Neurobiology of Inflammation-Associated Anorexia

Compelling data demonstrate that inflammation-associated anorexia directly results from the action of pro-inflammatory factors, primarily cytokines and prostaglandins E2, on the nervous system. For instance, the aforementioned pro-inflammatory factors can stimulate the activity of peripheral sensory neurons, and induce their own de novo synthesis and release into the brain parenchyma and cerebrospinal fluid. Ultimately, it results in the mobilization of a specific neural circuit that shuts down appetite. The present article describes the different cell groups and neurotransmitters involved in inflammation-associated anorexia and examines how they interact with neural systems regulating feeding such as the melanocortin system. A better understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying inflammation-associated anorexia will help to develop appetite stimulants for cancer and AIDS patients

Fin de l’élimination des poussins mâles d’un jour : le choix du sexage in ovo

Une problématique majeure de la filière avicole est l’absence de valorisation des frères des poules pondeuses, du fait de leur faible rendement en viande. Ce constat, qui questionne l’éthique de la production, concerne 50 millions de poussins mâles en France et 7,5 milliards dans le monde, ces animaux étant jusqu’à récemment, éliminés après sexage et tri à l’éclosion. Cette prise de conscience, largement médiatisée ces dernières années, a conduit à la publication d’un décret, le 5 février 2022, interdisant la mise à mort des mâles des lignées de l’espèce Gallus gallus destinées à la production des œufs de consommation. Trois alternatives ont été proposées depuis les premières réflexions sur le sujet : 1) élever les frères de pondeuses et identifier des marchés de valorisation, 2) créer de nouveaux croisements génétiques entre souches « Chair » et souches « Ponte » où les descendantes femelles seraient valorisées pour les œufs et les descendants mâles pour leur viande (souches « mixtes »), et 3) développer des outils de sexage in ovo (ou ovosexage) pour détecter puis éliminer les œufs contenant un embryon mâle avant éclosion. Cette dernière approche est la seule viable techniquement et économiquement parlant, et utilisable par la filière actuellement. Elle réunit de nombreux atouts, en termes de faisabilité pour la mise en œuvre dans les couvoirs, et d’acceptabilité à la fois par le consommateur, le citoyen et les professionnels. Cette revue fait le point sur le contexte socio-économique et les techniques d’ovosexage actuellement disponibles, tout en introduisant quelques repères physiologiques d’embryologie aviaire qui permettent de mieux comprendre les contraintes associées au développement de techniques à des stades précoces de développement

Gene expression profiling to identify eggshell proteins involved in physical defense of the chicken egg

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>As uricoletic animals, chickens produce cleidoic eggs, which are self-contained bacteria-resistant biological packages for extra-uterine development of the chick embryo. The eggshell constitutes a natural physical barrier against bacterial penetration if it forms correctly and remains intact. The eggshell's remarkable mechanical properties are due to interactions among mineral components and the organic matrix proteins. The purpose of our study was to identify novel eggshell proteins by examining the transcriptome of the uterus during calcification of the eggshell. An extensive bioinformatic analysis on genes over-expressed in the uterus allowed us to identify novel eggshell proteins that contribute to the egg's natural defenses.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our 14 K Del-Mar Chicken Integrated Systems microarray was used for transcriptional profiling in the hen's uterus during eggshell deposition. A total of 605 transcripts were over-expressed in the uterus compared with the magnum or white isthmus across a wide range of abundance (1.1- to 79.4-fold difference). The 605 highly-expressed uterine transcripts correspond to 469 unique genes, which encode 437 different proteins. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis was used for interpretation of protein function. The most over-represented GO terms are related to genes encoding ion transport proteins, which provide eggshell mineral precursors. Signal peptide sequence was found for 54 putative proteins secreted by the uterus during eggshell formation. Many functional proteins are involved in calcium binding or biomineralization--prerequisites for interacting with the mineral phase during eggshell fabrication. While another large group of proteins could be involved in proper folding of the eggshell matrix. Many secreted uterine proteins possess antibacterial properties, which would protect the egg against microbial invasion. A final group includes proteases and protease inhibitors that regulate protein activity in the acellular uterine fluid where eggshell formation takes place.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our original study provides the first detailed description of the chicken uterus transcriptome during formation of the eggshell. We have discovered a cache of about 600 functional genes and identified a large number of encoded proteins secreted into uterine fluid for fabrication of the eggshell and chemical protection of the egg. Some of these uterine genes could prove useful as biological markers for genetic improvement of phenotypic traits (i.e., egg and eggshell quality).</p

Tissue Resources for the Functional Annotation of Animal Genomes

In order to generate an atlas of the functional elements driving genome expression in domestic animals, the Functional Annotation of Animal Genome (FAANG) strategy was to sample many tissues from a few animals of different species, sexes, ages, and production stages. This article presents the collection of tissue samples for four species produced by two pilot projects, at INRAE (National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment) and the University of California, Davis. There were three mammals (cattle, goat, and pig) and one bird (chicken). It describes the metadata characterizing these reference sets (1) for animals with origin and selection history, physiological status, and environmental conditions; (2) for samples with collection site and tissue/cell processing; (3) for quality control; and (4) for storage and further distribution. Three sets are identified: set 1 comprises tissues for which collection can be standardized and for which representative aliquots can be easily distributed (liver, spleen, lung, heart, fat depot, skin, muscle, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells); set 2 comprises tissues requiring special protocols because of their cellular heterogeneity (brain, digestive tract, secretory organs, gonads and gametes, reproductive tract, immune tissues, cartilage); set 3 comprises specific cell preparations (immune cells, tracheal epithelial cells). Dedicated sampling protocols were established and uploaded in https://data.faang.org/protocol/samples. Specificities between mammals and chicken are described when relevant. A total of 73 different tissues or tissue sections were collected, and 21 are common to the four species. Having a common set of tissues will facilitate the transfer of knowledge within and between species and will contribute to decrease animal experimentation. Combining data on the same samples will facilitate data integration. Quality control was performed on some tissues with RNA extraction and RNA quality control. More than 5,000 samples have been stored with unique identifiers, and more than 4,000 were uploaded onto the Biosamples database, provided that standard ontologies were available to describe the sample. Many tissues have already been used to implement FAANG assays, with published results. All samples are available without restriction for further assays. The requesting procedure is described. Members of FAANG are encouraged to apply a range of molecular assays to characterize the functional status of collected samples and share their results, in line with the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) data principles

Trace Amine-Associated Receptor 1 Regulates Central Effects of Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors: Involvement of Tyramine and Glutamate

International audienc

Role of organic cation transporters (OCTs) in the brain

International audienceOrganic cation transporters (OCTs) are polyspecific facilitated diffusion transporters that contribute to the absorption and clearance of various physiological compounds and xenobiotics in mammals, by mediating their vec-torial transport in kidney, liver or placenta cells. Unexpectedly, a corpus of studies within the last decade has revealed that these transporters also fulfill important functions within the brain. The high-affinity monoamine reuptake transporters (SERT, NET and DAT) exert a crucial role in the control of aminergic transmission by ensuring the rapid clearance of the released transmitters from the synaptic cleft and their recycling into the nerve endings. Substantiated evidence indicate that OCTs may serve in the brain as a compensatory clearance system in case of monoamine spillover after high-affinity transporter blockade by antidepressants or psychostimulants, and in areas of lower high-affinity transporter density at distance from the aminergic varicosities. In spite of similar anatomical profiles, the two brain OCTs, OCT2 and OCT3, show subtle differences in their distribution in the brain and their functional properties. These transporters contribute to shape a variety of central functions related to mood such as anxiety, response to stress and antidepressant efficacy, but are also implicated in other processes like osmoregulation and neurotoxicity. In this review, we discuss the recent knowledge and emerging concepts on the role of OCTs in the uptake of aminergic neurotransmitters in the brain and in these various physiological functions, focusing on the implications for mental health

Les transporteurs de cations organiques, nouvelles cibles thérapeutiques contre la dépression

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Etude de transporteurs atypiques des monoamines (la familles des transporteurs de cations organiques (OCTs) et PMAT)

Les transporteurs de cations organiques (OCT) et PMAT (Plasma Membrane Monoamine Transporter) sont des transporteurs des monoamines à faible affinité. Une étude anatomique fine combinant hybridation in situ et immunohistochimie nous a permis de montrer que, dans le cerveau de rat, PMAT est exprimé principalement dans les corps cellulaires et les neurites des neurones des zones de projections des voies aminergiques, ce qui suggère un rôle dans la recapture au niveau post-synaptique. L étude anatomique d OCT2 montre que ce transporteur est fortement exprimé dans les régions limbiques. Les souris mutées pour OCT2 présentent des modifications de la neurotransmission aminergique, une réponse au stress altérée, un comportement de type dépressif , ainsi que des modifications de la sensibilité à des antidépresseurs sélectifs de la noradrénaline ou la sérotonine. Ce travail met en évidence un nouvel acteur dans les comportements liés à l humeur et la sensibilité aux antidépresseurs.PARIS-BIUSJ-Physique recherche (751052113) / SudocSudocFranceF