The impact of maternal immune activation on GABAergic interneuron development: A systematic review of rodent studies and their translational implications.

Mothers exposed to infections during pregnancy disproportionally birth children who develop autism and schizophrenia, disorders associated with altered GABAergic function. The maternal immune activation (MIA) model recapitulates this risk factor, with many studies also reporting disruptions to GABAergic interneuron expression, protein, cellular density and function. However, it is unclear if there are species, sex, age, region, or GABAergic subtype specific vulnerabilities to MIA.

Animal Models of Neurological Disorders: Where Are We Now?

The Special Issue "Animal Models of Neurological Disorders: Where Are We Now [...

Characterisation and automated quantification of induced seizure-related behaviours in Xenopus laevis tadpoles.

Epilepsy, a clinical diagnosis characterised by paroxysmal episodes known as seizures, affects 1% of people worldwide. Safe and patient-specific treatment is vital and can be achieved by the development of rapid pre-clinical models of for identified epilepsy genes. Epilepsy can result from either brain injury or gene mutations, and can also be induced chemically.

Impact of Dysfunctional Feed-Forward Inhibition on Glutamate Decarboxylase Isoforms and γ-Aminobutyric Acid Transporters.

Absence seizures are associated with generalised synchronous 2.5-4 Hz spike-wave discharges causing brief and sudden alteration of awareness during childhood, which is known as childhood absence epilepsy (CAE). CAE is also associated with impaired learning, psychosocial challenges, and physical danger.

Chemogenetic Activation of Feed-Forward Inhibitory Parvalbumin-Expressing Interneurons in the Cortico-Thalamocortical Network During Absence Seizures.

Parvalbumin-expressing (PV+) interneurons are a subset of GABAergic inhibitory interneurons that mediate feed-forward inhibition (FFI) within the cortico-thalamocortical (CTC) network of the brain. The CTC network is a reciprocal loop with connections between cortex and thalamus. FFI PV+ interneurons control the firing of principal excitatory neurons within the CTC network and prevent runaway excitation.

Neurological Manifestations of COVID-19 Associated Multi-system Inflammatory Syndrome in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Children comprise only 1-5% of COVID-19 cases. Recent studies have shown that COVID-19 associated multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) can present with neurological signs and symptoms. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we have reviewed neurological involvement in these patients.

The impact of silencing feed-forward parvalbumin-expressing inhibitory interneurons in the cortico-thalamocortical network on seizure generation and behaviour.

Feed-forward inhibition (FFI) is an essential mechanism within the brain, to regulate neuronal firing and prevent runaway excitation. In the cortico-thalamocortical (CTC) network, fast spiking parvalbumin-expressing (PV+) inhibitory interneurons regulate the firing of pyramidal cells in the cortex and relay neurons in the thalamus. PV+ interneuron dysfunction has been implicated in several neurological disorders, including epilepsy.

Correction to: Roles of nitric oxide and ethyl pyruvate after peripheral nerve injury.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s41232-017-0051-8.].

Hydrogen sulfide, nitric oxide, and neurodegenerative disorders.

Hydrogen Sulfide (HS) and Nitric Oxide (NO) have become recognized as important gaseous signaling molecules with enormous pharmacological effects, therapeutic value, and central physiological roles. NO is one of the most important regulators of the pathophysiological condition in central nervous system (CNS). It is critical in the various functioning of the brain; however, beyond certain concentration/level, it is toxic.

Roles of nitric oxide and ethyl pyruvate after peripheral nerve injury.

Short-lived reactive nitrogen species and reactive oxygen species have acquired significant attention in the field of biomedical science. Nitric oxide (NO), which was thought to be an unstable gas and pollutant, is now regarded as a gas transmitter like HS and CO. NO is synthesized inside the mammalian body by l-arginine via three different isoforms of NO synthase whereas pyruvate is a glycolysis product and substrate for TCA cycle.

Anatomical distributional defects in mutant genes associated with dominant intermediate Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type C in an adenovirus-mediated mouse model.

Dominant intermediate Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type C (DI-CMTC) is a dominantly inherited neuropathy that has been classified primarily based on motor conduction velocity tests but is now known to involve axonal and demyelination features. DI-CMTC is linked to tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (YARS)-associated neuropathies, which are caused by E196K and G41R missense mutations and a single deletion (153-156delVKQV). It is well-established that these YARS mutations induce neuronal dysfunction, morphological symptoms involving axonal degeneration, and impaired motor performance.

Physiological Importance of Hydrogen Sulfide: Emerging Potent Neuroprotector and Neuromodulator.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an emerging neuromodulator that is considered to be a gasotransmitter similar to nitrogen oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO). H2S exerts universal cytoprotective effects and acts as a defense mechanism in organisms ranging from bacteria to mammals. It is produced by the enzymes cystathionine β-synthase (CBS), cystathionine ϒ-lyase (CSE), 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (MST), and D-amino acid oxidase (DAO), which are also involved in tissue-specific biochemical pathways for H2S production in the human body.

Purification and characterization of chitinase showing antifungal and biodegradation properties obtained from Streptomyces anulatus CS242.

In an effort to identify a microbial enzyme that can be useful as a fungicide and biodegradation agent of chitinous wastes, a chitinase (Chi242) was purified from the culture supernatant of Streptomyces anulatus CS242 utilizing powder of shrimp shell wastes as a sole carbon source. It was purified employing ammonium sulfate precipitation and gel permeation chromatography techniques. The molecular weight of the purified chitinase was ~38 kDa by SDS-PAGE.

Biochemical and Thermodynamic Characterization of a Novel, Low Molecular Weight Xylanase from Bacillus Methylotrophicus CSB40 Isolated from Traditional Korean Food.

A low molecular weight xylanase from Bacillus strain CSB40, isolated from traditional Korean food and produced in beechwood xylan, was biochemically and thermodynamically characterized. It was purified 8.12-fold with a 15.