Anna Maria Mileo

CXC chemokines interleukin-8 (IL-8) and growth-related gene product α (GROα) modulate Purkinje neuron activity in mouse cerebellum

Abstract We give here evidence that Purkinje neurons (PNs) of mouse cerebellar slices studied with patch clamp technique combined with laser confocal microscopy, respond to human IL-8 and GROα by (i) a cytosolic Ca2+ transient compatible with inositol (1,4,5) trisphosphate (InsP3) formation; (ii) an enhancement of the neurotransmitter release; and (iii) an impairment of the long-term depression of synaptic strength (LTD). It was also found the expression of IL-8 receptor type 2 in PN and granule cells by immunofluorescence, immunoblotting and RT-PCR analysis. Considered together these findings suggest that IL-8 and GROα may play a neuromodulatory role on mouse cerebellum.

Modulation of the neurotransmitter release in rat cerebellar neurons by GROβ

WE report here that, in cultured cerebellar granule cells, the CXC chemokine GRO β stimulates the signaling pathway of the extracellular signal-regulated kinases, and enhances both evoked and spontaneous post-synaptic currents in patch clamped Purkinje neurons from rat cerebellar slices. The GRO β-induced enhancement of the excitatory post-synaptic currents evoked by stimulating the parallel fibres is blocked by the inhibitor of the extracellular signal-regulated kinases pathway PD98059, which also reduces both basal frequency of spontaneous post-synaptic currents and mean amplitude of evoked excitatory post-synaptic currents. Our results suggest that GRO β modulates neurotransmitter release in the cerebellum through the activation of the extra-cellular signal-regulated kinases pathway.

TNF-α increases the frequency of spontaneous miniature synaptic currents in cultured rat hippocampal neurons

Abstract Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is a cytokine secreted by activated astrocytes and is known to alter evoked synaptic activity in slices of adult rat hippocampus. In this paper we show that TNF-α increases the frequency of spontaneous miniature synaptic currents in cultured hippocampal neurons, acting at nanomolar concentrations. In addition, we show that the mRNA for the 55 kDa TNF-α receptor (TNF-R1) is detected in embryonic rat hippocampal cultures, as well as in acutely dissected embryonic and adult rat hippocampi. Possible transduction pathways mediating the TNF-α effect are discussed.

α5 Subunit forms functional α3β4α5 nAChRs in transfected human cells

NACHRS heterologously expressed in human cells after transient transfection with α3β4α5 or α3β4 subunit cDNAs exhibited similar sensitivities to antagonists and comparable functional channel profiles. However, the sum of two Hill equations was required for best fitting the ACh dose—current response curves after co-expression of α5, α3 and β4 subunits. One component was comparable to that obtained in α3β4-transfected cells, while the additional component, putatively attributed to an α3β4α5 nAChR population, showed a Hill coefficient > 2 and a nine-fold greater half-maximal ACh concentration (EC50). These results suggest that the α5 subunit participates in the assembly of α3β4α5 nAChRs complexes in human cells, adding a new member to the family of neuronal nicotinic receptors.

Functional Properties of Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Channels Expressed in Transfected Human Cells

To study how subunit composition affects the functional properties of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), we examined the behaviour of acetylcholine (ACh)‐induced single‐channel currents in human BOSC 23 cells transiently transfected with various subunit cDNA combinations. For all nAChRs examined (chick and rat α3β4, chick α<3/β2, α4β2, α4β4, α7and α8, expression levels were high enough to allow measurements of acetylcholine‐evoked whole‐cell currents and nicotine‐elicited Ca2+ transients as well as the functional characterization of nAChR channels. Unitary acetylcholine‐evoked events of α8 nAChR had a slope conductance of 23 pS, whereas two conductance classes (19–23 and 32–45 pS) were identified for all other nAChR channels. The mean channel open times were significantly longer for homomeric α7 and α8 nAChRs (6–7 ms) than for heteromeric nAChRs (1–3 ms), with the exception of α3α4nAChRs (8.4 ms for rat, 7 ms for chick). At least two species of heterologously expressed nAChRs (α3α4and α3α2) exhibited single‐channel characteristics similar to those reported for native receptors. The variety of nAChRs channel conductance and kinetic properties encountered in human cells transfected with nAChR subunits contributes to the functional diversity of nAChRs in nerve cells.

Expression of human epileptic temporal lobe neurotransmitter receptors in Xenopus oocytes: An innovative approach to study epilepsy

Poly(A+) RNA was extracted from the temporal lobe (TL) of medically intractable epileptic patients which underwent surgical TL resection. Injection of this mRNA into Xenopus oocytes led to the expression of ionotropic receptors for γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), kainate (KAI) and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA). Membrane currents elicited by GABA inverted polarity at −15 mV, close to the oocytes chloride equilibrium potential, were inhibited by bicuculline, and were potentiated by pentobarbital and flunitrazepam. These basic characteristics were also displayed by GABA currents elicited in oocytes injected with mRNAs isolated from human TL glioma (TLG) or from mouse TL. However, the GABA receptors expressed by the epileptic TL mRNA exhibited some unusual properties, consisting in a rapid current run-down after repetitive GABA applications and a large EC50 (125 μM). AMPA alone evoked very small or nil currents, whereas KAI induced larger currents. Nevertheless, upon cyclothiazide treatment, AMPA elicited substantial currents that, like the KAI currents, were inhibited by 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX). Furthermore, the glutamate receptor 5 (GluR5) agonist, ATPA, failed to evoke an obvious current although both RT-PCR and Western blot analyses showed GluR5 expression in the epileptic TL. Oocytes injected with mouse TL or human TLG mRNAs generated KAI and AMPA currents similar to those evoked in oocytes injected with epileptic TL mRNA but, in contrast to these, the mouse TL and human TLG oocytes were also responsive to ATPA. Our findings are in accord with the concept that both a depression of GABA inhibition and a dysfunction of the KAI-receptor system maintain a high neuronal excitability that results in epileptic seizures.

Some properties of human neuronal α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors fused to the green fluorescent protein

The functional properties and cellular localization of the human neuronal α7 nicotinic acetylcholine (AcCho) receptor (α7 AcChoR) and its L248T mutated (mut) form were investigated by expressing them alone or as gene fusions with the enhanced version of the green fluorescent protein (GFP). Xenopus oocytes injected with wild-type (wt), mutα7, or the chimeric subunit cDNAs expressed receptors that gated membrane currents when exposed to AcCho. As already known, AcCho currents generated by wtα7 receptors decay much faster than those elicited by the mutα7 receptors. Unexpectedly, the fusion of GFP to the wt and mutated α7 receptors led to opposite results: the AcCho-current decay of the wt receptors became slower, whereas that of the mutated receptors was accelerated. Furthermore, repetitive applications of AcCho led to a considerable “run-down” of the AcCho currents generated by mutα7-GFP receptors, whereas those of the wtα7-GFP receptors remained stable or increased in amplitude. The AcCho-current run-down of mutα7-GFP oocytes was accompanied by a marked decrease of α-bungarotoxin binding activity. Fluorescence, caused by the chimeric receptors expressed, was seen over the whole oocyte surface but was more intense and abundant in the animal hemisphere, whereas it was much weaker in the vegetal hemisphere. We conclude that fusion of GFP to wtα7 and mutα7 receptors provides powerful tools to study the distribution and function of α7 receptors. We also conclude that fused genes do not necessarily recapitulate all of the properties of the original receptors. This fact must be borne close in mind whenever reporter genes are attached to proteins.

Identification of a Determinant of Acetylcholine Receptor Gating Kinetics in the Extracellular Portion of the γ Subunit

A large body of structure‐function studies has identified many of the functional motifs underlying ion permeation through acetylcholine receptor (AChR) channels. The structural basis of channel gating kinetics is, however, incompletely understood. We have previously identified a novel shorter form of the AChR γ subunit, which lacks the 52 amino acids within the extracellular amino‐terminal half, encoded by exon 5. To define the contribution of the missing domain to AChR channel function, we have transiently coexpressed the mouse short γ subunit (γs) with α, β and δ subunits in human cells and recorded single‐channel currents from the resulting AChRs. Our findings show that replacement of the γ by the γs subunit confers a long duration characteristic to AChR channel openings without altering unitary conductance sizes or receptor affinity for the transmitter. We also show that βγδSδ AChR channels exhibit a peculiar voltage sensitivity characterized by a short opening duration when the membrane potential is hyperpolarized. Together, these findings indicate that the domain in the extracellular amino‐terminal half of the γ subunit that encompasses a conserved disulphide loop and a critical tyrosine residue implicated in receptor oligomerization and insertion at the cell surface is a functional motif that also modulates AChR channel gating kinetics. The results also provide a molecular explanation of the functional diversity exhibited by skeletal muscle AChRs during development.

The desensitization of the embryonic mouse muscle acetylcholine receptor depends on the cellular environment

The rate of desensitization of nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptor (nAChR), an important characteristic of nAChR function, was studied in myotubes of the mouse C2C12 cell line at different times after fusion, by measuring the decay of ACh-evoked currents (IACh) under various patch-clamp configurations. We observed a progressive slowing of IACh decay rate (half-decay time rose from about 0.5 s to over 5 s) in myotubes of increasing size (i.e. age) under all experimental conditions, except in outside-out patches, when IACh decayed as fast as in the smallest myotubes. Single-channel conductance (about 35 pS) and open time (about 3.5 ms), measured in outside-out and cell-attached patches, were independent of myotube size. In Xenopus oocytes injected with poly(A+)RNA extracted from C2C12 myoblasts or mature myotubes, IACh decay was about 50 times slower than in myotubes. Neither cAMP-dependent nor diacylglycerol-dependent protein kinases, actin nor microtubule polymerization state influenced IACh decay. Our data indicate that the cellular environment, but not readily dialysable cytosolic factors, markedly influences the functional behaviour of nAChR.

The open duration of fetal ACh receptor-channel changes during mouse muscle development

1 We performed an RNase protection assay on cultured C2C12 mouse myotubes, demonstrating that the γ subunit of the fetal muscle acetylcholine receptor (AChR) exists as two splice variants, which differ in the presence of the amino terminal exon 5. 2 We studied unitary ACh‐evoked events in fibres acutely dissociated from the hindlimb flexor digitorum brevis muscle of BALB/C mice aged between embryonic day 16 (E16) and postnatal day 6 (P6). 3 At all ages, the channel conductance was about 30 pS, typical of the fetal form of the AChR. The mean open time increased significantly from 6 ms at E16 to 9 ms at E19, then decreased to about 5 ms during the first postnatal week. The lengthening of the open time was considerably delayed in hypothyroid mice. Data were recorded at 24‐26 °C. 4 On the basis of previously reported experiments in heterologous expression systems, we suggest that the modulation of channel open time is related to the expression of the AChR incorporating the γs subunit. These events might be coupled to the crucial modifications in muscle innervation that take place during the same developmental period.