scholarly journals Modulation of Ca2+ oscillation and melatonin secretion by BKCa channel activity in rat pinealocytes

2016 ◽  
Vol 310 (9) ◽  
pp. C740-C747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroya Mizutani ◽  
Hisao Yamamura ◽  
Makoto Muramatsu ◽  
Yumiko Hagihara ◽  
Yoshiaki Suzuki ◽  
...  

The pineal glands regulate circadian rhythm through the synthesis and secretion of melatonin. The stimulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor due to parasympathetic nerve activity causes an increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration and eventually downregulates melatonin production. Our previous report shows that rat pinealocytes have spontaneous and nicotine-induced Ca2+ oscillations that are evoked by membrane depolarization followed by Ca2+ influx through voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels (VDCCs). These Ca2+ oscillations are supposed to contribute to the inhibitory mechanism of melatonin secretion. Here we examined the involvement of large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BKCa) channel conductance on the regulation of Ca2+ oscillation and melatonin production in rat pinealocytes. Spontaneous Ca2+ oscillations were markedly enhanced by BKCa channel blockers (1 μM paxilline or 100 nM iberiotoxin). Nicotine (100 μM)-induced Ca2+ oscillations were also augmented by paxilline. In contrast, spontaneous Ca2+ oscillations were abolished by BKCa channel opener [3 μM 12,14-dichlorodehydroabietic acid (diCl-DHAA)]. Under whole cell voltage-clamp configurations, depolarization-elicited outward currents were significantly activated by diCl-DHAA and blocked by paxilline. Expression analyses revealed that the α and β3 subunits of BKCa channel were highly expressed in rat pinealocytes. Importantly, the activity of BKCa channels modulated melatonin secretion from whole pineal gland of the rat. Taken together, BKCa channel activation attenuates these Ca2+ oscillations due to depolarization-synchronized Ca2+ influx through VDCCs and results in a recovery of reduced melatonin secretion during parasympathetic nerve activity. BKCa channels may play a physiological role for melatonin production via a negative-feedback mechanism.

2014 ◽  
Vol 306 (11) ◽  
pp. C1008-C1016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroya Mizutani ◽  
Hisao Yamamura ◽  
Makoto Muramatsu ◽  
Keiko Kiyota ◽  
Kaori Nishimura ◽  
...  

The pineal gland regulates circadian rhythm through the synthesis and secretion of melatonin. The rise of intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) following nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) stimulation due to parasympathetic nerve activity downregulates melatonin production. Important characteristics and roles of Ca2+ mobilization due to nAChR stimulation remain to be clarified. We report here that spontaneous Ca2+ oscillations can be observed in ∼15% of the pinealocytes in slice preparations from rat pineal glands when this dissociation procedure is done within 6 h from a dark-to-light change. The frequency and half-life of [Ca2+]i rise were 0.86 min−1 and 19 s, respectively. Similar spontaneous Ca2+ oscillations were recorded in 17% of rat pinealocytes that were primary cultured for several days. Simultaneous measurement of [Ca2+]i and membrane potential revealed that spontaneous Ca2+ oscillations were triggered by periodic membrane depolarizations. Spontaneous Ca2+ oscillations in cultured pinealocytes were abolished by extracellular Ca2+ removal or application of nifedipine, a blocker of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel (VDCC). In contrast, blockers of intracellular Ca2+-release channels, 2-aminoethoxydiphenylborate and ryanodine, have no effect. Our results also reveal that, in 23% quiescent pinealocytes, Ca2+ oscillations were observed following the withdrawal of nicotine. Norepinephrine-induced melatonin secretion from whole pineal glands was significantly decreased by the coapplication of acetylcholine (ACh). This inhibitory effect of ACh was attenuated by nifedipine. In conclusion, both spontaneous and evoked Ca2+ oscillations are due to membrane depolarization following activation of VDCCs. This consists of VDCC α1F subunit, and the associated Ca2+ influx can strongly regulate melatonin secretion in pineal glands.


1979 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 776-786
Author(s):  
Masatomo MORI ◽  
Kihachi OHSHIMA ◽  
Sakae MARUTA ◽  
Hitoshi FUKUDA ◽  
Yohnosuke SHIMOMURA ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
S. Jalalah ◽  
K. Kovacs ◽  
E. Horvath

Lactotrophs, as many other endocrine cells, change their morphology in response to factors influencing their secretory activity. Secretion of prolactin (PRL) from lactotrophs, like that of other anterior pituitary hormones, is under the control of the hypothalamus. Unlike most anterior pituitary hormones, PRL has no apparent target gland which could modulate the endocrine activity of lactotrophs. It is generally agreed that PRL regulates its own release from lactotrophs via the short loop negative feedback mechanism exerted at the level of the hypothalamus or the pituitary. Accordingly, ultrastructural morphology of lactotrophs is not constant; it is changing in response to high PRL levels showing signs of suppressed hormone synthesis and secretion.By transmission electron microscopy and morphometry, we have studied the morphology of lactotrophs in nontumorous (NT) portions of 7 human pituitaries containing PRL-secreting adenoma; these lactotrophs were exposed to abnormally high PRL levels.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1887
Author(s):  
Inbal Dagan ◽  
Raz Palty

Calcium (Ca2+) signaling plays a dichotomous role in cellular biology, controlling cell survival and proliferation on the one hand and cellular toxicity and cell death on the other. Store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) by CRAC channels represents a major pathway for Ca2+ entry in non-excitable cells. The CRAC channel has two key components, the endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ sensor stromal interaction molecule (STIM) and the plasma-membrane Ca2+ channel Orai. Physical coupling between STIM and Orai opens the CRAC channel and the resulting Ca2+ flux is regulated by a negative feedback mechanism of slow Ca2+ dependent inactivation (SCDI). The identification of the SOCE-associated regulatory factor (SARAF) and investigations of its role in SCDI have led to new functional and molecular insights into how SOCE is controlled. In this review, we provide an overview of the functional and molecular mechanisms underlying SCDI and discuss how the interaction between SARAF, STIM1, and Orai1 shapes Ca2+ signaling in cells.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (21) ◽  
pp. eaaz4707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Tapia-Rojo ◽  
Alvaro Alonso-Caballero ◽  
Julio M. Fernandez

Vinculin binds unfolded talin domains in focal adhesions, which recruits actin filaments to reinforce the mechanical coupling of this organelle. However, it remains unknown how this interaction is regulated and its impact on the force transmission properties of this mechanotransduction pathway. Here, we use magnetic tweezers to measure the interaction between vinculin head and the talin R3 domain under physiological forces. For the first time, we resolve individual binding events as a short contraction of the unfolded talin polypeptide caused by the reformation of the vinculin-binding site helices, which dictates a biphasic mechanism that regulates this interaction. Force favors vinculin binding by unfolding talin and exposing the vinculin-binding sites; however, the coil-to-helix contraction introduces an energy penalty that increases with force, defining an optimal binding regime. This mechanism implies that the talin-vinculin-actin association could operate as a negative feedback mechanism to stabilize force on focal adhesions.


1995 ◽  
Vol 269 (3) ◽  
pp. G378-G385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Xiong ◽  
N. Sperelakis ◽  
A. Noffsinger ◽  
C. Fenoglio-Preiser

Voltage-gated Ca2+ currents were investigated in single smooth muscle cells freshly isolated from the circular layer of the human colon (ascending and descending portions) using the whole cell voltage-clamp technique. Tissue samples were obtained at the time of therapeutic surgery. In physiological salt solution (containing 2 mM Ca2+), an inward current was observed when the cell membrane was depolarized in the presence of tetrodotoxin. This current disappeared when Ca2+ was removed from the bath solution and was inhibited when Ca2+ channel blockers were applied, indicating that the inward current was a Ca2+ current (ICa). Changing the holding potential (HP) from -100 mV to more positive potentials (e.g., -60 and -40 mV) markedly decreased the amplitude of ICa. The voltage dependence of steady-state activation and inactivation was represented by Boltzmann distributions; there was a substantial amount of overlap (window current) between -60 and -10 mV. A fast-inactivating ICa component followed by a slow-inactivating ICa component was observed in some cells from both ascending and descending colons. The fast ICa component was observed only when cells were held at -80 or -100 mV, and had a more negative threshold potential (-70 to -60 mV). This component was sensitive to low concentrations of Ni2+ (30 microM) but was resistant to nifedipine (10-20 microM). In contrast, the slow (sustained) ICa component was observed at all HPs (-40 to -100 mV) and had a more positive threshold potential (about -40 mV). This component was insensitive to low concentration of Ni2+ but was sensitive to nifedipine and BAY K 8644.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-33
Author(s):  
Jean-Bernard Chatelain ◽  
Kirsten Ralf

This paper compares different implementations of monetary policy in a new-Keynesian setting. We can show that a shift from Ramsey optimal policy under short-term commitment (based on a negative feedback mechanism) to a Taylor rule (based on a positive feedback mechanism) corresponds to a Hopf bifurcation with opposite policy advice and a change of the dynamic properties. This bifurcation occurs because of the ad hoc assumption that interest rate is a forward-looking variable when policy targets (inflation and output gap) are forward-looking variables in the new-Keynesian theory.


2008 ◽  
Vol 457 (6) ◽  
pp. 1351-1360 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Düfer ◽  
D. Haspel ◽  
P. Krippeit-Drews ◽  
L. Aguilar-Bryan ◽  
J. Bryan ◽  
...  

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