Anti-DDO monoclonal antibody Made to order

In this contribution Gemini-North NIRI J, K-observations are used to investigate the upper-Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) intermediate-age population in the M81 Group dwarf elliptical (dE) F8D1. Hubble Space Telescope (HST) 'snapshot' V, I-observations are also analysed to investigate the upper-AGB populations in two other M81 Group dEs, DDO 71 and kk077. In all three dEs, significant intermediate-age populations are found. Further, there are sizeable dE-to-dE differences in these populations: F8D1 contains relatively more, and relatively more luminous, upper-AGB stars. These results are compared with existing information for Local Group and Sculptor group dwarfs. It is suggested that 'environmental harrassment' plays an important role in governing dwarf galaxy evolution.

Free d-aspartate (d-Asp) occurs in substantial amounts in the brain at the embryonic phase and in the first few postnatal days, and strongly decreases in adulthood. Temporal reduction of d-Asp levels depends on the postnatal onset of d-aspartate oxidase (DDO) activity, the only enzyme able to selectively degrade this d-amino acid. Several results indicate that d-Asp binds and activates N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs). Accordingly, recent studies have demonstrated that deregulated, higher levels of d-Asp, in knockout mice for Ddo gene and in d-Asp-treated mice, modulate hippocampal NMDAR-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP) and spatial memory. Moreover, similarly to d-serine, administration of d-Asp to old mice is able to rescue the physiological age-related decay of hippocampal LTP. In agreement with a neuromodulatory action of d-Asp on NMDARs, increased levels of this d-amino acid completely suppress long-term depression at corticostriatal synapses and attenuate the prepulse inhibition deficits produced in mice by the psychotomimetic drugs, amphetamine and MK-801. Based on the evidence which points to the ability of d-Asp to act as an endogenous agonist on NMDARs and considering the abundance of d-Asp during prenatal and early life, future studies will be crucial to address the effect of this molecule in the developmental processes of the brain controlled by the activation of NMDARs.