Aromatic Bromination Abolishes Deficits in Visuospatial Learning Induced by MDMA ("Ecstasy") in Rats While Preserving the Ability to Increase LTP in the Prefrontal Cortex.

It has recently been demonstrated that aromatic bromination at C(2) abolishes all typical psychomotor, and some key prosocial effects of the entactogen MDMA in rats. Nevertheless, the influence of aromatic bromination on MDMA-like effects on higher cognitive functions remains unexplored. In the present work, the effects of MDMA and its brominated analog 2Br-4,5-MDMA (1 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg i.p. each) on visuospatial learning, using a radial, octagonal Olton maze (4 × 4) which may discriminate between short-term and long-term memory, were compared with their influence on in vivo long-term potentiation (LTP) in the prefrontal cortex in rats. The results obtained indicate that MDMA diminishes both short- and long-term visuospatial memory but increases LTP. In contrast, 2Br-4,5-MDMA preserves long-term visuospatial memory and slightly accelerates the occurrence of short-term memory compared to controls, but increases LTP, like MDMA. Taken together, these data are consistent with the notion that the modulatory effects induced by the aromatic bromination of the MDMA template, which abolishes typical entactogenic-like responses, might be extended to those effects affecting higher cognitive functions, such as visuospatial learning. This effect seems not to be associated with the increase of LTP in the prefrontal cortex.

Prefrontal Cortical Control of Activity in Nucleus Accumbens Core Is Weakened by High-Fat Diet and Prevented by Co-Treatment with N-Acetylcysteine: Implications for the Development of Obesity.

A loss of neuroplastic control on nucleus accumbens (NAc) neuronal activity exerted by the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) through long-term depression (LTD) is involved in triggering drug-seeking behavior and relapse on several substances of abuse due to impaired glutamate homeostasis in tripartite synapses of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core. To test whether this maladaptive neuroplastic mechanism underlies the addiction-like behavior induced in young mice by a high-fat diet (HFD), we utilized 28-days-old male mice fed HFD ad-libitum over 2 weeks, followed by 5 days of HFD abstinence. Control groups were fed a regular diet. HFD fed mice showed increased ΔFosB levels in the NAc core region, whereas LTD triggered from the mPFC became suppressed. Interestingly, LTD suppression was prevented by an i.p. injection of 100 mg/kg N-acetylcysteine 2.5 h before inducing LTD from the mPFC. In addition, excessive weight gain due to HFD feeding was diminished by adding 2mg/mL N-acetylcysteine in drinking water. Those results show a loss of neuroplastic mPFC control over NAc core activity induced by HFD consumption in young subjects. In conclusion, ad libitum consumption of HFD can lead to neuroplastic changes an addiction-like behavior that can be prevented by N-acetylcysteine, helping to decrease the rate of excessive weight gain.

NMDA and P2X7 Receptors Require Pannexin 1 Activation to Initiate and Maintain Nociceptive Signaling in the Spinal Cord of Neuropathic Rats.

Pannexin 1 (Panx1) is involved in the spinal central sensitization process in rats with neuropathic pain, but its interaction with well-known, pain-related, ligand-dependent receptors, such as NMDA receptors (NMDAR) and P2X7 purinoceptors (P2X7R), remains largely unexplored. Here, we studied whether NMDAR- and P2X7R-dependent nociceptive signaling in neuropathic rats require the activation of Panx1 channels to generate spinal central sensitization, as assessed by behavioral (mechanical hyperalgesia) and electrophysiological (C-reflex wind-up potentiation) indexes. Administration of either a selective NMDAR agonist i.t. (NMDA, 2 mM) or a P2X7R agonist (BzATP, 150 µM) significantly increased both the mechanical hyperalgesia and the C-reflex wind-up potentiation, effects that were rapidly reversed (minutes) by i.t. administration of a selective pannexin 1 antagonist (10panx peptide, 300 µM), with the scores even reaching values of rats without neuropathy. Accordingly, 300 µM 10panx completely prevented the effects of NMDA and BzATP administered 1 h later, on mechanical hyperalgesia and C-reflex wind-up potentiation. Confocal immunofluorescence imaging revealed coexpression of Panx1 with NeuN protein in intrinsic dorsal horn neurons of neuropathic rats. The results indicate that both NMDAR- and P2X7R-mediated increases in mechanical hyperalgesia and C-reflex wind-up potentiation require neuronal Panx1 channel activation to initiate and maintain nociceptive signaling in neuropathic rats.

Hypertension in Prenatally Undernourished Young-Adult Rats Is Maintained by Tonic Reciprocal Paraventricular-Coerulear Excitatory Interactions.

Prenatally malnourished rats develop hypertension in adulthood, in part through increased α1-adrenoceptor-mediated outflow from the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) to the sympathetic system. We studied whether both α1-adrenoceptor-mediated noradrenergic excitatory pathways from the locus coeruleus (LC) to the PVN and their reciprocal excitatory CRFergic connections contribute to prenatal undernutrition-induced hypertension. For that purpose, we microinjected either α1-adrenoceptor or CRH receptor agonists and/or antagonists in the PVN or the LC, respectively. We also determined the α1-adrenoceptor density in whole hypothalamus and the expression levels of α1A-adrenoceptor mRNA in the PVN. The results showed that: (i) agonists microinjection increased systolic blood pressure and heart rate in normotensive eutrophic rats, but not in prenatally malnourished subjects; (ii) antagonists microinjection reduced hypertension and tachycardia in undernourished rats, but not in eutrophic controls; (iii) in undernourished animals, antagonist administration to one nuclei allowed the agonists recover full efficacy in the complementary nucleus, inducing hypertension and tachycardia; (iv) early undernutrition did not modify the number of α1-adrenoceptor binding sites in hypothalamus, but reduced the number of cells expressing α1A-adrenoceptor mRNA in the PVN. These results support the hypothesis that systolic pressure and heart rate are increased by tonic reciprocal paraventricular-coerulear excitatory interactions in prenatally undernourished young-adult rats.

Hot Executive Function Assessment Instruments in Preschool Children: A Systematic Review.

The study aimed to systematically analyze the empirical evidence that is available concerning batteries, tests or instruments that assess hot executive functions (EFs) in preschoolers, identifying which are the most used instruments, as well as the most evaluated hot EFs. For the review and selection of articles, the systematic review methodology PRISMA was used. The article search considered the EBSCO, Web of Science (WoS), SciELO and PubMed databases, with the keywords "Hot executive function", "Assessment", "test", "evaluation", using the Boolean operators AND and OR indistinctly, between 2000 and April 2021. Twenty-four articles were selected and analyzed. The most commonly used instruments to assess hot EFs in preschool children were the Delayed Gratification Task, the Child's Play Task, and the Delayed Reward Task. Amongst those analyzed, 17 instruments were found to assess hot EFs in preschoolers. The accuracy and conceptual clarity between the assessment of cognitive and emotional components in EFs is still debatable. Nevertheless, the consideration of affective temperature and reward stimulus type, could be an important influence when assessing EFs in this age range. Evidence of the possible involvement of cortical and subcortical structures, as well as the limbic system, in preschool executive functioning assessment has also been incorporated.

Multiplexed Competition in a Synthetic Squid Light Organ Microbiome Using Barcode-Tagged Gene Deletions.

Beneficial symbioses between microbes and their eukaryotic hosts are ubiquitous and have widespread impacts on host health and development. The binary symbiosis between the bioluminescent bacterium Vibrio fischeri and its squid host Euprymna scolopes serves as a model system to study molecular mechanisms at the microbe-animal interface. To identify colonization factors in this system, our lab previously conducted a global transposon insertion sequencing (INSeq) screen and identified over 300 putative novel squid colonization factors in V. fischeri To pursue mechanistic studies on these candidate genes, we present an approach to quickly generate barcode-tagged gene deletions and perform high-throughput squid competition experiments with detection of the proportion of each strain in the mixture by barcode sequencing (BarSeq). Our deletion approach improves on previous techniques based on splicing by overlap extension PCR (SOE-PCR) and tfoX-based natural transformation by incorporating a randomized barcode that results in unique DNA sequences within each deletion scar. Amplicon sequencing of the pool of barcoded strains before and after colonization faithfully reports on known colonization factors and provides increased sensitivity over colony counting methods. BarSeq enables rapid and sensitive characterization of the molecular factors involved in establishing the Vibrio-squid symbiosis and provides a valuable tool to interrogate the molecular dialogue at microbe-animal host interfaces.IMPORTANCE Beneficial microbes play essential roles in the health and development of their hosts. However, the complexity of animal microbiomes and general genetic intractability of their symbionts have made it difficult to study the coevolved mechanisms for establishing and maintaining specificity at the microbe-animal host interface. Model symbioses are therefore invaluable for studying the mechanisms of beneficial microbe-host interactions. Here, we present a combined barcode-tagged deletion and BarSeq approach to interrogate the molecular dialogue that ensures specific and reproducible colonization of the Hawaiian bobtail squid by Vibrio fischeri The ability to precisely manipulate the bacterial genome, combined with multiplex colonization assays, will accelerate the use of this valuable model system for mechanistic studies of how environmental microbes-both beneficial and pathogenic-colonize specific animal hosts.

Early postnatal environmental enrichment restores neurochemical and functional plasticities of the cerebral cortex and improves learning performance in hidden-prenatally-malnourished young-adult rats.

Moderate reduction of dietary protein (from 25% to 8% casein) in pregnant rats, calorically compensated by carbohydrates, gives rise to 'hidden prenatal malnutrition' (HPM) in the offspring since it does not alter body and brain weights of pups at birth. However, this dietary treatment leads to decreased ß-adrenoceptor signaling and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in the pup' brain, altogether with defective cortical long-term potentiation (LTP) and lowered visuospatial memory performance. Since early postnatal environmental enrichment (EE) has been shown to exert plastic effects on the developing brain and neuroprotection both on cognition and on structural properties of the neocortex, in the present study we addressed the question of whether early postnatal EE during the lactation period could exert compensatory changes in the expression of ®-adrenergic receptors and BDNF in the neocortex of HPM rats, and if these effects are associated with an improvement or even a restore of both neocortical LTP in vivo and cognitive performance induced by HPM. The results obtained show that EE restored ß-adrenoceptor density, BDNF expression and the ability to support LTP at prefrontal and occipital cortices of HPM rats. Besides, EE improved learning performance in visuospatial and operant conditioning tasks. The latter support the notion that adequate maternal protein nutrition during pregnancy is required for proper brain development and function. Further, the results highlight the role of environmental enrichment during early postnatal life in increasing later brain plasticity and exerting neuroprotection against brain deficits induced by prenatal malnutrition.

Natural Strain Variation Reveals Diverse Biofilm Regulation in Squid-Colonizing Vibrio fischeri.

The mutualistic symbiont Vibrio fischeri builds a symbiotic biofilm during colonization of squid hosts. Regulation of the exopolysaccharide component, termed Syp, has been examined in strain ES114, where production is controlled by a phosphorelay that includes the inner membrane hybrid histidine kinase RscS. Most strains that lack RscS or encode divergent RscS proteins cannot colonize a squid host unless RscS from a squid symbiont is heterologously expressed. In this study, we examine V. fischeri isolates worldwide to understand the landscape of biofilm regulation during beneficial colonization. We provide a detailed study of three distinct evolutionary groups of V. fischeri and find that while the RscS-Syp biofilm pathway is required in one of the groups, two other groups of squid symbionts require Syp independent of RscS. Mediterranean squid symbionts, including V. fischeri SR5, colonize without an RscS homolog encoded by their genome. Additionally, group A V. fischeri strains, which form a tightly related clade of Hawaii isolates, have a frameshift in rscS and do not require the gene for squid colonization or competitive fitness. These same strains have a frameshift in sypE, and we provide evidence that this group A sypE allele leads to an upregulation in biofilm activity. Thus, this work describes the central importance of Syp biofilm in colonization of diverse isolates and demonstrates that significant evolutionary transitions correspond to regulatory changes in the syp pathway.IMPORTANCE Biofilms are surface-associated, matrix-encased bacterial aggregates that exhibit enhanced protection to antimicrobial agents. Previous work has established the importance of biofilm formation by a strain of luminous Vibrio fischeri bacteria as the bacteria colonize their host, the Hawaiian bobtail squid. In this study, expansion of this work to many natural isolates revealed that biofilm genes are universally required, yet there has been a shuffling of the regulators of those genes. This work provides evidence that even when bacterial behaviors are conserved, dynamic regulation of those behaviors can underlie evolution of the host colonization phenotype. Furthermore, this work emphasizes the importance of investigating natural diversity as we seek to understand molecular mechanisms in bacteria.

Facts and hypotheses about the programming of neuroplastic deficits by prenatal malnutrition.

Studies in rats have shown that a decrease in either protein content or total dietary calories results in molecular, structural, and functional changes in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, among other brain regions, which lead to behavioral disturbances, including learning and memory deficits. The neurobiological bases underlying those effects depend at least in part on fetal programming of the developing brain, which in turn relies on epigenetic regulation of specific genes via stable and heritable modifications of chromatin. Prenatal malnutrition also leads to epigenetic programming of obesity, and obesity on its own can lead to poor cognitive performance in humans and experimental animals, complicating understanding of the factors involved in the fetal programming of neuroplasticity deficits. This review focuses on the role of epigenetic mechanisms involved in prenatal malnutrition-induced brain disturbances, which are apparent at a later postnatal age, through either a direct effect of fetal programming on brain plasticity or an indirect effect on the brain mediated by the postnatal development of obesity.

Roles of Transcriptional and Translational Control Mechanisms in Regulation of Ribosomal Protein Synthesis in Escherichia coli.

Bacterial ribosome biogenesis is tightly regulated to match nutritional conditions and to prevent formation of defective ribosomal particles. In Escherichia coli, most ribosomal protein (r-protein) synthesis is coordinated with rRNA synthesis by a translational feedback mechanism: when r-proteins exceed rRNAs, specific r-proteins bind to their own mRNAs and inhibit expression of the operon. It was recently discovered that the second messenger nucleotide guanosine tetra and pentaphosphate (ppGpp), which directly regulates rRNA promoters, is also capable of regulating many r-protein promoters. To examine the relative contributions of the translational and transcriptional control mechanisms to the regulation of r-protein synthesis, we devised a reporter system that enabled us to genetically separate the cis-acting sequences responsible for the two mechanisms and to quantify their relative contributions to regulation under the same conditions. We show that the synthesis of r-proteins from the S20 and S10 operons is regulated by ppGpp following shifts in nutritional conditions, but most of the effect of ppGpp required the 5' region of the r-protein mRNA containing the target site for translational feedback regulation and not the promoter. These results suggest that most regulation of the S20 and S10 operons by ppGpp following nutritional shifts is indirect and occurs in response to changes in rRNA synthesis. In contrast, we found that the promoters for the S20 operon were regulated during outgrowth, likely in response to increasing nucleoside triphosphate (NTP) levels. Thus, r-protein synthesis is dynamic, with different mechanisms acting at different times.IMPORTANCE Bacterial cells have evolved complex and seemingly redundant strategies to regulate many high-energy-consuming processes. In E. coli, synthesis of ribosomal components is tightly regulated with respect to nutritional conditions by mechanisms that act at both the transcription and translation steps. In this work, we conclude that NTP and ppGpp concentrations can regulate synthesis of ribosomal proteins, but most of the effect of ppGpp is indirect as a consequence of translational feedback in response to changes in rRNA levels. Our results illustrate how effects of seemingly redundant regulatory mechanisms can be separated in time and that even when multiple mechanisms act concurrently their contributions are not necessarily equivalent.

ppGpp Binding to a Site at the RNAP-DksA Interface Accounts for Its Dramatic Effects on Transcription Initiation during the Stringent Response.

Throughout the bacterial domain, the alarmone ppGpp dramatically reprograms transcription following nutrient limitation. This "stringent response" is critical for survival and antibiotic tolerance and is a model for transcriptional regulation by small ligands. We report that ppGpp binds to two distinct sites 60 Å apart on E. coli RNA polymerase (RNAP), one characterized previously (site 1) and a second identified here at an interface of RNAP and the transcription factor DksA (site 2). The location and unusual tripartite nature of site 2 account for the DksA-ppGpp synergism and suggest mechanisms for ppGpp enhancement of DksA's effects on RNAP. Site 2 binding results in the majority of ppGpp's effects on transcription initiation in vitro and in vivo, and strains lacking site 2 are severely impaired for growth following nutritional shifts. Filling of the two sites at different ppGpp concentrations would expand the dynamic range of cellular responses to changes in ppGpp levels.

Coexpression of Escherichia coli obgE, Encoding the Evolutionarily Conserved Obg GTPase, with Ribosomal Proteins L21 and L27.

UNLABELLED: Multiple essential small GTPases are involved in the assembly of the ribosome or in the control of its activity. Among them, ObgE (CgtA) has been shown recently to act as a ribosome antiassociation factor that binds to ppGpp, a regulator whose best-known target is RNA polymerase. The present study was aimed at elucidating the expression of obgE in Escherichia coli We show that obgE is cotranscribed with ribosomal protein genes rplU and rpmA and with a gene of unknown function, yhbE We show here that about 75% of the transcripts terminate before obgE, because there is a transcriptional terminator between rpmA and yhbE As expected for ribosomal protein operons, expression was highest during exponential growth, decreased during entry into stationary phase, and became almost undetectable thereafter. Expression of the operon was derepressed in mutants lacking ppGpp or DksA. However, regulation by these factors appears to occur post-transcription initiation, since no effects of ppGpp and DksA on rplU promoter activity were observed in vitro IMPORTANCE: The conserved and essential ObgE GTPase binds to the ribosome and affects its assembly. ObgE has also been reported to impact chromosome segregation, cell division, resistance to DNA damage, and, perhaps most interestingly, persister formation and antibiotic tolerance. However, it is unclear whether these effects are related to its role in ribosome formation. Despite its importance, no studies on ObgE expression have been reported. We demonstrate here that obgE is expressed from an operon encoding two ribosomal proteins, that the operon's expression varies with the growth phase, and that it is dependent on the transcription regulators ppGpp and DksA. Our results thus demonstrate that obgE expression is coupled to ribosomal gene expression.

ß2-adrenoceptor stimulation restores frontal cortex plasticity and improves visuospatial performance in hidden-prenatally-malnourished young-adult rats.

Moderate reduction in dietary protein composition of pregnant rats from 25% to 8% casein, calorically compensated by carbohydrates, has been described as a "hidden malnutrition" because it does not alter body and brain weights of pups at birth. However, this dietary treatment leads to altered central noradrenergic systems, impaired cortical long-term potentiation (LTP) and worsened visuo-spatial memory performance. Given the increasing interest on the role played by ß2-adrenoceptors (ß2-ARs) on brain plasticity, the present study aimed to address the following in hidden-malnourished and eutrophic control rats: (i) the expression levels of ß2-ARs in the frontal cortex determined by immunohistochemistry, and (ii) the effect of the ß2 selective agonist clenbuterol on both LTP elicited in vivo in the prefrontal cortex and visuospatial performance measured in an eight-arm radial maze. Our results showed that, prenatally malnourished rats exhibited a significant reduction of neocortical ß2-AR expression in adulthood. Concomitantly, they were unable to elicit and maintain prefrontal cortex LTP and exhibited lower visuospatial learning performance. Administration of clenbuterol (0.019, 0.038 and 0.075 mg/kg i.p.) enhanced LTP in malnourished and control animals and restored visuospatial learning performance in malnourished but not in normal rats, in a dose-dependent manner. The results suggest that decreased density of neocortical ß2-ARs during postnatal life, subsequent to hidden prenatal malnutrition might affect some synaptic networks required to elicit neocortical LTP and form visuospatial memory, since those neuroplastic deficits were counteracted by ß2-AR stimulation.

Optoelectronic tweezers under arbitrary illumination patterns: theoretical simulations and comparison to experiment.

Photovoltaic tweezers are a promising tool to place and move particles on the surface of a photovoltaic material in a controlled way. To exploit this new technique it is necessary to accurately know the electric field created by a specific illumination on the surface of the crystal and above it. This paper describes a numerical algorithm to obtain this electric field generated by several relevant light patterns, and uses them to calculate the dielectrophoretic potential acting over neutral, polarizable particles in the proximity of the crystal. The results are compared to experiments carried out in LiNbO3with good overall agreement.

Preference for high-fat diet is developed by young Swiss CD1 mice after short-term feeding and is prevented by NMDA receptor antagonists.

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic that is increasing at an alarming rate. One of its causes is the increased availability and consumption of diets rich in fat. In the present study, we investigated the effects of short-term consumption of a high fat diet (HFD) on dietary preferences in Swiss CD1 mice and its relation in time to specific metabolic effects. Mice that were weaned 21days postpartum and fed a chow diet for one week were afterward subjected to a diet preference test for 5days, exposed to both a regular diet (RD) and HFD. We found that mice did not show any preferences. In a second experiment, two groups of mice that were weaned 21days postpartum and subjected to a chow diet for one week were fed either RD or HFD for 18days, and a diet preference test was performed for 5days. After this short-term consumption of HFD, mice preferred HFD, while mice subjected to RD did not show any preference. Importantly, no differences in blood glucose levels were found between the groups prior to and after the experiments. The results support our hypothesis that the preference for HFD is not a spontaneous behavior in CD1 mice, but it can be observed after short-term consumption; additionally, this preference develops before metabolic effects appear. Finally, this preference for HFD could not be observed when the mice were i.p. injected daily with low doses of the NMDA receptor antagonists, ketamine, ifenprodil or MK-801 during the HFD feeding period. These data suggest that acquisition of dietary preference for HFD is a NMDA receptor-dependent learning process.

Knockdown of α2C-adrenoceptors in the occipital cortex rescued long-term potentiation in hidden prenatally malnourished rats.

Moderate reduction in the protein content of the mother's diet calorically compensated by carbohydrates (the so-called "hidden" prenatal malnutrition) leads to increased neocortical expression of the α(2C)-adrenoceptor subtype, together with decreased cortical release of noradrenaline and impaired long-term potentiation (LTP) and visuospatial memory performance during the rat postnatal life. In order to study whether overexpression of the α(2C)-adrenoceptor subtype is causally related to the decreased indices of neocortical plasticity found in prenatally malnourished rats, we evaluated the effect of intracortical (occipital cortex) administration of an antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) raised against the α(2C)-adrenoceptor mRNA on the LTP elicited in vivo in the occipital cortex of hidden prenatally malnourished rats. In addition, we compare the effect of the antisense ODN to that produced by systemical administration of the subtype-nonselective α(2)-adrenoceptor antagonist atipamezole. Prenatal protein malnutrition led to impaired occipital cortex LTP together with increased expression of α(2C)-adrenoceptors (about twice Bmax) in the same cortical region. [(3)H]-rauwolscine binding assay showed that a 7-day intracortical antisense ODN treatment in the malnourished rats resulted in 50% knockdown of α(2C)-adrenoceptor expression and, in addition, completely rescued the ability of the occipital cortex to develop and maintain long-term potentiation. Atipamezole (0.3 mg/kg i.p.) also led to full recovery of neocortical LTP in malnourished rats. The present results argue in favor of our original hypothesis that the deleterious effect of prenatal malnutrition on neocortical plasticity in the adult progeny is in part consequence of increased neocortical α(2C)-adrenoceptor expression. This receptor subtype is known to be involved in the presynaptic control of noradrenaline release from central neurons, a neurotransmitter that critically influences LTP and memory formation.

Photovoltaic versus optical tweezers.

The operation of photovoltaic (PV) tweezers, using the evanescent light-induced PV fields to trap and pattern nano- and micro-meter particles on a LiNbO(3) crystal surface, is discussed. The case of a periodic light pattern is addressed in detail, including the role of particle shape and the modulation index of the light pattern. The use of a single Gaussian light beam is also considered. Illustrative experiments for the two situations are presented. The performance of such PV tweezers in comparison to the best established case of optical tweezers, using optical forces, is considered. Differential features between the two trapping approaches are remarked.

Hidden prenatal malnutrition in the rat: role of ß1-adrenoceptors on synaptic plasticity in the frontal cortex.

Moderate reduction in the protein content of the mother's diet (hidden malnutrition) does not alter body and brain weights of rat pups at birth, but leads to dysfunction of neocortical noradrenaline systems together with impaired long-term potentiation and visuo-spatial memory performance. As ß1-adrenoceptors and downstream protein kinase signaling are critically involved in synaptic long-term potentiation and memory formation, we evaluated the ß1-adrenoceptor density and the expression of cyclic-AMP dependent protein kinase, calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase and protein kinase Fyn, in the frontal cortex of prenatally malnourished adult rats. In addition, we also studied if ß1-adrenoceptor activation with the selective ß1 agonist dobutamine could improve deficits of prefrontal cortex long-term potentiation presenting these animals. Prenatally malnourished rats exhibited half of ß1-adrenoceptor binding, together with a 51% and 65% reduction of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase α and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase α expression, respectively, as compared with eutrophic animals. Administration of the selective ß1 agonist dobutamine prior to tetanization completely rescued the ability of the prefrontal cortex to develop and maintain long-term potentiation in the malnourished rats. Results suggest that under-expression of neocortical ß1-adrenoceptors and protein kinase signaling in hidden malnourished rats functionally affects the synaptic networks subserving prefrontal cortex long-term potentiation. ß1-adrenoceptor activation was sufficient to fully recover neocortical plasticity in the PKA- and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II-deficient undernourished rats, possibly by producing extra amounts of cAMP and/or by recruiting alternative signaling cascades.

Direct regulation of Escherichia coli ribosomal protein promoters by the transcription factors ppGpp and DksA.

We show here that the promoters for many of the Escherichia coli ribosomal protein operons are regulated directly by two transcription factors, the small RNA polymerase-binding protein DksA and the nutritional stress-induced nucleotide ppGpp. ppGpp and DksA work together to inhibit transcription initiation from ribosomal protein promoters in vitro and in vivo. The degree of promoter regulation by ppGpp/DksA varies among the r-protein promoters, but some are inhibited almost as much as rRNA promoters. Thus, many r-protein operons are regulated at the level of transcription in addition to their control by the classic translational feedback systems discovered ~30 y ago. We conclude that direct control of r-protein promoters and rRNA promoters by the same signal, ppGpp/DksA, makes a major contribution to the balanced and coordinated synthesis rates of all of the ribosomal components.

Effect of modafinil on learning performance and neocortical long-term potentiation in rats.

Modafinil is a novel wake-promoting agent whose effects on cognitive performance have begun to be addressed at both preclinical and clinical level. The present study was designed to investigate in rats the effects of chronic modafinil administration on cognitive performance by evaluating: (i) working and reference memories in an Olton 4×4 maze, and (ii) learning of a complex operant conditioning task in a Skinner box. In addition, the effect of modafinil on the ability of the rat frontal cortex to develop long-term potentiation (LTP) was also studied. Chronic modafinil did not significantly modify working memory errors but decreased long-term memory errors on the Olton 4×4 maze, meaning that the drug may have a favourable profile on performance of visuo-spatial tasks (typically, a hippocampus-dependent task) when chronically administered. On the other hand, chronic modafinil resulted in a marked decrease of successful responses in a complex operant conditioning learning, which means that repeated administration of the drug influences negatively problem-solving abilities when confronting the rat to a sequencing task (typically, a prefrontal cortex-dependent task). In addition, in vivo electrophysiology showed that modafinil resulted in impaired capacity of the rat prefrontal cortex to develop LTP following tetanization. It is concluded that modafinil can improve the performance of spatial tasks that depend almost exclusively on hippocampal functioning, but not the performance in tasks including a temporal factor where the prefrontal cortex plays an important role. The fact that modafinil together with preventing operant conditioning learning was also able to block LTP induction in the prefrontal cortex, suggests that the drug could interfere some critical component required for LTP can be developed, thereby altering neuroplastic capabilities of the prefrontal cortex.