Prion infection leads to neuronal cell death, glial cell activation, and the accumulation of misfolded prion proteins. However, the altered cellular environments in animals with prion diseases are poorly understood. In the central nervous system, cells connect the cytoplasm of adjacent cells via connexin (Cx)-assembled gap junction channels to allow the direct exchange of small molecules, including ions, neurotransmitters, and signaling molecules, which regulate the activities of the connected cells. Here, we investigate the role of Cx43 in the pathogenesis of prion diseases. Upregulated Cx43 expression, which was dependent on c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase (JNK)/c-Jun signaling cascades, was found in prion-affected brain tissues and hippocampal neuronal cells. Scrapie infection-induced Cx43 formed aggregated plaques within the cytoplasmic compartments at the cell-cell interfaces. The ethidium bromide (EtBr) uptake assay and scrape-loading dye transfer assay demonstrated that increased Cx43 has functional consequences for the activity of Cx43 hemichannels. Interestingly, blockade of PrPSc accumulation reduced Cx43 expression through the inhibition of JNK signaling, indicating that PrPSc accumulation may be directly involved in JNK activation-mediated Cx43 upregulation. Overall, our findings describe a scrapie infection-mediated novel regulatory signaling pathway of Cx43 expression and may suggest a role for Cx43 in the pathogenesis of prion diseases.

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: This study was conducted to determine pheromone trap type and height in forecasting populations of R. clavatus in soybean fields using pheromone. The most effective pheromone trap type and height in forecasting populations of R. clavatus were fish trap and 60 cm above ground. Ratio of R. clavatus adults female and male in soybean field was 1.5 to 1 and Piezodorus hybneri was also attracted to the aggregation pheromone trap of R. clavatus. Attractiveness of two stink bug species caught on synthesis pheromone of R. clavatus was surveyed with imported production and synthesized production. Imported pheromone attracted only adult of R. clavatus, but synthesized pheromone attracted both adult of R. clavatus and P. hybneri. Change of population of R. clavatus was observed using pheromone trap and sweeping method in soybean field. Adults of R. clavatus occurred from early August and the population reached its peak in early September when pheromone trap was used. In case of sweeping method, its fluctuation pattern was similar to that of pheromone trap.

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