Specific immunolysis of serotonergic nerve terminals using an antiserum against tryptophan hydroxylase

Induction of dopaminergic neurotransmitter phenotype in rat embryonic cerebrocortex by the synergistic action of neurotrophins and dopamine

Neurotrophins, including nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) and neurotrophin-4/5 (NT-4/5), have been shown to enhance survival and differentiation of a variety of central neuronal populations, such as those with the dopaminergic, cholinergic, GABAergic phenotype during development. In this paper we present evidence that BDNF, NT-3 and NT-4/5 acting synergistically with dopamine (DA) can artificially induce the full dopaminergic phenotype in rat fetal cerebral cortex which normally has very few dopaminergic neurons in adulthood. Thus, BDNF/DA, NT-3/DA, NT-4/DA elicited a great increase in the number of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunoreactive cells, which was up to 5-7% of total neuronal population in cultures of fetal rat cortical cells. This stimulatory effect was not dependent on glial proliferation, or on addition of serum to the culture. Pharmacological studies showed that dopamine receptors D1 and D2 were involved in this effect. The TH+ cortical cells possessed other biochemical phenotypic features of dopaminergic neurons. Thus, high-affinity DA uptake was elevated in cortical cultures treated with neurotrophin/DA. Also DA and 3,4-dihydroxyphenlacetic acid production was detected (5.42 +/- 1.24 and 13.72 +/- 2.84 pmol/dish respectively, zero in controls). This show the presence of functionally active TH, aromatic acid decarboxylase and monoamine oxidase. Neurotrophins/DA had no effect on noradrenergic phenotype expression by cortical fetal cells. Taken together, these results support the long-standing view that development of the central nervous system is determined not only by intrinsic genetic programmes, but also involves environmental influences such as the action of growth factors and extracellular neurotransmitter. In this case we report the effect of specific DA phenotype-inducing agents.

Isolation of monoaminergic synaptosomes from rat brain by immunomagnetophoresis

Monoaminergic synaptosomes have been isolated and purified from rat brain by immunomagnetophoresis. This novel technique uses magnetic beads to which Protein A is bound. Noradrenergic, dopaminergic, and serotonergic synaptosomes (previously cell-surface labelled with anti-dopamine-beta-hydroxylase, anti-tyrosine hydroxylase, and anti-tryptophan hydroxylase, respectively) may be isolated in a highly purified state. The synaptosomal subpopulations are recovered in a viable metabolic state and show glucose-stimulated respiration and Ca2(+)-dependent neurotransmitter release. A novel subtype of dopamine-beta-hydroxylase was found in dopaminergic terminals. No evidence for glutamate corelease from monoaminergic synaptosomes was obtained.

Uptake of a monoclonal antibody to corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) into rat hypothalamic neurons

Previous immunocytochemical studies reported that when specific monoclonal antibody directed against vasopressin (VP) (VP-MAb) was injected in vivo above the rat hypothalamic nuclei, it penetrated and was specifically transported by VP-producing neurons. In this study, using the same methodological approach, the fate of monoclonal antibody directed against corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) (CRF-MAb) injected in vivo above the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the rat brain was investigated by immunocytochemistry in male Zucker rats and adrenalectomized or colchicine-pretreated male Long-Evans rats. The simultaneous immunocytochemical localization of the injected CRF-MAb and endogenous peptides and enzyme synthesized by the neurons penetrated by the antibody, demonstrated that CRF-MAb was mainly detected in CRF neurons. But the CRF-MAb was also detected in VP, oxytocin, neuropeptide Y and tyrosine hydroxylase-producing neurons of the PVN. CRF-MAb was therefore localized in PVN neurons which synthesize CRF and in PVN neurons with physiological and morphological relationships with the CRF peptidergic system. Before obtaining biological effects of injected CRF-MAb, the results described here suggest that specific monoclonal antibodies provide a useful specific tool for elucidating the functional relationships between neuronal systems.

The immunolysis, isolation, and properties of subpopulations of mammalian brain synaptosomes

Five subpopulations of mammalian brain synaptosomes can be selectively damaged by complement-mediated immunolysis employing antibodies to specific surface markers for each subpopulation. This allows the size of these subpopulations to be estimated. Employing antibodies alone, it has proved possible to isolate three of these subpopulations in very pure preparations which are metabolically viable. The immunoaffinity technique involved (immunomagnetophoresis) uses magnetic microspheres and produces mg (protein) quantities of synaptosomes.

Development of transmitter-releasing capacity in neuron-enriched tissue cultures

Dissociated cell cultures derived from whole brains of foetal rats (17 days of gestation) were maintained for periods of up to 21 days in vitro for the purpose of studying the transmitter-releasing properties of the dopaminergic neuronal cells and glial cells. In the neuron-enriched cultures, after 3 days in vitro, [3H]dopamine was released in response to depolarizing stimuli. Both the potassium and veratrine-evoked release of dopamine was Ca2+ dependent. Veratrine-evoked release was reduced in the presence of the calcium channel blocker verapamil and was tetrodotoxin sensitive. Glial cultures, after 7 days in vitro, did not respond to any depolarizing stimuli, although they displayed a significant ability to take up [3H]dopamine. Comparison between static incubations and perfused cultures showed no difference in the patterns of release resulting from veratrine stimulation. Tyrosine hydroxylase activity increased progressively in neuron-enriched cultures but was not detectable in glial cultures. These results show that neuron-enriched cultures respond to depolarizing stimuli in a manner similar to excised adult basal ganglia tissue, with the appearance of functional ionic channels after 3 days in vitro.

A cell-surface antigen of cholinergic nerve terminals recognized by antisera to choline acetyltransferase

An antiserum to choline acetyltransferase, partially purified from bovine brain (anti-ChAT 1), when incubated with synaptosomes prepared from rat cerebral cortex in the presence of complement caused release of 10% of lactate dehydrogenase and 27% of ChAT. Sodium-dependent uptake of choline was totally abolished. Similar results were obtained when an antiserum to ChAT highly purified from pig brain (anti-ChAT 2) was used under similar conditions. These treatments had no effect on noradrenaline uptake and did not release glutamate decarboxylase. The results suggest selective lysis of cholinergic synaptosomes had occurred. A similar selective lysis was also observed when synaptosomes prepared from guinea pig cerebral cortex were used. Anti-ChAT 2 also inhibited choline uptake in a complement-independent manner.

Specific lysis of noradrenergic synaptosomes by an antiserum to dopamine-beta-hydroxylase

An antiserum to dopamine-beta-hydroxylase purified from bovine adrenal medulla, acting in the presence of complement, caused the release of 12% of lactate dehydrogenase, 20% of tyrosine hydroxylase activity, and 40% of noradrenaline (NA) content from synaptosomes prepared from rat brain cerebral cortex. Uptake of [3H]NA was reduced by 54%. Anti-serum alone or complement alone were without action. The antiserum plus complement had no effect on choline uptake and did not release choline acetyltransferase, glutamate decarboxylase, dopamine or 5-hydroxytryptamine. These results suggest selective lysis of noradrenergic terminals had occurred. An enhancement of lysis was not observed when synaptosomes were stimulated with 75 mequiv./lK+ and exposed to a sub-maximal dose of antiserum, plus complement.

Tryptophan 5-hydroxylase. Rapid purification from whole rat brain and production of a specific antiserum

Tryptophan 5-hydroxylase (EC 1.14.16.4; L-tryptophan tetrahydropteridine: oxygen oxidoreductase) was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from whole brain supernatant using the following steps: pteridine-argarose affinity chromatography, hydrophobic and finally hydroxyapatite chromatography. Exogenous catalase was necessary throughout most of the purification procedure in order to protect the enzyme against inactivation. The iron chelator desferrioxamine at a concentration of 10 microM or higher brought about an irreversible loss of enzyme activity of a partially purified preparation containing an excess of catalase, whereas this same chelator at a lower concentration afforded considerable protection of the enzyme's activity during the final purification stage despite the quasi-total absence of catalase and the presence of an excess of ferrous iron. Antiserum raised in the rabbit to purified tryptophan 5-hydroxylase appears to be monospecific for the enzyme after immunoadsorption of anti-catalase antibodies which were present due to the trace of catalase which remained in the final enzyme preparation.