Mice With a Healthy Gut Microbiome Are More Motivated to Exercise
A neural pathway between the gut and the brain led to the release of dopamine when the mice ran on a wheel or treadmill, but only in the presence of a robust microbiome. ABOVE:© ISTOCK.COM, MARY SWIFT The gut is a jungle teeming with microorganisms that are instrumental to the process of digesting food, regulating metabolism, […]
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Monogamous Rodents Don’t Need “Love Molecule” To Pair Up
Prairie voles lacking functional receptors for oxytocin form normal social bonds, a finding that could explain the hormone’s clinical failures. Natalia Mesa, PhD Jan 27, 2023 | 4 min readPDF VERSION ABOVE:A pair of prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster)NASTACIA GOODWIN Prairie voles mate for life. Much like humans, once voles form a pair bond—typically with a member of […]
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Mutations in Autism-Linked Gene Cause Membrane Mischief
Inactivating TAOK1 prompts tentacle-like protrusions to form all over a neuron’s surface, revealing the gene’s role in molding the membrane. ABOVE:Spiky surface: Cultured kidney cells expressing mutated TAOK1 develop a plethora of abnormal extensions of the cell-surface membrane.IMAGE COURTESY OF SMITA YADAV The neuronal membrane is a dynamic place. It continually shifts its shape, bulging outward […]
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