Effects of imidazole compounds on catecholamine release in adrenal chromaffin cells

1. Effects of imidazole compounds and guanabenz on the stimulus-evoked release of catecholamine (CA) were studied in cultured bovine adrenal chromaffin cells. 2. Clonidine, oxymetazoline, phentolamine, chlorpheniramine, and guanabenz inhibited acetylcholine (ACh)-evoked CA release in a dose-dependent manner, but not high K(+)-evoked release. 3. The inhibition by these compounds was not antagonized by nonimidazole and nonguanidine alpha 2-antagonists (yohimbine and phenoxybenzamine) but was significantly antagonized by tolazoline (imidazole alpha 2-antagonist) and cimetidine (imidazole H2-antagonist). Moreover, tolazoline by itself augmented the ACh-evoked, but not the high K(+)-evoked, CA release. 4. Although chlorpheniramine and cimetidine are antagonists for H1 and H2 histaminergic receptors, the site of action for these compounds in our results seemed to differ from the histamine receptors. 5. These results suggest that the inhibitory action of imidazole compounds and guanabenz on ACh-evoked CA release in adrenal chromaffin cells is mediated through an imidazole receptor. Adrenal chromaffin cells may contain an endogenous clonidine-displacing substance (CDS) which has been found in adrenal gland and brain as an endogenous ligand for imidazole receptors. Thus, CDS may have a regulatory role in the stimulus-secretion coupling in these cells.     

Feeder-free Derivation of Melanocytes from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) represent a platform to study human development in vitro under both normal and disease conditions. Researchers can direct the differentiation of hPSCs into the cell type of interest by manipulating the culture conditions to recapitulate signals seen during development. One such cell type is the melanocyte, a pigment-producing cell of neural crest (NC) origin responsible for protecting the skin against UV irradiation. This protocol presents an extension of a currently available in vitro Neural Crest differentiation protocol from hPSCs to further differentiate NC into fully pigmented melanocytes. Melanocyte precursors can be enriched from the Neural Crest protocol via a timed exposure to activators of WNT, BMP, and EDN3 signaling under dual-SMAD-inhibition conditions. The resultant melanocyte precursors are then purified and matured into fully pigmented melanocytes by culture in a selective medium. The resultant melanocytes are fully pigmented and stain appropriately for proteins characteristic of mature melanocytes.     

Protein kinase Cdelta plays a non-redundant role in insulin secretion in pancreatic beta cells

Protein kinase C (PKC) is considered to modulate glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Pancreatic beta cells express multiple isoforms of PKCs; however, the role of each isoform in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion remains controversial. In this study we investigated the role of PKCdelta, a major isoform expressed in pancreatic beta cells on beta cell function. Here, we showed that PKCdelta null mice manifested glucose intolerance with impaired insulin secretion. Insulin tolerance test showed no decrease in insulin sensitivity in PKCdelta null mice. Studies using islets isolated from these mice demonstrated decreased glucose- and KCl-stimulated insulin secretion. Perifusion studies indicated that mainly the second phase of insulin secretion was decreased. On the other hand, glucose-induced influx of Ca2+ into beta cells was not altered. Immunohistochemistry using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy and electron microscopic analysis showed an increased number of insulin granules close to the plasma membrane in beta cells of PKCdelta null mice. Although PKC is thought to phosphorylate Munc18-1 and facilitate soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein attachment protein receptors complex formation, the phosphorylation of Munc18-1 by glucose stimulation was decreased in islets of PKCdelta null mice. We conclude that PKCdelta plays a non-redundant role in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. The impaired insulin secretion in PKCdelta null mice is associated with reduced phosphorylation of Munc18-1.     

Elevation of the post-translational modification of proteins by O-linked N-acetylglucosamine leads to deterioration of the glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in the pancreas of diabetic Goto-Kakizaki rats

Many nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins are O-glycosylated on serine or threonine residues with the monosaccharide beta-N-acetylglucosamine, which is then termed O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc). It has been shown that abnormal O-GlcNAc modification (O-GlcNAcylation) of proteins is one of the causes of insulin resistance and diabetic complications. In this study, in order to examine the relationship between O-GlcNAcylation of proteins and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in noninsulin-dependent type (type 2) diabetes, we investigated the level of O-GlcNAcylation of proteins, especially that of PDX-1, and the expression of O-GlcNAc transferase in Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats, which are an animal model of type-2 diabetes. By immunoblot and immunohistochemical analyses, the expression of O-GlcNAc transferase protein and O-GlcNAc-modified proteins in whole pancreas and islets of Langerhans of 15-week-old diabetic GK rats and nondiabetic Wistar rats was examined. The expression of O-GlcNAc transferase at the protein level and O-GlcNAc transferase activity were increased significantly in the diabetic pancreas and islets. The diabetic pancreas and islets also showed an increase in total cellular O-GlcNAc-modified proteins. O-GlcNAcylation of PDX-1 was also increased. In the diabetic GK rats, significant increases in the immunoreactivities of both O-GlcNAc and O-GlcNAc transferase were observed. PUGNAc, an inhibitor of O-GlcNAcase, induced an elevation of O-GlcNAc level and a decrease of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in isolated islets. These results indicate that elevation of the O-GlcNAcylation of proteins leads to deterioration of insulin secretion in the pancreas of diabetic GK rats, further providing evidence for the role of O-GlcNAc in the insulin secretion.     

Notochordal and foregut abnormalities correlate with elevated neural crest apoptosis in Patch embryos

Although Patch mutants show severe abnormalities in many neural crest-derived structures including the face and the heart, there is a paucity of information characterizing the mechanisms underlying these congenital defects. Via manipulating the genetic background to circumvent early embryonic lethality, our results revealed that Patch phenotypes are most likely due to a significant decrease in migratory neural crest lineage due to diminished neural crest survival and elevated apoptosis. Homozygous mutant neural crest precursors can undergo typical expansion within the neural tube, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transformation, and initiate normal neural crest emigration. Moreover, in vitro explant culture demonstrated that when isolated from the surrounding mesenchyme, Patch mutant neural crest cells (NCCs) can migrate appropriately. Additionally, Patch foregut, notochord and somitic morphogenesis, and Sonic hedgehog expression profiles were all perturbed. Significantly, the timing of lethality and extent of apoptosis correlated with the degree of severity of Patch mutant foregut, notochord, and somite dysfunction. Finally, analysis of Balb/c-enriched surviving Patch mutants revealed that not all the neural crest subpopulations are affected and that Patch mutant neural crest-derived sympathetic ganglia and dorsal root ganglia were unaffected. We hypothesize that loss of normal coordinated signaling from the notochord, foregut, and somites underlies the diminished survival of the neural crest lineage within Patch mutants resulting in subsequent neural crest-deficient phenotypes.     

Insulin exocytotic mechanism by imaging technique

Insulin is stored in pancreatic beta cell granules, and released biphasically by the exocytotic mechanism induced by nutrient glucose. Insulin exocytosis must be critically regulated to finely control body glucose homeostasis because insulin is the only hormone that can promptly reduce the blood glucose level. Recent advanced techniques in molecular biology and electrophysiology revealed the molecular mechanism of insulin release in the process from glucose entry to increased [Ca(2+)](i). However, the insulin exocytotic process such as translocation, docking and fusion of insulin granules was largely unknown. In order to reveal the molecular mechanism of this process, we utilized a newly innovated imaging technique, TIRF imaging system. Here we review recent results of our studies into docking and fusion of insulin granules analyzed by TIRF system.     

Molecular modeling of hair keratin/peptide complex: Using MM-PBSA calculations to describe experimental binding results

Molecular dynamics simulations of a keratin/peptide complex have been conducted to predict the binding affinity of four different peptides toward human hair. Free energy calculations on the peptides' interaction with the keratin model demonstrated that electrostatic interactions are believed to be the main driving force stabilizing the complex. The molecular mechanics-Poisson-Boltzmann surface area methodology used for the free energy calculations demonstrated that the dielectric constant in the protein's interior plays a major role in the free energy calculations, and the only way to obtain accordance between the free energy calculations and the experimental binding results was to use the average dielectric constant.     

Combined small-molecule inhibition accelerates developmental timing and converts human pluripotent stem cells into nociceptors

Considerable progress has been made in identifying signaling pathways that direct the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into specialized cell types, including neurons. However, differentiation of hPSCs with extrinsic factors is a slow, step-wise process, mimicking the protracted timing of human development. Using a small-molecule screen, we identified a combination of five small-molecule pathway inhibitors that yield hPSC-derived neurons at >75% efficiency within 10 d of differentiation. The resulting neurons express canonical markers and functional properties of human nociceptors, including tetrodotoxin (TTX)-resistant, SCN10A-dependent sodium currents and response to nociceptive stimuli such as ATP and capsaicin. Neuronal fate acquisition occurs about threefold faster than during in vivo development, suggesting that use of small-molecule pathway inhibitors could become a general strategy for accelerating developmental timing in vitro. The quick and high-efficiency derivation of nociceptors offers unprecedented access to this medically relevant cell type for studies of human pain.     

DPP-4 inhibitor des-F-sitagliptin treatment increased insulin exocytosis from db/db mice β cells

Incretin promotes insulin secretion acutely. Recently, orally-administered DPP-4 inhibitors represent a new class of anti-hyperglycemic agents. Indeed, inhibitors of dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-4), sitagliptin, has just begun to be widely used as therapeutics for type 2 diabetes. However, the effects of sitagliptin-treatment on insulin exocytosis from single β-cells are yet unknown. We therefore investigated how sitagliptin-treatment in db/db mice affects insulin exocytosis by treating db/db mice with des-F-sitagliptin for 2 weeks. Perfusion studies showed that 2 weeks-sitagliptin treatment potentiated insulin secretion. We then analyzed insulin granule motion and SNARE protein, syntaxin 1, by TIRF imaging system. TIRF imaging of insulin exocytosis showed the increased number of docked insulin granules and increased fusion events from them during first-phase release. In accord with insulin exocytosis data, des-F-sitagliptin-treatment increased the number of syntaxin 1 clusters on the plasma membrane. Thus, our data demonstrated that 2-weeks des-F-sitagliptin-treatment increased the fusion events of insulin granules, probably via increased number of docked insulin granules and that of syntaxin 1 clusters.     

The cytokine interleukin-1beta reduces the docking and fusion of insulin granules in pancreatic beta-cells, preferentially decreasing the first phase of exocytosis

The prediabetic period in type I diabetes mellitus is characterized by the loss of first phase insulin release. This might be due to islet infiltration mediated by mononuclear cells and local release of cytokines, but the mechanisms involved are unknown. To determine the role of cytokines in insulin exocytosis, we have presently utilized total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM) to image and analyze the dynamic motion of single insulin secretory granules near the plasma membrane in live beta-cells exposed for 24 h to interleukin (IL)-1beta or interferon (IFN)-gamma. Immunohistochemistry observed via TIRFM showed that the number of docked insulin granules was decreased by 60% in beta-cells treated with IL-1beta, while it was not affected by exposure to IFN-gamma. This effect of IL-1beta was paralleled by a 50% reduction in the mRNA and the number of clusters of SNAP-25 in the plasma membrane. TIRF images of single insulin granule motion during a 15-min stimulation by 22 mm glucose in IL-1beta-treated beta-cells showed a marked reduction in the fusion events from previously docked granules during the first phase insulin release. Fusion from newcomers, however, was well preserved during the second phase of insulin release of IL-1beta-treated beta-cells. The present observations indicate that IL-1beta, but not IFN-gamma, has a preferential inhibitory effect on the first phase of glucose-induced insulin release, mostly via an action on previously docked granules. This suggests that beta-cell exposure to immune mediators during the course of insulitis might be responsible for the loss of first phase insulin release.