G-Protein-dependent facilitation of neuronal alpha1A, alpha1B, and alpha1E Ca channels

Modulation of neuronal voltage-gated Ca channels has important implications for synaptic function. To investigate the mechanisms of Ca channel modulation, we compared the G-protein-dependent facilitation of three neuronal Ca channels. alpha1A, alpha1B, or alpha1E subunits were transiently coexpressed with alpha2-deltab and beta3 subunits in HEK293 cells, and whole-cell currents were recorded. After intracellular dialysis with GTPgammaS, strongly depolarized conditioning pulses facilitated currents mediated by each Ca channel type. The magnitude of facilitation depended on current density, with low-density currents being most strongly facilitated and high-density currents often lacking facilitation. Facilitating depolarizations speeded channel activation approximately 1.7-fold for alpha1A and alpha1B and increased current amplitudes by the same proportion, demonstrating equivalent facilitation of G-protein-inhibited alpha1A and alpha1B channels. Inactivation typically obscured facilitation of alpha1E current amplitudes, but the activation kinetics of alpha1E currents showed consistent and pronounced G-protein-dependent facilitation. The onset and decay of facilitation had the same kinetics for alpha1A, alpha1B, and alpha1E, suggesting that Gbeta gamma dimers dissociate from and reassociate with these Ca channels at very similar rates. To investigate the structural basis for N-type Ca channel modulation, we expressed a mutant of alpha1B missing large segments of the II-III loop and C terminus. This deletion mutant exhibited undiminished G-protein-dependent facilitation, demonstrating that a Gbeta gamma interaction site recently identified within the C terminus of alpha1E is not required for modulation of alpha1B.     

Postnatal changes of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha 2, alpha 3, alpha 4, alpha 7 and beta 2 subunits genes expression in rat brain

We have previously demonstrated the development of acoustically reflective liposomes as a novel ultrasound contrast agent, that can be conjugated to antibodies for site specific acoustic enhancement of pathologically altered vascular tissue. The liposomes are echogenic due to the lipid composition, without gas entrapment, and have a size of less than one micron (Alkan-Onyuksel et al., 1996). When conjugated to anti-fibrinogen antibodies, the liposomes have the ability to attach to fibrin coated surfaces and thrombi in vitro as demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy and ultrasound imaging (Demos et al., 1997a). Anti-fibrinogen liposomes were shown to attach to fibrous atheroma and thrombi in a Yucatan miniswine model of induced atherosclerosis whereas liposomes conjugated to anti-intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (anti-ICAM-1) were demonstrated to target early stage atherosclerotic plaques (Demos et al., 1997b). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the binding characteristics of anti-fibrinogen liposomes in vitro under a variety of flow conditions in order to optimize the targeting ability of the immunoliposomes. Radiolabeled anti-fibrinogen liposomes were applied to fibrin coated filter paper and placed in a flow circuit under controlled flow conditions. Flow conditions were altered to study the effects of different shear stresses, temperature, plasma flow and pulsatile flow on the retention of liposomes to fibrin after set time periods. The retention of liposomes conjugated to polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies as well as Fab fragments made from monoclonal antibodies were compared. The binding characteristics of liposomes conjugated to different quantities of polyclonal antibodies were analyzed. At physiological shear stress of 1.5 N/m2 (15 dynes/cm2) over 70% of the liposomes remained attached to fibrin after two hours. A smaller and greater portion of the liposomes remained attached at higher and lower shear stresses respectively. Plasma components and temperature had no effect on liposomal retention whereas pulsatile flow resulted in a slight reduction in binding. Monoclonal antibodies showed a slight trend of reduced retention to fibrin over time as compared with polyclonal antibodies and Fab fragments. The quantity of antibody conjugated to the liposomes plays a role in liposome retention as demonstrated by the reduction in liposome retention caused by reducing the quantity of antibody conjugated to the liposomes. Anti-fibrinogen liposomes were retained to the fibrin surface to a large extent under all flow conditions likely to occur in vivo and therefore can provide site specific ultrasound contrast for a long enough time period to allow for imaging after injection.     

CD16-expressing CD8alpha alpha+ T lymphocytes in the intestinal epithelium: possible precursors of Fc gammaR-CD8alpha alpha+ T cells

T lymphocytes normally express their Ag receptors in association with the CD3 proteins, which include CD3zeta. In CD3zeta eta(null) mice thymic and peripheral T lymphocytes do not express the TCR/CD3 complex on their surface due to retention in the endoplasmic reticulum of the remaining polypeptide chains. However, intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (iIEL) of CD3zeta eta(null) mice do express surface TCR, because the Fc epsilonRI gamma chain replaced the CD3zeta chain in the TCR/CD3 complex. Here we report that in a subset of CD8alpha alpha+ iIEL the presence of the Fc epsilonRI gamma chain could be accounted for by the surface expression of the Fc gammaRIII(CD16) complex. Because in wild-type (wt) mice only CD16+ iIEL coexpressed Fc epsilonRI gamma and CD3zeta, we concluded that the presence of Fc epsilonRI gamma was dictated by its required participation of CD16 complex. CD8alpha alpha+ iIEL bearing CD16 and B220 were also detected in the intestinal mucosa of RAG-2(null) mice from 12 days after birth onward. Two independent experimental settings were used in an attempt to demonstrate that CD16+ iIEL matured into CD16- T cells. First, in the RAG-2(null) mice, iIEL responded to in vivo administration of an anti-CD3epsilon mAb by progression to a more mature stage of development, characterized by a loss of CD16 and B220. Secondly, a conversion to CD16- iIEL occurred upon transfer of wt CD16+ iIEL into RAG-2(null) mice. We conclude from these experiments that in both RAG-2(null) and wt mice, a precursor/progeny relationship may exists between CD16+ B220+ CD8alpha alpha+ and CD16- B220- CD8alpha alpha+ iIEL.     

Hydrophobicity and flexibility of alpha A- and alpha B-crystallin are different

Since the discovery that the lens protein alpha-crystallin is also found in non-lenticular tissues and can function as a chaperone, relatively little attention has been paid to differences in properties between alpha A- and alpha B-crystallin, which form mixed aggregates in the lens but have so far never been found together in other tissues. In this study hydrophobicity and flexibility, properties that are thought to be relevant for chaperone function, are compared for alpha A- and alpha B-crystallin. Hydrophobicity was monitored from sodium dodecylsulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the absence and presence of (methyl-substituted) ureas. Flexibilities were calculated from primary structures. Based on literature data also some other properties are compared. The results indicate significant difference in hydrophobicity profile, flexibility of the terminal parts and stability of alpha A- and alpha B-crystallin.     

Formation of varanic acid, 3 alpha, 7 alpha, 12 alpha, 24-tetrahydroxy-5 beta-cholestanoic acid from 3 alpha, 7 alpha, 12 alpha-trihydroxy-5 beta-cholestanoic acid in Bombina orientalis

Varanic acid (3 alpha, 7 alpha, 12 alpha, 24-tetrahydroxy-5 beta-cholestanoic acid; 24-OH-THCA) is almost the sole component of bile acids in the bile of Bombina orientalis. To examine in the mechanism of the formation of 24-OH-THCA, radiolabeled (25R)- and (25S)-3 alpha, 7 alpha, 12 alpha-trihdroxy-5 beta-cholestanoic acids [(25R)- and (25S)-THCA] and (24E)-3 alpha, 7 alpha, 12 alpha-trihdroxy-5 beta-cholest-24-enoic acid (delta 24-THCA) were administered intraperitoneally to B. orientalis, gallbladder bile was collected after 24 h, and bile acids were subsequently extracted. Then the bile acids were analyzed by means of radio thin-layer chromatography and radio high-performance liquid chromatography after conversion to p-bromophenacyl ester derivatives. Although delta 24-THCA was not converted to 24-OH-THCA, (25R)-THCA and (25S)-THCA were transformed to (24R,25R)-24-OH-THCA and (24R,25S)-24-OH-THCA, respectively. These results strongly suggest that 24-OH-THCA was transformed via direct hydroxylation of the saturated side chain of THCA, not via hydration to an alpha, beta-unsaturated acid, delta 24-THCA, in B. orientalis.     

Comparison of the roles of CD8 alpha alpha and CD8 alpha beta in interaction with MHC class I

The CD8 molecule is expressed either as an alpha/alpha homodimer or an alpha/beta heterodimer on thymocytes and cytotoxic T cells, and functions as a coreceptor in concert with TCR for binding the MHC class I/peptide complex. Although CD8alpha/beta heterodimers have been shown to be more effective coreceptors, the precise role of the beta-chain in TCR-mediated thymic maturation and T cell activation is not understood. To understand the role of CD8beta in mediating CD8/MHC class I interaction, we examined whether cell surface CD8alpha/beta heterodimer promotes better cell-cell adhesion with MHC class I than the CD8alpha/alpha homodimer. The abilities of different forms of CD8 to adhere to MHC class I were measured with a cell-cell binding assay. Using a wild-type CD8beta and -alpha, we found that CD8alphabeta heterodimers did not mediate greater cell-cell adhesion than CD8alphaalpha homodimers. Furthermore, we found that chimeric CD8beta-alpha homodimers afforded no detectable binding. These results do not support the idea that CD8alphabeta binding to MHC class I is greater than that of CD8alphaalpha. Rather, they point to an alternative explanation in which CD8beta may play an role in promoting CD8/TCR interaction and/or in signaling/regulatory pathways.     

The synthesis of alpha, alpha, beta, beta-d4-serotonin

Alpha, alpha, beta, beta-d4-Serotonin (94% d4, 6% d3) has been synthesized for use as an internal standard in mass spectrometric determinations of serotonin in biological systems.