Microfluorimetric Ca2+ imaging in neurons of identified cortical layers using Calcium Green revealed the functional expression of check details GABA(A) and GABA(C) receptors in the intermediate zone, while only GABA(A) receptor mediated responses were observed in the upper cortical plate. In summary, these results demonstrate that activation

of GABA(C) receptors is a prerequisite for accurate migration and that GABA(C) receptors are functionally expressed in the intermediate zone. (C) 2010 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Fusion of synaptic vesicles with the plasma membrane is mediated by the SNARE (soluble NSF attachment receptor) proteins and is regulated by synaptotagmin (syt). There are at least 17 syt isoforms that have the potential to act as modulators

of membrane fusion events. Synaptotagmin IV (syt IV) is particularly interesting; it is an immediate early gene that is regulated by seizures and certain classes of drugs, and, in humans, syt IV maps to a region of chromosome 18 associated with schizophrenia and bipolar disease. Syt IV has recently been found to localize to dense core vesicles in hippocampal neurons, where it regulates neurotrophin release. Here we have examined the ultrastructure of cultured hippocampal neurons from wild-type and syt IV -/- mice using electron tomography. Perhaps surprisingly, we observed a potential synaptic vesicle transport defect in syt IV -/- neurons, with the accumulation of

large numbers of small clear vesicles (putative selleckchem axonal transport vesicles) near the trans-Golgi network. We also found an interaction between syt IV and KIF1A, a kinesin known to be involved in vesicle trafficking to the synapse. Finally, we found that syt IV -/- synapses exhibited reduced numbers of synaptic vesicles and a twofold reduction in the proportion of docked vesicles compared to wild-type. The proportion of docked vesicles in syt IV -/- boutons was further reduced, 5-fold, following depolarization. (C) 2010 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Progesterone All rights reserved.”
“Haloperidol exerts its therapeutic effects basically by acting on dopamine receptors. We previously reported that haloperidol inhibits cholesterol biosynthesis in cultured cells. In the present work we investigated its effects on lipidraft composition and functionality. In both neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y and promyelocytic HL-60 human cell lines, haloperidol inhibited cholesterol biosynthesis resulting in a decrease of the cell cholesterol content and the accumulation of different sterol intermediates (7-dehydrocholesterol, zymostenol and cholesta-8,14-dien-3 beta-ol) depending on the dose of the drug. As a consequence, the cholesterol content in lipid rafts was greatly reduced, and several pre-cholesterol sterols, particularly cholesta-8,14-dien-3 beta-ol, were incorporated into the cell membrane.