2009 Targeting Trends Review

Göz D, Studholme K, Lappi DA, Rollag MD, Provencio I, Morin LP (2008) Targeted destruction of photosensitive retinal ganglion cells with a saporin conjugate alters the effects of light on mouse circadian rhythms. PLoS ONE 3(9):e3153. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0003153 PMID: 18773079

Summary: Retinal ganglion cells expressing melanopsin photopigment are thought to be involved in non-image forming visual responses to light. The authors had a custom conjugate made between saporin and an anti-melanopsin antibody. A 400-ng injection of the melanopsin-SAP conjugate into the eye of a mouse resulted in a 57% loss of the targeted cells. Rabbit IgG-SAP (Cat. #IT-35) was used as a control. The data indicates that melanopsin-containing cells are involved in the response to certain non-image forming visual input.

Related Products: Melanopsin-SAP (Cat. #IT-44), Melanopsin Rabbit Polyclonal (Cat. #AB-N38), Melanopsin Rabbit Polyclonal, affinity-purified (Cat. #AB-N39), Rabbit IgG-SAP (Cat. #IT-35)

Nattie E, Li A (2009) Central chemoreception is a complex system function that involves multiple brain stem sites. J Appl Physiol 106:1464-1466. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00112.2008

Summary: This short review discusses central chemoreception and the different neuronal subtypes that play roles in this process. The use of anti-SERT-SAP (Cat. #IT-23) and anti-DBH-SAP (Cat. #IT-03) is mentioned in the context of how the loss of each of these cell types affects CO2 response in rats.

Related Products: Anti-SERT-SAP (Cat. #IT-23), Anti-DBH-SAP (Cat. #IT-03)

McGaughy J, Ross RS, Eichenbaum H (2008) Noradrenergic, but not cholinergic, deafferentation of prefrontal cortex impairs attentional set-shifting. Neuroscience 153:63-71. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2008.01.064

Summary: Norepinephrine and acetylcholine are involved in the mediation of attention, however, it is not yet clear whether the roles of these molecules are unique. This work utilizes a specific task shown to dissociate the roles played by the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the orbitofrontal cortex in primates. Rats received 5-ng infusions of anti-DBH-SAP (Cat. #IT-03) or 192-IgG-SAP (Cat. #IT-01) into each hemisphere. The type of lesion had an effect on attentional shifts and reaction to irrelevant stimuli.

Related Products: Anti-DBH-SAP (Cat. #IT-03), 192-IgG-SAP (Cat. #IT-01)

Aztiria E, Cataudella T, Spampinato S, Leanza G (2009) Septal grafts restore cognitive abilities and amyloid precursor protein metabolism. Neurobiol Aging 30(10):1614-1625. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2007.12.018

Summary: Although cholinergic loss and the presence of ß-amyloid plaques are well documented in Alzheimer’s disease, it is unknown whether restoration of regulatory cholinergic inputs affects in vivo b-amyloid precursor protein (APP). 5 µg of 192-IgG-SAP (Cat. #IT-01) was split between the lateral ventricles of rats. 6 months post-surgery the animals were implanted with cholinergic-rich septal tissue grafts. Grafted animals exhibited normal or near-normal levels of APP. APP levels, as well as improved spatial navigation performance, correlated strongly with graft-induced cholinergic changes.

Related Products: 192-IgG-SAP (Cat. #IT-01)