Michael Martirano led the state's schools through dramatic budget cuts, academic challenges, and a state-versus-local battle over school construction.

Teachers will receive a 5 percent raise, pending a vote by the state legislature. School will resume Thursday.

FSU women's basketball improves to 2-1 after a dominating victory over FAMU on Monday.

Rafael G. Almeida
Oct 18, 2017; 37:10023-10034
Viewpoints

Yang Hu
Feb 24, 2021; 41:1699-1715
BehavioralSystemsCognitive

Hannah Grotzinger
May 29, 2024; 44:e1856232024-e1856232024
BehavioralSystemsCognitive

Stephanie Rudolph
Nov 8, 2023; 43:7554-7564
Symposium and Mini-Symposium

Randy L. Buckner
Aug 24, 2005; 25:7709-7717
Neurobiology of Disease

α-Neurexins are essential and highly expressed presynaptic cell-adhesion molecules that are frequently linked to neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. Despite their importance, how the elaborate extracellular sequences of α-neurexins contribute to synapse function is poorly understood. We recently characterized the presynaptic gain-of-function phenotype caused by a missense mutation in an evolutionarily conserved extracellular sequence of neurexin-3α (A687T) that we identified in a patient diagnosed with profound intellectual disability and epilepsy. The striking A687T gain-of-function mutation on neurexin-3α prompted us to systematically test using mutants whether the presynaptic gain-of-function phenotype is a consequence of the addition of side-chain bulk (i.e., A687V) or polar/hydrophilic properties (i.e., A687S). We used multidisciplinary approaches in mixed-sex primary hippocampal cultures to assess the impact of the neurexin-3α^A687 residue on synapse morphology, function and ligand binding. Unexpectedly, neither A687V nor A687S recapitulated the neurexin-3α A687T phenotype. Instead, distinct from A687T, molecular replacement with A687S significantly enhanced postsynaptic properties exclusively at excitatory synapses and selectively increased binding to neuroligin-1 and neuroligin-3 without changing binding to neuroligin-2 or LRRTM2. Importantly, we provide the first experimental evidence supporting the notion that the position A687 of neurexin-3α and the N-terminal sequences of neuroligins may contribute to the stability of α-neurexin–neuroligin-1 trans-synaptic interactions and that these interactions may specifically regulate the postsynaptic strength of excitatory synapses.

Targeting altered expression and/or activity of GABA (-aminobutyric acid) transporters (GATs) provide therapeutic benefit for age-related impairments, including cognitive dysfunction. However, the mechanisms underlying the transcriptional regulation of GATs are unknown. In the present study, we demonstrated that the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) upregulates GAT1 and GAT3 expression in the brain, which resulted in cognitive dysfunction. Genetic and pharmacological intervention of STING suppressed the expression of both GAT1 and GAT3, increased the ambient GABA concentration, and therefore, enhanced tonic GABA_A inhibition of principal hippocampal neurons, resulting in spatial learning and working memory deficits in mice in a type I interferon-independent manner. Stimulation of the STING->GAT pathway efficiently restored cognitive dysfunction in STING-deficient mice models. Our study uncovered for the first time that the STING signaling pathway regulates GAT expression in a cell autonomous manner and therefore could be a novel target for GABAergic cognitive deficits.

Neuronal cytotoxic edema is implicated in neuronal injury and death, yet mitigating brain edema with osmotic and surgical interventions yields poor clinical outcomes. Importantly, neuronal swelling and its downstream consequences during early brain development remain poorly investigated, and new treatment approaches are needed. We explored Ca²⁺-dependent downstream effects after neuronal cytotoxic edema caused by diverse injuries in mice of both sexes using multiphoton Ca²⁺ imaging in vivo [Postnatal Day (P)12–17] and in acute brain slices (P8–12). After different excitotoxic insults, cytosolic GCaMP6s translocated into the nucleus after a few minutes in a subpopulation of neurons, persisting for hours. We used an automated morphology-detection algorithm to detect neuronal soma and quantified the nuclear translocation of GCaMP6s as the nuclear to cytosolic intensity (N/C ratio). Elevated neuronal N/C ratios occurred concurrently with persistent elevation in Ca²⁺ loads and could also occur independently from neuronal swelling. Electron microscopy revealed that the nuclear translocation was associated with the increased nuclear pore size. The nuclear accumulation of GCaMP6s in neurons led to neocortical circuit dysfunction, mitochondrial pathology, and increased cell death. Inhibiting calpains, a family of Ca²⁺-activated proteases, prevented elevated N/C ratios and neuronal swelling. In summary, in the developing brain, we identified a calpain-dependent alteration of nuclear transport in a subpopulation of neurons after disease-relevant insults leading to long-term circuit dysfunction and cell death. The nuclear translocation of GCaMP6 and other cytosolic proteins after acute excitotoxicity can be an early biomarker of brain injury in the developing brain.

Rodent jaws evolved structurally to support dual functionality, for either biting or chewing food. Rodent hands also function dually during food handling, for actively manipulating or statically holding food. How are these oral and manual functions coordinated? We combined electrophysiological recording of muscle activity and kilohertz kinematic tracking to analyze masseter and hand actions as mice of both sexes handled food. Masseter activity was organized into two modes synchronized to hand movement modes. In holding/chewing mode, mastication occurred as rhythmic (~5 Hz) masseter activity while the hands held food below the mouth. In oromanual/ingestion mode, bites occurred as lower-amplitude aperiodic masseter events that were precisely timed to follow regrips (by ~200 ms). Thus, jaw and hand movements are flexibly coordinated during food handling: uncoupled in holding/chewing mode and tightly coordinated in oromanual/ingestion mode as regrip–bite sequences. Key features of this coordination were captured in a simple model of hierarchically orchestrated mode-switching and intramode action sequencing. We serendipitously detected an additional masseter-related action, tooth sharpening, identified as bouts of higher-frequency (~13 Hz) rhythmic masseter activity, which was accompanied by eye displacement, including rhythmic proptosis, attributable to masseter contractions. Collectively, the findings demonstrate how a natural, complex, and goal-oriented activity is organized as an assemblage of distinct modes and complex actions, adapted for the divisions of function arising from anatomical structure. These results reveal intricate, high-speed coordination of disparate effectors and show how natural forms of dexterity can serve as a model for understanding the behavioral neurobiology of multi-body-part coordination.

A paleontologist at the Natural History Museum in London chronicles the age of the famous and fascinating massive reptiles

The Director-General opened the session this morning noting that FAO is on the right track, and that its sharpened focus needs to translate to concrete benefits at [...]

The Thomson Reuters Foundation, the corporate charity of the world’s biggest news and information providers, is teaming up with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to improve [...]

FAO Director-General Graziano da Silva today opened the 150th session of the FAO Council, highlighting the successful conclusion of the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2), held last month in [...]

5 December 2014, Rome – At the closure of the FAO Council held today, the [...]

Last Friday the Council closed its week-long session with a standing ovation having reached consensus on the Programme of Work and Budget. In the past, budget negotiations have extended well [...]

South-South Cooperation is the mutual sharing and exchange of development solutions - knowledge, experiences and good practices, policies, technology and resources - between and among countries in the global [...]

New York- FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva and the President of the UN Security Council (UNSC), Ambassador Ismael Gaspar Martins, have concurred upon the importance of using FAO’s regular [...]

The Director-General addressed the members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) on Tuesday in what was FAO’s first appearance before the principal UN body on global peace and security affairs.

Organized [...]

The international community has committed to ending hunger and malnutrition by 2030. But can we overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of meeting this target?

The State [...]

Since the 1990s, rural transformations have helped millions of people exit poverty while remaining in rural areas. This underscores an important fact: revitalising rural economies helps create jobs for rural [...]

Addressing the plenary meeting in the closing session of the 159^th Session of the Council, the Director-General expressed his appreciation to delegates for their commitment and hard work to [...]

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has the pleasure to inform the Permanent Representatives of the launch of a series of Activity Books for young people. [...]

On Friday, 7 December during the 160th session of the Council, a side event on the Africa Solidarity Trust [...]

The latest edition of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World will be launched at the 2020 ECOSOC High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) [...]

Over the last twenty years, the FAO corporate website has expanded to meet diverse Organizational needs and promote the work of divisions and country offices across FAO. When Director [...]

On 5 November 2020, from 12.30 to 14.30hrs, FAO Director-General, Dr QU Dongyu, will host a virtual High-Level event launching the Food Coalition. This dialogue will call for international cooperation [...]

On 26 November 2020, 15:00 - 16:30 (CET), FAO will launch the 2020 edition of the State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA).

This year's edition of this flagship publication presents [...]

Understanding and managing disaster risks in global agriculture: Better data for ambitious action