1
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Buckley C, Lee MD, Zhang X, Wilson C, McCarron JG. Signalling switches maintain intercellular communication in the vascular endothelium. Br J Pharmacol 2024. [PMID: 38651236 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The single layer of cells lining all blood vessels, the endothelium, is a sophisticated signal co-ordination centre that controls a wide range of vascular functions including the regulation of blood pressure and blood flow. To co-ordinate activities, communication among cells is required for tissue level responses to emerge. While a significant form of communication occurs by the propagation of signals between cells, the mechanism of propagation in the intact endothelium is unresolved. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Precision signal generation and targeted cellular manipulation was used in conjunction with high spatiotemporal mesoscale Ca2+ imaging in the endothelium of intact blood vessels. KEY RESULTS Multiple mechanisms maintain communication so that Ca2+ wave propagation occurs irrespective of the status of connectivity among cells. Between adjoining cells, regenerative IP3-induced IP3 production transmits Ca2+ signals and explains the propagated vasodilation that underlies the increased blood flow accompanying tissue activity. The inositide is itself sufficient to evoke regenerative phospholipase C-dependent Ca2+ waves across coupled cells. None of gap junctions, Ca2+ diffusion or the release of extracellular messengers is required to support this type of intercellular Ca2+ signalling. In contrast, when discontinuities exist between cells, ATP released as a diffusible extracellular messenger transmits Ca2+ signals across the discontinuity and drives propagated vasodilation. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS These results show that signalling switches underlie endothelial cell-to-cell signal transmission and reveal how communication is maintained in the face of endothelial damage. The findings provide a new framework for understanding wave propagation and cell signalling in the endothelium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Buckley
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Matthew D Lee
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Xun Zhang
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Calum Wilson
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - John G McCarron
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
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2
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Yule DI, Takano T. Pacing intracellular Ca 2+ signals in exocrine acinar cells. J Physiol 2024. [PMID: 38197224 DOI: 10.1113/jp284755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
An increase in intracellular [Ca2+ ] in exocrine acinar cells resident in the salivary glands or pancreas is a fundamental event that drives fluid secretion and exocytosis of proteins. Stimulation with secretagogues initiates Ca2+ signals with precise spatiotemporal properties thought to be important for driving physiological output. Both in vitro, in acutely isolated acini, and in vivo, in animals expressing genetically encoded indicators, individual cells appear specialized to initiate Ca2+ signals upon stimulation. Furthermore, these signals appear to spread to neighbouring cells. These properties are present in the absence of a conventional pacemaker mechanism dependent on the cyclical activation of Ca2+ -dependent or Ca2+ -conducting plasma membrane ion channels. In this article, we propose a model for 'pacing' intracellular Ca2+ signals in acinar cells based on the enhanced sensitivity of a subpopulation of individual cells and the intercellular diffusion through gap junctions of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and Ca2+ to neighbouring cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- David I Yule
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Takahiro Takano
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
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3
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Peng HR, Zhang YK, Zhou JW. The Structure and Function of Glial Networks: Beyond the Neuronal Connections. Neurosci Bull 2023; 39:531-540. [PMID: 36481974 PMCID: PMC10043088 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-022-00992-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Glial cells, consisting of astrocytes, oligodendrocyte lineage cells, and microglia, account for >50% of the total number of cells in the mammalian brain. They play key roles in the modulation of various brain activities under physiological and pathological conditions. Although the typical morphological features and characteristic functions of these cells are well described, the organization of interconnections of the different glial cell populations and their impact on the healthy and diseased brain is not completely understood. Understanding these processes remains a profound challenge. Accumulating evidence suggests that glial cells can form highly complex interconnections with each other. The astroglial network has been well described. Oligodendrocytes and microglia may also contribute to the formation of glial networks under various circumstances. In this review, we discuss the structure and function of glial networks and their pathological relevance to central nervous system diseases. We also highlight opportunities for future research on the glial connectome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-Rong Peng
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
- School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yu-Kai Zhang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
- School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jia-Wei Zhou
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China.
- School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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4
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Feliziani C, Fernandez M, Quasollo G, Holstein D, Bairo SM, Paton JC, Paton AW, de Batista J, Lechleiter JD, Bollo M. Ca 2+ signalling system initiated by endoplasmic reticulum stress stimulates PERK activation. Cell Calcium 2022; 106:102622. [PMID: 35908318 PMCID: PMC9982837 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2022.102622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The accumulation of unfolded proteins within the Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) activates a signal transduction pathway termed the unfolded protein response (UPR), which attempts to restore ER homoeostasis. If this cannot be done, UPR signalling ultimately induces apoptosis. Ca2+ depletion in the ER is a potent inducer of ER stress. Despite the ubiquity of Ca2+ as an intracellular messenger, the precise mechanism(s) by which Ca2+ release affects the UPR remains unknown. Tethering a genetically encoded Ca2+ indicator (GCamP6) to the ER membrane revealed novel Ca2+ signalling events initiated by Ca2+ microdomains in human astrocytes under ER stress, induced by tunicamycin (Tm), an N-glycosylation inhibitor, as well as in a cell model deficient in all three inositol triphosphate receptor isoforms. Pharmacological and molecular studies indicate that these local events are mediated by translocons and that the Ca2+ microdomains impact (PKR)-like-ER kinase (PERK), an UPR sensor, activation. These findings reveal the existence of a Ca2+ signal mechanism by which stressor-mediated Ca2+ release regulates ER stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constanza Feliziani
- Instituto de Investigación Médica M y M
Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, 2434 Friuli,
Córdoba 5016, Argentina
| | - Macarena Fernandez
- Instituto de Investigación Médica M y M
Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, 2434 Friuli,
Córdoba 5016, Argentina
| | - Gonzalo Quasollo
- Instituto de Investigación Médica M y M
Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, 2434 Friuli,
Córdoba 5016, Argentina
| | - Deborah Holstein
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, UT Health San
Antonio, 8403 Floyd Curl Dr., San Antonio, TX 78229-3904, USA
| | - Sebastián M Bairo
- Instituto de Investigación Médica M y M
Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, 2434 Friuli,
Córdoba 5016, Argentina
| | - James C Paton
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of
Molecular and Biomedical Science, University of Adelaide, South Australia 5005,
Australia
| | - Adrienne W Paton
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of
Molecular and Biomedical Science, University of Adelaide, South Australia 5005,
Australia
| | - Juan de Batista
- Instituto Universitario de Ciencias Biomédicas de
Córdoba (IUCBC), Hospital Privado Universitario de Córdoba, 420
Naciones Unidas, Córdoba 5016, Argentina
| | - James D Lechleiter
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, UT Health San
Antonio, 8403 Floyd Curl Dr., San Antonio, TX 78229-3904, USA
| | - Mariana Bollo
- Instituto de Investigación Médica M y M Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, 2434 Friuli, Córdoba 5016, Argentina.
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5
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Sadras F, Monteith GR, Roberts-Thomson SJ. An Emerging Role for Calcium Signaling in Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222111366. [PMID: 34768796 PMCID: PMC8583802 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumors exist in a complex milieu where interaction with their associated microenvironment significantly contributes to disease progression. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the primary component of the tumor microenvironment and participate in complex bidirectional communication with tumor cells. CAFs support the development of various hallmarks of cancer through diverse processes, including direct cell-cell contact, paracrine signaling, and remodeling and deposition of the extracellular matrix. Calcium signaling is a key second messenger in intra- and inter-cellular signaling pathways that contributes to cancer progression; however, the links between calcium signaling and CAFs are less well-explored. In this review, we put into context the role of calcium signaling in interactions between cancer cells and CAFs, with a focus on migration, proliferation, chemoresistance, and genetic instability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Sadras
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; (F.S.); (G.R.M.)
| | - Gregory R. Monteith
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; (F.S.); (G.R.M.)
- Mater Research, Translational Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Sarah J. Roberts-Thomson
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; (F.S.); (G.R.M.)
- Correspondence:
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6
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Malik S, Valdebenito S, D'Amico D, Prideaux B, Eugenin EA. HIV infection of astrocytes compromises inter-organelle interactions and inositol phosphate metabolism: A potential mechanism of bystander damage and viral reservoir survival. Prog Neurobiol 2021; 206:102157. [PMID: 34455020 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2021.102157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
HIV-associated neurological dysfunction is observed in more than half of the HIV-infected population, even in the current antiretroviral era. The mechanisms by which HIV mediates CNS dysfunction are not well understood but have been associated with the presence of long-lasting HIV reservoirs. In the CNS, macrophage/microglia and a small population of astrocytes harbor the virus. However, the low number of HIV-infected cells does not correlate with the high degree of damage, suggesting that mechanisms of damage amplification may be involved. Here, we demonstrate that the survival mechanism of HIV-infected cells and the apoptosis of surrounding uninfected cells is regulated by inter-organelle interactions among the mitochondria/Golgi/endoplasmic reticulum system and the associated signaling mediated by IP3 and calcium. We identified that latently HIV-infected astrocytes had elevated intracellular levels of IP3, a master regulator second messenger, which diffuses via gap junctions into neighboring uninfected astrocytes resulting in their apoptosis. In addition, using laser capture microdissection, we confirmed that bystander apoptosis of uninfected astrocytes and the survival of HIV-infected astrocytes were dependent on mitochondrial function, intracellular calcium, and IP3 signaling. Blocking gap junction channels did not prevent an increase in IP3 or inter-organelle dysfunction in HIV-infected cells but reduced the amplification of apoptosis into uninfected neighboring cells. Our data provide a mechanistic explanation for bystander damage induced by surviving infected cells that serve as viral reservoirs and provide potential targets for interventions to reduce the devastating consequences of HIV within the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaily Malik
- Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology, and Anatomy, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, TX, USA; Public Health Research Institute (PHRI), Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Silvana Valdebenito
- Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology, and Anatomy, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Daniela D'Amico
- Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology, and Anatomy, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Brendan Prideaux
- Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology, and Anatomy, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Eliseo A Eugenin
- Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology, and Anatomy, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, TX, USA.
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7
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Yu H, Cao X, Li W, Liu P, Zhao Y, Song L, Chen J, Chen B, Yu W, Xu Y. Targeting connexin 43 provides anti-inflammatory effects after intracerebral hemorrhage injury by regulating YAP signaling. J Neuroinflammation 2020; 17:322. [PMID: 33115476 PMCID: PMC7594305 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-020-01978-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In the central nervous system (CNS), connexin 43 (Cx43) is mainly expressed in astrocytes and regulates astrocytic network homeostasis. Similar to Cx43 overexpression, abnormal excessive opening of Cx43 hemichannels (Cx43Hcs) on reactive astrocytes aggravates the inflammatory response and cell death in CNS pathologies. However, the role of excessive Cx43Hc opening in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) injury is not clear. Methods Hemin stimulation in primary cells and collagenase IV injection in C57BL/6J (B6) mice were used as ICH models in vitro and in vivo. After ICH injury, the Cx43 mimetic peptide Gap19 was used for treatment. Ethidium bromide (EtBr) uptake assays were used to measure the opening of Cx43Hcs. Western blotting and immunofluorescence were used to measure protein expression. qRT-PCR and ELISA were used to determine the levels of cytokines. Coimmunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and the Duolink in situ proximity ligation assay (PLA) were applied to measure the association between proteins. Results In this study, Cx43 expression upregulation and excessive Cx43Hc opening was observed in mice after ICH injury. Delayed treatment with Gap19 significantly alleviated hematoma volume and neurological deficits after ICH injury. In addition, Gap19 decreased inflammatory cytokine levels in the tissue surrounding the hematoma and decreased reactive astrogliosis after ICH injury in vitro and in vivo. Intriguingly, Cx43 transcriptional activity and expression in astrocytes were significantly increased after hemin stimulation in culture. However, Gap19 treatment downregulated astrocytic Cx43 expression through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway without affecting Cx43 transcription. Additionally, our data showed that Gap19 increased Yes-associated protein (YAP) nuclear translocation. This subsequently upregulated SOCS1 and SOCS3 expression and then inhibited the TLR4-NFκB and JAK2-STAT3 pathways in hemin-stimulated astrocytes. Finally, the YAP inhibitor, verteporfin (VP), reversed the anti-inflammatory effect of Gap19 in vitro and almost completely blocked its protective effects in vivo after ICH injury. Conclusions This study provides new insight into potential treatment strategies for ICH injury involving astroglial Cx43 and Cx43Hcs. Suppression of abnormal astroglial Cx43 expression and Cx43Hc opening by Gap19 has anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects after ICH injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailong Yu
- Affiliated of Drum Tower Hospital, Medical school of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.,Clinical Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.,Department of Neurology, Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiang Cao
- Affiliated of Drum Tower Hospital, Medical school of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Neurology, Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.,Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
| | - Pinyi Liu
- Affiliated of Drum Tower Hospital, Medical school of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhao
- Department of Neurology, Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.,Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
| | - Lilong Song
- Department of Neurology, Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.,Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian Chen
- Affiliated of Drum Tower Hospital, Medical school of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Beilei Chen
- Clinical Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.,Department of Neurology, Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.,Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenkui Yu
- Affiliated of Drum Tower Hospital, Medical school of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yun Xu
- Affiliated of Drum Tower Hospital, Medical school of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
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8
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Voelker L, Upadhyaya B, Ferkey DM, Woldemariam S, L’Etoile ND, Rabinowitch I, Bai J. INX-18 and INX-19 play distinct roles in electrical synapses that modulate aversive behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008341. [PMID: 31658255 PMCID: PMC6837551 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to respond to changing environments and fluctuations in internal states, animals adjust their behavior through diverse neuromodulatory mechanisms. In this study we show that electrical synapses between the ASH primary quinine-detecting sensory neurons and the neighboring ASK neurons are required for modulating the aversive response to the bitter tastant quinine in C. elegans. Mutant worms that lack the electrical synapse proteins INX-18 and INX-19 become hypersensitive to dilute quinine. Cell-specific rescue experiments indicate that inx-18 operates in ASK while inx-19 is required in both ASK and ASH for proper quinine sensitivity. Imaging analyses find that INX-19 in ASK and ASH localizes to the same regions in the nerve ring, suggesting that both sides of ASK-ASH electrical synapses contain INX-19. While inx-18 and inx-19 mutant animals have a similar behavioral phenotype, several lines of evidence suggest the proteins encoded by these genes play different roles in modulating the aversive quinine response. First, INX-18 and INX-19 localize to different regions of the nerve ring, indicating that they are not present in the same synapses. Second, removing inx-18 disrupts the distribution of INX-19, while removing inx-19 does not alter INX-18 localization. Finally, by using a fluorescent cGMP reporter, we find that INX-18 and INX-19 have distinct roles in establishing cGMP levels in ASK and ASH. Together, these results demonstrate that electrical synapses containing INX-18 and INX-19 facilitate modulation of ASH nociceptive signaling. Our findings support the idea that a network of electrical synapses mediates cGMP exchange between neurons, enabling modulation of sensory responses and behavior. Animals are constantly adjusting their behavior to respond to changes in the environment or to their internal state. This behavior modulation is achieved by altering the activity of neurons and circuits through a variety of neuroplasticity mechanisms. Chemical synapses are known to impact neuroplasticity in several different ways, but the diversity of mechanisms by which electrical synapses contribute is still being investigated. Electrical synapses are specialized sites of connection between neurons where ions and small signaling molecules can pass directly from one cell to the next. By passing small molecules through electrical synapses, neurons may be able to modify the activity of their neighbors. In this study we identify two genes that contribute to electrical synapses between two sensory neurons in C. elegans. We show that these electrical synapses are crucial for proper modulation of sensory responses, as without them animals are overly responsive to an aversive stimulus. In addition to pinpointing their sites of action, we present evidence that they may be contributing to neuromodulation by facilitating passage of the small molecule cGMP between neurons. Our work provides evidence for a role of electrical synapses in regulating animal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Voelker
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States of America
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Bishal Upadhyaya
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Denise M. Ferkey
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States of America
| | - Sarah Woldemariam
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - Noelle D. L’Etoile
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - Ithai Rabinowitch
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States of America
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine Hebrew, University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Jihong Bai
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States of America
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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9
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Rocha PRF, Elghajiji A, Tosh D. Ultrasensitive System for Electrophysiology of Cancer Cell Populations: A Review. Bioelectricity 2019; 1:131-138. [PMID: 34471815 DOI: 10.1089/bioe.2019.0020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioelectricity is the electrical activity produced by living organisms. Understanding the role of bioelectricity in a disease context is important as it contributes to both disease diagnosis and therapeutic intervention. Electrophysiology tools work well for neuronal cultures; however, they are limited in their ability to detect the electrical activity of non-neuronal cells, wherein the majority of cancers arise. Electronic structures capable of detecting and modulating signaling, in real-time, in electrically quiescent cells are urgently required. One of the limitations to understanding the role of bioelectricity in cancer is the inability to detect low-level signals. In this study, we review our latest advances in devising bidirectional transducers with large electrode areas and concomitant low impedances. The resulting high sensitivity is demonstrated by the extracellular detection of electrical activity in Rat-C6 glioma and prostate cancer (PC-3) cell populations. By using specific inhibitors, we further demonstrated that the large electrical activity in Rat-C6 glioma populations is acidosis driven. For PC-3 cells, the use of a calcium inhibitor together with the slowly varying nature of the signal suggests that Ca2+ channels are involved in the cohort electrogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo R F Rocha
- Centre for Biosensors, Bioelectronics and Biodevices (C3Bio), Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Aya Elghajiji
- Centre for Biosensors, Bioelectronics and Biodevices (C3Bio), Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom.,Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - David Tosh
- Centre for Biosensors, Bioelectronics and Biodevices (C3Bio), Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom.,Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
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10
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Aftab Q, Mesnil M, Ojefua E, Poole A, Noordenbos J, Strale PO, Sitko C, Le C, Stoynov N, Foster LJ, Sin WC, Naus CC, Chen VC. Cx43-Associated Secretome and Interactome Reveal Synergistic Mechanisms for Glioma Migration and MMP3 Activation. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:143. [PMID: 30941001 PMCID: PMC6433981 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, degradation and glioma cell motility are critical aspects of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Despite being a rich source of potential biomarkers and targets for therapeutic advance, the dynamic changes occurring within the extracellular environment that are specific to GBM motility have yet to be fully resolved. The gap junction protein connexin43 (Cx43) increases glioma migration and invasion in a variety of in vitro and in vivo models. In this study, the upregulation of Cx43 in C6 glioma cells induced morphological changes and the secretion of proteins associated with cell motility. Demonstrating the selective engagement of ECM remodeling networks, secretome analysis revealed the near-binary increase of osteopontin and matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP3), with gelatinase and NFF-3 assays confirming the proteolytic activities. Informatic analysis of interactome and secretome downstream of Cx43 identifies networks of glioma motility that appear to be synergistically engaged. The data presented here implicate ECM remodeling and matrikine signals downstream of Cx43/MMP3/osteopontin and ARK1B10 inhibition as possible avenues to inhibit GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qurratulain Aftab
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Marc Mesnil
- Signalisation et Transports Ioniques Membranaires (STIM), CNRS ERL 7003, University of Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Emmanuel Ojefua
- Department of Chemistry, Brandon University, Brandon, MB, Canada
| | - Alisha Poole
- Department of Chemistry, Brandon University, Brandon, MB, Canada
| | - Jenna Noordenbos
- Department of Chemistry, Brandon University, Brandon, MB, Canada
| | - Pierre-Olivier Strale
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Chris Sitko
- Department of Chemistry, Brandon University, Brandon, MB, Canada
| | - Caitlin Le
- Department of Chemistry, Brandon University, Brandon, MB, Canada
| | - Nikolay Stoynov
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Centre for High-Throughput Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Leonard J Foster
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Centre for High-Throughput Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Wun-Chey Sin
- Signalisation et Transports Ioniques Membranaires (STIM), CNRS ERL 7003, University of Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Christian C Naus
- Signalisation et Transports Ioniques Membranaires (STIM), CNRS ERL 7003, University of Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Vincent C Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Brandon University, Brandon, MB, Canada
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11
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A simple mechanochemical model for calcium signalling in embryonic epithelial cells. J Math Biol 2019; 78:2059-2092. [PMID: 30826846 PMCID: PMC6560504 DOI: 10.1007/s00285-019-01333-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2018] [Revised: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Calcium signalling is one of the most important mechanisms of information propagation in the body. In embryogenesis the interplay between calcium signalling and mechanical forces is critical to the healthy development of an embryo but poorly understood. Several types of embryonic cells exhibit calcium-induced contractions and many experiments indicate that calcium signals and contractions are coupled via a two-way mechanochemical feedback mechanism. We present a new analysis of experimental data that supports the existence of this coupling during apical constriction. We then propose a simple mechanochemical model, building on early models that couple calcium dynamics to the cell mechanics and we replace the hypothetical bistable calcium release with modern, experimentally validated calcium dynamics. We assume that the cell is a linear, viscoelastic material and we model the calcium-induced contraction stress with a Hill function, i.e. saturating at high calcium levels. We also express, for the first time, the "stretch-activation" calcium flux in the early mechanochemical models as a bottom-up contribution from stretch-sensitive calcium channels on the cell membrane. We reduce the model to three ordinary differential equations and analyse its bifurcation structure semi-analytically as two bifurcation parameters vary-the [Formula: see text] concentration, and the "strength" of stretch activation, [Formula: see text]. The calcium system ([Formula: see text], no mechanics) exhibits relaxation oscillations for a certain range of [Formula: see text] values. As [Formula: see text] is increased the range of [Formula: see text] values decreases and oscillations eventually vanish at a sufficiently high value of [Formula: see text]. This result agrees with experimental evidence in embryonic cells which also links the loss of calcium oscillations to embryo abnormalities. Furthermore, as [Formula: see text] is increased the oscillation amplitude decreases but the frequency increases. Finally, we also identify the parameter range for oscillations as the mechanical responsiveness factor of the cytosol increases. This work addresses a very important and not well studied question regarding the coupling between chemical and mechanical signalling in embryogenesis.
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Zhou Y, Lv M, Li T, Zhang T, Duncan R, Wang L, Lu XL. Spontaneous calcium signaling of cartilage cells: from spatiotemporal features to biophysical modeling. FASEB J 2019; 33:4675-4687. [PMID: 30601690 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201801460r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) oscillation is a fundamental signaling response of cartilage cells under mechanical loading or osmotic stress. Chondrocytes are usually considered as nonexcitable cells with no spontaneous [Ca2+]i signaling. This study proved that chondrocytes can exhibit robust spontaneous [Ca2+]i signaling without explicit external stimuli. The intensity of [Ca2+]i peaks from individual chondrocytes maintain a consistent spatiotemporal pattern, acting as a unique "fingerprint" for each cell. Statistical analysis revealed lognormal distributions of the temporal parameters of [Ca2+]i peaks, as well as strong linear correlations between their means and sds. Based on these statistical findings, we hypothesized that the spontaneous [Ca2+]i peaks may result from an autocatalytic process and that [Ca2+]i oscillation is controlled by a threshold-regulating mechanism. To test these 2 mechanisms, we established a multistage biophysical model by assuming the spontaneous [Ca2+]i signaling of chondrocytes as a combination of deterministic and stochastic processes. The theoretical model successfully explained the lognormal distribution of the temporal parameters and the fingerprint feature of [Ca2+]i peaks. In addition, by using antagonists for 10 pathways, we revealed that the initiation of spontaneous [Ca2+]i peaks in chondrocytes requires the presence of extracellular Ca2+, and that the PLC-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate pathway, which controls the release of calcium from the endoplasmic reticulum, can affect the initiation of spontaneous [Ca2+]i peaks in chondrocytes. The purinoceptors and transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 channels on the plasma membrane also play key roles in the spontaneous [Ca2+]i signaling of chondrocytes. In contrast, blocking the T-type or L-type voltage-gated calcium channel promoted the spontaneous calcium signaling. This study represents a systematic effort to understand the features and initiation mechanisms of spontaneous [Ca2+]i signaling in chondrocytes, which are critical for chondrocyte mechanobiology.-Zhou, Y., Lv, M., Li, T., Zhang, T., Duncan, R., Wang, L., Lu, X. L. Spontaneous calcium signaling of cartilage cells: from spatiotemporal features to biophysical modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilu Zhou
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Mengxi Lv
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Tong Li
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA.,Department of Engineering Mechanics, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China; and
| | - Tiange Zhang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Randall Duncan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Liyun Wang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - X Lucas Lu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
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Bose A, Basu R, Maulik M, Das Sarma J. Loss of Cx43-Mediated Functional Gap Junction Communication in Meningeal Fibroblasts Following Mouse Hepatitis Virus Infection. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 55:6558-6571. [PMID: 29327203 PMCID: PMC7090783 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-017-0861-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) infection causes meningoencephalitis by disrupting the neuro-glial and glial-pial homeostasis. Recent studies suggest that MHV infection alters gap junction protein connexin 43 (Cx43)-mediated intercellular communication in brain and primary cultured astrocytes. In addition to astrocytes, meningeal fibroblasts also express high levels of Cx43. Fibroblasts in the meninges together with the basal lamina and the astrocyte endfeet forms the glial limitans superficialis as part of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Alteration of glial-pial gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) in MHV infection has the potential to affect the integrity of BBB. Till date, it is not known if viral infection can modulate Cx43 expression and function in cells of the brain meninges and thus affect BBB permeability. In the present study, we have investigated the effect of MHV infection on Cx43 localization and function in mouse brain meningeal cells and primary meningeal fibroblasts. Our results show that MHV infection reduces total Cx43 levels and causes its intracellular retention in the perinuclear compartments reducing its surface expression. Reduced trafficking of Cx43 to the cell surface in MHV-infected cells is associated with loss functional GJIC. Together, these data suggest that MHV infection can directly affect expression and cellular distribution of Cx43 resulting in loss of Cx43-mediated GJIC in meningeal fibroblasts, which may be associated with altered BBB function observed in acute infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Bose
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata (IISER-K), Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal, 741246, India
| | - Rahul Basu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata (IISER-K), Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal, 741246, India
| | - Mahua Maulik
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata (IISER-K), Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal, 741246, India
| | - Jayasri Das Sarma
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata (IISER-K), Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal, 741246, India.
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Basu R, Bose A, Thomas D, Das Sarma J. Microtubule-assisted altered trafficking of astrocytic gap junction protein connexin 43 is associated with depletion of connexin 47 during mouse hepatitis virus infection. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:14747-14763. [PMID: 28566289 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.786491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Revised: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Gap junctions (GJs) are important for maintenance of CNS homeostasis. GJ proteins, connexin 43 (Cx43) and connexin 47 (Cx47), play a crucial role in production and maintenance of CNS myelin. Cx43 is mainly expressed by astrocytes in the CNS and forms gap junction intercellular communications between astrocytes-astrocytes (Cx43-Cx43) and between astrocytes-oligodendrocytes (Cx43-Cx47). Mutations of these connexin (Cx) proteins cause dysmyelinating diseases in humans. Previously, it has been shown that Cx43 localization and expression is altered due to mouse hepatitis virus (MHV)-A59 infection both in vivo and in vitro; however, its mechanism and association with loss of myelin protein was not elaborated. Thus, we explored potential mechanisms by which MHV-A59 infection alters Cx43 localization and examined the effects of viral infection on Cx47 expression and its association with loss of the myelin marker proteolipid protein. Immunofluorescence and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy confirmed that MHV-A59 used microtubules (MTs) as a conduit to reach the cell surface and restricted MT-mediated Cx43 delivery to the cell membrane. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that Cx43-β-tubulin molecular interaction was depleted due to protein-protein interaction between viral particles and MTs. During acute MHV-A59 infection, oligodendrocytic Cx47, which is mainly stabilized by Cx43 in vivo, was down-regulated, and its characteristic staining remained disrupted even at chronic phase. The loss of Cx47 was associated with loss of proteolipid protein at the chronic stage of MHV-A59 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Basu
- From the Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur-741246, India
| | - Abhishek Bose
- From the Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur-741246, India
| | - Deepthi Thomas
- From the Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur-741246, India
| | - Jayasri Das Sarma
- From the Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur-741246, India
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Cell culture: complications due to mechanical release of ATP and activation of purinoceptors. Cell Tissue Res 2017; 370:1-11. [PMID: 28434079 PMCID: PMC5610203 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-017-2618-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
There is abundant evidence that ATP (adenosine 5′-triphosphate) is released from a variety of cultured cells in response to mechanical stimulation. The release mechanism involved appears to be a combination of vesicular exocytosis and connexin and pannexin hemichannels. Purinergic receptors on cultured cells mediate both short-term purinergic signalling of secretion and long-term (trophic) signalling such as proliferation, migration, differentiation and apoptosis. We aim in this review to bring to the attention of non-purinergic researchers using tissue culture that the release of ATP in response to mechanical stress evoked by the unavoidable movement of the cells acting on functional purinergic receptors on the culture cells is likely to complicate the interpretation of their data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Phillippe
- Section of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (MC2050), University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637
| | - Edward K. Chien
- Section of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
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An electrical method to measure low-frequency collective and synchronized cell activity using extracellular electrodes. SENSING AND BIO-SENSING RESEARCH 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sbsr.2016.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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18
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Abstract
Astrocytes are activated during both excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission and respond with intracellular Ca2+i elevations. Ca2+i oscillations and waves in astrocytes now appear to represent the glial arm of a dynamic neuronal-glial signaling process. Advances within the last year have shown that stimuli that elevate Ca2+i in astrocytes have the potential to modulate synaptic function. Recent studies have shown that astrocytic calcium waves, initially believed to depend on the integrity of functional gap junction channels for the passage of intercellular signals, are actually mediated by release of ATP and subsequent activation of purinergic receptors on neighboring cells. ATP release is in turn regulated by the expression of gap junction proteins, establishing a novel dimension between gap junctions and extracellular-mediated signaling events. The role of ATP and its breakdown product, adenosine, on synaptic transmission are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. L. Cotrina
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York
| | - M. Nedergaard
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York
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Logica T, Riviere S, Holubiec MI, Castilla R, Barreto GE, Capani F. Metabolic Changes Following Perinatal Asphyxia: Role of Astrocytes and Their Interaction with Neurons. Front Aging Neurosci 2016; 8:116. [PMID: 27445788 PMCID: PMC4921470 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2016.00116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Accepted: 05/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Perinatal Asphyxia (PA) represents an important cause of severe neurological deficits including delayed mental and motor development, epilepsy, major cognitive deficits and blindness. The interaction between neurons, astrocytes and endothelial cells plays a central role coupling energy supply with changes in neuronal activity. Traditionally, experimental research focused on neurons, whereas astrocytes have been more related to the damage mechanisms of PA. Astrocytes carry out a number of functions that are critical to normal nervous system function, including uptake of neurotransmitters, regulation of pH and ion concentrations, and metabolic support for neurons. In this work, we aim to review metabolic neuron-astrocyte interactions with the purpose of encourage further research in this area in the context of PA, which is highly complex and its mechanisms and pathways have not been fully elucidated to this day.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Logica
- Laboratorio de Citoarquitectura y Plasticidad Neuronal, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas Prof. Dr. Alberto C. Taquini (ININCA), UBA-CONICET, CABA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Stephanie Riviere
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Investigaciones cardiológicas Prof. Dr. Alberto C. Taquini (ININCA), UBA-CONICET, CABA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mariana I Holubiec
- Laboratorio de Citoarquitectura y Plasticidad Neuronal, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas Prof. Dr. Alberto C. Taquini (ININCA), UBA-CONICET, CABA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Rocío Castilla
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Investigaciones cardiológicas Prof. Dr. Alberto C. Taquini (ININCA), UBA-CONICET, CABA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - George E Barreto
- Departamento de Nutrición y Bioquímica, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Bogotá Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Francisco Capani
- Laboratorio de Citoarquitectura y Plasticidad Neuronal, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas Prof. Dr. Alberto C. Taquini (ININCA), UBA-CONICET, CABABuenos Aires, Argentina; Departamento de Biología, Universidad Argentina JF KennedyBuenos Aires, Argentina; Investigador Asociado, Universidad Autónoma de ChileSantiago, Chile
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Lavrov I, Fox L, Shen J, Han Y, Cheng J. Gap Junctions Contribute to the Regulation of Walking-Like Activity in the Adult Mudpuppy (Necturus Maculatus). PLoS One 2016; 11:e0152650. [PMID: 27023006 PMCID: PMC4811563 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0152650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2015] [Accepted: 03/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Although gap junctions are widely expressed in the developing central nervous system, the role of electrical coupling of neurons and glial cells via gap junctions in the spinal cord in adults is largely unknown. We investigated whether gap junctions are expressed in the mature spinal cord of the mudpuppy and tested the effects of applying gap junction blocker on the walking-like activity induced by NMDA or glutamate in an in vitro mudpuppy preparation. We found that glial and neural cells in the mudpuppy spinal cord expressed different types of connexins that include connexin 32 (Cx32), connexin 36 (Cx36), connexin 37 (Cx37), and connexin 43 (Cx43). Application of a battery of gap junction blockers from three different structural classes (carbenexolone, flufenamic acid, and long chain alcohols) substantially and consistently altered the locomotor-like activity in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, these blockers did not significantly change the amplitude of the dorsal root reflex, indicating that gap junction blockers did not inhibit neuronal excitability nonselectively in the spinal cord. Taken together, these results suggest that gap junctions play a significant modulatory role in the spinal neural networks responsible for the generation of walking-like activity in the adult mudpuppy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Lavrov
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia
| | - Lyle Fox
- Departments of Pain Management and Neurosciences, Anesthesiology Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Jun Shen
- Departments of Pain Management and Neurosciences, Anesthesiology Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Yingchun Han
- Department of Pathobiology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Jianguo Cheng
- Departments of Pain Management and Neurosciences, Anesthesiology Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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21
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Connexin43 in retinal injury and disease. Prog Retin Eye Res 2016; 51:41-68. [DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2015.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2015] [Revised: 09/25/2015] [Accepted: 09/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Cell communication across gap junctions: a historical perspective and current developments. Biochem Soc Trans 2016; 43:450-9. [PMID: 26009190 DOI: 10.1042/bst20150056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Collaborative communication lies at the centre of multicellular life. Gap junctions (GJs) are surface membrane structures that allow direct communication between cells. They were discovered in the 1960s following the convergence of the detection of low-resistance electrical interactions between cells and anatomical studies of intercellular contact points. GJs purified from liver plasma membranes contained a 27 kDa protein constituent; it was later named Cx32 (connexin 32) after its full sequence was determined by recombinant technology. Identification of Cx43 in heart and later by a further GJ protein, Cx26 followed. Cxs have a tetraspan organization in the membrane and oligomerize during intracellular transit to the plasma membrane; these were shown to be hexameric hemichannels (connexons) that could interact end-to-end to generate GJs at areas of cell-to-cell contact. The structure of the GJ was confirmed and refined by a combination of biochemical and structural approaches. Progress continues towards obtaining higher atomic 3D resolution of the GJ channel. Today, there are 20 and 21 highly conserved members of the Cx family in the human and mouse genomes respectively. Model organisms such as Xenopus oocytes and zebra fish are increasingly used to relate structure to function. Proteins that form similar large pore membrane channels in cells called pannexins have also been identified in chordates. Innexins form GJs in prechordates; these two other proteins, although functionally similar, are very different in amino acid sequence to the Cxs. A time line tracing the historical progression of wide ranging research in GJ biology over 60 years is mapped out. The molecular basis of channel dysfunctions in disease is becoming evident and progress towards addressing Cx channel-dependent pathologies, especially in ischaemia and tissue repair, continues.
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Mouse Hepatitis Virus Infection Remodels Connexin43-Mediated Gap Junction Intercellular Communication In Vitro and In Vivo. J Virol 2015; 90:2586-99. [PMID: 26676788 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02420-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2015] [Accepted: 12/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Gap junctions (GJs) form intercellular channels which directly connect the cytoplasm between neighboring cells to facilitate the transfer of ions and small molecules. GJs play a major role in the pathogenesis of infection-associated inflammation. Mutations of gap junction proteins, connexins (Cxs), cause dysmyelination and leukoencephalopathy. In multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and its animal model experimental autoimmune encephalitis (EAE), Cx43 was shown to be modulated in the central nervous system (CNS). The mechanism behind Cx43 alteration and its role in MS remains unexplored. Mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) infection-induced demyelination is one of the best-studied experimental animal models for MS. Our studies demonstrated that MHV infection downregulated Cx43 expression at protein and mRNA levels in vitro in primary astrocytes obtained from neonatal mouse brains. After infection, a significant amount of Cx43 was retained in endoplasmic reticulum/endoplasmic reticulum Golgi intermediate complex (ER/ERGIC) and GJ plaque formation was impaired at the cell surface, as evidenced by a reduction of the Triton X-100 insoluble fraction of Cx43. Altered trafficking and impairment of GJ plaque formation may cause the loss of functional channel formation in MHV-infected primary astrocytes, as demonstrated by a reduced number of dye-coupled cells after a scrape-loading Lucifer yellow dye transfer assay. Upon MHV infection, a significant downregulation of Cx43 was observed in the virus-infected mouse brain. This study demonstrates that astrocytic Cx43 expression and function can be modulated due to virus stress and can be an appropriate model to understand the basis of cellular mechanisms involved in the alteration of gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) in CNS neuroinflammation. IMPORTANCE We found that MHV infection leads to the downregulation of Cx43 in vivo in the CNS. In addition, results show that MHV infection impairs Cx43 expression in addition to gap junction communication in primary astrocytes. After infection, Cx43 did not traffic normally to the membrane to form gap junction plaques, and that could be the basis of reduced functional gap junction coupling between astrocytes. This is an important first step toward understanding how viruses affect Cx43 expression and trafficking at the cellular level. This may provide a basis for understanding how structural alterations of astrocytic gap junctions can disrupt gap junction communication between other CNS cells in altered CNS environments due to infection and inflammation. More specifically, alteration of Cx43 may be the basis of the destabilization of Cx47 in oligodendrocytes seen in and around inflammatory demyelinating plaques in MS patients.
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Sin WC, Aftab Q, Bechberger JF, Leung JH, Chen H, Naus CC. Astrocytes promote glioma invasion via the gap junction protein connexin43. Oncogene 2015; 35:1504-16. [DOI: 10.1038/onc.2015.210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2014] [Revised: 04/22/2015] [Accepted: 04/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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Freitas-Andrade M, Naus CC. Astrocytes in neuroprotection and neurodegeneration: The role of connexin43 and pannexin1. Neuroscience 2015; 323:207-21. [PMID: 25913636 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.04.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2015] [Revised: 04/13/2015] [Accepted: 04/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The World Health Organization has predicted that by 2040 neurodegenerative diseases will overtake cancer to become the world's second leading cause of death after cardiovascular disease. This has sparked the development of several European and American brain research initiatives focusing on elucidating the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases. Connexin (Cx) and pannexin (Panx) membrane channel proteins are conduits through which neuronal, glial, and vascular tissues interact. In the brain, this interaction is highly critical for homeostasis and brain repair after injury. Understanding the molecular mechanisms by which these membrane channels function, in health and disease, might be particularly influential in establishing conceptual frameworks to develop new therapeutics against Cx and Panx channels. This review focuses on current insights and emerging concepts, particularly the impact of connexin43 and pannexin1, under neuroprotective and neurodegenerative conditions within the context of astrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Freitas-Andrade
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, The Life Science Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - C C Naus
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, The Life Science Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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26
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Chen W, Wang D, Du X, He Y, Chen S, Shao Q, Ma C, Huang B, Chen A, Zhao P, Qu X, Li X. Glioma cells escaped from cytotoxicity of temozolomide and vincristine by communicating with human astrocytes. Med Oncol 2015; 32:43. [PMID: 25631631 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-015-0487-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2014] [Accepted: 01/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs remains a great obstacle to successful treatment of gliomas. Understanding the mechanism of glioma chemoresistance is conducive to develop effective strategies to overcome resistance. Astrocytes are the major stromal cells in the brain and have been demonstrated to play a key role in the malignant phenotype of gliomas. However, little is known regarding its role in glioma chemoresistance. In our study, we established a co-culture system of human astrocytes and glioma in vitro to simulate tumor microenvironment. Our results showed that astrocytes significantly reduced glioma cell apoptosis induced by the chemotherapeutic drugs temozolomide and vincristine. This protective effect was dependent on direct contact between astrocytes and glioma cells through Cx43-GJC. Moreover, in human glioma specimens, we found astrocytes infiltrating around the tumor, with a reactive appearance, suggesting that these astrocytes would play the same chemoprotective effect on gliomas in vivo. Our results expand the understanding of the interaction between astrocytes and glioma cells and provide a possible explanation for unsatisfactory clinical outcomes of chemotherapeutic drugs. Cx43-GJC between astrocytes and glioma cells may be a potential target for overcoming chemoresistance in gliomas clinically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiliang Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University and Brain Science Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
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Aasen T. Connexins: junctional and non-junctional modulators of proliferation. Cell Tissue Res 2014; 360:685-99. [PMID: 25547217 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-014-2078-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2014] [Accepted: 11/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Mounting evidence indicates that dysregulation of gap junctions and their structural subunits-connexins-often occurs in, and sometimes causes, a variety of proliferative disorders, including cancer. Connexin-mediated regulation of cell proliferation is complex and may involve modulation of gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC), hemichannel signalling, or gap junction-independent paths. However, the exact mechanisms linking connexins to proliferation remain poorly defined and a number of contradictory studies report both pro- and anti-proliferative effects, effects that often depend on the cell or tissue type or the microenvironment. The present review covers junctional and non-junctional regulation of proliferation by connexins, with a particular emphasis on their association with cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trond Aasen
- Molecular Pathology Group, Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Passeig Vall d'Hebron 119-129, Barcelona, 08035, Spain,
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28
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Carson JL. Fundamental technical elements of freeze-fracture/freeze-etch in biological electron microscopy. J Vis Exp 2014:51694. [PMID: 25285532 DOI: 10.3791/51694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Freeze-fracture/freeze-etch describes a process whereby specimens, typically biological or nanomaterial in nature, are frozen, fractured, and replicated to generate a carbon/platinum "cast" intended for examination by transmission electron microscopy. Specimens are subjected to ultrarapid freezing rates, often in the presence of cryoprotective agents to limit ice crystal formation, with subsequent fracturing of the specimen at liquid nitrogen cooled temperatures under high vacuum. The resultant fractured surface is replicated and stabilized by evaporation of carbon and platinum from an angle that confers surface three-dimensional detail to the cast. This technique has proved particularly enlightening for the investigation of cell membranes and their specializations and has contributed considerably to the understanding of cellular form to related cell function. In this report, we survey the instrument requirements and technical protocol for performing freeze-fracture, the associated nomenclature and characteristics of fracture planes, variations on the conventional procedure, and criteria for interpretation of freeze-fracture images. This technique has been widely used for ultrastructural investigation in many areas of cell biology and holds promise as an emerging imaging technique for molecular, nanotechnology, and materials science studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnny L Carson
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma, and Lung Biology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill;
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Dormanns K, van Disseldorp EMJ, Brown RG, David T. Neurovascular coupling and the influence of luminal agonists via the endothelium. J Theor Biol 2014; 364:49-70. [PMID: 25167790 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2014.08.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2013] [Revised: 08/15/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
A numerical model of neurovascular coupling (NVC) is presented based on neuronal activity coupled to vasodilation/contraction models via the astrocytic mediated perivascular K(+) and the smooth muscle cell Ca(2+) pathway. Luminal agonists acting on P2Y receptors on the endothelial cell surface provide a flux of IP3 into the endothelial cytosol. This concentration of IP3 is transported via gap junctions between endothelial and smooth muscle cells providing a source of sacroplasmic derived Ca(2+) in the smooth muscle cell. The model is able to relate a neuronal input signal to the corresponding vessel reaction. Results indicate that blood flow mediated IP3 production via the agonist ATP has a substantial effect on the contraction/dilation dynamics of the SMC. The resulting variation in cytosolic Ca(2+) can enhance and inhibit the flow of blood to the cortical tissue. IP3 coupling between endothelial and smooth muscle cells seems to be important in the dynamics of the smooth muscle cell. The VOCC channels are, due to the hyperpolarisation from K(+) SMC efflux, almost entirely closed and do not seem to play a significant role during neuronal activity. The current model shows that astrocytic Ca(2+) is not necessary for neurovascular coupling to occur in contrast to a number of experiments outlining the importance of astrocytic Ca(2+) in NVC, however this Ca(2+) pathway is not the only one mediating NVC. Importantly agonists in flowing blood have a significant influence on the endothelial and smooth muscle cell dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Dormanns
- Bluefern Supercomputing Unit, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - E M J van Disseldorp
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - R G Brown
- Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - T David
- Bluefern Supercomputing Unit, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
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Saijoh Y, Viotti M, Hadjantonakis AK. Follow your gut: relaying information from the site of left-right symmetry breaking in the mouse. Genesis 2014; 52:503-14. [PMID: 24753065 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.22783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2013] [Revised: 04/08/2014] [Accepted: 04/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
A central unresolved question in the molecular cascade that drives establishment of left-right (LR) asymmetry in vertebrates are the mechanisms deployed to relay information between the midline site of symmetry-breaking and the tissues which will execute a program of asymmetric morphogenesis. The cells located between these two distant locations must provide the medium for signal relay. Of these, the gut endoderm is an attractive candidate tissue for signal transmission since it comprises the epithelium that lies between the node, where asymmetry originates, and the lateral plate, where asymmetry can first be detected. Here, focusing on the mouse as a model, we review our current understanding and entertain open questions concerning the relay of LR information from its origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukio Saijoh
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
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Okamoto SI, Nakagawa M, Hatta K. Stochastic Ca2 Waves that Propagate Through the Neuroepithelium in Limited Distances of the Brain and Retina Imaged with GCaMP3 in Zebrafish Embryos. Zoolog Sci 2013; 30:716-23. [DOI: 10.2108/zsj.30.716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shin-ichi Okamoto
- Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo, Hyogo 678-1297, Japan
| | - Masashi Nakagawa
- Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo, Hyogo 678-1297, Japan
| | - Kohei Hatta
- Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo, Hyogo 678-1297, Japan
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Termei R, Laschinger C, Lee W, McCulloch C. Intercellular interactions between mast cells and fibroblasts promote pro-inflammatory signaling. Exp Cell Res 2013; 319:1839-1851. [DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2013.03.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2013] [Revised: 03/12/2013] [Accepted: 03/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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O'Brien ER, Howarth C, Sibson NR. The role of astrocytes in CNS tumors: pre-clinical models and novel imaging approaches. Front Cell Neurosci 2013; 7:40. [PMID: 23596394 PMCID: PMC3627137 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2013.00040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2013] [Accepted: 03/26/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain metastasis is a significant clinical problem, yet the mechanisms governing tumor cell extravasation across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and CNS colonization are unclear. Astrocytes are increasingly implicated in the pathogenesis of brain metastasis but in vitro work suggests both tumoricidal and tumor-promoting roles for astrocyte-derived molecules. Also, the involvement of astrogliosis in primary brain tumor progression is under much investigation. However, translation of in vitro findings into in vivo and clinical settings has not been realized. Increasingly sophisticated resources, such as transgenic models and imaging technologies aimed at astrocyte-specific markers, will enable better characterization of astrocyte function in CNS tumors. Techniques such as bioluminescence and in vivo fluorescent cell labeling have potential for understanding the real-time responses of astrocytes to tumor burden. Transgenic models targeting signaling pathways involved in the astrocytic response also hold great promise, allowing translation of in vitro mechanistic findings into pre-clinical models. The challenging nature of in vivo CNS work has slowed progress in this area. Nonetheless, there has been a surge of interest in generating pre-clinical models, yielding insights into cell extravasation across the BBB, as well as immune cell recruitment to the parenchyma. While the function of astrocytes in the tumor microenvironment is still unknown, the relationship between astrogliosis and tumor growth is evident. Here, we review the role of astrogliosis in both primary and secondary brain tumors and outline the potential for the use of novel imaging modalities in research and clinical settings. These imaging approaches have the potential to enhance our understanding of the local host response to tumor progression in the brain, as well as providing new, more sensitive diagnostic imaging methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma R. O'Brien
- Department of Oncology, CR-UK/MRC Gray Institute for Radiation Oncology and Biology, Churchill Hospital, University of OxfordOxford, UK
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Dahl G, Keane RW. Pannexin: from discovery to bedside in 11±4 years? Brain Res 2012; 1487:150-9. [PMID: 22771709 PMCID: PMC3590907 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2012.04.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2012] [Revised: 03/29/2012] [Accepted: 04/11/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Pannexin1 (Panx1) originally was discovered as a gap junction related protein. However, rather than forming the cell-to-cell channels of gap junctions, Panx1 forms a mechanosensitive and highly ATP permeable channel in the cell membrane allowing the exchange of molecules between the cytoplasm and the extracellular space. The list of arguments for Panx1 representing the major ATP release channel includes: (1) Panx1 is expressed in (all?) cells releasing ATP in a non-vesicular fashion, such as erythrocytes; (2) in cells with polar release of ATP, Panx1 is expressed at the ATP release site, such as the apical membrane in airway epithelial cells; (3) the pharmacology of Panx1 channels matches that of ATP release; (4) mutation of Panx1 in strategic positions in the protein modifies ATP release; and (5) knockdown or knockout of Panx1 attenuates or abolishes ATP release. Panx1, in association with the purinergic receptor P2X7, is involved in the innate immune response and in apoptotic/pyroptotic cell death. Inflammatory processes are responsible for amplification of the primary lesion in CNS trauma and stroke. Panx1, as an early signal event and as a signal amplifier in these processes, is an obvious target for the prevention of secondary cell death due to inflammasome activity. Since Panx1 inhibitors such as probenecid are already clinically tested in different settings they should be considered for therapy in stroke and CNS trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerhard Dahl
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami, School of Medicine, PO Box 016430, Miami, FL 33101, USA.
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Abstract
Intercellular calcium (Ca(2+)) waves (ICWs) represent the propagation of increases in intracellular Ca(2+) through a syncytium of cells and appear to be a fundamental mechanism for coordinating multicellular responses. ICWs occur in a wide diversity of cells and have been extensively studied in vitro. More recent studies focus on ICWs in vivo. ICWs are triggered by a variety of stimuli and involve the release of Ca(2+) from internal stores. The propagation of ICWs predominately involves cell communication with internal messengers moving via gap junctions or extracellular messengers mediating paracrine signaling. ICWs appear to be important in both normal physiology as well as pathophysiological processes in a variety of organs and tissues including brain, liver, retina, cochlea, and vascular tissue. We review here the mechanisms of initiation and propagation of ICWs, the key intra- and extracellular messengers (inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and ATP) mediating ICWs, and the proposed physiological functions of ICWs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luc Leybaert
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Physiology Group, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
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Halidi N, Alonso F, Burt JM, Bény JL, Haefliger JA, Meister JJ. Intercellular calcium waves in primary cultured rat mesenteric smooth muscle cells are mediated by connexin43. CELL COMMUNICATION & ADHESION 2012; 19:25-37. [PMID: 22642233 PMCID: PMC3804248 DOI: 10.3109/15419061.2012.690792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Intercellular Ca(2+) wave propagation between vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) is associated with the propagation of contraction along the vessel. Here, we characterize the involvement of gap junctions (GJs) in Ca(2+) wave propagation between SMCs at the cellular level. Gap junctional communication was assessed by the propagation of intercellular Ca(2+) waves and the transfer of Lucifer Yellow in A7r5 cells, primary rat mesenteric SMCs (pSMCs), and 6B5N cells, a clone of A7r5 cells expressing higher connexin43 (Cx43) to Cx40 ratio. Mechanical stimulation induced an intracellular Ca(2+) wave in pSMC and 6B5N cells that propagated to neighboring cells, whereas Ca(2+) waves in A7r5 cells failed to progress to neighboring cells. We demonstrate that Cx43 forms the functional GJs that are involved in mediating intercellular Ca(2+) waves and that co-expression of Cx40 with Cx43, depending on their expression ratio, may interfere with Cx43 GJ formation, thus altering junctional communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Halidi
- Laboratory of Cell Biophysics, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Amiri M, Bahrami F, Janahmadi M. On the role of astrocytes in epilepsy: A functional modeling approach. Neurosci Res 2012; 72:172-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2011.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2011] [Revised: 10/27/2011] [Accepted: 11/15/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Hodson DJ, Romanò N, Schaeffer M, Fontanaud P, Lafont C, Fiordelisio T, Mollard P. Coordination of calcium signals by pituitary endocrine cells in situ. Cell Calcium 2011; 51:222-30. [PMID: 22172406 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2011.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2011] [Revised: 11/08/2011] [Accepted: 11/17/2011] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The pulsatile secretion of hormones from the mammalian pituitary gland drives a wide range of homeostatic responses by dynamically altering the functional set-point of effector tissues. To accomplish this, endocrine cell populations residing within the intact pituitary display large-scale changes in coordinated calcium-spiking activity in response to various hypothalamic and peripheral inputs. Although the pituitary gland is structurally compartmentalized into specific and intermingled endocrine cell networks, providing a clear morphological basis for such coordinated activity, the mechanisms which facilitate the timely propagation of information between cells in situ remain largely unexplored. Therefore, the aim of the current review is to highlight the range of signalling modalities known to be employed by endocrine cells to coordinate intracellular calcium rises, and discuss how these mechanisms are integrated at the population level to orchestrate cell function and tissue output.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Hodson
- CNRS, UMR-5203, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, F-34000 Montpellier, France.
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Abstract
The appearance of multicellular organisms imposed the development of several mechanisms for cell-to-cell communication, whereby different types of cells coordinate their function. Some of these mechanisms depend on the intercellular diffusion of signal molecules in the extracellular spaces, whereas others require cell-to-cell contact. Among the latter mechanisms, those provided by the proteins of the connexin family are widespread in most tissues. Connexin signaling is achieved via direct exchanges of cytosolic molecules between adjacent cells at gap junctions, for cell-to-cell coupling, and possibly also involves the formation of membrane "hemi-channels," for the extracellular release of cytosolic signals, direct interactions between connexins and other cell proteins, and coordinated influence on the expression of multiple genes. Connexin signaling appears to be an obligatory attribute of all multicellular exocrine and endocrine glands. Specifically, the experimental evidence we review here points to a direct participation of the Cx36 isoform in the function of the insulin-producing β-cells of the endocrine pancreas, and of the Cx40 isoform in the function of the renin-producing juxtaglomerular epithelioid cells of the kidney cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domenico Bosco
- Department of Surgery, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva, Switzerland
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40
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Yoon JJ, Green CR, O’Carroll SJ, Nicholson LF. Dose-dependent protective effect of connexin43 mimetic peptide against neurodegeneration in an ex vivo model of epileptiform lesion. Epilepsy Res 2010; 92:153-62. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2010.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2010] [Revised: 08/23/2010] [Accepted: 08/24/2010] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Nezu A, Tanimura A, Morita T, Tojyo Y. Visualization of Ins(1,4,5)P3 dynamics in living cells: two distinct pathways for Ins(1,4,5)P3 generation following mechanical stimulation of HSY-EA1 cells. J Cell Sci 2010; 123:2292-8. [PMID: 20554898 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.064410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present study, the contribution of inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P(3)] generation on the mechanical-stimulation-induced Ca(2+) response was investigated in HSY-EA1 cells. Mechanical stimulation induced a local increase in the cytosolic concentration of Ins(1,4,5)P(3) ([IP(3)](i)), as indicated by the Ins(1,4,5)P(3) biosensor LIBRAvIII. The area of this increase expanded like an intracellular Ins(1,4,5)P(3) wave as [IP(3)](i) increased in the stimulated region. A small transient [IP(3)](i) increase was subsequently seen in neighboring cells. The phospholipase C inhibitor U-73122 abolished these Ins(1,4,5)P(3) responses and resultant Ca(2+) releases. The purinergic receptor blocker suramin completely blocked increases in [IP(3)](1) and the Ca(2+) release in neighboring cells, but failed to attenuate the responses in mechanically stimulated cells. These results indicate that generation of Ins(1,4,5)P(3) in response to mechanical stimulation is primarily independent of extracellular ATP. The speed of the mechanical-stimulation-induced [IP(3)](i) increase was much more rapid than that induced by a supramaximal concentration of ATP (1 mM). The contribution of the Ins(1,4,5)P(3)-induced Ca(2+) release was larger than that of Ca(2+) entry in the Ca(2+) response to mechanical stimulation in HSY-EA1 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiro Nezu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Dentistry, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, Ishikari-Tobetsu, Hokkaido, 061-0293, Japan.
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Role of connexin43 in central nervous system injury. Exp Neurol 2010; 225:250-61. [DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2010.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2010] [Revised: 06/09/2010] [Accepted: 07/15/2010] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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43
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Nomura S, Maeda K, Noda E, Inoue T, Fukunaga S, Nagahara H, Hirakawa K. Clinical significance of the expression of connexin26 in colorectal cancer. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2010; 29:79. [PMID: 20565955 PMCID: PMC2907868 DOI: 10.1186/1756-9966-29-79] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2010] [Accepted: 06/21/2010] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Background Connexin26 (Cx26) is one of the connexins (Cxs) family members which form gap junction channels. Cx26 is considered to be a tumor suppressor gene. However, recent studies revealed that over expression of Cx26 is associated with a poor prognosis in several human cancers. This study investigated the correlation between Cx26 expression and the clinicopathological features and P53 expression in colorectal cancer. Methods One hundred and fifty-three patients who underwent a curative resection were studied. Tissue samples were investigated by immunohistochemical staining using antibodies for Cx26 and P53. Moreover, apoptotic cells were detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end-labeling (TUNEL) staining. Results Cx26 expression was found in 83 cases (54.2%) and P53 expression in 71 cases (46.4%). A correlation was observed between the Cx26 expression and recurrence, histology, and p53 expression (P < 0.05). Cx26 positive tumors had significantly longer survival than Cx26 negative tumors (P < 0.05). A multivariate Cox analysis demonstrated that Cx26 expression was an independent prognostic factor (P < 0.05). However, no significant correlation was observed between Cx26 and AI. Conclusion This study suggests that Cx26 expression is an independent prognostic factor in patients that undergo a curative resection of colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinya Nomura
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-5-7 Asahimachi Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan
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Nezu A, Tanimura A, Morita T, Tojyo Y. Monitoring of IP3 dynamics during the mechanical stimulation-induced intra- and intercellular Ca2+ waves in HSY human parotid cell line. THE JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INVESTIGATION 2010; 56 Suppl:388-90. [PMID: 20224234 DOI: 10.2152/jmi.56.388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Akihiro Nezu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Dentistry, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, Hokkaido, Japan
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Parys B, Côté A, Gallo V, De Koninck P, Sík A. Intercellular calcium signaling between astrocytes and oligodendrocytes via gap junctions in culture. Neuroscience 2010; 167:1032-43. [PMID: 20211698 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2010.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2010] [Revised: 02/23/2010] [Accepted: 03/02/2010] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
To understand further how oligodendrocytes regulate brain function, the mechanism of communication between oligodendrocytes and other cell types needs to be explored. An important mode of communication between various cell types in the nervous system involves gap junctions. Astroglial cells are extensively connected through gap junctions forming the glial syncytium. Although the presence of gap junctions between oligodendrocytes and astrocytes have been well documented, evidence for gap junction-mediated calcium transfer between these two glial populations is still missing. To measure functional coupling between astrocytes and oligodendrocytes and to test whether this coupling is mediated by gap junctions we used laser photostimulation and monitored Ca(2+) propagation in cultures from transgenic animals in which oligodendrocytes express enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP). We show that waves of Ca(2+) spread from astrocytes to oligodendrocytes and that these waves are blocked by the broad-spectrum gap junction blocker carbenoxolone, but not the neuron-specific gap junction blocker quinine. We also show that the spread of Ca(2+) waves between astrocytes and oligodendrocytes is bi-directional. Thus, increase of Ca(2+) concentration in astrocytes triggered by surrounding neuronal activity may feed back onto different neuronal populations through oligodendrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Parys
- Centre de Recherche Université Laval Robert-Giffard; 2601, chemin de la Canardière, Quebec, QC, G1J 2G3 Canada
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Warren NJ, Tawhai MH, Crampin EJ. Mathematical modelling of calcium wave propagation in mammalian airway epithelium: evidence for regenerative ATP release. Exp Physiol 2009; 95:232-49. [PMID: 19700517 DOI: 10.1113/expphysiol.2009.049585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Airway epithelium has been shown to exhibit intracellular calcium waves after mechanical stimulation. Two classes of mechanism have been proposed to explain calcium wave propagation: diffusion through gap junctions of the intracellular messenger inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3), and diffusion of paracrine extracellular messengers such as ATP. We have used single cell recordings of airway epithelium to parameterize a model of an airway epithelial cell. This was then incorporated into a spatial model of a cell culture where both mechanisms for calcium wave propagation are possible. It is shown that a decreasing return on the radius of Ca2+ wave propagation is achieved as the amount of ATP released from the stimulated cell increases. It is therefore shown that for a Ca2+ wave to propagate large distances, a significant fraction of the intracellular ATP pool would be required to be released. Further to this, the radial distribution of maximal calcium response from the stimulated cell does not produce the same flat profile of maximal calcium response seen in experiential studies. This suggests that an additional mechanism is important in Ca2+ wave propagation, such as regenerative release of ATP from cells downstream of the stimulated cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- N J Warren
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, Level 6, 70 Symonds Street, CBD, Auckland, New Zealand.
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Ey B, Eyking A, Gerken G, Podolsky DK, Cario E. TLR2 mediates gap junctional intercellular communication through connexin-43 in intestinal epithelial barrier injury. J Biol Chem 2009; 284:22332-22343. [PMID: 19528242 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m901619200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) coordinates cellular functions essential for sustaining tissue homeostasis; yet its regulation in the intestine is not well understood. Here, we identify a novel physiological link between Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 and GJIC through modulation of Connexin-43 (Cx43) during acute and chronic inflammatory injury of the intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) barrier. Data from in vitro studies reveal that TLR2 activation modulates Cx43 synthesis and increases GJIC via Cx43 during IEC injury. The ulcerative colitis-associated TLR2-R753Q mutant targets Cx43 for increased proteasomal degradation, impairing TLR2-mediated GJIC during intestinal epithelial wounding. In vivo studies using mucosal RNA interference show that TLR2-mediated mucosal healing depends functionally on intestinal epithelial Cx43 during acute inflammatory stress-induced damage. Mice deficient in TLR2 exhibit IEC-specific alterations in Cx43, whereas administration of a TLR2 agonist protects GJIC by blocking accumulation of Cx43 and its hyperphosphorylation at Ser368 to prevent spontaneous chronic colitis in MDR1alpha-deficient mice. Finally, adding the TLR2 agonist to three-dimensional intestinal mucosa-like cultures of human biopsies preserves intestinal epithelial Cx43 integrity and polarization ex vivo. In conclusion, Cx43 plays an important role in innate immune control of commensal-mediated intestinal epithelial wound repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Ey
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital of Essen, and Medical School, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
| | - Annette Eyking
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital of Essen, and Medical School, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
| | - Guido Gerken
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital of Essen, and Medical School, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
| | - Daniel K Podolsky
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390
| | - Elke Cario
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital of Essen, and Medical School, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
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VanSlyke JK, Naus CC, Musil LS. Conformational maturation and post-ER multisubunit assembly of gap junction proteins. Mol Biol Cell 2009; 20:2451-63. [PMID: 19297523 PMCID: PMC2675624 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e09-01-0062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2009] [Accepted: 03/06/2009] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
For all previously well-characterized oligomeric integral membrane proteins, folding, multisubunit assembly, and recognition of conformationally immature molecules for degradation occurs at their organelle of synthesis. This cannot, however, be the case for the gap junction-forming protein connexin43 (Cx43), which when endogenously expressed undergoes multisubunit assembly into connexons only after its transport to the trans-Golgi network. We have developed two novel assays to assess Cx43 folding and assembly: acquisition of resistance of disulfide bonds to reduction by extracellularly added DTT and Triton X-114 detergent phase partitioning. We show that Cx43 synthesized at physiologically relevant levels undergoes a multistep conformational maturation process in which folding of connexin monomers within the ER is a prerequisite for multisubunit assembly in the TGN. Similar results were obtained with Cx32, disproving the widely reported contention that the site of endogenous beta connexin assembly is the ER. Exogenous overexpression of Cx43, Cx32, or Cx26 allows these events to take place within the ER, the first example of the TGN and ER as alternative sites for oligomeric assembly. Our findings also constitute the first biochemical evidence that defective connexin folding is a cause of the human disorder X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judy K. VanSlyke
- *Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239; and
| | - Christian C. Naus
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3
| | - Linda S. Musil
- *Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239; and
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Abstract
A number of exciting findings have been made in astrocytes during the past 15 years that have led many researchers to redefine how the brain works. Astrocytes are now widely regarded as cells that propagate Ca(2+) over long distances in response to stimulation, and, similar to neurons, release transmitters (called gliotransmitters) in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner to modulate a host of important brain functions. Although these discoveries have been very exciting, it is essential to place them in the proper context of the approaches used to obtain them to determine their relevance to brain physiology. This review revisits the key observations made in astrocytes that greatly impact how they are thought to regulate brain function, including the existence of widespread propagating intercellular Ca(2+) waves, data suggesting that astrocytes signal to neurons through Ca(2+)-dependent release of glutamate, and evidence for the presence of vesicular machinery for the regulated exocytosis of gliotransmitters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd A Fiacco
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA.
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Inose T, Kato H, Kimura H, Faried A, Tanaka N, Sakai M, Sano A, Sohda M, Nakajima M, Fukai Y, Miyazaki T, Masuda N, Fukuchi M, Kuwano H. Correlation between connexin 26 expression and poor prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Ann Surg Oncol 2009; 16:1704-10. [PMID: 19326169 DOI: 10.1245/s10434-009-0443-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2009] [Revised: 02/25/2009] [Accepted: 02/25/2009] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Failure of gap junction formation affects the development of various types of cancer. We aimed to clarify the clinicopathologic outcome and prognostic significance of connexin (Cx) 26 in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). METHODS Immunohistochemical staining for Cx26 was performed on surgical specimens obtained from 123 patients with ESCC. RESULTS There was no positive staining for Cx26-specific expression in normal esophageal squamous cells. Primary ESCC with Cx26-positive expression was detected in the cytoplasm of cancer cell nests in 60 cases. Cx26 expression was correlated with N (lymph node metastasis, P = 0.014) and the number of metastatic lymph nodes (P = 0.047). The 5-year survival rates of ESCC patients with Cx26-positive expression were significantly lower than those with Cx26-negative expression (positive, 39.7%; negative, 65.7%; P = 0.007). By multivariate analysis, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) clinical classification (T, P < 0.001; N, P = 0.002; M, P = 0.046) and Cx26 (P = 0.024) were independent prognosis predictors of ESCC. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that abnormal expression of Cx26 participates in the progress of ESCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takanori Inose
- Department of General Surgical Science, Gunma University, Maebashi, Japan.
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