Multifaceted roles of mammalian heat shock factor 1 in the central nervous system.

Heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) is a stress-protective transcription factor most associated with transcriptional regulation of genes involved thermal stress response and protein folding. The canonical activation cycle of HSF1, in which HSF1 recognizes a simple promoter binding site known as a heat shock element (HSE) to promote the transcription of molecular chaperones, has been well documented. However, it is now evident that mammalian HSF1 exhibits unexpected complexity and participates in the response to a vast array of cellular stress types.

Protein kinase CK2α' as a dual modulator of neuroimmune signaling and synaptic dysfunction in Tauopathy.

Background: Tauopathies are a group of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by tau accumulation, neuroinflammation, and synaptic dysfunction, yet effective treatments remain elusive. Protein Kinase CK2 has been previously associated with different aspects of tau pathology but genetic evidence for the contribution of CK2 to tauopathy remained lacking.

Methods: We used cell and mouse models to explore the impact of CK2α' in tauopathy.

Absence of hippocampal pathology persists in the Q175DN mouse model of Huntington's disease despite elevated HTT aggregation.

BackgroundHuntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder causing motor, cognitive, and psychiatric impairments, with the striatum being the most affected brain region. However, the role of other regions, such as the hippocampus, in HD remains less understood.ObjectiveHere, we study the comparative impact of enhanced mHTT aggregation and neuropathology in the striatum and hippocampus of two HD mouse models.

Enhanced Hippocampal Spare Capacity in Q175DN Mice Despite Elevated mHTT Aggregation.

Background: Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease resulting in devastating motor, cognitive, and psychiatric deficits. The striatum is a brain region that controls movement and some forms of cognition and is most significantly impacted in HD. However, despite well-documented deficits in learning and memory in HD, knowledge of the potential implication of other brain regions such as the hippocampus remains limited.

Aβ oligomer induced cognitive impairment and evaluation of ACU193-MNS-based MRI in rabbit.

Introduction: Amyloid-beta oligomers (AβOs) accumulate in Alzheimer's disease and may instigate neuronal pathology and cognitive impairment. We examined the ability of a new probe for molecular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect AβOs in vivo, and we tested the behavioral impact of AβOs injected in rabbits, a species with an amino acid sequence that is nearly identical to the human sequence.

Methods: Intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection with stabilized AβOs was performed.