Biology subjects

Galazyuk, A. V.

Publications and source records attributed to Galazyuk, A. V..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2020

Genome Methylation Predicts Age and Longevity of Bats

Exceptionally long-lived species, including many bats, rarely show overt signs of aging, making it difficult to determine why species differ in lifespan. Here, we use DNA methylation (DNAm) profiles from 712 known-age bats, representing 26 species, to identify epigenetic changes associated with age and longevity. We demonstrate that DNAm accurately predicts chronological age. Across species, longevity is negatively associated with the rate of DNAm change at age-associated sites. Furthermore, analysis of several bat genomes reveals that hypermethylated age- and longevity-associated sites are disproportionately located in promoter regions of key transcription factors (TF) and enriched for histone and chromatin features associated with transcriptional regulation. Predicted TF binding site motifs and enrichment analyses indicate that age-related methylation change is influenced by developmental processes, while longevity-related DNAm change is associated with innate immunity or tumorigenesis genes, suggesting that bat longevity results from augmented immune response and cancer suppression.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2020

Group II metabotropic glutamate receptors modulate sound evoked and spontaneous activity in the mouse inferior colliculus

Little is known about the functions of group II metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs2/3) in the inferior colliculus (IC)--a midbrain structure that is a major integration region of the central auditory system. We investigated how these receptors modulate sound-evoked and spontaneous firing in the mouse IC in vivo. We first performed immunostaining and tested hearing thresholds to validate VGAT-ChR2 transgenic mice on a mixed CBA/CaJ x C57BL/6J genetic background. Transgenic animals allowed for optogenetic cell type identification. Extracellular single neuron recordings were obtained before and after pharmacological mGluR2/3 activation. We observed increased sound-evoked firing--as assessed by the rate-level functions--in a subset of both GABAergic and non-GABAergic IC neurons following mGluR2/3 pharmacological activation. These neurons also displayed elevated spontaneous excitability and were distributed throughout the IC area tested, suggesting a widespread mGluR2/3 distribution in the mouse IC.

neuroscience↗