For analyses of neurofibrillary tangle burden, linear regression

For analyses of neurofibrillary tangle burden, linear regression was used to relate SNPs to the pathologic summary measure, adjusting for age at death, study membership, and three principal components. Because the data were skewed, square-root of the scaled neurofibrillary tangle burden summary score was used in analyses. We used Pupasuite (Conde et al., 2006), the SNP Function Portal (http://brainarray.mbni.med.umich.edu/Brainarray/Database/SearchSNP/),

the SNP Function annotation portal (http://brainarray.mbni.med.umich.edu/Brainarray/Database/SearchSNP/snpfunc.aspx), and the SNP and CNV Annotation Fulvestrant in vivo Database (http://www.scandb.org) to perform the SNP annotation and to identify the putative functional SNPs. We applied the method ALIGATOR (Holmans et al., 2009) to identify the gene ontology (GO) terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways enriched by SNP with significant association. This method performs an overrepresentation analysis, evaluating the significance

for each category of genes while correcting www.selleckchem.com/products/GDC-0449.html for gene size, number of SNPs genotyped per gene, overlapping genes, and linkage disequilibrium between SNPs. It selects the set of genes, which are tagged by SNPs that are more significant than a specific threshold (p values < 1.0E-04). The pruning process that eliminates SNPs in linkage disequilibrium is performed by considering only the most Histone demethylase significant SNP among all of the SNPs that have r2 > 0.2 and are within 1 Mb. Moreover, we removed all of the genes that are in the APOE region (1 Mb up/downstream) ( Jones et al., 2010). The significance of each term and pathway is calculated by comparing the number of significant genes to the number of genes expected by chance. For this purpose, the algorithm generates 5,000 sets of genes, by randomly selecting SNPs until a list of n tagged genes is formed. The excess of significantly overrepresented sets of genes ( Holmans et al., 2009) is calculated by applying a bootstrap method (1,000 permutations). Analyses of association between SNPs and gene expression was carried out

using cDNA from the frontal lobes of 82 AD cases and 39 nondemented individuals obtained through the Washington University Knight-Alzheimer Disease Research Center (WU-ADRC) Neuropathology Core. Total RNA was extracted from the frontal lobe using the RNeasy mini kit (QIAGEN) following the manufacturer’s protocol. cDNAs were prepared from the total RNA, using the High-Capacity cDNA Archive kit (ABI). Gene expression was analyzed by real-time PCR, using an ABI-7500 real-time PCR system. Real-time PCR assays were used to quantify MAPT, GLIS3, GEMC1, IL1RAP, OSTN, and FOXP4 cDNA levels using Taqman assays. GADPH, MAP2, AIF, and GFAP were used as reference genes. Each real-time PCR run included within-plate duplicates. Real-time data were analyzed using the comparative Ct method.

They found that the experimental group had significantly more len

They found that the experimental group had significantly more lengthening of the silent period, increase buy VX-770 in resting motor threshold and gait speed than the sham group. These findings suggest that both functional improvement and possible cortico-motor plastic changes occur after combined

rTMS and task-specific training. While the positive results from Yang et al (2013) and previous studies seem promising, the optimal dosage and stimulation protocol of rTMS are yet to be determined. Yang et al (2013) used high frequency rTMS of 5 Hz and stimulated the more affected side of the brain for 12 sessions. Previous studies employed high frequency rTMS stimulation ranging from 5 Hz to 25 buy S3I-201 Hz, and stimulated both hemispheres for a total of 8–15 sessions (Gonzalez-Garcia 2011, Khedr et al 2003, Lomarev et al 2006). Two studies reported that the improvement in gait performance lasted for 1 month (Khedr et al 2003, Lomarev et al 2006), hence the treatment effect beyond 1 month is not known. Although meta-analysis reported a positive trend of high frequency rTMS on reducing PD-specific impairment and disability level (Elahi et al 2009), most of the studies had a small sample size (n = 10–36). It is time to carry out large scale randomised controlled trials to determine the stimulation frequency, stimulation

site and total pulse, and the number of treatment sessions. Further study is also needed to examine the long-term effect of rTMS in enhancing motor function and electro-physiological changes

in PD. “
“Summary of: Dinesen B, et al (2012) Using Modulators preventative home monitoring to reduce hospital admission rates and reduce costs: a case study of telehealth among chronic obstructive below pulmonary disease patients. J Telemed Telecare 18: 22–225. [Prepared by Kylie Hill, CAP Editor.] Question: Does telehealth reduce the hospital admission rate and cost for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)? Design: Randomised controlled trial with concealed allocation. Setting: The participants’ homes in Aalborg, Denmark. Participants were linked with healthcare professionals at primary and secondary healthcare facilities using telehealth technology. Participants: Adults were included if they had severe or very severe COPD, lived in Aalborg, and were free from other diseases that limited function (eg, heart disease). Randomisation allocated 60 to the intervention group and 51 to the control group. Interventions: Participants in the intervention group had a telehealth monitoring device installed in their home for four months and were taught how to monitor their symptoms, measure clinical data (eg, spirometry), use a step counter, and given instructions about home exercise. Healthcare professionals accessed the data to monitor their disease and provide advice.


“Two clinical diagnostic tests that take little time to un


“Two clinical diagnostic tests that take little time to undertake and are commonly performed by primary practitioners dealing with shoulder subacromial impingement are the Neer sign (Neer 1983) and Hawkins-Kennedy test (Hawkins and Kennedy 1980). Requirements for Modulators testing: The Neer sign constitutes the first part of the Neer injection impingement test where one hand stabilises the patient’s scapula while the other hand raises the arm into full flexion (

Neer 1983). This was thought to cause the greater tuberosity to impinge against the anterior acromion, damaging the rotator cuff tendons, long head of biceps, and the subacromial bursa, with a positive test indicated by pain ( Neer 1983). Veliparib in vitro The second part of the test involved a subsequent xylocaine injection to reduce the pain and thereby differentiate find more impingement lesions from other causes

of shoulder pain ( Neer 1983). The Hawkins-Kennedy test involves flexing the shoulder to 90° then forcibly internally rotating it (Hawkins and Kennedy 1980), although gentle internal rotation has also been suggested (Park et al 2005). A positive sign involves reproducing the pain of impingement (Hawkins and Kennedy 1980). It was originally suggested that the pathoanatomy of this clinical test involved driving the greater tuberosity under the coracoacromial ligament (Hawkins and Kennedy 1980). Hawkins and Kennedy (1980) noted that their impingement test was less reliable than the Neer impingement sign. Diagnostic accuracy: The Hawkins-Kennedy test has derived Sodium butyrate negative likelihood ratios between 0.00 and 0.88 and positive likelihood ratios between 1.14 and 2.12 in seven evaluations across three studies ( Hughes et al 2008). The Neer sign has derived negative likelihood ratios between 0.31 and 0.93 and positive likelihood ratios between 1.03 and 2.31 in seven evaluations across three studies ( Hughes et al 2008). Two studies investigated the combination of the Hawkins-Kennedy test or the Neer sign for subacromial impingement

(Hughes et al 2008). These studies derived negative likelihood ratios to this combination of clinical tests between 0.16 to 0.95 and positive likelihood ratios between 1.04 and 2.81. One study investigated the Hawkins-Kennedy test and the Neer sign in combination to derive negative likelihood ratios between 0.12 and 0.75 and positive likelihood ratios between 1.35 and 2.63 (Ardic et al 2006). Recent evidence suggests the pathaetiology of shoulder impingement involves a pre-existing dysfunctional rotator cuff causing superior humeral head migration in shoulder elevation that causes damage to the subacromial structures (Lewis 2010). The higher the positive likelihood ratio the more probable it is that a positive test will indicate the presence of the condition.

However, both types of vaccine cannot still elicit sufficient imm

However, both types of vaccine cannot still elicit sufficient immune response to fully eliminate TB. Increasing evidence has shown that DNA vaccination at the mucosal site is superior to that at peripheral sites in eliciting immune response protection from a number of infectious agents, including viruses and bacteria [8], [9] and [10]. This buy MK-8776 is partially explained by the observation that memory T and B cells induced upon mucosal vaccination acquire mucosa-homing receptors and preferentially accumulated at the mucosal site of induction. However, mechanisms

that lead to elicit activation of memory T and B cells are still obscure. The cationic liposome acting as an adjuvant can greatly enhance the expression of recombinant plasmid due to the protective delivery of functional DNA resisting against DNAse in digestive tract to promote absorbance in cellular level [11]. It is well

accepted that vaccination by oral administration, which effectively induces both Modulators systemic and mucosal immunity, has many advantages over injected peripheral immunization that induce protective immunity in the systemic compartment [10] and [12]. It is known that intramuscular injection of Ag85A-DNA causes Th1 type immune response, while the gene gun injection mainly induces Th2 type immune response, and the naked DNA vaccine generally induces expression of antigen in the muscle cells after intramuscular injection [11], [13] and [14]. However, few studies focused on the antigen expression in the microenvironment selleck screening library of small intestine that

induces protective immune response against TB infection Bay 11-7085 after oral DNA vaccination. In the present study, we observed that the Ag85A protein antigen was substantially expressed in small intestinal immune cells, especially in M cells and dendritic cells after oral administration of liposomal-pcDNA3.1+/Ag85A DNA, which induced Ag85A-specific Th1 dominant immune responses and enhanced cytolytic activity of IELs against Ag85A expressing cells. Furthermore, sIgA level was also elevated after immunization. These results indicated that the liposome encapsulated pcDNA3.1+/Ag85A DNA vaccine was effective to induce protective immune responses against TB infection in vivo. Especially, cellular compartment in the epithelium of small intestine plays a key role on the mediating of immune responses to eliminate TB. These findings have important understanding and implications for the design of new strategies based on oral DNA vaccine on regulation of immune response in protection against TB. The recombinant pcDNA3.1+/Ag85A plasmid was constructed, and it was transformed into competent DH5α, followed by extraction with Endotoxin-free Pure Yield Plasmid Extraction kit (Promega Corporation, city, USA).

Eletrocompetent BCG and Smeg cells were prepared and transformed

Eletrocompetent BCG and Smeg cells were prepared and transformed by electroporation as previously described [19]. Transformed cultures were plated onto Middlebrook 7H10 agar plates supplemented with OADC (MB7H10/OADC) containing 20 μg/mL kanamycin. The plates were incubated at 37 °C

for 3 weeks, and the transformants were expanded in liquid MB7H9/OADC media containing appropriate antibiotics. The bfpA and Modulators intimin (eae) genes were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The EPEC E2348/69 prototype genomic DNA was used as a template, and the constructed oligonucleotide primers were as follows: bfpA forward primer (FP) 5′-TAG GGA TCC CTG TCT TTG ATT GAA TCT GCA ATG GTG CTT-3′ and reverse primer VE-821 solubility dmso (RP) 5′-TAG GGT ACC TTA CTT CAT AAA ATA TGT AAC TTT ATT GGT-3′; intimin FP 5′-TAG GGA TCC GGG ATC GAT TAC C-3′ and RP 5′-TAG GGT ACC TTT ATC AGC CTT AAT CTC A-3′. The underlined regions indicate KpnI and BamHI sites.

Briefly, the amplified BfpA and intimin (eae) PCR products were purified and sub-cloned into the pGEM-T Easy vector (Promega, USA). Both genes were digested with BamHI and Kpnl and sub-cloned into the mycobacterial vector pMIP12 (kindly provided by Brigitte Gicquel, Pasteur Institute, France). The resulting plasmids were identified as pMH12-bfpA and pMH12-intimin. The plasmids were validated by successive analyses with restriction endonucleases and DNA sequencing using the primer 5′-TTC AAA CTA TCG CCG GCT GA-3′. Whole-cell protein extracts of the recombinant BCG and through Smeg strains were resolved by SDS-PAGE (15%) and subsequently transferred onto a nitrocellulose membrane. After the transfer, INK128 nitrocellulose sheets were probed with mouse anti-BfpA or anti-intimin polyclonal sera followed by anti-mouse IgG conjugated with horseradish peroxidase as the secondary antibody. Purified BfpA (19.5 kDa) and intimin (34 kDa) were used as positive controls. The membranes were developed

with a chemiluminescent kit (MilliPore, USA) and were exposed on an Image Quant LAS 4000 (GE, USA). Recombinant bacterial strains and their respective controls (empty BCG or Smeg) were grown for 2 weeks until the late stationary phase (O.D.600 nm = 1.0), collected by centrifugation (2000 × g at 4 °C for 10 min), washed twice and resuspended in PBS. Mice were immunized on days 0, 15, 30 and 45 with 108 CFU in 200 μL PBS by oral gavage or by intraperitoneal injection. Control groups received 200 μL PBS or empty BCG and Smeg. Pre-immune sera and feces were collected and analyzed for the presence of anti-BfpA and anti-intimin antibodies prior to immunization. Recombinant BCG or Smeg expressing BfpA or intimin were mixed with nanostructured silica adjuvant (SBA-15) according to a previously described method [20]. SBA-15 silica was kindly provided by Osvaldo Augusto Sant́Anna, Butantan Institute, Brazil. Fifteen days after the final immunization, blood and feces were collected.

, 2013) This is consistent with the effects of stimulating PV ce

, 2013). This is consistent with the effects of stimulating PV cells in Hamilton et al. (2013)’s work, and with the effects of electrically stimulating the PFC on auditory cortical receptive fields and responses (Winkowski et al., 2013). Thus, all these findings

provide complementary views of the stages mediating PFC regulation and learning of information in sensory cortices. While these exciting studies hint at the functionality of the different cell populations in the cortex during behavior, and emphasize the importance of PV neurons in enhancing feedforward connectivity, they still leave unanswered the fundamental question of mechanism—how do these adaptive effects take place so rapidly during behavior? Are these dynamic adjustments in effective functional assemblies formed by AZD4547 nmr presynaptic gating of incoming information flow, by adjusting postsynaptic response strength, or by shaping of pyramidal cell check details output by inhibitory interneurons, or by a combination of these processes at different times during behavior? The answers to these questions will undoubtedly require further technical enhancements that enable observation and controlled perturbation of neural activity in various targeted cell populations during behavioral states with precisely defined task demands. With the introduction of new optogenetic targeting and labeling techniques,

exploration of the neural bases of behavior is about to enter a new and exciting phase. This work is supported by an NIH grant R01-DC005779 and an advanced European Research Council grant ERC-295603. “
“Since the origin of large-scale genomics, from two primary motivations have been to connect genetic variation to diseases and outcomes in order to identify validated drug targets (Manolio et al., 2008) and

to subclassify patients into groups relevant to treatment. These ambitions have been partly realized. Genetic studies have indeed led directly to drug development programs with the potential for wide therapeutic application. For example, mutations in PCSK9, encoding proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin-9 (PCSK9), were first identified in a family exhibiting hypercholesterolemia. Loss-of-function alleles were later shown to lead to reduced low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and protect against cardiovascular disease without any adverse effects. Thus, genetic insights from patients told drug developers that PCSK9 inhibition may be an effective new tool in cholesterol management ( Wierzbicki et al., 2012). Another example is SOST, encoding the protein sclerostin, a critical inhibitor of bone formation. Mutations in this gene are associated with a rare bone disorder, and modulation of normal sclerostin function (via specific monoclonal antibodies) may play a role in the treatment of common bone disorders such as osteoporosis ( Paszty et al., 2010).

Purkinje cells were loaded with Oregon Green BAPTA-2 and Alexa 63

Purkinje cells were loaded with Oregon Green BAPTA-2 and Alexa 633 by adding these dyes to the pipette solution. The experiments

were initiated after the dendrite was adequately loaded with the dyes and the fluorescence at the selected ROIs reached a steady-state level, which typically required ≥ 30min. The recordings were performed at room temperature. Resting calcium levels were calculated as [Ca2+]=KD(G/R)−(G/R)min(G/R)max−(G/R)where KD is the dissociation constant of Oregon Green BAPTA-2, and (G/R)max and (G/R)min are the fluorescence ratios at saturating and zero (external) calcium concentrations, respectively. For this calculation, we used the following values: KD = 485 nM (cuvette measurements), G/Rmax = 0.9440 (in situ measurement; injection of depolarizing currents in [Ca2+]o = 4mM), and G/Rmin = 0.0196 (in situ; no stimulation; [Ca2+]o = 0 mM). SB431542 in vitro Data were analyzed using Fitmaster software (HEKA Electronics) and Igor Pro software (WaveMetrics). Linearity was assessed by

using Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and statistical significance was PARP activation determined by using the paired Student’s t test (to test for significance of changes after an experimental manipulation in comparison to baseline) and the Mann-Whitney U test (between-group comparison), when appropriate. All data are shown as mean ± SEM. This study was supported by grants from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS-062771 to C.H. and NS-038880 to J.P.A.), the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO-ALW 817.02.013 to C.H.), and the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS 02714 to G.O.). We would like to thank S.M. Sherman, N. Spruston, and J. Waters for invaluable comments on the manuscript and

laboratory members for helpful discussions. “
“Neural responses in primary sensory cortices encode the physical attributes of a stimulus with considerable precision. Additionally, these neural responses can reflect a large number of experience-dependent contextual attributes of a stimulus (Meyer et al., 2010, Shuler and Bear, 2006 and Zhou et al., 2010) including those that reflect its because behavioral significance (Polley et al., 2006, Recanzone et al., 1993, Rosselet et al., 2011, Siucinska and Kossut, 1996 and Weinberger, 2004). On the local network level, neuronal responses to a stimulus are both redundant and sparse (Houweling and Brecht, 2008, Kerr et al., 2007, O’Connor et al., 2010 and Olshausen and Field, 2004). Redundancy, in which the total number of spikes elicited by a sensory stimulus exceeds the number needed for sensory perception (Houweling and Brecht, 2008, Huber et al., 2008 and O’Connor et al., 2010), permits fault-tolerant coding in cortical networks, which have characteristically high response variability. However, redundant coding increases the metabolic load on the system.

, 2003) All transplants were performed on male mice (6–8 weeks o

, 2003). All transplants were performed on male mice (6–8 weeks old) with the same

genetic background as the MGE donors (CD1xC57BL6/J). The ZW and ZWX mice were described previously (Bráz and Basbaum, 2009 and Bráz et al., 2002). To generate double transgenic ZWX-NPY mice, we crossed the ZWX mouse with mice that express Cre recombinase in NPY expressing neurons (DeFalco et al., 2001; gift of Dr. Jeffrey Friedman). To generate Per-ZW mice, we crossed the ZW mice with Peripherin-Cre mice (Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, USA; Zhou et al., 2002). To produce mechanical hypersensitivity in a model that mimics a neuropathic pain condition, we used the spared nerve injury (SNI) model as described previously (Shields et al., 2003). In a different

series of transplanted mice, we induced expression of the WGA tracer in sensory neurons of Talazoparib supplier ZWX-NPY mice as described previously (Bráz et al., 2009), 1 month after transplantation. The methods used to transplant MGE cells have been described previously (Alvarez-Dolado et al., 2006). For transplantation, 6- to 8-week-old mice (naive or 1 week after SNI) were anesthetized by an intraperitoneal injection of ketamine (60 mg/kg)/xylazine (8 mg/kg). mTOR inhibitor We then made a dorsal hemilaminectomy at the level of the lumbar enlargement to expose two segments (∼1.5–2 mm) of lumbar spinal cord, after which the dura mater was incised and reflected. A cell suspension containing 5 × 104 MGE cells was loaded into a glass micropipette (prefilled with mineral oil). The micropippete was connected to a micro-injector only mounted on a stereotactic apparatus. The cell suspension injections were targeted to

the dorsal horn, ipsilateral to the nerve injury. The control groups were injected with an equivalent volume of DMEM. The wound was closed and the animals were allowed to recover before they were returned to their home cages. Animals were killed at different times posttransplantation (from 1 to 5 weeks). Importantly, none of the transplanted animals exhibited signs of motor impairment. Furthermore, mice in both groups walked on a rotating rod for the 90 min observation period. For some anatomical studies, naive mice were transplanted with MGE cells that were genetically modified so as to express the WGA tracer. In these experiments, freshly dissociated MGE cells were incubated with a Lenti-WGAmCh vector (multiplicity of infection of two; ∼45 min to 1 hr, 37°C). After several washes, the cells were pelleted, resuspended in DMEM, and kept on ice until transplantation. Rabbit anti-WGA (1:50,000; Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA), mouse anti-NF200 (1:10,000; Sigma-Aldrich), rabbit anti-GFP (1:2,000; Molecular Probes, Eugene, OR, USA), chicken anti-GFP (1:2,000; Abcam, Cambridge, UK), rabbit anti-PRV (1:20,000; gift from Dr.

The average relative spike timing of these “close” and “far” cell

The average relative spike timing of these “close” and “far” cells was calculated for each genotype. Furthermore, to directly compare pairs between CT and KO, a three-way nested analysis of variance (ANOVA) PLX4032 datasheet was used that considered distance between pairs (“far” versus “close”) and genotypes (CT versus KO) as fixed-effect factors, and mice as a random-effect factor nested in genotypes. To investigate whether the mean of correlation coefficients across animals is significantly

different in CT versus KO, we used z-test. To be statistically comparable we applied a Fisher transform (or z-transform, z = arctanh(r)) on correlation coefficients before calculating Z values. The work was supported by RIKEN Brain Science Institute (to S.T.); NIH grants MH78821 (to S.T.), MH58880 (to S.T.), and MH086702 (to D.J.F.); Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship (to D.J.F.); NARSAD Young Investigator Award (to D.J.F.); and Johns Hopkins Brain Science Institute (to D.J.F.). “
“To master a motor skill, both its timing and specific motor implementation must be learned and adaptively refined. Increasing the power of your tennis serve, for example, might mean speeding up certain parts of

the service motion (modifying timing), while adding top spin might require changing the angle of your elbow (modifying motor implementation). Both improvements BMN 673 order will require changes to the motor program underlying your serve, but the nature of these changes can be construed as different. Modifying timing equates L-NAME HCl to changing the temporal progression of the muscle activity patterns to slow down or speed up certain parts of the action, whereas changing motor implementation means modifying specific muscle commands while maintaining the temporal dynamics of the action (Figures

1A–1C). Whether this conceptual distinction reflects a dissociation in how the motor system learns and refines motor skills has not been explored. The zebra finch, a songbird, provides a unique model system for addressing this question. Through a process that resembles human speech learning (Doupe and Kuhl, 1999), juvenile zebra finches gradually improve both temporal (Glaze and Troyer, 2012 and Lipkind and Tchernichovski, 2011) and spectral (Tchernichovski et al., 2001) aspects of their songs (Figures 1D–1F) until they resemble those of their tutors (Immelmann, 1969). Spectral features of song are largely determined by the activity of vocal muscles (Goller and Suthers, 1996) and thus serve as a proxy for “motor implementation. The neural circuit architecture underlying song production is well delineated (Figure 1G) and suggests a hierarchical organization (Yu and Margoliash, 1996) with a descending motor cortical pathway that encompasses premotor nucleus HVC (proper name) (Vu et al., 1994) and motor cortex analog robust nucleus of the arcopallium (RA) (Nottebohm et al., 1982).

Previous studies have noted impaired inhibitory avoidance acquisi

Previous studies have noted impaired inhibitory avoidance acquisition and exaggerated extinction in the Fmr1 KO mice ( Yuskaitis et al., 2010 and Dölen et al., 2007). Consistent with findings in Fmr1 KO ( Dölen et al., 2007) and Grm5 KO ( Xu et al., 2009) mice, chronic mGlu5 inhibition retarded memory extinction. We were surprised to discover,

however, that long-term CTEP treatment also increased acquisition in both genotypes. We speculate that metaplasticity after chronic partial mGlu5 inhibition promotes the synaptic modifications that accompany inhibitory avoidance acquisition ( Whitlock et al., 2006). FXS patients frequently Rapamycin clinical trial present a hypersensitivity to sensory stimuli (Hagerman, 1996) and a deficit in the prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the startle response (Frankland et al., 2004). In

Fmr1 KO mice, correction of the increased PPI by acute MPEP administration could be demonstrated based on eye-blink response ( de Vrij et al., 2008), but not by measuring whole-body startle response ( Thomas et al., 2012). The interpretation KU-55933 datasheet of these PPI results in mice is confounded, because Fmr1 KO compared to WT mice show a reduced whole-body startle in response to loud (>110 dB) auditory stimuli but an elevated whole-body startle response to low-intensity auditory stimuli (<90 dB) ( Nielsen et al., 2002). On this background, we studied the elevated whole-body startle response in Fmr1 KO compared to WT mice to low-intensity stimuli, which was fully corrected by chronic CTEP treatment ( Figure 2F). To better understand the molecular underpinning of the treatment effects, we studied ERK and

mTOR phosphorylation in the cortex of adult animals after chronic CTEP treatment. ERK is an important component of the signaling cascade downstream of Gp1 mGlu receptors, and ERK inhibition is sufficient to normalize to the elevated protein synthesis rate in Fmr1 KO hippocampus sections and to suppress seizures ( Chuang et al., 2005 and Osterweil et al., 2010). Like ERK, mTOR is an important regulator of protein synthesis and also modulates Gp1 mGlu-dependent hippocampal LTD ( Hou and Klann, 2004). In Fmr1 KO mice, the level of mTOR activity is elevated in some preparations and unresponsive to mGlu1/5 activation ( Osterweil et al., 2010 and Sharma et al., 2010). These observations suggest that the normalization of ERK and mTOR activity in Fmr1 KO mice by chronic CTEP treatment is likely an integral part of the cellular mechanism through which mGlu5 inhibitors correct the altered hippocampal LTD, elevated AGS susceptibility, and deficient learning and memory in FXS. Taken together, our data provide evidence for the potential of mGlu5 inhibitors to correct a broad range of complex behavioral, cellular, and neuroanatomical phenotypes closely related to patients’ symptoms in Fmr1 KO mice.