Mammalia

Mammalian tissues are highly heterogenous and complex, posing a challenge in understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating protein expression within various tissues. Recent studies have shown that translation at the level of the ribosome is highly regulated, and can vary independently of gene expression observed at a transcriptome level, as

Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) are highly abundant species and, along their biosynthetic and functional path, they establish interactions with a plethora of proteins. The high number of nucleobase modifications in tRNAs renders conventional RNA quantification approaches unsuitable to study protein-tRNA interactions and their associated functional roles in

The blood-brain barrier (BBB), a crucial protection mechanism in the central nervous system (CNS), is a selective barrier comprised of endothelial cells. It hampers the development of therapeutic and diagnostic tools for neurological diseases due to the poor penetration of most of these agents. Rationally engineered nanoparticles (NP) can

In neurons, local translation in dendritic and axonal compartments allows for the fast and on-demand modification of the local proteome. As the last few years have witnessed dramatic advancements in our appreciation of the brain’s neuronal diversity, it is increasingly relevant to understand how local translation is regulated according to

Genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors are versatile tools for studying brain metabolism and function in live tissue. The genetic information for these biosensors can be delivered into the brain by stereotaxic injection of engineered adeno-associated viruses (AAVs), which can selectively target different cell types depending on the capsid

The CRISPR-Cas9 enables efficient gene editing in various cell types, including post-mitotic neurons. However, neuronal ensembles in the same brain region can still be functionally or anatomically different, and such heterogeneity requires gene editing in specific neuronal populations. We recently developed a CRISPR-SaCas9 system-based technique.

Pneumococcal (PN) meningitis is a life-threatening disease with high mortality rates that leads to permanent neurological sequelae. Studies of the process of bacterial crossing of the blood brain barrier (BBB) are hampered by the lack of relevant in vitro and in vivo models of meningitis that recapitulate the human disease. PN meningitis involves

Severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI) survivors experience permanent functional disabilities due to significant volume loss and the brain’s poor capacity to regenerate. Chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycans (CS-GAGs) are key regulators of growth factor signaling and neural stem cell homeostasis in the brain. In this protocol, we describe how

Comparative cell biology relies on methods that disrupt protein function. Traditional approaches target the gene that encodes the protein of interest via conventional knockout (KO) methodology, conditional Cre-lox system, or recently, flexible protocols based on CRISPR/Cas9. However, these technologies lack precise temporal control (hours),

Translational work in rodents elucidates basic mechanisms that drive complex behaviors relevant to psychiatric and neurological conditions. Nonetheless, numerous promising studies in rodents later fail in clinical trials, highlighting the need for improving the translational utility of preclinical studies in rodents. Imaging of small rodents