Morphine and Enkephalins Potently Inhibit [3H]Noradrenaline Release from Rat Brain Cortex Synaptosomes: Further Evidence for a Presynaptic Localization of μ-Opioid Receptors

Synaptosomes prepared from rat cerebral cortex and labeled with [3H]noradrenaline (NA) were superfused with calcium-free Krebs-Ringer-bicarbonate medium and exposed to 10 mM K+ plus 0.1 mM Ca2+ so that [3H]NA release was induced. 6,7-Dihydroxy-N,N-dimethyl-2-aminotetralin (TL-99) strongly inhibited synaptosomal K+-induced [3H]NA release (EC50 = 5-10 nM) by activating alpha 2-adrenoceptors. Release was also inhibited (maximally by 40-50%) by morphine (EC50 = 5-10 nM), [Leu5]enkephalin (EC50 = approximately 300 nM), [D-Ala2,D-Leu5]enkephalin (DADLE), and Tyr-D-Ala-Gly-(NMe)Phe-Gly-ol (DAGO) (EC50 values = approximately 30 nM). In contrast to the mu-selective opioid receptor agonists morphine and DAGO, the highly delta-selective agonist [D-Pen2,D-Pen5]enkephalin (1 microM) did not affect [3H]-NA release. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of DADLE, an agonist with affinity for both delta- and mu-opioid receptors, was antagonized by low concentrations of naloxone. The findings strongly support the view that, like alpha 2-adrenoceptors, mu-opioid receptors mediating inhibition of NA release in the rat cerebral cortex are localized on noradrenergic nerve terminals.     

Phosphorylation of Tyrosine Hydroxylase by Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinase

Tyrosine hydroxylase purified from rat pheochromocytoma was phosphorylated and activated by purified cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase as well as by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit. The extent of activation was correlated with the degree of phosphate incorporated into the enzyme. Comparable stoichiometric ratios (0.6 mol phosphate/mol tyrosine hydroxylase subunit) were obtained at maximal concentrations of either cyclic AMP-dependent or cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinases. The enzymes appeared to mediate the phosphorylation of the same residue based on the observation that incorporation was not increased when both enzymes were present. The major tryptic phosphopeptide obtained from tyrosine hydroxylase phosphorylated by each protein kinase exhibited an identical retention time following HPLC. The purified phosphopeptides also exhibited identical isoelectric points. These data provide support for the notion that the protein kinases are phosphorylating the same residue of tyrosine hydroxylase.     

l-Phenylalanyl-l-Glutamate-Stimulated, Chloride-Dependent Glutamate Binding Represents Glutamate Sequestration Mediated by an Exchange System

Stimulation of glutamate binding by the dipeptide L-phenylalanyl-L-glutamate (Phe-Glu) was inhibited by the peptidase inhibitor bestatin, suggesting that the stimulation was caused by glutamate liberated from the dipeptide and not by the dipeptide itself. It further suggests that this form of glutamate binding should be reinterpreted as glutamate sequestration and that stimulation of binding both by dipeptides and after preincubation with high concentrations of glutamate is likely to be due to counterflow accumulation. Several other criteria indicate that most of glutamate binding stimulated by chloride represents glutamate sequestration: Binding is reduced when the osmolarity of the incubation medium is increased, when membranes incubated with [3H]glutamate are lysed before filtration, and when membranes are made permeable by transient exposure to saponin. Moreover, dissociation of bound glutamate after a 100-fold dilution of the incubation medium is accelerated about 50 times by the addition of glutamate to the dilution medium. This result would be anomalous if glutamate were bound to a receptor site; it suggests instead that glutamate is transported in and out of membrane vesicles by a transport system that preferentially mediates exchange between internal and external glutamate. Glutamate binding contains a component of glutamate sequestration even when measured in the absence of chloride. Sequestration is adequately abolished only after treating membranes with detergents; even extensive lysis, sonication, and freezing/thawing may be insufficient.     

Purification and Properties of Rubrophilin: A Novel Brain Specific Membrane Polypeptide

Rubrophilin, a unique brain specific polypeptide, was purified to apparent homogeneity from microsomal fractions of bovine brains. The peptide stains pink with Coomassie Brilliant Blue R-250 (C.I. No. 42660) under specific conditions, has an apparent Mr of 53,000, and is acidic with an apparent pI of 4.9. The purification involves initial solubilization of delipidated microsomes in sodium dodecyl sulfate, followed by ammonium sulfate fractionation, reversed ammonium sulfate gradient elution from diatomaceous earth, gel filtration on polyacrylamide (Biogel P-200), gradient elution chromatography from hydroxylapatite, and reverse-phase chromatography from phenyl-Sepharose. A yield of about 5 mg of rubrophilin was obtained from 9 g of microsomal proteins. Amino acid analysis shows that rubrophilin contains only nine amino acids with residues/mol as follows: alanine (102), glutamic acid (97), lysine (65), proline (55), aspartic acid (48), glycine (44), serine (37), threonine (35), and valine (10). Cysteine, methionine, tryptophan, tyrosine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, histidine, and arginine could not be detected. Relative rubrophilin content of vertebrate brains was as follows: mammals greater than birds greater than reptiles greater than fishes. It is present in mouse retina and human neuroblastoma cell cultures but could not be detected in octopus optic lobe or in cultured C-6 rat glioma cells.     

Phosphatidylinositol Phosphodiesterase (Phospholipase C) Activity in the Pineal Gland: Characterization and Photoneural Regulation

Phosphatidylinositol phosphodiesterase (PL-C) appears to be a key element in the adrenergic regulation of pineal cyclic AMP levels. In the present study, the rat pineal enzyme was characterized using exogenous [3H]phosphatidylinositol (0.5 mM) as substrate. Half the enzyme activity was found in the cytosolic fraction, but the highest specific concentration was associated with the membrane fraction. Two pH optima (5.5 and 7.5) of enzyme activity were observed for the membrane fraction but only one in the cytosol fraction (pH 5.5). Enzyme activity in both fractions was Ca2+ dependent. In the case of the membrane protein in pH 7.5, the enzyme activity was sensitive to changes in Ca2+ in the 10-100 nM range. Addition of an equimolar concentration of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate nearly completely inhibited the hydrolysis of [3H]phosphatidylinositol; other phospholipids (1.0 mM) were less potent. This may reflect our present finding that [3H]phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate is a better substrate than [3H]phosphatidylinositol for the enzyme. Stimulus deprivation (2 weeks of constant light or superior cervical ganglionectomy) reduced the cytosolic activity by 30% and had no effect on the membrane-associated enzyme.     

Solubilization and Characterization of the Nitrendipine Receptor in Rat Brain

The nitrendipine receptor associated with the voltage-dependent calcium channel in rat brain was solubilized by detergent extraction and sonication. The detergent solution used for extraction consisted of 10 mM 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate (CHAPS), 0.25% (wt/vol) polyoxyethylene 20 cetyl ether (Brij 58), and 0.025% (wt/vol) polyoxyethylene 17 cetyl stearyl ether (Lubrol WX) in the presence of 30% (wt/vol) glycerol as a stabilizer. The molecular weight of the receptor was estimated to be 1,800K by Sephacryl S-500 gel filtration and 800K by sucrose density gradient sedimentation. The equilibrium dissociation constant of [3H]nitrendipine to the solubilized receptors was 5.6 nM, which is approximately 10 times that of the membrane-bound receptor. The binding of nitrendipine to the receptor was inhibited noncompetitively by the structurally unrelated calcium channel inhibitors verapamil and prenylamine; their concentrations for 50% inhibition were both 1.0 X 10(-7) M, and they caused maximal inhibitions of 70 and 100%, respectively.     

Effect of Digestion with Phospholipase A2 on Endogenous Protein Phosphorylation in Particulate Fractions from Rat Brain Synaptosomes

The endogenous phosphorylation of synapsin 1 in cyclic AMP-containing media was greatly decreased by digestion of synaptic vesicles and synaptosomal membranes with phospholipase A2, suggesting that the system is functionally dependent on the membrane structure. Treatment of the synaptic vesicle fraction with phospholipase A2 also caused a small but significant inhibition of the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent phosphorylation of the same protein. The Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent phosphorylation of other major acceptors, and the basal phosphorylation of a 52-kD acceptor enriched in the vesicle fraction, remained unchanged after cleavage of the membrane phospholipids with phospholipase A2. The significance of the selective effect of phospholipase A2 treatment on endogenous membrane phosphorylation is discussed.     

电刺激大鼠尾核头部对丘脑腹后外侧核痛相关神经元电活动的影响

丘脑腹后外侧核的神经元对伤害性刺激的反应形式主要为以下三种类型:痛兴奋神经元、痛抑制神经元和痛无关神经元。痛相关神经元的放电活动可被吗啡类药物所抑制。电刺激尾核头部对痛相关神经元主要产生抑制作用,尾核头部背侧的作用强于腹侧,且受不同刺激参数的影响。本文就以上结果在镇痛中的意义进行了讨论。     

白兰瓜果实输入~(14)C-葡萄糖的转化与蔗糖合成

~(14)C 追踪试验结果表明,白兰瓜幼果中输入的~(14)C-葡萄糖,50%以上转化为稀酸水解和稀酸不水解的结构物质;果实发育后期,输入后48小时,在果肉和种子中分别只有18%和32%的~(14)C 参入结构物质。根据醇溶性糖的纸层析鉴定,幼果薄片渗入的~(14)C-葡萄糖仅转化为果糖,而发育后期果实则更多转化为蔗糖。显然,幼果的代谢模式是使物质和能量导向结构物质的形成;而后期果实生长已基本停止,物质代谢的方向又转向蔗糖合成的轨道上来。蔗糖合成底物试验结果表明,供给幼果不同底物都只有很低的蔗糖合成活性;发育后期果实供给UDPG+F-6-P 底物时可测出较高的蔗糖合成活性,初步推测白兰瓜中蔗糖合成主要是通过蔗糖磷酸酯合成酶来实现的。     

芦苇胚性愈伤组织的形成及植株的再生

以芦苇种子为外植体,其愈伤组织的诱导率最高。叶鞘和叶片不发生脱分化。培养基中最合适的蔗糖浓度为4%。维生素 B 类、肌醇对愈伤组织的生长起促进作用。而酵母提取物对愈伤组织的诱导和生长具有明显的抑制作用。这种抑制效应,将随酵母提取物浓度的提高而增大。愈伤组织的继代培养,随培养基中2,4-D 浓度的提高,其平均鲜重明显降低。脱分化培养基中2,4-D 浓度对胚性愈伤组织的诱导形成具有一定的相关性。胚性愈伤组织经30代继代培养依然具有90%的分化频率,只是每块愈伤组织的分化苗数减少。反之,非胚性愈伤组织则完全丧失形态发生的能力。对两类愈伤组织进行扫描电镜的观察,发现其表面结构有很大差异。其过氧化物酶、酯酶同工酶谱以及可溶性蛋白的含量均有明显的差别。