
Neuropeptide Bursicon and its receptor CcBurs-R play a critical role in regulating the transition from summer-form to winter-form in the pear psylla Cacopsylla chinensis by affecting cuticle content and thickness.


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Seasonal polyphenism enables organisms to adapt to environmental challenges by increasing phenotypic diversity. Cacopsylla chinensis exhibits remarkable seasonal polyphenism, specifically in the form of summer-form and winter-form, which have distinct morphological phenotypes. Previous research has shown that low temperature and the temperature receptor CcTRPM regulate the transition from summer-form to winter-form in C. chinensis by impacting cuticle content and thickness. However, the underling neuroendocrine regulatory mechanism remains largely unknown. Bursicon, also known as the tanning hormone, is responsible for the hardening and darkening of the insect cuticle. In this study, we report for the first time on the novel function of Bursicon and its receptor in the transition from summer-form to winter-form in C. chinensis . Firstly, we identified CcBurs-α and CcBurs-β as two typical subunits of Bursicon in C. chinensis , which were regulated by low temperature (10°C) and CcTRPM . Subsequently, CcBurs-α and CcBurs-β formed a heterodimer that mediated the transition from summer-form to winter-form by influencing the cuticle chitin contents and cuticle thickness. Furthermore, we demonstrated that CcBurs-R acts as the Bursicon receptor and plays a critical role in the up-stream signaling of the chitin biosyntheis pathway, regulating the transition from summer-form to winter-form. Finally, we discovered that miR-6012 directly targets CcBurs-R , contributing to the regulation of Bursicon signaling in the seasonal polyphenism of C. chinensis . In summary, these findings reveal the novel function of neuroendocrine regulatory mechanism underlying seasonal polyphenism and provide critical insights into insect Bursicon and its receptor.

### Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

The fascinating role of neuropeptide Bursicon and its receptor in shaping insect seasonal polyphenism

neuropeptide-bursicon-and-its-receptor-mediate-seasonal-polyphenism-in-the-pear-psylla-cacopsylla-chinensis


Neuropeptide Bursicon and Its Receptor Mediate Seasonal Polyphenism in the Pear Psylla Cacopsylla chinensis


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Neuroestrogens, brain-derived estrogens, are essential for the development of male-typical mating and aggressive behaviors in medaka fish by potentiating androgen receptor signaling in behaviorally relevant brain regions.


In rodents, estrogens aromatized from androgens in the brain, also known as neuroestrogens, are essential for the development of male-typical behaviors. In many other vertebrates including humans and teleost fish, however, androgens facilitate these behaviors directly via the androgen receptor without aromatization into estrogens. Here we report that male medaka fish lacking Cyp19a1b (a subtype of aromatase predominantly expressed in the brain) exhibit severely impaired male-typical mating and aggression, despite elevated brain androgen levels. These phenotypes can be rescued by estrogen administration, indicating that neuroestrogens are pivotal for male-typical behaviors even in non-rodents. Our results further suggest that neuroestrogens facilitate male-typical behaviors by potentiating androgen action in the brain via the direct stimulation of androgen receptor transcription, thereby revealing a previously unappreciated mechanism of action of neuroestrogens. We additionally show that female fish lacking Cyp19a1b are less receptive to male courtship and conversely court other females, highlighting the significance of neuroestrogens in establishing sex-typical behaviors in both sexes.

### Competing Interest Statement

Kataaki Okubo is an inventor on a patent application related to this work filed by Regional Fish Institute and the University of Tokyo (Japanese patent application no. JP2023-205555, filed on 5 December 2023).

Neuroestrogens facilitate male-typical behaviors by potentiating androgen receptor signaling in medaka

neuroestrogens-critically-regulate-male-typical-behaviors-in-medaka-fish-by-enhancing-androgen-receptor-signaling


Neuroestrogens Critically Regulate Male-Typical Behaviors in Medaka Fish by Enhancing Androgen Receptor Signaling



The authors have developed highly efficient conditional gene manipulation systems, including GFP-RNAi/Flp-out and CRISPR/Cas9-based approaches, to target all chemical transmission (chemoconnectome, CCT) genes in Drosophila. These tools enable detailed dissection of neural circuits underlying specific behaviors.


Dissection of neural circuitry underlying behaviors is a central theme in neurobiology. We have previously proposed the concept of chemoconnectome (CCT) to cover the entire chemical transmission between neurons and target cells in an organize and created tools for studying it (CCTomics) by targeting all genes related to the CCT in Drosophila. Here we have created lines targeting the CCT in conditional manners after modifying GFP RNA interference, Flp-out and CRISPR/Cas9 technologies. All three strategies are validated to be highly effective with the best using chromatin-peptide fused Cas9 variants and scaffold optimized sgRNAs. As a proof of principle, we conduct a comprehensive intersection analysis of CCT genes expression profiles in the clock neurons, uncovering 43 CCT genes present in clock neurons. Specific elimination of each from clock neurons revealed that loss of the neuropeptide CNMa in two posterior dorsal clock neurons (DN1ps) or its receptor (CNMaR) caused advanced morning activity, indicating a suppressive role of CNMa-CNMaR on morning anticipation, opposite to the promoting role of PDF-PDFR on morning anticipation. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of conditional CCTomics and its tools created by us here and establish an antagonistic relationship between CNMa-CNMaR and PDF-PDFR signaling in regulating morning anticipation.

### Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Conditional Chemoconnectomics (cCCTomics): Conditional Targeting of Chemical Transmission Efficiently

conditional-chemoconnectomics-a-highly-efficient-toolkit-for-targeted-manipulation-of-chemical-transmission-genes-in-drosophila


Conditional Chemoconnectomics: A Highly Efficient Toolkit for Targeted Manipulation of Chemical Transmission Genes in Drosophila



Pathogenic protein aggregates, such as those found in Huntington's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, disrupt clathrin-mediated endocytosis and actin dynamics, leading to altered cellular mechanics that contribute to neurodegeneration.


Protein aggregation is a common underlying feature of neurodegenerative disorders. Cells expressing neurodegeneration–associated mutant proteins show altered uptake of ligands, suggestive of impaired endocytosis, in a manner as yet unknown. Using live cell imaging, we show that clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) is affected due to altered actin cytoskeletal organization in the presence of Huntingtin aggregates. Additionally, we find that cells containing Huntingtin aggregates are stiffer and less viscous than their wild-type counterparts due to altered actin conformation, and not merely due to the physical presence of aggregate(s). We further demonstrate that CME and cellular viscosity can be rescued by overexpressing Hip1, Arp2/3 or transient LatrunculinA treatment. Examination of other pathogenic aggregates revealed that only a subset of these display defective CME, along with altered actin organization and increased stiffness. Together, our results point to an intimate connection between functional CME, actin organization and cellular stiffness in the context of neurodegeneration.

### Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Pathogenic aggregates alter actin organization and cellular viscosity resulting in stalled clathrin mediated endocytosis

pathogenic-protein-aggregates-disrupt-clathrin-mediated-endocytosis-and-actin-dynamics-altering-cellular-mechanics-in-neurodegenerative-disorders


Pathogenic Protein Aggregates Disrupt Clathrin-Mediated Endocytosis and Actin Dynamics, Altering Cellular Mechanics in Neurodegenerative Disorders



The author explores the neural signatures of natural behavior in socially interacting macaques, highlighting the importance of studying primate behavior in more natural settings to understand their social dynamics.


Single-neuron and population activity in the macaque prefrontal and temporal cortex robustly encodes 24 species-typical behaviours, reciprocity in social interactions and social support.

Neural signatures of natural behaviour in socializing macaques - Nature

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Neural Signatures of Natural Behavior in Socializing Macaques



The author explains the role of the suprachiasmatic nucleus in regulating circadian rhythms and emphasizes its importance for sleep quality and overall well-being.


I explain how the brain regulates circadian rhythms and whether a literal “clock” exists within it in simple terms based on experience and…

Sleep Regulation: Neurobiology of the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus

understanding-the-neurobiology-of-sleep-regulation-in-the-suprachiasmatic-nucleus


Understanding the Neurobiology of Sleep Regulation in the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus



The author introduces an unsupervised approach to learning dynamic affinities between neurons in live animals, revealing communities forming among neurons at different times. The method predicts causal interactions between neurons to generate behavior.


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Learning Dynamic Representations of the Functional Connectome in Neurobiological Networks
