The present experiments examine the potential role of auditory spectral integration and spectral center of gravity (COG) effects in the perception of initial formant transitions in the syllables [da]-[ga] and [t(h)a]-[k(h)a]. Of interest is whether the place distinction for stops in these syllables can be cued by a 'virtual F3 transition' in which the percept of a frequency transition is produc...

Immunization strategies that generate either CD4 or CD8 T cell responses are relatively well described, but less is known with regard to optimizing regimens to induce both CD4 and CD8 memory T cells. Considering the importance of both CD4 and CD8 T cells in the control of intracellular pathogens such as Leishmania donovani, we wanted to identify vaccines that could raise both CD4 and CD8 T cell...

The present study was undertaken to examine multifaceted therapeutic effects of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in a rat spinal cord injury (SCI) model, focusing on its capability to stimulate proliferation of endogenous glial progenitor cells. Neural stem cells (NSCs) can be genetically modified to efficiently transfer therapeutic genes to diseased CNS. We adopted an ex vivo approach...

Modulation of the sonic hedgehog (SHH) pathway is a crucial factor in cerebellar morphogenesis. Stimulation of granule neuron progenitor (GNP) proliferation is a central function of SHH signalling, but how this is controlled locally is not understood. We show that two sequentially expressed members of the contactin (CNTN) family of adhesion molecules, TAG1 and F3, act antagonistically to contro...

F3, a glycoprotein of the immunoglobulin superfamily implicated in axonal growth, occurs in oxytocin (OT)-secreting and vasopressin (AVP)-secreting neurons of the adult hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system (HNS) whose axons undergo morphological changes in response to stimulation. Immunocytochemistry and immunoblot analysis showed that during basal conditions of HNS secretion, there are higher l...

We had isolated a high molecular weight polysaccharide fraction, designated as F3, and performed a comprehensive analysis of its immunomodulatory and adjuvant activities in vivo and in vitro. In vivo, F3-treated mice showed an increase in the number of dendritic cells as well as CD4, CD8, regulatory T, B, plasma, NK, and NKT cells in the spleen. F3 also elevated the levels of multiple cytokines...