Membrane protein PEAR1 prevents the development of metastases
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Zap-and-freeze’ technique used to watch human brain cell communication
For the new study, the researchers used samples from the brains of normal mice as well as living cortical brain tissue sampled with permission from six individuals undergoing surgical treatment for epilepsy. The surgical procedures were medically necessary to remove lesions from the brain’s hippocampus.
The researchers first validated the zap-and-freeze approach by observing calcium signaling, a process that triggers neurons to release neurotransmitters in living mouse brain tissues.
Next, the scientists stimulated neurons in mouse brain tissue with the zap-and-freeze approach and observed where synaptic vesicles fuse with brain cell membranes and then release chemicals called neurotransmitters that reach other brain cells. The scientists then observed how mouse brain cells recycle synaptic vesicles after they are used for neuronal communication, a process known as endocytosis that allows material to be taken up by neurons.
The researchers then applied the zap-and-freeze technique to brain tissue samples from people with epilepsy, and observed the same synaptic vesicle recycling pathway operating in human neurons.
In both mouse and human brain samples, the protein Dynamin1xA, which is essential for ultrafast synaptic membrane recycling, was present where endocytosis is thought to occur on the membrane of the synapse.
“Our findings indicate that the molecular mechanism of ultrafast endocytosis is conserved between mice and human brain tissues,” the author says, suggesting that the investigations in these models are valuable for understanding human biology.
CAR-T cell therapy for cancer causes ‘brain fog,’ Stanford Medicine-led study shows
Cancer treatment with a cell-based immunotherapy causes mild cognitive impairment, a Stanford Medicine team found. They also identified compounds that could treat it.
Comparative analysis of human and mouse ovaries across age
The mouse is a tractable model for human ovarian biology; however, its utility is limited by incomplete understanding of how transcription and signaling differ interspecifically and with age. We compared ovaries between species using three-dimensional imaging, single-cell transcriptomics, and functional studies. In mice, we mapped declining follicle numbers and oocyte competence during aging; in human ovaries, we identified cortical follicle pockets and decreases in density. Oocytes had species-specific gene expression patterns during growth that converged toward maturity. Age-related transcriptional changes were greater in oocytes than in granulosa cells across species, although mature oocytes change more in humans. We identified ovarian sympathetic nerves and glia; axon density increased in aged ovaries and, when ablated in mice, perturbed folliculogenesis.
Earliest Light in the Universe Reveals New Surprises (CMB Updates)
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