Embryonic diapause in annual fishes: Evaporative water loss and survival

Summary The effects of partial desiccation on the survival of diapause I, diapause II, and pre-hatching embryos of the annual fishN. guentheri were investigated. Embryos at diapause II were found to be the most resistant stage. Prolonged exposure of diapause II embryos to 92 and 95% relative humidities retarded the termination of diapause II.     

Inversin, the gene product mutated in nephronophthisis type II, functions as a molecular switch between Wnt signaling pathways

Cystic renal diseases are caused by mutations of proteins that share a unique subcellular localization: the primary cilium of tubular epithelial cells. Mutations of the ciliary protein inversin cause nephronophthisis type II, an autosomal recessive cystic kidney disease characterized by extensive renal cysts, situs inversus and renal failure. Here we report that inversin acts as a molecular switch between different Wnt signaling cascades. Inversin inhibits the canonical Wnt pathway by targeting cytoplasmic dishevelled (Dsh or Dvl1) for degradation; concomitantly, it is required for convergent extension movements in gastrulating Xenopus laevis embryos and elongation of animal cap explants, both regulated by noncanonical Wnt signaling. In zebrafish, the structurally related switch molecule diversin ameliorates renal cysts caused by the depletion of inversin, implying that an inhibition of canonical Wnt signaling is required for normal renal development. Fluid flow increases inversin levels in ciliated tubular epithelial cells and seems to regulate this crucial switch between Wnt signaling pathways during renal development.     

Neural mechanisms of perceptual learning

The traditional view of cortical visual processing is that primary visual cortex (V1) analyzes simple visual attributes, and that object recognition involves a progressive “complexification” of receptive field (RF) properties along the visual pathway extending into the temporal lobe. Based on our studies with a combination of electrophysiological, imaging, psychophysical and computational approaches, we find to the contrary that V1 is capable of encoding much more complex stimulus features than originally believed, and that it can integrate information over large parts of the visual field. Moreover, V1 is continually involved in encoding information about learned stimulus configurations under top-down influences specific to the trained perceptual task.     

Neural mechanisms of perceptual learning

The traditional view of cortical visual processing is that primary visual cortex (V1) analyzes simple visual attributes, and that object recognition involves a progressive “complexification” of receptive field (RF) properties along the visual pathway extending into the temporal lobe. Based on our studies with a combination of electrophysiological, imaging, psychophysical and computational approaches, we find to the contrary that V1 is capable of encoding much more complex stimulus features than originally believed, and that it can integrate information over large parts of the visual field. Moreover, V1 is continually involved in encoding information about learned stimulus configurations under top-down influences specific to the trained perceptual task.