Paternal age affects offspring via an epigenetic mechanism involving REST/NRSF.

Advanced paternal age can have deleterious effects on various traits in the next generation. Here, we establish a paternal-aging model in mice to understand the molecular mechanisms of transgenerational epigenetics. Whole-genome target DNA methylome analyses of sperm from aged mice reveal more hypo-methylated genomic regions enriched in REST/NRSF binding motifs. Gene set enrichment analyses also reveal the upregulation of REST/NRSF target genes in the forebrain of embryos from aged fathers. Offspring derived from young mice administrated with a DNA de-methylation drug phenocopy the abnormal vocal communication of pups derived from aged fathers. In conclusion, hypo-methylation of sperm DNA can be a key molecular feature modulating neurodevelopmental programs in offspring by causing fluctuations in the expression of REST/NRSF target genes.

A diacylglycerol photoswitching protocol for studying TRPC channel functions in mammalian cells and tissue slices.

Small molecular probes designed for photopharmacology and opto-chemogenetics are rapidly gaining widespread recognition for investigations of transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) channels. This protocol describes the use of three photoswitchable diacylglycerol analogs-PhoDAG-1, PhoDAG-3, and OptoDArG-for ultrarapid activation and deactivation of native TRPC2 channels in mouse vomeronasal sensory neurons and olfactory type B cells, as well as heterologously expressed human TRPC6 channels. Photoconversion can be achieved in mammalian tissue slices and enables all-optical stimulation and shutoff of TRPC channels. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Leinders-Zufall et al. (2018).

Danger perception and stress response through an olfactory sensor for the bacterial metabolite hydrogen sulfide.

The olfactory system serves a critical function as a danger detection system to trigger defense responses essential for survival. The cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive such defenses in mammals are incompletely understood. Here, we have discovered an ultrasensitive olfactory sensor for the highly poisonous bacterial metabolite hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in mice. An atypical class of sensory neurons in the main olfactory epithelium, the type B cells, is activated by both H2S and low O2. These two stimuli trigger, respectively, Cnga2- and Trpc2-signaling pathways, which operate in separate subcellular compartments, the cilia and the dendritic knob. This activation drives essential defensive responses: elevation of the stress hormone ACTH, stress-related self-grooming behavior, and conditioned place avoidance. Our findings identify a previously unknown signaling paradigm in mammalian olfaction and define type B cells as chemosensory neurons that integrate distinct danger inputs from the external environment with appropriate defense outputs.

Correction: Early postnatal vocalizations predict sociability and spatial memory in C57BL/6J mice: Individual differences in behavioral traits emerge early in development.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186798.].

Early postnatal vocalizations predict sociability and spatial memory in C57BL/6J mice: Individual differences in behavioral traits emerge early in development.

The understanding of individual diversity and its link to brain functions is a fundamental issue in neurobiology. Studies in mice have mainly focused on the investigation of behavior traits in adulthood, whereas longitudinal analyses are largely uninvestigated. Here we have conducted systematic behavior tests in individual mice (C57BL6/J, male), comparing phenotypes at early postnatal stages and in adulthood. Each animal showed different scores in individual behavior tests. However, we observed an inverse correlation between repetitive behavior in the Morris water maze test and sociability in the 3-chamber social interaction test; an increase in repetitive behaviors was associated with poor sociability. In longitudinal analyses, the emission of ultrasonic vocalization during maternal separation at postnatal day 6 in pups was correlated positively with sociability and negatively with spatial memory. Our results show a possibility that individual differences in communication between pups and their mother in infancy is a predictive indicator for sociability and cognitive performance as an adult.