Highly active neurons emerging in vitro

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mami Okada ◽  
Rena Kono ◽  
Yu Sato ◽  
Chiaki Kobayashi ◽  
Ryuta Koyama ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neuronal Network ◽  
Hippocampal Neurons ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Primary Cultures ◽  
Early Gene ◽  
High Frequencies ◽  
Firing Rates ◽  
Highly Active ◽  
High Firing

Mean firing rates vary across neurons in a neuronal network. Whereas most neurons infrequently emit spikes, a small fraction of neurons exhibit extremely high frequencies of spikes; this fraction of neurons plays a pivotal role in information processing; however, little is known about how these outliers emerge and whether they are maintained over time. In primary cultures of mouse hippocampal neurons, we traced highly active neurons every 24 h for 7 weeks by optically observing the fluorescent protein dVenus; the expression of dVenus was controlled by the promoter of Arc, an immediate early gene that is induced by neuronal activity. Under default-mode conditions, 0.3-0.4% of neurons were spontaneously Arc-dVenus positive, exhibiting high firing rates. These neurons were spatially clustered, exhibited intermittently repeated dVenus expression, and often continued to express Arc-dVenus for approximately two weeks. Thus, highly active neurons constitute a few select functional subpopulations in the neuronal network.

scholarly journals Efficient and Stable Delivery of Multiple Genes to Fish Cells by a Modified Recombinant Baculovirus System

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (12) ◽  
pp. 3767 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Wang ◽  
Jian Fang ◽  
Qihua Pan ◽  
Yizhou Wang ◽  
Ting Xue ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Recombinant Baculovirus ◽  
Transgenic Fish ◽  
Early Gene ◽  
Drug Selection ◽  
Baculovirus System ◽  
Fish Cells

The recombinant baculovirus has been widely used as an efficient tool to mediate gene delivery into mammalian cells but has barely been used in fish cells. In the present study, we constructed a recombinant baculovirus containing the dual-promoter cytomegalovirus (CMV) and white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) immediate-early gene 1 (ie1) (WSSV ie1), followed by a puromycin–green fluorescent protein (Puro-GFP, pf) or puromycin–red fluorescent protein (Puro-RFP, pr) cassette, which simultaneously allowed for easy observation, rapid titer determination, drug selection, and exogenous gene expression. This recombinant baculovirus was successfully transduced into fish cells, including Mylopharyngodon piceus bladder (MPB), fin (MPF), and kidney (MPK); Oryzias latipes spermatogonia (SG3); and Danio rerio embryonic fibroblast (ZF4) cells. Stable transgenic cell lines were generated after drug selection, which was further verified by Western blot. A cell monoclonal formation assay proved the stable heredity of transgenic MPB cells. In addition, a recombinant baculovirus containing a pr cassette and four transcription factors for induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) was constructed and transduced into ZF4 cells, and these exogenous genes were simultaneously delivered and transcribed efficiently in drug-selected ZF4 cells, proving the practicability of this modified recombinant baculovirus system. We also proved that the WSSV ie1 promoter had robust activity in fish cells in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, this modified recombinant baculovirus can be a favorable transgenic tool to obtain transient or stable transgenic fish cells.

scholarly journals Protective Effects of Scolopendra Water Extract on Trimethyltin-Induced Hippocampal Neurodegeneration and Seizures in Mice

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 369
Author(s):  
Yun-Soo Seo ◽  
Mary Jasmin Ang ◽  
Byeong Cheol Moon ◽  
Hyo Seon Kim ◽  
Goya Choi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hippocampal Neurons ◽  
Primary Cultures ◽  
Water Extract ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Inflammatory Factor ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Cell Degeneration

Trimethyltin (TMT) is an organotin compound with potent neurotoxic action characterized by neuronal degeneration in the hippocampus. This study evaluated the protective effects of a Scolopendra water extract (SWE) against TMT intoxication in hippocampal neurons, using both in vitro and in vivo model systems. Specifically, we examined the actions of SWE on TMT- (5 mM) induced cytotoxicity in primary cultures of mouse hippocampal neurons (7 days in vitro) and the effects of SWE on hippocampal degeneration in adult TMT- (2.6 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) treated C57BL/6 mice. We found that SWE pretreatment (0–100 μg/mL) significantly reduced TMT-induced cytotoxicity in cultured hippocampal neurons in a dose-dependent manner, as determined by lactate dehydrogenase and 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assays. Additionally, this study showed that perioral administration of SWE (5 mg/kg), from −6 to 0 days before TMT injection, significantly attenuated hippocampal cell degeneration and seizures in adult mice. Furthermore, quantitative analysis of Iba-1 (Allograft inflammatory factor 1)- and GFAP (Glial fibrillary acidic protein)-immunostained cells revealed a significant reduction in the levels of Iba-1- and GFAP-positive cell bodies in the dentate gyrus (DG) of mice treated with SWE prior to TMT injection. These data indicated that SWE pretreatment significantly protected the hippocampus against the massive activation of microglia and astrocytes elicited by TMT. In addition, our data showed that the SWE-induced reduction of immune cell activation was linked to a significant reduction in cell death and a significant improvement in TMT-induced seizure behavior. Thus, we conclude that SWE ameliorated the detrimental effects of TMT toxicity on hippocampal neurons, both in vivo and in vitro. Altogether, our findings hint at a promising pharmacotherapeutic use of SWE in hippocampal degeneration and dysfunction.

scholarly journals Retinoic acid increases zif268 early gene expression in rat preosteoblastic cells.

1991 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 2503-2510 ◽  
Author(s):  
L J Suva ◽  
M Ernst ◽  
G A Rodan
Keyword(s):  
Retinoic Acid ◽  
Primary Cultures ◽  
Simian Virus 40 ◽  
Simian Virus ◽  
Early Gene ◽  
Regulatory Sequences ◽  
Fetal Rat ◽  
In Vitro Data

In this study we demonstrate that retinoic acid (RA) increases the expression of transcription factor zif268 mRNA in primary cultures of fetal rat calvarial cells and in simian virus 40-immortalized clonal rat calvarial preosteoblastic cells (RCT-1), which differentiate in response to RA, but not in the more differentiated RCT-3 and ROS 17/2.8 cells. The increased expression of zif268 mRNA is rapid (maximal within 1 h), transient (returns to basal levels by 3 h), detectable at RA doses of 10(-12)M, and independent of protein synthesis. The relative stimulation of zif268 mRNA by RA was much larger than that of other early genes, including c-fos, c-jun, and junB. The rate of transcription of RA-stimulated RCT-1 cells, estimated by nuclear run-on assays, was elevated, suggesting that RA regulation of zif268 gene transcription was at least in part transcriptional. Moreover, RA stimulated the transcriptional activity of a Zif268CAT (chloramphenicol acetyltransferase) plasmid containing 632 bp of zif268 5' regulatory sequences in RCT-1 cells but not in the more differentiated RCT-3 cells. These in vitro data support the in vivo observations which localize zif268 and RA receptor-gamma transcripts to bone and cartilage during development, suggesting that both RA and zif268 may play a role in osteoblast differentiation.

scholarly journals Functional and structural properties of highly responsive somatosensory neurons in mouse barrel cortex

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Barz ◽  
PM Garderes ◽  
D Ganea ◽  
S Reischauer ◽  
D Feldmeyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Barrel Cortex ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Network Connectivity ◽  
Vibrotactile Stimulation ◽  
Population Activity ◽  
Highly Active ◽  
Structural And Functional Properties ◽  
High Responders

SummarySparse population activity is a hallmark of supra-granular sensory neurons in neocortex. The mechanisms underlying sparseness are not well understood because a direct link between the neurons activated in vivo and their cellular properties investigated in vitro has been missing. We used two-photon calcium imaging to identify a subset of neurons in layer L2/3 (L2/3) of mouse primary somatosensory cortex that are highly active following principal whisker vibrotactile stimulation. These high responders were then tagged using photoconvertible green fluorescent protein for subsequent targeting in the brain slice using intracellular patch-clamp recordings and biocytin staining. This approach allowed us to investigate the structural and functional properties of high responders that distinguish them from less active control cells. Compared to less responsive L2/3 neurons, high responders displayed increased levels of stimulus-evoked and spontaneous activity, elevated noise and spontaneous pair-wise correlations, and stronger coupling to the population response. Intrinsic excitability was reduced in high responders, while other electrophysiological and morphological parameters were unchanged. Thus, the choice of which neurons participate in stimulus encoding may largely be determined by network connectivity rather than by cellular structure and function.

scholarly journals ERK2 phosphorylates the epigenetic regulator CXXC-finger protein 1 (CFP1)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aroon S. Karra ◽  
Aileen M. Klein ◽  
Svetlana Earnest ◽  
Steve Stippec ◽  
Chonlarat Wichaidit ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mapk Signaling ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Early Gene ◽  
Highly Active ◽  
Finger Protein ◽  
Extracellular Signal ◽  
Epigenetic Regulator ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein ◽  
Cxxc Finger Protein 1

AbstractBackgroundThe Ras-Raf-MEK-ERK signaling pathway is essential for proper development and homeostatic regulation in eukaryotic cells and underlies progression of several types of cancer. Many pathway functions are performed by extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1 and 2 (ERK1/2), serine/threonine protein kinases of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family that interact with a large number of substrates and are highly active in the nucleus.ResultsWe identified the epigenetic regulator CXXC-finger protein 1 (CFP1) as a protein that interacts with ERK2 on chromatin. CFP1 is involved in multiple aspects of chromatin regulation, including histone methylation and DNA methylation. Here, we demonstrate the overlapping roles for ERK1/2 and CFP1 in regulation of immediate early gene (IEG) induction. Our work suggests multiple modes of co-regulation and demonstrates that CFP1 is required for an optimal signal-dependent response. We also show that CFP1 is an ERK2 substrate in vitro and identify several phosphorylation sites. Furthermore, we provide evidence that Su(var)3-9, Enhancer-of-zeste and Trithorax (Set)1b, a CFP1-interacting histone methylase, is phosphorylated by ERK2 and is regulated by CFP1.ConclusionOur work highlights ERK1/2 interactions with chromatin regulators that contribute to MAPK signaling diversity in the nucleus.

scholarly journals A novel red fluorescence dopamine biosensor selectively detects dopamine in the presence of norepinephrine in vitro

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chihiro Nakamoto ◽  
Yuhei Goto ◽  
Yoko Tomizawa ◽  
Yuko Fukata ◽  
Masaki Fukata ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hela Cells ◽  
Hippocampal Neurons ◽  
High Selectivity ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Dynamic Range ◽  
Receptor Activation ◽  
Spatiotemporal Dynamics ◽  
Intracellular Loop ◽  
Brain Functions

AbstractDopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) are pivotal neuromodulators that regulate a broad range of brain functions, often in concert. Despite their physiological importance, untangling the relationship between DA and NE in the fine control of output function is currently challenging, primarily due to a lack of techniques to allow the observation of spatiotemporal dynamics with sufficiently high selectivity. Although genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors have been developed to detect DA, their poor selectivity prevents distinguishing DA from NE. Here, we report the development of a red fluorescent genetically encoded GPCR (G protein-coupled receptor)-activation reporter for DA termed ‘R-GenGAR-DA’. More specifically, a circular permutated red fluorescent protein (cpmApple) was replaced by the third intracellular loop of human DA receptor D1 (DRD1) followed by the screening of mutants within the linkers between DRD1 and cpmApple. We developed two variants: R-GenGAR-DA1.1, which brightened following DA stimulation, and R-GenGAR-DA1.2, which dimmed. R-GenGAR-DA1.2 demonstrated a reasonable dynamic range (ΔF/F0 = − 43%), DA affinity (EC50 = 0.92 µM) and high selectivity for DA over NE (66-fold) in HeLa cells. Taking advantage of the high selectivity of R-GenGAR-DA1.2, we monitored DA in presence of NE using dual-color fluorescence live imaging, combined with the green-NE biosensor GRABNE1m, which has high selectivity for NE over DA (> 350-fold) in HeLa cells and hippocampal neurons grown from primary culture. Thus, this is a first step toward the multiplex imaging of these neurotransmitters in, for example, freely moving animals, which will provide new opportunities to advance our understanding of the high spatiotemporal dynamics of DA and NE in normal and abnormal brain function.

scholarly journals Differential induction of Pax genes by NGF and BDNF in cerebellar primary cultures.

1994 ◽  
Vol 125 (2) ◽  
pp. 417-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Kioussi ◽  
P Gruss
Keyword(s):  
Gene Family ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Primary Cultures ◽  
Neuronal Cell ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Early Gene ◽  
Specific Expression ◽  
Pax Genes ◽  
Cell Type Specific Expression

The Pax genes encode sequence-specific DNA binding transcription factors that are expressed in embryonic development of the nervous system. Primary neuronal cell cultures derived from the cerebellar cortex of embryonic day 14, newborn and 7-d old mice, were used to investigate the cell-type specific expression patterns of three members of the murine paired box containing gene family (Pax gene family), in vitro. Cell types which express Pax-2, Pax-3, and Pax-6 RNA in primary cultures correspond to those found in regions of the cerebellum which show RNA signals in sections of the developing mouse brain. To find mechanisms regulating Pax gene expression during cerebellar development, the differential regulation of Pax-2, Pax-3, and Pax-6 by NGF and BDNF, two structurally related neurotrophins, was studied in such primary cultures. Pax-2 and Pax-6 RNA increased slightly by 1 h and remained elevated throughout a 24-h treatment with BDNF and NGF. Pax-3 RNA was not detected in newborn cultures, but underwent a rapid (1 h) and transient (2 h) induction upon treatment with either BDNF or NGF. No response was seen with EGF or FGF. Cycloheximide treatment amplified Pax-3 induction and prolonged the signal. Thus, Pax-3 induction resembles that of the immediate-early gene c-fos, which transduces growth factor signals during the development of particular neuronal/glial cell types. The changes in Pax expression were inductive rather than trophic.

Imaging Molecular Targeting In Living Neural Cultures

1999 ◽  
Vol 5 (S2) ◽  
pp. 1228-1229
Author(s):  
Christopher S. Wallace ◽  
Michael A. Silverman ◽  
Michelle A. Burack ◽  
Janis E. Lochner ◽  
Richard G. Allen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Hippocampal Neurons ◽  
Protein Targeting ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Complex Structure ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
The Central Nervous System

Recent technical advances in the ability to attach an endogenously fluorescent protein sequence—i.e., green fluorescent protein or GFP and its derivatives--to any protein of experimental interest promises to mark a new era of progress in the study of protein targeting. Bringing these new tools to bear on neurons of the central nervous system has been challenging, however, because they have a very complex structure and are relatively difficult to transfect because they are post-mitotic.We use two cell culture approaches to characterize protein trafficking within neurons of the central nervous system in vitro. The first is a dissociated culture of hippocampal neurons from embryonic (El8) rats which is especially suited to analysis by conventional light microscopy because these neurons are grown on glass coverslips at low density. Neurons cultured in this way develop a morphology comparable to that seen in vivo and permit the establishment of axons and dendrites to be analyzed by time-lapse microscopy.

Ezrin oligomers are the membrane-bound dormant form in gastric parietal cells

2005 ◽  
Vol 288 (6) ◽  
pp. C1242-C1254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lixin Zhu ◽  
Yuechueng Liu ◽  
John G. Forte
Keyword(s):  
Cell Activation ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Yellow Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Primary Cultures ◽  
Parietal Cells ◽  
Erm Proteins ◽  
Membrane Bound ◽  
Gastric Parietal Cells

Ezrin is a member of ezrin, radixin, moesin (ERM) protein family that links F-actin to membranes. The NH2- and COOH-terminal association domains of ERM proteins, known respectively as N-ERMAD and C-ERMAD, participate in interactions with membrane proteins and F-actin, and intramolecular and intermolecular interactions within and among ERM proteins. In gastric parietal cells, ezrin is heavily represented on the apical membrane and is associated with cell activation. Ezrin-ezrin interactions are presumably involved in functional regulation of ezrin and thus became a subject of our study. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) was examined with cyan fluorescent protein (CFP)- and yellow fluorescent protein (YFP)-tagged ezrin incorporated into HeLa cells and primary cultures of parietal cells. Constructs included YFP at the NH2 terminus of ezrin (YFP-Ez), CFP at the COOH terminus of ezrin (Ez-CFP), and double-labeled ezrin (N-YFP-ezrin-CFP-C). FRET was probed using fluorescence microscopy and spectrofluorometry. Evidence of ezrin oligomer formation was found using FRET in cells coexpressing Ez-CFP and YFP-Ez and by performing coimmunoprecipitation of endogenous ezrin with fluorescent protein-tagged ezrin. Thus intermolecular NH2- and COOH-terminal association domain (N-C) binding in vivo is consistent with the findings of earlier in vitro studies. After the ezrin oligomers were separated from monomers, FRET was observed in both forms, indicating intramolecular and intermolecular N-C binding. When the distribution of native ezrin as oligomers vs. monomers was examined in resting and maximally stimulated parietal cells, a shift of ezrin oligomers to the monomeric form was correlated with stimulation, suggesting that ezrin oligomers are the membrane-bound dormant form in gastric parietal cells.

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