The genus Sinocyclocheilus (golden-line barbel) includes 25species of cave-dwelling blind fish (cavefish)and more than 30 surface-dwelling species with normal vision.Cave environments are dark and generally nutrient-p...The genus Sinocyclocheilus (golden-line barbel) includes 25species of cave-dwelling blind fish (cavefish)and more than 30 surface-dwelling species with normal vision.Cave environments are dark and generally nutrient-poor with few predators.Cavefish of several genera evolved convergent morphological adaptations in visual,pigmentation,brain,olfactory,and digestive systems. We compared brain morphology and gene expression patterns in a cavefish Sinocyclocheilus anophthalmus with those of a closely related surface-dwelling species S.angustiporus.Results showed that cavefish have a longer olfactory tract and a much smaller optic tectum than surface fish.Transcriptomics by RNA-seq revealed that many genes upregulated in cavefish are related to lysosomes and the degradation and metabolism of proteins,amino acids,and lipids.Genes down- regulated in cavefish tended to involve "activation of gene expression in cholesterol biosynthesis" and cholesterol degradation in the brain.Genes encoding Srebfs (sterol regulatory element- binding transcription factors)and Srebf targets,including enzymes in cholesterol synthesis,were downregulated in cavefish brains compared with surface fish brains.The gene encoding Cyp46a1, which eliminates cholesterol from the brain,was also downregulated in cavefish brains,while the total level of cholesterol in the brain remained unchanged.Cavefish brains misexpressed several genes encoding proteins in the hypothalamus-pituitary axis,including Trh,Sst,Crh,Pomc,and Mc4r.These results suggest that the rate of lipid biosynthesis and breakdown may both be depressed in golden-line cavefish brains but that the lysosome recycling rate may be increased in cavefish;properties that might be related to differences in nutrient availability in caves.展开更多
Using the blind patch-clamp technique with the whole-cell mode, we have studied the modulation of pre-synaptic receptor on postsynaptic g-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor measuring miniature inhibitory postsy-naptic ...Using the blind patch-clamp technique with the whole-cell mode, we have studied the modulation of pre-synaptic receptor on postsynaptic g-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor measuring miniature inhibitory postsy-naptic currents (mIPSCs) in optic tectum of Xenopus during critical peroid. It was demonstrated that compared with mature neurons, mIPSCs recorded from immature neurons had smaller amplitude and longer decay time. mIPSCs are mediated by GABAa receptor. The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonists (carbachol, cytisine, nicotine, DMPP and so on) could increase the frequency of mIPSCs. The enhance-ment of mIPSCs frequency induced by nAChR agonists was calcium-dependent. However, the choline, a product of hy-drolyzed acetylcholine, could not increase the frequency of mIPSCs. DH-b-E, a competitive antagonist of nAChR, blocked the increase of mIPSCs frequency induced by car-bachol. Mecamyllamine, an a3b4 subtype of nAChR antago-nist, also blocked the carbachol-induced enhancement of mIPSCs. On the other hand, MLA, a7 subtype of nAChR antagonist, had no effect on it. Thus, it seems that nAChR could presynaptically modulate the mIPSCs and a3b4 sub-type of nAChR might be involved. But a7 nAChR subtype of nAChR would not be involved. The modulation is calcium- dependent. Meanwhile, we found that Ca2+-free solution could elicit giant PSCs. The frequency of mIPSCs also is related with the level of HP.展开更多
研究了鸽子视顶盖神经元对颜色信息的编码机制并解码了三种颜色刺激。首先,针对鸽子视网膜四种类型敏感细胞设计了红、绿、蓝三种色块刺激模式。然后,对视觉实验采集到的神经元响应信号绘制其刺激后时间直方图(peri-stimulus time histo...研究了鸽子视顶盖神经元对颜色信息的编码机制并解码了三种颜色刺激。首先,针对鸽子视网膜四种类型敏感细胞设计了红、绿、蓝三种色块刺激模式。然后,对视觉实验采集到的神经元响应信号绘制其刺激后时间直方图(peri-stimulus time histogram,PSTH)。确定出神经元有效响应区间后发现,视顶盖神经元以集群的方式对颜色信息进行编码,对于不同的顶盖神经元,三种色块刺激的PSTH曲线存在不同的响应规律;对于同一个顶盖神经元,多次实验下三种色块刺激的PSTH曲线有着近乎一致的规律。最后,分别采用主成分分析法(primary component analysis,PCA)和等度规映射法(isometric mapping,ISOMAP)对集群特征进行降维,采用概率型神经网络(probabilistic neural network,PNN)对三种色块进行解码,结果表明,不同的特征降维方法,都具有较高的识别率,再次验证了鸽子视顶盖神经元是以集群的方式对颜色信息进行编码。展开更多
Objective Electrophysiological examination of the ipsilateral pretectotectal projection has proved that pretectal cells elicit strong suppressive responses to the ipsilateral tectum.However,the neural mechanisms under...Objective Electrophysiological examination of the ipsilateral pretectotectal projection has proved that pretectal cells elicit strong suppressive responses to the ipsilateral tectum.However,the neural mechanisms underlying the contralateral pretectotectal prejection are still obscure.The present study aimed to examine the synaptic nature of pretectal nuclei and contralateral tectal cells,and to demonstrate the spatiotemporal pattern of neuronal activity in the 2 main brain structures. Methods Intracellular recording and current source density（CSD）analysis were used to test the complexity of neuronal mechanism of pretectotectal information transfer.Results The pretectal stimulation elicited only one type of response on the contralateral tectum,the inhibitory postsynaptic potential（IPSP）.The majority of contra-induced IPSPs were assumed to be polysynaptically driven.In the CSD analysis,only one sink with short latency was observed in each profile.The ipsilateral projection produced a prominent monosynaptic sink in layer 8 of tectum.Recipient neurons were located in layers 6 and 7 of tectum.The result confirmed former findings from ipsilateral intracellular recordings.Conclusion These results suggest the following neuronal circuit：afferents from the pretectal nuclei broadly inhibit both tectal neuron,and since no second sink occurs in tectal layers,the pretectotectal excitatory afferents probably do not extend over the whole tectum,but are within limited state.The results of intracellular recording and CSD analysis further provide evidence of how pretectal afferent activity flows within the tectal laminae.展开更多
基金financially supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China NSFC31372191(F.W.M.),NSFC31471961 (Y.H.Z.) NIH grants NIH R01 OD011116(J.H.P.) R24RR032670 (J.H.P.).
文摘The genus Sinocyclocheilus (golden-line barbel) includes 25species of cave-dwelling blind fish (cavefish)and more than 30 surface-dwelling species with normal vision.Cave environments are dark and generally nutrient-poor with few predators.Cavefish of several genera evolved convergent morphological adaptations in visual,pigmentation,brain,olfactory,and digestive systems. We compared brain morphology and gene expression patterns in a cavefish Sinocyclocheilus anophthalmus with those of a closely related surface-dwelling species S.angustiporus.Results showed that cavefish have a longer olfactory tract and a much smaller optic tectum than surface fish.Transcriptomics by RNA-seq revealed that many genes upregulated in cavefish are related to lysosomes and the degradation and metabolism of proteins,amino acids,and lipids.Genes down- regulated in cavefish tended to involve "activation of gene expression in cholesterol biosynthesis" and cholesterol degradation in the brain.Genes encoding Srebfs (sterol regulatory element- binding transcription factors)and Srebf targets,including enzymes in cholesterol synthesis,were downregulated in cavefish brains compared with surface fish brains.The gene encoding Cyp46a1, which eliminates cholesterol from the brain,was also downregulated in cavefish brains,while the total level of cholesterol in the brain remained unchanged.Cavefish brains misexpressed several genes encoding proteins in the hypothalamus-pituitary axis,including Trh,Sst,Crh,Pomc,and Mc4r.These results suggest that the rate of lipid biosynthesis and breakdown may both be depressed in golden-line cavefish brains but that the lysosome recycling rate may be increased in cavefish;properties that might be related to differences in nutrient availability in caves.
基金the Na-tional Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.39670774)
文摘Using the blind patch-clamp technique with the whole-cell mode, we have studied the modulation of pre-synaptic receptor on postsynaptic g-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor measuring miniature inhibitory postsy-naptic currents (mIPSCs) in optic tectum of Xenopus during critical peroid. It was demonstrated that compared with mature neurons, mIPSCs recorded from immature neurons had smaller amplitude and longer decay time. mIPSCs are mediated by GABAa receptor. The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonists (carbachol, cytisine, nicotine, DMPP and so on) could increase the frequency of mIPSCs. The enhance-ment of mIPSCs frequency induced by nAChR agonists was calcium-dependent. However, the choline, a product of hy-drolyzed acetylcholine, could not increase the frequency of mIPSCs. DH-b-E, a competitive antagonist of nAChR, blocked the increase of mIPSCs frequency induced by car-bachol. Mecamyllamine, an a3b4 subtype of nAChR antago-nist, also blocked the carbachol-induced enhancement of mIPSCs. On the other hand, MLA, a7 subtype of nAChR antagonist, had no effect on it. Thus, it seems that nAChR could presynaptically modulate the mIPSCs and a3b4 sub-type of nAChR might be involved. But a7 nAChR subtype of nAChR would not be involved. The modulation is calcium- dependent. Meanwhile, we found that Ca2+-free solution could elicit giant PSCs. The frequency of mIPSCs also is related with the level of HP.
基金supported by the 21st Century program,Committee of Education of Japan at the Kyushu Institute of Technology,and the Health Bureau of Shangdong Province,China
文摘Objective Electrophysiological examination of the ipsilateral pretectotectal projection has proved that pretectal cells elicit strong suppressive responses to the ipsilateral tectum.However,the neural mechanisms underlying the contralateral pretectotectal prejection are still obscure.The present study aimed to examine the synaptic nature of pretectal nuclei and contralateral tectal cells,and to demonstrate the spatiotemporal pattern of neuronal activity in the 2 main brain structures. Methods Intracellular recording and current source density（CSD）analysis were used to test the complexity of neuronal mechanism of pretectotectal information transfer.Results The pretectal stimulation elicited only one type of response on the contralateral tectum,the inhibitory postsynaptic potential（IPSP）.The majority of contra-induced IPSPs were assumed to be polysynaptically driven.In the CSD analysis,only one sink with short latency was observed in each profile.The ipsilateral projection produced a prominent monosynaptic sink in layer 8 of tectum.Recipient neurons were located in layers 6 and 7 of tectum.The result confirmed former findings from ipsilateral intracellular recordings.Conclusion These results suggest the following neuronal circuit：afferents from the pretectal nuclei broadly inhibit both tectal neuron,and since no second sink occurs in tectal layers,the pretectotectal excitatory afferents probably do not extend over the whole tectum,but are within limited state.The results of intracellular recording and CSD analysis further provide evidence of how pretectal afferent activity flows within the tectal laminae.
