A Search for Interstellar Carbon Chain Alcohol HC4OH in Star-Forming Region L1527 and Dark Cloud TMC-1

We report a sensitive search for the rotational transitions of the carbon chain alcohol HC4OH in the frequency range of 21.2-46.7 GHz in the star-forming region L1527 and the dark cloud TMC-1. The motivation was laboratory detection of HC4OH by microwave spectroscopy. Despite achieving rms noise levels of several millikelvin in the antenna temperature using the 45 m telescope at Nobeyama Radio Observatory, the detection was not successful, leading to 3 sigma upper limits corresponding to the column densities of 2.0 \times 1012 and 5.6 \times 1012 cm-2 in L1527 and TMC-1, respectively. These upper limits indicate that [HC4OH]/[HC5N] ratios are less than 0.3 and 0.1 in L1527 and TMC-1, respectively, where HC5N is an HC4-chain cyanide and HC4OH is a hydroxide. These ratios suggest that the cyano carbon chain molecule dominates the hydroxyl carbon chain molecule in L1527 and TMC-1. This is contrary to the case of saturated compounds in hot cores, e.g., CH3OH and CH3CN, and can be a chemical feature of carbon chain molecules in L1527 and TMC-1. In addition, the column densities of the "unsubstituted" carbon chain molecule C4H and the sulfur-bearing molecules SO and HCS+ were determined from detected lines in L1527.Comment: Astrophysical Journal, in pres

PACAP centrally mediates emotional stress-induced corticosterone responses in mice

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a pleiotropic neuropeptide widely distributed in the nervous system. Recently, PACAP was shown to be involved in restraint stress-induced corticosterone release and concomitant expression of the genes involved in hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activation. Therefore, in this study, we have addressed the types of stressors and the levels of the HPA axis in which PACAP signaling is involved using mice lacking PACAP (PACAP−/−). Among four different types of stressors, open-field exposure, cold exposure, ether inhalation, and restraint, the corticosterone response to open-field exposure and restraint, which are categorized as emotional stressors, but not the other two, was markedly attenuated in PACAP−/− mice. Peripheral administration of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) or adrenocorticotropic hormone induced corticosterone increase similarly in PACAP and wild-type mice. In addition, the restraint stress-induced c-Fos expression was significantly decreased in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and medial amygdala (MeA), but not the medial prefrontal cortex, in PACAP−/− mice. In the PVN of PACAP−/− mice, the stress-induced c-Fos expression was blunted in the CRF neurons. These results suggest that PACAP is critically involved in activation of the MeA and PVN CRF neurons to centrally regulate the HPA axis response to emotional stressors