Functional Internal Complexity of Amygdala: Focus on Gene Activity Mapping After Behavioral Training and Drugs of Abuse

The amygdala is a heterogeneous brain structure implicated in processing of emotions and storing the emotional aspects of memories. Gene activity markers such as c-Fos have been shown to reflect both neuronal activation and neuronal plasticity. Herein, we analyze the expression patterns of gene activity markers in the amygdala in response to either behavioral training or treatment with drugs of abuse and then we confront the results with data on other approaches to internal complexity of the amygdala. c-Fos has been the most often studied in the amygdala, showing specific expression patterns in response to various treatments, most probably reflecting functional specializations among amygdala subdivisions. In the basolateral amygdala, c-Fos expression appears to be consistent with the proposed role of this nucleus in a plasticity of the current stimulus-value associations. Within the medial part of the central amygdala, c-Fos correlates with acquisition of alimentary/gustatory behaviors. On the other hand, in the lateral subdivision of the central amygdala, c-Fos expression relates to attention and vigilance. In the medial amygdala, c-Fos appears to be evoked by emotional novelty of the experimental situation. The data on the other major subdivisions of the amygdala are scarce. In conclusion, the studies on the gene activity markers, confronted with other approaches involving neuroanatomy, physiology, and the lesion method, have revealed novel aspects of the amygdala, especially pointing to functional heterogeneity of this brain region that does not fit very well into contemporarily active debate on serial versus parallel information processing within the amygdala.

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Tissue-specific expression patterns of nuclear receptors

NURSA Datasets ◽

10.1621/datasets.02001 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

AL Bookout ◽

Y Jeong ◽

M Downes ◽

RT Yu ◽

RM Evans ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nuclear Receptors ◽

Expression Patterns ◽

Specific Expression ◽

Tissue Specific ◽

Tissue Specific Expression

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of Three-dimensional macronutrient-associated Fos expression patterns in the mouse brainstem.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.10928956.11861054 ◽

2011 ◽

Author(s):

Thomas Finger ◽

Jennifer Stratford

Keyword(s):

Expression Patterns ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Fos Expression

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Effect of pretreatment with intracerebroventricular injection of minocycline on morphine‐induced memory impairment in passive avoidance test: Role of P‐ CREB and c‐Fos expression in the dorsal hippocampus and basolateral amygdala regions

Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology ◽

10.1111/1440-1681.13090 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 46 (8) ◽

pp. 711-722 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Shokouh Hamidkhaniha ◽

Hamideh Bashiri ◽

Ameneh Omidi ◽

Ali Hosseini‐Chegeni ◽

Seyed Mohammad Tavangar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Passive Avoidance ◽

Memory Impairment ◽

Basolateral Amygdala ◽

Dorsal Hippocampus ◽

Passive Avoidance Test ◽

Intracerebroventricular Injection ◽

Avoidance Test ◽

Fos Expression

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Overexpression of the Oral Mucosa-Specific microRNA-31 Promotes Skin Wound Closure

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms20153679 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (15) ◽

pp. 3679 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Lin Chen ◽

Alyne Simões ◽

Zujian Chen ◽

Yan Zhao ◽

Xinming Wu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Wound Healing ◽

Oral Mucosa ◽

Wound Closure ◽

Expression Patterns ◽

Skin Wound ◽

Skin Wound Healing ◽

Specific Expression ◽

Keratinocyte Proliferation

Wounds within the oral mucosa are known to heal more rapidly than skin wounds. Recent studies suggest that differences in the microRNAome profiles may underlie the exceptional healing that occurs in oral mucosa. Here, we test whether skin wound-healing can be accelerating by increasing the levels of oral mucosa-specific microRNAs. A panel of 57 differentially expressed high expresser microRNAs were identified based on our previously published miR-seq dataset of paired skin and oral mucosal wound-healing [Sci. Rep. (2019) 9:7160]. These microRNAs were further grouped into 5 clusters based on their expression patterns, and their differential expression was confirmed by TaqMan-based quantification of LCM-captured epithelial cells from the wound edges. Of these 5 clusters, Cluster IV (consisting of 8 microRNAs, including miR-31) is most intriguing due to its tissue-specific expression pattern and temporal changes during wound-healing. The in vitro functional assays show that ectopic transfection of miR-31 consistently enhanced keratinocyte proliferation and migration. In vivo, miR-31 mimic treatment led to a statistically significant acceleration of wound closure. Our results demonstrate that wound-healing can be enhanced in skin through the overexpression of microRNAs that are highly expressed in the privileged healing response of the oral mucosa.

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Longitudinal stability of urinary extracellular vesicle protein patterns within and between individuals

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-95082-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Leyla A. Erozenci ◽

Sander R. Piersma ◽

Thang V. Pham ◽

Irene V. Bijnsdorp ◽

Connie R. Jimenez

Keyword(s):

Expression Patterns ◽

Interaction Network ◽

Extracellular Vesicle ◽

Protein Signaling ◽

Protein Patterns ◽

Specific Expression ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Data Independent Acquisition ◽

Time Period ◽

Using Data

AbstractThe protein content of urinary extracellular vesicles (EVs) is considered to be an attractive non-invasive biomarker source. However, little is known about the consistency and variability of urinary EV proteins within and between individuals over a longer time-period. Here, we evaluated the stability of the urinary EV proteomes of 8 healthy individuals at 9 timepoints over 6 months using data-independent-acquisition mass spectrometry. The 1802 identified proteins had a high correlation amongst all samples, with 40% of the proteome detected in every sample and 90% detected in more than 1 individual at all timepoints. Unsupervised analysis of top 10% most variable proteins yielded person-specific profiles. The core EV-protein-interaction network of 516 proteins detected in all measured samples revealed sub-clusters involved in the biological processes of G-protein signaling, cytoskeletal transport, cellular energy metabolism and immunity. Furthermore, gender-specific expression patterns were detected in the urinary EV proteome. Our findings indicate that the urinary EV proteome is stable in longitudinal samples of healthy subjects over a prolonged time-period, further underscoring its potential for reliable non-invasive diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers.

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Longitudinal Expression of Testicular TAS1R3 from Prepuberty to Sexual Maturity in Congjiang Xiang Pigs

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11020437 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 437

Author(s):

Ting Gong ◽

Weiyong Wang ◽

Houqiang Xu ◽

Yi Yang ◽

Xiang Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sexual Maturity ◽

Cell Function ◽

Expression Patterns ◽

Taste Receptor ◽

Receptor Type ◽

Mrna Levels ◽

Early Puberty ◽

Specific Expression

Testicular expression of taste receptor type 1 subunit 3 (T1R3), a sweet/umami taste receptor, has been implicated in spermatogenesis and steroidogenesis in mice. We explored the role of testicular T1R3 in porcine postnatal development using the Congjiang Xiang pig, a rare Chinese miniature pig breed. Based on testicular weights, morphology, and testosterone levels, four key developmental stages were identified in the pig at postnatal days 15–180 (prepuberty: 30 day; early puberty: 60 day; late puberty: 90 day; sexual maturity: 120 day). During development, testicular T1R3 exhibited stage-dependent and cell-specific expression patterns. In particular, T1R3 levels increased significantly from prepuberty to puberty (p < 0.05), and expression remained high until sexual maturity (p < 0.05), similar to results for phospholipase Cβ2 (PLCβ2). The strong expressions of T1R3/PLCβ2 were observed at the cytoplasm of elongating/elongated spermatids and Leydig cells. In the eight-stage cycle of the seminiferous epithelium in pigs, T1R3/PLCβ2 levels were higher in the spermatogenic epithelium at stages II–VI than at the other stages, and the strong expressions were detected in elongating/elongated spermatids and residual bodies. The message RNA (mRNA) levels of taste receptor type 1 subunit 1 (T1R1) in the testis showed a similar trend to levels of T1R3. These data indicate a possible role of T1R3 in the regulation of spermatid differentiation and Leydig cell function.

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Identification and Expression Analysis of the Genes Involved in the Raffinose Family Oligosaccharides Pathway of Phaseolus vulgaris and Glycine max

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants10071465 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 1465

Author(s):

Ramon de Koning ◽

Raphaël Kiekens ◽

Mary Esther Muyoka Toili ◽

Geert Angenon

Keyword(s):

Common Bean ◽

Seed Development ◽

Expression Analysis ◽

De Novo ◽

Expression Patterns ◽

Gene Families ◽

Rna Seq ◽

Raffinose Family Oligosaccharides ◽

Specific Expression ◽

Raffinose Synthase

Raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFO) play an important role in plants but are also considered to be antinutritional factors. A profound understanding of the galactinol and RFO biosynthetic gene families and the expression patterns of the individual genes is a prerequisite for the sustainable reduction of the RFO content in the seeds, without compromising normal plant development and functioning. In this paper, an overview of the annotation and genetic structure of all galactinol- and RFO biosynthesis genes is given for soybean and common bean. In common bean, three galactinol synthase genes, two raffinose synthase genes and one stachyose synthase gene were identified for the first time. To discover the expression patterns of these genes in different tissues, two expression atlases have been created through re-analysis of publicly available RNA-seq data. De novo expression analysis through an RNA-seq study during seed development of three varieties of common bean gave more insight into the expression patterns of these genes during the seed development. The results of the expression analysis suggest that different classes of galactinol- and RFO synthase genes have tissue-specific expression patterns in soybean and common bean. With the obtained knowledge, important galactinol- and RFO synthase genes that specifically play a key role in the accumulation of RFOs in the seeds are identified. These candidate genes may play a pivotal role in reducing the RFO content in the seeds of important legumes which could improve the nutritional quality of these beans and would solve the discomforts associated with their consumption.

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miRNA Expression Characterizes Histological Subtypes and Metastasis in Penile Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13061480 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 1480

Author(s):

Hiresh Ayoubian ◽

Joana Heinzelmann ◽

Sebastian Hölters ◽

Oybek Khalmurzaev ◽

Alexey Pryalukhin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Microarray Data ◽

Expression Patterns ◽

Hpv Infection ◽

Differentially Expressed ◽

Histological Subtypes ◽

Specific Expression ◽

Tissue Samples ◽

Qrt Pcr ◽

Differentially Expressed Mirnas ◽

The Impact

Although microRNAs are described as promising biomarkers in many tumor types, little is known about their role in PSCC. Thus, we attempted to identify miRNAs involved in tumor development and metastasis in distinct histological subtypes considering the impact of HPV infection. In a first step, microarray analyses were performed on RNA from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor (22), and normal (8) tissue samples. Microarray data were validated for selected miRNAs by qRT-PCR on an enlarged cohort, including 27 tumor and 18 normal tissues. We found 876 significantly differentially expressed miRNAs (p ≤ 0.01) between HPV-positive and HPV-negative tumor samples by microarray analysis. Although no significant differences were detected between normal and tumor tissue in the whole cohort, specific expression patterns occurred in distinct histological subtypes, such as HPV-negative usual PSCC (95 differentially expressed miRNAs, p ≤ 0.05) and HPV-positive basaloid/warty subtypes (247 differentially expressed miRNAs, p ≤ 0.05). Selected miRNAs were confirmed by qRT-PCR. Furthermore, microarray data revealed 118 miRNAs (p ≤ 0.01) that were significantly differentially expressed in metastatic versus non-metastatic usual PSCC. The lower expression levels for miR-137 and miR-328-3p in metastatic usual PSCC were validated by qRT-PCR. The results of this study confirmed that specific miRNAs could serve as potential diagnostic and prognostic markers in single PSCC subtypes and are associated with HPV-dependent pathways.

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The transferability of handwriting skills: from the Cyrillic to the Latin alphabet

npj Science of Learning ◽

10.1038/s41539-021-00084-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Thibault Asselborn ◽

Wafa Johal ◽

Bolat Tleubayev ◽

Zhanel Zhexenova ◽

Pierre Dillenbourg ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Experimental Situation ◽

Recent Change ◽

The Other ◽

Fine Motor ◽

Skills Transfer ◽

Short Text ◽

Latin Script ◽

Quasi Experimental ◽

Cross Lingual

AbstractDo handwriting skills transfer when a child writes in two different scripts, such as the Latin and Cyrillic alphabets? Are our measures of handwriting skills intrinsically bound to one alphabet or will a child who faces handwriting difficulties in one script experience similar difficulties in the other script? To answer these questions, 190 children from grades 1–4 were asked to copy a short text using both the Cyrillic and Latin alphabets on a digital tablet. A recent change of policy in Kazakhstan gave us an opportunity to measure transfer, as the Latin-based Kazakh alphabet has not yet been introduced. Therefore, pupils in grade 1 had a 6-months experience in Cyrillic, and pupils in grades 2, 3, and 4 had 1.5, 2.5, and 3.5 years of experience in Cyrillic, respectively. This unique situation created a quasi-experimental situation that allowed us to measure the influence of the number of years spent practicing Cyrillic on the quality of handwriting in the Latin alphabet. The results showed that some of the differences between the two scripts were constant across all grades. These differences thus reflect the intrinsic differences in the handwriting dynamics between the two alphabets. For instance, several features related to the pen pressure on the tablet are quite different. Other features, however, revealed decreasing differences between the two scripts across grades. While we found that the quality of Cyrillic writing increased from grades 1–4, due to increased practice, we also found that the quality of the Latin writing increased as well, despite the fact that all of the pupils had the same absence of experience in writing in Latin. We can therefore interpret this improvement in Latin script as an indicator of the transfer of fine motor control skills from Cyrillic to Latin. This result is especially surprising given that one could instead hypothesize a negative transfer, i.e., that the finger controls automated for one alphabet would interfere with those required by the other alphabet. One interesting side-effect of these findings is that the algorithms that we developed for the diagnosis of handwriting difficulties among French-speaking children could be relevant for other alphabets, paving the way for the creation of a cross-lingual model for the detection of handwriting difficulties.

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