Dynamin-related protein 1 is required for normal mitochondrial bioenergetic and synaptic function in CA1 hippocampal neurons.

Disrupting particular mitochondrial fission and fusion proteins leads to the death of specific neuronal populations; however, the normal functions of mitochondrial fission in neurons are poorly understood, especially in vivo, which limits the understanding of mitochondrial changes in disease. Altered activity of the central mitochondrial fission protein dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) may contribute to the pathophysiology of several neurologic diseases. To study Drp1 in a neuronal population affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD), stroke, and seizure disorders, we postnatally deleted Drp1 from CA1 and other forebrain neurons in mice (CamKII-Cre, Drp1lox/lox (Drp1cKO)). Although most CA1 neurons survived for more than 1 year, their synaptic transmission was impaired, and Drp1cKO mice had impaired memory. In Drp1cKO cell bodies, we observed marked mitochondrial swelling but no change in the number of mitochondria in individual synaptic terminals. Using ATP FRET sensors, we found that cultured neurons lacking Drp1 (Drp1KO) could not maintain normal levels of mitochondrial-derived ATP when energy consumption was increased by neural activity. These deficits occurred specifically at the nerve terminal, but not the cell body, and were sufficient to impair synaptic vesicle cycling. Although Drp1KO increased the distance between axonal mitochondria, mitochondrial-derived ATP still decreased similarly in Drp1KO boutons with and without mitochondria. This indicates that mitochondrial-derived ATP is rapidly dispersed in Drp1KO axons, and that the deficits in axonal bioenergetics and function are not caused by regional energy gradients. Instead, loss of Drp1 compromises the intrinsic bioenergetic function of axonal mitochondria, thus revealing a mechanism by which disrupting mitochondrial dynamics can cause dysfunction of axons.

(1'S,12'R,13'S,17'S)-15',15'-Dimethyl-1,2-dihydro-11',14',16',18'-tetra-oxa-7'-aza-spiro-[indole-3,8'-penta-cyclo-[10.6.0.0(2,9).0(3,7).0(13,17)]octa-deca-ne]-2,10'-dione.

In the title compound, C22H24N2O6, the indole ring has a twist conformation and the tetra-hydro-2H-pyran-2-one ring a half-chair conformation. One of the pyrrolidine rings adopts an envelope conformation on the N atom, while the other has a twist conformation; the 'butterfly' angle between their mean planes is 62.98 (11)°. The dioxolane ring adopts a twist conformation and the tetra-hydro-furan ring has an envelope conformation on the C atom in the fused tetra-hydro-2H-pyran-2-one ring adjacent to the O atom of the tetra-hydro-furan ring. The 'butterfly' angle between the mean planes of these two five-membered rings is 69.14 (10)°. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked by N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming chains along the a axis.

(6bS*,14R*,14aR*)-Methyl 14-(4-methyl-phen-yl)-7-oxo-6b,6c,7,12b,14,14a-hexa-hydro-1H-pyrano[3,2-c:5,4-c']dichromene-14a-carboxyl-ate.

In the title compound, C(28)H(22)O(6), the chromeno ring system is almost planar, with a dihedral angle between the mean planes of the pyran and benzene rings of 1.87 (8)°. The pyran ring bearing the methyl-phenyl substituent has a half-chair conformation while the other pyran ring has an envelope conformation with the tetra-substituted C atom as the flap. The benzene ring of the chromeno ring system is inclined to the benzene ring fused to the latter pyran ring by 74.66 (9)°. These aromatic rings are inclined to the 4-methyl-phenyl ring by 52.67 (9) and 66.63 (10)°, respectively. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked via C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming a two-dimensional network parallel to the bc plane.

AAV-based gene therapy prevents neuropathology and results in normal cognitive development in the hyperargininemic mouse.

Complete arginase I deficiency is the least severe urea cycle disorder, characterized by hyperargininemia and infrequent episodes of hyperammonemia. Patients suffer from neurological impairment with cortical and pyramidal tract deterioration, spasticity, loss of ambulation and seizures, and is associated with intellectual disability. In mice, onset is heralded by weight loss beginning around day 15; gait instability follows progressing to inability to stand and development of tail tremor with seizure-like activity and death. Here we report that hyperargininemic mice treated neonatally with an adeno-associated virus (AAV)-expressing arginase and followed long-term lack any presentation consistent with brain dysfunction. Behavioral and histopathological evaluation demonstrated that treated mice are indistinguishable from littermates, and that putative compounds associated with neurotoxicity are diminished. In addition, treatment results in near complete resolution of metabolic abnormalities early in life; however, there is the development of some derangement later with decline in transgene expression. Ammonium challenging revealed that treated mice are affected by exogenous loading much greater than littermates. These results demonstrate that AAV-based therapy for hyperargininemia is effective and prevents development of neurological abnormalities and cognitive dysfunction in a mouse model of hyperargininemia; however, nitrogen challenging reveals that these mice remain impaired in the handling of waste nitrogen.

Amygdala-dependent and amygdala-independent pathways for contextual fear conditioning.

The basolateral amygdala (BLA), consisting of the lateral and basal nuclei, is considered to be essential for fear learning. Using a temporary inactivation technique, we found that rats could acquire a context-specific long-term fear memory without the BLA but only if intensive overtraining was used. BLA-inactivated rats' learning curves were characterized by slow learning that eventually achieved the same asymptotic performance as rats with the BLA functional. BLA inactivation abolished expression of overtrained fear when rats were overtrained with a functional BLA. However, BLA-inactivation had no effect on the expression of fear in rats that learned while the BLA was inactivated. These data suggest that there are primary and alternate pathways capable of mediating fear. Normally, learning is dominated by the more efficient primary pathway, which prevents learning in the alternate pathway. However, alternate pathways compensate when the dominant pathway is compromised.

Wave propagation in a solid cylinder of arbitrary cross-section immersed in fluid.

The problem of wave propagation in a solid cylinder of arbitrary cross-section immersed in fluid is studied using the Fourier expansion collocation method. The frequency equations are obtained for longitudinal and flexural vibrations and are studied numerically for elliptic and cardioidal cylinders and are presented in the tabular form and also in the graphical form. The general theory can be used to study any kind of cylinder with proper geometric relations.