FR requirement and choice performance. Unexpectedly, no such alteration in choice allocation was observed in animals following 6-hydroxydopamine NAc lesions. However, these rats were consistently slower to initiate responding when cued to commence each trial and also showed a reduction in food hoarding on a species-typical foraging task. Taken together, this implies that only ACC lesions, and not 6-hydroxydopamine NAc lesions as performed here, cause a bias away from investing effort for greater reward when choosing between competing options
Assuntos
Comportamento Animal/fisiologia , Condicionamento Operante/fisiologia , Tomada de Decisões/fisiologia , Giro do Cíngulo , Núcleo Accumbens , Adrenérgicos/toxicidade , Animais , Tomada de Decisões/efeitos dos fármacos , Dopamina/metabolismo , Antagonistas de Dopamina/farmacologia , Giro do Cíngulo/efeitos dos fármacos , Giro do Cíngulo/patologia , Giro do Cíngulo/fisiologia , Haloperidol/farmacologia , Masculino , Testes Neuropsicológicos , Núcleo Accumbens/efeitos dos fármacos , Núcleo Accumbens/patologia , Núcleo Accumbens/fisiologia , Oxidopamina/toxicidade , Ratos , Receptores de Dopamina D2/metabolismoRESUMO
A commonly occurring polymorphic variant of the human 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) transporter (5-HTT) gene that increases 5-HTT expression has been associated with reduced anxiety levels in human volunteer and patient populations. However, it is not known whether this linkage between genotype and anxiety relates to variation in 5-HTT expression and consequent changes in 5-HT transmission. Here we test this hypothesis by measuring the neurochemical and behavioral characteristics of a mouse genetically engineered to overexpress the 5-HTT. Transgenic mice overexpressing the human 5-HTT (h5-HTT) were produced from a 500 kb yeast artificial chromosome construct. These transgenic mice showed the presence of h5-HTT mRNA in the midbrain raphe nuclei, as well as a twofold to threefold increase in 5-HTT binding sites in the raphe nuclei and a range of forebrain regions. The transgenic mice had reduced regional brain whole-tissue levels of 5-HT and, in microdialysis experiments, decreased brain extracellular 5-HT, which reversed on administration of the 5-HTT inhibitor paroxetine. Compared with wild-type mice, the transgenic mice exhibited a low-anxiety phenotype in plus maze and hyponeophagia tests. Furthermore, in the plus maze test, the low-anxiety phenotype of the transgenic mice was reversed by acute administration of paroxetine, suggesting a direct link between the behavior, 5-HTT overexpression, and low extracellular 5-HT. In toto, these findings demonstrate that associations between increased 5-HTT expression and anxiety can be modeled in mice and may be specifically mediated by decreases in 5-HT transmission.
Assuntos
Ansiedade/fisiopatologia , Ansiedade/psicologia , Proteínas da Membrana Plasmática de Transporte de Serotonina/metabolismo , Serotonina/metabolismo , Transmissão Sináptica , Animais , Ansiedade/genética , Ansiedade/metabolismo , Comportamento Animal , Sítios de Ligação , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Espaço Extracelular/metabolismo , Humanos , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Transgênicos , Modelos Animais , Fenótipo , RNA Mensageiro/metabolismo , Serotonina/biossíntese , Proteínas da Membrana Plasmática de Transporte de Serotonina/biossínteseRESUMO
Nitrogen (N) deposition and changing climate patterns in the northeastern USA can influence forest productivity through effects on plant nutrient relations and water use. This study evaluates the combined effects of N fertilization, climate and rising atmospheric CO2on tree growth and ecophysiology in a temperate deciduous forest. Tree ring widths and stable carbon (δ(13)C) and oxygen (δ(18)O) isotopes were used to assess tree growth (basal area increment, BAI) and intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE) ofQuercus velutinaLamb., the dominant tree species in a 20+ year N fertilization experiment at Harvard Forest (MA, USA). We found that fertilized trees exhibited a pronounced and sustained growth enhancement relative to control trees, with the low- and high-N treatments responding similarly. All treatments exhibited improved iWUE over the study period (1984-2011). Intrinsic water use efficiency trends in the control trees were primarily driven by changes in stomatal conductance, while a stimulation in photosynthesis, supported by an increase in foliar %N, contributed to enhancing iWUE in fertilized trees. All treatments were predominantly influenced by growing season vapor pressure deficit (VPD), with BAI responding most strongly to early season VPD and iWUE responding most strongly to late season VPD. Nitrogen fertilization increasedQ. velutinasensitivity to July temperature and precipitation. Combined, these results suggest that ambient N deposition in N-limited northeastern US forests has enhanced tree growth over the past 30 years, while rising ambient CO2has improved iWUE, with N fertilization and CO2having synergistic effects on iWUE.
Assuntos
Dióxido de Carbono/metabolismo , Nitrogênio/metabolismo , Quercus/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Clima , Fertilizantes , Massachusetts , Quercus/metabolismo , Temperatura , ÁguaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Gene association studies detect an influence of natural variation in the 5-hydroxytryptamine transporter (5-HTT) gene on multiple aspects of individuality in brain function, ranging from personality traits through to susceptibility to psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression. The neural substrates of these associations are unknown. Human neuroimaging studies suggest modulation of the amygdala by 5-HTT variation, but this hypothesis is controversial and unresolved, and difficult to investigate further in humans. METHODS: We used a mouse model in which the 5-HTT is overexpressed throughout the brain and recorded hemodynamic responses (using a novel in vivo voltammetric monitoring method, analogous to blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging) and local field potentials during Pavlovian fear conditioning. RESULTS: Increased 5-HTT expression impaired, but did not prevent, fear learning and significantly reduced amygdala hemodynamic responses to aversive cues. Increased 5-HTT expression was also associated with reduced theta oscillations, which were a feature of aversive cue presentation in controls. Moreover, in control mice, but not those with high 5-HTT expression, there was a strong correlation between theta power and the amplitude of the hemodynamic response. CONCLUSIONS: Direct experimental manipulation of 5-HTT expression levels throughout the brain markedly altered fear learning, amygdala hemodynamic responses, and neuronal oscillations.
Assuntos
Tonsila do Cerebelo/fisiologia , Medo/fisiologia , Neurônios/fisiologia , Oxigênio/metabolismo , Proteínas da Membrana Plasmática de Transporte de Serotonina/metabolismo , Ritmo Teta/fisiologia , Tonsila do Cerebelo/metabolismo , Animais , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Neurônios/metabolismoRESUMO
The neuromodulators dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) are similar in a number of ways. Both monoamines can act by volume transmission at metabotropic receptors to modulate synaptic transmission in brain circuits. Presynaptic regulation of 5-HT and DA is governed by parallel processes, and behaviorally, both exert control over emotional processing. However, differences are also apparent: more than twice as many 5-HT receptor subtypes mediate postsynaptic effects than DA receptors and different presynaptic regulation is also emerging. Monoamines are amenable to real-time electrochemical detection using fast scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV), which allows resolution of the subsecond dynamics of release and reuptake in response to a single action potential. This approach has greatly enriched understanding of DA transmission and has facilitated an integrated view of how DA mediates behavioral control. However, technical challenges are associated with FSCV measurement of 5-HT and understanding of 5-HT transmission at subsecond resolution has not advanced at the same rate. As a result, how the actions of 5-HT at the level of the synapse translate into behavior is poorly understood. Recent technical advances may aid the study of 5-HT in real-time. It is timely, therefore, to compare and contrast what is currently understood of the subsecond characteristics of transmission for DA and 5-HT. In doing so, a number of areas are highlighted as being worthy of exploration for 5-HT.
Assuntos
Encéfalo/metabolismo , Dopamina/metabolismo , Serotonina/metabolismo , Transmissão Sináptica/fisiologia , Animais , Encéfalo/fisiologia , Neurônios Dopaminérgicos/metabolismo , Neurônios Dopaminérgicos/fisiologia , Técnicas Eletroquímicas , Humanos , Neurônios Serotoninérgicos/metabolismo , Neurônios Serotoninérgicos/fisiologiaRESUMO
Hiccups are common, typically limited, and rarely present with adverse complications. In the context of persistent or intractable episodes, however, hiccups may signal a more serious underlying cause. Here, we present an unexpected and pathologic case of hiccups in a patient who was ultimately diagnosed with renal abscesses.
RESUMO
The frequency of milk-alkali syndrome decreased rapidly after the development of histamine-2 antagonists and proton pump inhibitors for the treatment of peptic ulcer disease; however, the availability and overconsumption of antacids and calcium supplements can still place patients at risk (D. P. Beall et al., 2006). Here we describe a patient who presented with altered mental status, hypercalcemia, metabolic alkalosis, and acute renal failure in the context of ingesting large amounts of antacids to control dyspepsia.
RESUMO
Striatal dopamine plays key roles in our normal and pathological goal-directed actions. To understand dopamine function, much attention has focused on how midbrain dopamine neurons modulate their firing patterns. However, we identify a presynaptic mechanism that triggers dopamine release directly, bypassing activity in dopamine neurons. We paired electrophysiological recordings of striatal channelrhodopsin2-expressing cholinergic interneurons with simultaneous detection of dopamine release at carbon-fiber microelectrodes in striatal slices. We reveal that activation of cholinergic interneurons by light flashes that cause only single action potentials in neurons from a small population triggers dopamine release via activation of nicotinic receptors on dopamine axons. This event overrides ascending activity from dopamine neurons and, furthermore, is reproduced by activating ChR2-expressing thalamostriatal inputs, which synchronize cholinergic interneurons in vivo. These findings indicate that synchronized activity in cholinergic interneurons directly generates striatal dopamine signals whose functions will extend beyond those encoded by dopamine neuron activity.