The role of ventral premotor cortex in action execution and action understanding

The human ventral premotor cortex overlaps, at least in part, with Broca's region in the dominant cerebral hemisphere, that is known to mediate the production of language and contributes to language comprehension. This region is constituted of Brodmann's areas 44 and 45 in the inferior frontal gyrus. We summarize the evidence that the motor related part of Broca's region is localized in the opercular portion of the inferior frontal cortex, mainly in area 44 of Brodmann. According to our own data, there seems to be a homology between Brodmann area 44 in humans and the monkey area F5. The non-language related motor functions of Broca's region comprise complex hand movements, associative sensorimotor learning and sensorimotor integration. Brodmann's area 44 is also a part of a specialized parieto-premotor network and interacts significantly with the neighbouring premotor areas. In the ventral premotor area F5 of monkeys, the so called mirror neurons have been found which discharge both when the animal performs a goal-directed hand action and when it observes another individual performing the same or a similar action. More recently, in the same area mirror neurons responding not only to the observation of mouth actions, but also to sounds characteristic to actions have been found. In humans, through an fMRI study, it has been shown that the observation of actions performed with the hand, the mouth and the foot leads to the activation of different sectors of Broca's area and premotor cortex, according to the effector involved in the observed action, following a somatotopic pattern which resembles the classical motor cortex homunculus. On the other hand the evidence is growing that human ventral premotor cortex, especially Brodmann's area 44, is involved in polymodal action processing. These results strongly support the existence of an execution-observation matching system (mirror neuron system). It has been proposed that this system is involved in polymodal action recognition and might represent a precursor of language processing. Experimental evidence in favour of this hypothesis both in the monkey and humans is shortly reviewed.     

中缝核提取液对体外培养的中脑黑质神经元存活和生长的影响

中脑黑质是中缝核５－ＨＴ神经元最早期的靶组织之一。为了分析神经元对其靶细胞的作用是受某种特异性蛋白或神经营养因子的影响,本文用中缝核提取液作用于体外培养的中脑黑质神经元,证明了该提取液能促进中脑黑质神经元的存活和生长,其活性部分是分子量大于３０ｋＤ的组份,经ＳＤＳ－聚丙烯酰胺梯度凝胶电泳,呈现一条主带,分子量在４３ｋＤ左右。     

大脑皮层神经元膜蛋白构象改变的ESR研究

采用马来酰亚胺标记完整的大脑皮层细胞,观察由低氧引起的ESR谱线的变化及脑细胞脂质过氧化程度,低氧引起细胞过氧化物生成增加,膜蛋白构象改变．金属硫蛋白(10^-5mol/L)能明显抑制过氧化反应,具有一定的抗氧化作用．并对实验的分子机理进行了简要的讨论．     

人脑神经元特异性烯醇化酶的纯化方法

采用改良的Grace层析方法,经一次DEAE-Sephadex A50柱层析即从人脑中纯化了神经元特异性烯醇化酶,比活力为92.1U/mg,纯化倍数为59.4.该酶纯化后,经SDS-聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳鉴定为单一蛋白质谱带.此外,还测定了其部分理化性质,其亚单位分子量为45000,等电点pI为4.7,氨基酸组成分析表明其为一种酸性蛋白质;对2-磷酸甘油酸的K_m值为5.6×10^-4mol/L.     

Modulation of T-type Ca2+ channels by corticotropin-releasing factor through protein kinase C pathway in MN9D dopaminergic cells

Corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) is the main regulator of the body's stress axis and its signal is translated through G-protein-coupled CRF receptors (CRF-R1, CRF-R2). Even though CRF receptors are present in the midbrain dopamine neurons, the cellular mechanism of CRF action is not clear yet. Since voltage-dependent Ca(2+) channels are highly expressed and important in dopamine neuronal functions, we tested the effect of CRF on voltage-dependent Ca(2+) channels in MN9D cells, a model of dopamine neurons. The application of CRF-related peptide, urocortin 1, reversibly inhibited T-type Ca(2+) currents, which was a major Ca(2+) channel in the cells. The effect of urocortin was abolished by specific CRF-R1 antagonist and was mimicked by protein kinase C (PKC) activator, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. PKC inhibitors abolished the effect of urocortin. These results suggest that urocortin modulates T-type Ca(2+) channel by interacting with CRF-R1 via the activation of PKC signal pathway in MN9D cells.     

Inhibition of mitochondrial function in astrocytes: implications for neuroprotection

Much evidence suggests that astrocytes protect neurons against ischemic injury. Although astrocytes are more resistant to some insults than neurons, few studies offer insight into the real time changes of astrocytic protective functions with stress. Mitochondria are one of the primary targets of ischemic injury in astrocytes. We investigated the time course of changes in astrocytic ATP levels, plasma membrane potential, and glutamate uptake, a key protective function, induced by mitochondrial inhibition. Our results show that significant functional change precedes reduction in astrocytic viability with mitochondrial inhibition. Using the mitochondrial inhibitor fluorocitrate (FC, 0.25 mmol/L) that is preferentially taken by astrocytes we found that inhibition of astrocyte mitochondria increased vulnerability of co-cultured neurons to glutamate toxicity. In our studies, the rates of FC-induced astrocytic mitochondrial depolarization were accelerated in mixed astrocyte/neuron cultures. We hypothesized that the more rapid mitochondrial depolarization was promoted by an additional energetic demand imposed be the co-cultured neurons. To test this hypothesis, we exposed pure astrocytic cultures to 0.01-1 mmol/L aspartate as a metabolic load. Aspartate application accelerated the rates of FC-induced mitochondrial depolarization, and, at 1 mmol/L, induced astrocytic death, suggesting that strong energetic demands during ischemia can compromise astrocytic function and viability.     

Characterization of a multidomain adaptor protein, p140Cap, as part of a pre-synaptic complex

p140Cap (Cas-associated protein) is an adaptor protein considered to play pivotal roles in cell adhesion, growth and Src tyrosine kinase-related signaling in non-neuronal cells. It is also reported to interact with a pre-synaptic membrane protein, synaptosome-associated protein of 25 kDa, and may participate in neuronal secretion. However, properties and precise functions of p140Cap in neuronal cells are almost unknown. Here we show, using biochemical analyses, that p140Cap is expressed in rat brain in a developmental stage-dependent manner, and is relatively abundant in the synaptic plasma membrane fraction in adults. Immunohistochemistry showed localization of p140Cap in the neuropil in rat brain and immunofluorescent analyses detected p140Cap at synapses of primary cultured rat hippocampal neurons. Electron microscopy further revealed localization at pre- and post-synapses. Screening of p140Cap-binding proteins identified a multidomain adaptor protein, vinexin, whose third Src-homology 3 domain interacts with the C-terminal Pro-rich motif of p140Cap. Immunocomplexes between the two proteins were confirmed in COS7 and rat brain. We also clarified that a pre-synaptic protein, synaptophysin, interacts with p140Cap. These results suggest that p140Cap is involved in neurotransmitter release, synapse formation/maintenance, and signaling.     

羊水直接PCR法快速诊断脊肌萎缩症的实验研究

目的：建立一种快速、简便的产前诊断脊肌萎缩症的检测方法。方法：基于运动神经元生存基因SMNc和SMNt的两个同源拷贝碱基的差异,对SMNt基因第7、8外显子进行缺失分析,抽取孕妇羊水后用作者自行研制的“HpH—Buffer”,以离心后羊水沉淀中的胎儿细胞为模板直接进行PCR扩增,扩增产物进行酶切限制性片断长度多态性分析,对2例有脊肌萎缩症患儿生育史的孕妇怀有的胎儿进行产前基因诊断。同时,为考察羊水直接扩增方法的效率,对羊水样本直接扩增和对羊水样本中提取的基因组DNA扩增进行了平行实验。结果：2例胎儿均有SMNt基因第7、8外显子缺失;以羊水为模板和以基因组DNA为模板进行扩增的效率相似。结论：应用“HpHBuffer”直接对羊水样本中SMN基因上外显子7、8进行扩增,结合限制性片断长度多态性分析SMNt上是否发生缺失,可缩短诊断时间,节约诊断成本,减少检测过程中可能出现的样本交叉污染,有望成为临床上产前诊断脊肌萎缩症的新方法。