scholarly journals Gamma-tubulin distribution in the neuron: implications for the origins of neuritic microtubules.

1992 ◽  
Vol 119 (1) ◽  
pp. 171-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
P W Baas ◽  
H C Joshi

Axons and dendrites contain dense microtubule (MT) assays that are not attached to a traditional MT nucleating structure such as the centrosome. Nevertheless, the MTs within these neurites are highly organized with respect to their polarity, and consist of a regular 13-protofilament lattice, the two known characteristics of MTs nucleated at the centrosome. These observations suggest either that axonal and dendritic MTs arise at the centrosome, or that they are nucleated locally, following a redistribution of MT nucleating material from the centrosome during neuronal development. To begin distinguishing between these possibilities, we have determined the distribution of gamma-tubulin within cultured sympathetic neurons. gamma-tubulin, a newly discovered protein which is specifically localized to the pericentriolar region of nonneuronal cells (Zheng, Y., M. K. Jung, and B. R. Oakley. 1991. Cell. 65:817-823; Stearns, T., L. Evans, and M. Kirschner. 1991. Cell. 65:825-836), has been shown to play a critical role in MT nucleation in vivo (Joshi, H. C., M. J. Palacios, L. McNamara, and D. W. Cleveland. 1992. Nature (Lond.). 356:80-83). Because the gamma-tubulin content of individual cells is extremely low, we relied principally on the high degree of resolution and sensitivity afforded by immunoelectron microscopy. Our studies reveal that, like the situation in nonneuronal cells, gamma-tubulin is restricted to the pericentriolar region of the neuron. Furthermore, serial reconstruction analyses indicate that the minus ends of MTs in both axons and dendrites are free of gamma-tubulin immunoreactivity. The absence of gamma-tubulin from the axon was confirmed by immunoblot analyses of pure axonal fractions obtained from explant cultures. The observation that gamma-tubulin is restricted to the pericentriolar region of the neuron provides compelling support for the notion that MTs destined for axons and dendrites are nucleated at the centrosome, and subsequently released for translocation into these neurites.

2002 ◽  
Vol 92 (2) ◽  
pp. 581-585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jay M. Edelberg ◽  
Jason T. Jacobson ◽  
David S. Gidseg ◽  
Lilong Tang ◽  
David J. Christini

Biosensors play a critical role in the real-time determination of relevant functional physiological needs. However, typical in vivo biosensors only approximate endogenous function via the measurement of surrogate signals and, therefore, may often lack a high degree of dynamic fidelity with physiological requirements. To overcome this limitation, we have developed an excitable tissue-based implantable biosensor approach, which exploits the inherent electropotential input-output relationship of cardiac myocytes to measure the physiological regulatory inputs of chronotropic demand via the detection of blood-borne signals. In this study, we report the improvement of this application through the modulation of host-biosensor communication via the enhancement of vascularization of chronotropic complexes in mice. Moreover, in an effort to further improve translational applicability as well as molecular plasticity, we have advanced this approach by employing stem cell-derived cardiac myocyte aggregates in place of whole cardiac tissue. Overall, these studies demonstrate the potential of biologically based biosensors to predict endogenous physiological dynamics and may facilitate the translation of this approach for in vivo monitoring.


1980 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. 692-704 ◽  
Author(s):  
M I Johnson ◽  
C D Ross ◽  
R P Bunge

Superior cervical ganglion (SCG) neurons taken from perinatal rats and dissociated in culture develop cholinergic properties. This report examines this "plasticity" of neurotransmitter function with regard to its dependence on the stage of neuronal development. Explants of SCG from rats ranging in age from 2 d to adult were cultured, and the number of neurons surviving after 6 wk in culture was evaluated. The activities of choline acetyltransferase (ChAc) and DOPA decarboxylase (DDC) were assayed for each age group over time in culture, and the cytochemistry of the synaptic vesicle population was studied after norepinephrine loading and KMnO4 fixation. The specific activity of ChAc in all explants fell during the first 3--4 d in culture (secondary to degeneration of presynaptic terminals), with an increase during the next 30 d in explants from all age groups except in those from the 22-d-old and adult rats. The highest activity found after 1 mo in culture was in explants from 2-d-old rats (62.5 mmol per kg dry wt per h); the lowest was in explants from adults (1.3 nmol per kg dry wt per h). After 1 mo in vitro, there were no significant differences in DDC activity among explants from animals of any age (similar to approximately 220 mmol per kg dry wt per h). Co-culture of the SCG explants with heart muscle increased even further the ChAc activity in explants from 2-d-old rats but not in explants from 16-d-old and 6.5-wk-old animals. The cytochemistry of the synaptic vesicle population in 1-mo-old cultures correlated well with the ChAc activity; when the ChAc activity was high, the proportion of synaptic vesicles with clear centers was 71--88%. In explants from adult animals, only 12% of the vesicles contained clear centers. From these data we conclude that the maturity of the SCG neuron influences the degree to which it is able to adjust its neurotransmitter mechanisms. That the axons of this neuron are interacting with target tissues during the time that neurotransmitter plasticity is retained suggests that interaction with the target may play a role in the determination of transmitter type.


1986 ◽  
Vol 102 (1) ◽  
pp. 252-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
I Peng ◽  
L I Binder ◽  
M M Black

We have used cultured sympathetic neurons to identify microtubule proteins (tubulin and microtubule-associated proteins [MAPs]) and neurofilament (NF) proteins in pure preparations of axons and also to examine the distribution of these proteins between axons and cell bodies + dendrites. Pieces of sympathetic ganglia containing thousands of neurons were plated onto culture dishes and allowed to extend neurites. Dendrites remained confined to the ganglionic explant or cell body mass (CBM), while axons extended away from the CBM for several millimeters. Axons were separated from cell bodies and dendrites by dissecting the CBM away from cultures, and the resulting axonal and CBM preparations were analyzed using biochemical, immunoblotting, and immunoprecipitation methods. Cultures were used after 17 d in vitro, when 40-60% of total protein was in the axons. The 68,000-mol-wt NF subunit is present in both axons and CBM in roughly equal amounts. The 145,000- and 200,000-mol-wt NF subunits each consist of several variants which differ in phosphorylation state; poorly and nonphosphorylated species are present only in the CBM, whereas more heavily phosphorylated forms are present in axons and, to a lesser extent, the CBM. One 145,000-mol-wt NF variant was axon specific. Tubulin is roughly equally distributed between CBM and axon-like neurites of explant cultures. MAP-1a, MAP-1b, MAP-3, and the 60,000-mol-wt MAP are also present in the CBM and axon-like neurites and show distribution patterns similar to that of tubulin. In contrast, MAP-2 was detected only in the CBM, while tau and the 210,000-mol-wt MAP were greatly enriched in axons compared to the CBM. In immunostaining analyses, MAP-2 localized to cell bodies and dendrite-like neurites, but not to axon-like neurites, whereas antibodies to tubulin and MAP-1b localized to all regions of the neurons. The regional differences in composition of the neuronal cytoskeleton presumably generate corresponding differences in its structure, which may, in turn, contribute to the morphological differences between axons and dendrites.


2020 ◽  
Vol 244 (3) ◽  
pp. 445-458
Author(s):  
Hui-Fang Wang ◽  
Qing-Qing Yu ◽  
Rui-Fang Zheng ◽  
Ming Xu

Cardiovascular complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are associated with vascular remodeling in the arteries. Perivascular sympathetic neurons release an abundance of trophic factors to regulate vascular function via a paracrine signaling. Netrin-1, a diffusible protein that can be secreted outside the cell, is one of common signals of ‘conversation’ between nerve and vessel. The present study investigated whether netrin-1 is a novel modulator of sympathetic neurons paracrine signaling and played a critical role in vascular adventitial remodeling under T2DM. Vascular adventitial remodeling was observed in adventitial fibroblasts (AFs) responding to netrin-1 deficiency in the supernatant from primary rat superior cervical ganglia (SCG) neurons, shown as AFs proliferation, migration, and collagen deposition. Conditioned medium from the high glucose (HG)-treated SCG neurons contributed to AFs remodeling, which was effectively alleviated by exogenous netrin-1 supplementation. Further, it was found that uncoordinated-5-B (Unc5b) was mainly expressed in AFs among netrin-1 specific receptors. Treatment of netrin-1 inhibited H2O2 production derived from NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) through the UNC5b/CAMP/PKA signal pathway in AFs remodeling. In vivo, aorta adventitial remodeling was accompanied with the downregulation of netrin-1 in the perivascular sympathetic nerve in T2DM rats. Such abnormalities were restored by netrin-1 intervention, which was associated with the inhibition of NOX4 expression in the aorta adventitia. In conclusion, netrin-1 is a novel modulator of sympathetic neurons paracrine signaling to maintain AFs function. Vascular adventitial remodeling was aggravated by sympathetic neurons paracrine signaling under hyperglycemia, which was ameliorated by netrin-1 treatment through the UNC5b/CAMP/PKA/NOX4 pathway.


2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongsheng Zhang ◽  
Eunchai Kang ◽  
Yaqing Wang ◽  
Chaojuan Yang ◽  
Hui Yu ◽  
...  

AbstractSeveral genome- and proteome-wide studies have associated transcription and translation changes ofCRMP2(collapsing response mediator protein 2) with psychiatric disorders, yet little is known about its function in the developing or adult mammalian brainin vivo. Here we show that brain-specificCrmp2knockout (cKO) mice display molecular, cellular, structural and behavioural deficits, many of which are reminiscent of neural features and symptoms associated with schizophrenia. cKO mice exhibit enlarged ventricles and impaired social behaviour, locomotor activity, and learning and memory. Loss ofCrmp2in the hippocampus leads to reduced long-term potentiation, abnormal NMDA receptor composition, aberrant dendrite development and defective synapse formation in CA1 neurons. Furthermore, knockdown ofcrmp2specifically in newborn neurons results in stage-dependent defects in their development during adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Our findings reveal a critical role for CRMP2 in neuronal plasticity, neural function and behavioural modulation in mice.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 28-30
Author(s):  
Tanita Suttichaimongkol

Cholangiocarcinoma is a primary biliary tract tumor arising from the bile duct epithelium. Classically, these tumors have been categorized according to their anatomic location as intrahepatic and extrahepatic. Hilar cholangiocarcinoma is the most common type of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. It is the most difficult cancer to diagnose and therefore carries a poor prognosis with a 5-year survivalrate of less than 10%. Diagnostic imaging, coupled with a high degree of clinical suspicion, play a critical role in timely diagnosis, staging, and evaluation for surgical resectability. The most common imagingmodalities used for diagnosis and staging of hilar cholangiocarcinoma include ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging/magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography(MRI/MRCP). This article showed a case presentation and reviewed the imaging appearance of hilar cholangiocarcinoma.   Figure 1  Greyscale sonography at the level of hepatic hilum revealed an ill-defined hilar mass (asterisk)resulting in upstream dilatation of right (arrow) and left (arrow head) main intrahepatic duct.  


Author(s):  
Hongtao Li ◽  
Peng Chen ◽  
Lei Chen ◽  
Xinning Wang

Background: Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) is usually activated in Wilms tumor (WT) cells and plays a critical role in WT development. Objective: The study purpose was to screen a NF-κB inhibitor from natural product library and explore its effects on WT development. Methods: Luciferase assay was employed to assess the effects of natural chemical son NF-κB activity. CCK-8 assay was conducted to assess cell growth in response to naringenin. WT xenograft model was established to analyze the effect of naringenin in vivo. Quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot were performed to examine the mRNA and protein levels of relative genes, respectively. Results: Naringenin displayed significant inhibitory effect on NF-κB activation in SK-NEP-1 cells. In SK-NEP-1 and G-401 cells, naringenin inhibited p65 phosphorylation. Moreover, naringenin suppressed TNF-α-induced p65 phosphorylation in WT cells. Naringenin inhibited TLR4 expression at both mRNA and protein levels in WT cells. CCK-8 staining showed that naringenin inhibited cell growth of the two above WT cells in dose-and time-dependent manner, whereas Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) over expression partially reversed the above phenomena. Besides, naringenin suppressed WT tumor growth in dose-and time-dependent manner in vivo. Western blot found that naringenin inhibited TLR4 expression and p65 phosphorylation in WT xenograft tumors. Conclusion: Naringenin inhibits WT development viasuppressing TLR4/NF-κB signaling


Oncogene ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiuna Zhang ◽  
Xiaoyu Jiang ◽  
Jie Yin ◽  
Shiying Dou ◽  
Xiaoli Xie ◽  
...  

AbstractRING finger proteins (RNFs) play a critical role in cancer initiation and progression. RNF141 is a member of RNFs family; however, its clinical significance, roles, and mechanism in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain poorly understood. Here, we examined the expression of RNF141 in 64 pairs of CRC and adjacent normal tissues by real-time PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemical analysis. We found that there was more expression of RNF141 in CRC tissue compared with its adjacent normal tissue and high RNF141 expression associated with T stage. In vivo and in vitro functional experiments were conducted and revealed the oncogenic role of RNF141 in CRC. RNF141 knockdown suppressed proliferation, arrested the cell cycle in the G1 phase, inhibited migration, invasion and HUVEC tube formation but promoted apoptosis, whereas RNF141 overexpression exerted the opposite effects in CRC cells. The subcutaneous xenograft models showed that RNF141 knockdown reduced tumor growth, but its overexpression promoted tumor growth. Mechanistically, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry indicated RNF141 interacted with KRAS, which was confirmed by Co-immunoprecipitation, Immunofluorescence assay. Further analysis with bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) and Glutathione-S-transferase (GST) pull-down assays showed that RNF141 could directly bind to KRAS. Importantly, the upregulation of RNF141 increased GTP-bound KRAS, but its knockdown resulted in a reduction accordingly. Next, we demonstrated that RNF141 induced KRAS activation via increasing its enrichment on the plasma membrane not altering total KRAS expression, which was facilitated by the interaction with LYPLA1. Moreover, KRAS silencing partially abolished the effect of RNF141 on cell proliferation and apoptosis. In addition, our findings presented that RNF141 functioned as an oncogene by upregulating KRAS activity in a manner of promoting KRAS enrichment on the plasma membrane in CRC.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document