The lipidated connexin mimetic peptide SRPTEKT-Hdc is a potent inhibitor of Cx43 channels with specificity for the pS368 phospho-isoform

Connexin (Cx) mimetic peptides derived from extracellular loop II sequences (e.g., Gap27: SRPTEKTIFII; Peptide5: VDCFLSRPTEKT) have been used as reversible, Cx-specific blockers of hemichannel (HCh) and gap junction channel (GJCh) function. These blockers typically require high concentrations (~5 µM, <1 h for HCh; ~100 µM, >1 h for GJCh) to achieve inhibition. We have shown that addition of a hexadecyl ( Hdc) lipid tail to the conserved SRPTEKT peptide sequence (SRPTEKT- Hdc) results in a novel, highly efficacious, and potent inhibitor of mechanically induced Ca2+-wave propagation (IC50 64.8 pM) and HCh-mediated dye uptake (IC50 45.0 pM) in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells expressing rat Cx43 (MDCK43). The lack of similar effect on dye coupling (NBD-MTMA) suggested channel conformation-specific inhibition. Here we report that SRPTEKT- Hdc inhibition of Ca2+-wave propagation, dye coupling, and dye uptake depended on the functional configuration of Cx43 as determined by phosphorylation at serine 368 (S368). Ca2+-wave propagation was enhanced in MDCK cells expressing single-site mutants of Cx43 that mimicked (MDCK43-S368D) or favored (MDCK43-S365A) phosphorylation at S368. Furthermore, SRPTEKT- Hdc potently inhibited GJCh-mediated Ca2+-wave propagation (IC50 230.4 pM), dye coupling, and HCh-mediated dye uptake in MDCK43-S368D and -S365A cells. In contrast, Ca2+-wave propagation, dye coupling, and dye uptake were largely unaffected (IC50 12.3 μM) by SRPTEKT- Hdc in MDCK43-S368A and -S365D cells, mutations that mimic or favor dephosphorylation at S368. Together, these data indicate that SRPTEKT- Hdc is a potent inhibitor of physiological Ca2+-wave signaling mediated specifically by the pS368 phosphorylated form of Cx43.

GABAA receptors are selectively expressed in NG2 glia of the cerebellar white matter

The cerebellum is involved in the coordination of movement. Its cellular composition is dominated by GABAergic neuronal types, and glial cells are known to express functional receptors. GABAergic signaling regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration during neurodevelopment. However, little is known about the functional expression of GABA receptors in the cerebellar white matter (WM). Thus, the aim of this study was to test whether glial cells express functional GABA receptors during postnatal development (P7-P9) of cerebellar WM. Immunofluorescence studies showed that half of the astrocytes express GAD67, suggesting that GABA is synthetized by glial cells. Calcium imaging in cerebellar slices revealed that GABA and the GABAA agonist muscimol evoked calcium transients in sulforhodamine B (SRB) negative cells, whereas the GABAB agonist baclofen failed to evoke responses in cerebellar WM. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of GFAP+ cells showed dye coupling and a passive current-voltage relation typical of astrocytes. Surprisingly, these cells did not respond to muscimol. Two additional populations were identified as GFAP− cells. The first population showed dye coupling, slow decaying inward and outward currents with no voltage dependence and did not respond to GABAA agonists. The second population showed an outward-rectifying current-voltage relationship and responded to muscimol, but dye coupling was absent. These cells received synaptic input and were NG2+, but evoked calcium waves failed to modulate the frequency of sPSCs or signal directly to NG2 glia. We conclude that GABAA receptor-mediated signaling is selective for NG2 glia in the WM of the cerebellum.

Role of Connexin 36 in Autoregulation of Oxytocin Neuronal Activity in Rat Supraoptic Nucleus

In the supraoptic nucleus (SON), the incidence of dye coupling among oxytocin (OT) neurons increases significantly in nursing mothers. However, the type(s) of connexin (Cx) involved is(are) unknown. In this study, we specifically investigated whether Cx36 plays a functional role in the coupling between OT neurons in the SON of lactating rats. In this brain region, Cx36 was mainly coimmunostained with vasopressin neurons in virgin female rats, whereas in lactating rats, Cx36 was primarily colocalized with OT neurons. In brain slices from lactating rats, application of quinine (0.1 mM), a selective blocker of Cx36, significantly reduced dye coupling among OT neurons as well as the discharge/firing frequency of spikes/action potentials and their amplitude, and transiently depolarized the membrane potential of OT neurons in whole-cell patch-clamp recordings. However, quinine significantly reduced the amplitude, but not frequency, of inhibitory postsynaptic currents in OT neurons; the duration of excitatory postsynaptic currents was reduced but not their frequency and amplitude. Furthermore, the excitatory effect of OT (1 pM) on OT neurons was significantly weakened and delayed by quinine, and burst firing was absent in the presence of this inhibitor. Lastly, Western blotting analysis revealed that the presence of combined, but not alone, quinine and OT significantly reduced the amount of Cx36 in the SON. Thus, Cx36-mediated junctional communication plays a crucial role in autoregulatory control of OT neuronal activity, likely by acting at the postsynaptic sites. The level of Cx36 is modulated by its own activity and the presence of OT.

Effects of gap junction misexpression on synapses between auditory sensory neurons and the giant fiber of Drosophila melanogaster

The synapse between auditory Johnston’s Organ neurons (JONs) and the giant fiber (GF) of Drosophila is structurally mixed, being composed of cholinergic chemical synapses and Neurobiotin-(NB) permeable gap junctions, which consist of the innexin Shaking-B (ShakB). Misexpression of one ShakB isoform, ShakB(N+16), in a subset of JONs that do not normally form gap junctions, results in their de novo dye coupling to the GF. This is similar to the effect of misexpression of the transcription factor Engrailed (En) in these same neurons, which also causes the formation of additional chemical synapses. In order to test the hypothesis that ShakB misexpression would similarly affect the distribution of chemical synapses, fluorescently-labeled presynaptic active zone protein (Brp) was expressed in JONs and the changes in its distribution were assayed with confocal microscopy. Both ShakB(N+16) and En increased the dye-coupling of JONs with the GF, indicating the formation of ectopic gap junctions. Conversely, expression of the ‘incorrect’ isoform, ShakB(N) abolishes dye coupling. However, while En misexpression increased the chemical contacts with the GF and the amount of GF medial branching, ShakB misexpression did not. ShakB immunocytochemistry showed that misexpression of ShakB(N+16) increases gap junctional plaques in JON axons but ShakB(N) does not. We conclude that both subsets of JON form chemical synapses onto the GF dendrites but only one population forms gap junctions, comprised of ShakB(N+16). Misexpression of this isoform in all JONs does not result in the formation of new mixed synapses but in the insertion of gap junctions, presumably at the sites of existing chemical synaptic contacts with the GF.

ATP Is Required and Advances Cytokine-Induced Gap Junction Formation in Microglia In Vitro

Microglia are the immune cells in the central nervous system. After injury microglia release bioactive molecules, including cytokines and ATP, which modify the functional state of hemichannels (HCs) and gap junction channels (GJCs), affecting the intercellular communication via extracellular and intracellular compartments, respectively. Here, we studied the role of extracellular ATP and several cytokines as modulators of the functional state of microglial HCs and GJCs using dye uptake and dye coupling techniques, respectively. In microglia and the microglia cell line EOC20, ATP advanced the TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced dye coupling, probably through the induction of IL-1βrelease. Moreover, TNF-α/IFN-γ, but not TNF-αplus ATP, increased dye uptake in EOC20 cells. Blockade of Cx43 and Panx1 HCs prevented dye coupling induced by TNF-α/IFN-γ, but not TNF-αplus ATP. In addition, IL-6 prevented the induction of dye coupling and HC activity induced by TNF-α/IFN-γin EOC20 cells. Our data support the notion that extracellular ATP affects the cellular communication between microglia through autocrine and paracrine mechanisms, which might affect the timing of immune response under neuroinflammatory conditions.

Loss of responsiveness of circular smooth muscle cells from the guinea pig ileum is associated with changes in gap junction coupling

Gap junction coupling and neuromuscular transmission to smooth muscle were studied in the first 4 h after preparations were set up in vitro. Intracellular recordings were made from smooth muscle cells of guinea pig ileum. Fast inhibitory junction potentials (IJPs) were small (1.3 ± 1.0 mV) in the first 30 min but increased significantly over the first 120 min to 15.8 ± 0.9 mV ( n = 12, P < 0.001). Comparable increases in slow IJPs and excitatory junction potentials were also observed. During the same period, resting membrane potential depolarized from −58.8 ± 1.4 to −47.2 ± 0.4 mV ( n = 12, P < 0.001). Input resistance, estimated by intracellular current injection, decreased in parallel ( P < 0.05), and dye coupling, measured by intracellular injection of carboxyfluorescein, increased ( P < 0.001). Input resistance was higher and dye coupling was less in longitudinal than circular smooth muscle cells. Gap junction blockers [carbenoxolone (100 μM), 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid (10 μM), and 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (50 μM)] hyperpolarized coupled circular smooth muscle cells, reduced the amplitude of fast and slow IJPs and excitatory junction potentials, increased input resistance, and reduced dye coupling. Local application of ATP (10 mM) mimicked IJPs and showed comparable increases in amplitude over the first 120 min; carbenoxolone and 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate significantly reduced ATP-evoked hyperpolarizations in coupled cells. In contrast, synaptic transmission between myenteric neurons was not suppressed during the first 30 min. Gap junction coupling between circular smooth muscle cells in isolated preparations was initially disrupted but recovered over the next 120 min to a steady level. This was associated with potent effects on neuromuscular transmission and responses to exogenous ATP.