Fiorenza De Bernardi

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We introduce some of the 96 books of scientific content, published in the 16th century and belonging to the Istituto Lombardo library. We chose some books in the field of the “natural sciences” both for iconographic peculiarities and for the original content. The library owns the first edition of the anatomy treatise of Andrea Vesalio. The medical books of Jean Francois Fernel, Antonio Fracanzani, Girolamo Fracastoro, the botanical treatise of Pier Andrea Mattioli and the geographical treatise of Giovan Battista Ramusio although in further edition are of great interest in order to evaluate the state of the art and the evolutionary steps of the science. Some books are rather rare and precious and deserve to be accurately exploited. Also the texts should be worthy of a critical investigation, overcoming the linguistic difficulties, both for the latin and for italian texts.

Synapsins are neuronal phosphoproteins involved in several functions correlated with both neurotransmitter release and synaptogenesis. The comprehension of the basal role of the synapsin family is hampered in vertebrates by the existence of multiple synapsin genes. Therefore, studying homologous genes in basal chordates, devoid of genome duplication, could help to achieve a better understanding of the complex functions of these proteins.

"Is the European "pond" turtle Emys orbicularis strictly aquatic and carnivorous?" published on 01 Jan 2006 by Brill.

Serotonin (5-HT) is a neurotransmitter which is supposed to play a key role during development. In the last few years 5-HT receptors have been cloned in many animal species, and there is evidence that different 5-HT receptors are also present in ascidians. Ascidians and vertebrates are both members of the phylum Chordata and both have a dorsal tubular central nervous system. Embryos of the ascidian Phallusia mammillata have been treated with WAY-100635, a potent and selective 5-HT_1A receptor antagonist. The larvae developed from treated embryos showed a dramatic reduction of their anterior sensory vesicles and the pigment of two sensory organs, the ocellus and the otolith. Immunofluorescence experiments with an anti β-tubulin monoclonal antibody specific for the neural system showed that the anterior neural system of treated animals was radically altered by the action of the drug in a dose-dependent way. These results suggest that 5-HT plays a role in the development of the neural system in ascidians and its action is mediated by receptors similar to the members of the 5-HT_1A receptor subtype of mammals.

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity has been localized in the primary neurons of the adhesive papillae of Ciona intestinalis and Phallusia mammillata larvae using the histochemical staining method described by Karnovsky and Roots (1964) after short fixation. The shape and cell structure of the papillae and the arrangement of primary neurons are different in the two species. Anterior truncation caused by RA or retinol suppresses the differentiation of the papillae and of papillary primary neurons, but combined treatment with retinol and citral can rescue the formation of rather normal papillae with AChE positive primary neurons. The AChE staining method has proved to be a useful tool in revealing differences in the cellular structure of adhesive papillae of the two species and to investigate the differentiation of anterior ectodermal structures.

The swimming larvae of most solitary ascidians belonging to the Ascidiidae family bear three anterior, simple conic adhesive papillae. They secrete adhesive substances that are used to effect transitory settlement at the beginning of the metamorphosis.The adhesive papillae of newly hatched Phallusia mamillata larvae examined by the SEM are covered by the tunic. When the larvae are about to settle, the tunic becomes fenestrated over the central part of the papilla and bulb-ended microvilli protrude through the holes. These papillae have two types of elongated cells: many peripheral cells and few larger central cells with microvilli and bundles of microtubules oriented along the major axis of the cells.We have done immunofluorescence experiments with an anti-beta-tubulin monoclonal antibody (clone 2-28-33) reacting with axonal microtubules. Only the central cells of the papillae were stained and the axons appeared to arise from the proximal ends of these cells. These axons form a long nerve that reaches the brain vesicle. Branches of the same nerve appear to connect to the basal ends of the peripheral cells. By confocal laser microscopy we were able to follow the course of the papillary nerve. The two nerves connecting the dorsal papillae fuse together into a single nerve that runs posteriorly. The nerve connecting the ventral papilla runs posteriorly for a long tract before fusing with the nerve of the dorsal papillae just near the brain.The reported observations raise the hypothesis that the central cells of the adhesive papillae might be primary sensory neurons and that they may have chemosensory function.