[GW bodies and stress granules, two cytoplasmic structures for mRNA degradation and storage in mammalian cells]

Prefrontal TNRC6A mediates anxiety-like behaviour by regulating CRF through the maintenance of miR-21-3p stability

Anxiety is an emotional response to a potential threat. It is characterized by worry, feelings of tension, and physical changes. Trinucleotide repeat containing adaptor 6A (TNRC6A) binds to argonaute (AGO) proteins and microRNAs to form the miRNA-induced silencing complex (miRISC), which mediates mRNA degradation, storage, and translational repression functions. However, whether TNRC6A is involved in anxiety regulation remains unknown. In this study, TNRC6A was downregulated in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of mice exposed to acute restraint stress. Inhibition of TNRC6A in PFC induced anxious behaviour. RNA immunoprecipitation, RNA pull-down and real-time quantitative PCR revealed that TNRC6A directly binds to miR-21-3p and maintains its stability. Intriguingly, miR-21-3p was downregulated in the PFC of acute stress mice, whereas overexpression of miR-21-3p significantly reduced anxiety-like behaviour. Furthermore, miR-21-3p knockdown significantly increased the frequency and amplitude of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) in the PFC pyramidal neurons. Dual luciferase assay and western blotting confirmed that miR-21-3p binds to the 3 'UTR region of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) mRNA and regulates CRF and cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) expression. These results confirm that low levels of TNRC6A in the PFC decrease the stability of miR-21-3p which promotes the up-regulation of CRF, leading to the development of anxiety-like behaviours. This research provides insight into a novel molecular mechanism by which TNRC6A regulates anxiety behaviour through the miR-21-3p/CRF signalling axis.

Application of Numerical Analysis of the Shape of Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectra for Determination of the Number of Different Groups of Radicals in the Burn Wounds

Background. The evidence exists that radicals are crucial agents necessary for the wound regeneration helping to enhance the repair process. Materials and methods. The lineshape of the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of the burn wounds measured with the low microwave power (2.2 mW) was numerically analyzed. The experimental spectra were fitted by the sum of two and three lines. Results. The number of the lines in the EPR spectrum corresponded to the number of different groups of radicals in the natural samples after thermal treatment. The component lines were described by Gaussian and Lorentzian functions. The spectra of the burn wounds were superposition of three lines different in shape and in linewidths. The best fitting was obtained for the sum of broad Gaussian, broad Lorentzian, and narrow Lorentzian lines. Dipolar interactions between the unpaired electrons widened the broad Gaussian and broad Lorentzian lines. Radicals with the narrow Lorentzian lines existed mainly in the tested samples. Conclusions. The spectral shape analysis may be proposed as a useful method for determining the number of different groups of radicals in the burn wounds.