Effective approaches to neuropsychiatric disorders require detailed understanding of the cellular composition and circuitry of the complex mammalian brain. Here, we present a paradigm for deconstructing the diversity of neurons defined by a specific neurotransmitter, using a microfluidic dynamic array to simultaneously evaluate the expression of 96 genes in single neurons. With this approach, we successfully identified multiple molecularly distinct dopamine neuron subtypes, and localized them in the adult mouse brain. To validate the anatomical and functional correlates of molecular diversity, we provide evidence that one Vip+ subtype, located in the periaqueductal region, has a discrete projection field within the extended amygdala. Another Aldh1a1+ subtype, located in the substantia nigra, is especially vulnerable in the MPTP model of Parkinson’s disease. Overall, this rapid, cost-effective approach enables the identification and classification of multiple dopamine neuron subtypes, with distinct molecular, anatomical, and functional properties.

The identification of mutations in genes that cause human diseases has largely been accomplished through the use of positional cloning, which relies on linkage mapping. In studies of rare diseases, the resolution of linkage mapping is limited by the number of available meioses and informative marker density. One recent advance is the development of high-density SNP microarrays for genotyping. The SNP arrays overcome low marker informativity by using a large number of markers to achieve greater coverage at finer resolution. We used SNP microarray genotyping for homozygosity mapping in a small consanguineous Israeli Bedouin family with autosomal recessive Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS; obesity, pigmentary retinopathy, polydactyly, hypogonadism, renal and cardiac abnormalities, and cognitive impairment) in which previous linkage studies using short tandem repeat polymorphisms failed to identify a disease locus. SNP genotyping revealed a homozygous candidate region. Mutation analysis in the region of homozygosity identified a conserved homozygous missense mutation in the TRIM32 gene, a gene coding for an E3 ubiquitin ligase. Functional analysis of this gene in zebrafish and expression correlation analyses among other BBS genes in an expression quantitative trait loci data set demonstrate that TRIM32 is a BBS gene. This study shows the value of high-density SNP genotyping for homozygosity mapping and the use of expression correlation data for evaluation of candidate genes and identifies the proteasome degradation pathway as a pathway involved in BBS.genetic mapping ͉ obesity ͉ SNP genotyping ͉ zebrafish model

To determine the effectiveness of coach-led neuromuscular warm-up on reducing lower extremity (LE) injuries in female athletes in a mixed-ethnicity, predominantly low-income, urban population. Design: Cluster randomized controlled trial. Setting: Chicago public high schools. Participants: Of 258 coaches invited to participate, 95 (36.8%) enrolled (1558 athletes). Ninety coaches and 1492 athletes completed the study. Interventions: We randomized schools to intervention and control groups. We trained intervention coaches to implement a 20-minute neuromuscular warm-up. Control coaches used their usual warm-up. Main Outcome Measures: Coach compliance was tracked by self-report and direct observation. Coaches reported weekly athlete exposures (AEs) and LE injuries causing a missed practice or game. Research assistants interviewed injured athletes. Injury rates were compared between the control and intervention groups using 2 and Fisher exact tests. Significance was set at P Ͻ.05. Poisson regression analysis adjusted for clustering and covariates in an athlete subset reporting personal information (n=855; 57.3%). Results: There were 28 023 intervention AEs and 22 925 control AEs. Intervention coaches used prescribed warm-up in 1425 of 1773 practices (80.4%). Intervention athletes had lower rates per 1000 AEs of gradual-onset LE injuries (0.43 vs 1.22, PϽ.01), acute-onset noncontact LE injuries (0.71 vs 1.61, PϽ.01), noncontact ankle sprains (0.25 vs 0.74, P=.01), and LE injuries treated surgically (0 vs 0.17, P=.04). Regression analysis showed significant incidence rate ratios for acute-onset noncontact LE injuries (0.33; 95% CI, 0.17-0.61), noncontact ankle sprains (0.38; 95% CI, 0.15-0.98), noncontact knee sprains (0.30; 95% CI, 0.10-0.86), and noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injuries (0.20; 95% CI, 0.04-0.95). Conclusion: Coach-led neuromuscular warm-up reduces noncontact LE injuries in female high school soccer and basketball athletes from a mixed-ethnicity, predominantly low-income, urban population.