17β-Estradiol Directly Lowers Mitochondrial Membrane Microviscosity and Improves Bioenergetic Function in Skeletal Muscle

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Using squat testing to predict training loads for the deadlift, lunge, step-up, and leg extension exercises

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a linear relationship between the squat and a variety of quadriceps resistance training exercises for the purpose of creating prediction equations for the determination of quadriceps exercise loads based on the squat load. Six-repetition maximums (RMs) of the squat, as well as four common resistance training exercises that activate the quadriceps including the deadlift, lunge, step-up, and leg extension, were determined for each subject. Subjects included 21 college students. Data were evaluated using linear regression analysis to predict quadriceps exercise loads from 6RM squat data and were cross-validated with the prediction of sum of squares statistic. Analysis of the data revealed that the squat is a significant predictor of loads for the dead lift (R2 = 0.81, standard error of the estimate [SEE] = 12.50 kg), lunge (R2 = 0.62, SEE = 12.57 kg), step-up (R2 = 0.71, SEE = 9.58 kg), and leg extension (R2=0.67, SEE = 10.26 kg) exercises. Based on the analysis of the data, the following 6RM prediction equations were devised for each exercise: (a) deadlift load = squat load (0.83) + 14.92 kg, (b) lunge load = squat load (0.52) + 14.82 kg, (c) step-up load = squat load (0.50) + 3.32 kg, and (d) leg extension load = squat load (0.48) + 9.58 kg. Results from testing core exercises such as the squat can provide useful data for the assignment of loads for other exercises.     

Dynamin-1 co-associates with native mouse brain BKCa channels: Proteomics analysis of synaptic protein complexes

In every synapse, a large number of proteins interact with other proteins in order to carry out signaling and transmission in the central nervous system. In this study, we used interaction proteomics to identify novel synaptic protein interactions in mouse cortical membranes under native conditions. Using immunoprecipitation, immunoblotting, and mass spectrometry, we identified a number of novel synaptic protein interactions involving soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors (SNAREs), calcium-activated potassium channel (BK_Ca) alpha subunits, and dynamin-1. These novel interactions offer valuable insight into the protein-protein interaction network in intact synapses that could advance understanding of vesicle trafficking, release, and recycling.

Structured summary

MINT-7543319: Snap-25 (uniprotkb:P60879) physically interacts (MI:0914) with Tubulin beta-5 chain (uniprotkb:P99024), V-type proton ATPase subunit d 1 (uniprotkb:P51863), Zinc finger homeobox protein 3 (uniprotkb:Q61329), Tubulin beta-2A chain (uniprotkb:Q7TMM9), Synaptophysin (uniprotkb:Q62277), Gapdh (uniprotkb:P16858), Basement membrane-specific heparan sulfate proteoglycan core protein (uniprotkb:Q05793), Tubulin alpha-4A chain (uniprotkb:P68368), Tubulin alpha-1A chain (uniprotkb:P68369), Microtubule-associated protein 6 (uniprotkb:Q7TSJ2), AP-2 complex subunit beta (uniprotkb:Q9DBG3), Phosphofurin acidic cluster sorting protein 1 (uniprotkb:Q8K212), AP-2 complex subunit alpha-1 (uniprotkb:P17426), Kinesin-1 heavy chain (uniprotkb:Q617r68), Kinesin heavy chain isoform 5C (uniprotkb:P28738), Sodium/potassium-transporting ATPase subunit alpha-1 (uniprotkb:Q8VDN2) and Nck-associated protein 1 (uniprotkb:P28660) by anti bait co-immunoprecipitation (MI:0006)MINT-7543636: Calcium-activated potassium channel subunit alpha-1 (uniprotkb:Q08460) physically interacts (MI:0914) with AMP deaminase 2 (uniprotkb:Q9DBT5), Gamma-tubulin complex component 4 (uniprotkb:Q9D4F8), Gamma-tubulin complex component 2 (uniprotkb:Q921G8), Sodium/potassium-transporting ATPase subunit alpha-1 (uniprotkb:Q8VDN2), Phosphoinositide 3-kinase regulatory subunit 4 (uniprotkb:Q8VD65), Beta-centractin (uniprotkb:Q8R5C5), KIAA1107 (uniprotkb:Q80TK0), Sodium/potassium-transporting ATPase subunit alpha-2 (uniprotkb:Q6PIE5), Sodium/potassium-transporting ATPase subunit alpha-3 (uniprotkb:Q6PIC6), Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase catalytic subunit type 3 (uniprotkb:Q6PF93), KH domain-containing, RNA-binding, signal transduction-associated protein 1 (uniprotkb:Q60749), Tubulin gamma-1 chain (uniprotkb:P83887), Heat shock cognate 71 kDa protein (uniprotkb:P63017), Alpha-centractin (uniprotkb:P61164), Gamma-tubulin complex component 3 (uniprotkb:P58854), Dynamin-1 (uniprotkb:P39053), Kinesin heavy chain isoform 5C (uniprotkb:P28738), Elongation factor 1-alpha 1 (uniprotkb:P10126), Kinesin light chain 2 (uniprotkb:O88448), Activated CDC42 kinase 1 (uniprotkb:O54967) and Syntaxin-binding protein 1 (uniprotkb:O08599) by anti bait co-immunoprecipitation (MI:0006)MINT-7544031: Calcium-activated potassium channel subunit alpha-1 (uniprotkb:Q08460) physically interacts (MI:0914) with Syntaxin-binding protein 1 (uniprotkb:O08599), Syntaxin-1A (uniprotkb:O35526) and Dynamin-1 (uniprotkb:P39053) by anti bait co-immunoprecipitation (MI:0006)MINT-7543287: Syntaxin-1A (uniprotkb:O35526) physically interacts (MI:0914) with Vamp2 (uniprotkb:P63044), Snap-25 (uniprotkb:P60879), munc-18 (uniprotkb:O08599) and BK_Ca alpha subunit (uniprotkb:Q08460) by anti bait co-immunoprecipitation (MI:0006)MINT-7543972: Vamp-2 (uniprotkb:P63044) physically interacts (MI:0914) with Dynamin-1 (uniprotkb:P39053), Snap-25 (uniprotkb:P60879), Syntaxin-1A (uniprotkb:O35526) and Synaptophysin (uniprotkb:Q62277) by anti bait co-immunoprecipitation (MI:0006)MINT-7543728: Dynamin-1 (uniprotkb:P39053) physically interacts (MI:0914) with Clathrin heavy chain 1 (uniprotkb:Q68FD5) and Calcium-activated potassium channel subunit alpha-1 (uniprotkb:Q08460) by anti bait co-immunoprecipitation (MI:0006)MINT-7543905: Snap-25 (uniprotkb:P60879) physically interacts (MI:0914) with Syntaxin-1A (uniprotkb:O35526) and Vamp-2 (uniprotkb:P63044) by anti bait co-immunoprecipitation (MI:0006)MINT-7543476: Vamp-2 (uniprotkb:P63044) physically interacts (MI:0914) with Syntaxin-7 (uniprotkb:O70439), Neuronal membrane glycoprotein M6-a (uniprotkb:P35802), Syntaxin-1B (uniprotkb:P61264), Beta-soluble NSF attachment protein (uniprotkb:P28663), Guanine nucleotide-binding protein G(I)/G(S)/G(T) subunit beta-3 (uniprotkb:Q61011), Guanine nucleotide-binding protein G(I)/G(S)/G(T) subunit beta-1 (uniprotkb:P62874), Guanine nucleotide-binding protein G(o) subunit alpha (uniprotkb:P18872), V-type proton ATPase subunit d 1 (uniprotkb:P51863), Zinc transporter 3 (uniprotkb:P97441), Sodium/potassium-transporting ATPase subunit alpha-2 (uniprotkb:Q6PIE5), Sodium/potassium-transporting ATPase subunit alpha-3 (uniprotkb:Q6PIC6), Sodium/potassium-transporting ATPase subunit alpha-1 (uniprotkb:Q8VDN2), Potassium-transporting ATPase alpha chain 1 (uniprotkb:Q64436), Synaptophysin (uniprotkb:Q62277), Syntaxin-1A (uniprotkb:O35526) and Dynamin-1 (uniprotkb:P39053) by anti bait co-immunoprecipitation (MI:0006)     

Methods for the identification of differentially expressed genes in human post-mortem brain

Microarrays can be used to monitor the expression of thousands of genes simultaneously. This technique requires high-quality RNA which can be extracted from a variety of tissues and cells including post-mortem human brain. Given the vast amount of information obtained from microarray studies, it is critical to establish valid analysis techniques to identify differentially expressed genes. This technical report describes the basic methodology and analyses used to identify such genes in human post-mortem brain tissue.     

Reduced Clearance of Exogenous Dopamine in Rat Nucleus Accumbens, but Not in Dorsal Striatum, Following Cocaine Challenge in Rats Withdrawn from Repeated Cocaine Administration

Abstract: We investigated whether changes in the dopamine transporter in the nucleus accumbens or striatum are involved in cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization by using in vivo electrochemistry to monitor the clearance of locally applied dopamine in anesthetized rats. Rats were injected with cocaine-HCI (10 mg/kg i.p.) or saline daily for 7 consecutive days and then withdrawn for 7 days. Pressure ejection of a finite amount of dopamine at 5-min intervals from a micropipette adjacent to the electrochemical recording electrode produced transient and reproducible dopamine signals. After a challenge injection of cocaine (10 mg/kg i.p.), the signals in the nucleus accumbens of cocaine-treated animals became prolonged and the clearance rate of the dopamine decreased, indicating significant inhibition of the dopamine transporter. In contrast, simultaneous measurements in the dorsal striatum indicated a transient increase in both the amplitude of the signals and the clearance rate of the dopamine. The signals in both brain regions in the saline-treated animals given the cocaine challenge were similar to those in untreated animals given an acute injection of cocaine (10 mg/ kg i.p.) or saline. Behaviorally, not all of the cocaine- treated animals were sensitized; however, both sensitized and nonsensitized animals displayed similar changes in dopamine clearance rate. Quantitative autoradiography with [³H]mazindol revealed that the affinity of the dopamine transporter for cocaine and the density of binding sites were similar in cocaine- and saline-treated rats. The decrease in dopamine clearance rate observed in the nucleus accumbens of the cocaine-treated rats after a challenge injection of cocaine is consistent with increased do- paminergic transmission, but does not appear to be sufficient in itself for producing behavioral sensitization.     

Gene expression profiling of individual cases reveals consistent transcriptional changes in alcoholic human brain

Chronic alcohol exposure induces lasting behavioral changes, tolerance, and dependence. This results, at least partially, from neural adaptations at a cellular level. Previous genome-wide gene expression studies using pooled human brain samples showed that alcohol abuse causes widespread changes in the pattern of gene expression in the frontal and motor cortices of human brain. Because these studies used pooled samples, they could not determine variability between different individuals. In the present study, we profiled gene expression levels of 14 postmortem human brains (seven controls and seven alcoholic cases) using cDNA microarrays (46,448 clones per array). Both frontal cortex and motor cortex brain regions were studied. The list of genes differentially expressed confirms and extends previous studies of alcohol responsive genes. Genes identified as differentially expressed in two brain regions fell generally into similar functional groups, including metabolism, immune response, cell survival, cell communication, signal transduction and energy production. Importantly, hierarchical clustering of differentially expressed genes accurately distinguished between control and alcoholic cases, particularly in the frontal cortex.     

Application of DNA microarrays to study human alcoholism

An emerging idea is that long-term alcohol abuse results in changes in gene expression in the brain and that these changes are responsible at least partly for alcohol tolerance, dependence and neurotoxicity. The overall goal of our research is to identify genes which are differentially expressed in the brains of well-characterized human alcoholics as compared with non-alcoholics. This should identify as-yet-unknown alcohol-responsive genes, and may well confirm changes in the expression of genes which have been delineated in animal models of alcohol abuse. Cases were carefully selected and samples pooled on the basis of relevant criteria; differential expression was monitored by microarray hybridization. The inherent diversity of human alcoholics can be exploited to identify genes associated with specific pathological processes, as well as to assess the effects of concomitant disease, severity of brain damage, drinking behavior, and factors such as gender and smoking history. Initial results show selective changes in gene expression in alcoholics; of particular importance is a coordinated reduction in genes coding for myelin components.     

Ethanol-sensitive sites on the human dopamine transporter

Previous studies have shown that ethanol enhanced [(3)H]dopamine uptake in Xenopus oocytes expressing the dopamine transporter (DAT). This increase in DAT activity was mirrored by an increase in the number of transporters expressed at the cell surface. In the present study, ethanol potentiated the function of DAT expressed in HeLa cells but inhibited the function of the related norepinephrine transporter (NET). Chimeras generated between DAT and NET were examined for ethanol sensitivity and demonstrated that a 76-amino acid region spanning transmembrane domains (TMD) 2 and 3 was essential for ethanol potentiation of DAT function. The second intracellular loop between TMD 2 and 3 of DAT, which differs from that of NET by four amino acids, was explored for possible sites of ethanol action. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to replace each of these residues in DAT with the corresponding residue in NET, and the resulting cRNA were expressed in Xenopus oocytes. We found that mutations G130T or I137F abolished ethanol potentiation of DAT function, whereas the mutations F123Y and L138F had no significant effect. These results identify novel sites in the second intracellular loop that are important for ethanol modulation of DAT activity.