Spontaneous Activity in Isolated Somata of Aplysia Pacemaker Neurons

Somata of pacemaker and nonpacemaker neurons were isolated by ligatures tied around the axons between the somata and the synaptic regions, and the transmembrane potentials of the isolated somata were recorded. Isolated somata of pacemaker neurons had a spontaneous discharge while isolated somata of nonpacemaker neurons were quiescent. In addition, the time course of accommodation in isolated somata of pacemaker and nonpacemaker neurons was found to be different. In pacemaker neurons, injection of current produced a change in rate of discharge sustained for the duration of current injection, while in nonpacemakers, current injection produced only a transient change in discharge rate. Evidence is presented that the pacemaker locus and spike trigger zone in the intact pacemaker neuron are located on the soma.     

Nitric Oxide Upregulates Proteasomal Protein Degradation in Neurons

Nitric oxide (NO) is involved in many neuronal functions such as neuromodulation and intracellular signaling. Recent studies have demonstrated that nitric oxide is involved in regulation of proteasomal protein degradation. However, its role in neuronal protein degradation still remains unclear. In our study, we investigated the influence of endogenous nitric oxide production in this process. We have shown that nitric oxide synthase blockade prevents decline of the Ub^G76V-GFP fluorescence (GFP-based proteasomal protein degradation reporter) in neuronal processes of the cultured hippocampal neurons. It suggests that nitric oxide may regulate ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal protein degradation in neurons. Also, we have confirmed that the NO synthesis blockade alone significantly impairs long-term potentiation, and demonstrated for the first time that simultaneous blockade of the NO and proteins synthesis leads to the long-term potentiation amplitude rescue to the control values. Obtained results suggest that nitric oxide is involved in the protein degradation in proteasomes in physiological conditions.     

一氧化氮(NO)在植物逆境响应中的作用

简要介绍了有关一氧化氮(NO)在植物非生物胁迫响应中生理作用的研究现状,并对与这一问题相关的研究趋势作了分析和讨论.     

Odorant-Dependent Generation of Nitric Oxide in Mammalian Olfactory Sensory Neurons

The gaseous signalling molecule nitric oxide (NO) is involved in various physiological processes including regulation of blood pressure, immunocytotoxicity and neurotransmission. In the mammalian olfactory bulb (OB), NO plays a role in the formation of olfactory memory evoked by pheromones as well as conventional odorants. While NO generated by the neuronal isoform of NO synthase (nNOS) regulates neurogenesis in the olfactory epithelium, NO has not been implicated in olfactory signal transduction. We now show the expression and function of the endothelial isoform of NO synthase (eNOS) in mature olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) of adult mice. Using NO-sensitive micro electrodes, we show that stimulation liberates NO from isolated wild-type OSNs, but not from OSNs of eNOS deficient mice. Integrated electrophysiological recordings (electro-olfactograms or EOGs) from the olfactory epithelium of these mice show that NO plays a significant role in modulating adaptation. Evidence for the presence of eNOS in mature mammalian OSNs and its involvement in odorant adaptation implicates NO as an important new element involved in olfactory signal transduction. As a diffusible messenger, NO could also have additional functions related to cross adaptation, regeneration, and maintenance of MOE homeostasis.     

Nitric Oxide Produced During Ischemia Is Toxic but Crucial to Preconditioning-Induced Ischemic Tolerance of Neurons in Culture

The present study investigated the roles of nitric oxide (NO) in preconditioning (PC)-induced neuronal ischemic tolerance in cortical cultures. Ischemia in vitro was simulated by subjecting cultures to both oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD). A sublethal OGD (PC) significantly increased the survival rate of neurons when cultures were exposed to a lethal OGD 24 h later. Both the inhibition of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and scavenging of NO during PC significantly attenuated the PC-induced neuronal tolerance. In addition, exposure to an NO donor emulated the PC. In contrast, the inhibition of NOS and the scavenging of NO during lethal OGD tended to increase the survival rate of neurons. This study suggested that NO produced during ischemia was fundamentally toxic, but critical to the development of PC-induced neuronal tolerance.     

Nitric Oxide Signaling in Plant Responses to Abiotic Stresses

Nitric oxide (NO) plays important roles in diverse physiological processes In plants. NO can provoke both beneficial and harmful effects, which depend on the concentration and location of NO in plant cells. This review is focused on NO synthesis and the functions of NO in plant responses to abiotic environmental stresses. Abiotic stresses mostly induce NO production in plants. NO alleviates the harmfulness of reactive oxygen species, and reacts with other target molecules, and regulates the expression of stress responsive genes under various stress conditions.     

In Vivo Expression of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase in Cerebellar Neurons

Abstract: In the CNS, nitric oxide (NO) functions as both neuromodulator and neurotoxic agent. In vivo neuronal expression of NO synthase (NOS) has been attributed to constitutive NOS—both the neuronal and the endothelial types. The other class of NOS—the inducible NOS (iNOS)—is known to mediate toxic effects of NO in various tissues. In this study, we show for the first time that direct intracerebellar injection of endotoxin and cytokine (lipopolysaccharide and interferon-γ) induced in vivo neuronal expression of the iNOS gene, as demonstrated by fluorescent in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical staining analyzed by confocal laser-scanning microscopy. This raises the possibility that neuronal iNOS might contribute significantly to the vulnerability of the brain to various insults.     

Effects of Nitric Oxide on Notexin-Induced Muscle Inflammatory Responses

Excessive inflammatory response may delay the regeneration and damage the normal muscle fibers upon myoinjury. It would be important to be able to attenuate the inflammatory response and decrease inflammatory cells infiltration in order to improve muscle regeneration formation, resulting in better muscle functional recovery after myoinjury. This study was undertaken to explore the role of Nitric oxide (NO) during skeletal muscle inflammatory process, using a mouse model of Notexin induced myoinjury. Intramuscular injection (tibialis anterior, TA) of Notexin was performed for preparing mice myoinjury. NO synthase inhibitor (L-NAME) or NO donor (SNP) was intraperitoneally injected into model mice. On day 4 and 7 post-injury, expression of muscle-autoantigens and toll-like receptors (TLRs) was evaluated from muscle tissue by qRT-PCR and Western Blot; the intramuscular infiltration of monocytes/macrophage (CD11b⁺ or F4/80⁺ cells), CD8⁺ T cell (CD3ε⁺CD8α⁺), apoptotic cell (CD11b⁺caspase3⁺), and MHC-I molecule H-2K^b-expressing myofibers in damaged muscle were assessed by imunoflourecence analysis; the mRNAs expression of cytokines and chemokines associated with the preferential biological role during the muscle damage-induced inflammation response, were assessed by qRT-PCR. We detected the reduced monocytes/macrophages infiltration, and increased apoptotic cells in the damaged muscle treated with SNP comparing to untreatment. As well, SNP treatment down-regulated mRNA and protein levels of muscle autoantigens, TLR3, and mRNA levels of TNF-α, IL-6, MCP-1, MCP-3, and MIP-1α in damaged muscle. On the contrary, L-NAME induced more severe intramuscular infiltration of inflammatory cells, and mRNA level elevation of the above inflammatory mediators. Notably, we observed an increased number of MHC-I (H2-K^b) positive new myofibers, and of the infiltrated CD8⁺ T cells in damaged muscle at the day 7 after L-NAME treatment. The result herein shows that, NO can act as an endogenous anti-inflammatory molecule during the ongoing muscle inflammation. Our finding may provide new insight to optimize NO-based therapies for improving muscle regeneration after myoinjury.     

甘肃鼢鼠胃肠道肌间神经丛一氧化氮合酶阳性神经元的分布

用NADPH-黄递酶组织化学法及整装铺片技术,对甘肃鼢鼠(Myospalax cansus)胃肠道肌间神经丛NOS阳性神经元的分布进行研究.结果显示,甘肃鼢鼠胃肠道肌间神经丛NOS阳性神经元分布广泛,形态多样,神经元大小不同,阳性神经节与阳性神经纤维束形成网络;胃肠道不同部位NOS阳性神经元密度有差异,结肠最高,直肠次之.从十二指肠至回肠段,NOS阳性神经元密度整体呈上升趋势;胃与空肠、十二指肠与盲肠间NOS阳性神经元密度无显著差异,其他各段之间差异显著.甘肃鼢鼠胃肠道肌间神经丛NOS阳性神经元分布与其他已研究动物的分布模式基本一致.     

Depletion of Intracellular Glutathione Increases Susceptibility to Nitric Oxide in Mesencephalic Dopaminergic Neurons

Using primary neuronal cultures, we investigated the effects of GSH depletion on the cytotoxic effects of glutamate and NO in dopaminergic neurons. Intracellular GSH was depleted by 24-h exposure to L-buthionine-[S,R]-sulfoximine (BSO), an irreversible inhibitor of GSH synthase. BSO exposure caused concentration-dependent reduction of the viability of both dopaminergic and nondopaminergic neurons. In contrast, 24-h exposure of cultures to glutamate or NOC18, an NO-releasing agent, significantly reduced the viability of nondopaminergic neurons without affecting that of dopaminergic neurons. Pretreatment with N-acetyl-L-cysteine for 24 h ameliorated the NOC18-induced toxicity in nondopaminergic neurons. In dopaminergic neurons, sublethal concentrations of BSO reduced intracellular GSH content and markedly potentiated glutamate- and NOC18-induced toxicity. These results suggested that glutamate toxicity was enhanced in dopaminergic neurons by suppression of defense mechanisms against NO toxicity under conditions of GSH depletion. Under such conditions, free iron plays an important role because BSO-enhanced NO toxicity was ameliorated by the iron-chelating agent, deferoxamine. These results suggest that GSH plays an important role in the expression of NO-mediated glutamate cytotoxicity in dopaminergic neurons. Free iron may be related to enhanced NO cytotoxicity under GSH depletion.     

Hunting for Plant Nitric Oxide Synthase Provides New Evidence of a Central Role for Plastids in Nitric Oxide Metabolism

Nitric oxide (NO) has emerged as a central signaling molecule in plants and animals. However, the long search for a plant NO synthase (NOS) enzyme has only encountered false leads. The first works describing a pathogen-induced NOS-like plant protein were soon retracted. New hope came from the identification of NOS1, an Arabidopsis thaliana protein with an atypical NOS activity that was found to be targeted to mitochondria in roots. Although concerns about the NO-producing activity of this protein were raised (causing the renaming of the protein to NO-associated 1), compelling data on its biological role were missing until recently. Strong evidence is now available that this protein functions as a GTPase that is actually targeted to plastids, where it might be required for ribosome function. These and other results support the argument that the defective NO production in loss-of-function mutants is an indirect effect of interfering with normal plastid functions and that plastids play an important role in regulating NO levels in plant cells.A major revolution in biology took place by the early 1990s after the discovery that nitric oxide (NO), a free radical, was not a toxic by-product of oxidative metabolism but had a fundamental role as a signaling molecule regulating normal physiological processes in animal cells (Culotta and Koshland, 1992). A role of this volatile molecule in plant defense responses was subsequently reported, and it is now well established that NO is also a key player in the regulation of different plant developmental processes, including germination, root growth, vascular differentiation, stomatal closure, and flowering (Lamattina et al., 2003; Wendehenne et al., 2004; Crawford and Guo, 2005). Animal cells synthesize NO primarily by the activity of NO synthase (NOS) enzymes. There are several NOS isoforms, but all of them catalyze the same basic reaction: a NADPH-dependent oxidation of l-Arg to NO and l-citrulline. By contrast, the synthesis of NO in plant cells remains a matter of debate. The first reported mechanism to make NO in plants was the reduction of nitrite to NO catalyzed (with low efficiency) by nitrate reductase (NR), a cytosolic enzyme that normally reduces nitrate to nitrite (Yamasaki et al., 1999). But the contribution of NR to NO synthesis is still controversial.The analysis of the Arabidopsis thaliana nia1 nia2 double mutant, which shows substantially reduced NR activity levels, has shown that such activity is required for NO synthesis during flowering (Seligman et al., 2008), auxin-induced lateral root development (Kolbert et al., 2008), and abscisic acid (ABA)-induced stomatal closure (Desikan et al., 2002; Bright et al., 2006) but not during infection (Zhang et al., 2003), salicylic acid treatment (Zottini et al., 2007), or mechanical stress (Garces et al., 2001). Furthermore, foliar extracts of the mutant show the same capacity to produce NO as wild-type plants when nitrite is exogenously supplied (Modolo et al., 2005). These results indicate that additional mechanisms to reduce nitrite into NO exist in plant cells and that the decreased capability for NO synthesis of mutant plants with defective NR activity might result from their reduced nitrite levels (Modolo et al., 2005). Other enzymatic sources for nitrite-dependent NO synthesis exist in the plasma membrane (Stohr et al., 2001) and mitochondria (Planchet et al., 2005), whereas nonenzymatic production of NO from nitrite has been shown to occur in acidic and reducing environments, such as the apoplasm (Bethke et al., 2004) and plastids (Cooney et al., 1994). The highly reduced levels of l-Arg in the nia1 nia2 mutant (Modolo et al., 2006) might also compromise its ability to produce NO. This amino acid is a substrate for the production of polyamines, compounds that have been proposed to participate in NO synthesis (Tun et al., 2006). Additionally, plants have been found to synthesize NO by an Arg-dependent NOS activity similar to that present in animal cells, as detailed in the next section.     

Modeling of Rhythmogenesis in an Ensemble of Cortical Neurons Connected with Electrical Synapses

Based on our own data on generation of spindle-like field electrical activity in neuronal barrels of the rat somatic cortex and also on the published data on the properties of voltage-dependent channels in the membranes of cortical cells, we developed a model of the ensemble (simple network) of neurons connected by electrical synapses. Such connections were found earlier in neurophysiological and ultramicroscopic studies. Model neurons with membranes having sodium, potassium, and calcium channels described in the literature were capable of generating bursting rhythmic impulse activity under conditions of switching off of synaptic connections between cells (isolation). With switching on of electrical synapses, spiking generated by separate neurons, which initially was nonsynchronous, became synchronized in time. Ipso facto, we demonstrated the ability of pacemaker oscillatory activity to be electrotonically synchronized in ensembles of neurons connected with electrical synapses.     

Regeneration of Identified Neurons and Their Synaptic Connections in the Central Nervous System of Aplysia

SYNOPSIS. In the CNS of Aplysia the number and sequence of lesionsinfluence the regeneration of identified neurons and their synapticconnections The left pleural ganglion giant neuron (LGC) failsto regenerate its severed axon following crushes of the cerebropleural (C-PL) connectses A conditioning lesion paradigm inwhich first a foot nerve and then 10 days later, the left C-PLconnective is crushed, results in the LGC regenerating its axonSynaptic inputs from identified neurons in the cerebral ganglionrarely regenerate when only the C-PL connectives are crushedConditioning lesions also result in the regeneration of synapticconnections from the cerebral A neurons Multiple and sequentiallesions appear to be more effective than single lesions in promotingboth axonal regeneration and synapse formation The possiblemechanisms by which axonal regeneration and synaptogenesis arecontrolled are discussed.     

Tachykinins Potentiate N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Responses in Acutely Isolated Neurons from the Dorsal Horn

Abstract: Substance P and neurokinin A both potentiated N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA)-induced currents recorded in acutely isolated neurons from the dorsal horn of the rat. To elucidate the mechanism underlying this phenomenon, we measured the effects of tachykinins and glutamate receptor agonists on [Ca²⁺]_i in these cells. Substance P, but not neurokinin A, increased [Ca²⁺]_i in a subpopulation of neurons. The increase in [Ca²⁺]_i was found to be due to Ca²⁺ influx through voltage-sensitive Ca²⁺ channels. Substance P and neurokinin A also potentiated the increase in [Ca²⁺]_i produced by NMDA, but not by α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid, kainate, or 50 m M K⁺. Phorbol esters enhanced the effects of NMDA and staurosporine inhibited the potentiation of NMDA effects by tachykinins. It is concluded that activation of protein kinase C may mediate the enhancement of NMDA effects by tachykinins in these cells. However, the effects of tachykinins on [Ca²⁺]_i can be dissociated from their effects on NMDA receptors.     

一氧化氮通过巯基亚硝化途径抑制海马神经元的延迟整流型钾电流

应用膜片钳全细胞记录模式研究了内源性一氧化氮(NO)对培养海马神经元延迟整流型钾电流的调控作用及其机制.给予NO合成酶的底物L-精氨酸(L-Arg,2mmol/L)可显著抑制海马神经元上的延迟整流型钾电流,但其同分异构体D-精氨酸(2mmol/L)对钾电流则无明显影响.并且,经一氧化氮合成酶抑制剂L-NAME(nomega-nitro-L-argininemethylester,0.5mmol/L)预处理后,L-Arg对钾电流的抑制作用消失,表明L-Arg抑制钾电流是通过产生NO而不是精氨酸本身.特异性鸟苷酸环化酶抑制剂ODQ(1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]-quinoxalin-1-one,10!mol/L)预处理不影响L-Arg对钾电流的抑制作用,但巯基烷化剂NEM(N-ethylmaleimide,1mmol/L)预处理可完全阻断L-Arg的抑制效应.以上结果表明,内源性NO主要通过巯基亚硝化途径抑制海马神经元的延迟整流型钾电流.     

Role of Nitric Oxide in Methamphetamine Neurotoxicity: Protection by 7-Nitroindazole, an Inhibitor of Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase

Abstract: The role of nitric oxide (NO^•) in the neurotoxic effects of methamphetamine (METH) was evaluated using 7-nitroindazole (7-NI), a potent inhibitor of neuronal nitric oxide synthase. Treatment of mice with 7-NI (50 mg/kg) almost completely counteracted the loss of dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, and tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity observed 5 days after four injections of 10 or 7.5 mg/kg METH. With the higher dose of METH, this protection at 5 days occurred despite the fact that combined administration of METH and 7-NI significantly increased lethality and exacerbated METH-induced dopamine release (as indicated by a greater dopamine depletion at 90 min and 1 day). Combined treatment with 4 × 10 mg/kg METH and 7-NI also slightly increased the body temperature of mice as compared with METH alone. Thus, the neuroprotective effects of 7-NI are independent from lethality, are not likely to be related to a reduction of METH-induced dopamine release, and are not due to a decrease in body temperature. These results indicate that NO^• formation is an important step leading to METH neurotoxicity, and suggest that the cytotoxic properties of NO^• may be directly involved in dopaminergic terminal damage.     

Overexpression of Rat Neurons Nitric Oxide Synthase in Rice Enhances Drought and Salt Tolerance

Nitric oxide (NO) has been shown to play an important role in the plant response to biotic and abiotic stresses in Arabidopsis mutants with lower or higher levels of endogenous NO. The exogenous application of NO donors or scavengers has also suggested an important role for NO in plant defense against environmental stress. In this study, rice plants under drought and high salinity conditions showed increased nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity and NO levels. Overexpression of rat neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) in rice increased both NOS activity and NO accumulation, resulting in improved tolerance of the transgenic plants to both drought and salt stresses. nNOS-overexpressing plants exhibited stronger water-holding capability, higher proline accumulation, less lipid peroxidation and reduced electrolyte leakage under drought and salt conditions than wild rice. Moreover, nNOS-overexpressing plants accumulated less H₂O₂, due to the observed up-regulation of OsCATA, OsCATB and OsPOX1. In agreement, the activities of CAT and POX were higher in transgenic rice than wild type. Additionally, the expression of six tested stress-responsive genes including OsDREB2A, OsDREB2B, OsSNAC1, OsSNAC2, OsLEA3 and OsRD29A, in nNOS-overexpressing plants was higher than that in the wild type under drought and high salinity conditions. Taken together, our results suggest that nNOS overexpression suppresses the stress-enhanced electrolyte leakage, lipid peroxidation and H₂O₂ accumulation, and promotes proline accumulation and the expression of stress-responsive genes under stress conditions, thereby promoting increased tolerance to drought and salt stresses.     

The Arabidopsis Prohibitin Gene PHB3 Functions in Nitric Oxide–Mediated Responses and in Hydrogen Peroxide–Induced Nitric Oxide Accumulation

To discover genes involved in nitric oxide (NO) metabolism, a genetic screen was employed to identify mutants defective in NO accumulation after treatment with the physiological inducer hydrogen peroxide. In wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana plants, NO levels increase eightfold in roots after H₂O₂ treatment for 30 min. A mutant defective in H₂O₂-induced NO accumulation was identified, and the corresponding mutation was mapped to the prohibitin gene PHB3, converting the highly conserved Gly-37 to an Asp in the protein''s SPFH domain. This point mutant and a T-DNA insertion mutant were examined for other NO-related phenotypes. Both mutants were defective in abscisic acid–induced NO accumulation and stomatal closure and in auxin-induced lateral root formation. Both mutants were less sensitive to salt stress, showing no increase in NO accumulation and less inhibition of primary root growth in response to NaCl treatment. In addition, light-induced NO accumulation was dramatically reduced in cotyledons. We found no evidence for impaired H₂O₂ metabolism or signaling in the mutants as H₂O₂ levels and H₂O₂-induced gene expression were unaffected by the mutations. These findings identify a component of the NO homeostasis system in plants and expand the function of prohibitin genes to include regulation of NO accumulation and NO-mediated responses.