Mycalolide B dissociates dynactin and abolishes retrograde axonal transport of dense-core vesicles

Axonal transport is critical for maintaining synaptic transmission. Of interest, anterograde and retrograde axonal transport appear to be interdependent, as perturbing one directional motor often impairs movement in the opposite direction. Here live imaging of Drosophila and hippocampal neuron dense-core vesicles (DCVs) containing a neuropeptide or brain-derived neurotrophic factor shows that the F-actin depolymerizing macrolide toxin mycalolide B (MB) rapidly and selectively abolishes retrograde, but not anterograde, transport in the axon and the nerve terminal. Latrunculin A does not mimic MB, demonstrating that F-actin depolymerization is not responsible for unidirectional transport inhibition. Given that dynactin initiates retrograde transport and that amino acid sequences implicated in macrolide toxin binding are found in the dynactin component actin-related protein 1, we examined dynactin integrity. Remarkably, cell extract and purified protein experiments show that MB induces disassembly of the dynactin complex. Thus imaging selective retrograde transport inhibition led to the discovery of a small-molecule dynactin disruptor. The rapid unidirectional inhibition by MB suggests that dynactin is absolutely required for retrograde DCV transport but does not directly facilitate ongoing anterograde DCV transport in the axon or nerve terminal. More generally, MB''s effects bolster the conclusion that anterograde and retrograde axonal transport are not necessarily interdependent.     

Characterization of retrograde axonal transport of antibodies in central and peripheral neurons

Retrograde axonal transport of antibodies against synaptic membrane glycoproteins was studied in the hypoglossal nerve and several CNS pathways of the rat. Injection into the tongue of polyclonal antibodies against synaptic membrane glycoproteins produced immunocytochemically labeled cells in the hypoglossal nucleus 4-5 hr later. Immunoreactive staining increased through 48 hr after injection and then declined. Injections of Fab preparations of the antibody gave labeling patterns indistinguishable from those of the whole antibody. The specificity of this method is shown by control studies in which antibodies against antigens that are not known to be present on the surface of presynaptic membranes were injected and gave no retrograde labeling. Retrograde labeling was also demonstrated in CNS pathways. However, labeling was never as intense as that seen in the hypoglossal nucleus, and some CNS pathways failed to show any retrograde labeling. Furthermore, retrograde labeling after control injections could be demonstrated in some cases. To determine if antibodies were also transported anterogradely, injections were made into the vitreous body of the eye, and the superior colliculus was processed for immunocytochemistry. Unlike wheat-germ agglutinin and several other tracers, antibodies were not found to be anterogradely transported in the optic nerve.     

Cytofluorometric quantitation of retrograde axonal transport in single dorsal root ganglia neurons

A technique is described by which neurons from mouse dorsal root ganglia can be dispersed in single-cell suspensions suitable for quantitative cytochemical analyses. The neurons were intact as controlled by trypan blue exclusion test, and the cell size distribution of the dispersed neurons corresponded to that of untreated, intact ganglia. Horseradish peroxidase and Evans blue applied to cut sciatic nerve, were transferred by somatopetal intra-axonal transport and accumulated in corresponding dorsal root ganglia neurons. The tracers were retained during the preparation of cell suspensions. The accumulation of the fluorescent tracer Evans blue was quantitated by cytofluorometric measurements on individual neurons.     

BPAG1n4 is essential for retrograde axonal transport in sensory neurons

Disruption of the BPAG1 (bullous pemphigoid antigen 1) gene results in progressive deterioration in motor function and devastating sensory neurodegeneration in the null mice. We have previously demonstrated that BPAG1n1 and BPAG1n3 play important roles in organizing cytoskeletal networks in vivo. Here, we characterize functions of a novel BPAG1 neuronal isoform, BPAG1n4. Results obtained from yeast two-hybrid screening, blot overlay binding assays, and coimmunoprecipitations demonstrate that BPAG1n4 interacts directly with dynactin p150Glued through its unique ezrin/radixin/moesin domain. Studies using double immunofluorescent microscopy and ultrastructural analysis reveal physiological colocalization of BPAG1n4 with dynactin/dynein. Disruption of the interaction between BPAG1n4 and dynactin results in severe defects in retrograde axonal transport. We conclude that BPAG1n4 plays an essential role in retrograde axonal transport in sensory neurons. These findings might advance our understanding of pathogenesis of axonal degeneration and neuronal death.     

Vacuolar sequential exocytosis of large dense-core vesicles in adrenal medulla

Individual exocytic events in intact adrenal medulla were visualized by two-photon extracellular polar-tracer imaging. Exocytosis of chromaffin vesicles often occurred in a sequential manner, involving first vesicles located at the cell periphery and then those present deeper within the cytoplasm. Sequential exocytosis occurred preferentially at regions of the plasma membrane facing the intercellular space. The compound vesicles swelled to more than five times their original volume and formed vacuolar exocytic lumens as a result of expansion of intravesicular gels and their confinement within the lumen by the fusion pore and the narrow intercellular space. Such luminal swelling greatly promoted sequential exocytosis. The SNARE protein SNAP25 rapidly migrated from the plasma membrane to the membrane of fused vesicles. These data indicate that vesicles present deeper within the cytoplasm can be fusion ready like those at the cell periphery, and that swelling of exocytic lumens promotes assembly of the fusion machinery. We suggest the existence of two molecular configurations for fusion-ready states in Ca2+ -dependent exocytosis.     

The kinematics of turnaround and retrograde axonal transport

Rapid axonal transport of a pulse of 35S-methionine-labelled material was studied in vitro in the sensory neurons of amphibian sciatic nerve using a position-sensitive detector. For 10 nerves studied at 23.0 +/- 0.2 degrees C it was found that a pulse moved in the anterograde direction characterized by front edge, peak, and trailing edge transport rates of (mm/d) 180.8 +/- 2.2 (+/- SEM), 176.6 +/- 2.3, and 153.7 +/- 3.0, respectively. Following its arrival at a distal ligature, a smaller pulse was observed to move in the retrograde direction characterized by front edge and peak transport rates of 158.0 +/- 7.3 and 110.3 +/- 3.5, respectively, indicating that retrograde transport proceeds at a rate of 0.88 +/- 0.04 that of anterograde. The retrograde pulse was observed to disperse at a rate greater than the anterograde. Reversal of radiolabel at the distal ligature began 1.49 +/- 0.15 h following arrival of the first radiolabel. Considerable variation was seen between preparations in the way radiolabel accumulated in the end (ligature) regions of the nerve. Although a retrograde pulse was seen in all preparations, in 7 of 10 preparations there was no evidence of this pulse accumulating within less than 2-3 mm of a proximal ligature; however, accumulation was observed within less than 5 mm in all preparations.     

Ultrastructural organization of the geniculo-cortical neurons demonstrated by retrograde axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase

The ultrastructural organization of geniculo-cortical relay neurons projecting to the primary auditory cortex (field 22) was studied in the cat by the method of retrograde axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase. The labeled neurons appear to be a medium-sized cells containing a large amount of profiles of vacuolar systems as well as organelles involved in catabolic processes. These cells differ from small unmarked neurons in having a narrow band scanty cytoplasm. Only a few axo-somatic synapses are found on the labeled neurons, the majority of afferent impulsation is perceived by their dendrites. The function of relay neurons is discussed.     

Endosome-mediated retrograde axonal transport of P2X3 receptor signals in primary sensory neurons

Neurotrophins and their receptors adopt signaling endosomes to transmit retrograde signals. However, the mechanisms of retrograde signaling for other ligand/receptor systems are poorly understood. Here, we report that the signals of the purinergic (P)2X(3) receptor, an ATP-gated ion channel, are retrogradely transported in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neuron axons. We found that Rab5, a small GTPase, controls the early sorting of P2X(3) receptors into endosomes, while Rab7 mediates the fast retrograde transport of P2X(3) receptors. Intraplantar injection and axonal application into the microfluidic chamber of α, β-methylene-ATP (α, β-MeATP), a P2X selective agonist, enhanced the endocytosis and retrograde transport of P2X(3) receptors. The α, β-MeATP-induced Ca(2+) influx activated a pathway comprised of protein kinase C, rat sarcoma viral oncogene and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK), which associated with endocytic P2X(3) receptors to form signaling endosomes. Disruption of the lipid rafts abolished the α, β-MeATP-induced ERK phosphorylation, endocytosis and retrograde transport of P2X(3) receptors. Furthermore, treatment of peripheral axons with α, β-MeATP increased the activation level of ERK and cAMP response element-binding protein in the cell bodies of DRG neurons and enhanced neuronal excitability. Impairment of either microtubule-based axonal transport in vivo or dynein function in vitro blocked α, β-MeATP-induced retrograde signals. These results indicate that P2X(3) receptor-activated signals are transmitted via retrogradely transported endosomes in primary sensory neurons and provide a novel signaling mechanism for ligand-gated channels.     

Munc13-1 acts as a priming factor for large dense-core vesicles in bovine chromaffin cells

In chromaffin cells the number of large dense-core vesicles (LDCVs) which can be released by brief, intense stimuli represents only a small fraction of the 'morphologically docked' vesicles at the plasma membrane. Recently, it was shown that Munc13-1 is essential for a post-docking step of synaptic vesicle fusion. To investigate the role of Munc13-1 in LDCV exocytosis, we overexpressed Munc13-1 in chromaffin cells and stimulated secretion by flash photolysis of caged calcium. Both components of the exocytotic burst, which represent the fusion of release-competent vesicles, were increased by a factor of three. The sustained component, which represents vesicle maturation and subsequent fusion, was increased by the same factor. The response to a second flash, however, was greatly reduced, indicating a depletion of release-competent vesicles. Since there was no apparent change in the number of docked vesicles, we conclude that Munc13-1 acts as a priming factor by accelerating the rate constant of vesicle transfer from a pool of docked, but unprimed vesicles to a pool of release-competent, primed vesicles.     

NGF receptor-mediated reduction in axonal NGF uptake and retrograde transport following sciatic nerve injury and during regeneration.

Injury to the rat sciatic nerve leads to the induction of nerve growth factor (NGF) receptors on the denervated Schwann cells and their disappearance on the regenerating axons of the axotomized, normally NGF-sensitive sensory and sympathetic neurons. This disappearance in the axonal expression and retrograde transport of NGF receptors is associated with a similarly dramatic reduction in the axonal uptake and retrograde transport of NGF following axotomy and during regeneration. In view of the massive NGF synthesis occurring in the injured nerve, these results suggest that, while sensory and sympathetic neurons are the primary targets of NGF in the normal peripheral nervous system, the denervated Schwann cells may become its primary target in the aftermath of nerve injury.     

Enhanced detection and retrograde axonal transport of PrPc in peripheral nerve

Neuroinvasion of the CNS during orally acquired transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) may involve the transport of the infectious agent from the periphery to the CNS via the peripheral nerves. If this occurs within axons, the mechanism of axonal transport may be fundamental to the process. In studies of peripheral nerve we observed that the cellular prion protein (PrPc) is highly resistant to detergent extraction. The implication of this is an underestimation of the abundance of PrPc in peripheral nerve. We have developed nerve extraction conditions that enhance the quantification of the protein in nerve 16-fold. Application of these conditions to evaluate the accumulation of PrPc distal to a cut nerve now reveals that PrPc is retrogradely transported from the axon ending. These results provide a potential cellular mechanism for TSE infectivity to gain entry to the CNS from the periphery.     

Ceramide inhibits axonal growth and nerve growth factor uptake without compromising the viability of sympathetic neurons.

Ceramide inhibits axonal growth of cultured rat sympathetic neurons when the ceramide content of distal axons, but not cell bodies, is increased (Posse de Chaves, E. I., Bussiere, M. Vance, D. E., Campenot, R. B., and Vance, J.E. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 3028-3035). We now report that inhibition of growth does not result from cell death since although ceramide is a known apoptotic agent, C(6)-ceramide given to the neurons for 24 h did not cause cell death but instead protected the neurons from death induced by deprivation of nerve growth factor (NGF). We also find that a pool of ceramide generated from sphingomyelin in distal axons, but not cell bodies, inhibits axonal growth. Analysis of endogenous sphingomyelinase activities demonstrated that distal axons are rich in neutral sphingomyelinase activity but contain almost no acidic sphingomyelinase, which is concentrated in cell bodies/proximal axons. Together, these observations are consistent with the idea that generation of ceramide from sphingomyelin by a neutral sphingomyelinase in axons inhibits axonal growth. Furthermore, we demonstrate that treatment of distal axons with ceramide inhibits the uptake of NGF and low density lipoproteins by distal axons by approximately 70 and 40%, respectively, suggesting that the inhibition of axonal growth by ceramide might be due, at least in part, to impaired endocytosis of NGF. However, inhibition of endocytosis of NGF by ceramide could not be ascribed to decreased phosphorylation of TrkA.     

Fast axonal transport of foreign synaptic vesicles in squid axoplasm

Translocation of intracellular organelles requires interaction with the cellular cytoskeleton, but the membrane and cytoskeletal proteins involved in movement are unknown. Here we show that highly purified synaptic vesicles from electric fish added to extruded squid axoplasm can show ATP-dependent movement. The movement is indistinguishable from that of endogenous vesicles and has a slight preference for the orthograde direction. In the presence of a nonhydrolyzable ATP analog, the synaptic vesicles bind to axoplasmic fibers but do not move. Elastase treatment of vesicles inhibits both binding and movement. We conclude that a protein component on the surface of cholinergic synaptic vesicles from electric fish is conserved during evolution and so can be recognized by the organelle-translocating machinery of the squid axon, resulting in ATP-dependent movement. Synaptic vesicles apparently retain the capacity for fast axonal transport, even after they reach their intracellular destination.