scholarly journals The NMDA receptor activation by d-serine and glycine is controlled by an astrocytic Phgdh-dependent serine shuttle

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (41) ◽  
pp. 20736-20742 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samah Neame ◽  
Hazem Safory ◽  
Inna Radzishevsky ◽  
Ayelet Touitou ◽  
Francesco Marchesani ◽  
...  

Astrocytes express the 3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (Phgdh) enzyme required for the synthesis of l-serine from glucose. Astrocytic l-serine was proposed to regulate NMDAR activity by shuttling to neurons to sustain d-serine production, but this hypothesis remains untested. We now report that inhibition of astrocytic Phgdh suppressed the de novo synthesis of l-and d-serine and reduced the NMDAR synaptic potentials and long-term potentiation (LTP) at the Schaffer collaterals-CA1 synapse. Likewise, enzymatic removal of extracellular l-serine impaired LTP, supporting an l-serine shuttle mechanism between glia and neurons in generating the NMDAR coagonist d-serine. Moreover, deletion of serine racemase (SR) in glutamatergic neurons abrogated d-serine synthesis to the same extent as Phgdh inhibition, suggesting that neurons are the predominant source of the newly synthesized d-serine. We also found that the synaptic NMDAR activation in adult SR-knockout (KO) mice requires Phgdh-derived glycine, despite the sharp decline in the postnatal glycine levels as a result of the emergence of the glycine cleavage system. Unexpectedly, we also discovered that glycine regulates d-serine metabolism by a dual mechanism. The first consists of tonic inhibition of SR by intracellular glycine observed in vitro, primary cultures, and in vivo microdialysis. The second involves a transient glycine-induce d-serine release through the Asc-1 transporter, an effect abolished in Asc-1 KO mice and diminished by deleting SR in glutamatergic neurons. Our observations suggest that glycine is a multifaceted regulator of d-serine metabolism and implicate both d-serine and glycine in mediating NMDAR synaptic activation at the mature hippocampus through a Phgdh-dependent shuttle mechanism.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Lutas ◽  
Kayla Fernando ◽  
Stephen X Zhang ◽  
Abhijeet Sambangi ◽  
Mark L Andermann

Dopaminergic inputs to basal amygdala (BA) instruct learning of motivational salience. Here, we investigated the dynamics of dopamine release and downstream signaling during multiple salient events occurring within tens of seconds. We established in vitro and in vivo real-time tracking and manipulation of cAMP - a key intracellular plasticity signal downstream of dopamine receptor activation. Optogenetically-evoked release of dopamine drove proportional increases in cAMP in almost all BA glutamatergic neurons, suggesting widespread actions of dopamine across neurons preferring positive or negative valence. These cAMP responses decayed more slowly than dopamine release, potentially extending the window of plasticity. cAMP levels accumulated following direct photostimulation of cAMP but not repeated stimulation of dopamine axons, due to potent depression of dopamine release. cAMP and protein kinase A (PKA) responses to repeated appetitive or aversive stimuli also exhibited pronounced depression. Thus, history-dependent dynamics of dopamine and cAMP may regulate learning of temporally clustered, salient stimuli.


1997 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-160
Author(s):  
Francesca Mattioli ◽  
Marianna Angiola ◽  
Laura Fazzuoli ◽  
Francesco Razzetta ◽  
Antonietta Martelli

Although primary cultures of human thyroid cells are used for endocrinological and toxicological studies, until now no attention has been paid toward verifying whether the hormonal conditions to which the gland was exposed in vivo prior to surgery could influence in vitro responses. Our findings suggest that the hormonal situation in vivo cannot be used as a predictive indicator of triiodothyronine and thyroxine release and/or S-phase frequency in vitro, either with or without the addition of bovine thyrotropin.


2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Moein Dehbashi ◽  
Zohreh Hojati ◽  
Majid Motovali-bashi ◽  
Mazdak Ganjalikhani-Hakemi ◽  
Akihiro Shimosaka ◽  
...  

AbstractCancer recurrence presents a huge challenge in cancer patient management. Immune escape is a key mechanism of cancer progression and metastatic dissemination. CD25 is expressed in regulatory T (Treg) cells including tumor-infiltrating Treg cells (TI-Tregs). These cells specially activate and reinforce immune escape mechanism of cancers. The suppression of CD25/IL-2 interaction would be useful against Treg cells activation and ultimately immune escape of cancer. Here, software, web servers and databases were used, at which in silico designed small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), de novo designed peptides and virtual screened small molecules against CD25 were introduced for the prospect of eliminating cancer immune escape and obtaining successful treatment. We obtained siRNAs with low off-target effects. Further, small molecules based on the binding homology search in ligand and receptor similarity were introduced. Finally, the critical amino acids on CD25 were targeted by a de novo designed peptide with disulfide bond. Hence we introduced computational-based antagonists to lay a foundation for further in vitro and in vivo studies.


Life Sciences ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 278 ◽  
pp. 119541
Author(s):  
Aysegul Gorur ◽  
Miguel Patiño ◽  
Hideaki Takahashi ◽  
German Corrales ◽  
Curtis R. Pickering ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. ii98-ii98
Author(s):  
Anne Marie Barrette ◽  
Alexandros Bouras ◽  
German Nudelman ◽  
Zarmeen Mussa ◽  
Elena Zaslavsky ◽  
...  

Abstract Glioblastoma (GBM) remains an incurable disease, in large part due to its malignant infiltrative spread, and current clinical therapy fails to target the invasive nature of tumor cells in disease progression and recurrence. Here, we use the YAP-TEAD inhibitor Verteporfin to target a convergence point for regulating tumor invasion/metastasis and establish the robust anti-invasive therapeutic efficacy of this FDA-approved drug and its survival benefit across several preclinical glioma models. Using patient-derived GBM cells and orthotopic xenograft models (PDX), we show that Verteporfin treatment disrupts YAP/TAZ-TEAD activity and processes related to cell adhesion, migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. In-vitro, Verteporfin impairs tumor migration, invasion and motility dynamics. In-vivo, intraperitoneal administration of Verteporfin in mice with orthotopic PDX tumors shows consistent drug accumulation within the brain and decreased infiltrative tumor burden, across three independent experiments. Interestingly, PDX tumors with impaired invasion after Verteporfin treatment downregulate CDH2 and ITGB1 adhesion protein levels within the tumor microenvironment. Finally, Verteporfin treatment confers survival benefit in two independent PDX models: as monotherapy in de-novo GBM and in combination with standard-of-care chemoradiation in recurrent GBM. These findings indicate potential therapeutic value of this FDA-approved drug if repurposed for GBM patients.


1996 ◽  
Vol 313 (3) ◽  
pp. 745-752 ◽  
Author(s):  
Françoise LEVAVASSEUR ◽  
Jocelyne LIÉTARD ◽  
Kohei OGAWA ◽  
Nathalie THÉRET ◽  
Peter D. BURBELO ◽  
...  

Laminin γ1 chain is present in all basement membranes and is expressed at high levels in various diseases, such as hepatic fibrosis. We have identified cis- and trans-acting elements involved in the regulation of this gene in normal rat liver, as well as in hepatocyte primary cultures and hepatoma cell lines. Northern-blot analyses showed that laminin γ1 mRNA was barely detectable in freshly isolated hepatocytes and expressed at high levels in hepatocyte primary cultures, as early as 4 h after liver dissociation. Actinomycin D and cycloheximide treatment in vivo and in vitro indicated that laminin γ1 overexpression in cultured hepatocytes was under the control of transcriptional mechanisms. Transfection of deletion mutants of the 5´ flanking region of murine LAMC1 gene in hepatoma cells that constitutively express laminin γ1 indicated that regulatory elements were located between -594 bp and -94 bp. This segment included GC- and CTC-containing motifs. Gel-shift analyses showed that two complexes were resolved with different affinity for the CTC sequence depending on the location of the GC box. The pattern of complex formation with nuclear factors from freshly isolated and cultured hepatocytes was different from that obtained with total liver and similar to that with hepatoma cells. Southwestern analysis indicated that several polypeptides bound the CTC-rich sequence. Affinity chromatography demonstrated that a Mr 60000 polypeptide was a major protein binding to the CTC motif. This polypeptide is probably involved in the transcriptional activation of various proto-oncogenes and extracellular matrix genes that are expressed at high levels in both hepatoma cells and early hepatocyte cultures.


1997 ◽  
Vol 77 (5) ◽  
pp. 2427-2445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heath S. Lukatch ◽  
M. Bruce Maciver

Lukatch, Heath S. and M. Bruce MacIver. Physiology, pharmacology, and topography of cholinergic neocortical oscillations in vitro. J. Neurophysiol. 77: 2427–2445, 1997. Rat neocortical brain slices generated rhythmic extracellular field [microelectroencephalogram (micro-EEG)] oscillations at theta frequencies (3–12 Hz) when exposed to pharmacological conditions that mimicked endogenous ascending cholinergic and GABAergic inputs. Use of the specific receptor agonist and antagonist carbachol and bicuculline revealed that simultaneous muscarinic receptor activation and γ-aminobutyric acid-A (GABAA)-mediated disinhibition werenecessary to elicit neocortical oscillations. Rhythmic activity was independent of GABAB receptor activation, but required intact glutamatergic transmission, evidenced by blockade or disruption of oscillations by 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione and (±)-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid, respectively. Multisite mapping studies showed that oscillations were localized to areas 29d and 18b (Oc2MM) and parts of areas 18a and 17. Peak oscillation amplitudes occurred in layer 2/3, and phase reversals were observed in layers 1 and 5. Current source density analysis revealed large-amplitude current sinks and sources in layers 2/3 and 5, respectively. An initial shift in peak inward current density from layer 1 to layer 2/3 indicated that two processes underlie an initial depolarization followed by oscillatory activity. Laminar transections localized oscillation-generating circuitry to superficial cortical layers and sharp-spike-generating circuitry to deep cortical layers. Whole cell recordings identified three distinct cell types based on response properties during rhythmic micro-EEG activity: oscillation-on (theta-on) and -off (theta-off) neurons, and transiently depolarizing glial cells. Theta-on neurons displayed membrane potential oscillations that increased in amplitude with hyperpolarization (from −30 to −90 mV). This, taken together with a glutamate antagonist-induced depression of rhythmic micro-EEG activity, indicated that cholinergically driven neocortical oscillations require excitatory synaptic transmission. We conclude that under the appropriate pharmacological conditions, neocortical brain slices were capable of producing localized theta frequency oscillations. Experiments examining oscillation physiology, pharmacology, and topography demonstrated that neocortical brain slice oscillations share many similarities with the in vivo and in vitro theta EEG activity recorded in other brain regions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nan Huang ◽  
Chang Xu ◽  
Liang Deng ◽  
Xue Li ◽  
Zhixuan Bian ◽  
...  

AbstractPhosphoribosylaminoimidazole carboxylase, phosphoribosylaminoimidazole succinocarboxamide synthetase (PAICS), an essential enzyme involved in de novo purine biosynthesis, is connected with formation of various tumors. However, the specific biological roles and related mechanisms of PAICS in gastric cancer (GC) remain unclear. In the present study, we identified for the first time that PAICS was significantly upregulated in GC and high expression of PAICS was correlated with poor prognosis of patients with GC. In addition, knockdown of PAICS significantly induced cell apoptosis, and inhibited GC cell growth both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic studies first found that PAICS was engaged in DNA damage response, and knockdown of PAICS in GC cell lines induced DNA damage and impaired DNA damage repair efficiency. Further explorations revealed that PAICS interacted with histone deacetylase HDAC1 and HDAC2, and PAICS deficiency decreased the expression of DAD51 and inhibited its recruitment to DNA damage sites by impairing HDAC1/2 deacetylase activity, eventually preventing DNA damage repair. Consistently, PAICS deficiency enhanced the sensitivity of GC cells to DNA damage agent, cisplatin (CDDP), both in vitro and in vivo. Altogether, our findings demonstrate that PAICS plays an oncogenic role in GC, which act as a novel diagnosis and prognostic biomarker for patients with GC.


2015 ◽  
Vol 210 (5) ◽  
pp. 771-783 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norbert Bencsik ◽  
Zsófia Szíber ◽  
Hanna Liliom ◽  
Krisztián Tárnok ◽  
Sándor Borbély ◽  
...  

Actin turnover in dendritic spines influences spine development, morphology, and plasticity, with functional consequences on learning and memory formation. In nonneuronal cells, protein kinase D (PKD) has an important role in stabilizing F-actin via multiple molecular pathways. Using in vitro models of neuronal plasticity, such as glycine-induced chemical long-term potentiation (LTP), known to evoke synaptic plasticity, or long-term depolarization block by KCl, leading to homeostatic morphological changes, we show that actin stabilization needed for the enlargement of dendritic spines is dependent on PKD activity. Consequently, impaired PKD functions attenuate activity-dependent changes in hippocampal dendritic spines, including LTP formation, cause morphological alterations in vivo, and have deleterious consequences on spatial memory formation. We thus provide compelling evidence that PKD controls synaptic plasticity and learning by regulating actin stability in dendritic spines.


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