Lattice preferred orientation in omphacite: Examples from the Tauern Window, Austria and the Western Gneiss Region, Norway

It is lively debated how eclogites find their way from deep to mid-crustal levels during exhumation. Different exhumation models for high-pressure and ultrahigh-pressure rocks were suggested in previous studies, based mainly on field observations and less on microstructural studies on the exhumed rocks. The development and improvement of electron microscopy techniques allows it, to focus interest on direct investigations of microstructures and crystallographic properties in eclogites. In this case, it is of importance to study the applicability of crystallographic measurements on eclogites for exhumation processes and to unravel which processes affect eclogite textures. Previous studies suggested a strong relationship between deformation and lattice preferred orientation (LPO) in omphacite but it is still unclear if the deformation is related to the exhumation of eclogites. This study is focused on the questions which processes affect omphacite LPO and if textural investigations of omphacite are applicable for studying eclogite exhumation. Therefore, eclogites from two examples in the Alps and in the Caledonides were collected systematically and investigated with respect to omphacite LPO by using the electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) technique. Omphacite textures of the Tauern Window (Austria) and the Western Gneiss Region (Norway) were studied to compare lattice preferred orientation with field observations and suggested exhumation models from previous studies. The interpretation of omphacite textures, regarding the deformation regime is mainly based on numerical simulations in previous studies. Omphacite LPO patterns of the Eclogite Zone are clearly independent from any kind of exhumation process. The textures were generated during omphacite growth on the prograde path of eclogite development until metamorphic peak conditions. Field observations in the Eclogite Zone show that kinematics in garnet mica schist, surrounding the eclogites, strongly indicate an extrusion wedge geometry. Stretching lineations show top-N thrusting at the base and a top-S normal faulting with a sinistral shear component at the top of the Eclogite Zone. The different shear sense on both sides of the unit does not affect the omphacite textures in any way. The omphacite lattice preferred orientation patterns of the Western Gneiss Region can not be connected with any exhumation model. The textures were probably generated during the metamorphic peak and reflect the change from subduction to exhumation. Eclogite Zone and Western Gneiss Region differ significantly in size and especially in metamorphic conditions. While the Eclogite Zone is characterized by constant P-T conditions (600-650°C, 20-25 kbar), the Western Gneiss Region contains a wide P-T range from high- to ultrahigh pressure conditions (400-800°C, 20-35 kbar). In contrast to this, the omphacite textures of both units are very similar. This means that omphacite LPO is independent from P-T conditions and therefore from burial depth. Further, in both units, omphacite LPO is independent from grain and subgrain size as well as from any shape preferred orientation (SPO) on grain and subgrain scale. Overall, omphacite lattice preferred orientation are generated on the prograde part of omphacite development. Therefore, textural investigations on omphacite LPO are not applicable to study eclogite exhumation.

Transgenic mice as a tool for depression research: examples from the endocannabinoid and the corticotropin-releasing hormone system

Major depression belongs to the most serious and widespread psychiatric disorders in today’s society. There is a great need for the delineation of the underlying molecular mechanisms as well as for the identification of novel targets for its treatment. In this thesis, transgenic mice of the endocannabinoid and the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) system were investigated to determine the putative role of these systems for depression-like phenotypes in mice. In the first part of the thesis, we found that the endocannabinoid system was prominently involved in a brain region-specific and temporally controlled manner in acute as well as in chronic stress processing. Genetic deletion in combination with pharmacological intervention revealed the importance of a fully functional endocannabinoid system for efficient neuroendocrine and behavioral stress coping. Accordingly, cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptor-deficient mice displayed several depression-like symptoms and molecular alterations, including “behavioral despair”, stress hormone hypersecretion and decreased glucocorticoid receptor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression in the hippocampus. However, the endocannabinoid system was dispensable for the efficacy of currently used antidepressant drugs. To facilitate future endocannabinoid research, a transgenic mouse was generated, which overexpressed the CB1 receptor protein fused to a fluorescent protein. In the second part of the thesis, conditional brain region-specific CRH overexpressing mice were evaluated as a model for pathological chronic CRH hyperactivation. Mutant mice showed aberrant neuroendocrine and behavioral stress coping and hyperarousal due to CRH-induced activation of the noradrenergic system in the brain. Mutant mice appeared to share similarities with naturally occurring endogenous CRH activation in wild-type mice and were sensitive to acute pharmacological blockade of CRH receptor type 1 (CRH-R1). Thus, CRH overexpressing mice serve as an ideal in vivo tool to evaluate the efficacy of novel CRH-R1 antagonists. Together, these findings highlight the potential of transgenic mice for the understanding of certain endo-phenotypes (isolated symptoms) of depression and their molecular correlates.