00719nas a2200217   4500008004100000245009200041210006900133260003300202100002200235700002400257700001600281700002300297700001500320700001400335700002200349700002600371700002100397700001300418700001900431856005100450       2015                        en  d00aThe phototransduction machinery in the rod outer segment has a strong efficacy gradient0 aphototransduction machinery in the rod outer segment has a stron  bNational Academy of Sciences1 aMazzolini, Monica1 aFacchetti, Giuseppe1 aAndolfi, L.1 aZaccaria, Proietti1 aTuccio, S.1 aTreud, J.1 aAltafini, Claudio1 aDi Fabrizio, Enzo, M.1 aLazzarino, Marco1 aRapp, G.1 aTorre, Vincent  uhttp://urania.sissa.it/xmlui/handle/1963/3515701565nas a2200169   4500008004100000245010100041210006900142260001000211520092400221100002201145700002401167700002201191700001701213700001901230700002201249856012401271       2013                        en  d00aCommon dynamical features of sensory adaptation in photoreceptors and olfactory sensory neurons.0 aCommon dynamical features of sensory adaptation in photoreceptor  bSISSA3 a<p>Sensory systems adapt, i.e., they adjust their sensitivity to external stimuli according to the ambient level. In this paper we show that single cell electrophysiological responses of vertebrate olfactory receptors and of photoreceptors to different input protocols exhibit several common features related to adaptation, and that these features can be used to investigate the dynamical structure of the feedback regulation responsible for the adaptation. In particular, we point out that two different forms of adaptation can be observed, in response to steps and to pairs of pulses. These two forms of adaptation appear to be in a dynamical trade-off: the more adaptation to a step is close to perfect, the slower is the recovery in adaptation to pulse pairs and viceversa. Neither of the two forms is explained by the dynamical models currently used to describe adaptation, such as the integral feedback model.</p>1 aDe Palo, Giovanna1 aFacchetti, Giuseppe1 aMazzolini, Monica1 aMenini, Anna1 aTorre, Vincent1 aAltafini, Claudio  uhttps://www.math.sissa.it/publication/common-dynamical-features-sensory-adaptation-photoreceptors-and-olfactory-sensory01988nas a2200133   4500008004100000245010500041210006900146260003000215520151100245100002101756700002201777700001901799856003601818       2013                        en  d00aEarly phase of plasticity-related gene regulation and SRF dependent transcription in the hippocampus0 aEarly phase of plasticityrelated gene regulation and SRF depende  bPublic Library of Science3 aHippocampal organotypic cultures are a highly reliable in vitro model for studying neuroplasticity: in this paper, we analyze the early phase of the transcriptional response induced by a 20 µM gabazine treatment (GabT), a GABA-Ar antagonist, by using Affymetrix oligonucleotide microarray, RT-PCR based time-course and chromatin-immuno-precipitation. The transcriptome profiling revealed that the pool of genes up-regulated by GabT, besides being strongly related to the regulation of growth and synaptic transmission, is also endowed with neuro-protective and pro-survival properties. By using RT-PCR, we quantified a time-course of the transient expression for 33 of the highest up-regulated genes, with an average sampling rate of 10 minutes and covering the time interval [10:90] minutes. The cluster analysis of the time-course disclosed the existence of three different dynamical patterns, one of which proved, in a statistical analysis based on results from previous works, to be significantly related with SRF-dependent regulation (p-value<0.05). The chromatin immunoprecipitation (chip) assay confirmed the rich presence of working CArG boxes in the genes belonging to the latter dynamical pattern and therefore validated the statistical analysis. Furthermore, an in silico analysis of the promoters revealed the presence of additional conserved CArG boxes upstream of the genes Nr4a1 and Rgs2. The chip assay confirmed a significant SRF signal in the Nr4a1 CArG box but not in the Rgs2 CArG box.1 aIacono, Giovanni1 aAltafini, Claudio1 aTorre, Vincent  uhttp://hdl.handle.net/1963/728702219nas a2200157   4500008004300000245014000043210006900183260001900252520163800271100002601909700002101935700002801956700002201984700001902006856003602025       2009                        en_Ud  00aCharacterization of the time course of changes of the evoked electrical activity in a model of a chemically-induced neuronal plasticity0 aCharacterization of the time course of changes of the evoked ele  bBioMed Central3 aBACKGROUND: Neuronal plasticity is initiated by transient elevations of neuronal networks activity leading to changes of synaptic properties and providing the basis for memory and learning 1. An increase of electrical activity can be caused by electrical stimulation 2 or by pharmacological manipulations: elevation of extracellular K+ 3, blockage of inhibitory pathways 4 or by an increase of second messengers intracellular concentrations 5. Neuronal plasticity is mediated by several biochemical pathways leading to the modulation of synaptic strength, density of ionic channels and morphological changes of neuronal arborisation 6. On a time scale of a few minutes, neuronal plasticity is mediated by local protein trafficking 7 while, in order to sustain modifications beyond 2-3 h, changes of gene expression are required 8. FINDINGS: In the present manuscript we analysed the time course of changes of the evoked electrical activity during neuronal plasticity and we correlated it with a transcriptional analysis of the underlying changes of gene expression. Our investigation shows that treatment for 30 min. with the GABAA receptor antagonist gabazine (GabT) causes a potentiation of the evoked electrical activity occurring 2-4 hours after GabT and the concomitant up-regulation of 342 genes. Inhibition of the ERK1/2 pathway reduced but did not abolish the potentiation of the evoked response caused by GabT. In fact not all the genes analysed were blocked by ERK1/2 inhibitors. CONCLUSION: These results are in agreement with the notion that neuronal plasticity is mediated by several distinct pathways working in unison.1 aBroccard, Frederic D.1 aPegoraro, Silvia1 aRuaro, Maria Elisabetta1 aAltafini, Claudio1 aTorre, Vincent  uhttp://hdl.handle.net/1963/3706