Neuronal Expression of Neural Nitric Oxide Synthase (nNOS) Protein is Suppressed by an Antisense RNA Transcribed from an NOS Pseudogene

Here, we show that a nitric oxide synthase (NOS) pseudogene is expressed in the CNS of the snail Lymnaea stagnalis. The pseudo-NOS transcript includes a region of significant antisense homology to a previously reported neuronal NOS (nNOS)-encoding mRNA. This suggested that the pseudo-NOS transcript acts as a natural antisense regulator of nNOS protein synthesis. In support of this, we show that both the nNOS-encoding and the pseudo-NOS transcripts are coexpressed in giant identified neurons (the cerebral giant cells) in the cerebral ganglion. Moreover, reverse transcription-PCR experiments on RNA isolated from the CNS establish that stable RNA-RNA duplex molecules do form between the two transcripts in vivo. Using an in vitro translation assay, we further demonstrate that the antisense region of the pseudogene transcript prevents the translation of nNOS protein from the nNOS-encoding mRNA. By analyzing NOS RNA and nNOS protein expression in two different identified neurons, we find that when both the nNOS-encoding and the pseudo-NOS transcripts are present in the same neuron, nNOS enzyme activity is substantially suppressed. Importantly, these results show that a natural antisense mechanism can mediate the translational control of nNOS expression in the Lymnaea CNS. Our findings also suggest that transcribed pseudogenes are not entirely without purpose and are a potential source of a new class of regulatory gene in the nervous system

The Importance of L.S. Vygotsky’s and A.R. Luria’s Ideas in the Study of ‘Twice Exceptional’ Children

The article highlights the importance of ‘twice exceptionality’ studies and the significance of L.S. Vygotsky and A.R. Luria’s ideas for this research. Twice exceptional children combine the signs of giftedness with one or several mental disabilities, specific learning difficulties, etc. In our research, we analyzed the developmentof writing skills in three groups of school children with different variants of mental functions development, distinguished on the basis of neuropsychological characteristics. The use of the original method of recording movements while writing, combined with a neuropsychological assessment of children allowed revealing the dependence of writing parameters and their dynamics on the strength and weakness of the components involved in the functional system of writing. According to the results obtained, each group has its own pattern of the following parameters: time, writing quality and errors, explained by the primary weakness in the child’sfunctional system of writing and compensatory restructuring. A comparative analysis of analytical and holistic strategies use in reading was also conducted. Keywords: ‘twice-exceptional children’, mental functions development desynchrony, neuropsychological analysis, difficulties and specific errors in writing