Drosophila Dendritic Arborisation Neurons: Fantastic Actin Dynamics and Where to Find Them.

Neuronal dendrites receive, integrate, and process numerous inputs and therefore serve as the neuron's "antennae". Dendrites display extreme morphological diversity across different neuronal classes to match the neuron's specific functional requirements. Understanding how this structural diversity is specified is therefore important for shedding light on information processing in the healthy and diseased nervous system. Popular models for in vivo studies of dendrite differentiation are the four classes of dendritic arborization (c1da-c4da) neurons of Drosophila larvae with their class-specific dendritic morphologies. Using da neurons, a combination of live-cell imaging and computational approaches have delivered information on the distinct phases and the time course of dendrite development from embryonic stages to the fully developed dendritic tree. With these data, we can start approaching the basic logic behind differential dendrite development. A major role in the definition of neuron-type specific morphologies is played by dynamic actin-rich processes and the regulation of their properties. This review presents the differences in the growth programs leading to morphologically different dendritic trees, with a focus on the key role of actin modulatory proteins. In addition, we summarize requirements and technological progress towards the visualization and manipulation of such actin regulators in vivo

Lipase-ultrasound assisted synthesis of polyesters

Poly (ethylene glutarate), poly (ethylene malonate) and poly (ethylene phthalate), were enzymatically synthesized by immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B in solvent free conditions. The synthesis of these polyesters was based on the ester-ester exchange reaction between ethylene glycol diacetate and di-ethyl glutarate, di-benzyl malonate, di-n-octyl phthalate to produce poly (ethylene glutarate), poly (ethylene malonate) and poly (ethylene phthalate), respectively. The effect of ultrasound and PET polymeric beads on the polyester synthesis was evaluated and showed to improve the synthesis of all polyesters. Ultrasound, as a green solvent-free technology, showed high potentiality for the polyester synthesis intensification.All authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by International Joint Research Laboratory for Textile and Fibre Bioprocesses at Jiangnan University. The authors are also thankful to the Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical Technology, Matunga (E), Mumbai-400019, India and to the Bioprocess and Bio nanotechnology Research Group (BBRG) of University of Minho. Authors would like also to acknowledge the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit and COMPETE 2020 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006684) and BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004) funded by European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020 Programa Operacional Regional do Norte and to the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. JUSRP51622A) 2016, Jiangsu Province Scientific Research Innovation Project for Academic Graduate Students (No. KYLX16_0788).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Lipase-ultrasound assisted synthesis of polyesters

Poly (ethylene glutarate), poly (ethylene malonate) and poly (ethylene phthalate), were enzymatically synthesized by immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B in solvent free conditions. The synthesis of these polyesters was based on the ester-ester exchange reaction between ethylene glycol diacetate and di-ethyl glutarate, di-benzyl malonate, di-n-octyl phthalate to produce poly (ethylene glutarate), poly (ethylene malonate) and poly (ethylene phthalate), respectively. The effect of ultrasound and PET polymeric beads on the polyester synthesis was evaluated and showed to improve the synthesis of all polyesters. Ultrasound, as a green solvent-free technology, showed high potentiality for the polyester synthesis intensification.All authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by International Joint Research Laboratory for Textile and Fibre Bioprocesses at Jiangnan University. The authors are also thankful to the Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical Technology, Matunga (E), Mumbai-400019, India and to the Bioprocess and Bio nanotechnology Research Group (BBRG) of University of Minho. Authors would like also to acknowledge the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit and COMPETE 2020 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006684) and BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004) funded by European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020 Programa Operacional Regional do Norte and to the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. JUSRP51622A) 2016, Jiangsu Province Scientific Research Innovation Project for Academic Graduate Students (No. KYLX16_0788).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

mTORC2 critically regulates renal potassium handling

The mTOR pathway orchestrates cellular homeostasis. The rapamycin-sensitive mTOR complex (mTORC1) in the kidney has been widely studied; however, mTORC2 function in renal tubules is poorly characterized. Here, we generated mice lacking mTORC2 in the distal tubule (Rictorfl/fl Ksp-Cre mice), which were viable and had no obvious phenotype, except for a 2.5-fold increase in plasma aldosterone. Challenged with a low-Na+ diet, these mice adequately reduced Na+ excretion; however, Rictorfl/fl Ksp-Cre mice rapidly developed hyperkalemia on a high-K+ diet, despite a 10-fold increase in serum aldosterone levels, implying that mTORC2 regulates kaliuresis. Phosphorylation of serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase 1 (SGK1) and PKC-α was absent in Rictorfl/fl Ksp-Cre mice, indicating a functional block in K+ secretion activation via ROMK channels. Indeed, patch-clamp experiments on split-open tubular segments from the transition zone of the late connecting tubule and early cortical collecting duct demonstrated that Ba2+-sensitive apical K+ currents were barely detectable in the majority of Rictorfl/fl Ksp-Cre mice. Conversely, epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) activity was largely preserved, suggesting that the reduced ability to maintain K+ homeostasis is the result of impaired apical K+ conductance and not a reduced electrical driving force for K+ secretion. Thus, these data unravel a vital and nonredundant role of mTORC2 for distal tubular K+ handling

The making of European society: contesting methodological nationalism

The paper is concerned with the problem of ‘society’ and in particular with the notion of ‘European society.’ Rather than reject the possibility of society, it draws on theories of the social as networks. The thesis proposed is that the concept of society should rather be understood as a relational field of interconnections. It is argued that this is highly relevant to the analysis of Europe conceived of in terms of a society. This approach can be seen as an alternative to methodological nationalism. The paper applies a network conception of society to Europe with the emphasis on the on the nineteenth century. In this account, European society is not something that was produced by European integration. Rather than see European society as a recent development, it is argued that the field of tensions between capitalism and democracy constituted the major elements that shaped a European model of society