However, a comparison of the replication capacities of the double-binding-site mutant and an IRES mutant with a quantitatively equivalent defect in translation suggests that the decrement in translation associated with loss of miR-122 binding is insufficient to explain the profound defect in virus production by the double mutant. miR-122 is thus likely to act at an additional step in the virus life cycle.”
“Ethanol (EtOH) is a drug widely consumed throughout the world that promotes several neurochemical disorders. Its deleterious effects are generally associated

with modifications www.selleckchem.com/products/wortmannin.html in oxidative stress parameters, signaling transduction pathways, and neurotransmitter systems, leading buy THZ1 to distinct behavioral changes. Taurine (2-aminoethane-sulfonic acid) is a beta-amino acid not incorporated into proteins found in mM range in the central nervous system (CNS). The actions of taurine as an inhibitory neurotransmitter, neuromodulator, and antioxidant make it attractive for studying a potential protective role against EtOH-mediated neurotoxicity. In this study, we investigated whether acute taurine cotreatment or pretreatment (1 h) prevent EtOH-induced changes in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and in oxidative stress parameters in zebrafish brain. The results showed that

EtOH exposure (1% in volume) during 1 h increased AChE activity, whereas the cotreatment with 400 mg.L(-1) taurine prevented this enhancement. A similar protective effect of 150 and 400 mg.L(-1) taurine was also observed when the animals were pretreated with this amino acid. Taurine treatments also prevented the alterations promoted in superoxide dismutase and catalase activities

by EtOH, suggesting a modulatory Calpain role in enzymatic antioxidant defenses. The pretreatment with 150 and 400 mg.L(-1) taurine significantly increased the sulfydryl levels as compared to control and EtOH groups. Moreover, 150 and 400 mg.L(-1) taurine significantly decreased thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) levels, but the cotreatment with EtOH plus 400 mg.L-1 taurine did not prevent the EtOH-induced lipoper-oxidation. In contrast, the pretreatment with 150 and 400 mg.L(-1) taurine prevented the TBARS increase besides decreased the basal levels of lipid peroxides. Altogether, our data showed for the first time that EtOH induced oxidative stress in adult zebrafish brain and reinforce the idea that this vertebrate is an attractive alternative model to evaluate the beneficial effect of taurine against acute EtOH exposure. (C) 2010 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Sonic hedgehog (Shh) and Wnt-7a are morphogens involved in embryonic as well as ongoing adult neurogenesis. Their effects on the differentiation and membrane properties of neonatal neural stem/progenitor cells (NS/PCs) were studied in vitro using NS/PCs transduced with either Shh or Wnt-7a.