Reversal of neuronal tau pathology, metabolic dysfunction, and electrophysiological defects via adiponectin pathway-dependent AMPK activation

Changes in brain mitochondrial metabolism are coincident with functional decline; however, direct links between the two have not been established. Here, we show that mitochondrial targeting via the adiponectin receptor activator AdipoRon (AR) clears neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and rescues neuronal tauopathy-associated defects. AR reduced levels of phospho-tau and lowered NFT burden by a mechanism involving the energy-sensing kinase AMPK and the growth-sensing kinase GSK3b. The transcriptional response to AR included broad metabolic and functional pathways. Induction of lysosomal pathways involved activation of LC3 and p62, and restoration of neuronal outgrowth required the stress-responsive kinase JNK. Negative consequences of NFTs on mitochondrial activity, ATP production, and lipid stores were corrected. Defects in electrophysiological measures (e.g., resting potential, resistance, spiking profiles) were also corrected. These findings reveal a network linking mitochondrial function, cellular maintenance processes, and electrical aspects of neuronal function that can be targeted via adiponectin receptor activation.

Cortical Tonic Inhibition Gates the Expression of Spike-and-Wave Discharges Associated with Absence Epilepsy

OBJECTIVE

Absence seizures result from aberrant thalamocortical processing that confers synchronous, bilateral spike-and-wave discharges (SWDs) and behavioral arrest. Previous work has demonstrated that SWDs can result from enhanced thalamic tonic inhibition, consistent with the mechanism of first-line antiabsence drugs that target thalamic low-voltage-activated calcium channels. However, nearly half of patients with absence epilepsy are unresponsive to first-line medications. In this study we evaluated the role of cortical tonic inhibition and its manipulation on absence seizure expression.

METHODS

We used video-electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring to show that mice with a γ-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptor mutation (γ2R43Q) display absence seizures. Voltage-clamp recordings in brain slices from wild type and γ2R43Q mice were used to evaluate the amount of tonic inhibition and its selective pharmacological modulation. Finally, we determined whether modulating tonic inhibition controls seizure expression.

RESULTS

γ2R43Q mice completely lack tonic inhibition in principal neurons of both layer 2/3 cortex and ventrobasal thalamus. Blocking cortical tonic inhibition in wild type mice is sufficient to elicit SWDs. Tonic inhibition in slices from γ2R43Q mice could be rescued in a dose-dependent fashion by the synthetic neurosteroid ganaxolone. Low-dose ganaxolone suppressed seizures in γ2R43Q mice.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that reduced cortical tonic inhibition promotes absence seizures and that normal function can be restored via selective pharmacological rescue. These results, together with previous findings, suggest that deviations of tonic inhibition either above or below an optimal set point can contribute to absence epilepsy. Returning the thalamocortical system to this set point may provide a novel treatment for refractory absence epilepsy.

Early deficits in dentate circuit and behavioral pattern separation after concussive brain injury

Traumatic brain injury leads to cellular and circuit changes in the dentate gyrus, a gateway to hippocampal information processing. Intrinsic granule cell firing properties and strong feedback inhibition in the dentate are proposed as critical to its ability to generate unique representation of similar inputs by a process known as pattern separation. Here we evaluate the impact of brain injury on cellular decorrelation of temporally patterned inputs in slices and behavioral discrimination of spatial locations in vivo one week after concussive lateral fluid percussion injury (FPI) in mice. Despite posttraumatic increases in perforant path evoked excitatory drive to granule cells and enhanced ΔFosB labeling, indicating sustained increase in excitability, the reliability of granule cell spiking was not compromised after FPI. Although granule cells continued to effectively decorrelate output spike trains recorded in response to similar temporally patterned input sets after FPI, their ability to decorrelate highly similar input patterns was reduced. In parallel, encoding of similar spatial locations in a novel object location task that involves the dentate inhibitory circuits was impaired one week after FPI. Injury induced changes in pattern separation were accompanied by loss of somatostatin expressing inhibitory neurons in the hilus. Together, these data suggest that the early posttraumatic changes in the dentate circuit undermine dentate circuit decorrelation of temporal input patterns as well as behavioral discrimination of similar spatial locations, both of which could contribute to deficits in episodic memory.

Early Deficits in Dentate Circuit and Behavioral Pattern Separation after Concussive Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury leads to cellular and circuit changes in the dentate gyrus, a gateway to hippocampal information processing. Intrinsic granule cell firing properties and strong feedback inhibition in the dentate are proposed as critical to its ability to generate unique representation of similar inputs by a process known as pattern separation. Here we evaluate the impact of brain injury on cellular decorrelation of temporally patterned inputs in slices and behavioral discrimination of spatial locations in vivo one week after concussive lateral fluid percussion injury (FPI) in mice. Despite posttraumatic increases in perforant path evoked excitatory drive to granule cells and enhanced ΔFosB labeling, indicating sustained increase in excitability, the reliability of granule cell spiking was not compromised after FPI. Although granule cells continued to effectively decorrelate output spike trains recorded in response to similar temporally patterned input sets after FPI, their ability to decorrelate highly similar input patterns was reduced. In parallel, encoding of similar spatial locations in a novel object location task that involves the dentate inhibitory circuits was impaired one week after FPI. Injury induced changes in pattern separation were accompanied by loss of somatostatin expressing inhibitory neurons in the hilus. Together, these data suggest that the early posttraumatic changes in the dentate circuit undermine dentate circuit decorrelation of temporal input patterns as well as behavioral discrimination of similar spatial locations, both of which could contribute to deficits in episodic memory.

Dual orexin antagonist normalized sleep homeostatic drive, enhanced GABAergic inhibition, and suppressed seizures after traumatic brain injury

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can result in posttraumatic epilepsy (PTE) and sleep disturbances. We hypothesized that treatment with sleep aids after TBI can ameliorate PTE.

METHODS

CD-1 mice underwent controlled cortical impact (CCI), sham injury, or no craniotomy. Sham and CCI groups underwent a monthlong daily treatment with sleep aids including a dual orexin antagonist (DORA-22) or THIP (gaboxadol) or a respective vehicle starting on the day of CCI. We performed continuous EEG (electroencephalography) recordings at week 1 and months 1, 2, and 3 for ~1 week each time. Seizure analysis occurred at all-time points and sleep analysis occurred in week 1 and month-1/2 in all groups. Subsets of CCI and sham groups were subjected to voltageclamp experiments in hippocampal slices to evaluate GABAergic synaptic inhibition.

RESULTS

DORA-22 treatment suppressed seizures in month 1-3 recordings. TBI reduced the amplitude and frequency of miniature inhibitory synaptic currents (mIPSCs) in dentate granule cells and these changes were rescued by DORA-22 treatment. Sleep analysis showed that DORA-22 increased nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep during lights-off whereas THIP increased REM sleep during lights-on in week 1. Both treatments displayed subtle changes in time spent in NREM or REM at month-1/2 as well. TBI not only increased normalized EEG delta power (NΔ) at week-1 and month-1 but also resulted in the loss of the homeostatic diurnal oscillation of NΔ, which was restored by DORA-22 but not THIP treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Dual orexin antagonists may have a therapeutic potential in suppressing PTE potentially by enhancing GABAergic inhibition and impacting sleep homeostatic drive.

A feature of maternal sleep apnea during gestation causes autism-relevant neuronal and behavioral phenotypes in offspring

Mounting epidemiologic and scientific evidence indicates that many psychiatric disorders originate from a complex interplay between genetics and early life experiences, particularly in the womb. Despite decades of research, our understanding of the precise prenatal and perinatal experiences that increase susceptibility to neurodevelopmental disorders remains incomplete. Sleep apnea (SA) is increasingly common during pregnancy and is characterized by recurrent partial or complete cessations in breathing during sleep. SA causes pathological drops in blood oxygen levels (intermittent hypoxia, IH), often hundreds of times each night. Although SA is known to cause adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes, the long-term consequences of maternal SA during pregnancy on brain-based behavioral outcomes and associated neuronal functioning in the offspring remain unknown. We developed a rat model of maternal SA during pregnancy by exposing dams to IH, a hallmark feature of SA, during gestational days 10 to 21 and investigated the consequences on the offspring's forebrain synaptic structure, synaptic function, and behavioral phenotypes across multiples stages of development. Our findings represent a rare example of prenatal factors causing sexually dimorphic behavioral phenotypes associated with excessive (rather than reduced) synapse numbers and implicate hyperactivity of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway in contributing to the behavioral aberrations. These findings have implications for neuropsychiatric disorders typified by superfluous synapse maintenance that are believed to result, at least in part, from largely unknown insults to the maternal environment.

Sleep Deprivation Exacerbates Seizures and Diminishes GABAergic Tonic Inhibition

Patients with epilepsy report that sleep deprivation is a common trigger for breakthrough seizures. The basic mechanism of this phenomenon is unknown. In the Kv1.1-/- mouse model of epilepsy, daily sleep deprivation indeed exacerbated seizures though these effects were lost after the third day. Sleep deprivation also accelerated mortality in ~ 52% of Kv1.1-/- mice, not observed in controls. Voltage-clamp experiments on the day after recovery from sleep deprivation showed reductions in GABAergic tonic inhibition in dentate granule cells in epileptic Kv1.1-/- mice. Our results suggest that sleep deprivation is detrimental to seizures and survival, possibly due to reductions in GABAergic tonic inhibition. ANN NEUROL 2021;90:840-844.

Sleep-wake characteristics in a mouse model of severe traumatic brain injury: Relation to posttraumatic epilepsy

Study objectives

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) results in sequelae that include posttraumatic epilepsy (PTE) and sleep-wake disturbances. Here, we sought to determine whether sleep characteristics could predict development of PTE in a model of severe TBI.

Methods

Following controlled cortical impact (CCI) or sham injury (craniotomy only), CD-1 mice were implanted with epidural electroencephalography (EEG) and nuchal electromyography (EMG) electrodes. Acute (1st week) and chronic (months 1, 2, or 3) 1-week-long video-EEG recordings were performed after the injury to examine epileptiform activity. High-amplitude interictal events were extracted from EEG using an automated method. After scoring sleep-wake patterns, sleep spindles and EEG delta power were derived from nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep epochs. Brain CTs (computerized tomography) were performed in sham and CCI cohorts to quantify the brain lesions. We then employed a no craniotomy (NC) control to perform 1-week-long EEG recordings at week 1 and month 1 after surgery.

Results

Posttraumatic seizures were seen in the CCI group only, whereas interictal epileptiform activity was seen in CCI or sham. Sleep-wake disruptions consisted of shorter wake or NREM bout lengths and shorter duration or lower power for spindles in CCI and sham. NREM EEG delta power increased in CCI and sham groups compared with NC though the CCI group with posttraumatic seizures had lower power at a chronic time point compared with those without. Follow-up brain CTs showed a small lesion in the sham injury group suggesting a milder form of TBI that may account for their interictal activity and sleep changes.

Significance

In our TBI model, tracking changes in NREM delta power distinguishes between CCI acutely and animals that will eventually develop PTE, but further work is necessary to identify sleep biomarkers of PTE. Employing NC controls together with sham controls should be considered in future TBI studies.

Untangling a Web: Basic Mechanisms of the Complex Interactions Between Sleep, Circadian Rhythms, and Epilepsy

Seizures have sleep–wake and circadian patterns in various epilepsies and, in turn, disrupt sleep and circadian rhythms. The resultant sleep deprivation (SD) is an exacerbating factor for seizures that sets up a vicious cycle that can potentially lead to disease progression and even to epilepsy-related mortality. A variety of cellular or network electrophysiological changes and changes in expression of clock-controlled genes or other transcription factors underlie sleep–wake and circadian distribution of seizures, as well as the disruptions seen in both. A broad understanding of these mechanisms may help in designing better treatments to prevent SD-induced seizure exacerbation, disrupt the vicious cycle of disease progression, and reduce epilepsy-related mortality.

The benefits of a challenge approach on match day: Investigating cardiovascular reactivity in professional academy soccer players

This study assessed physiological (cardiovascular) and psychological (confidence, control, and approach focus) data in professional academy soccer players prior to performance in competitive matches. A challenge state is characterised by an increase in cardiac output (CO), and a decrease in total peripheral vascular resistance (TPR). Data were collected from 37 participants, with 19 of these providing data on two separate occasions. Performance was measured using coach and player self-ratings. Challenge reactivity was positively, and significantly, associated with performance. Participants who demonstrated blunted cardiovascular (CV) responses performed significantly worse than participants who displayed either challenge or threat reactivity. There was mixed consistency in CV reactivity for those participants whose data were collected on more than one occasion, suggesting that some participants responded differently across the competitive matches. The association between self-report data and CV responses was weak. This study supports previous research demonstrating that challenge reactivity is associated with superior performance.

Temporal pattern separation in hippocampal neurons through multiplexed neural codes

Pattern separation is a central concept in current theories of episodic memory: this computation is thought to support our ability to avoid confusion between similar memories by transforming similar cortical input patterns of neural activity into dissimilar output patterns before their long-term storage in the hippocampus. Because there are many ways one can define patterns of neuronal activity and the similarity between them, pattern separation could in theory be achieved through multiple coding strategies. Using our recently developed assay that evaluates pattern separation in isolated tissue by controlling and recording the input and output spike trains of single hippocampal neurons, we explored neural codes through which pattern separation is performed by systematic testing of different similarity metrics and various time resolutions. We discovered that granule cells, the projection neurons of the dentate gyrus, can exhibit both pattern separation and its opposite computation, pattern convergence, depending on the neural code considered and the statistical structure of the input patterns. Pattern separation is favored when inputs are highly similar, and is achieved through spike time reorganization at short time scales (< 100 ms) as well as through variations in firing rate and burstiness at longer time scales. These multiplexed forms of pattern separation are network phenomena, notably controlled by GABAergic inhibition, that involve many celltypes with input-output transformations that participate in pattern separation to different extents and with complementary neural codes: a rate code for dentate fast-spiking interneurons, a burstiness code for hilar mossy cells and a synchrony code at long time scales for CA3 pyramidal cells. Therefore, the isolated hippocampal circuit itself is capable of performing temporal pattern separation using multiplexed coding strategies that might be essential to optimally disambiguate multimodal mnemonic representations.

Pattern separation of spiketrains in hippocampal neurons

Pattern separation is a process that minimizes overlap between patterns of neuronal activity representing similar experiences. Theoretical work suggests that the dentate gyrus (DG) performs this role for memory processing but a direct demonstration is lacking. One limitation is the difficulty to measure DG inputs and outputs simultaneously. To rigorously assess pattern separation by DG circuitry, we used mouse brain slices to stimulate DG afferents and simultaneously record DG granule cells (GCs) and interneurons. Output spiketrains of GCs are more dissimilar than their input spiketrains, demonstrating for the first time temporal pattern separation at the level of single neurons in the DG. Pattern separation is larger in GCs than in fast-spiking interneurons and hilar mossy cells, and is amplified in CA3 pyramidal cells. Analysis of the neural noise and computational modelling suggest that this form of pattern separation is not explained by simple randomness and arises from specific presynaptic dynamics. Overall, by reframing the concept of pattern separation in dynamic terms and by connecting it to the physiology of different types of neurons, our study offers a new window of understanding in how hippocampal networks might support episodic memory.

An automated, machine learning-based detection algorithm for spike-wave discharges (SWDs) in a mouse model of absence epilepsy

OBJECTIVE

Manual detection of spike-wave discharges (SWDs) from electroencephalography (EEG) records is time intensive, costly, and subject to inconsistencies/biases. In addition, manual scoring often omits information on SWD confidence/intensity, which may be important for the investigation of mechanistic-based research questions. Our objective is to develop an automated method for the detection of SWDs in a mouse model of absence epilepsy that is focused on the characteristics of human scoring of preselected events to establish a confidence-based, continuous-valued scoring.

METHODS

We develop a support vector machine (SVM)-based algorithm for the automated detection of SWDs in the γ2R43Q mouse model of absence epilepsy. The algorithm first identifies putative SWD events using frequency- and amplitude-based peak detection. Four humans scored a set of 2500 putative events identified by the algorithm. Then, using predictors calculated from the wavelet transform of each event and the labels from human scoring, we trained an SVM to classify (SWD/nonSWD) and assign confidence scores to each event identified from 60, 24-hour EEG records. We provide a detailed assessment of intra- and interrater scoring that demonstrates advantages of automated scoring.

RESULTS

The algorithm scored SWDs along a continuum that is highly correlated with human confidence and that allows us to more effectively characterize ambiguous events. We demonstrate that events along our scoring continuum are temporally and proportionately correlated with abrupt changes in spectral power bands relevant to normal behavioral states including sleep.

SIGNIFICANCE

Although there are automated and semi-automated methods for the detection of SWDs in humans and rats, we contribute to the need for continued development of SWD detection in mice. Our results demonstrate the value of viewing detection of SWDs as a continuous classification problem to better understand "ground truth" in SWD detection (ie, the most reliable features agreed upon by humans that also correlate with objective physiologic measures).

CRISPR/Cas9 editing of APP C-terminus attenuates β-cleavage and promotes α-cleavage

CRISPR/Cas9 guided gene-editing is a potential therapeutic tool, however application to neurodegenerative disease models has been limited. Moreover, conventional mutation correction by gene-editing would only be relevant for the small fraction of neurodegenerative cases that are inherited. Here we introduce a CRISPR/Cas9-based strategy in cell and animal models to edit endogenous amyloid precursor protein (APP) at the extreme C-terminus and reciprocally manipulate the amyloid pathway, attenuating APP-β-cleavage and Aβ production, while up-regulating neuroprotective APP-α-cleavage. APP N-terminus and compensatory APP-homologues remain intact, with no apparent effects on neurophysiology in vitro. Robust APP-editing is seen in human iPSC-derived neurons and mouse brains with no detectable off-target effects. Our strategy likely works by limiting APP and BACE-1 approximation, and we also delineate mechanistic events that abrogates APP/BACE-1 convergence in this setting. Our work offers conceptual proof for a selective APP silencing strategy.

Gene editing strategies are typically designed to correct mutant genes, but most neurodegenerative diseases are sporadic. Here the authors describe a strategy to selectively edit the C-terminus of APP and attenuate amyloid-β production, while upregulating neuroprotective α-cleavage.

A predictive epilepsy index based on probabilistic classification of interictal spike waveforms

Quantification of interictal spikes in EEG may provide insight on epilepsy disease burden, but manual quantification of spikes is time-consuming and subject to bias. We present a probability-based, automated method for the classification and quantification of interictal events, using EEG data from kainate- and saline-injected mice (C57BL/6J background) several weeks post-treatment. We first detected high-amplitude events, then projected event waveforms into Principal Components space and identified clusters of spike morphologies using a Gaussian Mixture Model. We calculated the odds-ratio of events from kainate- versus saline-treated mice within each cluster, converted these values to probability scores, P(kainate), and calculated an Hourly Epilepsy Index for each animal by summing the probabilities for events where the cluster P(kainate) > 0.5 and dividing the resultant sum by the record duration. This Index is predictive of whether an animal received an epileptogenic treatment (i.e., kainate), even if a seizure was never observed. We applied this method to an out-of-sample dataset to assess epileptiform spike morphologies in five kainate mice monitored for ~1 month. The magnitude of the Index increased over time in a subset of animals and revealed changes in the prevalence of epileptiform (P(kainate) > 0.5) spike morphologies. Importantly, in both data sets, animals that had electrographic seizures also had a high Index. This analysis is fast, unbiased, and provides information regarding the salience of spike morphologies for disease progression. Future refinement will allow a better understanding of the definition of interictal spikes in quantitative and unambiguous terms.

A nonequilibrium binary elements-based kinetic model for benzodiazepine regulation of GABAA receptors

A nonequilibrium kinetic model that explicitly treats the energetics of interactions between structural domains is used to describe positive modulation of the GABA_A receptor by benzodiazepines.

Ion channels, like many other proteins, are composed of multiple structural domains. A stimulus that impinges on one domain, such as binding of a ligand to its recognition site, can influence the activity of another domain, such as a transmembrane channel gate, through interdomain interactions. Kinetic schemes that describe the function of interacting domains typically incorporate a minimal number of states and transitions, and do not explicitly model interactions between domains. Here, we develop a kinetic model of the GABA_A receptor, a ligand-gated ion channel modulated by numerous compounds including benzodiazepines, a class of drugs used clinically as sedatives and anxiolytics. Our model explicitly treats both the kinetics of distinct functional domains within the receptor and the interactions between these domains. The model describes not only how benzodiazepines that potentiate GABA_A receptor activity, such as diazepam, affect peak current dose–response relationships in the presence of desensitization, but also their effect on the detailed kinetics of current activation, desensitization, and deactivation in response to various stimulation protocols. Finally, our model explains positive modulation by benzodiazepines of receptor currents elicited by either full or partial agonists, and can resolve conflicting observations arguing for benzodiazepine modulation of agonist binding versus channel gating.

Three arginines in the GABAA receptor binding pocket have distinct roles in the formation and stability of agonist- versus antagonist-bound complexes

Binding of the agonist GABA to the GABA(A) receptor causes channel gating, whereas competitive antagonists that bind at the same site do not. The details of ligand binding are not well understood, including which residues interact directly with ligands, maintain the structure of the binding pocket, or transduce the action of binding into opening of the ion channel gate. Recent work suggests that the amine group of the GABA molecule may form a cation-π bond with residues in a highly conserved "aromatic box" within the binding pocket. Although interactions with the carboxyl group of GABA remain unknown, three positively charged arginines (α(1)Arg67, α(1)Arg132, and β(2)Arg207) just outside of the aromatic box are likely candidates. To explore their roles in ligand binding, we individually mutated these arginines to alanine and measured the effects on microscopic ligand binding/unbinding rates and channel gating. The mutations α(1)R67A or β(2)R207A slowed agonist binding and sped unbinding with little effect on gating, demonstrating that these arginines are critical for both formation and stability of the agonist-bound complex. In addition, α(1)R67A sped binding of the antagonist 2-(3-carboxypropyl)-3-amino-6-(4 methoxyphenyl)pyridazinium bromide (SR-95531), indicating that this arginine poses a barrier to formation of the antagonist-bound complex. In contrast, β(2)R207A and α(1)R132A sped antagonist unbinding, indicating that these arginines stabilize the antagonist-bound state. α(1)R132A also conferred a new long-lived open state, indicating that this arginine influences the channel gate. Thus, each of these arginines plays a unique role in determining interactions with agonists versus antagonists and with the channel gate.

Temperature elevation increases GABA(A) -mediated cortical inhibition in a mouse model of genetic epilepsy

A missense mutation (R43Q) in the γ2 subunit of the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)(A) receptor is associated with generalized (genetic) epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS+). Heterozygous GABA(A) γ2(R43Q) mice displayed a lower temperature threshold for thermal seizures as compared to wild-type littermates. Temperature-dependent internalization of GABA(A) γ2(R43Q)-containing receptors has been proposed as a mechanism underlying febrile seizure genesis in patients with this mutation. We tested this idea using the GABA(A) γ2(R43Q) knockin mouse model and analyzed GABAergic miniature postsynaptic inhibitory currents (mIPSCs) in acute brain slices after exposure to varying temperatures. Incubation of slices at an elevated temperature increased mIPSC amplitude in neurons from heterozygous mice, with no change seen in wild-type controls. [³H]Flumazenil binding measured in whole-brain homogenates from mutant and control mice following elevation of body temperature showed no temperature-dependent differences in γ2-containing receptor density. Therefore, in vivo mouse data do not support earlier in vitro observations that proposed temperature-dependent internalization of γ2 R43Q containing GABA(A) receptors as the cellular mechanism underlying febrile seizure genesis in patients with the GABA(A) γ2(R43Q) mutation.

An epilepsy-related region in the GABA(A) receptor mediates long-distance effects on GABA and benzodiazepine binding sites

The GABA(A) receptor mutation gamma(2)R43Q causes absence epilepsy in humans. Homology modeling suggests that gamma(2)Arg43, gamma(2)Glu178, and beta(2)Arg117 participate in a salt-bridge network linking the gamma(2) and beta(2) subunits. Here we show that several mutations at these locations exert similar long-distance effects on other intersubunit interfaces involved in GABA and benzodiazepine binding. These mutations alter GABA-evoked receptor kinetics by slowing deactivation, enhancing desensitization, or both. Kinetic modeling and nonstationary noise analysis for gamma(2)R43Q reveal that these effects are due to slowed GABA unbinding and slowed recovery from desensitization. Both gamma(2)R43Q and beta(2)R117K also speed diazepam dissociation from the receptor's benzodiazepine binding interface, as assayed by the rate of decay of diazepam-induced potentiation of GABA-evoked currents. These data demonstrate that gamma(2)Arg43 and beta(2)Arg117 similarly regulate the stability of both the GABA and benzodiazepine binding sites at the distant beta/alpha and alpha/gamma intersubunit interfaces, respectively. A simple explanation for these results is that gamma(2)Arg43 and beta(2)Arg117 participate in interactions between the gamma(2) and beta(2) subunits, disruptions of which alter the neighboring intersubunit binding sites in a similar fashion. In addition, gamma(2)Arg43 and gamma(2)Glu178 regulate desensitization, probably mediated within the transmembrane domains near the pore. Therefore, mutations at the gamma/beta intersubunit interface have specific long-distance effects that are propagated widely throughout the GABA(A) receptor protein.

Hibernation induces pentobarbital insensitivity in medulla but not cortex

The 13-lined ground squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus), a hibernating species, is a natural model of physiological adoption to an extreme environment. During torpor, body temperature drops to 0-4 degrees C, and the cortex is electrically silent, yet the brain stem continues to regulate cardiorespiratory function. The mechanisms underlying selective inhibition in the brain during torpor are not known. To test whether altered GABAergic function is involved in regional and seasonal differences in neuronal activity, cortical and medullary slices from summer-active (SA) and interbout aroused (IBA) squirrels were placed in a standard in vitro recording chamber. Silicon multichannel electrodes were placed in cortex, ventral respiratory column (VRC), and nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) to record spontaneous neuronal activity. In slices from IBA squirrels, bath-applied pentobarbital sodium (300 microM) nearly abolished cortical neuronal activity, but VRC and NTS neuronal activity was unaltered. In contrast, pentobarbital sodium (300 microM) nearly abolished all spontaneous cortical, VRC, and NTS neuronal activity in slices from SA squirrels. Muscimol (20 microM; GABA(A) receptor agonist) abolished all neuronal activity in cortical and medullary slices from both IBA and SA squirrels, thereby demonstrating the presence of functional GABA(A) receptors. Pretreatment of cortical slices from IBA squirrels with bicuculline (100 microM; GABA(A) receptor antagonist) blocked pentobarbital-dependent inhibition of spontaneous neuronal activity. We hypothesize that GABA(A) receptors undergo a seasonal modification in subunit composition, such that cardiorespiratory neurons are uniquely unaffected by surges of an endogenous positive allosteric modulator.

Developmental impact of a familial GABAA receptor epilepsy mutation

OBJECTIVE

A major goal of epilepsy research is to understand the molecular and functional basis of seizure genesis. A human GABA(A) gamma2 gene mutation (R43Q) is associated with generalized epilepsy. Introduction of this mutation into a mouse by gene targeting recapitulates the human phenotype demonstrating a strong genotype to phenotype link. GABA(A) receptors play a role in the moment-to-moment control of brain function and also on the long-term wiring of the brain by directing neuronal development. Our objective was to determine whether developmental expression of the mutation alters seizure susceptibility later in life.

METHODS

A tetracycline-based conditional model for activation of a hypomorphic Q43 disease allele was created and validated. Seizure susceptibility was assessed using the subcutaneous pentylenetetrazole model.

RESULTS

Seizure susceptibility was significantly reduced in mice where the Q43 allele was suppressed during development.

INTERPRETATION

These results demonstrate that a human epilepsy-causing mutation impacts network stability during a critical developmental period. These data suggest that identification of presymptomatic children may provide a window for therapeutic intervention before overt symptoms are observed, potentially altering the course of epileptogenesis.

Behavioral and pathological outcomes in MOG 35-55 experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

We measured inflammatory and neural markers of disease from 7 days to one year after induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) by immunization with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) peptide. Axon loss began before behavioral signs when T cell infiltration and microglial activation were very subtle. Remyelination was only detectable ultrastructurally. Axon numbers in the dorsal column plateau around day 30 p.i. while behavioral measures (EAE scores, rotarod, grip strength) partially recover. These results provide a starting point for testing potential neuroprotective treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS).

Increased thalamic inhibition in the absence seizure prone DBA/2J mouse

Genetic background plays a significant role in producing variable seizure outcomes in patients and animal models. The neurobiological mechanism underlying this heterogeneity is not clear. Here we compare GABAergic synaptic properties within the thalamocortical circuit of two commonly used inbred mice strains, the C57B/6 and spike-and-wave discharge (SWD) prone DBA/2J. Differences between the strains occur in amplitude, kinetics, and frequency of miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs) in a region-specific manner. The biggest difference in synaptic inhibition was seen in the thalamus where DBA/2J mice showed a doubling of mIPSC frequency when compared to C57B/6. EEG analysis revealed higher power in the 6-12 Hz band during non-rapid eye movement sleep in DBA/2J mice. Increased susceptibility of the DBA2/J strain to develop SWDs and increase in the 6-12 Hz EEG power may be due to a hypersynchronous ventrobasal thalamus as a consequence of increased GABAergic input.

Presynaptic, activity-dependent modulation of cannabinoid type 1 receptor-mediated inhibition of GABA release

Endocannabinoid signaling couples activity-dependent rises in postsynaptic Ca2+ levels to decreased presynaptic GABA release. Here, we present evidence from paired recording experiments that cannabinoid-mediated inhibition of GABA release depends on the firing rates of the presynaptic interneurons. Low-frequency action potentials in post hoc identified cholecystokinin-positive CA1 basket cells elicited IPSCs in the postsynaptic pyramidal cells that, as expected, were fully abolished by the exogenous application of the cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN55,212-2 [R-(+)-(2,3-dihydro-5-methyl-3-[(4-morpholinyl)methyl]pyrol[1,2,3-de]-1,4-benzoxazin-6-yl)(1-naphthalenyl) methanone monomethanesulfonate] at 5 microM. However, the presynaptic basket cells recovered from the cannabinoid agonist-induced inhibition of GABA release when the presynaptic firing rate was increased to > or =20 Hz. Pharmacological experiments showed that the recovered transmission was exclusively dependent on presynaptic N-type Ca2+ channels. Furthermore, the increased presynaptic firing could also overcome even complete depolarization-induced suppression of inhibition, indicating that the magnitude of DSI markedly depends on the activity levels of basket cells. These results reveal a new locus of activity-dependent modulation for endocannabinoid signaling and suggest that endocannabinoid-mediated inhibition of GABA release may differ in distinct behavioral states.

Kinase-Dependent Differentiation of a Retinal Ganglion Cell Precursor

PURPOSE

Cell lines are frequently used to elucidate mechanisms of disease pathophysiology. Yet extrapolation of results with cell lines to neurodegenerative disorders is difficult because they are mitotic and usually have other non-neuronal properties. The RGC-5 cell line has many features of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Despite its expression of Thy-1 and NMDA receptors, as found in primary RGCs, this line's ability to proliferate and non-neuronal appearance differentiate it from other central neurons, complicating its use for the study of neuronal survival, electrophysiology, or neurite extension.

METHODS

A method was identified for differentiating RGC-5 cells using the nonspecific protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine. Cultures were treated with 100 nM to 3.16 muM staurosporine and assessed for a variety of differentiation markers.

RESULTS

Differentiated RGC-5 cells expressed numerous neuronal properties, including arrest of proliferation without inducing apoptosis, induction of a neuronal morphology, upregulation of neuronal markers, and establishment of outward rectifying channels. Differentiation was not dependent on a single kinase-dependent pathway, based on profiling multiple kinase phosphorylation targets and attempts to replicate differentiation with multiple specific kinase inhibitors.

CONCLUSIONS

This method for producing an RGC-like cell from a proliferating cell line facilitates the following previously impractical techniques: high-throughput screening for agents that are neuroprotective or affect ionic channels; straightforward transduction of gene expression in central neurons by nonviral transfection techniques, including production of stable transfectants; biochemical and other assays of pure RGC-like cells without purification on the basis of cell-surface antigens or anatomic location.

Kinetics and spontaneous open probability conferred by the epsilon subunit of the GABAA receptor

GABAA receptors mediate synaptic and extrasynaptic inhibition. Native receptors consist of alpha and beta subunits, which are required for function, and another "modulatory" subunit, for example, gamma, delta, or epsilon. Of these, the epsilon subunit has the most restricted distribution, confers resistance to neurosteroid and anesthetic modulation, and causes spontaneous channel opening. Little is known, however, about how epsilon affects receptor kinetics, which in turn shape responses to both ambient and synaptic GABA exposure. Here, we expressed human alpha2beta1, alpha2beta1gamma2, or alpha2beta1epsilon subunit combinations in human embryonic kidney 293 cells and used rapid solution exchange to study receptor kinetics in outside-out patches. The epsilon subunit greatly slowed deactivation and recovery after brief GABA pulses. During long, saturating GABA pulses, the rate of desensitization was slower for alpha2beta1epsilon and alpha2beta1gamma2 than for alpha2beta1. However, in alpha2beta1epsilon, the final extent of desensitization was large compared with that of alpha2beta1gamma2. Responses in alpha2beta1epsilon, but not the others, were often followed by an "overshoot" above the baseline, suggesting that a fraction of channels are spontaneously open and are transiently silenced by receptor activation and subsequent desensitization. The baseline current and associated noise were reduced by picrotoxin, revealing that epsilon-containing channels are open approximately 4% of the time in the absence of GABA. These results suggest that, if epsilon-containing receptors are expressed at synapses, the synaptic currents would be long-lasting but may rundown quickly under high-frequency activation. In addition, silencing of spontaneous openings by desensitization raises the possibility that tonic inhibition mediated by epsilon-containing receptors may be regulated by phasic inhibition.

The potential spread of infection caused by aerosol contamination of surfaces after flushing a domestic toilet

AIMS

To determine the level of aerosol formation and fallout within a toilet cubicle after flushing a toilet contaminated with indicator organisms at levels required to mimic pathogen shedding during infectious diarrhoea.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A semisolid agar carrier containing either Serratia marcesens or MS2 bacteriophage was used to contaminate the sidewalls and bowl water of a domestic toilet to mimic the effects of soiling after an episode of acute diarrhoea. Viable counts were used to compare the numbers of Serratia adhering to the porcelain surfaces and those present in the bowl water before and after flushing the toilet. Air sampling and settle plates were used to determine the presence of bacteria or virus-laden aerosols within the toilet cubicle. After seeding there was a high level of contamination on the porcelain surfaces both under the rim and on the sides of the bowl. After a single flush there was a reduction of 2.0-3.0 log cycles cm(-2) for surface attached organisms. The number of micro-organisms in the bowl water was reduced by 2.0-3.0 log cycles ml(-1) after the first flush and following a second flush, a further reduction of c. 2.0 log cycles ml(-1) was achieved. Micro-organisms in the air were at the highest level immediately after the first flush (mean values, 1370 CFU m(-3) for Serratia and 2420 PFU m(-3) for MS2 page). Sequential flushing resulted in further distribution of micro-organisms into the air although the numbers declined after each flush. Serratia adhering to the sidewalls, as well as free-floating organisms in the toilet water, were responsible for the formation of bacterial aerosols.

CONCLUSIONS

Although a single flush reduced the level of micro-organisms in the toilet bowl water when contaminated at concentrations reflecting pathogen shedding, large numbers of micro-organisms persisted on the toilet bowl surface and in the bowl water which were disseminated into the air by further flushes.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Many individuals may be unaware of the risk of air-borne dissemination of microbes when flushing the toilet and the consequent surface contamination that may spread infection within the household, via direct surface-to-hand-to mouth contact. Some enteric viruses could persist in the air after toilet flushing and infection may be acquired after inhalation and swallowing.

An arginine involved in GABA binding and unbinding but not gating of the GABA(A) receptor

GABA(A) receptor function can be conceptually divided into interactions between ligand and receptor (binding) and the opening and closing of the ligand-bound channel (gating). The relationship between binding, gating, and receptor structure remains unclear. Studies of mutations have identified many amino acid residues that contribute to the GABAbinding site. Most of these studies assayed changes in GABA dose-response curves, which are macroscopic measures that depend on the interplay of many processes and cannot resolve individual microscopic transitions. Understanding the microscopic basis of binding and gating is critical, because kinetic transition rates predict how receptors will behave at synapses. Furthermore, microscopic rates are directly related to the molecular interactions underlying receptor function. Here, we focused on a residue (beta2-R207) previously identified as lining the GABA-binding site that, when mutated to cysteine, greatly reduces apparent GABA affinity and was predicted to affect both binding and gating. To better understand the role of beta2-R207, we expressed alpha1beta2 and alpha1beta2-R207C receptors in human embryonic kidney 293 cells and studied receptor kinetics using fast solution applications. The mutation accelerated deactivation by 10-fold, without altering desensitization in the presence of saturating GABA. Maximum open probability and single-channel open times were also unaltered by the mutation, but the GABA-binding rate was reduced eightfold. Therefore, the effects of this mutation in a predicted binding site residue are solely attributable to changes in GABA-binding and unbinding kinetics, with no changes in channel gating. Because beta2-R207 stabilizes GABA in the binding pocket, it may directly contact the GABA molecule.

Altered kinetics and benzodiazepine sensitivity of a GABAA receptor subunit mutation [gamma 2(R43Q)] found in human epilepsy

The gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABA(A)) receptor mediates fast inhibitory synaptic transmission in the CNS. Dysfunction of the GABA(A) receptor would be expected to cause neuronal hyperexcitability, a phenomenon linked with epileptogenesis. We have investigated the functional consequences of an arginine-to-glutamine mutation at position 43 within the GABA(A) gamma(2)-subunit found in a family with childhood absence epilepsy and febrile seizures. Rapid-application experiments performed on receptors expressed in HEK-293 cells demonstrated that the mutation slows GABA(A) receptor deactivation and increases the rate of desensitization, resulting in an accumulation of desensitized receptors during repeated, short applications. In Xenopus laevis oocytes, two-electrode voltage-clamp analysis of steady-state currents obtained from alpha(1)beta(2)gamma(2) or alpha(1)beta(2)gamma(2)(R43Q) receptors did not reveal any differences in GABA sensitivity. However, differences in the benzodiazepine pharmacology of mutant receptors were apparent. Mutant receptors expressed in oocytes displayed reduced sensitivity to diazepam and flunitrazepam but not the imidazopyridine zolpidem. These results provide evidence of impaired GABA(A) receptor function that could decrease the efficacy of transmission at inhibitory synapses, possibly generating a hyperexcitable neuronal state in thalamocortical networks of epileptic patients possessing the mutant subunit.

Pre- and postsynaptic properties of somatic and dendritic inhibition in dentate gyrus

We compared somatic and dendritic inhibition in paired recordings from two classes of anatomically identified interneurons and granule cells of the dentate gyrus. Inhibitory postsynaptic current (IPSC) amplitude and decay were remarkably similar at somatic and dendritic synapses. Slower IPSC rise times and longer latencies at dendritic synapses were consistent with their distal location, without requiring differences in postsynaptic gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABA(A)) receptor properties. In contrast, higher transmission failure rate and greater paired-pulse depression at dendritic synapses suggest that somatic and dendritic inhibition differ in presynaptic properties. Cholinergic input has been suggested to modulate hippocampal rhythmicity as well as episodic memory function. We therefore tested the effects of acetylcholine (ACh) on paired IPSCs and on spontaneous synaptic activity in interneurons and granule cells. We found no effect of ACh on paired IPSCs; however, spontaneous IPSCs recorded in granule cells were enhanced in amplitude and frequency. ACh potentiated spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic potentials (sEPSPs) and induced spiking in both types of interneuron, and preferentially increased sEPSP frequency in dendritic interneurons. Our findings suggest that patterns of activity in the two classes of interneurons, coupled with differences in their presynaptic properties, are likely to determine the roles of somatic and dendritic inhibition in network function.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells adapted to benzalkonium chloride show resistance to other membrane-active agents but not to clinically relevant antibiotics

Our objective was to determine whether strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa can adapt to growth in increasing concentrations of the disinfectant benzalkonium chloride (BKC), and whether co-resistance to clinically relevant antimicrobial agents occurs. Attempts were made to determine what phenotypic alterations accompanied resistance and whether these explained the mechanism of resistance. Strains were serially passaged in increasing concentrations of BKC in static nutrient broth cultures. Serotyping and genotyping were used to determine purity of the cultures. Two strains were examined for cross-resistance to other disinfectants and antibiotics by broth dilution MIC determination. Alterations in outer membrane proteins and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) expressed were examined by SDS-PAGE. Cell surface hydrophobicity and charge, uptake of disinfectant and proportion of specific fatty acid content of outer and cytoplasmic membranes were determined. Two P. aeruginosa strains showed a stable increase in resistance to BKC. Co-resistance to other quaternary ammonium compounds was observed in both strains; chloramphenicol and polymyxin B resistance were observed in one and a reduction in resistance to tobramycin observed in the other. However, no increased resistance to other biocides (chlorhexidine, triclosan, thymol) or antibiotics (ceftazidime, imipenem, ciprofloxacin, tobramycin) was detected. Characteristics accompanying resistance included alterations in outer membrane proteins, uptake of BKC, cell surface charge and hydrophobicity, and fatty acid content of the cytoplasmic membrane, although no evidence was found for alterations in LPS. Each of the two strains had different alterations in phenotype, indicating that such adaptation is unique to each strain of P. aeruginosa and does not result from a single mechanism shared by the whole species.

Microscopic kinetics and energetics distinguish GABA(A) receptor agonists from antagonists

Although agonists and competitive antagonists presumably occupy overlapping binding sites on ligand-gated channels, these interactions cannot be identical because agonists cause channel opening whereas antagonists do not. One explanation is that only agonist binding performs enough work on the receptor to cause the conformational changes that lead to gating. This idea is supported by agonist binding rates at GABA(A) and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors that are slower than expected for a diffusion-limited process, suggesting that agonist binding involves an energy-requiring event. This hypothesis predicts that competitive antagonist binding should require less activation energy than agonist binding. To test this idea, we developed a novel deconvolution-based method to compare binding and unbinding kinetics of GABA(A) receptor agonists and antagonists in outside-out patches from rat hippocampal neurons. Agonist and antagonist unbinding rates were steeply correlated with affinity. Unlike the agonists, three of the four antagonists tested had binding rates that were fast, independent of affinity, and could be accounted for by diffusion- and dehydration-limited processes. In contrast, agonist binding involved additional energy-requiring steps, consistent with the idea that channel gating is initiated by agonist-triggered movements within the ligand binding site. Antagonist binding does not appear to produce such movements, and may in fact prevent them.

Game location and officiating bias in English Club Cricket

One potential contributing factor to the commonly observed home advantage in competitive sport is that officials may be biased in favour of the home team as a result of pressure from spectators. The present study examined officiating behaviour and home advantage, defined as home teams winning over 50% of decided games in English Club Cricket, a sport virtually devoid of spectator influence. Records of game outcomes, as well as dismissals requiring a decision by the umpire, were analysed. The relative frequency of umpiring decisions did not favour either home or away teams. However, a home advantage was found, with the home teams winning 57.1% of decided games (n = 1.449). Considered together, the results suggest that in sports with little or no spectator influence teams may win more often at home for reasons other than biased umpiring decisions, such as familiarity with their home ground or a visiting team's fatigue following travel.

Assessment of resistance towards biocides following the attachment of micro-organisms to, and growth on, surfaces

AIMS

To develop a rapid method for the assessment of biocidal activity directed towards intact biofilms.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis were cultured for up to 48 h within 96-well microtitre plates. The planktonic phase was removed and the wells rinsed. Residual biofilms were exposed to various concentrations of chloroxylenol, peracetic acid, polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB), cetrimide or phenoxyethanol for 1 h. At 15-min intervals, biocide was removed, and the wells washed in neutraliser and filled with volumes of fresh medium. Re-growth of the cultures was monitored during incubation at 35 degrees C in the plate reader. Times taken for the treated wells to re-grow to fixed endpoints were determined and related to numbers of surviving cells. Time--survival curves were constructed and the survival of the attached bacteria, following exposure to the agents for 30 min, interpolated for each biocide concentration. Log--log plots of these survival data and biocide concentration were constructed, and linear regression analysis performed in order to (i) calculate concentration exponents and (ii) compare the effectiveness of the biocides between variously aged biofilm and planktonic cells. From such analyses iso-effective concentrations of biocide (95% kill in 30 min) were calculated and expressed as planktonic : biofilm indices (PBI).

CONCLUSION

PBI varied between 1.02 and 0.02, were relatively unaffected by age of the biofilms but differed significantly between organism and biocide. Notably those compounds with the higher activity against planktonic bacteria (PHMB and peracetic acid) were most prone to a biofilm effect but remained the most effective of the agents selected.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

The endpoint method proved robust, enabled the bactericidal effects of the biocides to be assessed against in-situ biofilms, and was suitable for routine screening applications.

Reply to Lane on "mood and emotion in sport"

The 2000 findings of Jones, Mace, and Williams have been re-examined by Lane in the light of a recent conceptual model outlining the relationship between mood and performance. In addition, Lane outlined some concerns regarding the methodology of Jones, et al. The present paper aims to justify the methodology used and augment the discussion by Lane on the study of mood and emotion in sport.

Immunolocalization of HIV envelope gp120 in HIV encephalitis with dementia

Numerous studies have shown that the HIV envelope glycoprotein, gp120, is a potent neurotoxin. However, its role in the pathogenesis of HIV dementia had been questioned due to the lack of demonstration of its presence in vivo. We now demonstrate conclusively the presence of gp120 by immunohistochemistry in the brain of patients with HIV encephalitis who also had dementia. A highly specific anti-gp120 polyclonal sera was used on formalin fixed tissue. Gp120 staining cells were predominantly perivascular and included macrophages, microglia and multinucleated giant cells. These studies provide an important missing link for the role of gp120 in the neuropathogenesis of HIV infection.

Slow desensitization regulates the availability of synaptic GABA(A) receptors

At central synapses, a large and fast spike of neurotransmitter efficiently activates postsynaptic receptors. However, low concentrations of transmitter can escape the cleft and activate presynaptic and postsynaptic receptors. We report here that low concentrations of GABA reduce IPSCs in hippocampal neurons by preferentially desensitizing rather than opening GABA(A) channels. GABA transporter blockade also caused desensitization by locally elevating GABA to approximately 1 microm. Recovery of the IPSC required several seconds, mimicking recovery of the channel from slow desensitization. These results indicate that low levels of GABA can regulate the amplitude of IPSCs by producing a slow form of receptor desensitization. Accumulation of channels in this absorbing state allows GABA(A) receptors to detect even a few molecules of GABA in the synaptic cleft.

Relationship between emotional state and performance during international field hockey matches

The present study examined the relationship between the emotions experienced by 15 international hockey players, both immediately before and during competition, and their performance levels. Data were collected on the players' emotional states using a revised version of the Feelings Scale of Butler, which was completed retrospectively after the match was played. Players reported more annoyance and less tension during the match than before. A logistic regression correctly classified 70.2% of players from the emotional ratings immediately before the match and 85.1% of the players from the ratings during the match as either a good or poor performer. Those individuals who performed well retrospectively reported feeling Nervous and 'Quick/Alert/Active' before the game and Confident and Relaxed during the game. The results indicate that emotions fluctuate over the competition period, and in long duration sports assessment of emotion during competition predicts variation in performance better than assessment prior to competition.

An EPR investigation of surfactant action on bacterial membranes

The effects of the surfactants, alcohol ethoxylate, amine ethoxylate, amine oxide and SDS on cell membranes were investigated using the lipid soluble spin label 5-doxyl stearic acid (5-DS). Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy revealed that the action of the surfactants was to significantly increase membrane fluidity of Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The action of these surfactants as biocides was investigated and found to be dependent on the type of organism tested. There was, however, no direct correlation between enhanced membrane fluidity observed due to the action of the surfactants and biocidal activity. Data presented suggest that perturbing the fluidity of the cytoplasmic membrane is not immediately responsible for cell death.

The use of poloxamer hydrogels for the assessment of biofilm susceptibility towards biocide treatments

Poloxamer F127 is a non-toxic, di-block copolymer of polyoxyethylene and polyoxypropylene. Aqueous solutions (30% w/v) show thermoreversible gelation, being liquid at temperatures < 15 degrees C and robust gels at temperatures > 15 degrees C. Chilled poloxamer (30% in tryptone soya broth) was mixed with an inoculum of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (10(4) cfu ml-1) and placed as 100 microliters drops onto separate glass cover-slips. These were placed into sealed Petri dishes containing moistened cotton wool and incubated at 35 degrees C. Viable counts could be performed on the poloxamer gels by transfer of the coverslips to diluents at < 15 degrees C. Growth curves in the gels and in liquid batch cultures were indistinguishable from one another with stationary phase cell densities, being approximately 5 x 10(10) cfu ml-1 in each at 16 h. SDS-PAGE of cell envelope preparations showed the poloxamer-grown cells to exhibit a biofilm rather than planktonic phenotype. Susceptibility towards various concentrations of chlorhexidine, iodine and hydrogen peroxide was assessed for 10 min at 35 degrees C for suspensions of broth-grown cells and for incubated poloxamer-gels (1 and 16 h). The gels were immersed in biocide, on their glass supports, before transfer to neutralizer at 10 degrees C where dissolution was complete within 5 min. Further serial dilutions and plate counts were made. While modest decreases in susceptibility towards all biocides were associated with incorporation of the inoculum with the gel (1 h incubation), substantial changes were noted after prolonged incubation and adaptation to a biofilm phenotype (16 h incubation). The gel populations mimic the localized high cell densities observed in biofilms and will also be subject to the same nutrient and chemical gradients as found within natural biofilms. Thermoreversible gelation enables complete recovery of the test inoculum without further trauma. They therefore provide an effective model for assessing biofilm susceptibility towards biocides and would be suitable for screening programmes.

Defining affinity with the GABAA receptor

At nicotinic and glutamatergic synapses, the duration of the postsynaptic response depends on the affinity of the receptor for transmitter (Colquhoun et al., 1977;Pan et al., 1993). Affinity is often thought to be determined by the ligand unbinding rate, whereas the binding rate is assumed to be diffusion-limited. In this view, the receptor selects for those ligands that form a stable complex on binding, but binding is uniformly fast and does not itself affect selectivity. We tested these assumptions for the GABAA receptor by dissecting the contributions of microscopic binding and unbinding kinetics for agonists of equal efficacy but of widely differing affinities. Agonist pulses applied to outside-out patches of cultured rat hippocampal neurons revealed that agonist unbinding rates could not account for affinity if diffusion-limited binding was assumed. However, direct measurement of the instantaneous competition between agonists and a competitive antagonist revealed that binding rates were orders of magnitude slower than expected for free diffusion, being more steeply correlated with affinity than were the unbinding rates. The deviation from diffusion-limited binding indicates that a ligand-specific energy barrier between the unbound and bound states determines GABAA receptor selectivity. This barrier and our kinetic observations can be quantitatively modeled by requiring the participation of movable elements within a flexible GABA binding site.

Bacteriophage and associated polysaccharide depolymerases--novel tools for study of bacterial biofilms

Bacteriophage for three representative strains of Gram-negative biofilm bacteria have proved to be of widespread occurrence. Lytic bacteriophage have been isolated from local sewage for the bacterium 1.15, an exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing pseudomonad found originally as a component of biofilms in a local river, and for two Enterobacter agglomerans strains from industrial biofilms. Representative examples of all three bacteriophage possess a relatively low burst size and on solid media, exhibit very large plaques surrounded by a wide halo (5-20 mm) indicative of polysaccharide depolymerase action. The bacteriophage are thus similar to other viruses for EPS-producing bacteria in inducing the synthesis of enzymes degrading the polymers which occlude the bacterial cell surface. In each preparation, the polysaccharase activity was associated both with sedimented phage particles and with the supernate of bacterial lysates. The enzymes have been partially purified and used to prepare polysaccharide digests in which the major products from each polysaccharide are the presumed repeat units of the polymers or oligomers of these. The soluble phage enzymes each degrade their substrate by acting as endo-glycanohydrolases. The phage and their associated enzymes thus provide very useful highly specific tools for studies of biofilms incorporating the bacterial host strains. Their potential applications in studies on bacterial biofilms are discussed.

Changes in the biocide susceptibility of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli cells associated with rapid attachment to plastic surfaces

Differences in opacity between wells of a microtitre plate containing different volumes of inoculated growth medium reflected planktonic growth without any contribution from cells attached at the well surface. Simple algebra and a knowledge of the dependence of optical density upon sample path length (volume) for suspensions of differing cell density enables the generation of growth curves for attached populations (biofilms). In this manner, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined at various stages of growth (0-20 h), both for cells growing attached to the bases of the plate wells and, simultaneously, for cells growing in suspension above them. Biocides included cetrimide, polyhexamethylene biguanide, peracetic acid, phenoxyethanol and chloroxylenol. Results, expressed as planktonic:biofilm MIC ratios, showed susceptibility to change, not only as a function of attachment and biofilm formation, but also with respect to the nature of the chemical agent. In some instances, changes in susceptibility greater than twofold occurred immediately on attachment and could occur in the presence of biocide concentrations which exceeded the MIC.

Shaping of IPSCs by endogenous calcineurin activity

Synaptic inhibition, mediated by GABAA receptors, regulates neuronal firing, influences coincidence detection (König et al., 1996), and can synchronize the output of neural circuits (Cobb et al., 1995). Although GABAA receptors can be modulated by phosphorylation, few studies have directly addressed the role of such modulation at synapses, where the nonequilibrium conditions of receptor activation are quite different from those often used to study GABAA receptors in vitro. Here we promoted endogenous phosphorylation by inhibiting specific phosphatases in rat hippocampal neurons and compared the effects on IPSCs with GABAA channel responses in outside-out patches. Brief and saturating GABA pulses (5 msec; 10 mM) activated patch currents resembling the IPSC. Inhibition of calcineurin (protein phosphatase 2B), but not phosphatases 1 or 2A, produced a similar shortening of IPSC and patch responses, as did nonspecific inhibition of dephosphorylation using ATPgammaS or high concentrations of intracellular phosphate. Calcineurin inhibition increased the microscopic ligand unbinding rate, which was measured using the competitive antagonist 2-(3-carboxypropyl)-3-amino-6-(4-methoxyphenyl)pyridazinium bromide, suggesting that the IPSC shortening was partly caused by destabilization of the ligand binding site. Calcineurin inhibition also increased the rate and extent of macroscopic receptor desensitization. These results show that endogenous regulation by kinases and calcineurin can produce substantial changes in the IPSC duration by altering the unbinding and gating kinetics of the GABAA receptor. Dynamic regulation of synaptic inhibition may thus allow for the tuning of circuit behavior at the level of individual inhibitory synapses.

The impact of receptor desensitization on fast synaptic transmission

The role of desensitization of ligand-gated channels at fast chemical synapses has been difficult to establish. Densensitization has been studied traditionally with prolonged agonist exposure, whereas the duration of free neurotransmitter in the synaptic cleft is relatively brief. Studies of acetylcholine-, glutamate- and GABA-gated channels using rapid agonist application now provide a means to assess the effects of densensitization in shaping synaptic responses and in influencing neuronal excitability. These data reveal several strikingly different patterns by which the receptor-specific kinetics of densensitization can determine the size, timecourse and frequency of transmitted signals. Densensitization is thus a surprisingly versatile mechanism for shaping synaptic transmission.

Physiology of food poisoning microorganisms and the major problems in food poisoning control

There remains considerable public concern regarding the current high level of food poisoning disease in Europe and the fact that, year by year, it continues to rise rather than fall. At the same time, there are strong and increasing demands from consumers for foods that are more convenient, fresher, more natural, less heavily processed (e.g. 'REPFEDS' and 'Sous Vide' foods, mildly heated and distributed at chill temperatures; Lund and Notermans, 1992), less heavily preserved (e.g. less acid, less salt, less sugar; Gould, 1995) and less reliant on additive preservatives than hitherto (e.g. sulphite, nitrite, organic acids and esters; Russell and Gould, 1991). Most of these trends result in a general reduction in the intrinsic preservation of foods. Furthermore, many food poisoning microorganisms escape the attention of preservation techniques altogether, reaching the consumer more or less directly from contaminated foods, most often foods of animal origin. It has therefore been argued that a substantial reduction in food poisoning in the near future will be difficult to achieve unless we obtain a greatly improved understanding of the physiology of the most important target organisms (Knochel and Gould, 1995). This knowledge must then be exploited in ways which effectively improve our means for the control of these hazards and reduce the risk to the consumer. A three year AAIR Concerted Action Programme (PL920630: 'Physiology of Food Poisoning Microorganisms') was therefore initiated in 1992 in order to bring together research groups working on the physiology and related aspects of food poisoning microorganisms. The principal objectives of the programme were: 1. To determine the physiological, biochemical and genetical bases of the organisms' survival of and responses to food-relevant stresses; 2. to determine the physiological and genetical factors influencing infectivity and toxinogenesis; 3. to understand the physiological bases of those synergistic systems that are already empirically applied or that have future potential; 4. to make a wide range of modern techniques in which particular members have expertise more widely available. As can be read in the subsequent contributions to this special issue, the area is a fruitful one for microbiological research and the Programme has been successful in bringing together disparate strands of the topic. It has also highlighted areas where this scientific knowledge may be better exploited in improving the microbiological safety of foods for the consumer.

Modulation of the GABAA receptor by propofol is independent of the gamma subunit

Many anxiolytics, anticonvulsants and general anesthetics modulate gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptors. The anxiolytic benzodiazepines potentiate the actions of GABA, and this only at GABAA receptors with gamma subunits. The general anesthetics both potentiate GABA and activate GABAA receptors directly, but their binding sites on the receptor are poorly defined. We examined whether the gamma 2 subunit was required for the modulation of GABAA receptors by the general anesthetic 2,6-diisopropylphenol (propofol). Using the patch-clamp technique, we recorded membrane currents from HEK293 cells transfected with human alpha 2, beta 1 and gamma 2 cDNAs and with alpha 2 and beta 1 cDNAs alone. Both forms of the receptor were activated by GABA and by propofol at low concentrations. At maximal doses, propofol was considerably less effective than GABA as an activator of alpha 2 beta 1 GABAA receptors, but it had an efficacy similar to that of GABA as an activator of alpha 2 beta 1 gamma 2s receptors. In addition to activating currents directly, propofol potentiated currents elicited by GABA recorded from cells expressing either subunit combination. We conclude that the gamma 2 subunit is not a prerequisite for activation of GABAA receptors by propofol or for its potentiation of GABA-activated currents. However, the subunit may contribute to the efficacy of propofol as a GABAA receptor activator.

Desensitized states prolong GABAA channel responses to brief agonist pulses

We studied the role of desensitization at inhibitory synapses by comparing nonequilibrium GABAA channel gating with inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs). Currents activated by brief pulses of 1-10 mM GABA to outside-out patches from cultured hippocampal neurons mimicked GABA-mediated IPSCs. Although the average open time of single GABAA channels following brief pulses was less than 10 ms, channels entered long (tau = 38-69 ms) closed states and subsequently reopened. Movement through these states resulted in paired-pulse desensitization. The time required for deactivation after removal of agonist also increased in proportion to the extent of desensitization. These results suggest that visits to desensitized states buffer the channel in bound conformations and underlie the expression of long-lasting components of the IPSC. Reopening after GABAA receptor desensitization may thus enhance inhibitory synaptic transmission by prolonging the response to a brief synaptic GABA transient.

The effects of four general anesthetics on intracellular [Ca2+] in cultured rat hippocampal neurons

It has been suggested that general anesthesia might arise as a consequence of increased cytoplasmic free ionized calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i). The effect of increased [Ca2+]i might be to activate K+ channels or to modulate other ion channels important for the control of excitability, such as the GABAA receptor. A direct test of this hypothesis has not been reported. Microfluorimetry with the calcium-sensitive dye fura-2 was used to study the effects of four anesthetic agents on the regulation of intracellular free Ca2+ in hippocampal neurons cultured from the embryonic rat hippocampus. Basal intracellular free ionized calcium concentration [Ca2+]i in the neurons was 50-100 nM. Depolarization of the neurons with 50 mM K+ resulted in the elevation of [Ca2+]i to 200-800 nM, with subsequent recovery of [Ca2+]i over several minutes. The volatile anesthetics halothane, enflurane and isoflurane did not alter basal [Ca2+]i, even above clinically relevant concentrations; however, they did inhibit elevation of [Ca2+]i by high K+ stimulation. The intravenous anesthetic methohexital caused small increases in basal [Ca2+]i at concentrations > or = 50 microM; methohexital (5-50 microM) also inhibited elevations of [Ca2+]i induced by high K+. The evidence presented here suggests that the anesthetics studied do not produce their actions via sustained or transient increases in [Ca2+]i. However, all of the anesthetics studied appear to possess inhibitory effects on hippocampal voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels, in addition to their previously described effects at GABAA receptors.

Effect of heating rate on the thermal inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes

In order to quantify the effect of heating rate on the thermal inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes an accurate means of describing the inactivation kinetics at near instantaneous heating was used. Survivor curves for L. monocytogenes, at near instantaneous heating, were obtained over the temperature range 50-64 degrees C. The use of a linear function to describe the data would have given only a poor approximation of the true inactivation kinetics. With a model based on a logistic algorithm extremely accurate descriptions were made. In processes which had rates of heating < or = 5.0 degrees C min-1, significant deviations of real kill from predicted kill were observed. Predicted kill assumed that heating rate did not affect the inactivation kinetics of a thermal process. At rates of heating between 5.0 and 0.7 degrees C min-1 the deviation greatly increased as the rate of heating decreased; approximately a 1.7 x 10(5)-fold difference at 0.7 degrees C min-1. Maximum thermotolerance was induced at rates of heating < or = 0.7 degrees C min-1. The increased thermotolerance during slow rates of heating was analogous to the induction of the heat-shock response. The models described in this work allow for confident assessments of safety to be made not only at near instantaneous heating but also when the heating rate varies.