scholarly journals Deciphering Molecular Mechanisms and Intervening in Physiological and Pathophysiological Processes of Ca2+ Signaling Mechanisms Using Optogenetic Tools

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 3340
Author(s):  
Lena Maltan ◽  
Hadil Najjar ◽  
Adéla Tiffner ◽  
Isabella Derler

Calcium ion channels are involved in numerous biological functions such as lymphocyte activation, muscle contraction, neurotransmission, excitation, hormone secretion, gene expression, cell migration, memory, and aging. Therefore, their dysfunction can lead to a wide range of cellular abnormalities and, subsequently, to diseases. To date various conventional techniques have provided valuable insights into the roles of Ca2+ signaling. However, their limited spatiotemporal resolution and lack of reversibility pose significant obstacles in the detailed understanding of the structure–function relationship of ion channels. These drawbacks could be partially overcome by the use of optogenetics, which allows for the remote and well-defined manipulation of Ca²⁺-signaling. Here, we review the various optogenetic tools that have been used to achieve precise control over different Ca2+-permeable ion channels and receptors and associated downstream signaling cascades. We highlight the achievements of optogenetics as well as the still-open questions regarding the resolution of ion channel working mechanisms. In addition, we summarize the successes of optogenetics in manipulating many Ca2+-dependent biological processes both in vitro and in vivo. In summary, optogenetics has significantly advanced our understanding of Ca2+ signaling proteins and the used tools provide an essential basis for potential future therapeutic application.

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (18) ◽  
pp. 6925
Author(s):  
Meha Kabra ◽  
Bikash Ranjan Pattnaik

Ion channels are membrane-spanning integral proteins expressed in multiple organs, including the eye. In the eye, ion channels are involved in various physiological processes, like signal transmission and visual processing. A wide range of mutations have been reported in the corresponding genes and their interacting subunit coding genes, which contribute significantly to an array of blindness, termed ocular channelopathies. These mutations result in either a loss- or gain-of channel functions affecting the structure, assembly, trafficking, and localization of channel proteins. A dominant-negative effect is caused in a few channels formed by the assembly of several subunits that exist as homo- or heteromeric proteins. Here, we review the role of different mutations in switching a “sensing” ion channel to “non-sensing,” leading to ocular channelopathies like Leber’s congenital amaurosis 16 (LCA16), cone dystrophy, congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB), achromatopsia, bestrophinopathies, retinitis pigmentosa, etc. We also discuss the various in vitro and in vivo disease models available to investigate the impact of mutations on channel properties, to dissect the disease mechanism, and understand the pathophysiology. Innovating the potential pharmacological and therapeutic approaches and their efficient delivery to the eye for reversing a “non-sensing” channel to “sensing” would be life-changing.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 1934578X1987640
Author(s):  
Li-Juan Deng ◽  
Yu-He Lei ◽  
Tsz-Fung Chiu ◽  
Ming Qi ◽  
Hua Gan ◽  
...  

Paeoniflorin (PF) is an important pharmacological component of some Chinese traditional herbal formulas, such as Bai Shao, Chi Shao, and Dan Pi, which have been clinically used for centuries. Although many experimental studies have explored a wide range of pharmacological properties of PF, including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunoregulatory, and prevention of insulin resistance, there is no review to describe these reported effects systematically, especially the antitumor effect and the underlying mechanisms. In this review, we summarize the recent progress on the anticancer profiles both in vitro and in vivo of PF. Moreover, we highlight the integrated molecular mechanisms of PF and contemplate its future prospects as a potential anticancer drug.


Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 596 ◽  
Author(s):  
María del Carmen Villegas-Aguilar ◽  
Álvaro Fernández-Ochoa ◽  
María de la Luz Cádiz-Gurrea ◽  
Sandra Pimentel-Moral ◽  
Jesús Lozano-Sánchez ◽  
...  

Dietary phenolic compounds are considered as bioactive compounds that have effects in different chronic disorders related to oxidative stress, inflammation process, or aging. These compounds, coming from a wide range of natural sources, have shown a pleiotropic behavior on key proteins that act as regulators. In this sense, this review aims to compile information on the effect exerted by the phenolic compounds and their metabolites on the main metabolic pathways involved in energy metabolism, inflammatory response, aging and their relationship with the biological properties reported in high prevalence chronic diseases. Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated their pleiotropic molecular mechanisms of action and these findings raise the possibility that phenolic compounds have a wide variety of roles in different targets.


1984 ◽  
Vol 247 (5) ◽  
pp. E675-E680 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Magliola ◽  
L. R. Forte

Previous studies have suggested that prolactin (PRL) may affect calcium (Ca) homeostasis by an action on vitamin D metabolism. In this study, the effects of PRL on parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion were investigated in dispersed bovine parathyroid cells (PTC). PRL (0.013-1.3 microM) caused concentration-dependent increases in PTH secretion. PRL-stimulated PTH release was apparent as early as 1 h and was progressive thereafter for up to 3 h. PRL enhanced PTH release over a wide range of ambient Ca concentrations (0.5-2.0 microM). Ovine and rat PRL were more effective than bovine PRL in stimulating PTH secretion. This effect was apparently specific for PRL because neither ovine nor bovine growth hormone stimulated PTH secretion. PRL-stimulated PTH release was not mediated through the beta-adrenergic or dopaminergic receptor systems of PTC and was not associated with increased adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) levels. This study demonstrated a direct effect of PRL to stimulate PTH secretion in vitro. Although these data do not provide evidence for an effect of PRL in vivo, we suggest a mechanism by which PRL may influence parathyroid function and Ca homeostasis in the bovine species.


Blood ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 89 (8) ◽  
pp. 2975-2985 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takashi Kasukabe ◽  
Junko Okabe-Kado ◽  
Yoshio Honma

Abstract Mouse monocytic Mm-A, Mm-P, Mm-S1, and Mm-S2 cells are sublines of mouse monocytic and immortalized Mm-1 cells derived from spontaneously differentiated, mouse myeloblastic M1 cells. Although these subline cells retain their monocytic characteristics in vitro, Mm-A and Mm-P cells are highly leukemogenic to syngeneic SL mice and athymic nude mice, whereas Mm-S1 and Mm-S2 cells are not or are only slightly leukemogenic. To better understand the molecular mechanisms of these levels of leukemogenicity, we investigated putative leukemogenesis-associated genes or oncogenes involved in the maintenance of growth, especially in vivo, by means of differential mRNA display. We isolated a fragment clone (15T01) from Mm-P cells. The mRNA probed with 15T01 was expressed at high levels in leukemogenic Mm-P and Mm-A cells but not in nonleukemogenic Mm-S1 and Mm-S2 cells. The gene corresponding to 15T01, named TRA1, was isolated from an Mm-P cDNA library. The longest open reading frame of the TRA1 clone predicts a peptide containing 204 amino acids with a calculated molecular weight of 23,049 D. The predicted TRA1 protein is cysteine-rich and contains multiple cysteine doublets. A putative normal counterpart gene, named NOR1, was also isolated from a normal mouse kidney cDNA library and sequenced. NOR1 cDNA predicts a peptide containing 234 amino acids. The sequence of 201 amino acids from the C-terminal NOR1 was completely identical to that of TRA1, whereas the remaining N-terminal amino acids (33 amino acids) were longer than that (3 amino acids) of TRA1 and the N-terminus of NOR1 protein contained proline-rich sequence. A similarity search against current nucleotide and protein sequence databases indicated that the NOR1/TRA1 gene(s) is conserved in a wide range of eukaryotes, because apparently homologous genes were identified in Caenorhabditis elegans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae genomes. Northern blotting using TRA1-specific and NOR1-specific probes indicated that TRA1 mRNA is exclusively expressed in leukemogenic but not in nonleukemogenic Mm sublines and normal tissues and also indicated that NOR1 mRNA is expressed in normal tissues, especially in kidney, lung, liver, and bone marrow cells but not in any Mm sublines. After leukemogenic Mm-P cells were induced to differentiate into normal macrophages by sodium butyrate, the normal counterpart, NOR1, was expressed, whereas the TRA1 level decreased. Furthermore, transfection of TRA1 converted nonleukemogenic Mm-S1 cells into leukemogenic cells. These results indicate that the TRA1 gene is associated at least in part with the leukemogenesis of monocytic Mm sublines.


eLife ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charanya Sampathkumar ◽  
Yuan-Ju Wu ◽  
Mayur Vadhvani ◽  
Thorsten Trimbuch ◽  
Britta Eickholt ◽  
...  

Mutations in the MECP2 gene cause the neurodevelopmental disorder Rett syndrome (RTT). Previous studies have shown that altered MeCP2 levels result in aberrant neurite outgrowth and glutamatergic synapse formation. However, causal molecular mechanisms are not well understood since MeCP2 is known to regulate transcription of a wide range of target genes. Here, we describe a key role for a constitutive BDNF feed forward signaling pathway in regulating synaptic response, general growth and differentiation of glutamatergic neurons. Chronic block of TrkB receptors mimics the MeCP2 deficiency in wildtype glutamatergic neurons, while re-expression of BDNF quantitatively rescues MeCP2 deficiency. We show that BDNF acts cell autonomous and autocrine, as wildtype neurons are not capable of rescuing growth deficits in neighboring MeCP2 deficient neurons in vitro and in vivo. These findings are relevant for understanding RTT pathophysiology, wherein wildtype and mutant neurons are intermixed throughout the nervous system.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ao Dong ◽  
Kaikai He ◽  
Barna Dudok ◽  
Jordan S Farrell ◽  
Wuqiang Guan ◽  
...  

Endocannabinoids (eCBs) are retrograde neuromodulators that play an important role in a wide range of physiological processes; however, the release and in vivo dynamics of eCBs remain largely unknown, due in part to a lack of suitable probes capable of detecting eCBs with sufficient spatiotemporal resolution. Here, we developed a new eCB sensor called GRABeCB2.0. This genetically encoded sensor consists of the human CB1 cannabinoid receptor fused to circular-permutated EGFP, providing cell membrane trafficking, second-resolution kinetics, high specificity for eCBs, and a robust fluorescence response at physiological eCB concentrations. Using the GRABeCB2.0 sensor, we monitored evoked changes in eCB dynamics in both cultured neurons and acute brain slices. Interestingly, in cultured neurons we also observed spontaneous compartmental eCB transients that spanned a distance of approximately 11 μm, suggesting constrained, localized eCB signaling. Moreover, by expressing GRABeCB2.0 in the mouse brain, we readily observed foot shock-elicited and running-triggered eCB transients in the basolateral amygdala and hippocampus, respectively. Lastly, we used GRABeCB2.0 in a mouse seizure model and observed a spreading wave of eCB release that followed a Ca2+ wave through the hippocampus. Thus, GRABeCB2.0 is a robust new probe for measuring the dynamics of eCB release under both physiological and pathological conditions.


Parasitology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 147 (13) ◽  
pp. 1524-1531
Author(s):  
Cristian Camilo Galindo ◽  
Carlos Arturo Clavijo-Ramírez

AbstractMonocytes and macrophages are involved in a wide range of biological processes and parasitic diseases. The characterization of the molecular mechanisms governing such processes usually requires precise control of the expression of genes of interest. We implemented a tetracycline-controlled gene expression system in the U937 cell line, one of the most used in vitro models for the research of human monocytes and macrophages. Here we characterized U937-derived cell lines in terms of phenotypic (morphology and marker expression) and functional (capacity for phagocytosis and for Leishmania parasite hosting) changes induced by phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA). Finally, we provide evidence of tetracycline-inducible and reversible Lamin-A gene silencing of the PMA-differentiated U937-derived cells.


2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (05) ◽  
pp. 835-877 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-Min Li ◽  
Min Jia ◽  
Hua-Qiang Li ◽  
Nai-Dan Zhang ◽  
Xian Wen ◽  
...  

Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cuss., an annual plant of the Umbelliferae species is one of the most widely used traditional herbal medicines and its fruits have been used to treat a variety of diseases in China, Vietnam, and Japan. The aim of this review is to provide an up-to-date and comprehensive analysis of the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicity and contraindication of Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cuss. and to provide future directions of research on this plant. To date, 350 compounds have been isolated and identified from Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cuss., including the main active constituent, coumarins. In vitro and in vivo studies suggest that osthole and other coumarin compounds possess wide range of pharmacological properties for the treatment of female genitals, male impotence, frigidity, skin-related diseases, and exhibit strong antipruritic, anti-allergic, antidermatophytic, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-osteoporotic effects. Although coumarins have been identified as the main active constituents responsible for the observed pharmacological effects, the molecular mechanisms of their actions are still unknown. Therefore, further studies are still required to reveal the structure–activity relationship of these active constituents. In addition, toxicological and clinical studies are also required to provide further data for pharmaceutical use.


F1000Research ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Warren J. Leonard ◽  
Chi-Keung Wan

IL-21 is a type I cytokine produced by T cells and natural killer T cells that has pleiotropic actions on a wide range of immune and non-immune cell types. Since its discovery in 2000, extensive studies on the biological actions of IL-21 have been performed in vitro and in vivo. Recent reports describing patients with primary immunodeficiency caused by mutations of IL21 or IL21R have further deepened our knowledge of the role of this cytokine in host defense. Elucidation of the molecular mechanisms that mediate IL-21’s actions has provided the rationale for targeting IL-21 and IL-21 downstream mediators for therapeutic purposes. The use of next-generation sequencing technology has provided further insights into the complexity of IL-21 signaling and has identified transcription factors and co-factors involved in mediating the actions of this cytokine. In this review, we discuss recent advances in the biology and signaling of IL-21 and how this knowledge can be potentially translated into clinical settings.


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