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Rudolf J, Philipello N, Fleihan T, Dickman JD, Delmore KE. Night-time neuronal activation of Cluster N in a North American songbird. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0300479. [PMID: 38512887 PMCID: PMC10956746 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Night-migrating songbirds utilize the Earth's magnetic field to help navigate to and from their breeding sites each year. A region of the avian forebrain called Cluster N has been shown to be activated during night migratory behavior and it has been implicated in processing geomagnetic information. Previous studies with night-migratory European songbirds have shown that neuronal activity at Cluster N is higher at night than during the day. Comparable work in North American migrants has only been performed in one species of swallows, so extension of examination for Cluster N in other migratory birds is needed. In addition, it is unclear if Cluster N activation is lateralized and the full extent of its boundaries in the forebrain have yet to be described. We used sensory-driven gene expression based on ZENK and the Swainson's thrush, a night-migratory North American songbird, to fill these knowledge gaps. We found elevated levels of gene expression in night- vs. day-active thrushes and no evidence for lateralization in this region. We further examined the anatomical extent of neural activation in the forebrain using 3D reconstruction topology. Our findings demonstrate that Swainson's thrushes possess an extensive bilateral night-activated Cluster N region in the forebrain similar to other European avian species, suggesting that Cluster N is highly conserved in nocturnal migrants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Rudolf
- Biology Department, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Natalie Philipello
- Biology Department, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Tamara Fleihan
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - J. David Dickman
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Kira E. Delmore
- Biology Department, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
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Weghorst F, Torres Marcén M, Faridi G, Lee YCG, Cramer KS. Deep Conservation and Unexpected Evolutionary History of Neighboring lncRNAs MALAT1 and NEAT1. J Mol Evol 2024; 92:30-41. [PMID: 38189925 PMCID: PMC10869381 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-023-10151-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have begun to receive overdue attention for their regulatory roles in gene expression and other cellular processes. Although most lncRNAs are lowly expressed and tissue-specific, notable exceptions include MALAT1 and its genomic neighbor NEAT1, two highly and ubiquitously expressed oncogenes with roles in transcriptional regulation and RNA splicing. Previous studies have suggested that NEAT1 is found only in mammals, while MALAT1 is present in all gnathostomes (jawed vertebrates) except birds. Here we show that these assertions are incomplete, likely due to the challenges associated with properly identifying these two lncRNAs. Using phylogenetic analysis and structure-aware annotation of publicly available genomic and RNA-seq coverage data, we show that NEAT1 is a common feature of tetrapod genomes except birds and squamates. Conversely, we identify MALAT1 in representative species of all major gnathostome clades, including birds. Our in-depth examination of MALAT1, NEAT1, and their genomic context in a wide range of vertebrate species allows us to reconstruct the series of events that led to the formation of the locus containing these genes in taxa from cartilaginous fish to mammals. This evolutionary history includes the independent loss of NEAT1 in birds and squamates, since NEAT1 is found in the closest living relatives of both clades (crocodilians and tuataras, respectively). These data clarify the origins and relationships of MALAT1 and NEAT1 and highlight an opportunity to study the change and continuity in lncRNA structure and function over deep evolutionary time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Forrest Weghorst
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Martí Torres Marcén
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Garrison Faridi
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Yuh Chwen G Lee
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Karina S Cramer
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, USA.
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Meenderink SWF, Shera CA, Valero MD, Liberman MC, Abdala C. Morphological Immaturity of the Neonatal Organ of Corti and Associated Structures in Humans. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2019; 20:461-474. [PMID: 31407107 PMCID: PMC6797686 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-019-00734-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Although anatomical development of the cochlear duct is thought to be complete by term birth, human newborns continue to show postnatal immaturities in functional measures such as otoacoustic emissions (OAEs). Some of these OAE immaturities are no doubt influenced by incomplete maturation of the external and middle ears in infants; however, the observed prolongation of distortion-product OAE phase-gradient delays in newborns cannot readily be explained by conductive factors. This functional immaturity suggests that the human cochlea at birth may lack fully adult-like traveling-wave motion. In this study, we analyzed temporal-bone sections at the light microscopic level in newborns and adults to quantify dimensions and geometry of cochlear structures thought to influence the mechanical response of the cochlea. Contrary to common belief, results show multiple morphological immaturities along the length of the newborn spiral, suggesting that important refinements in the size and shape of the sensory epithelium and associated structures continue after birth. Specifically, immaturities of the newborn basilar membrane and organ of Corti are consistent with a more compliant and less massive cochlear partition, which could produce longer DPOAE delays and a shifted frequency-place map in the neonatal ear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastiaan W F Meenderink
- Auditory Research Center, Caruso Department of Otolaryngology, University of Southern California, 1640 Marengo Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Christopher A Shera
- Auditory Research Center, Caruso Department of Otolaryngology, University of Southern California, 1640 Marengo Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Michelle D Valero
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - M Charles Liberman
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Carolina Abdala
- Auditory Research Center, Caruso Department of Otolaryngology, University of Southern California, 1640 Marengo Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA.
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Abdala C, Luo P, Guardia Y. Swept-Tone Stimulus-Frequency Otoacoustic Emissions in Human Newborns. Trends Hear 2019; 23:2331216519889226. [PMID: 31789131 PMCID: PMC6887807 DOI: 10.1177/2331216519889226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Revised: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Several types of otoacoustic emissions have been characterized in newborns to study the maturational status of the cochlea at birth and to develop effective tests of hearing. The stimulus-frequency otoacoustic emission (SFOAE), a reflection-type emission elicited with a single low-level pure tone, is the least studied of these emissions and has not been comprehensively characterized in human newborns. The SFOAE has been linked to cochlear tuning and is sensitive to disruptions in cochlear gain (i.e., hearing loss) in adult subjects. In this study, we characterize SFOAEs evoked with rapidly sweeping tones in human neonates and consider the implications of our findings for human cochlear maturation. SFOAEs were measured in 29 term newborns within 72 hr of birth using swept tones presented at 2 oct/s across a four-octave frequency range (0.5–8 kHz); 20 normal-hearing young adults served as a control group. The prevalence of SFOAEs in newborns was as high as 90% (depending on how response “presence” was defined). Evidence of probe-tip leakage and abnormal ear-canal energy reflectance was observed in those ears with absent or unmeasurable SFOAEs. Results in the group of newborns with present stimulus-frequency emissions indicate that neonatal swept-tone SFOAEs are adult-like in morphology but have slightly higher amplitude compared with adults and longer SFOAE group delays. The origin of these nonadult-like features is probably mixed, including contributions from both conductive (ear canal and middle ear) and cochlear immaturities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Abdala
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology, Auditory Research Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ping Luo
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology, Auditory Research Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yeini Guardia
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology, Auditory Research Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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King RE, Steed K, Rivera AE, Wisco JJ, Thibeault SL. Magnetic resonance imaging quantification of dehydration and rehydration in vocal fold tissue layers. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0208763. [PMID: 30521642 PMCID: PMC6283588 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Clinicians commonly recommend increased hydration to patients with voice disorders. However, effects on clinical voice outcome measures have been inconsistent. Hydration-induced change within different layers of vocal fold tissue is currently unknown. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a promising method of noninvasively measuring water content in vocal folds. We sought to image and quantify changes in water content within vocal fold mucosa and thyroarytenoid muscle after dehydration and rehydration. Excised porcine larynges were imaged using proton density (PD) weighted MRI (1) at baseline and (2) after immersion in one of five hypertonic, isotonic, or hypotonic solutions or in dry air. Larynges dehydrated in hypertonic solutions or dry air were rehydrated and imaged a third time. Scans revealed fluid-rich vocal fold mucosa that was distinct from muscle at baseline. Baseline normalized signal intensity in mucosa and muscle varied by left vs. right vocal fold (p < 0.01) and by anterior, middle, or posterior location (p < 0.0001). Intensity changes in the middle third of vocal fold mucosa differed by solution after immersion (p < 0.01). Hypertonic solutions dehydrated the middle third of mucosa by over 30% (p < 0.001). No difference from baseline was found in anterior or posterior mucosa or in muscle after immersion. No association was found between intensity change in mucosa and muscle after immersion. After rehydration, intensity did not differ by solution in any tissue, and was not different from baseline, but post-rehydration intensity was correlated with post-immersion intensity in both mucosa and muscle (p < 0.05), suggesting that degree of change in vocal fold water content induced by hypertonic solutions ex vivo persists after rehydration. These results indicate that PD-MRI can be used to visualize large mammalian vocal fold tissue layers and to quantify changes in water content within vocal fold mucosa and thyroarytenoid muscle independently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renee E. King
- Division of Otolaryngology, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Kevin Steed
- Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, United States of America
| | - Ana E. Rivera
- Division of Otolaryngology, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- School of Medicine, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, Puerto Rico, United States of America
| | - Jonathan J. Wisco
- Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, United States of America
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Susan L. Thibeault
- Division of Otolaryngology, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
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Johnson DG, Borkholder DA. Towards an Implantable, Low Flow Micropump That Uses No Power in the Blocked-Flow State. Micromachines (Basel) 2016; 7:E99. [PMID: 30404274 PMCID: PMC6189832 DOI: 10.3390/mi7060099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2016] [Revised: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 05/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Low flow rate micropumps play an increasingly important role in drug therapy research. Infusions to small biological structures and lab-on-a-chip applications require ultra-low flow rates and will benefit from the ability to expend no power in the blocked-flow state. Here we present a planar micropump based on gallium phase-change actuation that leverages expansion during solidification to occlude the flow channel in the off-power state. The presented four chamber peristaltic micropump was fabricated with a combination of Micro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) techniques and additive manufacturing direct write technologies. The device is 7 mm × 13 mm × 1 mm (<100 mm³) with the flow channel and exterior coated with biocompatible Parylene-C, critical for implantable applications. Controllable pump rates from 18 to 104 nL/min were demonstrated, with 11.1 ± 0.35 nL pumped per actuation at an efficiency of 11 mJ/nL. The normally-closed state of the gallium actuator prevents flow and diffusion between the pump and the biological system or lab-on-a-chip, without consuming power. This is especially important for implanted applications with periodic drug delivery regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dean G Johnson
- Rochester Institute of Technology, Microsystems Engineering, Rochester, NY 14623, USA.
| | - David A Borkholder
- Rochester Institute of Technology, Microsystems Engineering, Rochester, NY 14623, USA.
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