Neurobiology

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne C. von Philipsborn
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Behavioral Ecology ◽  
Common Ground ◽  
Comparative Anatomy ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Comparative Approach ◽  
Neuronal Circuits ◽  
Behavioral Adaptations ◽  
Behavioral Neurobiology ◽  
Recent Developments

Behavioral neurobiology aims at explaining behavior at the level of neurons and neuronal circuits, based on linking comparative anatomy, and the observation and manipulation of nervous system activity with animal behavior. The numerical simplicity and the presence of identified neurons in insect nervous systems make them outstanding model systems for neurobiology. The insect nervous system has a common ground plan with functionally specialized regions for sensory processing, integration, and motor control. In holometabolous species, the nervous system is restructured during metamorphosis to support new behavior. Different forms of plasticity allow for behavioral adaptations in the adult stage. Neuronal circuits for behavior in Drosophila melanogaster can be effectively analysed with genetic tools, as exemplified for courtship and mating behavior. Recent developments in connectomics and genome editing are expected to further behavioral neurobiology in a broad range of species and permit a comprehensive comparative approach to the neurobiology of behavioral ecology.

scholarly journals Molecular Modeling of Histamine Receptors—Recent Advances in Drug Discovery

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1778
Author(s):  
Pakhuri Mehta ◽  
Przemysław Miszta ◽  
Sławomir Filipek
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Molecular Modeling ◽  
Molecular Targets ◽  
Histamine Receptors ◽  
Experimental Characterization ◽  
Complex Disorders ◽  
Theoretical Investigations ◽  
Recent Developments

The recent developments of fast reliable docking, virtual screening and other algorithms gave rise to discovery of many novel ligands of histamine receptors that could be used for treatment of allergic inflammatory disorders, central nervous system pathologies, pain, cancer and obesity. Furthermore, the pharmacological profiles of ligands clearly indicate that these receptors may be considered as targets not only for selective but also for multi-target drugs that could be used for treatment of complex disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, analysis of protein-ligand recognition in the binding site of histamine receptors and also other molecular targets has become a valuable tool in drug design toolkit. This review covers the period 2014–2020 in the field of theoretical investigations of histamine receptors mostly based on molecular modeling as well as the experimental characterization of novel ligands of these receptors.

scholarly journals Neurotoxicity in Marine Invertebrates: An Update

Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 161
Author(s):  
Irene Deidda ◽  
Roberta Russo ◽  
Rosa Bonaventura ◽  
Caterina Costa ◽  
Francesca Zito ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Marine Invertebrates ◽  
Marine Pollution ◽  
Marine Invertebrate ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Neural Genes ◽  
Chemical Agents ◽  
Neurotoxic Effects ◽  
Invertebrate Model

Invertebrates represent about 95% of existing species, and most of them belong to aquatic ecosystems. Marine invertebrates are found at intermediate levels of the food chain and, therefore, they play a central role in the biodiversity of ecosystems. Furthermore, these organisms have a short life cycle, easy laboratory manipulation, and high sensitivity to marine pollution and, therefore, they are considered to be optimal bioindicators for assessing detrimental chemical agents that are related to the marine environment and with potential toxicity to human health, including neurotoxicity. In general, albeit simple, the nervous system of marine invertebrates is composed of neuronal and glial cells, and it exhibits biochemical and functional similarities with the vertebrate nervous system, including humans. In recent decades, new genetic and transcriptomic technologies have made the identification of many neural genes and transcription factors homologous to those in humans possible. Neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and altered levels of neurotransmitters are some of the aspects of neurotoxic effects that can also occur in marine invertebrate organisms. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of major marine pollutants, such as heavy metals, pesticides, and micro and nano-plastics, with a focus on their neurotoxic effects in marine invertebrate organisms. This review could be a stimulus to bio-research towards the use of invertebrate model systems other than traditional, ethically questionable, time-consuming, and highly expensive mammalian models.

Behavioral Endocrinology: Integrating Mind and Body

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-110
Author(s):  
Peter T. Ellison
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Steroid Hormones ◽  
Behavioral Ecology ◽  
Endocrine System ◽  
Behavioral Endocrinology ◽  
Paternal Behavior ◽  
Mind And Body ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Primary Focus

Abstract The nervous system and the endocrine system interact to integrate behavior and physiology. Hormones play an important role in this interaction, particularly steroid hormones. Other molecules, notably oxytocin, can serve both as hormones in the soma and neuromodulators in the central nervous system. Understanding the influence of the endocrine system on human behavior, both individual and social, has been a primary focus of behavioral endocrinology for many decades, though technical and methodological challenges have been formidable. The recent enthusiasm for enzyme-linked immunoassay kits for measuring steroid hormones in saliva has been found to be largely unsound, for example. Despite these difficulties, advances in many areas have been made and new areas, such as the endocrinology of paternal behavior and the role of oxytocin in social interactions, have emerged. Reproductive ecology provides a theoretical framework for integrating the diverse content of human behavioral ecology.

scholarly journals COVID-19 and anosmia: The story so far

2021 ◽  
pp. 014556132110489
Author(s):  
Xiangming Meng ◽  
Yuandan Pan
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Olfactory Epithelium ◽  
Underlying Disease ◽  
Predictive Tool ◽  
Olfactory Testing ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Smoking Behaviors ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Underlying Diseases

Objectives The pandemic has affected over 182 million coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases worldwide. Accumulated evidence indicates that anosmia is one of the significant characteristics of COVID-19 with a high prevalence. However, many aspects of COVID-19-induced anosmia are still far from being fully understood. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent developments in COVID-19-induced anosmia to increase awareness of the condition. Methods A literature search was carried out using the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus. We reviewed the latest literature on COVID-19-induced anosmia, including mechanisms of pathogenesis, olfactory testing, anosmia as predictive tool, pathological examinations, imaging findings, affected factors, co-existing diseases, treatments, prognosis, hypothesis theories, and future directions. Results The possible pathogenesis of COVID-19-induced anosmia may involve inflammation of the olfactory clefts and damage to the olfactory epithelium or olfactory central nervous system by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The D614G spike variant may also play a role in the increased number of anosmia patients. Anosmia may also be an essential indicator of COVID-19 spread and an early indicator of the effectiveness of political decisions. The occurrence and development of COVID-19-induced anosmia may be influenced by smoking behaviors and underlying diseases such as type 2 diabetes, gastroesophageal disorders, and rhinitis. Most patients with COVID-19-induced anosmia can fully or partially recover their olfactory function for varying durations. COVID-19-induced anosmia can be treated with various approaches such as glucocorticoids and olfactory training. Conclusion Anosmia is one of the main features of COVID-19 and the underlying disease of the patient may also influence its occurrence and development. The possible pathogenesis of COVID-19-induced anosmia is very complicated, which may involve inflammation of the olfactory clefts and damage to the olfactory epithelium or olfactory central nervous system.

scholarly journals Testing Host-Plant Driven Speciation in Phytophagous Insects: A Phylogenetic Perspective

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuelle Jousselin ◽  
Marianne Elias
Keyword(s):  
Host Plant ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Evolutionary Process ◽  
Niche Differentiation ◽  
Ecological Speciation ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Phytophagous Insects ◽  
Ecological Specialization ◽  
Recent Developments

During the last two decades, ecological speciation has been a major research theme in evolutionary biology. Ecological speciation occurs when reproductive isolation between populations evolves as a result of niche differentiation. Phytophagous insects represent model systems for the study of this evolutionary process. The host-plants on which these insects feed and often spend parts of their life cycle constitute ideal agents of divergent selection for these organisms. Adaptation to feeding on different host-plant species can potentially lead to ecological specialization of populations and subsequent speciation. This process is thought to have given birth to the astonishing diversity of phytophagous insects and is often put forward in macroevolutionary scenarios of insect diversification. Consequently, numerous phylogenetic studies on phytophagous insects have aimed at testing whether speciation driven by host-plant adaptation is the main pathway for the diversification of the groups under investigation. The increasing availability of comprehensive and well-resolved phylogenies and the recent developments in phylogenetic comparative methods are offering an unprecedented opportunity to test hypotheses on insect diversification at a macroevolutionary scale, in a robust phylogenetic framework. Our purpose here is to review the contribution of phylogenetic analyses to investigate the importance of plant-mediated speciation in the diversification of phytophagous insects and to present suggestions for future developments in this field.

Development of the Nervous System of Invertebrates

2018 ◽  
pp. 70-122
Author(s):  
Volker Hartenstein
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Molecular Genetic ◽  
Early Embryo ◽  
Nerve Fibers ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Animal Phyla ◽  
Invertebrate Animals ◽  
Genetic Mechanisms ◽  
And Migration ◽  
Complex Architecture

The complex architecture of the nervous system is the result of a stereotyped pattern of proliferation and migration of neural progenitors in the early embryo, followed by the outgrowth of nerve fibers along rigidly controlled pathways, and the formation of synaptic connections between specific neurons during later stages. Detailed studies of these events in several experimentally amenable model systems indicated that many of the genetic mechanisms involved are highly conserved. This realization, in conjunction with new molecular-genetic techniques, has led to a surge in comparative neurodevelopmental research covering a wide variety of animal phyla over the past two decades. This chapter attempts to provide an overview of the diverse neural architectures that one encounters among invertebrate animals, and the developmental steps shaping these architectures.

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