甘氨酸神经递质研究进展

甘氨酸是化学结构最简单的氨基酸,但具有复杂的功能。甘氨酸在中枢神经系统中是介导快速抑制性神经传递的一种重要的神经递质,在控制神经元兴奋性方面发挥重要作用。就其神经递质功能对甘氨酸的生物合成、释放与调控以及作用模式等方面的近年研究进展做一综述,对甘氨酸神经递质的全面认识将有益于炎性痛、痉挛状态以及癫痫等中枢神经系统疾病的诊断、预防及治疗。     

P2X受体研究进展

P2X受体为配体门控离子通道,属于P2受体家族。P2X受体的配体是ATP,胞外ATP结合时P2X受体通道打开,允许阳离子(Na 、Ca2 等)通过。目前已克隆了7个哺乳动物的P2X(P2X1-7)受体,并阐明了它们的药理学特性。天然P2X受体可以组装成同型或异型聚合体,形成功能性离子通道。对有关P2X受体的结构、分布、功能、生物物理学特性等研究的最新进展进行了综述。     

鸡视网膜甘氨酸受体、乙酰胆碱受体及离子通道在两栖类卵母细胞中的表达和初步研究

利用两栖类卵母细胞表达鸡视网膜ｍＲＮＡ,借助电压箝方法研究鸡视网膜中的神经递质受体和离子通道、结果表明,鸡视网膜中存在甘氨酸受体和Ｎ型的乙酰胆碱受体。但天冬氨酸和５－ＨＴ、多巴胺未能诱导电流反应。此外还检测到电压依赖性的离子流,主要为延迟整流型的外向钾电流和快速的内向钠电流。     

鸡视网膜甘氨酸受体,乙酰胆碱受体及离子通道在两栖类卵母细胞中的表达和

利用两栖类卵母细胞表达鸡视网膜ｍＲＮＡ,借助电压箝方法研究鸡视网膜中的神经递质受体和离子通道。结果表明,鸡视网中存在甘氨酸受体和Ｎ型的乙酰胆碱受体。但天冬氨酸和５－ＨＴ、多巴胺未能诱导电流反应,此外还检测到电压依赖性的离子流、主要为延迟整流的外向钾电流和快速的内向钠电流。     

乙酰胆碱受体结构与功能的研究进展

乙酰胆碱受体是一种神经递质介导的离子通道受体 ,由 5个同源亚基组成。乙酰胆碱受体包括肌肉型和神经型两种。肌肉型乙酰胆碱受体是肌肉神经传导中的重要媒介物质以及自身免疫疾病重症肌无力的主要免疫原 ,神经型乙酰胆碱受体的突变也可导致某些疾病的发生。扼要介绍了近年来乙酰胆碱受体结构与功能的研究进展。     

配体门控离子通道受体别构调节研究

配体门控离子通道(LGIC)在中枢神经系统信息处理的过程中起着极其重要的作用,与多种神经性疾病有着密切联系.与受体正位调节作用相比,别构调节效应具有类内源性生理作用、高选择性及不易过度调节的优点,从而避免了一系列不良反应发生.目前,各种LGIC受体超家族均有别构调节剂发现,部分已在临床上得到应用.在未来的研究中,通过建立及完善针对别构调节剂的筛选策略,别构调节剂的发现效率及生物活性将得到极大地提高,更多的药物将会不断涌现.     

中枢甘氨酸受体分子特性的研究

目录一、ＧｌｙＲ在ＣＮＳ中的分布二、ＧｌｙＲ的分子结构　 (一 )亚单位结构　 (二 )受体组装和表达　 (三 )配体结合　 (四 )通道孔区　 (五 )通道激活　 (六 )磷酸化三、ＧｌｙＲ分子病　 (一 )家族性惊厥病　 (二 )鼠惊厥综合病　 (三 )肌阵挛　 (四 )遗传性惊厥病的生理趋同现象四、结语甘氨酸受体 (ＧｌｙＲ)介导的抑制性神经传递在哺乳动物中枢神经系统 (ＣＮＳ)反射活动、随意运动调节和感觉信号的处理中具有重要作用[1] 。ＧｌｙＲ五聚体由三个独立的多肽组成 :两个糖蛋白 (48ｋＤ和 5 8ｋＤ) ,分别称为α和 β亚单位 ,另一个为 9…     

士的宁／甘氨酸细胞保护受体

本文阐述了士的宁／甘氨酸受体与神经元士的宁敏感的甘氨酸受体的异同，并讨论了该受体的细胞保护作用及其可能的机制。     

甘氨酸受体在肾细胞缺氧保护中的作用研究

目的明确甘氨酸受体(glycine receptor,GlyR)是否介导甘氨酸对ATP耗竭细胞的保护作用。方法构建甘氨酸受体α1亚单位(GlyRα1)的真核表达载体pcDNA3.1(b),转染入缺乏天然GlyR的人胚胎肾细胞HEK293。化学性缺氧使细胞处于ATP耗竭状态,光学显微镜及电镜观察细胞形态及超微结构改变,LDH释放率、细胞膜对荧光标记复合物通透性反映细胞膜完整性,台盼蓝染色观察细胞活性。结果细胞ATP耗竭3h后,细胞膜通透性明显增加,细胞器结构损伤,大量细胞死亡。甘氨酸明显降低表达GlyR的转染HEK293细胞膜通透性,阻止荧光标记复合物进入细胞内,细胞LDH释放率由59.18±8.10%下降为35.15±2.61%。从而维持细胞形态结构,降低细胞死亡率。对不表达GlyR细胞无保护作用。结论GlyR介导甘氨酸对ATP耗竭细胞的保护作用,增强细胞对ATP耗竭的耐受能力,增加细胞的存活几率。     

On the Functional Annotation of Open-Channel Structures in the Glycine Receptor

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An Ion-Permeable State of the Glycine Receptor Captured by Molecular Dynamics

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The Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor: Structure and Autoimmune Pathology

Abstract

The nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChR) are presently the best-characterized neurotransmitter receptors. They are pentamers of homologous or identical subunits, symmetrically arranged to form a transmembrane cation channel. The AChR subunits form a family of homologous proteins, derived from a common ancestor. An autoimmune response to muscle AChR causes the disease myasthenia gravis. This review summarizes recent developments in the understanding of the AChR structure and its molecular recognition by the immune system in myasthenia.     

Intermediate closed channel state(s) precede(s) activation in the ATP-gated P2X2 receptor

The molecular mechanism underlying channel opening in response to agonist binding remains a challenging issue in neuroscience. In this regard, many efforts have been recently undertaken in ATP-gated P2X receptors. Among those efforts, we have provided evidence in the P2X2 receptor that tightening of ATP sites upon agonist binding induces opening of the ion channel. Here we extend our analysis to show that the sulfhydryl-reactive ATP analog 8-thiocyano-ATP (NCS-ATP), a potent P2X2 agonist, when covalently labeled in the ATP-binding site at position Leu186 likely favors the tightening mechanism, but not the channel opening mechanism. Our data predict the existence of intermediate or preactivation state(s) trapped by NCS-ATP, in which tightening of the binding site is favored while the channel is still closed. We propose that this (these) intermediate ATP-bound state(s) prime(s) channel gating in the P2X2 receptor.     

Intermediate closed channel state(s) precede(s) activation in the ATP-gated P2X2 receptor

The molecular mechanism underlying channel opening in response to agonist binding remains a challenging issue in neuroscience. In this regard, many efforts have been recently undertaken in ATP-gated P2X receptors. Among those efforts, we have provided evidence in the P2X2 receptor that tightening of ATP sites upon agonist binding induces opening of the ion channel. Here we extend our analysis to show that the sulfhydryl-reactive ATP analog 8-thiocyano-ATP (NCS-ATP), a potent P2X2 agonist, when covalently labeled in the ATP-binding site at position Leu186 likely favors the tightening mechanism, but not the channel opening mechanism. Our data predict the existence of intermediate or preactivation state(s) trapped by NCS-ATP, in which tightening of the binding site is favored while the channel is still closed. We propose that this (these) intermediate ATP-bound state(s) prime(s) channel gating in the P2X2 receptor.     

Cross-linking of sites involved with alcohol action between transmembrane segments 1 and 3 of the glycine receptor following activation

The glycine receptor is a member of the Cys-loop, ligand-gated ion channel family and is responsible for inhibition in the CNS. We examined the orientation of amino acids I229 in transmembrane 1 (TM1) and A288 in TM3, which are both critical for alcohol and volatile anesthetic action. We mutated these two amino acids to cysteines either singly or in double mutants and expressed the receptors in Xenopus laevis oocytes. We tested whether disulfide bonds could form between A288C in TM3 paired with M227C, Y228C, I229C, or S231C in TM1. Application of cross-linking (mercuric chloride) or oxidizing (iodine) agents had no significant effect on the glycine response of wild-type receptors or the single mutants. In contrast, the glycine response of the I229C/A288C double mutant was diminished after application of either mercuric chloride or iodine only in the presence of glycine, indicating that channel gating causes I229C and A288C to fluctuate to be within 6 Å apart and form a disulfide bond. Molecular modeling was used to thread the glycine receptor sequence onto a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor template, further demonstrating that I229 and A288 are near-neighbors that can cross-link and providing evidence that these residues contribute to a single binding cavity.     

Time course and Ca(2+) dependence of sensitivity modulation in cyclic GMP-gated currents of intact cone photoreceptors

We determined the Ca(2+) dependence and time course of the modulation of ligand sensitivity in cGMP-gated currents of intact cone photoreceptors. In electro-permeabilized single cones isolated from striped bass, we measured outer segment current amplitude as a function of cGMP or 8Br-cGMP concentrations in the presence of various Ca(2+) levels. The dependence of current amplitude on nucleotide concentration is well described by the Hill function with values of K(1/2), the ligand concentration that half-saturates current, that, in turn, depend on Ca(2+). K(1/2) increases as Ca(2+) rises, and this dependence is well described by a modified Michaelis-Menten function, indicating that modulation arises from the interaction of Ca(2+) with a single site without apparent cooperativity. (Ca)K(m), the Michaelis-Menten constant for Ca(2+) concentration is 857 +/- 68 nM for cGMP and 863 +/- 51 for 8Br-cGMP. In single cones under whole-cell voltage clamp, we simultaneously measured changes in membrane current and outer segment free Ca(2+) caused by sudden Ca(2+) sequestration attained by uncaging diazo-2. In the presence of constant 8Br-cGMP, 15 micro, Ca(2+) concentration decrease was complete within 50 ms and membrane conductance was enhanced 2.33 +/- 0.95-fold with a mean time to peak of 1.25 +/- 0.23 s. We developed a model that assumes channel modulation is a pseudo-first-order process kinetically limited by free Ca(2+). Based on the experimentally measured changes in Ca(2+) concentration, model simulations match experimental data well by assigning the pseudo-first-order time constant a mean value of 0.40 +/- 0.14 s. Thus, Ca(2+)-dependent ligand modulation occurs over the concentration range of the normal, dark-adapted cone. Its time course suggests that its functional effects are important in the recovery of the cone photoresponse to a flash of light and during the response to steps of light, when cones adapt.     

Contribution of the Juxtatransmembrane Intracellular Regions to the Time Course and Permeation of ATP-gated P2X7 Receptor Ion Channels

P2X7 receptors are ATP-gated ion channels that contribute to inflammation and cell death. They have the novel property of showing marked facilitation to repeated applications of agonist, and the intrinsic channel pore dilates to allow the passage of fluorescent dyes. A 60-s application of ATP to hP2X7 receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes gave rise to a current that had a biphasic time course with initial and secondary slowly developing components. A second application of ATP evoked a response with a more rapid time to peak. This facilitation was reversed to initial levels following a 10-min agonist-free interval. A chimeric approach showed that replacement of the pre-TM1 amino-terminal region with the corresponding P2X2 receptor section (P2X7–2Nβ) gave responses that quickly reached a steady state and did not show facilitation. Subsequent point mutations of variant residues identified Asn-16 and Ser-23 as important contributors to the time course/facilitation. The P2X7 receptor is unique in having an intracellular carboxyl-terminal cysteine-rich region (Ccys). Deletion of this region removed the secondary slowly developing current, and, when expressed in HEK293 cells, ethidium bromide uptake was only ∼5% that of WT levels, indicating reduced large pore formation. Dye uptake was also reduced for the P2X7–2Nβ chimera. Surprisingly, combination of the chimera and the Ccys deletion (P2X7–2NβdelCcys) restored the current rise time and ethidium uptake to WT levels. These findings suggest that there is a coevolved interaction between the juxtatransmembrane amino and carboxyl termini in the regulation of P2X7 receptor gating.