Developmental expression of genes involved in neural estrogen biosynthesis and signaling in the brain of the orange-spotted grouper Epinephelus coioides during gonadal sex differentiation

2011 ◽  
Vol 127 (3-5) ◽  
pp. 155-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ganesan Nagarajan ◽  
Ya-Ju Tsai ◽  
Chia-Yung Chen ◽  
Ching-Fong Chang
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 889
Author(s):  
Anton D. Filev ◽  
Denis N. Silachev ◽  
Ivan A. Ryzhkov ◽  
Konstantin N. Lapin ◽  
Anastasiya S. Babkina ◽  
...  

The overactivation of inflammatory pathways and/or a deficiency of neuroplasticity may result in the delayed recovery of neural function in traumatic brain injury (TBI). A promising approach to protecting the brain tissue in TBI is xenon (Xe) treatment. However, xenon’s mechanisms of action remain poorly clarified. In this study, the early-onset expression of 91 target genes was investigated in the damaged and in the contralateral brain areas (sensorimotor cortex region) 6 and 24 h after injury in a TBI rat model. The expression of genes involved in inflammation, oxidation, antioxidation, neurogenesis and neuroplasticity, apoptosis, DNA repair, autophagy, and mitophagy was assessed. The animals inhaled a gas mixture containing xenon and oxygen (ϕXe = 70%; ϕO2 25–30% 60 min) 15–30 min after TBI. The data showed that, in the contralateral area, xenon treatment induced the expression of stress genes (Irf1, Hmox1, S100A8, and S100A9). In the damaged area, a trend towards lower expression of the inflammatory gene Irf1 was observed. Thus, our results suggest that xenon exerts a mild stressor effect in healthy brain tissue and has a tendency to decrease the inflammation following damage, which might contribute to reducing the damage and activating the early compensatory processes in the brain post-TBI.


Reproduction ◽  
2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susana B Rulli ◽  
María Julia Cambiasso ◽  
Laura D Ratner

In mammals, the reproductive function is controlled by the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. During development, mechanisms mediated by gonadal steroids exert an imprinting at the hypothalamic-pituitary level, by establishing sexual differences in the circuits that control male and female reproduction. In rodents, the testicular production of androgens increases drastically during the fetal/neonatal stage. This process is essential for the masculinization of the reproductive tract, genitals and brain. The conversion of androgens to estrogens in the brain is crucial for the male sexual differentiation and behavior. Conversely, feminization of the brain occurs in the absence of high levels of gonadal steroids during the perinatal period in females. Potential genetic contribution to the differentiation of brain cells through direct effects of genes located on sex chromosomes is also relevant. In this review, we will focus on the phenotypic alterations that occur on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis of transgenic mice with persistently elevated expression of the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone (hCG). Excess of endogenously synthesized gonadal steroids due to a constant hCG stimulation is able to disrupt the developmental programming of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis in both transgenic males and females. Locally produced estrogens by the hypothalamic aromatase might play a key role in the phenotype of these mice. The “four core genotypes” mouse model demonstrated a potential influence of sex chromosome genes in brain masculinization before critical periods of sex differentiation. Thus, hormonal and genetic factors interact to regulate the local production of the neurosteroids necessary for the programming of the male and female reproductive function.


BMC Genomics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra B. Bentz ◽  
Douglas B. Rusch ◽  
Aaron Buechlein ◽  
Kimberly A. Rosvall

Abstract Background The brain plays a critical role in upstream regulation of processes central to mating effort, parental effort, and self-maintenance. For seasonally breeding animals, the brain is likely mediating trade-offs among these processes within a short breeding season, yet research thus far has only explored neurogenomic changes from non-breeding to breeding states or select pathways (e.g., steroids) in male and/or lab-reared animals. Here, we use RNA-seq to explore neural plasticity in three behaviorally relevant neural tissues (ventromedial telencephalon [VmT], hypothalamus [HYPO], and hindbrain [HB]), comparing free-living female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) as they shift from territory establishment to incubation. We additionally highlight changes in aggression-related genes to explore the potential for a neurogenomic shift in the mechanisms regulating aggression, a critical behavior both in establishing and maintaining a territory and in defense of offspring. Results HB had few differentially expressed genes, but VmT and HYPO had hundreds. In particular, VmT had higher expression of genes related to neuroplasticity and processes beneficial for competition during territory establishment, but down-regulated immune processes. HYPO showed signs of high neuroplasticity during incubation, and a decreased potential for glucocorticoid signaling. Expression of aggression-related genes also shifted from steroidal to non-steroidal pathways across the breeding season. Conclusions These patterns suggest trade-offs between enhanced activity and immunity in the VmT and between stress responsiveness and parental care in the HYPO, along with a potential shift in the mechanisms regulating aggression. Collectively, these data highlight important gene regulatory pathways that may underlie behavioral plasticity in females.


2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (8) ◽  
pp. 2445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donata Simińska ◽  
Klaudyna Kojder ◽  
Dariusz Jeżewski ◽  
Ireneusz Kojder ◽  
Marta Skórka ◽  
...  

Malignant glioma is a brain tumor with a very high mortality rate resulting from the specific morphology of its infiltrative growth and poor early detection rates. The causes of one of its very specific types, i.e., post-traumatic glioma, have been discussed for many years, with some studies providing evidence for mechanisms where the reaction to an injury may in some cases lead to the onset of carcinogenesis in the brain. In this review of the available literature, we discuss the consequences of breaking the blood–brain barrier and consequences of the influx of immune-system cells to the site of injury. We also analyze the influence of inflammatory mediators on the expression of genes controlling the process of apoptosis and the effect of chemical mutagenic factors on glial cells in the brain. We present the results of experimental studies indicating a relationship between injury and glioma development. However, epidemiological studies on post-traumatic glioma, of which only a few confirm the conclusions of experimental research, indicate that any potential relationship between injury and glioma, if any, is indirect.


Author(s):  
Jack M. Gorman

Some scientists now argue that humans are really not superior to other species, including our nearest genetic neighbors, chimpanzees and bonobos. Indeed, those animals seem capable of many things previously thought to be uniquely human, including a sense of the future, empathy, depression, and theory of mind. However, it is clear that humans alone produce speech, dominate the globe, and have several brain diseases like schizophrenia. There are three possible sources within the brain for these differences in brain function: in the structure of the brain, in genes coding for proteins in the brain, and in the level of expression of genes in the brain. There is evidence that all three are the case, giving us a place to look for the intersection of the human mind and brain: the expression of genes within neurons of the prefrontal cortex.


Genes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 681 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan B. Filippenkov ◽  
Vasily V. Stavchansky ◽  
Alina E. Denisova ◽  
Vadim V. Yuzhakov ◽  
Larisa E. Sevan’kaeva ◽  
...  

Cerebral ischaemia is the most common cause of impaired brain function. Biologically active peptides represent potential drugs for reducing the damage that occurs after ischaemia. The synthetic melanocortin derivative, ACTH(4-7)PGP (Semax), has been used successfully in the treatment of patients with severe impairment of cerebral blood circulation. However, its molecular mechanisms of action within the brain are not yet fully understood. Previously, we used the transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) model to study the damaging effects of ischaemia–reperfusion on the brain transcriptome in rats. Here, using RNA-Seq analysis, we investigated the protective properties of the Semax peptide at the transcriptome level under tMCAO conditions. We have identified 394 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (>1.5-fold change) in the brains of rats at 24 h after tMCAO treated with Semax relative to saline. Following tMCAO, we found that Semax suppressed the expression of genes related to inflammatory processes and activated the expression of genes related to neurotransmission. In contrast, ischaemia–reperfusion alone activated the expression of inflammation-related genes and suppressed the expression of neurotransmission-related genes. Therefore, the neuroprotective action of Semax may be associated with a compensation of mRNA expression patterns that are disrupted during ischaemia–reperfusion conditions.


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