scholarly journals Seasonal changes in NRF2 antioxidant pathway regulates winter depression-like behavior

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (17) ◽  
pp. 9594-9603 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomoya Nakayama ◽  
Kousuke Okimura ◽  
Jiachen Shen ◽  
Ying-Jey Guh ◽  
T. Katherine Tamai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Changes ◽  
Clock Genes ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Nuclear Factor ◽  
Winter Depression ◽  
Circadian Clock Genes ◽  
Chemical Screen ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Multiple Signaling ◽  
Chemical Activator

Seasonal changes in the environment lead to depression-like behaviors in humans and animals. The underlying mechanisms, however, are unknown. We observed decreased sociability and increased anxiety-like behavior in medaka fish exposed to winter-like conditions. Whole brain metabolomic analysis revealed seasonal changes in 68 metabolites, including neurotransmitters and antioxidants associated with depression. Transcriptome analysis identified 3,306 differentially expressed transcripts, including inflammatory markers, melanopsins, and circadian clock genes. Further analyses revealed seasonal changes in multiple signaling pathways implicated in depression, including the nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-like 2 (NRF2) antioxidant pathway. A broad-spectrum chemical screen revealed that celastrol (a traditional Chinese medicine) uniquely reversed winter behavior. NRF2 is a celastrol target expressed in the habenula (HB), known to play a critical role in the pathophysiology of depression. Another NRF2 chemical activator phenocopied these effects, and an NRF2 mutant showed decreased sociability. Our study provides important insights into winter depression and offers potential therapeutic targets involving NRF2.

scholarly journals The expression of circadian clock genes in Daphnia magna diapause

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anke Schwarzenberger ◽  
Luxi Chen ◽  
Linda C. Weiss
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Circadian Clock ◽  
Daphnia Magna ◽  
Seasonal Changes ◽  
Clock Genes ◽  
Diapause Induction ◽  
Day Length ◽  
Circadian Clock Genes ◽  
Short Days ◽  
Gene Expression Levels

AbstractDiapause is a mechanism necessary for survival in arthropods. Often diapause induction and resurrection is light-dependent and therefore dependent on the photoperiod length and on the number of consecutive short-days. In many organisms, including the microcrustacean Daphnia magna, one functional entity with the capacity to measure seasonal changes in day-length is the circadian clock. There is a long-standing discussion that the circadian clock also controls photoperiod-induced diapause. We tested this hypothesis in D. magna, an organism which goes into a state of suspended animation with the shortening of the photoperiod. We measured gene expression of clock genes in diapause-destined embryos of D. magna in the initiation, resting and resurrection phases and checked it against gene expression levels of continuously developing embryos. We demonstrate that some genes of the clock are differentially expressed during diapause induction but not during its maintenance. Furthermore, the photoreceptor gene cry2 and the clock-associated gene brp are highly expressed during induction and early diapause, probably in order to produce excess mRNA to prepare for immediate resurrection. After resurrection, both types of embryos show a similar pattern of gene expression during development. Our study contributes significantly to the understanding of the molecular basis of diapause induction, maintenance and termination.

Three circadian clock genes Per2, Arntl, and Npas2 contribute to winter depression

2007 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timo Partonen ◽  
Jens Treutlein ◽  
Asude Alpman ◽  
Josef Frank ◽  
Carolina Johansson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Circadian Clock ◽  
Clock Genes ◽  
Winter Depression ◽  
Circadian Clock Genes

Autophagy Modulators and Neuroinflammation

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 955-982 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyoung Sang Cho ◽  
Jang Ho Lee ◽  
Jeiwon Cho ◽  
Guang-Ho Cha ◽  
Gyun Jee Song
Keyword(s):  
Neurodegenerative Disorders ◽  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Therapeutic Agents ◽  
Mechanisms Of Action ◽  
Scientific Interest ◽  
Therapeutic Tools ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Background: Neuroinflammation plays a critical role in the development and progression of various neurological disorders. Therefore, various studies have focused on the development of neuroinflammation inhibitors as potential therapeutic tools. Recently, the involvement of autophagy in the regulation of neuroinflammation has drawn substantial scientific interest, and a growing number of studies support the role of impaired autophagy in the pathogenesis of common neurodegenerative disorders. Objective: The purpose of this article is to review recent research on the role of autophagy in controlling neuroinflammation. We focus on studies employing both mammalian cells and animal models to evaluate the ability of different autophagic modulators to regulate neuroinflammation. Methods: We have mostly reviewed recent studies reporting anti-neuroinflammatory properties of autophagy. We also briefly discussed a few studies showing that autophagy modulators activate neuroinflammation in certain conditions. Results: Recent studies report neuroprotective as well as anti-neuroinflammatory effects of autophagic modulators. We discuss the possible underlying mechanisms of action of these drugs and their potential limitations as therapeutic agents against neurological disorders. Conclusion: Autophagy activators are promising compounds for the treatment of neurological disorders involving neuroinflammation.

scholarly journals From Micro to Long: Non-Coding RNAs in Tamoxifen Resistance of Breast Cancer Cells

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 3688
Author(s):  
Jéssica Fernanda Barazetti ◽  
Tayana Shultz Jucoski ◽  
Tamyres Mingorance Carvalho ◽  
Rafaela Nasser Veiga ◽  
Ana Flávia Kohler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Hormone Receptor ◽  
Estrogen Receptor Alpha ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Tamoxifen Resistance ◽  
Hormone Receptor Positive ◽  
Current State ◽  
Main Driver ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Multiple Signaling

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer mortality among women. Two thirds of patients are classified as hormone receptor positive, based on expression of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), the main driver of breast cancer cell proliferation, and/or progesterone receptor, which is regulated by ERα. Despite presenting the best prognosis, these tumors can recur when patients acquire resistance to treatment by aromatase inhibitors or antiestrogen such as tamoxifen (Tam). The mechanisms that are involved in Tam resistance are complex and involve multiple signaling pathways. Recently, roles for microRNAs and lncRNAs in controlling ER expression and/or tamoxifen action have been described, but the underlying mechanisms are still little explored. In this review, we will discuss the current state of knowledge on the roles of microRNAs and lncRNAs in the main mechanisms of tamoxifen resistance in hormone receptor positive breast cancer. In the future, this knowledge can be used to identify patients at a greater risk of relapse due to the expression patterns of ncRNAs that impact response to Tam, in order to guide their treatment more efficiently and possibly to design therapeutic strategies to bypass mechanisms of resistance.

scholarly journals Transcriptomal dissection of soybean circadian rhythmicity in two geographically, phenotypically and genetically distinct cultivars

BMC Genomics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanlei Yue ◽  
Ze Jiang ◽  
Enoch Sapey ◽  
Tingting Wu ◽  
Shi Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Circadian Clock ◽  
Chromosome Structure ◽  
Clock Genes ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Circadian Rhythmicity ◽  
Rna Seq ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Time Points ◽  
Circadian Clock Genes

Abstract Background In soybean, some circadian clock genes have been identified as loci for maturity traits. However, the effects of these genes on soybean circadian rhythmicity and their impacts on maturity are unclear. Results We used two geographically, phenotypically and genetically distinct cultivars, conventional juvenile Zhonghuang 24 (with functional J/GmELF3a, a homolog of the circadian clock indispensable component EARLY FLOWERING 3) and long juvenile Huaxia 3 (with dysfunctional j/Gmelf3a) to dissect the soybean circadian clock with time-series transcriptomal RNA-Seq analysis of unifoliate leaves on a day scale. The results showed that several known circadian clock components, including RVE1, GI, LUX and TOC1, phase differently in soybean than in Arabidopsis, demonstrating that the soybean circadian clock is obviously different from the canonical model in Arabidopsis. In contrast to the observation that ELF3 dysfunction results in clock arrhythmia in Arabidopsis, the circadian clock is conserved in soybean regardless of the functional status of J/GmELF3a. Soybean exhibits a circadian rhythmicity in both gene expression and alternative splicing. Genes can be grouped into six clusters, C1-C6, with different expression profiles. Many more genes are grouped into the night clusters (C4-C6) than in the day cluster (C2), showing that night is essential for gene expression and regulation. Moreover, soybean chromosomes are activated with a circadian rhythmicity, indicating that high-order chromosome structure might impact circadian rhythmicity. Interestingly, night time points were clustered in one group, while day time points were separated into two groups, morning and afternoon, demonstrating that morning and afternoon are representative of different environments for soybean growth and development. However, no genes were consistently differentially expressed over different time-points, indicating that it is necessary to perform a circadian rhythmicity analysis to more thoroughly dissect the function of a gene. Moreover, the analysis of the circadian rhythmicity of the GmFT family showed that GmELF3a might phase- and amplitude-modulate the GmFT family to regulate the juvenility and maturity traits of soybean. Conclusions These results and the resultant RNA-seq data should be helpful in understanding the soybean circadian clock and elucidating the connection between the circadian clock and soybean maturity.

scholarly journals Role of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) in Human Embryo Implantation: Clinical Implications

Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 253
Author(s):  
Xi Guo ◽  
Hong Yi ◽  
Tin Chiu Li ◽  
Yu Wang ◽  
Huilin Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Recurrent Miscarriage ◽  
Embryo Implantation ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Angiogenic Factor ◽  
Vascular Endothelial ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Endothelial Growth Factor

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a well-known angiogenic factor that plays a critical role in various physiological and pathological processes. VEGF also contributes to the process of embryo implantation by enhancing embryo development, improving endometrial receptivity, and facilitating the interactions between the developing embryo and the endometrium. There is a correlation between the alteration of VEGF expression and reproductive failure, including recurrent implantation failure (RIF) and recurrent miscarriage (RM). In order to clarify the role of VEGF in embryo implantation, we reviewed recent literature concerning the expression and function of VEGF in the reproductive system around the time of embryo implantation and we provide a summary of the findings reported so far. We also explored the effects and the possible underlying mechanisms of action of VEGF in embryo implantation.

Circadian clock genes as promising therapeutic targets for autoimmune diseases

2021 ◽  
pp. 102866
Author(s):  
Kun Xiang ◽  
Zhiwei Xu ◽  
Yu-Qian Hu ◽  
Yi-Sheng He ◽  
Guo-Cui Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autoimmune Diseases ◽  
Circadian Clock ◽  
Clock Genes ◽  
Therapeutic Targets ◽  
Circadian Clock Genes

scholarly journals Seasonal changes in water quality and macrophytes and the impact of cattle on tropical floodplain waterholes

2012 ◽  
Vol 63 (9) ◽  
pp. 788 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. E. Pettit ◽  
T. D. Jardine ◽  
S. K. Hamilton ◽  
V. Sinnamon ◽  
D. Valdez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Seasonal Changes ◽  
Aquatic Macrophyte ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Dry Tropics ◽  
The Impact

The present study indicates the critical role of hydrologic connectivity in floodplain waterholes in the wet–dry tropics of northern Australia. These waterbodies provide dry-season refugia for plants and animals, are a hotspot of productivity, and are a critical part in the subsistence economy of many remote Aboriginal communities. We examined seasonal changes in water quality and aquatic plant cover of floodplain waterholes, and related changes to variation of waterhole depth and visitation by livestock. The waterholes showed declining water quality through the dry season, which was exacerbated by more frequent cattle usage as conditions became progressively drier, which also increased turbidity and nutrient concentrations. Aquatic macrophyte biomass was highest in the early dry season, and declined as the dry season progressed. Remaining macrophytes were flushed out by the first wet-season flows, although they quickly re-establish later during the wet season. Waterholes of greater depth were more resistant to the effects of cattle disturbance, and seasonal flushing of the waterholes with wet-season flooding homogenised the water quality and increased plant cover of previously disparate waterholes. Therefore, maintaining high levels of connectivity between the river and its floodplain is vital for the persistence of these waterholes.

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