We have characterized the transduction of mouse somatosensory cortical neuron types by recombinant AAV pseudotyped with serotype 1 capsid selleck products (rAAV2/1) and by recombinant lentivirus pseudotyped with the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) glycoprotein. Both vectors used human synapsin (hSyn) promoter driving DsRed-Express. We demonstrate that high titer rAAV2/1-hSyn efficiently transduces
both cortical excitatory and inhibitory neuronal populations, but use of lower titers exposes a strong preference for transduction of cortical inhibitory neurons and layer 5 pyramidal neurons. In contrast, we find that VSV-G-LV-hSyn principally labels excitatory cortical neurons at the highest viral titer generated. These findings demonstrate that endogenous tropism of rAAV2/1 and 8-Bromo-cAMP nmr VSV-G-LV can be used to obtain preferential gene expression in mouse somatosensory cortical inhibitory and excitatory neuron populations, respectively. (C) 2009 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Trisomy of human chromosome 21 (Hsa 21) causes the pathological characteristics of Down syndrome (DS). Little is known about the mechanisms by which trisomy 21 affects the expression of genes on
other chromosomes. Using a mouse model of DS, the Ts65Dn mouse, we have performed mRNA and protein measurements to identify genes on chromosomes not syntenic with Hsa 21 whose expression
is affected by the presence of three copies of genes between loci MrpI39 and Znf295 on mouse chromosome 16 (Mmu 16). We report the upregulation of beta-catenin, located on mouse chromosome 9 (Mmu 9) in Ts65Dn brain. Using immunocytochemistry on Ts65Dn and control mouse brain tissue, we observed a striking increase in beta-catenin expression selleck specifically in the endothelial cells lining the cerebral blood vessels of the Ts65Dn mice. Since beta-catenin is involved in cell-cell adhesion, upregulation of this protein in DS may alter adherens protein interactions that are involved in the normal functions of endothelial cells. Elevated beta-catenin might be responsible for altered endothelial cell function/s leading to the impairment of brachial flow velocity observed in DS. (C) 2009 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“In the hamster brainstem estrogen receptor-alpha-immunoreactive neurons (ER-alpha-IR) are present in the nucleus para-retroambiguus (NPRA), located in the caudal ventrolateral medulla (CVLM) ventrolaterally to the nucleus retroambiguus (NRA). NPRA neurons project mainly to the thoracic and upper lumbar cord and are probably involved in the autonomic adaptations during the estrous cycle. The periaqueductal gray (PAG), projecting to the CVLM, also contains ER-alpha-IR neurons.