1
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Ojeda-Alonso J, Calvo-Enrique L, Paricio-Montesinos R, Kumar R, Zhang MD, Poulet JFA, Ernfors P, Lewin GR. Sensory Schwann cells set perceptual thresholds for touch and selectively regulate mechanical nociception. Nat Commun 2024; 15:898. [PMID: 38320986 PMCID: PMC10847425 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44845-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Previous work identified nociceptive Schwann cells that can initiate pain. Consistent with the existence of inherently mechanosensitive sensory Schwann cells, we found that in mice, the mechanosensory function of almost all nociceptors, including those signaling fast pain, were dependent on sensory Schwann cells. In polymodal nociceptors, sensory Schwann cells signal mechanical, but not cold or heat pain. Terminal Schwann cells also surround mechanoreceptor nerve-endings within the Meissner's corpuscle and in hair follicle lanceolate endings that both signal vibrotactile touch. Within Meissner´s corpuscles, two molecularly and functionally distinct sensory Schwann cells positive for Sox10 and Sox2 differentially modulate rapidly adapting mechanoreceptor function. Using optogenetics we show that Meissner's corpuscle Schwann cells are necessary for the perception of low threshold vibrotactile stimuli. These results show that sensory Schwann cells within diverse glio-neural mechanosensory end-organs are sensors for mechanical pain as well as necessary for touch perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Ojeda-Alonso
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - Laura Calvo-Enrique
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Patología, Instituto de Neurociencias de Castilla y León, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Ricardo Paricio-Montesinos
- Neural Circuits and Behavior, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125, Berlin, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen e. V. (DZNE), Venusberg-Campus 1/99, 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Rakesh Kumar
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology Washington University School of Medicine, CB 8108, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Ming-Dong Zhang
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - James F A Poulet
- Neural Circuits and Behavior, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125, Berlin, Germany
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Patrik Ernfors
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Gary R Lewin
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125, Berlin, Germany.
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), partner site Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
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2
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Gantumur MA, Jia X, Hui JH, Barber C, Wan L, Furenlid LR, Martin DR, Hui M, Liu Z. Characterization, Bioactivity, and Biodistribution of 35 kDa Hyaluronan Fragment. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:97. [PMID: 38255712 PMCID: PMC10817694 DOI: 10.3390/life14010097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
It has been reported that hyaluronic acid (HA) with a 35 kDa molecular weight (HA35) acts biologically to protect tissue from injury, but its biological properties are not yet fully characterized. This study aimed to evaluate the cellular effects and biodistribution of HA35 compared to HA with a 1600 kDa molecular weight (HA1600). We assessed the effects of HA35 and HA1600 on cell migration, NO and ROS generation, and gene expression in cultured macrophages, microglia, and lymphocytes. HA35 was separately radiolabeled with 99mTc and 125I and administered to C57BL/6J mice for in vivo biodistribution imaging. In vitro studies indicated that HA35 and HA1600 similarly enhanced cell migration through HA receptor binding mechanisms, reduced the generation of NO and ROS, and upregulated gene expression profiles related to cell signaling pathways in immune cells. HA35 showed a more pronounced effect in regulating a broader range of genes in macrophages and microglia than HA1600. Upon intradermal or intravenous administration, radiolabeled HA35 rapidly accumulated in the liver, spleen, and lymph nodes. In conclusion, HA35 not only exhibits effects on cellular bioactivity comparable to those of HA1600 but also exerts biological effects on a broader range of immune cell gene expression. The findings herein offer valuable insights for further research into the therapeutic potential of HA35 in inflammation-mediated tissue injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Munkh-Amgalan Gantumur
- College of Life Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China; (M.-A.G.); (X.J.); (J.H.H.)
| | - Xiaoxiao Jia
- College of Life Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China; (M.-A.G.); (X.J.); (J.H.H.)
| | - Jessica H. Hui
- College of Life Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China; (M.-A.G.); (X.J.); (J.H.H.)
| | - Christy Barber
- Department of Medical Imaging, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA; (C.B.); (L.W.); (L.R.F.)
| | - Li Wan
- Department of Medical Imaging, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA; (C.B.); (L.W.); (L.R.F.)
| | - Lars R. Furenlid
- Department of Medical Imaging, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA; (C.B.); (L.W.); (L.R.F.)
| | - Diego R. Martin
- Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Mizhou Hui
- College of Life Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China; (M.-A.G.); (X.J.); (J.H.H.)
| | - Zhonglin Liu
- Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
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3
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Parey E, Fernandez-Aroca D, Frost S, Uribarren A, Park TJ, Zöttl M, St John Smith E, Berthelot C, Villar D. Phylogenetic modeling of enhancer shifts in African mole-rats reveals regulatory changes associated with tissue-specific traits. Genome Res 2023; 33:1513-1526. [PMID: 37625847 PMCID: PMC10620049 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277715.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Changes in gene regulation are thought to underlie most phenotypic differences between species. For subterranean rodents such as the naked mole-rat, proposed phenotypic adaptations include hypoxia tolerance, metabolic changes, and cancer resistance. However, it is largely unknown what regulatory changes may associate with these phenotypic traits, and whether these are unique to the naked mole-rat, the mole-rat clade, or are also present in other mammals. Here, we investigate regulatory evolution in the heart and liver from two African mole-rat species and two rodent outgroups using genome-wide epigenomic profiling. First, we adapted and applied a phylogenetic modeling approach to quantitatively compare epigenomic signals at orthologous regulatory elements and identified thousands of promoter and enhancer regions with differential epigenomic activity in mole-rats. These elements associate with known mole-rat adaptations in metabolic and functional pathways and suggest candidate genetic loci that may underlie mole-rat innovations. Second, we evaluated ancestral and species-specific regulatory changes in the study phylogeny and report several candidate pathways experiencing stepwise remodeling during the evolution of mole-rats, such as the insulin and hypoxia response pathways. Third, we report nonorthologous regulatory elements overlap with lineage-specific repetitive elements and appear to modify metabolic pathways by rewiring of HNF4 and RAR/RXR transcription factor binding sites in mole-rats. These comparative analyses reveal how mole-rat regulatory evolution informs previously reported phenotypic adaptations. Moreover, the phylogenetic modeling framework we propose here improves upon the state of the art by addressing known limitations of inter-species comparisons of epigenomic profiles and has broad implications in the field of comparative functional genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise Parey
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Diego Fernandez-Aroca
- Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, United Kingdom
| | - Stephanie Frost
- Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, United Kingdom
| | - Ainhoa Uribarren
- Cambridge Institute, Cancer Research UK and University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0RE, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas J Park
- Department of Biological Sciences and Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, USA
| | - Markus Zöttl
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, 44054 Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Ewan St John Smith
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1PD, United Kingdom
| | - Camille Berthelot
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, 75005 Paris, France;
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3525, INSERM UA12, Comparative Functional Genomics Group, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Diego Villar
- Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, United Kingdom;
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4
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Park TJ, Reznick J. Extreme Physiology Extreme Tolerance to Hypoxia, Hypercapnia, and Pain in the Naked Mole-Rat. J Muscle Res Cell Motil 2023; 44:61-72. [PMID: 35854159 PMCID: PMC10329625 DOI: 10.1007/s10974-022-09623-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Challenging environmental conditions can drive the evolution of extreme physiological traits. The naked mole-rat has evolved to survive and thrive in a low oxygen, high carbon dioxide environment that would be deadly to humans and most other mammals. The naked mole-rat's lifestyle is unusual in that this species combines subterranean living and living in large, social groups of up to 300 + individuals. Many respiring animals in a closed environment can lead to depletion of oxygen (hypoxia) and accumulation of carbon dioxide (hypercapnia). Naked mole-rats display a variety of physiological traits that negate the adverse effects of living in this atmosphere. For hypoxia tolerance, naked mole-rats have a low resting metabolism, high affinity hemoglobin, intrinsic brain tolerance, the ability to use fructose for anaerobic glycolysis, and the ability to enter a low energy, suspended animation-like state. For hypercapnia tolerance, these animals have a mutation in a voltage gated sodium channel that effectively eliminates neuronal responses to tissue acidosis. In other mammals, acidosis from exposure to high concentrations of carbon dioxide induces pain and pulmonary edema. Understanding these mechanisms of extreme physiology is not only inherently interesting, but it may lead to biomedical breakthroughs in research on heart attacks, strokes, and pain pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Park
- Department of Biological Sciences and Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America.
| | - Jane Reznick
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
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5
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Hung CH, Chin Y, Fong YO, Lee CH, Han DS, Lin JH, Sun WH, Chen CC. Acidosis-related pain and its receptors as targets for chronic pain. Pharmacol Ther 2023; 247:108444. [PMID: 37210007 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2023.108444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Sensing acidosis is an important somatosensory function in responses to ischemia, inflammation, and metabolic alteration. Accumulating evidence has shown that acidosis is an effective factor for pain induction and that many intractable chronic pain diseases are associated with acidosis signaling. Various receptors have been known to detect extracellular acidosis and all express in the somatosensory neurons, such as acid sensing ion channels (ASIC), transient receptor potential (TRP) channels and proton-sensing G-protein coupled receptors. In addition to sense noxious acidic stimulation, these proton-sensing receptors also play a vital role in pain processing. For example, ASICs and TRPs are involved in not only nociceptive activation but also anti-nociceptive effects as well as some other non-nociceptive pathways. Herein, we review recent progress in probing the roles of proton-sensing receptors in preclinical pain research and their clinical relevance. We also propose a new concept of sngception to address the specific somatosensory function of acid sensation. This review aims to connect these acid-sensing receptors with basic pain research and clinical pain diseases, thus helping with better understanding the acid-related pain pathogenesis and their potential therapeutic roles via the mechanism of acid-mediated antinociception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Hsien Hung
- Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Yin Chin
- Department of Life Science & Institute of Genome Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-On Fong
- Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Han Lee
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Der-Shen Han
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Taiwan University Hospital, Bei-Hu Branch, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jiann-Her Lin
- Neuroscience Research Center, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Neurosurgery, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Hsin Sun
- Department of Life Science & Institute of Genome Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Cheng Chen
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan; Neuroscience Research Center, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Neuroscience Program of Academia Sinica, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
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6
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Walters ET, Crook RJ, Neely GG, Price TJ, Smith ESJ. Persistent nociceptor hyperactivity as a painful evolutionary adaptation. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:211-227. [PMID: 36610893 PMCID: PMC9974896 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2022.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Chronic pain caused by injury or disease of the nervous system (neuropathic pain) has been linked to persistent electrical hyperactivity of the sensory neurons (nociceptors) specialized to detect damaging stimuli and/or inflammation. This pain and hyperactivity are considered maladaptive because both can persist long after injured tissues have healed and inflammation has resolved. While the assumption of maladaptiveness is appropriate in many diseases, accumulating evidence from diverse species, including humans, challenges the assumption that neuropathic pain and persistent nociceptor hyperactivity are always maladaptive. We review studies indicating that persistent nociceptor hyperactivity has undergone evolutionary selection in widespread, albeit selected, animal groups as a physiological response that can increase survival long after bodily injury, using both highly conserved and divergent underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edgar T Walters
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - Robyn J Crook
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA
| | - G Gregory Neely
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Theodore J Price
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA
| | - Ewan St John Smith
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1PD, UK
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7
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Amoroso VG, Zhao A, Vargas I, Park TJ. Naked Mole-Rats Demonstrate Profound Tolerance to Low Oxygen, High Carbon Dioxide, and Chemical Pain. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13050819. [PMID: 36899677 PMCID: PMC10000161 DOI: 10.3390/ani13050819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Naked mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber) are very unusual among subterranean mammals in that they live in large colonies and are extremely social, spending large amounts of time gathered together in underground nests more than a meter below the surface. Many respiring individuals resting in deep, poorly ventilated nests deplete the oxygen supply and increase the concentration of carbon dioxide. Consistent with living in that atmosphere, naked mole-rats tolerate levels of low oxygen and high carbon dioxide that are deadly to most surface-dwelling mammals. Naked mole-rats appear to have evolved a number of remarkable adaptations to be able to thrive in this harsh atmosphere. In order to successfully survive low oxygen atmospheres, they conserve energy utilization by reducing the physiological activity of all organs, manifest by reduced heart rate and brain activity. Amazingly, they resort to the anaerobic metabolism of fructose rather than glucose as a fuel to generate energy when challenged by anoxia. Similarly, high carbon dioxide atmospheres normally cause tissue acidosis, while naked mole-rats have a genetic mutation preventing both acid-induced pain and pulmonary edema. Together, these putative adaptations and the tolerances they provide make the naked mole-rat an important model for studying a host of biomedical challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vince G Amoroso
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Aishi Zhao
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Isabel Vargas
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Thomas J Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
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8
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Oka K, Yamakawa M, Kawamura Y, Kutsukake N, Miura K. The Naked Mole-Rat as a Model for Healthy Aging. Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2023; 11:207-226. [PMID: 36318672 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-animal-050322-074744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Naked mole-rats (NMRs, Heterocephalus glaber) are the longest-lived rodents with a maximum life span exceeding 37 years. They exhibit a delayed aging phenotype and resistance to age-related functional decline/diseases. Specifically, they do not display increased mortality with age, maintain several physiological functions until nearly the end of their lifetime, and rarely develop cancer and Alzheimer's disease. NMRs live in a hypoxic environment in underground colonies in East Africa and are highly tolerant of hypoxia. These unique characteristics of NMRs have attracted considerable interest from zoological and biomedical researchers. This review summarizes previous studies of the ecology, hypoxia tolerance, longevity/delayed aging, and cancer resistance of NMRs and discusses possible mechanisms contributing to their healthy aging. In addition, we discuss current issues and future perspectives to fully elucidate the mechanisms underlying delayed aging and resistance to age-related diseases in NMRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaori Oka
- Department of Aging and Longevity Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan; , ,
| | - Masanori Yamakawa
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, Sokendai (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Kanagawa, Japan; ,
| | - Yoshimi Kawamura
- Department of Aging and Longevity Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan; , ,
| | - Nobuyuki Kutsukake
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, Sokendai (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Kanagawa, Japan; , .,Research Center for Integrative Evolutionary Science, Sokendai (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kyoko Miura
- Department of Aging and Longevity Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan; , , .,Center for Metabolic Regulation of Healthy Aging, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
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9
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Jia X, Shi M, Wang Q, Hui J, Shofaro JH, Erkhembayar R, Hui M, Gao C, Gantumur MA. Anti-Inflammatory Effects of the 35kDa Hyaluronic Acid Fragment (B-HA/HA35). J Inflamm Res 2023; 16:209-224. [PMID: 36686276 PMCID: PMC9846287 DOI: 10.2147/jir.s393495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Hyaluronic acid (HA) and HA fragments interact with a variety of human body receptors and are involved in the regulation of various physiological functions and leukocyte trafficking in the body. Accordingly, the development of an injectable HA fragment with good tissue permeability, the identification of its indications, and molecular mechanisms are of great significance for its clinical application. The previous studies showed that the clinical effects of injectable 35kDa B-HA result from B-HA binding to multiple receptors in different cells, tissues, and organs. This study lays the foundation for further studies on the comprehensive clinical effects of injectable B-HA. Methods We elaborated on the production process, bioactivity assay, efficacy analyses, and safety evaluation of an injectable novel HA fragment with an average molecular weight of 35 kDa (35 kDa B-HA), produced by recombinant human hyaluronidase PH20 digestion. Results The results showed that 35 kDa B-HA induced human erythrocyte aggregation (rouleaux formation) and accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rates through the CD44 receptor. B-HA application and injection treatment significantly promoted the removal of mononuclear cells from the site of inflammation and into the lymphatic circulation. At a low concentration, 35 kDa B-HA inhibited production of reactive oxygen species and tumor necrosis factor by neutrophils; at a higher concentration, 35 kDa B-HA promoted the migration of monocytes. Furthermore, 35 kDa B-HA significantly inhibited the migration of neutrophils with or without lipopolysaccharide treatment, suggesting that in local tissues, higher concentrations of 35 kDa B-HA have antiinflammatory effects. After 99mTc radiolabeled 35 kDa B-HA was intravenously injected into mice, it quickly entered into the spleen, liver, lungs, kidneys and other organs through the blood circulation. Conclusion This study demonstrated that the HA fragment B-HA has good tissue permeability and antiinflammatory effects, laying a theoretical foundation for further clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- XiaoXiao Jia
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, People’s Republic of China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ming Shi
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qifei Wang
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, People’s Republic of China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jessica Hui
- Center for Cancer Cell Therapy, Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Joshua Hui Shofaro
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, People’s Republic of China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ryenchindorj Erkhembayar
- Department of International Cyber Education, Graduate School, Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Mizhou Hui
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, People’s Republic of China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chenzhe Gao
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Munkh-Amgalan Gantumur
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, People’s Republic of China
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10
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Suarez LE, Yovel Y, van den Heuvel MP, Sporns O, Assaf Y, Lajoie G, Misic B. A connectomics-based taxonomy of mammals. eLife 2022; 11:e78635. [PMID: 36342363 PMCID: PMC9681214 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian taxonomies are conventionally defined by morphological traits and genetics. How species differ in terms of neural circuits and whether inter-species differences in neural circuit organization conform to these taxonomies is unknown. The main obstacle to the comparison of neural architectures has been differences in network reconstruction techniques, yielding species-specific connectomes that are not directly comparable to one another. Here, we comprehensively chart connectome organization across the mammalian phylogenetic spectrum using a common reconstruction protocol. We analyse the mammalian MRI (MaMI) data set, a database that encompasses high-resolution ex vivo structural and diffusion MRI scans of 124 species across 12 taxonomic orders and 5 superorders, collected using a unified MRI protocol. We assess similarity between species connectomes using two methods: similarity of Laplacian eigenspectra and similarity of multiscale topological features. We find greater inter-species similarities among species within the same taxonomic order, suggesting that connectome organization reflects established taxonomic relationships defined by morphology and genetics. While all connectomes retain hallmark global features and relative proportions of connection classes, inter-species variation is driven by local regional connectivity profiles. By encoding connectomes into a common frame of reference, these findings establish a foundation for investigating how neural circuits change over phylogeny, forging a link from genes to circuits to behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E Suarez
- Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill UniversityMontrealCanada
- Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence InstituteMontrealCanada
| | - Yossi Yovel
- School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Tel Aviv UniversityTel AvivIsrael
| | - Martijn P van den Heuvel
- Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Olaf Sporns
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana UniversityBloomingtonUnited States
| | - Yaniv Assaf
- School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Tel Aviv UniversityTel AvivIsrael
| | | | - Bratislav Misic
- Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill UniversityMontrealCanada
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11
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Wong HS, Freeman DA, Zhang Y. Not just a cousin of the naked mole-rat: Damaraland mole-rats offer unique insights into biomedicine. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2022; 262:110772. [PMID: 35710053 PMCID: PMC10155858 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2022.110772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Evolutionary medicine has been a fast-growing field of biological research in the past decade. One of the strengths of evolutionary medicine is to use non-traditional model organisms which often exhibit unusual characteristics shaped by natural selection. Studying these unusual traits could provide valuable insight to understand biomedical questions, since natural selection likely discovers solutions to those complex biological problems. Because of many unusual traits, the naked mole-rat (NMR) has attracted attention from different research areas such as aging, cancer, and hypoxia- and hypercapnia-related disorders. However, such uniqueness of NMR physiology may sometimes make the translational study to human research difficult. Damaraland mole-rat (DMR) shares multiple characteristics in common with NMR, but shows higher degree of similarity with human in some aspects of their physiology. Research on DMR could therefore offer alternative insights and might bridge the gap between experimental findings from NMR to human biomedical research. In this review, we discuss studies of DMR as an extension of the current set of model organisms to help better understand different aspects of human biology and disease. We hope to encourage researchers to consider studying DMR together with NMR. By studying these two similar but evolutionarily distinct species, we can harvest the power of convergent evolution and avoid the potential biased conclusions based on life-history of a single species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoi-Shan Wong
- Nine Square Therapeutics, South San Francisco, CA 94080, United States of America.
| | - David A Freeman
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, United States of America
| | - Yufeng Zhang
- College of Health Sciences, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, United States of America.
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12
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Loya-López SI, Duran P, Ran D, Calderon-Rivera A, Gomez K, Moutal A, Khanna R. Cell specific regulation of NaV1.7 activity and trafficking in rat nodose ganglia neurons. NEUROBIOLOGY OF PAIN (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2022; 12:100109. [PMID: 36531612 PMCID: PMC9755031 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynpai.2022.100109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The voltage-gated sodium NaV1.7 channel sets the threshold for electrogenesis. Mutations in the gene encoding human NaV1.7 (SCN9A) cause painful neuropathies or pain insensitivity. In dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, activity and trafficking of NaV1.7 are regulated by the auxiliary collapsin response mediator protein 2 (CRMP2). Specifically, preventing addition of a small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO), by the E2 SUMO-conjugating enzyme Ubc9, at lysine-374 (K374) of CRMP2 reduces NaV1.7 channel trafficking and activity. We previously identified a small molecule, designated 194, that prevented CRMP2 SUMOylation by Ubc9 to reduce NaV1.7 surface expression and currents, leading to a reduction in spinal nociceptive transmission, and culminating in normalization of mechanical allodynia in models of neuropathic pain. In this study, we investigated whether NaV1.7 control via CRMP2-SUMOylation is conserved in nodose ganglion (NG) neurons. This study was motivated by our desire to develop 194 as a safe, non-opioid substitute for persistent pain, which led us to wonder how 194 would impact NaV1.7 in NG neurons, which are responsible for driving the cough reflex. We found functioning NaV1.7 channels in NG neurons; however, they were resistant to downregulation via either CRMP2 knockdown or pharmacological inhibition of CRMP2 SUMOylation by 194. CRMP2 SUMOylation and interaction with NaV1.7 was consered in NG neurons but the endocytic machinery was deficient in the endocytic adaptor protein Numb. Overexpression of Numb rescued CRMP2-dependent regulation on NaV1.7, rendering NG neurons sensitive to 194. Altogether, these data point at the existence of cell-specific mechanisms regulating NaV1.7 trafficking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago I. Loya-López
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, College of Dentistry, New York University, New York, USA
- NYU Pain Research Center, 433 First Avenue, New York, NY 10010, USA
| | - Paz Duran
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, College of Dentistry, New York University, New York, USA
- NYU Pain Research Center, 433 First Avenue, New York, NY 10010, USA
| | - Dongzhi Ran
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA
| | - Aida Calderon-Rivera
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, College of Dentistry, New York University, New York, USA
- NYU Pain Research Center, 433 First Avenue, New York, NY 10010, USA
| | - Kimberly Gomez
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, College of Dentistry, New York University, New York, USA
- NYU Pain Research Center, 433 First Avenue, New York, NY 10010, USA
| | - Aubin Moutal
- School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO 63104, USA
| | - Rajesh Khanna
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, College of Dentistry, New York University, New York, USA
- NYU Pain Research Center, 433 First Avenue, New York, NY 10010, USA
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13
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Szafranski K, Wetzel M, Holtze S, Büntjen I, Lieckfeldt D, Ludwig A, Huse K, Platzer M, Hildebrandt T. The Mating Pattern of Captive Naked Mole-Rats Is Best Described by a Monogamy Model. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.855688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Naked mole-rats form colonies with a single reproductively active female surrounded by subordinate workers. Workers perform offspring care, construction and defense of the burrow system, and food supply. Such division of labor, called “cooperative breeding,” is strongly associated with the evolution of monogamous mating behavior, as seen in several mammalian lineages. This association is explained by the evolutionary theory of kin selection, according to which a subordinate adult may help to raise other’s offspring if they are in full sibling relationship. In conflict with this theory, the naked mole-rat is widely considered to be polyandrous, based on reports on multiple males contributing to a colony’s progeny. In order to resolve this contrast, we undertook an in-depth microsatellite-based kinship analysis on captive colonies. Four independent colonies comprising a total of 265 animals were genotyped using a panel of 73 newly established microsatellite markers. Our results show that each mole-rat colony contains a single monogamous breeder pair, which translates to a reproductive skew of 100% for both sexes. This finding, also in conjunction with previously published parental data, favors monogamy as the best-fitting model to describe naked mole-rat reproduction patterns. Polyandry or other polygamous reproduction models are disfavored and should be considered as exceptional. Overall, the empirical genetic data are in agreement with the kin selection theory.
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14
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Zheng Z, Hua R, Xu G, Yang H, Shi P. Gene losses may contribute to subterranean adaptations in naked mole-rat and blind mole-rat. BMC Biol 2022; 20:44. [PMID: 35172813 PMCID: PMC8851862 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01243-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Naked mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber, NMRs) and blind mole-rats (Spalax galili, BMRs) are representative subterranean rodents that have evolved many extraordinary traits, including hypoxia tolerance, longevity, and cancer resistance. Although multiple candidate loci responsible for these traits have been uncovered by genomic studies, many of them are limited to functional changes to amino acid sequence and little is known about the contributions of other genetic events. To address this issue, we focused on gene losses (unitary pseudogenes) and systematically analyzed gene losses in NMRs and BMRs, aiming to elucidate the potential roles of pseudogenes in their adaptation to subterranean lifestyle. Results We obtained the pseudogene repertoires in NMRs and BMRs, as well as their respective aboveground relatives, guinea pigs and rats, on a genome-wide scale. As a result, 167, 139, 341, and 112 pseudogenes were identified in NMRs, BMRs, guinea pigs, and rats, respectively. Functional enrichment analysis identified 4 shared and 2 species-specific enriched functional groups (EFGs) in subterranean lineages. Notably, the pseudogenes in these EFGs might be associated with either regressive (e.g., visual system) or adaptive (e.g., altered DNA damage response) traits. In addition, several pseudogenes including TNNI3K and PDE5A might be associated with specific cardiac features observed in subterranean lineages. Interestingly, we observed 20 convergent gene losses in NMRs and BMRs. Given that the functional investigations of these genes are generally scarce, we provided functional evidence that independent loss of TRIM17 in NMRs and BMRs might be beneficial for neuronal survival under hypoxia, supporting the positive role of eliminating TRIM17 function in hypoxia adaptation. Our results also suggested that pseudogenes, together with positively selected genes, reinforced subterranean adaptations cooperatively. Conclusions Our study provides new insights into the molecular underpinnings of subterranean adaptations and highlights the importance of gene losses in mammalian evolution. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-022-01243-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhizhong Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 650223, Kunming, China.,Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650204, China
| | - Rong Hua
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 650223, Kunming, China.,Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650204, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Guoqiang Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China.,Joint Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases and Drug Development, Soochow University and Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China
| | - Hui Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 650223, Kunming, China.
| | - Peng Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 650223, Kunming, China. .,Joint Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases and Drug Development, Soochow University and Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China. .,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China. .,School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China.
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15
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Buffenstein R, Amoroso V, Andziak B, Avdieiev S, Azpurua J, Barker AJ, Bennett NC, Brieño‐Enríquez MA, Bronner GN, Coen C, Delaney MA, Dengler‐Crish CM, Edrey YH, Faulkes CG, Frankel D, Friedlander G, Gibney PA, Gorbunova V, Hine C, Holmes MM, Jarvis JUM, Kawamura Y, Kutsukake N, Kenyon C, Khaled WT, Kikusui T, Kissil J, Lagestee S, Larson J, Lauer A, Lavrenchenko LA, Lee A, Levitt JB, Lewin GR, Lewis Hardell KN, Lin TD, Mason MJ, McCloskey D, McMahon M, Miura K, Mogi K, Narayan V, O'Connor TP, Okanoya K, O'Riain MJ, Park TJ, Place NJ, Podshivalova K, Pamenter ME, Pyott SJ, Reznick J, Ruby JG, Salmon AB, Santos‐Sacchi J, Sarko DK, Seluanov A, Shepard A, Smith M, Storey KB, Tian X, Vice EN, Viltard M, Watarai A, Wywial E, Yamakawa M, Zemlemerova ED, Zions M, Smith ESJ. The naked truth: a comprehensive clarification and classification of current 'myths' in naked mole-rat biology. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:115-140. [PMID: 34476892 PMCID: PMC9277573 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) has fascinated zoologists for at least half a century. It has also generated considerable biomedical interest not only because of its extraordinary longevity, but also because of unusual protective features (e.g. its tolerance of variable oxygen availability), which may be pertinent to several human disease states, including ischemia/reperfusion injury and neurodegeneration. A recent article entitled 'Surprisingly long survival of premature conclusions about naked mole-rat biology' described 28 'myths' which, those authors claimed, are a 'perpetuation of beautiful, but falsified, hypotheses' and impede our understanding of this enigmatic mammal. Here, we re-examine each of these 'myths' based on evidence published in the scientific literature. Following Braude et al., we argue that these 'myths' fall into four main categories: (i) 'myths' that would be better described as oversimplifications, some of which persist solely in the popular press; (ii) 'myths' that are based on incomplete understanding, where more evidence is clearly needed; (iii) 'myths' where the accumulation of evidence over the years has led to a revision in interpretation, but where there is no significant disagreement among scientists currently working in the field; (iv) 'myths' where there is a genuine difference in opinion among active researchers, based on alternative interpretations of the available evidence. The term 'myth' is particularly inappropriate when applied to competing, evidence-based hypotheses, which form part of the normal evolution of scientific knowledge. Here, we provide a comprehensive critical review of naked mole-rat biology and attempt to clarify some of these misconceptions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vincent Amoroso
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Illinois at ChicagoChicagoIL60607U.S.A.
| | - Blazej Andziak
- Graduate Center City University of New York365 Fifth AvenueNew YorkNY10016U.S.A.
| | | | - Jorge Azpurua
- Department of AnesthesiologyStony Brook University101 Nicolls RoadStony BrookNY11794U.S.A.
| | - Alison J. Barker
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular MedicineRobert‐Rössle‐Str 10Berlin‐Buch13092Germany
| | - Nigel C. Bennett
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and EntomologyUniversity of PretoriaPretoria0002South Africa
| | - Miguel A. Brieño‐Enríquez
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive MedicineMagee‐Womens Research Institute204 Craft AvenuePittsburghPA15213U.S.A.
| | - Gary N. Bronner
- Department Biological SciencesRondeboschCape Town7701South Africa
| | - Clive Coen
- Reproductive Neurobiology, Division of Women's HealthSchool of Medicine, King's College LondonWestminster Bridge RoadLondonSE1 7EHU.K.
| | - Martha A. Delaney
- Zoological Pathology ProgramUniversity of Illinois3505 Veterinary Medicine Basic Sciences Building, 2001 S Lincoln AvenueUrbanaIL6180U.S.A.
| | - Christine M. Dengler‐Crish
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesNortheast Ohio Medical University4209 State Route 44RootstownOH44272U.S.A.
| | - Yael H. Edrey
- Northwest Vista College3535 N. Ellison DriveSan AntonioTX78251U.S.A.
| | - Chris G. Faulkes
- School of Biological and Chemical SciencesQueen Mary University of LondonMile End RoadLondonE1 4NSU.K.
| | - Daniel Frankel
- School of EngineeringNewcastle UniversityMerz CourtNewcastle Upon TyneNE1 7RUU.K.
| | - Gerard Friedlander
- Université Paris DescartesFaculté de Médecine12 Rue de l'École de MédecineParis5006France
| | - Patrick A. Gibney
- Cornell University College of Veterinary MedicineIthacaNY14853U.S.A.
| | - Vera Gorbunova
- Departments of BiologyUniversity of Rochester402 Hutchison HallRochesterNY14627U.S.A.
| | - Christopher Hine
- Cleveland ClinicLerner Research Institute9500 Euclid AvenueClevelandOH44195U.S.A.
| | - Melissa M. Holmes
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Toronto Mississauga3359 Mississauga Road NorthMississaugaONL5L 1C6Canada
| | | | - Yoshimi Kawamura
- Department of Aging and Longevity ResearchKumamoto University1‐1‐1 HonjoKumamoto860‐0811Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Kutsukake
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of BiosystemsThe Graduate University for Advanced StudiesHayama240‐0193Japan
| | - Cynthia Kenyon
- Calico Life Sciences LLC1170 Veterans BlvdSouth San FranciscoCA94080U.S.A.
| | - Walid T. Khaled
- The School of the Biological SciencesUniversity of CambridgeTennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 1PDU.K.
| | - Takefumi Kikusui
- Companion Animal Research, School of Veterinary MedicineAzabu UniversitySagamihara252‐5201Japan
| | - Joseph Kissil
- Department of Cancer BiologyThe Scripps Research InstituteScripps FloridaJupiterFL33458U.S.A.
| | - Samantha Lagestee
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Illinois at ChicagoChicagoIL60607U.S.A.
| | - John Larson
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Illinois at ChicagoChicagoIL60607U.S.A.
| | - Amanda Lauer
- Department of OtolaryngologyJohns Hopkins School of MedicineBaltimoreMD21205U.S.A.
| | - Leonid A. Lavrenchenko
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and EvolutionRussian Academy of SciencesLeninskii pr. 33Moscow119071Russia
| | - Angela Lee
- Graduate Center City University of New York365 Fifth AvenueNew YorkNY10016U.S.A.
| | - Jonathan B. Levitt
- Biology DepartmentThe City College of New York138th Street and Convent AvenueNew YorkNY10031U.S.A.
| | - Gary R. Lewin
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular MedicineRobert‐Rössle‐Str 10Berlin‐Buch13092Germany
| | | | - TzuHua D. Lin
- Calico Life Sciences LLC1170 Veterans BlvdSouth San FranciscoCA94080U.S.A.
| | - Matthew J. Mason
- The School of the Biological SciencesUniversity of CambridgeTennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 1PDU.K.
| | - Dan McCloskey
- College of Staten Island in the City University of New York2800 Victory BlvdStaten IslandNY10314U.S.A.
| | - Mary McMahon
- Calico Life Sciences LLC1170 Veterans BlvdSouth San FranciscoCA94080U.S.A.
| | - Kyoko Miura
- Department of Aging and Longevity ResearchKumamoto University1‐1‐1 HonjoKumamoto860‐0811Japan
| | - Kazutaka Mogi
- Companion Animal Research, School of Veterinary MedicineAzabu UniversitySagamihara252‐5201Japan
| | - Vikram Narayan
- Calico Life Sciences LLC1170 Veterans BlvdSouth San FranciscoCA94080U.S.A.
| | | | - Kazuo Okanoya
- Department of Life SciencesThe University of Tokyo7‐3‐1 HongoTokyo153‐8902Japan
| | | | - Thomas J. Park
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Illinois at ChicagoChicagoIL60607U.S.A.
| | - Ned J. Place
- Cornell University College of Veterinary MedicineIthacaNY14853U.S.A.
| | - Katie Podshivalova
- Calico Life Sciences LLC1170 Veterans BlvdSouth San FranciscoCA94080U.S.A.
| | | | - Sonja J. Pyott
- Groningen Department of OtorhinolaryngologyUniversity Medical CenterPostbus 30.001GroningenRB9700The Netherlands
| | - Jane Reznick
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging‐Associated Diseases (CECAD)University Hospital CologneJoseph‐Stelzmann‐Street 26Cologne50931Germany
| | - J. Graham Ruby
- Calico Life Sciences LLC1170 Veterans BlvdSouth San FranciscoCA94080U.S.A.
| | - Adam B. Salmon
- Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging StudiesUniversity of Texas Health Science Center4939 Charles Katz Dr.San AntonioTX78229U.S.A.
| | - Joseph Santos‐Sacchi
- Department of NeuroscienceYale University School of Medicine200 South Frontage Road, SHM C‐303New HavenCT06510U.S.A.
| | - Diana K. Sarko
- Department of AnatomySchool of Medicine, Southern Illinois University975 S. NormalCarbondaleIL62901U.S.A.
| | - Andrei Seluanov
- Departments of BiologyUniversity of Rochester402 Hutchison HallRochesterNY14627U.S.A.
| | - Alyssa Shepard
- Department of Cancer BiologyThe Scripps Research InstituteScripps FloridaJupiterFL33458U.S.A.
| | - Megan Smith
- Calico Life Sciences LLC1170 Veterans BlvdSouth San FranciscoCA94080U.S.A.
| | - Kenneth B. Storey
- Department of BiologyCarleton University1125 Colonel By DriveOttawaONK1S 5B6Canada
| | - Xiao Tian
- Department of Genetics – Blavatnik InstituteHarvard Medical School77 Avenue Louis PasteurBostonMA02115U.S.A.
| | - Emily N. Vice
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Illinois at ChicagoChicagoIL60607U.S.A.
| | - Mélanie Viltard
- Fondation pour la recherche en PhysiologieUniversité Catholique de LouvainClos Chapelle‐aux‐Champs 30Woluwe‐saint Lambert1200Belgium
| | - Akiyuki Watarai
- Companion Animal Research, School of Veterinary MedicineAzabu UniversitySagamihara252‐5201Japan
| | - Ewa Wywial
- Biology DepartmentThe City College of New York138th Street and Convent AvenueNew YorkNY10031U.S.A.
| | - Masanori Yamakawa
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of BiosystemsThe Graduate University for Advanced StudiesHayama240‐0193Japan
| | - Elena D. Zemlemerova
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and EvolutionRussian Academy of SciencesLeninskii pr. 33Moscow119071Russia
| | - Michael Zions
- Graduate Center City University of New York365 Fifth AvenueNew YorkNY10016U.S.A.
| | - Ewan St. John Smith
- The School of the Biological SciencesUniversity of CambridgeTennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 1PDU.K.
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16
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Barker AJ. Brains and speciation: Control of behavior. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 71:158-163. [PMID: 34847485 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
As organisms invade new ecological niches, new species are formed. Simultaneously, behavioral repertoires diverge to adapt to new environments and reproductive partners. Such behavioral modifications require changes in underlying neural circuitry and thus speciation events provide a unique advantage for studying brain evolution: allowing for direct comparisons between homologous neural circuits with distinct functional outputs. Here, I will consider how speciation events can reveal common motifs within brain evolution focusing on recent research across a wide range of phyla.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison J Barker
- Max-Planck-Institute for Brain Research, Max-Planck-Institut fur Hirnforschung, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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17
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Thevalingam D, Naik AA, Hrabe J, McCloskey DP, Hrabĕtová S. Brain extracellular space of the naked mole-rat expands and maintains normal diffusion under ischemic conditions. Brain Res 2021; 1771:147646. [PMID: 34499876 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Brain extracellular space (ECS) forms a conduit for diffusion, an essential mode of molecular transport between brain vasculature, neurons and glia. ECS volume is reduced under conditions of hypoxia and ischemia, contributing to impaired extracellular diffusion and consequent neuronal dysfunction and death. We investigated the ECS volume fraction and diffusion permeability of the African naked mole-rat (NM-R; Heterocephalus Glaber), a rodent with a remarkably high tolerance for hypoxia and ischemia. Real-Time Iontophoretic and Integrative Optical Imaging methods were used to evaluate diffusion transport in cortical slices under normoxic and ischemic conditions, and results were compared to values previously collected in rats. NM-R brains under normoxic conditions had a smaller ECS volume fraction than rats, and a correspondingly decreased diffusion permeability for macromolecules. Surprisingly, and in sharp contrast to rats, the NM-R ECS responded to ischemic conditions at the center of thick brain slices by expanding, rather than shrinking, and preserving diffusion permeabilities for small and large molecules. The NM-R thick slices also showed a blunted accumulation of ECS potassium compared to rats. The remarkable dynamic response of the NM-R ECS to ischemia likely demonstrates an adaptation for NM-R to maintain brain function in their extreme nest environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald Thevalingam
- PhD Program in Neuroscience, Graduate Center of The City University of New York, New York, NY, USA; Center for Developmental Neuroscience, College of Staten Island in The City University of New York, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Aditi A Naik
- Department of Cell Biology, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA; Neural and Behavioral Science Graduate Program, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Jan Hrabe
- Department of Cell Biology, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA; Medical Physics Laboratory, Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan S. Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Dan P McCloskey
- PhD Program in Neuroscience, Graduate Center of The City University of New York, New York, NY, USA; Center for Developmental Neuroscience, College of Staten Island in The City University of New York, Staten Island, NY, USA; Department of Psychology, College of Staten Island in The City University of New York, Staten Island, NY, USA.
| | - Sabina Hrabĕtová
- Department of Cell Biology, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA; The Robert F. Furchgott Center for Neural and Behavioral Science, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
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18
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Vice EN, Lagestee S, Browe BM, Deb D, Smith ESJ, Park TJ. Sensory Systems of the African Naked Mole-Rat. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1319:137-156. [PMID: 34424515 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-65943-1_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Naked mole-rats share some sensory characteristics with other subterraneans, including lack of object vision, retention of the ability to entrain their circadian rhythm to light, and poor hearing. On the other hand, a characteristic that may be specialized in the naked mole-rat is their exquisite orienting responses to the touch of even a single body vibrissa. They have about 100 whisker-like body vibrissae on their otherwise furless bodies. They are also insensitive to chemical and inflammatory pain, likely an adaptation to living in an atmosphere that is high in carbon dioxide, a result of many respiring individuals driving carbon dioxide accumulation. Naked mole-rats have the highest population density among subterranean mammals. High levels of carbon dioxide cause tissue acidosis and associated pain. Remarkably, naked mole-rats are completely immune to carbon dioxide-induced pulmonary edema. However, they retain the ability to detect acid as a taste (sour). Finally, their ability to smell and discriminate odors is comparable to that of rats and mice, but their vomeronasal organ, associated with sensing pheromones, is extremely small and shows a complete lack of post-natal growth. In this chapter, we review what is known about the sensory systems of the naked mole-rat with emphasis on how they differ from other mammals, and even other subterraneans. More extensive accounts of the naked mole-rat's auditory and pain systems can be found in other chapters of this book.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily N Vice
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Samantha Lagestee
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Brigitte M Browe
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Deblina Deb
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.,Kids In Motion Pediatric Therapy Services, Highland, MI, USA
| | - Ewan St J Smith
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Thomas J Park
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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19
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The Idiosyncratic Physiological Traits of the Naked Mole-Rat; a Resilient Animal Model of Aging, Longevity, and Healthspan. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1319:221-254. [PMID: 34424518 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-65943-1_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The subterranean-dwelling naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is an extremophilic rodent, able to thrive in the harsh underground conditions of sub-Saharan Northeast Africa. This pelage-free mammal exhibits numerous unusual ecophysiological features including pronounced tolerance of thermolability, hypoxia, hypercapnia and noxious substances. As a mammal, the naked mole-rat provides a proof-of-concept that age-related changes in physiology are avoidable. At ages far beyond their expected lifespans given both their body size and/or the timing of early developmental milestones, naked mole-rats fail to exhibit meaningful changes in physiological health or demographic mortality. Lack of physiological deterioration with age is also evident in lean and fat mass, bone quality, and reproductive capacity. Rather, regardless of age, under basal conditions naked mole-rats appear to "idle on low" with their "shields up" as is manifested by low body temperature, metabolic rate, cardiac output and kidney concentrating ability, enabling better protection of organs and cellular function. When needed, they can nevertheless ramp up these functions, increasing cardiac output and metabolism 2-5 fold. Here we review many unusual aspects of their physiology and examine how these attributes facilitate both tolerance of the diverse suite of hostile conditions encountered in their natural milieu as well as contribute to their extraordinary longevity and resistance to common, age-related chronic diseases.
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20
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Key B, Zalucki O, Brown DJ. Neural Design Principles for Subjective Experience: Implications for Insects. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:658037. [PMID: 34025371 PMCID: PMC8131515 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.658037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
How subjective experience is realized in nervous systems remains one of the great challenges in the natural sciences. An answer to this question should resolve debate about which animals are capable of subjective experience. We contend that subjective experience of sensory stimuli is dependent on the brain's awareness of its internal neural processing of these stimuli. This premise is supported by empirical evidence demonstrating that disruption to either processing streams or awareness states perturb subjective experience. Given that the brain must predict the nature of sensory stimuli, we reason that conscious awareness is itself dependent on predictions generated by hierarchically organized forward models of the organism's internal sensory processing. The operation of these forward models requires a specialized neural architecture and hence any nervous system lacking this architecture is unable to subjectively experience sensory stimuli. This approach removes difficulties associated with extrapolations from behavioral and brain homologies typically employed in addressing whether an animal can feel. Using nociception as a model sensation, we show here that the Drosophila brain lacks the required internal neural connectivity to implement the computations required of hierarchical forward models. Consequently, we conclude that Drosophila, and those insects with similar neuroanatomy, do not subjectively experience noxious stimuli and therefore cannot feel pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Key
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Oressia Zalucki
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Deborah J. Brown
- School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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21
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Estévez-López F, Salazar-Tortosa DF, Camiletti-Moirón D, Gavilán-Carrera B, Aparicio VA, Acosta-Manzano P, Segura-Jiménez V, Álvarez-Gallardo IC, Carbonell-Baeza A, Munguía-Izquierdo D, Geenen R, Lacerda E, Delgado-Fernández M, Martínez-González LJ, Ruiz JR, Álvarez-Cubero MJ. Fatigue in Women with Fibromyalgia: A Gene-Physical Activity Interaction Study. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10091902. [PMID: 33924903 PMCID: PMC8125111 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10091902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Fatigue is a cardinal symptom in fibromyalgia. Fatigue is assumed to be the result of genetic susceptibility and environmental factors. We aimed at examining the role of genetic susceptibility for fatigue in southern Spanish women with fibromyalgia, by looking at single nucleotide polymorphisms in 34 fibromyalgia candidate-genes, at the interactions between genes, and at the gene-physical activity interactions. We extracted DNA from saliva of 276 fibromyalgia women to analyze gene-polymorphisms. Accelerometers registered physical activity and sedentary behavior. Fatigue was assessed with the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory. Based on the Bonferroni’s and False Discovery Rate values, we found that the genotype of the rs4453709 polymorphism (sodium channel protein type 9 subunit alpha, SCN9A, gene) was related to reduced motivation (AT carriers showed the highest reduced motivation) and reduced activity (AA carriers showed the lowest reduced activity). Carriers of the heterozygous genotype of the rs1801133 (methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase, MTHFR, gene) or rs4597545 (SCN9A gene) polymorphisms who were physically active reported lower scores on fatigue compared to their inactive counterparts. Highly sedentary carriers of the homozygous genotype of the rs7607967 polymorphism (AA/GG genotype; SCN9A gene) presented more reduced activity (a dimension of fatigue) than those with lower levels of sedentary behavior. Collectively, findings from the present study suggest that the contribution of genetics and gene-physical activity interaction to fatigue in fibromyalgia is modest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Estévez-López
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands;
| | - Diego F. Salazar-Tortosa
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Daniel Camiletti-Moirón
- Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Education Sciences, University of Cádiz, 11519 Cádiz, Spain; (D.C.-M.); (B.G.-C.); (V.S.-J.); (I.C.Á.-G.); (A.C.-B.)
| | - Blanca Gavilán-Carrera
- Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Education Sciences, University of Cádiz, 11519 Cádiz, Spain; (D.C.-M.); (B.G.-C.); (V.S.-J.); (I.C.Á.-G.); (A.C.-B.)
| | - Virginia A. Aparicio
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, 18011 Granada, Spain;
- Biomedical Research Centre (CIBM), Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (INYTA), University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain
| | - Pedro Acosta-Manzano
- Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, 18010 Granada, Spain; (P.A.-M.); (M.D.-F.)
| | - Víctor Segura-Jiménez
- Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Education Sciences, University of Cádiz, 11519 Cádiz, Spain; (D.C.-M.); (B.G.-C.); (V.S.-J.); (I.C.Á.-G.); (A.C.-B.)
| | - Inmaculada C. Álvarez-Gallardo
- Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Education Sciences, University of Cádiz, 11519 Cádiz, Spain; (D.C.-M.); (B.G.-C.); (V.S.-J.); (I.C.Á.-G.); (A.C.-B.)
| | - Ana Carbonell-Baeza
- Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Education Sciences, University of Cádiz, 11519 Cádiz, Spain; (D.C.-M.); (B.G.-C.); (V.S.-J.); (I.C.Á.-G.); (A.C.-B.)
| | - Diego Munguía-Izquierdo
- Physical Performance and Sports Research Center, Department of Sports and Computer Science, Section of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Seville, Spain;
| | - Rinie Geenen
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands;
| | - Eliana Lacerda
- Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Disease, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK;
| | - Manuel Delgado-Fernández
- Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, 18010 Granada, Spain; (P.A.-M.); (M.D.-F.)
| | - Luis J. Martínez-González
- GENYO, Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research, Pfizer, University of Granada, Andalusian Regional Government, PTS Granada, Av. Ilustracion, 114, 18016 Granada, Spain;
| | - Jonatan R. Ruiz
- PROFITH—“PROmoting FITness and Health Through Physical Activity” Research Group, Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain;
| | - María J. Álvarez-Cubero
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology III, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, 18010 Granada, Spain;
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22
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The Somatosensory World of the African Naked Mole-Rat. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1319:197-220. [PMID: 34424517 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-65943-1_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is famous for its longevity and unusual physiology. This eusocial species that lives in highly ordered and hierarchical colonies with a single breeding queen, also discovered secrets enabling somewhat pain-free living around 20 million years ago. Unlike most mammals, naked mole-rats do not feel the burn of chili pepper's active ingredient, capsaicin, nor the sting of acid. Indeed, by accumulating mutations in genes encoding proteins that are only now being exploited as targets for new pain therapies (the nerve growth factor receptor TrkA and voltage-gated sodium channel, NaV1.7), this species mastered the art of analgesia before humans evolved. Recently, we have identified pain-insensitivity as a trait shared by several closely related African mole-rat species. In this chapter we will show how African mole-rats have evolved pain insensitivity as well as discussing what the proximate factors may have been that led to the evolution of pain-free traits.
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23
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Park TJ, Smith ESJ, Reznick J, Bennett NC, Applegate DT, Larson J, Lewin GR. African Naked Mole-Rats Demonstrate Extreme Tolerance to Hypoxia and Hypercapnia. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1319:255-269. [PMID: 34424519 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-65943-1_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Naked mole-rats are extremely tolerant to low concentrations of oxygen (hypoxia) and high concentrations of carbon dioxide (hypercapnia), which is consistent with the environment that they inhabit. Naked mole-rats combine subterranean living with living in very densely populated colonies where oxygen becomes depleted and carbon dioxide accumulates. In the laboratory, naked mole-rats fully recover from 5 h exposure to 5% O2 and 5 h exposure to 80% CO2, whereas both conditions are rapidly lethal to similarly sized laboratory mice. During anoxia (0% O2) naked mole-rats enter a suspended animation-like state and switch from aerobic metabolism of glucose to anaerobic metabolism of fructose. Additional fascinating characteristics include that naked mole-rats show intrinsic brain tolerance to anoxia; a complete lack of hypoxia-induced and CO2-induced pulmonary edema; and reduced aversion to high concentrations of CO2 and acidic fumes. Here we outline a constellation of physiological and molecular adaptations that correlate with the naked mole-rat's hypoxic/hypercapnic tolerance and which offer potential targets for ameliorating pathological conditions in humans, such as the damage caused during cerebral ischemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Park
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Ewan St J Smith
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jane Reznick
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - N C Bennett
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Daniel T Applegate
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - John Larson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Gary R Lewin
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
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24
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Delaney MA, Imai DM, Buffenstein R. Spontaneous Disease and Pathology of Naked Mole-Rats. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1319:353-380. [PMID: 34424525 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-65943-1_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Naked mole-rats are highly valuable research models and popular exhibition animals at zoos worldwide. Here, we provide comprehensive descriptions of common postmortem findings of naked mole-rats from both research colonies and populations managed in zoological institutions. Included are brief reviews of their natural history and related physiologic adaptations, unique anatomical features, gross and histologic lesions of common as well as rarely reported disease processes, and discussions of possible pathogeneses with recommendations for future investigations to fill knowledge gaps. Based on postmortem data of several hundreds of naked mole-rats in managed care, it is clear that cancer is extremely rare and infectious disease is infrequently reported. However, despite relatively benign aging phenotypes in this species, several degenerative processes have been nevertheless observed in older populations of naked mole-rats. As such, some potential diet and husbandry-related issues are discussed in addition to the one of the most prominent causes of morbidity and mortality, conspecific aggression and traumas. From this review of lesions and disease, it is clear that pathology, including histopathology, is integral to better understanding mechanisms of healthy aging and cancer resistance of these extraordinary rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha A Delaney
- Zoological Pathology Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
| | - Denise M Imai
- Comparative Pathology Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Rochelle Buffenstein
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, CA, USA. .,Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
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25
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Social Evolution in African Mole-Rats - A Comparative Overview. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1319:1-33. [PMID: 34424511 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-65943-1_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The African mole-rat superfamily are a unique group of subterranean rodents that are remarkable for their adaptations to a subterranean lifestyle and their range in sociality, spanning strictly solitary species to the naked mole-rat, the most social of all rodents. Widely distributed through sub-Saharan Africa their occurrence is associated with the presence of food resources in the form of underground roots, bulbs and tubers, which form their staple diet. African mole-rats have an ancient Oligocene/Eocene origin, with the naked mole-rat, the extant species with the earliest divergence from the common ancestor of the clade. As a consequence of its early evolution the naked mole-rat appears to have acquired many extraordinary biological features, even when compared with other mole-rats. Molecular phylogenies indicate that complex sociality and cooperative breeding has been convergently gained and/or lost more than once among African mole-rats, making them a fascinating group for comparative studies of social evolution. Ultimately, ecological constraints on digging and finding food have played a role in increasing cooperative behavior and social complexity, from what was most likely a monogamous ancestor living in family groups. Phylogenetically controlled comparisons suggest that proximate control of their lifestyle shows both conservation and divergence in the underlying mechanisms.
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26
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Hockley JR, Barker KH, Taylor TS, Callejo G, Husson ZM, Bulmer DC, Smith ESJ. Acid and inflammatory sensitisation of naked mole-rat colonic afferent nerves. Mol Pain 2020; 16:1744806920903150. [PMID: 31992138 PMCID: PMC6990608 DOI: 10.1177/1744806920903150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Acid sensing in the gastrointestinal tract is required for gut homeostasis and the detection of tissue acidosis caused by ischaemia, inflammation and infection. In the colorectum, activation of colonic afferents by low pH contributes to visceral hypersensitivity and abdominal pain in human disease including during inflammatory bowel disease. The naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) shows no pain-related behaviour to subcutaneous acid injection and cutaneous afferents are insensitive to acid, an adaptation thought to be a consequence of the subterranean, likely hypercapnic, environment in which it lives. As such we sought to investigate naked mole-rat interoception within the gastrointestinal tract and how this differed from the mouse (Mus Musculus). Here, we show the presence of calcitonin gene-related peptide expressing extrinsic nerve fibres innervating both mesenteric blood vessels and the myenteric plexi of the smooth muscle layers of the naked mole-rat colorectum. Using ex vivo colonic-nerve electrophysiological recordings, we show differential sensitivity of naked mole-rat, compared to mouse, colonic afferents to acid and the prototypic inflammatory mediator bradykinin, but not direct mechanical stimuli. In naked mole-rat, but not mouse, we observed mechanical hypersensitivity to acid, whilst both species sensitised to bradykinin. Collectively, these findings suggest that naked mole-rat colonic afferents are capable of detecting acidic stimuli; however, their intracellular coupling to downstream molecular effectors of neuronal excitability and mechanotransduction likely differs between species.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Rf Hockley
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Katie H Barker
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Toni S Taylor
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Gerard Callejo
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Zoe M Husson
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - David C Bulmer
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ewan St J Smith
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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27
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William D. Willis, Jr, MD, PhD Memorial Lecture: The evolutionary history of nerve growth factor and nociception. Pain 2020; 161 Suppl 1:S36-S47. [PMID: 33090738 PMCID: PMC7434219 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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28
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Poulson SJ, Aldarraji A, Arain II, Dziekonski N, Motlana K, Riley R, Holmes MM, Martin LJ. Naked mole-rats lack cold sensitivity before and after nerve injury. Mol Pain 2020; 16:1744806920955103. [PMID: 32880221 PMCID: PMC7475789 DOI: 10.1177/1744806920955103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropathic pain is a chronic disease state resulting from injury to the nervous system. This type of pain often responds poorly to standard treatments and occasionally may get worse instead of better over time. Patients who experience neuropathic pain report sensitivity to cold and mechanical stimuli. Since the nociceptive system of African naked mole-rats contains unique adaptations that result in insensitivity to some pain types, we investigated whether naked mole-rats may be resilient to sensitivity following nerve injury. Using the spared nerve injury model of neuropathic pain, we showed that sensitivity to mechanical stimuli developed similarly in mice and naked mole-rats. However, naked mole-rats lacked sensitivity to mild cold stimulation after nerve injury, while mice developed robust cold sensitivity. We pursued this response deficit by testing behavior to activators of transient receptor potential (TRP) receptors involved in detecting cold in naïve animals. Following mustard oil, a TRPA1 activator, naked mole-rats responded similarly to mice. Conversely, icilin, a TRPM8 agonist, did not evoke pain behavior in naked mole-rats when compared with mice. Finally, we used RNAscope to probe for TRPA1 and TRPM8 messenger RNA expression in dorsal root ganglia of both species. We found increased TRPA1 messenger RNA, but decreased TRPM8 punctae in naked mole-rats when compared with mice. Our findings likely reflect species differences due to evolutionary environmental responses that are not easily explained by differences in receptor expression between the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra J Poulson
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Ahmed Aldarraji
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Iqra I Arain
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Natalia Dziekonski
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Keza Motlana
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Rachel Riley
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Melissa M Holmes
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada.,Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Loren J Martin
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada.,Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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29
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Browe BM, Olsen AR, Ramirez C, Rickman RH, Smith ESJ, Park TJ. The naked mole-rat has a functional purinergic pain pathway despite having a non-functional peptidergic pain pathway. NEUROBIOLOGY OF PAIN (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2020; 8:100047. [PMID: 32478202 PMCID: PMC7248424 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynpai.2020.100047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Naked mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber) have adaptations within their pain pathway that are beneficial to survival in large colonies within poorly ventilated burrow systems, with lower O2 and higher CO2 ambient levels than ground-level environments. These adaptations ultimately lead to a partial disruption of the C-fiber pain pathway, which enables naked mole-rats to not feel pain from the acidosis associated with CO2 accumulation. One hallmark of this disruption is that naked mole-rats do not express neuropeptides, such as Substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide in their cutaneous C-fibers, effectively making the peptidergic pain pathway hypofunctional. One C-fiber pathway that remains unstudied in the naked mole-rat is the non-peptidergic, purinergic pathway, despite this being a key pathway for inflammatory pain. The current study aimed to establish the functionality of the purinergic pathway in naked mole-rats and the effectiveness of cannabinoids in attenuating pain through this pathway. Cannabinoids can manage chronic inflammatory pain in both humans and mouse models, and studies suggest a major downstream role for the purinergic receptor, P2X3, in this treatment. Here we used Ca2+-imaging of cultured dorsal root ganglion neurons and in vivo behavioral testing to demonstrate that the P2X3 pathway is functional in naked mole-rats. Additionally, formalin-induced inflammatory pain was reduced by the cannabinoid receptor agonist, WIN55 (inflammatory, but not acute phase) and the P2X3 receptor antagonist A-317491 (acute and inflammatory phases). This study establishes that the purinergic C-fiber pathway is present and functional in naked mole-rats and that cannabinoid-mediated analgesia occurs in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigitte M. Browe
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Abigail R. Olsen
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Cesar Ramirez
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Rebecca H. Rickman
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1PD, UK
| | | | - Thomas J. Park
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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30
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St. John Smith E, Park TJ. Neurobiology: Crowdsourcing CO2 to Conserve Brain Energy. Curr Biol 2020; 30:R649-R651. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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31
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Smith ESJ, Park TJ, Lewin GR. Independent evolution of pain insensitivity in African mole-rats: origins and mechanisms. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2020; 206:313-325. [PMID: 32206859 PMCID: PMC7192887 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-020-01414-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is famous for its longevity and unusual physiology. This eusocial species that lives in highly ordered and hierarchical colonies with a single breeding queen, also discovered secrets enabling somewhat pain-free living around 20 million years ago. Unlike most mammals, naked mole-rats do not feel the burn of chili pepper's active ingredient, capsaicin, nor the sting of acid. Indeed, by accumulating mutations in genes encoding proteins that are only now being exploited as targets for new pain therapies (the nerve growth factor receptor TrkA and voltage-gated sodium channel, NaV1.7), this species mastered the art of analgesia before humans evolved. Recently, we have identified pain insensitivity as a trait shared by several closely related African mole-rat species. One of these African mole-rats, the Highveld mole-rat (Cryptomys hottentotus pretoriae), is uniquely completely impervious and pain free when confronted with electrophilic compounds that activate the TRPA1 ion channel. The Highveld mole-rat has evolved a biophysical mechanism to shut down the activation of sensory neurons that drive pain. In this review, we will show how mole-rats have evolved pain insensitivity as well as discussing what the proximate factors may have been that led to the evolution of pain-free traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewan St John Smith
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, UK
| | - Thomas J Park
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Gary R Lewin
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle Str. 10, D-13125, Berlin, Germany.
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32
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Zions M, Meehan EF, Kress ME, Thevalingam D, Jenkins EC, Kaila K, Puskarjov M, McCloskey DP. Nest Carbon Dioxide Masks GABA-Dependent Seizure Susceptibility in the Naked Mole-Rat. Curr Biol 2020; 30:2068-2077.e4. [PMID: 32359429 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.03.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
African naked mole-rats were likely the first mammals to evolve eusociality, and thus required adaptations to conserve energy and tolerate the low oxygen (O2) and high carbon dioxide (CO2) of a densely populated fossorial nest. As hypercapnia is known to suppress neuronal activity, we studied whether naked mole-rats might demonstrate energy savings in GABAergic inhibition. Using whole-colony behavioral monitoring of captive naked mole-rats, we found a durable nest, characterized by high CO2 levels, where all colony members spent the majority of their time. Analysis of the naked mole-rat genome revealed, uniquely among mammals, a histidine point variation in the neuronal potassium-chloride cotransporter 2 (KCC2). A histidine missense substitution mutation at this locus in the human ortholog of KCC2, found previously in patients with febrile seizures and epilepsy, has been demonstrated to diminish neuronal Cl- extrusion capacity, and thus impairs GABAergic inhibition. Seizures were observed, without pharmacological intervention, in adult naked mole-rats exposed to a simulated hyperthermic surface environment, causing systemic hypocapnic alkalosis. Consistent with the diminished function of KCC2, adult naked mole-rats demonstrate a reduced efficacy of inhibition that manifests as triggering of seizures at room temperature by the GABAA receptor (GABAAR) positive allosteric modulator diazepam. These seizures are blocked in the presence of nest-like levels of CO2 and likely to be mediated through GABAAR activity, based on in vitro recordings. Thus, altered GABAergic inhibition adds to a growing list of adaptations in the naked mole-rat and provides a plausible proximate mechanism for nesting behavior, where a return to the colony nest restores GABA-mediated inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Zions
- PhD Program in Neuroscience, Graduate Center of The City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Developmental Neuroscience, College of Staten Island in the City University of New York, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA
| | - Edward F Meehan
- Department of Psychology, College of Staten Island in the City University of New York, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA; Department of Computer Science, College of Staten Island in the City University of New York, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA
| | - Michael E Kress
- Department of Computer Science, College of Staten Island in the City University of New York, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA; PhD Program in Computer Science, Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Donald Thevalingam
- PhD Program in Neuroscience, Graduate Center of The City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Developmental Neuroscience, College of Staten Island in the City University of New York, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA
| | - Edmund C Jenkins
- Center for Developmental Neuroscience, College of Staten Island in the City University of New York, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA
| | - Kai Kaila
- Neuroscience Center (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Molecular and Integrative Biosciences, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Martin Puskarjov
- Center for Developmental Neuroscience, College of Staten Island in the City University of New York, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA; Molecular and Integrative Biosciences, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Dan P McCloskey
- PhD Program in Neuroscience, Graduate Center of The City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Developmental Neuroscience, College of Staten Island in the City University of New York, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA; Department of Psychology, College of Staten Island in the City University of New York, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA.
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33
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Buffenstein R, Lewis KN, Gibney PA, Narayan V, Grimes KM, Smith M, Lin TD, Brown-Borg HM. Probing Pedomorphy and Prolonged Lifespan in Naked Mole-Rats and Dwarf Mice. Physiology (Bethesda) 2020; 35:96-111. [DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00032.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Pedomorphy, maintenance of juvenile traits throughout life, is most pronounced in extraordinarily long-lived naked mole-rats. Many of these traits (e.g., slow growth rates, low hormone levels, and delayed sexual maturity) are shared with spontaneously mutated, long-lived dwarf mice. Although some youthful traits likely evolved as adaptations to subterranean habitats (e.g., thermolability), the nature of these intrinsic pedomorphic features may also contribute to their prolonged youthfulness, longevity, and healthspan.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Patrick A. Gibney
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, California
- Department of Food Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Stocking Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Vikram Narayan
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, California
| | - Kelly M. Grimes
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Megan Smith
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, California
| | - Tzuhua D. Lin
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, California
| | - Holly M. Brown-Borg
- Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota
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34
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Clayson MS, Devereaux MEM, Pamenter ME. Neurokinin-1 receptor activation is sufficient to restore the hypercapnic ventilatory response in the Substance P-deficient naked mole-rat. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2020; 318:R712-R721. [PMID: 31967860 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00251.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Naked mole-rats (NMRs) live in large colonies within densely populated underground burrows. Their collective respiration generates significant metabolic carbon dioxide (CO2) that diffuses slowly out of the burrow network, creating a hypercapnic environment. Currently, the physiological mechanisms that underlie the ability of NMRs to tolerate environmental hypercapnia are largely unknown. To address this, we used whole-body plethysmography and respirometry to elucidate the hypercapnic ventilatory and metabolic responses of awake, freely behaving NMRs to 0%-10% CO2. We found that NMRs have a blunted hypercapnic ventilatory response (HCVR): ventilation increased only in 10% CO2. Conversely, metabolism was unaffected by hypercapnia. NMRs are insensitive to cutaneous acid-based pain caused by modified substance P (SP)-mediated peripheral neurotransmission, and SP is also an important neuromodulator of ventilation. Therefore, we re-evaluated physiological responses to hypercapnia in NMRs after an intraperitoneal injection of exogenous substance P (2 mg/kg) or a long-lived isoform of substance P {[pGlu5-MePhe8-MeGly9]SP(5-11), DiMe-C7; 40-400 μg/kg}. We found that both drugs restored hypercapnia sensitivity and unmasked an HCVR in animals breathing 2%-10% CO2. Taken together, our findings indicate that NMRs are remarkably tolerant of hypercapnic environments and have a blunted HCVR; however, the signaling network architecture required for a "normal" HCVR is retained but endogenously inactive. This muting of chemosensitivity likely suits the ecophysiology of this species, which presumably experiences hypercapnia regularly in their underground niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxwell S Clayson
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Matthew E Pamenter
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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35
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Eigenbrod O, Debus KY, Reznick J, Bennett NC, Sánchez-Carranza O, Omerbašić D, Hart DW, Barker AJ, Zhong W, Lutermann H, Katandukila JV, Mgode G, Park TJ, Lewin GR. Rapid molecular evolution of pain insensitivity in multiple African rodents. Science 2019; 364:852-859. [PMID: 31147513 DOI: 10.1126/science.aau0236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2018] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Noxious substances, called algogens, cause pain and are used as defensive weapons by plants and stinging insects. We identified four previously unknown instances of algogen-insensitivity by screening eight African rodent species related to the naked mole-rat with the painful substances capsaicin, acid (hydrogen chloride, pH 3.5), and allyl isothiocyanate (AITC). Using RNA sequencing, we traced the emergence of sequence variants in transduction channels, like transient receptor potential channel TRPA1 and voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.7, that accompany algogen insensitivity. In addition, the AITC-insensitive highveld mole-rat exhibited overexpression of the leak channel NALCN (sodium leak channel, nonselective), ablating AITC detection by nociceptors. These molecular changes likely rendered highveld mole-rats immune to the stings of the Natal droptail ant. Our study reveals how evolution can be used as a discovery tool to find molecular mechanisms that shut down pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ole Eigenbrod
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Karlien Y Debus
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jane Reznick
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nigel C Bennett
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa
| | - Oscar Sánchez-Carranza
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Damir Omerbašić
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel W Hart
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa
| | - Alison J Barker
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Wei Zhong
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Heike Lutermann
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa
| | - Jestina V Katandukila
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa.,University of Dar es Salaam, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, Department of Zoology and Wildlife Conservation, P.O. Box 35064, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Georgies Mgode
- Pest Management Centre, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Thomas J Park
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Gary R Lewin
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany. .,NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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36
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Faulkes CG, Eykyn TR, Aksentijevic D. Cardiac metabolomic profile of the naked mole-rat-glycogen to the rescue. Biol Lett 2019; 15:20190710. [PMID: 31771414 PMCID: PMC6892520 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The African naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is unique among mammals, displaying extreme longevity, resistance to cardiovascular disease and an ability to survive long periods of extreme hypoxia. The metabolic adaptations required for resistance to hypoxia are hotly debated and a recent report provides evidence that they are able to switch from glucose to fructose driven glycolysis in the brain. However, other systemic alterations in their metabolism are largely unknown. In the current study, a semi-targeted high resolution 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) metabolomics investigation was performed on cardiac tissue from the naked mole-rat (NMR) and wild-type C57/BL6 mice to better understand these adaptations. A range of metabolic differences was observed in the NMR including increased lactate, consistent with enhanced rates of glycolysis previously reported, increased glutathione, suggesting increased resistance to oxidative stress and decreased succinate/fumarate ratio suggesting reduced oxidative phosphorylation and ROS production. Surprisingly, the most significant difference was an elevation of glycogen stores and glucose-1-phosphate resulting from glycogen turnover, that were completely absent in the mouse heart and above the levels found in the mouse liver. Thus, we identified a range of metabolic adaptations in the NMR heart that are relevant to their ability to survive extreme environmental pressures and metabolic stress. Our study underscores the plasticity of energetic pathways and the need for compensatory strategies to adapt in response to the physiological and pathological stress including ageing and ischaemic heart pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris G Faulkes
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, G.E. Fogg Building, Mile End Road, London, UK
| | - Thomas R Eykyn
- Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas Hospital, London, UK
| | - Dunja Aksentijevic
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, G.E. Fogg Building, Mile End Road, London, UK
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37
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Pattison LA, Callejo G, St John Smith E. Evolution of acid nociception: ion channels and receptors for detecting acid. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20190291. [PMID: 31544616 PMCID: PMC6790391 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Nociceptors, i.e. sensory neurons tuned to detect noxious stimuli, are found in numerous phyla of the Animalia kingdom and are often polymodal, responding to a variety of stimuli, e.g. heat, cold, pressure and chemicals, such as acid. Owing to the ability of protons to have a profound effect on ionic homeostasis and damage macromolecular structures, it is no wonder that the ability to detect acid is conserved across many species. To detect changes in pH, nociceptors are equipped with an assortment of different acid sensors, some of which can detect mild changes in pH, such as the acid-sensing ion channels, proton-sensing G protein-coupled receptors and several two-pore potassium channels, whereas others, such as the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 ion channel, require larger shifts in pH. This review will discuss the evolution of acid sensation and the different mechanisms by which nociceptors can detect acid. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Evolution of mechanisms and behaviour important for pain'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ewan St John Smith
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1PD, UK
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38
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Williams CJA, James LE, Bertelsen MF, Wang T. Analgesia for non-mammalian vertebrates. CURRENT OPINION IN PHYSIOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cophys.2019.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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39
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Ullrich F, Blin S, Lazarow K, Daubitz T, von Kries JP, Jentsch TJ. Identification of TMEM206 proteins as pore of PAORAC/ASOR acid-sensitive chloride channels. eLife 2019; 8:49187. [PMID: 31318332 PMCID: PMC6663466 DOI: 10.7554/elife.49187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Acid-sensing ion channels have important functions in physiology and pathology, but the molecular composition of acid-activated chloride channels had remained unclear. We now used a genome-wide siRNA screen to molecularly identify the widely expressed acid-sensitive outwardly-rectifying anion channel PAORAC/ASOR. ASOR is formed by TMEM206 proteins which display two transmembrane domains (TMs) and are expressed at the plasma membrane. Ion permeation-changing mutations along the length of TM2 and at the end of TM1 suggest that these segments line ASOR’s pore. While not belonging to a gene family, TMEM206 has orthologs in probably all vertebrates. Currents from evolutionarily distant orthologs share activation by protons, a feature essential for ASOR’s role in acid-induced cell death. TMEM206 defines a novel class of ion channels. Its identification will help to understand its physiological roles and the diverse ways by which anion-selective pores can be formed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Ullrich
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin, Germany.,Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin (MDC), Berlin, Germany
| | - Sandy Blin
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin, Germany.,Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin (MDC), Berlin, Germany
| | - Katina Lazarow
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin, Germany
| | - Tony Daubitz
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin, Germany.,Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin (MDC), Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Thomas J Jentsch
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin, Germany.,Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin (MDC), Berlin, Germany.,NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
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40
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Abstract
Beyond their well-known role in embryonic development of the central and peripheral nervous system, neurotrophins, particularly nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor, exert an essential role in pain production and sensitization. This has mainly been studied within the framework of somatic pain, and even antibodies (tanezumab and fasinumab) have recently been developed for their use in chronic somatic painful conditions, such as osteoarthritis or low back pain. However, data suggest that neurotrophins also exert an important role in the occurrence of visceral pain and visceral sensitization. Visceral pain is a distressing symptom that prompts many consultations and is typically encountered in both 'organic' (generally inflammatory) and 'functional' (displaying no obvious structural changes in routine clinical evaluations) disorders of the gut, such as inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome, respectively. The present review provides a summary of neurotrophins as a molecular family and their role in pain in general and addresses recent investigations of the involvement of nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in visceral pain, particularly that associated with inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome.
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41
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Bennett DL, Clark AJ, Huang J, Waxman SG, Dib-Hajj SD. The Role of Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels in Pain Signaling. Physiol Rev 2019; 99:1079-1151. [DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00052.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 256] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute pain signaling has a key protective role and is highly evolutionarily conserved. Chronic pain, however, is maladaptive, occurring as a consequence of injury and disease, and is associated with sensitization of the somatosensory nervous system. Primary sensory neurons are involved in both of these processes, and the recent advances in understanding sensory transduction and human genetics are the focus of this review. Voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) are important determinants of sensory neuron excitability: they are essential for the initial transduction of sensory stimuli, the electrogenesis of the action potential, and neurotransmitter release from sensory neuron terminals. Nav1.1, Nav1.6, Nav1.7, Nav1.8, and Nav1.9 are all expressed by adult sensory neurons. The biophysical characteristics of these channels, as well as their unique expression patterns within subtypes of sensory neurons, define their functional role in pain signaling. Changes in the expression of VGSCs, as well as posttranslational modifications, contribute to the sensitization of sensory neurons in chronic pain states. Furthermore, gene variants in Nav1.7, Nav1.8, and Nav1.9 have now been linked to human Mendelian pain disorders and more recently to common pain disorders such as small-fiber neuropathy. Chronic pain affects one in five of the general population. Given the poor efficacy of current analgesics, the selective expression of particular VGSCs in sensory neurons makes these attractive targets for drug discovery. The increasing availability of gene sequencing, combined with structural modeling and electrophysiological analysis of gene variants, also provides the opportunity to better target existing therapies in a personalized manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- David L. Bennett
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Department of Neurology and Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; and Rehabilitation Research Center, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut
| | - Alex J. Clark
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Department of Neurology and Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; and Rehabilitation Research Center, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut
| | - Jianying Huang
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Department of Neurology and Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; and Rehabilitation Research Center, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut
| | - Stephen G. Waxman
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Department of Neurology and Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; and Rehabilitation Research Center, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut
| | - Sulayman D. Dib-Hajj
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Department of Neurology and Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; and Rehabilitation Research Center, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut
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42
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Saldmann F, Viltard M, Leroy C, Friedlander G. The Naked Mole Rat: A Unique Example of Positive Oxidative Stress. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2019; 2019:4502819. [PMID: 30881592 PMCID: PMC6383544 DOI: 10.1155/2019/4502819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Revised: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The oxidative stress theory of aging, linking reactive oxygen species (ROS) to aging, has been accepted for more than 60 years, and numerous studies have associated ROS with various age-related diseases. A more precise version of the theory specifies that mitochondrial oxidative stress is a direct cause of aging. The naked mole rat, a unique animal with exceptional longevity (32 years in captivity), appears to be an ideal model to study successful aging and the role of ROS in this process. Several studies in the naked mole rat have shown that these animals exhibit a remarkable resistance to oxidative stress. At low concentrations, ROS serve as second messengers, and these important intracellular signalling functions are crucial for the regulation of cellular processes. In this review, we examine the literature on ROS and their functions as signal transducers. We focus specifically on the longest-lived rodent, the naked mole rat, which is a perfect example of the paradox of living an exceptionally long life with slow aging despite high levels of oxidative damage from a young age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Saldmann
- 1Fondation pour la Recherche en Physiologie, Brussels, Belgium
- 2Service de Physiologie et Explorations Fonctionnelles, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Melanie Viltard
- 1Fondation pour la Recherche en Physiologie, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Christine Leroy
- 3Université Paris Descartes, Faculté de Médecine, Paris, France
- 4INSERM UMR_S1151 CNRS UMR8253 Institut Necker-Enfants Malades (INEM), Paris, France
| | - Gérard Friedlander
- 2Service de Physiologie et Explorations Fonctionnelles, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
- 3Université Paris Descartes, Faculté de Médecine, Paris, France
- 4INSERM UMR_S1151 CNRS UMR8253 Institut Necker-Enfants Malades (INEM), Paris, France
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43
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Browe BM, Vice EN, Park TJ. Naked Mole‐Rats: Blind, Naked, and Feeling No Pain. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2018; 303:77-88. [PMID: 30365235 DOI: 10.1002/ar.23996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2017] [Revised: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Brigitte M. Browe
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Illinois at Chicago, Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience 840 West Taylor St, Chicago Illinois
| | - Emily N. Vice
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Illinois at Chicago, Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience 840 West Taylor St, Chicago Illinois
| | - Thomas J. Park
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Illinois at Chicago, Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience 840 West Taylor St, Chicago Illinois
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44
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Davies KTJ, Bennett NC, Faulkes CG, Rossiter SJ. Limited Evidence for Parallel Molecular Adaptations Associated with the Subterranean Niche in Mammals: A Comparative Study of Three Superorders. Mol Biol Evol 2018; 35:2544-2559. [PMID: 30137400 PMCID: PMC6188548 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msy161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Among mammals, several lineages have independently adapted to a subterranean niche and possess similar phenotypic traits for burrowing (e.g., cylindrical bodies, short limbs, and absent pinnae). Previous research on mole-rats has revealed molecular adaptations for coping with reduced oxygen, elevated carbon dioxide, and the absence of light. In contrast, almost nothing is known regarding molecular adaptations in other subterranean lineages (e.g., true moles and golden moles). Therefore, the extent to which the recurrent phenotypic adaptations of divergent subterranean taxa have arisen via parallel routes of molecular evolution remains untested. To address these issues, we analyzed ∼8,000 loci in 15 representative subterranean taxa of four independent transitions to an underground niche for signatures of positive selection and convergent amino acid substitutions. Complementary analyses were performed in nonsubterranean "control" taxa to assess the biological significance of results. We found comparable numbers of positively selected genes in each of the four subterranean groups; however, correspondence in terms of gene identity between gene sets was low. Furthermore, we did not detect evidence of more convergent amino acids among subterranean species pairs compared with levels found between nonsubterranean controls. Comparisons with nonsubterranean taxa also revealed loci either under positive selection or with convergent substitutions, with similar functional enrichment (e.g., cell adhesion, immune response, and coagulation). Given the limited indication that positive selection and convergence occurred in the same loci, we conclude that selection may have acted on different loci across subterranean mammal lineages to produce similar phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalina T J Davies
- School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nigel C Bennett
- Department of Zoology & Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Chris G Faulkes
- School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen J Rossiter
- School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
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45
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Chakrabarti S, Pattison LA, Singhal K, Hockley JRF, Callejo G, Smith ESJ. Acute inflammation sensitizes knee-innervating sensory neurons and decreases mouse digging behavior in a TRPV1-dependent manner. Neuropharmacology 2018; 143:49-62. [PMID: 30240782 PMCID: PMC6277850 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Revised: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Ongoing, spontaneous pain is characteristic of inflammatory joint pain and reduces an individual's quality of life. To understand the neural basis of inflammatory joint pain, we made a unilateral knee injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) in mice, which reduced their natural digging behavior. We hypothesized that sensitization of knee-innervating dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons underlies this altered behavior. To test this hypothesis, we performed electrophysiological recordings on retrograde labeled knee-innervating primary DRG neuron cultures and measured their responses to a number of electrical and chemical stimuli. We found that 24-h after CFA-induced knee inflammation, knee neurons show a decreased action potential generation threshold, as well as increased GABA and capsaicin sensitivity, but have unaltered acid sensitivity. The inflammation-induced sensitization of knee neurons persisted for 24-h in culture, but was not observed after 48-h in culture. Through immunohistochemistry, we showed that the increased knee neuron capsaicin sensitivity correlated with enhanced expression of the capsaicin receptor, transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) in knee-innervating neurons of the CFA-injected side. We also observed an increase in the co-expression of TRPV1 with tropomyosin receptor kinase A (TrkA), which is the receptor for nerve growth factor (NGF), suggesting that NGF partially induces the increased TRPV1 expression. Lastly, we found that systemic administration of the TRPV1 antagonist, A-425619, reversed the decrease in digging behavior induced by CFA injection, further confirming the role of TRPV1, expressed by knee neurons, in acute inflammatory joint pain. Knee inflammation decreases digging behavior in mice. Knee-innervating dorsal root ganglion neurons are hyperexcitable after inflammation. NGF-mediated increase in TRPV1 expression is observed in knee-innervating neurons. Systemic TRPV1 antagonist administration normalises digging behavior in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luke A Pattison
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Kaajal Singhal
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Gerard Callejo
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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46
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Touska F, Turnquist B, Vlachova V, Reeh PW, Leffler A, Zimmermann K. Heat-resistant action potentials require TTX-resistant sodium channels Na V1.8 and Na V1.9. J Gen Physiol 2018; 150:1125-1144. [PMID: 29970412 PMCID: PMC6080895 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201711786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2017] [Revised: 12/31/2017] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Nociceptors prevent damage by being able to detect and transmit noxious stimuli, such as hot temperatures. Touska et al. show that the TTX-resistant NaV channels, NaV1.8 and NaV1.9, are required for heat-resistant nociceptors to encode noxious heat and that the current through NaV1.9 increases at higher temperatures. Damage-sensing nociceptors in the skin provide an indispensable protective function thanks to their specialized ability to detect and transmit hot temperatures that would block or inflict irreversible damage in other mammalian neurons. Here we show that the exceptional capacity of skin C-fiber nociceptors to encode noxiously hot temperatures depends on two tetrodotoxin (TTX)-resistant sodium channel α-subunits: NaV1.8 and NaV1.9. We demonstrate that NaV1.9, which is commonly considered an amplifier of subthreshold depolarizations at 20°C, undergoes a large gain of function when temperatures rise to the pain threshold. We also show that this gain of function renders NaV1.9 capable of generating action potentials with a clear inflection point and positive overshoot. In the skin, heat-resistant nociceptors appear as two distinct types with unique and possibly specialized features: one is blocked by TTX and relies on NaV1.9, and the second type is insensitive to TTX and composed of both NaV1.8 and NaV1.9. Independent of rapidly gated TTX-sensitive NaV channels that form the action potential at pain threshold, NaV1.8 is required in all heat-resistant nociceptors to encode temperatures higher than ∼46°C, whereas NaV1.9 is crucial for shaping the action potential upstroke and keeping the NaV1.8 voltage threshold within reach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip Touska
- Klinik für Anästhesiologie am Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.,Department of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Brian Turnquist
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Bethel University, St. Paul, MN
| | - Viktorie Vlachova
- Department of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Peter W Reeh
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Andreas Leffler
- Klinik für Anästhesiologie und Intensivmedizin, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Katharina Zimmermann
- Klinik für Anästhesiologie am Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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Husson Z, Smith ESJ. Naked mole-rat cortical neurons are resistant to acid-induced cell death. Mol Brain 2018; 11:26. [PMID: 29739425 PMCID: PMC5941639 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-018-0369-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulation of brain pH is a critical homeostatic process and changes in brain pH modulate various ion channels and receptors and thus neuronal excitability. Tissue acidosis, resulting from hypoxia or hypercapnia, can activate various proteins and ion channels, among which acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) a family of primarily Na+ permeable ion channels, which alongside classical excitotoxicity causes neuronal death. Naked mole-rats (NMRs, Heterocephalus glaber) are long-lived, fossorial, eusocial rodents that display remarkable behavioral/cellular hypoxia and hypercapnia resistance. In the central nervous system, ASIC subunit expression is similar between mouse and NMR with the exception of much lower expression of ASIC4 throughout the NMR brain. However, ASIC function and neuronal sensitivity to sustained acidosis has not been examined in the NMR brain. Here, we show with whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology of cultured NMR and mouse cortical and hippocampal neurons that NMR neurons have smaller voltage-gated Na+ channel currents and more hyperpolarized resting membrane potentials. We further demonstrate that acid-mediated currents in NMR neurons are of smaller magnitude than in mouse, and that all currents in both species are reversibly blocked by the ASIC antagonist benzamil. We further demonstrate that NMR neurons show greater resistance to acid-induced cell death than mouse neurons. In summary, NMR neurons show significant cellular resistance to acidotoxicity compared to mouse neurons, contributing factors likely to be smaller ASIC-mediated currents and reduced NaV activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoé Husson
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, UK
| | - Ewan St John Smith
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, UK.
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Hoffstaetter LJ, Bagriantsev SN, Gracheva EO. TRPs et al.: a molecular toolkit for thermosensory adaptations. Pflugers Arch 2018; 470:745-759. [PMID: 29484488 PMCID: PMC5945325 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-018-2120-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Revised: 01/03/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The ability to sense temperature is crucial for the survival of an organism. Temperature influences all biological operations, from rates of metabolic reactions to protein folding, and broad behavioral functions, from feeding to breeding, and other seasonal activities. The evolution of specialized thermosensory adaptations has enabled animals to inhabit extreme temperature niches and to perform specific temperature-dependent behaviors. The function of sensory neurons depends on the participation of various types of ion channels. Each of the channels involved in neuronal excitability, whether through the generation of receptor potential, action potential, or the maintenance of the resting potential have temperature-dependent properties that can tune the neuron's response to temperature stimuli. Since the function of all proteins is affected by temperature, animals need adaptations not only for detecting different temperatures, but also for maintaining sensory ability at different temperatures. A full understanding of the molecular mechanism of thermosensation requires an investigation of all channel types at each step of thermosensory transduction. A fruitful avenue of investigation into how different molecules can contribute to the fine-tuning of temperature sensitivity is to study the specialized adaptations of various species. Given the diversity of molecular participants at each stage of sensory transduction, animals have a toolkit of channels at their disposal to adapt their thermosensitivity to their particular habitats or behavioral circumstances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia J Hoffstaetter
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06520-8026, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06520-8026, USA
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06520-8026, USA
| | - Sviatoslav N Bagriantsev
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06520-8026, USA
| | - Elena O Gracheva
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06520-8026, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06520-8026, USA.
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06520-8026, USA.
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Abstract
Fever-associated seizures or epilepsy (FASE) is primarily characterised by the occurrence of a seizure or epilepsy usually accompanied by a fever. It is common in infants and children, and generally includes febrile seizures (FS), febrile seizures plus (FS+), Dravet syndrome (DS) and genetic epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFSP). The aetiology of FASE is unclear. Genetic factors may play crucial roles in FASE. Mutations in certain genes may cause a wide spectrum of phenotypical overlap ranging from isolated FS, FS+ and GEFSP to DS. Synapse-associated proteins, postsynaptic GABAA receptor, and sodium channels play important roles in synaptic transmission. Mutations in these genes may involve in the pathogenesis of FASE. Elevated temperature promotes synaptic vesicle (SV) recycling and enlarges SV size, which may enhance synaptic transmission and contribute to FASE occurring. This review provides an overview of the loci, genes, underlying pathogenesis and the fever-inducing effect of FASE. It may provide a more comprehensive understanding of pathogenesis and contribute to the clinical diagnosis of FASE.
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Gonzales EB, Sumien N. Acidity and Acid-Sensing Ion Channels in the Normal and Alzheimer's Disease Brain. J Alzheimers Dis 2018; 57:1137-1144. [PMID: 28211811 DOI: 10.3233/jad-161131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease prevalence has reached epidemic proportion with very few treatment options, which are associated with a multitude of side effects. A potential avenue of research for new therapies are protons, and their associated receptor: acid-sensing ion channels (ASIC). Protons are often overlooked neurotransmitters, and proton-gated currents have been identified in the brain. Furthermore, ASICs have been determined to be crucial for proper brain function. While there is more work to be done, this review is intended to highlight protons as neurotransmitters and their role along with the role of ASICs within physiological functioning of the brain. We will also cover the pathophysiological associations between ASICs and modulators of ASICs. Finally, this review will sum up how the studies of protons, ASICs and their modulators may generate new therapeutic molecules for Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.
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