Passive Immunization Reduces Behavioral and Neuropathological Deficits in an Alpha-Synuclein Transgenic Model of Lewy Body Disease

Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson's Disease (PD) are common causes of motor and cognitive deficits and are associated with the abnormal accumulation of alpha-synuclein (α-syn). This study investigated whether passive immunization with a novel monoclonal α-syn antibody (9E4) against the C-terminus (CT) of α-syn was able to cross into the CNS and ameliorate the deficits associated with α-syn accumulation. In this study we demonstrate that 9E4 was effective at reducing behavioral deficits in the water maze, moreover, immunization with 9E4 reduced the accumulation of calpain-cleaved α-syn in axons and synapses and the associated neurodegenerative deficits. In vivo studies demonstrated that 9E4 traffics into the CNS, binds to cells that display α-syn accumulation and promotes α-syn clearance via the lysosomal pathway. These results suggest that passive immunization with monoclonal antibodies against the CT of α-syn may be of therapeutic relevance in patients with PD and DLB

Selenopidae (Arachnida: Araneae), a new host spider family for the spider wasp \u3ci\u3eTachypompilus ferrugineus\u3c/i\u3e (Say) (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pompilini)

Four online photographs from Oaxaca, Mexico taken by N. R. Jenzen-Jones and posted on inaturalist.org reveal Selenops sp., probably S. mexicanus Keyserling (Arachnida: Araneae: Selenopidae), as a new host spider species, genus and family for the common and widespread American spider wasp Tachypompilus fer­rugineus (Say) (rusty spider wasp). The wasp transported the immobilized spider up an exterior stucco wall of a house, dorsal side upward, walking backwards for 3 m to her nest in a gap between the wooden planking and stucco wall beneath the roof, while grasping the femur of its right pedipalp with her mandibles

Bembidion ambiguum (Coleoptera: Carabidae) is established in California

The ground beetle Bembidion (Neja) ambiguum Dejean is native to Europe and north Africa, in the Mediterranean region. We report it from North America for the first time, from five localities around San Francisco Bay, California. The earliest record is from 2012

Bembidion ambiguum (Coleoptera: Carabidae) is established in California.

BackgroundThe ground beetle Bembidion (Neja) ambiguum Dejean is native to Europe and north Africa, in the Mediterranean region.New informationWe report it from North America for the first time, from five localities around San Francisco Bay, California. The earliest record is from 2012

Selenopidae (Arachnida: Araneae), a new host spider family for the spider wasp Tachypompilus ferrugineus (Say) (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pompilini)

Four online photographs from Oaxaca, Mexico taken by N. R. Jenzen-Jones and posted on inaturalist.org reveal Selenops sp., probably S. mexicanus Keyserling (Arachnida: Araneae: Selenopidae), as a new host spider species, genus and family for the common and widespread American spider wasp Tachypompilus ferrugineus (Say) (rusty spider wasp). The wasp transported the immobilized spider up an exterior stucco wall of a house, dorsal side upward, walking backwards for 3m to her nest in a gap between the wooden planking and stucco wall beneath the roof, while grasping the femur of its right pedipalp with her mandibles

Using Enzyme Assays to Evaluate the Structure and Bioactivity of Sponge-Derived Meroterpenes

Enzyme screening of crude sponge extracts prioritized a 2005 Papua New Guinea collection of Hyrtios sp. for further study. The MeOH extract contained puupehenone and four puupehenone analogues (1, 2, 3, 5, and 7) along with a new diastereomer, 20-epi-hydroxyhaterumadienone (4), and a new analogue, 15-oxo-puupehenoic acid (6). The drimane terpene core of 4 and 6 was rapidly dereplicated, and the modified Mosher's method identified 4, while 1D and 2D NMR techniques were used to solve 6. These compounds plus noteworthy repository natural products and standards were tested against three lipoxygenase isozymes, human 5-, 12-, and 15-lipoxygenases. Significant potency and selectivity profiles were exhibited in the human 5-lipoxygenase assay by puupehenone (1) and jaspaquinol (9) and structural factors responsible for activity identified

A revision of the spider genus Selenops (Arachnida, Araneae, Selenopidae) in North America, Central America and the Caribbean

The spider genus Selenops Latreille occurs in both the Old World and New World tropics and subtropics and contains nearly half of the species in the family Selenopidae Simon. In this paper I revise the members of this genus found in North America, Central America, and on islands of the Caribbean, excluding Cuban endemics. Despite recent work in these regions, there is still a great deal of new diversity in the form of undescribed species. In the United States species, there is a great deal of variation among species, and there appears to be overlap of up to three species in a particular locality. Additionally, males and females were described from different localities, adding to the uncertainty surrounding species placement. No taxonomic changes are currently made to the species from the southwestern United States. In total, 21 new species are described including S. arikok sp. n., S. chamela sp. n., S. amona sp. n., S. baweka sp. n., S. bocacanadensis sp. n., S. enriquillo sp. n, S. ixchel sp. n., S. huetocatl sp. n., S. kalinago sp. n., S. oviedo sp. n., S. morro sp. n., S. denia sp. n., S. duan sp. n., S. malinalxochitl sp. n., S. oricuajo sp. n., S. petenajtoy sp. n., S. guerrero sp. n., S. makimaki sp. n., S. souliga sp. n., S. wilmotorum sp. n., and S. wilsoni sp. n. Selenops lunatus Muma is recognized as a junior synonym of S. candidus Muma, S. tehuacanus Muma, S. galapagoensis Banks and S. vagabundus Kraus are recognized as junior synonyms of S. mexicanus Keyserling, S. santibanezi Valdez-Mondragon is recognized as a junior synonym of S. nigromaculatus Keyserling, and S. salvadoranus Chamberlin is recognized as a junior synonym of S. bifurcatus Banks. The males of S. bani Alayon-Garcia and S. marcanoi Alayon-Garcia are described for the first time, and the females of S. phaselus Muma and S. geraldinae Corronca are described for the first time. Almost all species are redescribed, barring Cuban endemics and a few species only recently described, and new illustrations are provided, including those of the internal female genitalia, many of which are illustrated for the first time. A key to species is also provided as are all new distributional records