Role of calcium in the regulation of acetylcholine receptor synthese in cultured muscle cells*

Calcium Influx and Release Cooperatively Regulate AChR Patterning and Motor Axon Outgrowth during Neuromuscular Junction Formation

Formation of synapses between motor neurons and muscles is initiated by clustering of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) in the center of muscle fibers prior to nerve arrival. This AChR patterning is considered to be critically dependent on calcium influx through L-type channels (Ca_V1.1). Using a genetic approach in mice, we demonstrate here that either the L-type calcium currents (LTCCs) or sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium release is necessary and sufficient to regulate AChR clustering at the onset of neuromuscular junction (NMJ) development. The combined lack of both calcium signals results in loss of AChR patterning and excessive nerve branching. In the absence of SR calcium release, the severity of synapse formation defects inversely correlates with the magnitude of LTCCs. These findings highlight the importance of activity-dependent calcium signaling in early neuromuscular junction formation and indicate that both LTCC and SR calcium release individually support proper innervation of muscle by regulating AChR patterning and motor axon outgrowth.

Studies of acetylcholine receptor subunit gene expression: chromatin structural changes during myogenesis

Myogenesis proceeds stepwise from pluripotential stem cell to differentiated myotube. The precise number of transitions that occur along the developmental pathway remains to be determined. We examined the myogenic pathway as modelled by mouse mesodermal stem cell and muscle cell lines for stage-specific alterations in the chromatin structure of the acetylcholine receptor delta and gamma subunit genes. We reasoned that such an analysis would allow us to observe either the primary events in the activation of these muscle-specific genes or processes secondary to the binding of muscle-specific regulatory proteins. We probed chromatin structure with DNase I (deoxyribonuclease I) and precisely mapped to the 5' ends of the delta and gamma genes DNase I hypersensitive (DH) sites whose induction is unique to each myogenic stage. Putative mesodermal stem cells have the simplest pattern of DH sites with no sites near the 5' ends of the delta and gamma genes, whereas differentiated myotubes express the most complex pattern; the myoblast pattern is intermediate and of two types. In muscle cell lines where differentiation must be induced the myoblasts have a simple pattern (one more site than stem cells); in muscle lines where differentiation is spontaneous the myoblasts express a complex pattern of DH sites (one less site than myotubes). Inducible myoblasts seem to be arrested in an earlier step in the myogenic pathway than spontaneously differentiating myoblasts. Thus, myogenic activation of acetylcholine receptor subunit genes appears to be a stepwise process that can be detected by chromatin structural changes specific to four distinct stages of muscle development: stem cell, early myoblast, late myoblast, and differentiated myotube.

Role of the sarcoplasmic reticulum in regulating the activity-dependent expression of the glycogen phosphorylase gene in contractile skeletal muscle cells

Nerve-evoked contractile activity in skeletal muscle regulates transcript and protein levels of many metabolic genes in a coordinate fashion, including the muscle isozyme of glycogen phosphorylase (MGP). Cellular signaling mechanisms mediating the activity-dependent modulation of MGP transcript levels were investigated in a spontaneously contractile rat skeletal muscle cell line (Rmo). Mechanisms regulating MGP mRNA levels in Rmo myotubes were compared with those previously shown to modulate the gene encoding the alpha subunit of the acetylcholine receptor (alphaAChR). Reducing the resting membrane potential from -78 to -30 mV, either electrochemically (KCl) or by increasing Na(+) permeability (veratridine): (1) prevented activation of transverse tubules, (2) impeded calcium release by the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), and (3) blocked Rmo contractility. MGP mRNA levels decreased to 30% of control levels and alphaAChR levels increased to 350% following 24 h of depolarization. Differing mechanisms appear to mediate this voltage-dependent regulation of MGP and alphaAChR. Inhibition of SR calcium efflux selectively decreased MGP mRNA levels by 30-50% when using dantrolene, thapsigargin, or a dose of ryanodine shown to inactivate Ca(2+)-induced SR Ca(2+) release (CICR). By contrast, blockade of voltage sensors in transverse tubules with nifedipine, a dihydroaminopyridine (DHAP) antagonist, selectively increased alphaAChR mRNA levels by twofold. These data indicate that the voltage-dependent regulation of AChR gene expression differs from that modulating the MGP gene. KCl-induced depolarization and dantrolene both inhibit pulsatile SR Ca(2+) efflux in Rmo myotubes, but by differing mechanisms. Depolarization and dantrolene comparably reduced MGP mRNA levels and decreased MGP transcript stability from a t(1/2) of 24 h to 14.5 and 16 h, respectively. Reduced transcript stability can account for the observed reduction in mRNA levels of MGP in noncontractile Rmo myotubes and could be a significant regulatory mechanism in skeletal muscle that coordinates the activity-dependent expression of MGP with other glycogenolytic genes.

Role for calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum in coupling muscle activity to nicotinic acetylcholine receptor gene expression in rat

Neurally evoked muscle electrical activity suppresses nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) gene expression in extrajunctional domains of adult muscle fibers. It has been proposed that this regulation is mediated by calcium influx through voltage-dependent L-type calcium channels but bypasses the sarcoplasmic reticulum in chick and mouse C2C12 cells. Here we report that in rat muscle calcium influx through L-type calcium channels preferentially reduced nAChR epsilon-subunit RNA via a post-transcriptional mechanism. In contrast, calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) suppressed nAChR subunit RNA levels as a result of decreasing nAChR subunit promoter activity. Finally, we show that this decreased promoter activity is mediated through the same DNA sequences that control activity-dependent gene expression. Therefore, we propose that in rat muscle, calcium release from the SR participates in coupling muscle depolarization to nAChR gene expression.

Opposite effect of intracellular Ca2+ and protein kinase C on the expression of inwardly rectifying K+ channel 1 in mouse skeletal muscle

The level of inwardly rectifying K+ channel 1 (IRK1) mRNA decreased upon denervation and increased during muscle differentiation in mouse skeletal muscle. To identify the mechanism(s) underlying the regulation of IRK1 mRNA expression, we examined its expression using the well differentiated C2C12 mouse skeletal muscle cell line as a model system. Since nerve-induced muscle activity results in contraction, it was questioned whether the changes in IRK1 expression might be relevant to the increased intracellular calcium that functions as a cytoplasmic messenger in excitation-contraction coupling. Indeed, activation of either L-type calcium channels or ryanodine receptors increased the level of IRK1 mRNA. More directly, ionomycin activated the IRK1 expression in time- and dose-dependent manners, which was abolished by treatment with EGTA. Genistein, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, also abolished the stimulating effect of ionomycin. Meanwhile, activation of protein kinase C by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol acetate (TPA) markedly decreased the level of IRK1 mRNA, which required ongoing protein synthesis. Actinomycin D experiments revealed that ionomycin increased the half-life of IRK1 mRNA from 0.86 to 1.97 h, but TPA decreased it to 0.38 h. However, neither ionomycin nor TPA appreciably altered the rate of IRK1 gene transcription. Based on these observations, we conclude that intracellular calcium and protein kinase C are oppositely involved in the muscle activity-dependent regulation of IRK1 gene expression and that both act at the level of mRNA stability.

Depolarization-transcription signals in skeletal muscle use calcium flux through L channels, but bypass the sarcoplasmic reticulum

Membrane depolarization inactivates acetylcholine receptor (AChR) genes in skeletal muscle. We have studied this process in C2C12 cells, focusing on the role of calcium. Cytoplasmic calcium was monitored with fluo-3, and the activity of receptor genes was measured with a sensitive transcript elongation assay. Removal of extracellular calcium or blockage of L-type calcium channels disrupts signaling, even when release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) is not impeded, whereas L channel agonists induce signaling without membrane depolarization or release of calcium from intracellular stores. Activators of calcium release from the SR do not inhibit AChR genes, either in C2C12 or in chicken skeletal muscle in vivo. It appears that calcium ions do not act as messengers between sarcolemma and nucleus but target a sensor near their port of entry where they initiate a signal that bypasses the SR.

ARIA, a protein that stimulates acetylcholine receptor synthesis, also induces tyrosine phosphorylation of a 185-kDa muscle transmembrane protein

Motoneurons promote the accumulation of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) at developing neuromuscular synapses. The AChR-inducing activity protein ARIA, which is purified from chicken brain and increases the synthesis of AChRs in chicken myotubes, may play a crucial role in this process. Here we show that ARIA induces the rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of a M(r) 185,000 protein (p185) in muscle cells. Phosphorylation of p185 correlates with AChR induction at each stage of ARIA purification. Moreover, medium conditioned by spinal cord motoneurons stimulates AChR synthesis and p185 phosphorylation. Studies with membrane-impermeant reagents and 125I-labeled ARIA indicate that p185 is a transmembrane ARIA-receptor tyrosine kinase. Our data suggests that muscle AChR synthesis can be regulated through tyrosine phosphorylation.

Measures of skeletal muscle calcium channels and acetylcholine receptors in thyroidectomized rats

Hypothyroidism frequently presents with muscle complaints. No consistent histopathology nor electrophysiology explains these symptoms and signs. As well, no previous study shows specific changes in components of the nerve-muscle synapse nor excitation-contraction coupling in adult muscles, but changes are seen in hormone-treated embryonic myoblasts. In this study, adult male Holtzman rats underwent thyroidectomy and their age-matched euthyroid controls were simultaneously subjected to sham operation. Thirty days post-operative, animals were sacrificed for anterior tibialis muscles harvest. Muscle dihydropyridine type calcium channel (isradipine) and acetylcholine receptor (alpha-bungarotoxin) binding were measured and compared between experimental treatment groups. There were no significant differences in either the affinity or density of isradipine binding. However, hypothyroid muscles showed a nearly 50% reduction in acetylcholine receptor density when compared to control muscles. Thyroidectomy is associated with specific effects on components of neuromuscular transmission in adult fast twitch muscle.

Effects of calcium and calcium-channel blocker methoxyverapamil on the beta-adrenoceptors in myocardial cells in vitro

The possible relationship between methoxyverapamil (D600) as a calcium-channel blocker and the beta-adrenoceptors was investigated on heart cells grown in culture, using [3H]CGP-12177 as a radioligand. Treatment with D600 (20 micrograms/mL) for 24 hr caused a decrease of 30% in the [3H]CGP-12177 binding sites. Scatchard analysis showed that the Bmax is similar in control and D600-treated cells, but the Kd in D600-treated cells increases. The effect of D600 on the isoproterenol-induced adenylate cyclase activation was examined and it was found that the D600 prevented the increase in cAMP obtained by isoproterenol treatment. These results indicate that the action of D600 on the beta-adrenoceptors is a competitive inhibition of the [3H]CGP-12177 binding sites. We investigated the effect of Ca2+ in the growth medium on the level of beta-adrenoceptors. Heart cells grown for 24 hr in Ca(2+)-free medium showed a decrease of 36% in the [3H]CGP-12177 binding sites without changing the dissociation constant. This decrease is probably a result of reduction in synthesis of the receptors. The level of receptors returned to control values following replenishment with normal growth medium. These results show that calcium is essential for the development of the beta-adrenoceptors in heart cells in vitro.

Calcium and ionophore A23187 stimulates deposition of extracellular matrix and acetylcholinesterase release in cultured myotubes

Calcium (Ca2+) and calcium-transporting ionophores stimulate protein secretion in many cellular systems. We demonstrate here than increases in intracellular calcium concentration induce a time- and concentration-dependent deposition of extracellular matrix and an increase in acetylcholinesterase secretion. Scanning and transmission electron-microscopy revealed that treatment with the calcium ionophore A23187, or high extracellular Ca2+ levels (5 mM to 15 mM) produce significant deposits of extracellular matrix around the myotubes, as well as a marked increase in the acetylcholinesterase reaction-product. Blocking muscle contraction was not necessary for the induction of AChE secretory activity. Sucrose density-gradients of media conditioned by muscle cells revealed 3 separate acetylcholinesterase molecular forms. However, incubation with A23187 increased only the 4.5 S and the 7.2 S molecular forms, whereas the 12.0 S form showed no significant differences from controls. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and autoradiography using [3H]diisopropyl fluorophosphate revealed a broad band at 65,000 daltons. This band was broader than for controls when medium was obtained from A23187-treated cells. Our results show that increasing intracellular Ca2+ concentration induces marked deposition of extracellular matrix and increased acetylcholinesterase secretion, with an apparent selectivity for the monomeric and dimeric acetylcholinesterase molecular forms.

Maturation of a transient outward potassium current in mouse fetal hypothalamic neurons in culture

The whole-cell voltage clamp technique was used to record potassium currents in mouse fetal hypothalamic neurons developing in culture medium from days 1 to 17. The neurons were derived from fetuses of IOPS/OF1 mice on the 14th day of gestation. The mature neurons (greater than six days in culture) showed both a transient potassium current and a non-inactivating delayed rectifier potassium current. These were identified pharmacologically by using the potassium channel blockers tetraethyl ammonium chloride and 4-aminopyridine, and on the basis of their kinetics and voltage sensitivities. The delayed rectifier potassium current had a threshold of-20 mV, a slow time-course of activation, and was sustained during the voltage pulse. The 4-aminopyridine-sensitive current was transient, and was activated from a holding potential more negative (-80 mV) than that required for evoking the delayed rectifier potassium current (-40 mV). The delayed rectifier potassium current was detectable from day 1 onwards, while the transient potassium current showed a distinct developmental trend. The time-constant of inactivation became faster with age in culture. The half steady-state inactivation potential showed a shift towards less negative membrane potentials with age, and the relationship was best described by a logarithmic regression equation. The developmental trend of the transient potassium current may relate functionally to the progressive morphological changes, and the appearance of synaptic connections during ontogenesis.

Thyroid hormones up-regulate Ca-channels in cultured skeletal muscle of the rat

The effects of thyroid hormones (TH) were examined on the expression of slow Ca2(+)-channels in cultures of rat skeletal muscle. Myotubes were treated with TH at age 5-7 days in vitro, and measurements of specific binding of the dihydropyridine Ca-channel antagonist [3H]PN200-110 were made beginning 12 h later. TH caused a dose-related increase in PN200-110 binding sites with a lower affinity for the ligand than in control cells. The effect was blocked by simultaneous treatment with cycloheximide or actinomycin-D. The results indicate that TH increase gene expression of slow Ca2(+)-channels of skeletal muscle.

Measurement of intracellular Ca2+ in BC3H-1 muscle cells with Fura-2: relationship to acetylcholine receptor synthesis

Synthesis of acetylcholine receptors (AChR) can be affected by calcium, but the role played by this cation is controversial. The effect of changes in extracellular calcium, [Ca2+]o, on AChR synthesis was examined in a cultured mouse muscle cell line, BC3H-1. Reduction of [Ca2+]o for long periods (approximately 22 h) leads to a decrease in total surface AChR levels, a finding that is consistent with inhibition of AChR synthesis. A half-maximal reduction in surface AChR levels is observed when [Ca2+]o is decreased from 1.8 to approximately 5o microM. Under these conditions, however, total protein synthesis is also largely inhibited, suggesting that the effect of [Ca2+]o on AChR synthesis may be relatively non-specific. Increasing [Ca2+]i by adding the Ca2+ ionophore, A23187 (in the presence of 1.8 mM [Ca2+]o) also gives similar and significant reductions of both AChR and protein synthesis. Since the time course of changes in intracellular calcium [( Ca2+]i) produced by these manoeuvres is unknown, we examined the effects of briefer (1-6 h) reductions in [Ca2+]o and achieved a more specific reduction in AChR synthesis. A direct measurement of the changes in [Ca2+]i resulting from changes in [Ca2+]o was made using the fluorescent indicator Fura-2 and video fluorescence microscopy. Our results show that in BC3H-1 muscle cells the resting intracellular calcium decreases reversibly over 20 min when [Ca2+]o is decreased. We suggest that a reduction of [Ca2+]i produced by the lower [Ca2+]o underlies the reduction in AChR synthesis observed in these experiments.

Regulation of the sodium-potassium pump in cultured rat skeletal myotubes by intracellular sodium ions

The properties of the Na-K pump and some of the factors controlling its amount and function were studied in rat myotubes in culture. The number of Na-K pump sites was quantified by measuring the amount of [3H]ouabain bound to whole-cell preparations. Activity of the pump was determined by measurement of ouabain-sensitive 86Rb-uptake and component of membrane potential. Chronic treatment of myotubes with tetrodotoxin (TTX), which lowers [Na]i, decreased the number of Na-K pumps, the ouabain-sensitive 86Rb uptake, and the size of the electrogenic pump component of Em. In contrast, chronic treatment with either ouabain or veratridine, which increases [Na+]i, resulted in an elevated level of Na-K pump sites. This effect was blocked by inhibitors of protein synthesis. Neither rates of degradation nor affinity of pump sites in cells treated with TTX, veratridine, or ouabain differred from those in control cells. The number and activity of Na-K pump sites were unaffected by chronic elevation in [Ca]i or chronic depolarization. We conclude that alterations in the level in intracellular Na ions play the major role in regulation of Na-K pump synthesis in cultured mammalian skeletal muscle.

Acetylcholine-gated and chloride conductance channel expression in rat muscle membrane

1. During the differentiation of skeletal muscle, there is a synchronized expression of a number of muscle-specific proteins including the acetylcholine-gated ion channel (AChR). Another muscle-specific ion channel, responsible for chloride conductance, was shown to be expressed in an anticoordinate fashion to AChR. An organ culture system for rat lumbrical muscles was developed to manipulate the expression of these two ion channels. 2. Denervation induced a change in expression of both channels that was mimicked in culture and reversed by direct electrical stimulation. 3. The time course of the disappearance of both channels was similar and started immediately after denervation (chloride conductance) or stimulation (AChR). The time course of the appearance of AChR was delayed several days after denervation and culture but chloride conductance increased immediately upon stimulation. 4. The loss of chloride conductance in muscle cultured in cycloheximide exhibited first-order kinetics, providing an estimate of the half-life (2.3 days) for the chloride conductance channel. This resembled the disappearance of chloride conductance in normal medium, suggesting that synthesis of this channel ceases following denervation. The decrease in chloride conductance characteristic of denervated muscle was not halted by cycloheximide. 5. Changes in chloride conductance presumably alter the intracellular concentration of chloride. The possibility that chloride might regulate the expression of AChRs in skeletal muscle was tested by altering the intracellular concentration of chloride in muscles maintained in organ culture. 6. Denervated muscles, whose intracellular concentration of chloride is elevated, were cultured in medium containing 9 mM-chloride (low-Cl- medium). AChR expression was reduced by either low-Cl- medium or electrical stimulation. Together, low-Cl- medium and electrical stimulation reduced expression more than either treatment alone. 7. The loss of AChRs in low-Cl- medium was blocked when muscle fibrillation was halted by TTX. 8. When chloride conductance was blocked by 9AC (9-anthracene carboxylic acid) intracellular chloride was elevated to the levels seen in denervated muscle. The elevated levels of chloride did not prevent the reduction in AChR expression induced by electrical stimulation. 9. The uncoupling of AChR expression and the intracellular concentration of chloride showed that they were not rigidly linked. Chloride affects the expression of AChR indirectly, by altering the activity of muscle cells.

The muscular dysgenesis mutation in mice leads to arrest of the genetic program for muscle differentiation

Muscular dysgenesis (mdg) is a mutation in mice which causes the failure of excitation-contraction coupling in skeletal muscle. Although the sarcolemma, the sarcoplasmic reticulum, and the contractile apparatus all maintain nearly normal function, sarcolemmal depolarization fails to cause calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Recently, the primary genetic defect in this mutation was shown to be located in the structural gene for the dihydropyridine receptor. We have examined the developmental expression from Fetal Day 15 onward, in normal and mutant muscle, of several unidentified genes as well as genes which are known markers of muscle differentiation. We find that the majority of mRNA sequences are found at similar concentrations in normal and dysgenic muscles at birth. Many differentiation-related genes also are expressed at normal levels early during myogenesis in mutant mice. However, as late fetal development progresses in dysgenic muscle, the mRNA concentrations for these genes fail to undergo the rapid rise which is characteristic of normal muscle. Several additional, unidentified genes, which normally would be down-regulated during development, remain expressed at a high level in dysgenic muscle. Thus, the primary absence of a functional dihydropyridine receptor appears to prevent the changes in gene expression which are necessary for maturation of skeletal muscle.

Characterization of the relation between sodium channels and electrical activity in cultured rat skeletal myotubes: regulatory aspects

The relation among sodium channel density, frequency of electrical activity and maximal rate of rise of the action potential was studied in developing and mature rat skeletal myotubes in culture. The number of tetrodotoxin (TTX)-sensitive Na-channels was determined by measurements of the amount of [3H]saxitoxin (STX) bound to the cultures, and electrical properties were recorded with intracellular microelectrodes. The EC50 for TTX-induced decreases in maximal STX-binding, frequency and rate of rise of action potentials was in the range 8-20 nM. The 3 variables increased in parallel with age in culture to reach peak values at age 7-8 days, and then decreased in parallel until 10-12 days in culture. The age-related increase in Na-channel density was decreased, but not abolished, by prevention of myoblast fusion. Treatment with the Ca2+ ionophore, A23187, down-regulated, and blockade of Ca-channels with verapamil up-regulated the number of Na-channels. Na-channel density was also increased by chronic treatment with TTX and elevated external [K+], which eliminated spontaneous electrical and contractile activity. Parallel effects were observed on frequency and rate of rise of action potentials. Up-regulation of Na-channels was prevented by simultaneous treatment of myotubes with inhibitors of protein synthesis. We conclude that electrical and mechanical activity of cultured myotubes regulate de novo synthesis of Na-channels through alterations in the level of cytosolic Ca2+.

Activity-dependent regulation of gene expression in muscle and neuronal cells

In both the central and the peripheral nervous systems, impulse activity regulates the expression of a vast number of genes that code for synaptic proteins, including neuropeptides, enzymes involved in neurotransmitter biosynthesis and degradation, and membrane receptors. In recent years, the mechanisms involved in these regulations became amenable to investigation by the methods of recombinant DNA technology. The first part of this review focuses on the activity-dependent control of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor biosynthesis in vertebrate muscle, a model case for the regulation of synaptic protein biosynthesis at the postsynaptic level. The second part summarizes some examples of neuronal proteins whose biosynthesis is under the control of transsynaptic impulse activity. The first, second, and third intracellular messengers involved in membrane-to-gene signaling are discussed, as are possible posttranscriptional control mechanisms. Finally, models are proposed for a role of neuronal activity in the genesis and stabilization of the synapse.

Characterization of resting membrane potential and its electrogenic pump component in cultured chick myotubes

The role of the electrogenic Na+-K+ pump in the determination of the level of the resting membrane potential in cultured chick limb muscle was investigated. Transmembrane resting potential and ouabain-sensitive 86Rb-uptake were measured in myotubes at different ages in culture from 2 to 10 days in vitro. Inhibition of the Na+-K+ pump with ouabain prevented the developmental increase in membrane potential which normally follows fusion of myotubes (day 2-3). In mature myotubes, ouabain caused a dose-related decrease in both membrane potential and 86Rb-uptake, with values for EC50 and maximal effect being nearly the same on both variables. The decrease in membrane potential by ouabain, up to 20 mV maximum, occurred within 2-5 sec and was not accompanied by detectable changes in input resistance. Membrane potential was also reduced by a decrease in temperature of the recording medium and removal of extracellular K+, both of which reduce Na+-K+ pump activity. We also found that the relation between membrane potential and extracellular K+ concentration was completely attenuated by ouabain in the physiological range (2-10 mM). We conclude that the electrogenic Na+-K+ pump plays an important role in the determination of the resting membrane potential of chick myotubes and that regulation of its level is not entirely explained by the diffusion potential hypothesis.

Effects of the rate of acetylcholine receptor synthesis on the severity of experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis

The effect of target organ manipulation by means of denervation and treatment with anabolic steroids on the severity of disease in EAMG was assessed in inbred rats. Unilateral limb denervation, a procedure known to increase the AChR content of muscle, 'protected' the denervated leg against antibody-mediated AChr loss in acute EAMG induced by passive transfer of mAb 35 directed against the main immunogenic region. Also in chronic EAMG, brought about by immunizing rats with AChR in complete Freund's adjuvant, the AChR loss of the denervated leg was about one fourth (13.5 vs. 53%) of the control leg. In both acute and chronic EAMG the amount of AChR complexed with antibody was lower in the denervated leg. This lower AChR occupancy with antibody in the denervated leg occurred also in conditions of marked antibody excess and was therefore due to enhanced AChR synthesis. Next the effect of treatment with a weakly virilizing anabolic steroid nandrolone in chronic and acute EAMG was examined in order to examine whether a hypothesized enhanced synthesis of AChR would protect animals from disease. In the absence of an immunosuppressive effect, in terms of concentration of antibodies to AChR, nandrolone treatment protected the rats from severe disease in the chronic EAMG model as shown by the fact that of the 9 rats 6 showed mild (1+) disease and 3 no disease at all; conversely 6 out of 9 control rats showed severe (3+) disease. Rats treated with nandrolone showed a 48 +/- 1.7% loss of AChR compared to a loss of 58 +/- 3.6% in the control rats, suggesting enhanced AChR synthesis. When nandrolone-pretreated rats were given acute EAMG by passive transfer of mAb 35 a paradoxical effect was seen. In contrast to the controls all of the rats pretreated with nandrolone showed severe signs of EAMG; this was associated with a higher loss of AChR and increased consumption of complement C4 as suggested by decreased concentrations of C4 in the serum. Results show increased AChR synthesis to protect against chronic EAMG both in terms of clinical disease (nandrolone) as well as AChR loss (nandrolone, denervation). In addition it was shown that nandrolone increases serum C4 consumption which in the complement-dependent acute EAMG model causes enhancement of the severity of clinical disease and increased AChR loss.

Post-natal disappearance of transient calcium channels in mouse skeletal muscle: effects of denervation and culture

1. The whole-cell voltage clamp technique was used to record Ba2+ currents in voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels in mouse flexor digitorum brevis muscles developing in situ from day 1 to 30 after birth. Effects of denervation and tissue culture on the Ca2+ channel currents were also studied. 2. The muscle fibres in newborn mice showed two distinct types of Ca2+ channel currents, a low-threshold transient current and a high-threshold sustained current. 3. The specific amplitude of the transient current was 2.7 +/- 1.7 (S.D.) A/F in response to -30 mV test pulses in medium containing 30 mM-Ba2+ on day 1 after birth. The transient current decreased progressively in the post-natal days and became undetectable by day 17. In contrast, the specific amplitude of the sustained current in response to +20 mV test pulses increased 4-fold from 6.9 A/F on day 1 to 27.7 A/F on day 30. 4. The disappearance of the transient current could not be accounted for by either shifts in voltage dependence of activation and inactivation or changes in activation and inactivation times of the two types of current during development. 5. Denervating muscle fibres on day 8 after birth did not prevent the disappearance of the transient current. Denervating them on day 17 did not allow reappearance of the transient current. However, the increase of the sustained current was suppressed by the denervation either on day 8 or day 17. 6. In muscle fibres isolated on day 8 after birth and cultured thereafter, the transient current did not disappear until day 19 in culture (27 days after birth), while the sustained current was maintained at the level on day 8. 7. In muscle fibres isolated on day 17, when the transient current had become undetectable, and cultured thereafter, the transient current did not reappear until day 15 in culture (32 days after birth), while the sustained current was maintained at a level similar to that on day 17. 8. We conclude that innervation has little influence on the developmental disappearance of the transient Ca2+ channel current in mouse muscle fibres, and suggest that some influencing factors from surroundings other than the nerve may be required for the disappearance of the functional transient channels.

Effects of prolonged depolarization on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors of PC12 cells

To determine whether prolonged depolarization and/or changes in intracellular Ca2+ concentrations stimulate adaptive responses of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, PC12 pheochromocytoma cells were grown in medium containing various concentrations of K+. Nicotinic receptor function was determined as carbachol-stimulated uptake of 86Rb+. Cells were exposed to 50 mM K+ for up to 4 days and then allowed to repolarize for 60 min. Under these conditions, no changes in basal or carbachol-stimulated uptake of 86Rb+ were observed. Furthermore, neither the time course of carbachol-stimulated uptake or the carbachol concentration dependence of 86Rb+ uptake was altered. Finally, concurrent depolarization did not affect the functional down-regulation produced by chronic exposure of the cells to carbachol. Thus, neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on PC12 cells do not appear to be regulated by depolarization or prolonged elevation of the intracellular Ca2+ level.

Regulation of the number of alpha-bungarotoxin binding sites in cultured chick myotubes by a 1,4 dihydropyridine calcium channel antagonist

Calcium has been suggested as the second messenger link between skeletal muscle activity and AChR gene expression and synthesis. We have compared the concentrations of the Ca2+ channel antagonists D600 and nisoldipine needed both to block Ca2+ uptake into cultured myotubes and to increase AChR expression. The good correspondence between these two measurements and the use of the highly specific Ca2+ channel antagonist nisoldipine strengthens the hypothesis that AChR expression is regulated by levels of intracellular Ca2+.

Changes in intracellular ionized Ca concentration associated with muscle fiber type transformation

Since increased muscle activity, which results in fast-slow fiber transformation, is associated with increases in sarcoplasmic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i), it seemed of interest to study the level of [Ca2+] after cessation of stimulation in fibers of the extensor digitorum longus muscle chronically stimulated (8 Hz). [Ca2+]i was measured in individual fibers with a Ca2+-sensitive electrode after subtracting the membrane potential, measured simultaneously from the potential of the Ca2+ electrode. During the first 14 days of stimulation, [Ca2+]i increased from approximately 0.1 to 0.5 microM and declined in approximately 3 wk to a value slightly higher than the initial one. The rise and decline of [Ca2+]i was preceded by a transient increase in total calcium. If stimulation was terminated after 7-8 wk when an essentially complete fast-to-slow transformation had taken place, a subsequent rest period led to a reverse slow-to-fast transformation, which was also preceded by a transient increase of [Ca2+]i reaching a peak at day 5 of rest. Unstimulated fast and slow fibers and fully transformed fibers do not differ in their [Ca2+] levels; thus it appears that the transformation process itself is accompanied, particularly in its earlier stages, by elevated [Ca2+]i levels. Elucidation of the relation between changes in Ca2+ and changes in gene expression will require further work.

Calcium-dependent regulation of phospholipase A2 and its inhibitors, including tetracaine, for acetylcholine receptor cluster formation in mouse myotubes co-cultured with spinal cord explant

Regulatory effects of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) on acetylcholine receptor (AChR) cluster formation were investigated in developing mouse myotubes co-cultured with spinal cord explant, using quinacrine, cortisone, tetracaine and related agents. AChR was visualized using the fluorescence-conjugated alpha-bungarotoxin. Peak fluorescence intensity and total fluorescence within the fluorescence stain were measured as indices of AChR cluster formation and AChR content, respectively. Both indices were gradually increased from day 9 to 13 in culture. PLA2 (0.2-1.0 micrograms/ml), melittin (10 micrograms/ml) and arachidonic acid (100 microM), added to the culture medium from the second day, clearly inhibited both indices at days 11 and 13, whereas the addition of phospholipase C (1 microgram/ml) inhibited peak fluorescence but did not affect total fluorescence. The co-existence of PLA2 with its inhibitors--quinacrine (3 microM), cortisone (0.01 microM) and tetracaine (30 microM)--significantly overcame the PLA2-induced inhibition of both indices. The elevation of calcium ion concentrations from 2.9 to 10 mM abolished the increase of both indices. Quinacrine (10 microM), cortisone (0.1 microM) and tetracaine (100 microM) alone similarly inhibited both fluorescence indices. The addition of EGTA (2 mM) from day 8 overcame tetracaine-induced inhibition but not quinacrine- or cortisone-induced inhibition. These results suggest that the formation of AChR clusters in developing myotubes is negatively controlled by endogenous PLA2 activity. This overcoming of PLA2-induced inhibition by tetracaine may be dependent on calcium ion mobilization, whereas that by quainacrine and cortisone may not.

Increases in muscle Ca2+ mediate changes in acetylcholinesterase and acetylcholine receptors caused by muscle contraction

The synthesis of acetylcholinesterase (AcChoE; acetylcholine acetylhydrolase, EC 3.1.1.7) and of acetylcholine receptors (AcChoR) by cultured rat muscle fibers is influenced strongly by the level of muscle contractile activity. If fibers are grown in the presence of tetrodotoxin (TTX) to block spontaneous contraction, the total amount of AcChoE decreases markedly, as does the percentage of AcChoE assembled as the collagen-tailed presumed synaptic form of the enzyme. Under these conditions, however, the number of AcChoR increases. We demonstrate here that each effect of TTX can be prevented by treating the muscle cells with the calcium ionophore A23187. Thus, cells treated with A23187 and TTX have 30- to 40-fold higher levels of collagen-tailed AcChoE and lower levels of AcChoR by a factor of 4-5 than do cells grown in TTX alone. These results suggest that an increase in muscle cytoplasmic Ca2+ mediates the known effects of muscle contraction on these cholinergic macromolecules.

Activity regulates the levels of acetylcholine receptor alpha-subunit mRNA in cultured chicken myotubes

In vitro blocking the spontaneous activity of primary cultures of chicken embryo myotubes with tetrodotoxin increases approximately equal to 2-fold their content in surface acetylcholine receptor. To investigate this effect at the level of gene expression, chicken genomic DNA sequences coding for the acetylcholine receptor alpha subunit were isolated and characterized. They were shown to belong to a single-copy, polymorphic gene with at least two alleles in the chicken strain utilized. Probes derived from these genomic clones were used to quantitate levels of alpha-subunit mRNA. In culture, a 2-day exposure to tetrodotoxin increased these mRNA levels up to 13-fold, a value similar to that observed after denervation of chick leg muscle (approximately equal to 17-fold). Actin mRNA levels varied little in any of these experiments. These results support the notion that membrane electrical activity affects acetylcholine receptor expression by regulating the accumulation of the corresponding mRNAs.

Recovery of the muscarinic cholinergic receptor from its down-regulation in cultured smooth muscle

The recovery of the muscarinic cholinergic receptor (mAChR) from its down-regulation by long-term exposure to ACh was investigated. This was done to obtain information about regulation of the mAChR. Exposure of guinea-pig vas deferens to 30 microM ACh for 24 h decreased the amount of mAChR to 30% of the initial level, as measured with L-[3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB). The amount of mAChR was restored to 190% of its prewithdrawal level within 48 h of removal of ACh, without change in the KD value for L-[3H]QNB. This restoration was entirely dependent on protein synthesis. The half-life of the receptor was calculated to be 69 h. The recovery of mAChR was blocked by treatment with antimicrotubular agents, carboxylic ionophores, or 5 mM EGTA, which affect membrane protein synthesis. However, cytochalasin B and cyclic nucleotide derivatives had no effect. These data indicate that the recovery of mAChR was due to new synthesis of mAChR. The findings suggested that microtubules and the Golgi apparatus were involved in the biosynthesis of mAChR and that extracellular Ca2+ was necessary for the synthesis. Unlike the case with nicotinic AChR, the synthesis did not seem to be increased by cAMP or high extracellular Ca2+.

Manganese ions inhibit acetylcholine receptor synthesis in cultured mouse soleus muscles

Thin bundles dissected from mouse soleus muscles were kept in culture media containing 10% calf serum. After 3 days of culture at 37 degrees C the muscles were tested for acetylcholine (ACh) sensitivity by measuring the force of the contracture produced by 10 microM ACh. The ACh-receptor density was measured by the [125I]alpha-bungarotoxin method. When the [Ca2+] of the culture medium was 0.02 mM (instead of the normal 2 mM), ACh sensitivity and ACh-receptor density were not different from control. Replacement of 99% Ca2+ by Sr2+ or by Mg2+ was also without effect. The muscles did not survive in solutions containing Ni ions. ACh sensitivity and ACh-receptor density were at levels characteristic of non-cultured muscles when the culture medium contained 0.4-1.8 mM Mn2+. Since the incorporation of ACh receptors into the membrane was not affected by Mn ions these results indicate that Mn ions inhibit the synthesis of ACh receptors.

Acetylcholine receptor: an allosteric protein

The nicotine receptor for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine is an allosteric protein composed of four different subunits assembled in a transmembrane pentamer alpha 2 beta gamma delta. The protein carries two acetylcholine sites at the level of the alpha subunits and contains the ion channel. The complete sequence of the four subunits is known. The membrane-bound protein undergoes conformational transitions that regulate the opening of the ion channel and are affected by various categories of pharmacologically active ligands.

Inhibition of acetylcholine receptor synthesis by conditioned medium of electrically stimulated muscle cultures

In previous studies, it has been reported that electrical stimulation of muscle cultures is followed by inhibition of acetylcholine receptor (AChR) synthesis. In the study reported here, we show that even media taken from electrically stimulated muscle cultures are capable of inhibiting receptor synthesis. This inhibition is specific, since the levels of acetylcholinesterase and creatine kinase are not reduced. The electrically stimulated myotubes probably synthesize and release to the medium a protein(s) responsible for reducing AChR synthesis.

Trifluoperazine stimulates acetylcholine receptor synthesis in cultured chick myotubes

Acetylcholine receptor appearance rate in the presence of the phenothiazines trifluoperazine and chlorpromazine was measured in cultured embryonic chick myotubes by means of 125I-alpha-bungarotoxin. At drug concentrations of 5 to 10 X 10(-6) M, receptor appearance rate was significantly enhanced while receptor half-life, cellular protein, net protein synthesis rate, and acetylcholinesterase levels were not similarly affected. The sulfoxide derivatives were without effect. At concentrations of 3 X 10(-5) M and above, both trifluoperazine and chlorpromazine caused myotube contracture and cell loss. Drug combination experiments revealed that receptor stimulation caused by phenothiazines is overcome by low concentrations of veratridine and ryanodine, but not by membrane depolarization with 20 mM KCl. These results lend support to the role of calcium as an intracellular messenger in acetylcholine receptor synthesis regulation, but are difficult to reconcile with the notion that cytosolic calmodulin serves as the calcium receptor in this signaling pathway. Since the trifluoperazine effect resembles that caused by the calcium antagonist D-600, phenothiazines may stimulate receptor synthesis by blocking a voltage-gated calcium channel.

Organization of acetylcholine receptor clusters in cultured rat myotubes is calcium dependent

The effect of extracellular Ca2+ concentration and myasthenic globulin on the distribution and appearance of acetylcholine receptor (AChR) clusters on rat myotubes was studied with tetramethyl-rhodamine-labeled alpha BTX. Low Ca2+ medium (2.5 X 10(-5) M) caused a time-dependent loss of AChR clusters, and a concomitant increase in small punctate areas of fluorescence. High Ca2+ concentrations (1.5 X 10(-2) M) increased the size of AChR clusters without altering AChR synthesis. These changes were not observed with other divalent ions. In the presence of myasthenic globulin, the rate of AChR turnover increases, and AChR clusters are rapidly dispersed. High Ca2+ concentration partially protects the AChR clusters from dispersal and decreases the rate of receptor turnover.

Regulation of acetylcholine receptor density in membranes of denervated mouse muscles

The ACh sensitivity of denervated muscles of rats stimulated in situ or in culture for several days decreases to low levels characteristic of normal muscles. Possible causes are the electrical activity, depolarization per se, contraction and intracellular [Ca2+] changes. To test the last three hypotheses, isolated bundles of denervated mouse soleus muscles were placed in narrow chambers (internal diameter 2 mm) which were periodically perfused with standard mixtures of Minimal Essential Medium (MEM) and calf serum. At 10-15-min intervals the chambers were filled for 15-43 s with a Ringer solution containing 55 microM ACh or 8-10 mM caffeine or with a solution containing 200 mM KCl. After 3-7 days the muscles were tested for ACh sensitivity by comparing the force developed in response to 110 microM ACh and that to 400 mM K methanesulphonate. In addition, the ACh receptor density was measured with 125I alpha-bungarotoxin. The results showed no difference in ACh sensitivity or receptor density between treated and untreated muscles. Small differences produced by caffeine were probably caused by muscle damage. Ca influx, but not efflux, was strongly elevated during exposure to ACh. It was concluded that neither depolarization per se nor contractile activity or the associated calcium movements have any effect on ACh receptors.

Therapeutic approach to experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis by dantrolene sodium

Experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis in rats was treated with dantrolene sodium (20 mg/kg/day) from 18th to 34th postinoculation day. At the end of the experimental period, day 35 postinoculation, the drug was shown to improve the disease as suggested by clinical observation and by larger MEPP amplitude and lower curare sensitivity without significant change in titers of anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody. Possible mechanisms by which the disease could be affected by the dantrolene-induced accumulation of free calcium in the subcellular store were discussed in relation to roles of calcium in regulation of the receptor protein and related immunity.

Inhibitors of membrane depolarization regulate acetylcholine receptor synthesis by a calcium-dependent, cyclic nucleotide-independent mechanism

The inhibition of membrane depolarization by tetrodotoxin or the local anesthetic benzocaine elevates the acetylcholine receptor levels in cultured myotubes. The elevated acetylcholine receptor levels are due to increased receptor synthesis rather than to decreased degradation. The effects of tetrodotoxin and benzocaine on acetylcholine receptor levels are not additive, and are not inhibited by exogenously added cyclic GMP analogues or by elevated intracellular levels of cyclic GMP. However, the stimulation of acetylcholine receptor levels by tetrodotoxin or benzocaine is reversed by the addition of the calcium ionophore A23187. In contrast, tetrodotoxin or benzocaine stimulated acetylcholine receptor synthesis beyond the maximal stimulation produced by cholera toxin. These results suggest that the inhibition of membrane depolarization elevates acetylcholine receptor synthesis by a calcium-dependent, cyclic nucleotide-independent mechanism.