Changes in gene expression and integrin-mediated structural changes are associated with long-term plasticity of a spinal cord locomotor network

Seascape genomics reveals limited dispersal and suggests spatially varying selection among European populations of sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)

Sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus is an anadromous and semelparous fish without homing behaviors. Despite being a freshwater, free-living organism for a large part of their life cycle, its adulthood is spent as a parasite of marine vertebrates. In their native European range, while it is well-established that sea lampreys comprise a single nearly-panmictic population, few studies have further explored the evolutionary history of natural populations. Here, we performed the first genome-wide characterization of sea lamprey's genetic diversity in their European natural range. The objectives were to investigate the connectivity among river basins and explore evolutionary processes mediating dispersal during the marine phase, with the sequencing of 186 individuals from 8 locations spanning the North Eastern Atlantic coast and the North Sea with double-digest RAD-sequencing, obtaining a total of 30,910 bi-allelic SNPs. Population genetic analyses reinforced the existence of a single metapopulation encompassing freshwater spawning sites within the North Eastern Atlantic and the North Sea, though the prevalence of private alleles at northern latitudes suggested some limits to the species' dispersal. Seascape genomics suggested a scenario where oxygen concentration and river runoffs impose spatially varying selection across their distribution range. Exploring associations with the abundance of potential hosts further suggested that hake and cod could also impose selective pressures, although the nature of such putative biotic interactions was unresolved. Overall, the identification of adaptive seascapes in a panmictic anadromous species could contribute to conservation practices by providing information for restoration activities to mitigate local extinctions on freshwater sites.

Synaptic Variability Introduces State-Dependent Modulation of Excitatory Spinal Cord Synapses

The relevance of neuronal and synaptic variability remains unclear. Cellular and synaptic plasticity and neuromodulation are also variable. This could reflect state-dependent effects caused by the variable initial cellular or synaptic properties or direct variability in plasticity-inducing mechanisms. This study has examined state-dependent influences on synaptic plasticity at connections between excitatory interneurons (EIN) and motor neurons in the lamprey spinal cord. State-dependent effects were examined by correlating initial synaptic properties with the substance P-mediated plasticity of low frequency-evoked EPSPs and the reduction of the EPSP depression over spike trains (metaplasticity). The low frequency EPSP potentiation reflected an interaction between the potentiation of NMDA responses and the release probability. The release probability introduced a variable state-dependent subtractive influence on the postsynaptic NMDA-dependent potentiation. The metaplasticity was also state-dependent: it was greater at connections with smaller available vesicle pools and high initial release probabilities. This was supported by the significant reduction in the number of connections showing metaplasticity when the release probability was reduced by high Mg(2+) Ringer. Initial synaptic properties thus introduce state-dependent influences that affect the potential for plasticity. Understanding these conditions will be as important as understanding the subsequent changes.

Regeneration in the era of functional genomics and gene network analysis

What gives an organism the ability to regrow tissues and to recover function where another organism fails is the central problem of regenerative biology. The challenge is to describe the mechanisms of regeneration at the molecular level, delivering detailed insights into the many components that are cross-regulated. In other words, a broad, yet deep dissection of the system-wide network of molecular interactions is needed. Functional genomics has been used to elucidate gene regulatory networks (GRNs) in developing tissues, which, like regeneration, are complex systems. Therefore, we reason that the GRN approach, aided by next generation technologies, can also be applied to study the molecular mechanisms underlying the complex functions of regeneration. We ask what characteristics a model system must have to support a GRN analysis. Our discussion focuses on regeneration in the central nervous system, where loss of function has particularly devastating consequences for an organism. We examine a cohort of cells conserved across all vertebrates, the reticulospinal (RS) neurons, which lend themselves well to experimental manipulations. In the lamprey, a jawless vertebrate, there are giant RS neurons whose large size and ability to regenerate make them particularly suited for a GRN analysis. Adding to their value, a distinct subset of lamprey RS neurons reproducibly fail to regenerate, presenting an opportunity for side-by-side comparison of gene networks that promote or inhibit regeneration. Thus, determining the GRN for regeneration in RS neurons will provide a mechanistic understanding of the fundamental cues that lead to success or failure to regenerate.

Bacterial feeding induces changes in immune-related gene expression and has trans-generational impacts in the cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni)

BACKGROUND

Poly- and oligophagous insects are able to feed on various host plants with a wide range of defense strategies. However, diverse food plants are also inhabited by microbiota differing in quality and quantity, posing a potential challenge for immune system mediated homeostasis in the herbivore. Recent studies highlight the complex interactions between environmentally encountered microorganisms and herbivorous insects, pointing to a potential adaptational alteration of the insects' physiology. We performed a differential gene expression analysis in whole larvae and eggs laid by parents grown on different diets to identify potential novel genes related to elevated microbial content in the caterpillars' food.

RESULTS

We used GeneFishing, a novel differential display method, to study the effects of dietary bacteria on the general gene expression in different life stages and tissues of the cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni). We were able to visualize several hundred transcripts on agarose gels, one fifth of which were differentially expressed between treatments. The largest number of differentially expressed genes was found in defense-related processes (13) and in recognition and metabolism (16). 21 genes were picked out and further tested for differential gene expression by an independent method (qRT-PCR) in various tissues of larvae grown on bacterial and bacteria-free diet, and also in adults. We detected a number of genes indicative of an altered physiological status of the insect, depending on the diet, developmental stage and tissue.

CONCLUSION

Changes in immune status are accompanied by specific changes in the transcript levels of genes connected to metabolism and homeostasis of the organism. Our findings show that larval feeding on bacteria-rich diet leads to substantial gene expression changes, potentially resulting in a reorganization of the insects' metabolism to maintain organismal homeostasis, not only in the larval but also in the adult stage. Furthermore, differences in gene expression levels can also be seen in the next generation, strongly influenced by parental diet.