| 1. |
- Björklund, Tomas, et al.
(author)
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Optimization of continuous in vivo DOPA production and studies on ectopic DA synthesis using rAAV5 vectors in Parkinsonian rats
- 2009
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In: Journal of Neurochemistry. - : Wiley. - 1471-4159 .- 0022-3042. ; 111:2, s. 355-367
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Viral vector-mediated gene transfer is emerging as a novel therapeutic approach with clinical utility in treatment of Parkinson's disease. Recombinant adeno-associated viral (rAAV) vector in particular has been utilized for continuous l-3,4 dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) delivery by expressing the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and GTP cyclohydrolase 1 (GCH1) genes which are necessary and sufficient for efficient synthesis of DOPA from dietary tyrosine. The present study was designed to determine the optimal stoichiometric relationship between TH and GCH1 genes for ectopic DOPA production and the cellular machinery involved in its synthesis, storage, and metabolism. For this purpose, we injected a fixed amount of rAAV5-TH vector and increasing amounts of rAAV5-GCH1 into the striatum of rats with complete unilateral dopamine lesion. After 7 weeks the animals were killed for either biochemical or histological analysis. We show that increasing the availability of 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-l-biopterin (BH4) in the same cellular compartment as the TH enzyme resulted in better efficiency in DOPA synthesis, most likely by hindering inactivation of the enzyme and increasing its stability. Importantly, the BH4 synthesis from ectopic GCH1 expression was saturable, yielding optimal TH enzyme functionality between GCH1 : TH ratios of 1 : 3 and 1 : 7.
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| 2. |
- Carta, Manolo, et al.
(author)
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Role of striatal l-DOPA in the production of dyskinesia in 6-hydroxydopamine lesioned rats.
- 2006
-
In: Journal of Neurochemistry. - : Wiley. - 1471-4159 .- 0022-3042. ; 96:6, s. 1718-1727
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We explored possible differences in the peripheral and central pharmacokinetics of L-DOPA as a basis for individual variation in the liability to dyskinesia. Unilaterally, 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesioned rats were treated chronically with L-DOPA for an induction and monitoring of abnormal involuntary movements (AIMs). Comparisons between dyskinetic and non-dyskinetic cases were then carried out with regard to plasma and striatal L-DOPA concentrations, tissue levels of dopamine (DA), DA metabolites, and serotonin. After a single intraperitoneal injection of L-DOPA, plasma L-DOPA concentrations did not differ between dyskinetic and non-dyskinetic animals, whereas peak levels of L-DOPA in the striatal extracellular fluid were about fivefold larger in the former compared with the latter group. Interestingly, the time course of the AIMs paralleled the surge in striatal L-DOPA levels. Intrastriatal infusion of L-DOPA by reverse dialysis concentration dependently induced AIMs in all 6-OHDA lesioned rats, regardless of a previous priming for dyskinesia. Steady-state levels of DA and its metabolites in striatal and cortical tissue did not differ between dyskinetic and non-dyskinetic animals, indicating that the observed difference in motor response to L-DOPA did not depend on the extent of lesion-induced DA depletion. These results show that an elevation of L-DOPA levels in the striatal extracellular fluid is necessary and sufficient for the occurrence of dyskinesia. Individual differences in the central bioavailability of L-DOPA may provide a clue to the varying susceptibility to dyskinesia in Parkinson's disease.
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| 3. |
- Cheng, Fang, et al.
(author)
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Copper-dependent co-internalization of the prion protein and glypican-1.
- 2006
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In: Journal of Neurochemistry. - : Wiley. - 1471-4159 .- 0022-3042. ; 98:5, s. 1445-1457
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Heparan sulfate chains have been found to be associated with amyloid deposits in a number of diseases including transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Diverse lines of evidence have linked proteoglycans and their glycosaminoglycan chains, and especially heparan sulfate, to the metabolism of the prion protein isoforms. Glypicans are a family of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored, heparan sulfate-containing, cell-associated proteoglycans. Cysteines in glypican-1 can become nitrosylated by endogenously produced nitric oxide. When glypican-1 is exposed to a reducing agent, such as ascorbate, nitric oxide is released and autocatalyses deaminative cleavage of heparan sulfate chains. These processes take place while glypican-1 recycles via a non-classical, caveolin-associated pathway. We have previously demonstrated that prion protein provides the Cu2+ ions required to nitrosylate thiol groups in the core protein of glypican-1. By using confocal immunofluorescence microscopy and immunomagnetic techniques, we now show that copper induces co-internalization of prion protein and glypican-1 from the cell surface to perinuclear compartments. We find that prion protein is controlling both the internalization of glypican-1 and its nitric oxide-dependent autoprocessing. Silencing glypican-1 expression has no effect on copper-stimulated prion protein endocytosis, but in cells expressing a prion protein construct lacking the copper binding domain internalization of glypican-1 is much reduced and autoprocessing is abrogated. We also demonstrate that heparan sulfate chains of glypican-1 are poorly degraded in prion null fibroblasts. The addition of either Cu2+ ions, nitric oxide donors, ascorbate or ectopic expression of prion protein restores heparan sulfate degradation. These results indicate that the interaction between glypican-1 and Cu2+-loaded prion protein is required both for co-internalization and glypican-1 self-pruning.
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| 4. |
- Kolkova, K, et al.
(author)
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Distinct roles of PKC isoforms in NCAM-mediated neurite outgrowth
- 2005
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In: Journal of Neurochemistry. - : Wiley. - 1471-4159 .- 0022-3042. ; 92:4, s. 886-894
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The role of protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms in the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM)-mediated neurite outgrowth was tested using a co-culture system consisting of fibroblasts with or without NCAM expression upon which either primary cerebellar granular neurones (CGN) or pheochromocytoma (PC12-E2) cells were grown. The latter transiently expressed various PKC isoforms and domains derived from selected PKCs. PKC inhibitors of various specificity inhibited NCAM-stimulated neuritogenesis from CGN, indicating that PKC is involved in this process. Moreover, stimulation by the NCAM-mimetic peptide, C3d, elicited phosphorylation of PKC in CGN. Expression of kinase-deficient forms of PKCalpha, betaI and betaII blocked NCAM-mediated neurite extension, but had no effect on nerve growth factor (NGF)-mediated neurite outgrowth. Expression of two PKCepsilon constructs: (i) a fragment from PKCepsilon encompassing the pseudosubstrate, the C1a domain (including the actin-binding site, ABS), and parts of the V3 region, or (ii) the PKCepsilon-specific ABS blocked NCAM-mediated neurite extension in both cases. These two constructs also partially inhibited NGF-stimulated neuritogenesis indicating that PKCepsilon is a positive regulator of both NCAM- and NGF-mediated differentiation. We suggest that PKCepsilon is a common downstream mediator for several neuritogenic factors, whereas one or more conventional PKCs are specifically involved in NCAM-stimulated neurite outgrowth.
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| 5. |
- Lindquist, Catarina, et al.
(author)
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Graded response to GABA by native extrasynaptic GABA(A) receptors
- 2006
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In: Journal of Neurochemistry. - : Wiley. - 1471-4159 .- 0022-3042. ; 97:5, s. 1349-1356
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- GABA is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian CNS. GABA in the brain is commonly associated with a fast, point-to-point form of signalling called synaptic transmission (phasic inhibition), but there is growing evidence that GABA participates in another, slower and more diffuse form of signalling often referred to as tonic inhibition. Unresolved questions regarding tonic neuronal inhibition concern activation and functional properties of extrasynaptic GABA(A) receptors (GABARex) present on neurones. Extrasynaptic receptors are exposed to submicromolar GABA concentrations and may modulate the overall excitability of neurones and neuronal networks. Here, we examined GABA-activated single-channel currents in dentate gyrus granule neurones in rat hippocampal slices. We activated three types (I, II, III) of GABARex channels by nanomolar GABA concentrations (EC50 I: 27 +/- 12; II: 4 +/- 3; III: 43 +/- 19 nM). The channels opened after a delay and the single-channel conductance was graded (gamma(max) I: 61 +/- 3; II: 85 +/- 8, III: 40 +/- 3 pS). The channels were differentially modulated by 1 mu M diazepam, 200 nM zolpidem, 1 mu M flumazenil and 50 nM THDOC (3 alpha, 21-dihydroxy-5 alpha-pregnan-20-one), consistent with the following minimal subunit composition of GABARex I alpha(1)beta gamma(2), GABARex II alpha(4)beta gamma(2) and GABARex III alpha beta delta channels.
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| 6. |
- Lindquist, Catarina, et al.
(author)
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The mechanism of SR95531 inhibition at GABA receptors examined in human alphabeta and alphabetagamma receptors.
- 2005
-
In: Journal of Neurochemistry. - : Wiley. - 1471-4159 .- 0022-3042. ; 94:2, s. 491-501
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We examined the interaction of GABA and the competitive inhibitor SR95531 at human α1β1γ2S and α1β1 GABAA receptors expressed in Sf9 cells. The efficacy and potency of inhibition depended on the relative timing of the GABA and SR95531 applications. In saturating (10 mm) GABA, the half-inhibitory concentrations of SR95531 (IC50) when coapplied with GABA to α1β1γ2S or α1β1 receptors were 49 and 210 µm for the peak and 18 and 130 µm for the plateau current, respectively. Our data are explained by an inhibition mechanism in which SR95531 and GABA bind to two sites on the receptor where the binding of GABA allows channel opening but SR95531 does not. The SR95531 affinity for both receptor types was ~200 nm and the binding rate was found to be 10-fold faster than that for GABA. The dual binding-site model gives insights into the differential effects of GABA and SR95531 on the peak and plateau currents. The model predicts the effect of SR95531 on GABA currents in the synapse (GABA concentration ~ mm) and at extrasynaptic (GABA concentration ≤ µm) sites. The IC50 (50–100 nm) for the synaptic response to SR95531 was insensitive to the GABA affinity of the receptors whereas the IC50 (50–800 nm) for extrasynaptic inhibition correlated with the GABA affinity.
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| 7. |
- Lundblad, Martin, et al.
(author)
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Chronic intermittent L-DOPA treatment induces changes in dopamine release
- 2009
-
In: Journal of Neurochemistry. - : Wiley. - 0022-3042 .- 1471-4159. ; 108:4, s. 998-1008
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- 3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl-l-alanine (l-DOPA)-induced dyskinesia often develops as a side effect of chronic l-DOPA therapy. This study was undertaken to investigate dopamine (DA) release upon l-DOPA treatment. Chronoamperometric measurements were performed in unilaterally DA-depleted rats, chronically treated with l-DOPA, resulting in dyskinetic and non-dyskinetic animals. Normal and lesioned l-DOPA naïve animals were used as controls. Potassium-evoked DA releases were significantly reduced in intact sides of animals undertaken chronic l-DOPA treatment, independent on dyskinetic behavior. Acute l-DOPA further attenuated the amplitude of the DA release in the control sides. In DA-depleted striata, no difference was found in potassium-evoked DA releases, and acute l-DOPA did not affect the amplitude. While immunoreactivity to serotonin uptake transporter was higher in lesioned striata of animals displaying dyskinetic behavior, no correlation could be documented between serotonin transporter-positive nerve fiber density and the amplitude of released DA. In conclusions, the amplitude of potassium-evoked DA release is attenuated in intact striatum after chronic intermittent l-DOPA treatment. No change in amplitude was found in DA-denervated sides of either dyskinetic or non-dyskinetic animals, while release kinetics were changed. This indicates the importance of studying DA release dynamics for the understanding of both beneficial and adverse effects of l-DOPA replacement therapy.
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| 8. |
- Mela, Flora, et al.
(author)
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Antagonism of metabotropic glutamate receptor type 5 attenuates l-DOPA-induced dyskinesia and its molecular and neurochemical correlates in a rat model of Parkinson's disease.
- 2007
-
In: Journal of Neurochemistry. - : Wiley. - 1471-4159 .- 0022-3042. ; 101:2, s. 483-497
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Metabotropic glutamate receptor type 5 (mGluR5) modulates dopamine and glutamate neurotransmission at central synapses. In this study, we addressed the role of mGluR5 in L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia, a movement disorder that is due to abnormal activation of both dopamine and glutamate receptors in the basal ganglia. A selective and potent mGluR5 antagonist, 3-[(2-methyl-1,3-thiazol-4-yl)ethynyl] pyridine, was tested for its ability to modulate molecular, behavioural and neurochemical correlates of dyskinesia in 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats treated with L-DOPA. The compound significantly attenuated the induction of abnormal involuntary movements (AIMs) by chronic L-DOPA treatment at doses that did not interfere with the rat physiological motor activities. These effects were paralleled by an attenuation of molecular changes that are strongly associated with the dyskinesiogenic action of L-DOPA (i.e. up-regulation of prodynorphin mRNA in striatal neurons). Using in vivo microdialysis, we found a temporal correlation between the expression of L-DOPA-induced AIMs and an increased GABA outflow within the substantia nigra pars reticulata. When co-administered with L-DOPA, 3-[(2-methyl-1,3-thiazol-4-yl)ethynyl] pyridine greatly attenuated both the increase in nigral GABA levels and the expression of AIMs. These data demonstrate that mGluR5 antagonism produces strong anti-dyskinetic effects in an animal model of Parkinson's disease through central inhibition of the molecular and neurochemical underpinnings of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia.
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| 9. |
- Morota, Saori, et al.
(author)
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Spinal cord mitochondria display lower calcium retention capacity compared with brain mitochondria without inherent differences in sensitivity to cyclophilin D inhibition
- 2007
-
In: Journal of Neurochemistry. - : Wiley. - 1471-4159 .- 0022-3042. ; 103:5, s. 2066-2076
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The mitochondrial permeability transition (mPT) is a potential pathogenic mechanism in neurodegeneration. Varying sensitivity to calcium-induced mPT has been demonstrated for regions within the CNS possibly correlating with vulnerability following insults. The spinal cord is selectively vulnerable in e.g. amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and increased mPT sensitivity of mitochondria derived from the spinal cord has previously been demonstrated. In this study, we introduce whole-body hypothermia prior to removal of CNS tissue to minimize the effects of differential tissue extraction prior to isolation of spinal cord and cortical brain mitochondria. Spinal cord mitochondria were able to retain considerably less calcium when administered as continuous infusion, which was not related to a general increased sensitivity of the mPT to calcium, its desensitization to calcium by the cyclophilin D inhibitor cyclosporin-A, or to differences in respiratory parameters. Spinal cord mitochondria maintained a higher concentration of extramitochondrial calcium during infusion than brain mitochondria possibly related to an increased set-point concentration for calcium uptake. A hampered transport and retention capacity of calcium may translate into an increased susceptibility of the spinal cord to neurodegenerative processes involving calcium-mediated damage.
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
- Paquet-Durand, Francois, et al.
(author)
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PKG activity causes photoreceptor cell death in two retinitis pigmentosa models
- 2009
-
In: Journal of Neurochemistry. - : Wiley. - 1471-4159 .- 0022-3042. ; 108:3, s. 796-810
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Photoreceptor degeneration in retinitis pigmentosa is one of the leading causes of hereditary blindness in the developed world. Although causative genetic mutations have been elucidated in many cases, the underlying neuronal degeneration mechanisms are still unknown. Here, we show that activation of cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) hallmarks photoreceptor degeneration in rd1 and rd2 human homologous mouse models. When induced in wild-type retinae, PKG activity was both necessary and sufficient to trigger cGMP-mediated photoreceptor cell death. Target-specific, pharmacological inhibition of PKG activity in both rd1 and rd2 retinae strongly reduced photoreceptor cell death in organotypic retinal explants. Likewise, inhibition of PKG in vivo, using three different application paradigms, resulted in robust photoreceptor protection in the rd1 retina. These findings suggest a pivotal role for PKG activity in cGMP-mediated photoreceptor degeneration mechanisms and highlight the importance of PKG as a novel target for the pharmacological intervention in RP.
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| 12. |
- Rytter, Anna, et al.
(author)
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The temperature dependence and involvement of mitochondria permeability transition and caspase activation in damage to organotypic hippocampal slices following in vitro ischemia.
- 2005
-
In: Journal of Neurochemistry. - : Wiley. - 1471-4159 .- 0022-3042. ; 95:4, s. 1108-1117
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aggravating effect of hyperglycemia on ischemic brain injury can be mimicked in a model of in vitro ischemia (IVI) using murine hippocampal slice cultures. Using this model, we found that the damage in the CA1 region following IVI in the absence or presence of 40 mM glucose (hyperglycemia) is highly temperature dependent. Decreasing the temperature from 35 to 31 degrees C during IVI prevented cell death, whereas increasing the temperature by 2 degrees C markedly aggravated damage. As blockade of the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) is equally effective as hypothermia in preventing ischemic cell death in vivo, we investigated whether inhibition of MPT or of caspases was protective following IVI. In the absence of glucose, the MPT blockers cyclosporin A and MeIle(4)-CsA but not the immunosuppressive compound FK506 diminished cell death. In contrast, following hyperglycemic IVI, MPT blockade was ineffective. Also, the pan-caspase inhibitor Boc-Asp(OMe)fluoromethyl ketone did not decrease cell death in the CA1 region following IVI or hyperglycemic IVI. We conclude that cell death in the CA1 region of organotypic murine hippocampal slices following IVI is highly temperature dependent and involves MPT. In contrast, cell death following hyperglycemic IVI, although completely prevented by hypothermia, is not mediated by mechanisms that involve MPT or caspase activation
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| 13. |
- Smith, Ruben, et al.
(author)
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Loss of SNAP-25 and rabphilin 3a in sensory-motor cortex in Huntington's disease.
- 2007
-
In: Journal of Neurochemistry. - : Wiley. - 1471-4159 .- 0022-3042. ; 103:1, s. 115-123
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG-expansion in the gene encoding the protein huntingtin. The disease is characterized by progressive motor disturbances, cognitive defects, dementia, and weight loss. Using western blotting and immunohistochemistry we have assessed the expression levels and patterns of a number of proteins involved in neurotransmitter release in post-mortem frontal cortex samples from 10 HD cases with different disease grades. We report a loss of the soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) protein, synaptosome-associated protein 25 (SNAP 25) in HD brains of grades I–IV. Moreover, in brains of grade III and IV we found a reduction in rabphilin 3a, a protein involved in vesicle docking and recycling. These losses appear to be specific and not due to a general loss of synapses in the HD cortex. Thus, levels of synaptobrevin II, syntaxin 1, rab3a or synaptophysin are unaltered in the same patient samples. SNAP 25 and rabphilin 3a are crucial for neurotransmitter release. Therefore, we suggest that a deficient pre-synaptic transmitter release may underlie some of the symptoms of HD.
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| 14. |
- Valastro, Barbara, et al.
(author)
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Proteomic analysis of striatal proteins in the rat model of l-DOPA-induced dyskinesia.
- 2007
-
In: Journal of Neurochemistry. - : Wiley. - 1471-4159 .- 0022-3042. ; 102:4, s. 1395-1409
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID) is among the motor complications that arise in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients after a prolonged treatment with L-DOPA. To this day, transcriptome analysis has been performed in a rat model of LID [Neurobiol. Dis., 17 (2004), 219] but information regarding the proteome is still lacking. In the present study, we investigated the changes occurring at the protein level in striatal samples obtained from the unilaterally 6-hydroxydopamine-lesion rat model of PD treated with saline, L-DOPA or bromocriptine using two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry (MS). Rats treated with L-DOPA were allocated to two groups based on the presence or absence of LID. Among the 2000 spots compared for statistical difference, 67 spots were significantly changed in abundance and identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight MS, atmospheric pressure matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization and HPLC coupled tandem MS (LC/MS/ MS). Out of these 67 proteins, LID significantly changed the expression level of five proteins: alpha beta-crystalin, gamma-enolase, guanicloacetate methyltransferase, vinculin, and proteasome alpha-2 subunit. Complementary techniques such as western immunoblotting and immunohistochernistry were performed to investigate the validity of the data obtained using the proteomic approach. In conclusion, this study provides new insights into the protein changes occurring in LID.
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| 15. |
- Araujo, IM, et al.
(author)
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Calpain activation is involved in early caspase-independent neurodegeneration in the hippocampus following status epilepticus
- 2008
-
In: Journal of Neurochemistry. - : Wiley. - 1471-4159 .- 0022-3042. ; 105:3, s. 666-676
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Evidence for increased calpain activity has been described in the hippocampus of rodent models of temporal lobe epilepsy. However, it is not known whether calpains are involved in the cell death that accompanies seizures. In this work, we characterized calpain activation by examining the proteolysis of calpain substrates and in parallel we followed cell death in the hippocampus of epileptic rats. Male Wistar rats were injected with kainic acid (KA; 10 mg/kg) intraperitoneally and sacrificed 24h later, after development of grade 5 seizures. We observed a strong Fluoro-Jade labelling in the CA1 and CA3 areas of the hippocampus in the rats that received KA, as compared to saline-treated rats. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis for the calpain-derived breakdown products of spectrin (SBDP) showed evidence of increased calpain activity in the same regions of the hippocampus where cell death is observed. No evidence was found for caspase activation, in the same conditions. Treatment with the calpain inhibitor MDL 28170 significantly prevented the neurodegeneration observed in CA1. Taken together, our data suggest that early calpain activation, but not caspase activation, is involved in neurotoxicity in the hippocampus after status epilepticus.
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| 16. |
- Bekku, Yoko, et al.
(author)
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Brevican distinctively assembles extracellular components at the large diameter nodes of Ranvier in the CNS
- 2009
-
In: Journal of Neurochemistry. - : Wiley. - 1471-4159 .- 0022-3042. ; 108:5, s. 1266-1276
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Brevican is known to be an abundant extracellular matrix component in the adult brain and a structural constituent of perineuronal nets. We herein show that brevican, tenascin-R (TN-R) and phosphacan are present at the nodes of Ranvier on myelinated axons with a particularly large diameter in the central nervous system. A brevican deficiency resulted in a reorganization of the nodal matrices, which was characterized by the shift of TN-R, and concomitantly phosphacan, from an axonal diameter-dependent association with nodes to an axonal diameter independent association. Supported by the co-immunoprecipitation results, these observations indicate that the presence of TN-R and phosphacan at nodes is normally brevican-dependent, while in the absence of brevican these molecules can also be recruited by versican V2. The versican V2 and Bral1 distribution was not affected, thus indicating a brevican-independent role of these two molecules for establishing hyaluronan-binding matrices at the nodes. Our results revealed that brevican plays a crucial role in determining the specialization of the hyaluronan-binding nodal matrix assemblies in large diameter nodes.
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| 17. |
- Cenci Nilsson, Angela, et al.
(author)
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Post- versus presynaptic plasticity in L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia.
- 2006
-
In: Journal of Neurochemistry. - : Wiley. - 1471-4159 .- 0022-3042. ; 99:2, s. 381-392
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) remains the most efficacious drug for the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD), but causes adverse effects that limit its utility. L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (abnormal involuntary movements) is a significant clinical problem that attracts growing scientific interest. Current notions attribute the development of dyskinesia to two main factors, viz. the loss of nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) projections and the maladaptive changes produced by L-DOPA at sites postsynaptic to the nigrostriatal neuron. Basic research in the past 15 years has placed a lot of emphasis on the postsynaptic plasticity associated with dyskinesia, but recent experimental work shows that also some presynaptic factors, involving the regulation of L-DOPA/DA release and metabolism in the brain, may show plasticity during treatment. This review summarizes significant studies of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia in patients and animal models, and outlines directions for future experiments addressing mechanisms of presynaptic plasticity. These investigations may uncover clues to the varying susceptibility to L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia among PD patients, paving the way for tailor-made treatments.
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| 18. |
- Dong, Yan, et al.
(author)
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Amperometric measurements of catecholamine release from single vesicles in MN9D cells.
- 2008
-
In: Journal of neurochemistry. - : Wiley. - 1471-4159 .- 0022-3042. ; 107:6, s. 1589-95
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- MN9D cells have been used as a successful model to investigate dopamine pharmacology and to test the specific effects of drugs for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. However, quantitative measurements of quantal release from these cells have not been carried out. In this work, we used amperometry to investigate catecholamine release from MN9D cells. Amperometric events were observed in both undifferentiated and differentiated (butyric acid-treated) cells. An increase in quantal size and half-width was observed for differentiated cells versus undifferentiated cells; however, the number of events per cell and the amplitude remained constant. In transmission electron microscopy images, no obvious cluster of small synaptic vesicles was observed, and large dense-core vesicles were present in the cell body of undifferentiated cells; however, after differentiation, vesicles were concentrated in the cell processes. In differentiated cells, l-DOPA caused an increase in quantal size and half-width, which could be blocked by the vesicular monoamine transporter inhibitor, reserpine.
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| 19. |
- Kukhtina, V, et al.
(author)
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Intracellular domain of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor: the importance of being unfolded.
- 2006
-
In: Journal of Neurochemistry. - : Wiley. - 1471-4159 .- 0022-3042. ; 97:Suppl 1, s. 63-67
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Bioinformatics methods with subsequent verification by experimental data were applied to the structural investigation of the intracellular loop of the d-subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR). Three complementary methods were used: prediction of secondary structure elements, prediction of ordered/disordered protein regions and prediction of short functional binding motifs. The output of five different algorithms was used for the secondary structure construction. Most of the intracellular domain is predicted to be unfolded. The predictions correlate well with the experimental data of limited proteolysis and NMR performed on the mostly monomeric fraction of heterologously expressed Torpedo intracellular domain protein. Twelve functional binding motifs within the disordered regions of the nAChR intracellular domain are predicted. Identification of proteins that interact with the intracellular domain will provide a better understanding of protein–protein interactions involved in nAChR assembly, trafficking and clustering.
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| 20. |
- Rickhag, Mattias, et al.
(author)
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Comprehensive regional and temporal gene expression profiling of the rat brain during the first 24 h after experimental stroke identifies dynamic ischemia-induced gene expression patterns, and reveals a biphasic activation of genes in surviving tissue
- 2006
-
In: Journal of Neurochemistry. - : Wiley. - 1471-4159 .- 0022-3042. ; 96:1, s. 14-29
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In order to identify biological processes relevant for cell death and survival in the brain following stroke, the postischemic brain transcriptome was studied by a large-scale cDNA array analysis of three peri-infarct brain regions at eight time points during the first 24 h of reperfusion following middle cerebral artery occlusion in the rat. K-means cluster analysis revealed two distinct biphasic gene expression patterns that contained 44 genes (including 18 immediate early genes), involved in cell signaling and plasticity (i.e. MAP2K7, Sprouty2, Irs-2, Homer1, GPRC5B, Grasp). The first gene induction phase occurred at 0-3 h of reperfusion, and the second at 9-15 h, and was validated by in situ hybridization. Four gene clusters displayed a progressive increase in expression over time and included 50 genes linked to cell motility, lipid synthesis and trafficking (i.e. ApoD, NPC1, G3P-dehydrogenase1, and Choline kinase) or cell death-regulating genes such as mitochondrial CLIC. We conclude that a biphasic transcriptional up-regulation of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR)-mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase signaling pathways occurs in surviving tissue, concomitant with a progressive and persistent activation of cell proliferation signifying tissue regeneration, which provide the means for cell survival and postischemic brain plasticity.
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| 21. |
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| 22. |
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| 23. |
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| 24. |
- Conrad, Chris, et al.
(author)
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Single molecule profiling of tau gene expression in Alzheimer's disease
- 2007
-
In: Journal of Neurochemistry. - : Wiley. - 0022-3042 .- 1471-4159. ; 103:3, s. 1228-1236
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Tau is a microtubule-associated protein that is important for establishing and maintaining neuronal morphology. In addition to its role in normal cells, tau protein is involved in many neurodegenerative diseases, e.g. Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia, as the main component of intraneuronal aggregates. Alternative splicing of tau gene in the brain can give rise to at least six protein variants. A causative role of skewed tau exon 10 inclusion has been defined in frontotemporal dementia; however, no link was established between the aberrant splicing of tau and AD. Here, we applied a single-molecule-based technology, polymerase colony or polony, to simultaneously monitor tau splicing variant and haplotype profile in sporadic AD and normal brains. We found that the coordinated expression of tau exons 2 and 10 is altered in AD. Additional investigations of cis and trans mechanisms of this observation revealed a decreased protein expression of a known tau splicing factor, htra2-beta-1 in AD, thereby implicating a trans mechanism. Our results demonstrate that dysregulation of combinatorial splicing might serve as a signature for aging-related diseases, and the polony assay could be widely adapted for the study of other tauopathies. Furthermore, splicing-based therapeutics is an emerging area of drug development, and a well-defined and quantitative assay for monitoring single-gene transcriptome will be relevant for such development.
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| 25. |
- Englund, Hillevi, 1980-, et al.
(author)
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Sensitive ELISA detection of amyloid-β protofibrils in biological samples
- 2007
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In: Journal of Neurochemistry. - : Wiley. - 0022-3042 .- 1471-4159. ; 103:1, s. 334-345
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Amyloid-β (Aβ) protofibrils are known intermediates of the in vitro Aβ aggregation process and the protofibrillogenic Arctic mutation (APPE693G) provides clinical support for a pathogenic role of Aβ protofibrils in Alzheimer's disease (AD). To verify their in vivo relevance and to establish a quantitative Aβ protofibril immunoassay, Aβ conformation dependent monoclonal antibodies were generated. One of these antibodies, mAb158 (IgG2a), was used in a sandwich ELISA to specifically detect picomolar concentrations of Aβ protofibrils without interference from Aβ monomers or the amyloid precursor protein (APP). The specificity and biological significance of this ELISA was demonstrated using cell cultures and transgenic mouse models expressing human APP containing the Swedish mutation (APPKN670/671ML), or the Swedish and Arctic mutation in combination. The mAb158 sandwich ELISA analysis revealed presence of Aβ protofibrils in both cell and animal models, proving that Aβ protofibrils are formed not only in vitro, but also in vivo. Furthermore, elevated Aβ protofibril levels in the Arctic-Swedish samples emphasize the usefulness of the Arctic mutation as a model of enhanced protofibril formation. This assay provides a novel tool for investigating the role of Aβ protofibrils in AD and has the potential of becoming an important diagnostic assay.
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