Transcutaneous spinal stimulation alters cortical and subcortical activation patterns during mimicked-standing: A proof-of-concept fMRI study.

Transcutaneous spinal stimulation (TSS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique that has been used to facilitate the performance of voluntary motor functions such as trunk control and self-assisted standing in individuals with spinal cord injury. Although it is hypothesized that TSS amplifies signals from supraspinal motor control networks, the effect of TSS on supraspinal activation patterns is presently unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate TSS-induced activity in supraspinal sensorimotor regions during a lower-limb motor task. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to assess changes in neural activation patterns as eleven participants performed mimicked-standing movements in the scanner. Movements were performed without stimulation, as well as in the presence of (1) TSS, (2) stimulation applied to the back muscle, (3) paresthesia stimulation, and (4) neuromuscular electrical stimulation. TSS was associated with greater activation in subcortical and cortical sensorimotor regions involved in relay and processing of movement-related somatosensory information (e.g., thalamus, caudate, pallidum, putamen), as compared to the other stimulation paradigms. TSS also resulted in deactivation in both nucleus accumbens and posterior parietal cortex, suggesting a shift toward somatosensory feedback-based mechanisms and more reflexive motor control. Together, these findings demonstrate that spinal stimulation can alter the activity within supraspinal sensorimotor networks and promote the use of somatosensory feedback, thus providing a plausible neural mechanism for the stimulation-induced improvements of sensorimotor function observed in participants with neurological injuries and disorders.

Cervical transcutaneous spinal stimulation for spinal motor mapping.

Transcutaneous spinal stimulation (TSS) is a promising approach to restore upper-limb (UL) functions after spinal cord injury (SCI) in humans. We sought to demonstrate the selectivity of recruitment of individual UL motor pools during cervical TSS using different electrode placements. We demonstrated that TSS delivered over the rostrocaudal and mediolateral axes of the cervical spine resulted in a preferential activation of proximal, distal, and ipsilateral UL muscles. This was revealed by changes in motor threshold intensity, maximum amplitude, and the amount of post-activation depression of the evoked responses. We propose that an arrangement of electrodes targeting specific UL motor pools may result in superior efficacy, restoring more diverse motor activities after neurological injuries and disorders, including severe SCI.

A 3D-printable device allowing fast and reproducible longitudinal preparation of mouse intestines.

Accurate and reproducible analysis of murine small and large intestinal tissue is key for preclinical models involving intestinal pathology. Currently, there is no easily accessible, standardized method that allows researchers of different skill levels to consistently dissect intestines in a time-efficient manner. Here, we describe the design and use of the 3D-printed "Mouse Intestinal Slicing Tool" (MIST), which can be used to longitudinally dissect murine intestines for further analysis. We benchmarked the MIST against a commonly used procedure involving scissors to make a longitudinal cut along the intestines. Use of the MIST halved the time per mouse to prepare the intestines and outperformed alternative methods in smoothness of the cutting edge and overall reproducibility. By sharing the plans for printing the MIST, we hope to contribute a uniformly applicable method for saving time and increasing consistency in studies of the mouse gastrointestinal tract.

Characterization of Spinal Sensorimotor Network Using Transcutaneous Spinal Stimulation during Voluntary Movement Preparation and Performance.

Transcutaneous electrical spinal stimulation (TSS) can be used to selectively activate motor pools based on their anatomical arrangements in the lumbosacral enlargement. These spatial patterns of spinal motor activation may have important clinical implications, especially when there is a need to target specific muscle groups. However, our understanding of the net effects and interplay between the motor pools projecting to agonist and antagonist muscles during the preparation and performance of voluntary movements is still limited. The present study was designed to systematically investigate and differentiate the multi-segmental convergence of supraspinal inputs on the lumbosacral neural network before and during the execution of voluntary leg movements in neurologically intact participants. During the experiments, participants (N = 13) performed isometric (1) knee flexion and (2) extension, as well as (3) plantarflexion and (4) dorsiflexion. TSS consisting of a pair pulse with 50 ms interstimulus interval was delivered over the T12-L1 vertebrae during the muscle contractions, as well as within 50 to 250 ms following the auditory or tactile stimuli, to characterize the temporal profiles of net spinal motor output during movement preparation. Facilitation of evoked motor potentials in the ipsilateral agonists and contralateral antagonists emerged as early as 50 ms following the cue and increased prior to movement onset. These results suggest that the descending drive modulates the activity of the inter-neuronal circuitry within spinal sensorimotor networks in specific, functionally relevant spatiotemporal patterns, which has a direct implication for the characterization of the state of those networks in individuals with neurological conditions.

Macrophage Selenoproteins Restrict Intracellular Replication of Francisella tularensis and Are Essential for Host Immunity.

The essential micronutrient Selenium (Se) is co-translationally incorporated as selenocysteine into proteins. Selenoproteins contain one or more selenocysteines and are vital for optimum immunity. Interestingly, many pathogenic bacteria utilize Se for various biological processes suggesting that Se may play a role in bacterial pathogenesis. A previous study had speculated that Francisella tularensis, a facultative intracellular bacterium and the causative agent of tularemia, sequesters Se by upregulating Se-metabolism genes in type II alveolar epithelial cells. Therefore, we investigated the contribution of host vs. pathogen-associated selenoproteins in bacterial disease using F. tularensis as a model organism. We found that F. tularensis was devoid of any Se utilization traits, neither incorporated elemental Se, nor exhibited Se-dependent growth. However, 100% of Se-deficient mice (0.01 ppm Se), which express low levels of selenoproteins, succumbed to F. tularensis-live vaccine strain pulmonary challenge, whereas 50% of mice on Se-supplemented (0.4 ppm Se) and 25% of mice on Se-adequate (0.1 ppm Se) diet succumbed to infection. Median survival time for Se-deficient mice was 8 days post-infection while Se-supplemented and -adequate mice was 11.5 and >14 days post-infection, respectively. Se-deficient macrophages permitted significantly higher intracellular bacterial replication than Se-supplemented macrophages ex vivo, corroborating in vivo observations. Since Francisella replicates in alveolar macrophages during the acute phase of pneumonic infection, we hypothesized that macrophage-specific host selenoproteins may restrict replication and systemic spread of bacteria. F. tularensis infection led to an increased expression of several macrophage selenoproteins, suggesting their key role in limiting bacterial replication. Upon challenge with F. tularensis, mice lacking selenoproteins in macrophages (TrspM) displayed lower survival and increased bacterial burden in the lung and systemic tissues in comparison to WT littermate controls. Furthermore, macrophages from TrspM mice were unable to restrict bacterial replication ex vivo in comparison to macrophages from littermate controls. We herein describe a novel function of host macrophage-specific selenoproteins in restriction of intracellular bacterial replication. These data suggest that host selenoproteins may be considered as novel targets for modulating immune response to control a bacterial infection.

Identification of essential genes for Escherichia coli aryl polyene biosynthesis and function in biofilm formation.

Aryl polyenes (APEs) are specialized polyunsaturated carboxylic acids that were identified in silico as the product of the most widespread family of bacterial biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). They are present in several Gram-negative host-associated bacteria, including multidrug-resistant human pathogens. Here, we characterize a biological function of APEs, focusing on the BGC from a uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strain. We first perform a genetic deletion analysis to identify the essential genes required for APE biosynthesis. Next, we show that APEs function as fitness factors that increase protection from oxidative stress and contribute to biofilm formation. Together, our study highlights key steps in the APE biosynthesis pathway that can be explored as potential drug targets for complementary strategies to reduce fitness and prevent biofilm formation of multi-drug resistant pathogens.

Role of Selenoproteins in Bacterial Pathogenesis.

The trace element selenium is an essential micronutrient that plays an important role in maintaining homeostasis of several tissues including the immune system of mammals. The vast majority of the biological functions of selenium are mediated via selenoproteins, proteins which incorporate the selenium-containing amino acid selenocysteine. Several bacterial infections of humans and animals are associated with decreased levels of selenium in the blood and an adjunct therapy with selenium often leads to favorable outcomes. Many pathogenic bacteria are also capable of synthesizing selenocysteine suggesting that selenoproteins may have a role in bacterial physiology. Interestingly, the composition of host microbiota is also regulated by dietary selenium levels. Therefore, bacterial pathogens, microbiome, and host immune cells may be competing for a limited supply of selenium. Elucidating how selenium, in particular selenoproteins, may regulate pathogen virulence, microbiome diversity, and host immune response during a bacterial infection is critical for clinical management of infectious diseases.

Inhibitors of Ribosome Rescue Arrest Growth of Francisella tularensis at All Stages of Intracellular Replication.

Bacteria require at least one pathway to rescue ribosomes stalled at the ends of mRNAs. The primary pathway for ribosome rescue is trans-translation, which is conserved in >99% of sequenced bacterial genomes. Some species also have backup systems, such as ArfA or ArfB, which can rescue ribosomes in the absence of sufficient trans-translation activity. Small-molecule inhibitors of ribosome rescue have broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against bacteria grown in liquid culture. These compounds were tested against the tier 1 select agent Francisella tularensis to determine if they can limit bacterial proliferation during infection of eukaryotic cells. The inhibitors KKL-10 and KKL-40 exhibited exceptional antimicrobial activity against both attenuated and fully virulent strains of F. tularensis in vitro and during ex vivo infection. Addition of KKL-10 or KKL-40 to macrophages or liver cells at any time after infection by F. tularensis prevented further bacterial proliferation. When macrophages were stimulated with the proinflammatory cytokine gamma interferon before being infected by F. tularensis, addition of KKL-10 or KKL-40 reduced intracellular bacteria by >99%, indicating that the combination of cytokine-induced stress and a nonfunctional ribosome rescue pathway is fatal to F. tularensis Neither KKL-10 nor KKL-40 was cytotoxic to eukaryotic cells in culture. These results demonstrate that ribosome rescue is required for F. tularensis growth at all stages of its infection cycle and suggest that KKL-10 and KKL-40 are good lead compounds for antibiotic development.