aspects (particularly to be able to present data in 3D space), to gather more transgenic imaging, write more tutorials and for extension to the level of individual neuronal morphologies, probably using brainbow-type technologies. We are interested in obtaining data from transgenic lines with interesting brain expression or classes of neurones or glia. Please contact us if you can provide such d...

Pedal peptide (PP) and orcokinin (OK) are related neuropeptides that were discovered in protostomian invertebrates (mollusks, arthropods). However, analysis of genome/transcriptome sequence data has revealed that PP/OK-type neuropeptides also occur in a deuterostomian phylum-the echinoderms. Furthermore, a PP/OK-type neuropeptide (starfish myorelaxant peptide, SMP) was recently identified as a ...

Purified brush-border membrane vesicles (BBMV) of starfish [Pycnopodia helianthoides (Brandt)] pyloric caecal epithelium were prepared by magnesium precipitation in order to characterize the possible role of this organ in amino acid transport. L-[H]proline uptake by these vesicles was Na-dependent and greater at pH7.5 than at pH5.5. L-Pipecolate was a competitive inhibitor of L-proline influx i...

Oogenesis is a conserved process that requires gene transcription and storage of RNA for development until the embryonic genome is activated (Evsikov andEviskov, 2009). Analysis of oocyte mRNA profiles detected in polar bodies may allow evaluationof geneexpression in single oocyteswithout destroying the cell. Here we demonstrate the detection of such oocyte mRNA in its sibling polar body. We bi...

In laboratory studies of fertilization using the gonochoric broadcast-spawning asterinid sea star Patiria miniata, we found many cases in which some mature eggs spawned by females formed cleavage-stage embryos and feeding bipinnaria larvae without fertilization by sperm. Segregation of maternal microsatellite alleles among the parthenogenetic offspring of known heterozygous females was consiste...

Historically, characters from early animal development have been a potentially rich source of phylogenetic information, but many traits associated with the gametes and larval stages of animals with complex life cycles are widely suspected to have evolved frequent convergent similarities. Such convergences will confound true phylogenetic relationships. We compared phylogenetic inferences based o...

The purpose of this study was to extend the electrocortical activity research in determining the biological bases of extraversion. Differences in auditory stimulation sensitivity have been previously found for extraverts and introverts, but there has been no focus on the potential differences in sensory discrimination abilities. Using event-related potential (ERP) techniques, this study’s focus...