慢性低O2高CO2对大鼠空间学习记忆及脑内NMDA R1亚基表达的影响

目的探讨慢性低O2高CO2诱导大鼠空间学习记忆改变及其可能机制.方法将清洁级雄性SD大鼠58只,随机分为三组正常对照组(NC组,n=18),低O2高CO2 2周组(2HH组,n=20),低O2高CO2 4周组(4HH组,n=20).Morris水迷宫观察动物空间学习记忆的变化,采用原位杂交法观察大鼠海马及皮层区N-甲基-D-门冬氨酸受体R1亚单位(NMDAR1 mRNA)的表达情况.结果与NC组比较,模型组大鼠寻找障台的平均逃避潜伏期延长2HH组(38.59±8.35)s,4HH组(60.59±17.28)s;游泳总距离增加2HH组(9893.45±1958.16)mm,4HH组(18077.57±6878.85)mm.模型组大鼠海马皮层区NMDAR1mRNA表达的平均光密度较NC组相比均有减少,其中4HH组海马CA1区减少了21.4%(P＜0.01).结论慢性低O2高CO2可导致大鼠空间学习记忆能力下降,可能与海马CA1区的NMDAR1mRNA表达下调有关.     

Dopamine D1 receptor signaling system regulates ryanodine receptor expression after intermittent exposure to methamphetamine in primary cultures of midbrain and cerebral cortical neurons

Regulatory mechanisms of ryanodine receptor (RyR) expression are not well known, although methamphetamine (METH) has been reported to up-regulate RyRs in mouse brain. This study investigate regulatory mechanisms of RyR expression by dopaminergic system using the midbrain and cerebral cortical neurons in primary culture intermittently exposed to METH and dopamine receptor (DR) agonists (1 h/day, for 3 days). Intermittent METH (10 μM) exposure enhanced RyR-1 and -2 proteins and their mRNA, but not RyR-3 expression in the both types of the neurons. These METH-induced increases of RyR proteins and their mRNA were dose-dependently blocked by SCH23390 (a selective D(1) DR antagonist), but not a D(2)DR antagonist sulpiride, suggesting a regulatory role of D(1)DRs in RyR expression by METH in these neurons. In cerebral cortical neurons, intermittent SKF82958 (a selective D(1)DR agonist) exposure increased RyR-1 and -2 proteins and their mRNA, whereas quinpirole (a selective D(2)DR agonist) showed no effects. KT5720, a protein kinase A inhibitor, dose-dependently attenuated the METH-stimulated RyR-1 and -2 expressions in cerebral cortical neurons. METH significantly increased phosphorylation of cAMP-response element-binding protein, which was completely suppressed by SCH23390. These results indicate that RyR-1 and -2 expressions are regulated by D(1)DRs via the signal transduction linked to D(1)DRs.     

Norepinephrine specifically stimulates ribonucleotide reductase subunit R2 gene expression in proliferating brown adipocytes: mediation via a cAMP/PKA pathway involving Src and Erk1/2 kinases

We have examined whether a qualitative switch occurs in the response of the ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) genes to the effect of the physiological cAMP-elevating agent norepinephrine (NE) during the development of brown adipocytes. Basal expression of the genes for both RNR subunits, R1 and R2, was high in proliferating cells, but was markedly down-regulated in parallel with adipocyte differentiation. NE stimulation, which promotes DNA synthesis and proliferation of brown preadipocytes, resulted in an increased expression of the R2 gene in proliferating cells (1.6-fold), but was without effect on R1 expression. In contrast, NE stimulation of confluent differentiating brown adipocytes reduced both R1 and R2 expression. The NE stimulation of R2 expression in preadipocytes was mimicked by forskolin and abolished by H89, demonstrating mediation via cAMP and protein kinase A (PKA). Also, inhibitors of Src and of Erk1/2 kinases markedly reduced NE-stimulated R2 expression. We conclude that adrenergic stimulation of brown adipocytes by NE specifically elevates expression of the RNR subunit R2 gene in the proliferative stage of brown adipocyte development, the mediating pathway being a cAMP/PKA cascade further involving Src and the MAP kinase Erk1/2. These results suggest that adrenergic stimulation of brown adipocyte proliferation may act at the level of gene expression of the limiting subunit for RNR activity, R2, and demonstrate a qualitative switch in the response of the R2 gene to cAMP-elevating agents as a consequence of the switch from proliferating to differentiating cell status.     

NMDAR1蛋白膜外抗原结构域的重组表达、纯化和免疫反应原性鉴定

构建编码NMDAR1蛋白膜外片段的原核表达重组质粒,在大肠杆菌中诱导表达、纯化并鉴定其免疫反应原性。根据人NMDAR1基因序列,利用Phyre 2软件预测蛋白的三级结构并分析其结构域。设计引物用RT-PCR方法扩增编码NMDAR1膜外蛋白不同结构域的核酸片段,并插入原核表达载体pCold-SUMO构建重组质粒。转化DH5α感受态细胞,菌落PCR鉴定,阳性单克隆进行测序验证。鉴定正确的重组体转化大肠杆菌BL21(DE3),IPTG诱导目的蛋白的表达和纯化,Ni-NTA柱亲和层析和凝胶过滤层析纯化蛋白,酶切切除融合蛋白6His-SUMO标签,用AKTA Purifier进行凝胶过滤层析,收集纯化蛋白。利用SDS-PAGE鉴定蛋白纯度,并用Western blotting进行免疫反应性鉴定。克隆获得NMDAR1膜外部分的三段DNA序列,分别是NR1-M1(编码19–393 aa)、NR1-S1(编码394–544 aa)和NR1-S2(编码663–800 aa)。其中NR1-S1和NR1-S2片段之间以G(甘氨酸)和T(苏氨酸)作为接头连接成为复合片段。经菌落PCR筛选和测序鉴定,成功构建了重组质粒p Cold-SUMO-M1和p Cold-SUMO-S1-GT-S2。SDS-PAGE鉴定结果表明重组质粒在大肠杆菌中经诱导可表达可溶性NR1-M1及NR1-S1-GT-S2蛋白。对表达产物进行亲和层析和凝胶过滤层析获得了高纯度的目标蛋白。Western blotting证实纯化的目的蛋白能与相应抗体发生特异性结合反应。本研究成功构建了NMDAR1蛋白膜外抗原结构域的原核表达系统,并获得了具有免疫反应性的NR1-M1及NR1-S1-GT-S2纯化蛋白。该蛋白有望用于NMDAR1蛋白的功能研究及自身抗体的检测。     

Geranylgeraniol enhances testosterone production via the cAMP/protein kinase A pathway in testis-derived I-10 tumor cells

Testosterone levels in men decrease with age; this decline has been linked to various diseases and can shorten life expectancy. Geranylgeraniol (GGOH) is an isoprenoid found in plants that plays an important role in several biological processes; however, its role in steroidogenesis is unknown. Here, we report that GGOH enhances the production of testosterone and its precursor progesterone in testis-derived I-10 tumor cells. GGOH induced protein kinase A (PKA) activity and increased cAMP levels and was found to regulate cAMP/PKA signaling by activating adenylate cyclase without altering phosphodiesterase activity. GGOH also stimulated mRNA and protein levels of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein, a downstream effector in the cAMP/PKA pathway. These results demonstrate that GGOH enhances steroidogenesis in testis-derived cells by modulating cAMP/PKA signaling. Our findings have potential applications for the development of therapeutics that increase testosterone levels in aging men.     

Opposite regulation of calbindin and calretinin expression by brain-derived neurotrophic factor in cortical neurons

Regulation of calbindin and calretinin expression by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was examined in primary cultures of cortical neurons using immunocytochemistry and northern blot analysis. Here we report that regulation of calretinin expression by BDNF is in marked contrast to that of calbindin. Indeed, chronic exposure of cultured cortical neurons for 5 days to increasing concentrations of BDNF (0.1-10 ng/ml) resulted in a concentration-dependent decrease in the number of calretinin-positive neurons and a concentration-dependent increase in the number of calbindin-immunoreactive neurons. Consistent with the immunocytochemical analysis, BDNF reduced calretinin mRNA levels and up-regulated calbindin mRNA expression, providing evidence that modifications in gene expression accounted for the changes in the number of calretinin- and calbindin-containing neurons. Among other members of the neurotrophin family, neurotrophin-4 (NT-4), which also acts by activating tyrosine kinase TrkB receptors, exerted effects comparable to those of BDNF, whereas nerve growth factor (NGF) was ineffective. As for BDNF and NT-4, incubation of cortical neurons with neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) also led to a decrease in calretinin expression. However, in contrast to BDNF and NT-4, NT-3 did not affect calbindin expression. Double-labeling experiments evidenced that calretinin- and calbindin-containing neurons belong to distinct neuronal subpopulations, suggesting that BDNF and NT-4 exert opposite effects according to the neurochemical phenotype of the target cell.     

cAMP regulates vasopressin-induced AQP2 expression via protein kinase A-independent pathway

The regulation of AVP-induced AQP2 expression was investigated in the present study. AVP administration induced AQP2 expression in a dose-dependent manner in association with an increase in intracellular cAMP concentration. PKA activity was stimulated by AVP but PKA inhibitors did not block the upregulation of AQP2 expression. However, AVP also activated both ERK and CREB pathways, and ERK inhibitor attenuated the upregulation of AQP2 expression. These results therefore indicate that the effect of AVP stimulation to upregulate AQP2 expression involves a PKA-independent pathway.