Loss of Deacetylation Activity of Hdac6 Affects Emotional Behavior in Mice

Acetylation is mediated by acetyltransferases and deacetylases, and occurs not only on histones but also on diverse proteins. Although histone acetylation in chromatin structure and transcription has been well studied, the biological roles of non-histone acetylation remain elusive. Histone deacetylase 6 (Hdac6), a member of the histone deacetylase (HDAC) family, is a unique deacetylase that localizes to cytoplasm and functions in many cellular events by deacetylating non-histone proteins including α-tubulin, Hsp90, and cortactin. Since robust expression of Hdac6 is observed in brain, it would be expected that Hdac6-mediated reversible acetylation plays essential roles in CNS. Here we demonstrate the crucial roles of Hdac6 deacetylase activity in the expression of emotional behavior in mice. We found that Hdac6-deficient mice exhibit hyperactivity, less anxiety, and antidepressant-like behavior in behavioral tests. Moreover, administration of Hdac6-specific inhibitor replicated antidepressant-like behavior in mice. In good agreement with behavioral phenotypes of Hdac6-deficient mice, Hdac6 dominantly localizes to the dorsal and median raphe nuclei, which are involved in emotional behaviors. These findings suggest that HDAC6-mediated reversible acetylation might contribute to maintain proper neuronal activity in serotonergic neurons, and also provide a new therapeutic target for depression

Histone deacetylases in viral infections

Chromatin remodeling and gene expression are regulated by histone deacetylases (HDACs) that condense the chromatin structure by deacetylating histones. HDACs comprise a group of enzymes that are responsible for the regulation of both cellular and viral genes at the transcriptional level. In mammals, a total of 18 HDACs have been identified and grouped into four classes, i.e., class I (HDACs 1, 2, 3, 8), class II (HDACs 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10), class III (Sirt1–Sirt7), and class IV (HDAC11). We review here the role of HDACs on viral replication and how HDAC inhibitors could potentially be used as new therapeutic tools in several viral infections

Using growth curves to forecast regional resource recovery: approaches, analytics and consistency tests

There is growing concern about the depletion of hydrocarbon resources and the risk of near-term peaks in production. These concerns hinge upon contested estimates of the recoverable resources of different regions and the associated forecasts of regional production. Beginning with Hubbert, an influential group of analysts have used growth curves both to estimate recoverable resources and to forecast future production. Despite widespread use, these ‘curve-fitting’ techniques remain a focus of misunderstanding and dispute. The aim of this paper is to classify and explain these techniques and to identify both their relative suitability in different circumstances and the expected level of confidence in their results. The paper develops a mathematical framework that maps curve-fitting techniques onto the available data for conventional oil and highlights the critical importance of the so-called ‘reserve growth’. It then summarizes the historical origins, contemporary application and strengths and weaknesses of each group of curve-fitting techniques and uses illustrative data from a number of oil-producing regions to explore the extent to which these techniques provide consistent estimates of recoverable resources. The paper argues that the applicability of curve-fitting techniques is more limited than adherents claim, the confidence bounds on the results are wider than commonly assumed and the techniques have a tendency to underestimate recoverable resources

Pre-Darcy flow revisited under experimental investigation

© 2016, Siddiqui et al. cc-byBackground: Sufficient literature has been published about Pre-Darcy flow in non-petroleum disciplines. Investigators dissent about the significance of deviation of Darcy’s law at very low fluid velocities. Most of their investigations are based on coarse, unconsolidated porous media with an aqueous fluid. However little has been published regarding the same for consolidated oil and gas reservoirs. If a significant departure from Darcy’s law is observed, then this could have multiple implications on: reservoir limit tests, under prediction of reserves, unrecognized prospecting opportunities etc. Methods: This study performs a comprehensive review of the literature. Experiments were conducted to confirm the presence and the significance of Pre-Darcy flow effect in petroleum rocks. Results: The review of literature and experiments indicate the presence of Pre-Darcy effect. Contributing factors to Pre-Darcy effect are discussed and some reasons causing this effect are postulated. The experiments also show that this effect is significant. Conclusion: Pre-Darcy effect is significant because it is the dominant flow regime in typical petroleum reservoirs