Changes in brain structure and cortical function are associated with many chronic pain conditions including low back fibromyalgia. The magnitude of these changes correlates the duration and/or intensity pain. Most studies report common areas involved modulation, prefrontal cortex (PFC), pain-related pathological PFC can be reversed effective treatment. While mechanisms underlying unknown, they must dynamically regulated. Epigenetic modulation gene expression response to experience...

Background: The extracellular matrix protein SPARC (Secreted Protein, Acidic, Rich in Cysteine) has been linked to degeneration of the intervertebral discs and chronic low back pain (LBP). In humans, expression is decreased as a function age disc degeneration. mice, inactivation gene results development accelerated age-dependent concurrent with behavioral signs LBP. DNA methylation covalent modification by addition methyl moieties cytosines DNA. plays an important role programming...

Complex quantitative traits, like size and behaviour, are a pervasive feature of natural populations. Quantitative trait variation is the product both genetic environmental factors, yet little known about mechanisms through which their interaction generates this variation. Epigenetic processes, such as DNA methylation, can mediate gene-by-environment interactions during development to generate discrete phenotypic We therefore investigated developmental role methylation in generating...

Peripheral nerve injury can have long-term consequences including pain-related manifestations, such as hypersensitivity to cutaneous stimuli, well affective and cognitive disturbances, suggesting the involvement of supraspinal mechanisms. Changes in brain structure cortical function associated with many chronic pain conditions been reported prefrontal cortex (PFC). The PFC is implicated co-morbidities depression, anxiety impaired emotional decision-making ability. We recently that this...

We tested the hypothesis that epigenetic mechanisms in brain and immune system are associated with chronic pain. Genome-wide DNA methylation assessed 9 months post nerve-injury (SNI) Sham rats, prefrontal cortex (PFC) as well T cells revealed a vast difference landscape between groups remarkable overlap (72%) differentially methylated probes cortex. states PFC showed robust correlation pain score of animals several genes involved Finally, only 11 were sufficient to distinguish SNI or...

Hibernating mammals conserve energy in the winter by undergoing prolonged bouts of torpor, interspersed with brief arousals back to euthermia. These are accompanied a suite reversible physiological and biochemical changes; however, much remains be discovered about molecular mechanisms involved. Given seasonal nature hibernation, it stands reason that underlying plastic epigenetic should exist. One such form epigenomic regulation involves modification cytosine bases DNA methylation....

Chronic pain is accompanied with long-term sensory, affective and cognitive disturbances. What are the mechanisms that mediate consequences of painful experiences embed them in genome? We hypothesize alterations DNA methylation, an enzymatic covalent modification cytosine bases DNA, serve as a "genomic" memory adult cortex. methylation epigenetic mechanism for regulation gene expression. Neuronal plasticity at neuroanatomical, functional, morphological, physiological molecular levels has...

Animals organize into social groups to increase collective fitness. These use behavior and morphological traits like color communicate status. Male bluegill ( Lepomis macrochirus ) form breeding collectives during the reproductive months. However, whether these colonies generate resource-stratified hierarchies manage intrasexual competition is unknown. We hypothesize that territorial position within colony results in different body colors behavioral profiles. To test this hypothesis, we...

Abstract Phenotypic plasticity allows organisms to adapt changing environments within their lifetimes. The cost of plastic adaptations may constrain the persistence over evolutionary time. One potential is possibility that phenotypic adjustment specific can cause correlated responses are not necessarily adaptive. Males in African cichlid Astatotilapia burtoni blue or yellow, and males able adjust body coloration color background, presumably increase crypsis. To test whether background...

An animal's ability to adapt a changing environment often requires the coordination of various traits. Across these traits, many covary with one another generate diversity complex phenomes tuned given ecology. While reports have documented trait covariation in populations, less is known about how plastic traits co-vary facilitate adaptation an individual. In African cichlids, morphology and behavior are two hallmarks driving adaptive speciation lineages within East Great Lakes. Here, we...

All species of Chlamydia undergo a unique developmental cycle that transitions between extracellular and intracellular environments requires the capacity to invade new cells for dissemination. A chlamydial protein called Tarp has been shown nucleate actin in vitro is implicated bacterial entry into human cells. Colocalization studies ectopically expressed enhanced green fluorescent (EGFP)-Tarp indicate filament recruitment restricted C-terminal half effector protein. Actin filaments are...

Abstract Animal colouration is fundamentally important for social communication within conspecifics to advertising threat competitors or fitness possible mates. Social status and animal are covarying traits that plastic in response dynamic environments. In the African cichlid, Astatotilapia burtoni , body behaviour have been extensively reported vary with rank. However, nature of interaction between these two poorly understood. We hypothesise pigmentation patterns could be linked behavioural...

Methylated DNA binding protein 2 (MBD2) binds methylated promoters and suppresses transcription in cis through recruitment of a chromatin modification repressor complex. We show here new mechanism action for MBD2: suppression gene expression indirectly activation microRNA hsa-mir-496. Overexpression MBD2 breast epithelial cell line MCF-10A results induced demethylation hsa-mir-496 while depletion human cancer lines MCF-7 MDA-MB231 Activation by is associated with silencing several its target...

Gestational and developmental cues have important consequences for long-term health, behavior adaptation to the environment. In addition, social stressors cause plastic molecular changes in brain that underlie unique behavioral phenotypes also modulate fitness. adult African cichlid, Astatotilapia burtoni, growth status of males are both directly regulated by interactions a dynamic environment, which causes suite circuits, cells gene transcription brain. We hypothesized possible mechanism...

Synopsis Animal coloration has been rigorously studied and provided morphological implications for fitness with influences over social behavior, predator–prey interactions, sexual selection. In vertebrates, its study developed our understanding across diverse fields ranging from behavior to molecular biology. the search underlying mechanisms, many have taken advantage of pedigree-based genome-wide association screens reveal genetic architecture responsible pattern variation that occurs in...

ABSTRACT Natural selection shapes traits during evolution including animal coloration known to be important for concealment and communication color has been particularly salient in the explosive radiation of cichlid fish species rift valley lakes East Africa. Though can produce variation via genetic substrates early development, plasticity occur through endocrine, neural transcriptional cues response various environmental stimuli. It is well that some animals often change match their visual...

Chronic pain is often linked to comorbidities such as anxiety and cognitive dysfunction, alterations that are reflected in brain plasticity regions the prefrontal cortex limbic area. Despite growing interest pain-related deficits, little known about relationship between emotional valence of stimulus salience its memory following painful injuries. We used tibia fracture model chronic mice determine whether pleasant unpleasant odor location memories differ their seven weeks onset injury. Our...

Background Peripheral nerve injury can be accompanied by long-term pain-related manifestations, such as affective and cognitive disturbances, suggesting the involvement of supraspinal mechanisms. One particular region interest is prefrontal cortex (PFC), an area implicated in depression, anxiety impairment, all which are frequently associated with chronic pain [1-4]. Clinically, pathological changes PFC individuals low back reversed following effective management [5]. However, mechanisms...

Pain is a subjective experience for which we lack thorough mechanistic understanding. While it has often been considered secondary symptom of disease, research revealed that chronic pain can be recognized as disease its own. Preclinical studies use animal models to understanding the pathology and test potential therapies with clinical trials novel analgesics showing underwhelming results. From clinician's perspective, challenging treat without incurring undesirable drug effects. research,...

Abstract Within social hierarchies, rank can be dynamic and modulated by changes in molecular and/or physiological substrates. Here, we sought to better understand how environment shape male spawning behaviors outcomes African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni . First, using a dyad paradigm, generated territorial (T)/ Non-territorial (NT) pairs. After establishing stable hierarchy, the of Ts NTs were recorded scored. Afterward, pairs separated individually moved into phase, which consisted...