Distinct cognitive and discriminative stimulus effects of ketamine enantiomers in rats

Although (S)-ketamine was approved for use in treatment-resistant depression in 2019, new preclinical findings suggest that (R)-ketamine might produce better efficacy and tolerability relative to (S)-ketamine. Here we evaluated the effects of (R)-, (S)-, and (R,S)-ketamine on executive functions as measured in the attentional set shifting task (ASST) and on their discriminative stimulus effects in rats. Earlier data demonstrated that cognitive flexibility is compromised by (R,S)-ketamine, but the effects of enantiomers in rats are unknown. Separate cohorts of rats were tested in ASST and trained to discriminate either (R,S)-ketamine, (S)-ketamine, or (R)-ketamine (all at 10 mg/kg) from saline; in order to maintain the discrimination, a higher (R)-ketamine dose (17.5 mg/kg) was subsequently instituted. In ASST, all three forms increased the trials to criterion measure at reversal learning and extra-dimensional set-shifting phases. However, in contrast to (R)- and (S)-ketamine, (R,S)-ketamine prolonged the mean time to complete a single trial during early stages, suggesting increased reaction time, and/or unspecific side-effects related to motor or motivational impairments. In the drug discriminations, all rats acquired their respective discriminations between drug and saline. In (R,S)-ketamine-trained rats, (R)-ketamine and (S)-ketamine only partially substituted for the training dose of (R,S)-ketamine. Further, (R)-ketamine did not fully substitute in rats trained to (S)-ketamine. The data suggest more serious cognitive deficits produced by (R,S)-ketamine than its enantiomers. Furthermore, (R,S)-ketamine and its isomers share overlapping but not isomorphic discriminative stimulus effects predicting distinct subjective responses to (R)- vs. (S)-ketamine in humans

Dioxygenase-encoding AtDAO1 gene controls IAA oxidation and homeostasis in Arabidopsis

Auxin represents a key signal in plants, regulating almost every aspect of their growth and development. Major breakthroughs have been made dissecting the molecular basis of auxin transport, perception, and response. In contrast, how plants control the metabolism and homeostasis of the major form of auxin in plants, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), remains unclear. In this paper, we initially describe the function of the Arabidopsis thaliana gene DIOXYGENASE FOR AUXIN OXIDATION 1 (AtDAO1). Transcriptional and translational reporter lines revealed that AtDAO1 encodes a highly root expressed, cytoplasmically localized IAA oxidase. Stable isotope-labeled IAA feeding studies of loss and gain of function AtDAO1 lines showed that this oxidase represents the major regulator of auxin degradation to 2-oxoindole 3-acetic acid (oxIAA) in Arabidopsis. Surprisingly, AtDAO1 loss and gain of function lines exhibited relatively subtle auxin-related phenotypes, such as altered root hair length. Metabolite profiling of mutant lines revealed that disrupting AtDAO1 regulation resulted in major changes in steady-state levels of oxIAA and IAA conjugates but not IAA. Hence, IAA conjugation and catabolism seem to regulate auxin levels in Arabidopsis in a highly redundant manner. We observed that transcripts of AtDOA1 IAA oxidase and GH3 IAA-conjugating enzymes are auxin-inducible, providing a molecular basis for their observed functional redundancy. We conclude that the AtDAO1 gene plays a key role regulating auxin homeostasis in Arabidopsis, acting in concert with GH3 genes, to maintain auxin concentration at optimal levels for plant growth and development

Shaping 3D root system architecture

Plants are sessile organisms rooted in one place. The soil resources that plants require are often distributed in a highly heterogeneous pattern. To aid foraging, plants have evolved roots whose growth and development are highly responsive to soil signals. As a result, 3D root architecture is shaped by myriad environmental signals to ensure resource capture is optimised and unfavourable environments are avoided. The first signals sensed by newly germinating seeds — gravity and light — direct root growth into the soil to aid seedling establishment. Heterogeneous soil resources, such as water, nitrogen and phosphate, also act as signals that shape 3D root growth to optimise uptake. Root architecture is also modified through biotic interactions that include soil fungi and neighbouring plants. This developmental plasticity results in a ‘custom-made’ 3D root system that is best adapted to forage for resources in each soil environment that a plant colonises

Serotonin transporter deficiency alters socioemotional ultrasonic communication in rats

Contains fulltext : 216153.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access

Dioxygenase-encoding \u3ci\u3eAtDAO1\u3c/i\u3e gene controls IAA oxidation and homeostasis in \u3ci\u3eArabidopsis\u3c/i\u3e

Auxin represents a key signal in plants, regulating almost every aspect of their growth and development. Major breakthroughs have been made dissecting the molecular basis of auxin transport, perception, and response. In contrast, how plants control the metabolism and homeostasis of the major form of auxin in plants, indole-3- acetic acid (IAA), remains unclear. In this paper, we initially describe the function of the Arabidopsis thaliana gene DIOXYGENASE FOR AUXIN OXIDATION 1 (AtDAO1). Transcriptional and translational reporter lines revealed that AtDAO1 encodes a highly root-expressed, cytoplasmically localized IAA oxidase. Stable isotope-labeled IAA feeding studies of loss and gain of function AtDAO1 lines showed that this oxidase represents the major regulator of auxin degradation to 2-oxoindole-3-acetic acid (oxIAA) in Arabidopsis. Surprisingly, AtDAO1 loss and gain of function lines exhibited relatively subtle auxin-related phenotypes, such as altered root hair length. Metabolite profiling of mutant lines revealed that disrupting AtDAO1 regulation resulted in major changes in steady-state levels of oxIAA and IAA conjugates but not IAA. Hence, IAA conjugation and catabolism seem to regulate auxin levels in Arabidopsis in a highly redundant manner. We observed that transcripts of AtDOA1 IAA oxidase and GH3 IAA-conjugating enzymes are auxin-inducible, providing a molecular basis for their observed functional redundancy. We conclude that the AtDAO1 gene plays a key role regulating auxin homeostasis in Arabidopsis, acting in concert with GH3 genes, to maintain auxin concentration at optimal levels for plant growth and development