Identification and localization of ryanodine binding proteins in the avian central nervous system

Spine apparatus modulates Ca 2+ in spines through spatial localization of sources and sinks

Dendritic spines are small protrusions on dendrites in neurons and serve as sites of postsynaptic activity. Some of these spines contain smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER), and sometimes an even further specialized SER known as the spine apparatus (SA). In this work, we developed a stochastic spatial model to investigate the role of the SER and the SA in modulating Ca 2+ dynamics. Using this model, we investigated how ryanodine receptor (RyR) localization, spine membrane geometry, and SER geometry can impact Ca 2+ transients in the spine and in the dendrite. Our simulations found that RyR opening is dependent on where it is localized in the SER and on the SER geometry. In order to maximize Ca 2+ in the dendrites (for activating clusters of spines and spine-spine communication), a laminar SA was favorable with RyRs localized in the neck region, closer to the dendrite. We also found that the presence of the SER without the laminar structure, coupled with RyR localization at the head, leads to higher Ca 2+ presence in the spine. These predictions serve as design principles for understanding how spines with an ER can regulate Ca 2+ dynamics differently from spines without ER through a combination of geometry and receptor localization.

Highlights

1RyR opening in dendritic spine ER is location dependent and spine geometry dependent. Ca 2+ buffers and SERCA can buffer against runaway potentiation of spines even when CICR is activated. RyRs located towards the ER neck allow for more Ca 2+ to reach the dendrites. RyRs located towards the spine head are favorable for increased Ca 2+ in spines.

Calsequestrin in Purkinje cells of mammalian cerebellum

Cerebellum is devoted to motor coordination and cognitive functions. Endoplasmic reticulum is the largest intracellular calcium store involved in all neuronal functions. Intralumenal calcium binding proteins play a pivotal role in calcium storage and contribute to both calcium release and uptake. Calsequestrin, a key calcium binding protein of sarco-endoplasmic reticulum in skeletal and cardiac muscles, was identified in chicken and fish cerebellum Purkinje cells, but its expression in mammals and human counterpart has not been studied in depth. Aim of the present paper was to investigate expression and localization of Calsequestrin in mammalian cerebellum. Calsequestrin was found to be expressed at low level in cerebellum, but specifically concentrated in Calbindin D28- and zebrin- immunopositive-Purkinje cells. Two additional fundamental calcium store markers, sarco-endoplasmic calcium pump isoform 2, SERCA2, and Inositol-trisphosphate receptor isoform 1, IP3R1, were found to be co-expressed in the region, with some localization peculiarities. In conclusion, a new marker was identified for Purkinje cells in adult mammals, including humans. Such a marker might help in staminal neuronal cells specification and in dissection of still unknown neurodegeneration and physio-pathological effects of dysregulated calcium homeostasis.

Extraction and determination of flubendiamide insecticide in food samples: A review

Flubendiamide (FBD) is the first commercially available phthalic acid diamide that targets ryanodine receptors (RyRs) in insects, which play a major role in lepidoptera control. However, excessive use of FBD can influence the quality of treated products leading to toxic effects on human health. The availability of rapid and convenient methods for evaluating FBD amount in the environment is necessary. Therefore, analytical methods were developed for the determination of residues of FBD and its metabolite desiodo in different food matrices like tomato, cabbage, pigeon pea, apple, chilli and rice. The current review carries forward methods for FBD residues analysis in foods by using several chromatographic techniques including sample preparation steps. The comparison between the different methods employed for quantitative and qualitative analysis of food quality and safety is also discussed. Liquid chromatography (LC) is the predominant analytical method for assessing the quality of foods treated with FBD. Studies related to LC coupled multichannel detector (Ultraviolet (UV), Mass spectrometry (MS)) are also applied to detect pesticide residues. Extraction and clean up steps are essential to obtain reliable results. Moreover, this review reports the allowed limits of residues for the safety of consuming products treated with FBD.

Flightless-1 inhibits ER stress-induced apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells by regulating Ca2+ homeostasis

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response is an adaptive mechanism that is activated upon disruption of ER homeostasis and protects the cells against certain harmful environmental stimuli. However, critical and prolonged cell stress triggers cell death. In this study, we demonstrate that Flightless-1 (FliI) regulates ER stress-induced apoptosis in colon cancer cells by modulating Ca²⁺ homeostasis. FliI was highly expressed in both colon cell lines and colorectal cancer mouse models. In a mouse xenograft model using CT26 mouse colorectal cancer cells, tumor formation was slowed due to elevated levels of apoptosis in FliI-knockdown (FliI-KD) cells. FliI-KD cells treated with ER stress inducers, thapsigargin (TG), and tunicamycin exhibited activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR) and induction of UPR-related gene expression, which eventually triggered apoptosis. FliI-KD increased the intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration, and this upregulation was caused by accelerated ER-to-cytosolic efflux of Ca²⁺. The increase in intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration was significantly blocked by dantrolene and tetracaine, inhibitors of ryanodine receptors (RyRs). Dantrolene inhibited TG-induced ER stress and decreased the rate of apoptosis in FliI-KD CT26 cells. Finally, we found that knockdown of FliI decreased the levels of sorcin and ER Ca²⁺ and that TG-induced ER stress was recovered by overexpression of sorcin in FliI-KD cells. Taken together, these results suggest that FliI regulates sorcin expression, which modulates Ca²⁺ homeostasis in the ER through RyRs. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism by which FliI influences Ca²⁺ homeostasis and cell survival during ER stress.

A cytoskeletal protein that helps tumors avoid cell death offers a promising new drug target for fighting cancer. A team led by Jang Hyun Choi and Sun Sil Choi of the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, South Korea, detailed how a protein called Flightless I (FliI) that normally regulates the remodeling of structural filaments in the cell can, in colorectal cancer cells, serve as a tumor promoter through its action on calcium levels. Typically, cells respond to chronic stress by altering calcium signaling to promote their own death. In tumors, however, FliI maintains normal calcium levels to enhance cell survival even in the face of chemotherapy and other stressful stimuli. Suppressing FliI activity could thus help sensitize cancer cells to other stress- and death-inducing drug regimens.

Ryanodine-receptor-driven intracellular calcium dynamics underlying spatial association of synaptic plasticity

Synaptic modifications induced at one synapse are accompanied by hetero-synaptic changes at neighboring sites. In addition, it is suggested that the mechanism of spatial association of synaptic plasticity is based on intracellular calcium signaling that is mainly regulated by two types of receptors of endoplasmic reticulum calcium store: the ryanodine receptor (RyR) and the inositol triphosphate receptor (IP3R). However, it is not clear how these types of receptors regulate intracellular calcium flux and contribute to the outcome of calcium-dependent synaptic change. To understand the relation between the synaptic association and store-regulated calcium dynamics, we focused on the function of RyR calcium regulation and simulated its behavior by using a computational neuron model. As a result, we observed that RyR-regulated calcium release depended on spike timings of pre- and postsynaptic neurons. From the induction site of calcium release, the chain activation of RyRs occurred, and spike-like calcium increase propagated along the dendrite. For calcium signaling, the propagated calcium increase did not tend to attenuate; these characteristics came from an all-or-none behavior of RyR-sensitive calcium store. Considering the role of calcium dependent synaptic plasticity, the results suggest that RyR-regulated calcium propagation induces a similar change at the synapses. However, according to the dependence of RyR calcium regulation on the model parameters, whether the chain activation of RyRs occurred, sensitively depended on spatial expression of RyR and nominal fluctuation of calcium flux. Therefore, calcium regulation of RyR helps initiate rather than relay calcium propagation.

Inhibitory ryanodine prevents ryanodine receptor-mediated Ca²⁺ release without affecting endoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ content in primary hippocampal neurons

Ryanodine is a cell permeant plant alkaloid that binds selectively and with high affinity to ryanodine receptor (RyR) Ca(2+) release channels. Sub-micromolar ryanodine concentrations activate RyR channels while micromolar concentrations are inhibitory. Several reports indicate that neuronal synaptic plasticity, learning and memory require RyR-mediated Ca(2+)-release, which is essential for muscle contraction. The use of micromolar (inhibitory) ryanodine represents a common strategy to suppress RyR activity in neuronal cells: however, micromolar ryanodine promotes RyR-mediated Ca(2+) release and endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) depletion in muscle cells. Information is lacking in this regard in neuronal cells; hence, we examined here if addition of inhibitory ryanodine elicited Ca(2+) release in primary hippocampal neurons, and if prolonged incubation of primary hippocampal cultures with inhibitory ryanodine affected neuronal ER calcium content. Our results indicate that inhibitory ryanodine does not cause Ca(2+) release from the ER in primary hippocampal neurons, even though ryanodine diffusion should produce initially low intracellular concentrations, within the RyR activation range. Moreover, neurons treated for 1 h with inhibitory ryanodine had comparable Ca(2+) levels as control neurons. These combined findings imply that prolonged incubation with inhibitory ryanodine, which effectively abolishes RyR-mediated Ca(2+) release, preserves ER Ca(2+) levels and thus constitutes a sound strategy to suppress neuronal RyR function.

Reduced IRE1α mediates apoptotic cell death by disrupting calcium homeostasis via the InsP3 receptor

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is not only a home for folding and posttranslational modifications of secretory proteins but also a reservoir for intracellular Ca(2+). Perturbation of ER homeostasis contributes to the pathogenesis of various neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson diseases. One key regulator that underlies cell survival and Ca(2+) homeostasis during ER stress responses is inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α). Despite extensive studies on this ER membrane-associated protein, little is known about the molecular mechanisms by which excessive ER stress triggers cell death and Ca(2+) dysregulation via the IRE1α-dependent signaling pathway. In this study, we show that inactivation of IRE1α by RNA interference increases cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration in SH-SY5Y cells, leading to cell death. This dysregulation is caused by an accelerated ER-to-cytosolic efflux of Ca(2+) through the InsP3 receptor (InsP3R). The Ca(2+) efflux in IRE1α-deficient cells correlates with dissociation of the Ca(2+)-binding InsP3R inhibitor CIB1 and increased complex formation of CIB1 with the pro-apoptotic kinase ASK1, which otherwise remains inactivated in the IRE1α-TRAF2-ASK1 complex. The increased cytosolic concentration of Ca(2+) induces mitochondrial production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), in particular superoxide, resulting in severe mitochondrial abnormalities, such as fragmentation and depolarization of membrane potential. These Ca(2+) dysregulation-induced mitochondrial abnormalities and cell death in IRE1α-deficient cells can be blocked by depleting ROS or inhibiting Ca(2+) influx into the mitochondria. These results demonstrate the importance of IRE1α in Ca(2+) homeostasis and cell survival during ER stress and reveal a previously unknown Ca(2+)-mediated cell death signaling between the IRE1α-InsP3R pathway in the ER and the redox-dependent apoptotic pathway in the mitochondrion.

The role of intracellular calcium stores in synaptic plasticity and memory consolidation

Memory processing requires tightly controlled signalling cascades, many of which are dependent upon intracellular calcium (Ca(2+)). Despite this, most work investigating calcium signalling in memory formation has focused on plasma membrane channels and extracellular sources of Ca(2+). The intracellular Ca(2+) release channels, ryanodine receptors (RyRs) and inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate receptors (IP3Rs) have a significant capacity to regulate intracellular Ca(2+) signalling. Evidence at both cellular and behavioural levels implicates both RyRs and IP3Rs in synaptic plasticity and memory formation. Pharmacobehavioural experiments using young chicks trained on a single-trial discrimination avoidance task have been particularly useful by demonstrating that RyRs and IP3Rs have distinct roles in memory formation. RyR-dependent Ca(2+) release appears to aid the consolidation of labile memory into a persistent long-term memory trace. In contrast, IP3Rs are required during long-term memory. This review discusses various functions for RyRs and IP3Rs in memory processing, including neuro- and glio-transmitter release, dendritic spine remodelling, facilitating vasodilation, and the regulation of gene transcription and dendritic excitability. Altered Ca(2+) release from intracellular stores also has significant implications for neurodegenerative conditions.

Regulation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors during endoplasmic reticulum stress

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) performs multiple functions in the cell: it is the major site of protein and lipid synthesis as well as the most important intracellular Ca(2+) reservoir. Adverse conditions, including a decrease in the ER Ca(2+) level or an increase in oxidative stress, impair the formation of new proteins, resulting in ER stress. The subsequent unfolded protein response (UPR) is a cellular attempt to lower the burden on the ER and to restore ER homeostasis by imposing a general arrest in protein synthesis, upregulating chaperone proteins and degrading misfolded proteins. This response can also lead to autophagy and, if the stress can not be alleviated, to apoptosis. The inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) receptor (IP3R) and IP3-induced Ca(2+) signaling are important players in these processes. Not only is the IP3R activity modulated in a dual way during ER stress, but also other key proteins involved in Ca(2+) signaling are modulated. Changes also occur at the structural level with a strengthening of the contacts between the ER and the mitochondria, which are important determinants of mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake. The resulting cytoplasmic and mitochondrial Ca(2+) signals will control cellular decisions that either promote cell survival or cause their elimination via apoptosis. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: 12th European Symposium on Calcium.

Facilitation of dopamine and acetylcholine release by intermittent hypoxia in PC12 cells: involvement of calcium and reactive oxygen species

We have investigated the effects of preconditioning pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells with intermittent hypoxia (IH) on transmitter release during acute hypoxia. Cell cultures were exposed to either alternating cycles of hypoxia (1% O(2) + 5% CO(2); 30 s/cycle) and normoxia (21% O(2) + 5% CO(2); 3 min/cycle) for 15 or 60 cycles or normoxia alone (control) for similar durations. Control and IH cells were challenged with either hyperoxia (basal release) or acute hypoxia (Po(2) of approximately 35 Torr) for 5 min, and the amounts of dopamine (DA) and acetylcholine (ACh) released in the medium were determined by HPLC combined with electrochemical detection. Hypoxia augmented DA (approximately 80%) but not ACh release in naive cells, whereas, in IH-conditioned cells, it further enhanced DA release (ranging from 120 to approximately 145%) and facilitated ACh release (approximately 30%). Hypoxia-evoked augmentation of transmitter release was not seen in cells conditioned with sustained hypoxia. IH-induced increase in DA but not IH-induced ACh release during hypoxia was partially inhibited by cadmium chloride (100 microM), a voltage-gated Ca(2+) channel blocker. By contrast, 2-aminoethoxydiphenylborate (75 microM), a blocker of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP(3)) receptors, and N-acetyl-L-cysteine (300 microM), a potent scavenger of reactive oxygen species, either attenuated or abolished IH-evoked augmentation of transmitter release during hypoxia. Together, the above results demonstrate that IH conditioning increases hypoxia-evoked neurotransmitter release from PC12 cells via mechanisms involving mobilization of Ca(2+) from intracellular stores through activation of IP(3) receptors. Our findings also suggest that oxidative stress plays a central role in IH-induced augmentation of transmitter release from PC12 cells during acute hypoxia.

Presence and functional significance of presynaptic ryanodine receptors

Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+) release (CICR) mediated by sarcoplasmic reticulum resident ryanodine receptors (RyRs) has been well described in cardiac, skeletal and smooth muscle. In brain, RyRs are localised primarily to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and have been demonstrated in postsynaptic entities, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes where they regulate intracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)), membrane potential and the activity of a variety of second messenger systems. Recently, the contribution of presynaptic RyRs and CICR to functions of central and peripheral presynaptic terminals, including neurotransmitter release, has received increased attention. However, there is no general agreement that RyRs are localised to presynaptic terminals, nor is it clear that RyRs regulate a large enough pool of intracellular Ca(2+) to be physiologically significant. Here, we review direct and indirect evidence that on balance favours the notion that ER and RyRs are found in presynaptic terminals and are physiologically significant. In so doing, it became obvious that some of the controversy originates from issues related to (i) the ability to demonstrate conclusively the physical presence of ER and RyRs, (ii) whether the biophysical properties of RyRs are such that they can contribute physiologically to regulation of presynaptic [Ca(2+)](i), (iii) how ER Ca(2+) load and feedback gain of CICR contributes to the ability to detect functionally relevant RyRs, (iv) the distance that Ca(2+) diffuses from plasma membranes to RyRs to trigger CICR and from RyRs to the Active Zone to enhance vesicle release, and (v) the experimental conditions used. The recognition that ER Ca(2+) stores are able to modulate local Ca(2+) levels and neurotransmitter release in presynaptic terminals will aid in the understanding of the cellular mechanisms controlling neuronal function.

Cerebellar long-term depression: characterization, signal transduction, and functional roles

Cerebellar Purkinje cells exhibit a unique type of synaptic plasticity, namely, long-term depression (LTD). When two inputs to a Purkinje cell, one from a climbing fiber and the other from a set of granule cell axons, are repeatedly associated, the input efficacy of the granule cell axons in exciting the Purkinje cell is persistently depressed. Section I of this review briefly describes the history of research around LTD, and section II specifies physiological characteristics of LTD. Sections III and IV then review the massive data accumulated during the past two decades, which have revealed complex networks of signal transduction underlying LTD. Section III deals with a variety of first messengers, receptors, ion channels, transporters, G proteins, and phospholipases. Section IV covers second messengers, protein kinases, phosphatases and other elements, eventually leading to inactivation of DL-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolone-propionate-selective glutamate receptors that mediate granule cell-to-Purkinje cell transmission. Section V defines roles of LTD in the light of the microcomplex concept of the cerebellum as functionally eliminating those synaptic connections associated with errors during repeated exercises, while preserving other connections leading to the successful execution of movements. Section VI examines the validity of this microcomplex concept based on the data collected from recent numerous studies of various forms of motor learning in ocular reflexes, eye-blink conditioning, posture, locomotion, and hand/arm movements. Section VII emphasizes the importance of integrating studies on LTD and learning and raises future possibilities of extending cerebellar research to reveal memory mechanisms of implicit learning in general.

Impaired calcium release in cerebellar Purkinje neurons maintained in culture

Cerebellar Purkinje neurons demonstrate a form of synaptic plasticity that, in acutely prepared brain slices, has been shown to require calcium release from the intracellular calcium stores through inositol trisphosphate (InsP(3)) receptors. Similar studies performed in cultured Purkinje cells, however, find little evidence for the involvement of InsP(3) receptors. To address this discrepancy, the properties of InsP(3)- and caffeine-evoked calcium release in cultured Purkinje cells were directly examined. Photorelease of InsP(3) (up to 100 microM) from its photolabile caged analogue produced no change in calcium levels in 70% of cultured Purkinje cells. In the few cells where a calcium increase was detected, the response was very small and slow to peak. In contrast, the same concentration of InsP(3) resulted in large and rapidly rising calcium responses in all acutely dissociated Purkinje cells tested. Similar to InsP(3), caffeine also had little effect on calcium levels in cultured Purkinje cells, yet evoked large calcium transients in all acutely dissociated Purkinje cells tested. The results demonstrate that calcium release from intracellular calcium stores is severely impaired in Purkinje cells when they are maintained in culture. Our findings suggest that cultured Purkinje cells are an unfaithful experimental model for the study of the role of calcium release in the induction of cerebellar long term depression.

Spatial learning induced changes in expression of the ryanodine type II receptor in the rat hippocampus

Calcium signaling critical to neural functions is mediated through Ca(2+) channels localized on both the plasma membrane and intracellular organelles such as endoplasmic reticulum. Whereas Ca(2+) influx occurs via the voltage- or/and ligand-sensitive Ca(2+) channels, Ca(2+) release from intracellular stores that amplifies further the Ca(2+) signal is thought to be involved in more profound and lasting changes in neurons. The ryanodine receptor, one of the two major intracellular Ca(2+) channels, has been an important target for studying Ca(2+) signaling in brain functions, including learning and memory, due to its characteristic Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+) release. In this study, we report regional and cellular distributions of the type-2 ryanodine receptor (RyR2) mRNA in the rat brain, and effects of spatial learning on RyR2 gene expression at mRNA and protein levels in the rat hippocampus. Using in situ hybridization, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and ribonuclease protection assays, significant increases in RyR2 mRNA were found in the hippocampus of rats trained in an intensive water maze task. With immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting, protein levels of RyR2 were also demonstrated to be increased in the microsomal fractions prepared from hippocampi of trained rats. These results suggest that RyR2, and hence the RyR2-mediated Ca(2+) signals, may be involved in memory processing after spatial learning. The increases in RyR2 mRNA and protein at 12 and 24 h after training could contribute to more permanent changes such as structural modifications during long-term memory storage. Zhao, W., Meiri, N., Xu, H., Cavallaro, S., Quattrone, A., Zhang, L., Alkon, D. A. Spatial learning induced changes in expression of the ryanodine type II receptor in the rat hippocampus.

Facilitation of NMDAR-independent LTP and spatial learning in mutant mice lacking ryanodine receptor type 3

To evaluate the role in synaptic plasticity of ryanodine receptor type 3 (RyR3), which is normally enriched in hippocampal area CA1, we generated RyR3-deficient mice. Mutant mice exhibited facilitated CA1 long-term potentiation (LTP) induced by short tetanus (100 Hz, 100 ms) stimulation. Unlike LTP in wild-type mice, this LTP was not blocked bythe NMDA receptor antagonist D-AP5 but was partially dependent on L-type voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels (VDCCs) and metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). Long-term depression (LTD) was not induced in RyR3-deficient mice. RyR3-deficient mice also exhibited improved spatial learning on a Morris water maze task. These results suggest that in wild-type mice, in contrast to the excitatory role of Ca2+ influx, RyR3-mediated intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) release from endoplasmic reticulum (ER) may inhibit hippocampal LTP and spatial learning.

Expression of ryanodine receptors in human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells

It has been shown previously that mobilization of caffeine-sensitive intracellular calcium (Ca2+i) stores increased the release of amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta) from transfected human embryonic kidney cells (HEK293) [Querfurth, Jiang, Geiger and Selkoe (1997) J. Neurochem. 69, 1580-1591]. The present study was to test the hypothesis that the caffeine/Abeta responses were due to interactions with specific subtypes of ryanodine receptors (RyR) using [3H]ryanodine receptor binding, epifluorescence imaging of Ca2+i, immunocytofluorescence, immunoprecipitation and PCR techniques. [3H]Ryanodine bound to a single class of high-affinity caffeine-sensitive sites (Kd=9.9+/-1.6 nM, Bmax=25+/-4 fmol/mg of protein). RyRs were immuno-decorated in a punctate reticulo-linear pattern. Results from SDS/PAGE and reverse transcriptase-PCR demonstrated endogenous expression of type 1 (skeletal) and type 2 (cardiac) RyRs. HEK293 cell RyRs were functionally active, because (i) [Ca2+]i increased 2.8-fold over baseline following applications of 5-15 mM caffeine, (ii) repetitive spiked increases in [Ca2+]i were observed, and (iii) evidence for a use-dependent block was obtained. Some of these findings were extended to include HeLa and human fibroblast cell lines, suggesting a broader applicability to cells of epithelioid lineage. Implications for the processing of the beta-amyloid precursor protein in Alzheimer's disease and for calcium channel research using transfected HEK293 cells are discussed.

Type 1 inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor is required for induction of long-term depression in cerebellar Purkinje neurons

The inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (InsP3R) is an intracellular Ca2+ channel that releases Ca2+ from internal Ca2+ stores in response to InsP3. Although InsP3R is highly expressed in various regions of the mammalian brain, the functional role of this receptor has not been clarified. We show here that cerebellar slices prepared from mice with a disrupted InsP3R type 1 gene, which is predominantly expressed in Purkinje cells, completely lack long-term depression (LTD), a model of synaptic plasticity in the cerebellum. Moreover, a specific antibody against InsP3R1, introduced into wild-type Purkinje cells through patch pipettes, blocked the induction of LTD. These data indicate that, in addition to Ca2+ influx through Ca2+ channels on the plasma membrane, Ca2+ release from InsP3R plays an essential role in the induction of LTD, suggesting a physiological importance for InsP3R in Purkinje cells.

The structure, function, and cellular regulation of ryanodine-sensitive Ca2+ release channels

The fundamental biological process of Ca2+ signaling is known to be important in most eukaryotic cells, and inositol 1,2,5-trisphosphate and ryanodine receptors, intracellular Ca2+ release channels encoded by two distantly related gene families, are central to this phenomenon. Ryanodine receptors in the sarcoplasmic reticulum of skeletal and cardiac muscle have a predominant role in excitation-contraction coupling, but the channels are also present in the endoplasmic reticulum of noncontractile tissues including the central nervous system and the immune system. In all, three highly homologous ryanodine receptor isoforms have been identified, all very large proteins which assemble as (homo)tetramers of approximately 2 MDa. They contain large cytoplasmically disposed regulatory domains and are always associated with other structural or regulatory proteins, including calmodulin and immunophilins, which can have marked effects on channel function. The type 1 isoform in skeletal muscle is electromechanically coupled to surface membrane voltage sensors, whereas the remaining isoforms appear to be activated solely by endogenous cytoplasmic second messengers or other ligands, including Ca2+ itself ("Ca(2+)-induced Ca2+ release"). This review concentrates on ryanodine receptor structure-function relationships as probed by a variety of methods and on the molecular mechanisms of channel modulation at the cellular level (including evidence for the regulation of gene expression and transcription). It also touches on the relevance of ryanodine receptors to complex cellular functions and disease.

Inositol trisphosphate and ryanodine receptors share a common functional Ca2+ pool in cerebellar Purkinje neurons

Changes in the intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) control many important processes in excitable and nonexcitable cells. In cerebellar Purkinje neurons, increases in [Ca2+]i modulate excitability by turning on calcium-activated potassium and chloride conductances, and modifying the synaptic efficacy of inhibitory and excitatory inputs to the cell. Calcium release from the intracellular stores plays an important role in the regulation of [Ca2+]i. Purkinje neurons contain both inositol trisphosphate (InsP3) and ryanodine (Ry) receptors. With the exception of the dendritic spines, where only InsP3 receptors are found, InsP3 and Ry receptors are present in the entire cell. The distribution of the two calcium release channels, however, is not uniform, and it has been suggested that InsP3 and Ry receptors use separate Ca2+ pools. The functional properties of InsP3 and Ry Ca2+ pools were investigated by flash photolysis and single-cell microspectrofluorimetry. It was found that depletion of ryanodine-sensitive Ca2+ stores renders InsP3 incapable of releasing more Ca2+ from the stores. Abolishing calcium-induced calcium release by blocking ryanodine receptors with ruthenium red did not have a significant effect on InsP3-evoked Ca2+ release. It is concluded that InsP3 receptors use the same functional Ca2+ pool as that utilized by Ry receptors in Purkinje neurons.

Differential distribution and subcellular localization of ryanodine receptor isoforms in the chicken cerebellum during development

The distribution of ryanodine receptor (RyR) isoforms was examined using isoform-specific monoclonal antibodies in the developing chicken brain, from E18 through adulthood, using light and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry. Monoclonal antibody 110F is specific for the alpha-skeletal muscle form of RyR, while monoclonal antibody 110E recognizes both the beta-skeletal muscle and cardiac isoforms, but does not distinguish between the two. Significant differences in the distribution of the alpha- and beta/cardiac forms were observed. Labeling for the alpha-form was restricted to cerebellar Purkinje neurons while the beta/cardiac form was observed in neurons throughout the brain. A major finding was the presence of labeling for the beta/cardiac in presynaptic terminals of the parallel fibers in the molecular layer and the mossy fiber terminals in the granular layer glomeruli in late development and during adulthood. Labeling for the beta/cardiac, but not the alpha-form, underwent a major redistribution in the cerebellum during the course of development. At 1 day of age, beta/cardiac labeling was present mainly in Purkinje neurons. From 1 day to 4 weeks, immunolabeling for the beta/cardiac form gradually disappeared from Purkinje neurons, but increased in granule cells. Within the molecular layer, the labeling pattern changed from being primarily within Purkinje dendrites to a more diffuse pattern. Electron microscopic examination of the cerebellar molecular layer of 2-week-old chicks revealed that beta/cardiac-labeling was mainly present in the axons and presynaptic processes of the parallel fibers. No developmental changes were observed in other brain regions. This study represents the first demonstration of ryanodine receptor immunoreactivity in presynaptic boutons and suggests that the ryanodine receptor may modulate neurotransmitter release through local regulation of intracellular calcium in the parallel fiber synapse.

Acute ethanol alters calcium signals elicited by glutamate receptor agonists and K+ depolarization in cultured cerebellar Purkinje neurons

The effect of acute ethanol on Ca2+ signals evoked by ionotropic (iGluR) and metabotropic (mGluR) glutamate receptor (GluR) activation and K+ depolarization was examined in cultured rat cerebellar Purkinje neurons to assess the ethanol sensitivity of these Ca2+ signaling pathways. Mature Purkinje neurons approximately 3 weeks in vitro were studied. iGluRs were activated by (RS)-alpha-amino-3-hydroxyl-5 methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA; 1 and 5 microM) and domoate (5 microM). mGluRs were activated by (1S,3R)-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (ACPD; 300 microM) and (R,S)-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG; 200 microM). These agents and K+ (150 mM) were applied from micropipettes by brief (1 s) microperfusion pulses. Ca2+ levels were monitored at 2-3 s intervals during pre- and post-stimulus periods using microscopic digital imaging and the Ca2+ sensitive dye fura-2. iGluR and mGluR agonists and K+ produced abrupt increases in intracellular Ca2+ that slowly recovered to baseline resting levels. Acute exposure to ethanol at 33 mM (150 mg%) and 66 mM (300 mg%) significantly reduced the amplitude of the Ca2+ signals to iGluR agonists and K+ with little or no effect on Ca2+ signals to mGluR agonists. In contrast, acute ethanol at 10 mM (45 mg%) had no effect on the Ca2+ signals to the iGluR agonist AMPA but significantly enhanced the Ca2+ signals to the mGluR agonist DHPG. These results show that ethanol modulates Ca2+ signaling linked to GluR activation in a receptor subtype specific manner, and suggest that Ca2+ signaling pathways linked to GluR activation and membrane depolarization may be important mechanisms by which ethanol alters the transduction of excitatory synaptic signals at glutamatergic synapses and thereby affects intercellular and intracellular communication in the CNS.

Alzheimer's disease amyloid beta-protein forms Zn(2+)-sensitive, cation-selective channels across excised membrane patches from hypothalamic neurons

We have previously shown that the 40-residue peptide termed amyloid beta-protein (A beta P[1-40]) in solution forms cation-selective channels across artificial phospholipid bilayer membranes. To determine whether A beta P[1-40] also forms channels across natural membranes, we used electrically silent excised membrane patches from a cell line derived from hypothalamic gonadotrophin-releasing hormone GnRH neurons. We found that exposing either the internal or the external side of excised membrane patches to A beta P[1-40] leads to the spontaneous formation of cation-selective channels. With Cs+ as the main cation in both the external as well as the internal saline, the amplitude of the A beta P[1-40] channel currents was found to follow the Cs+ gradient and to exhibit spontaneous conductance changes over a wide range (50-500 pS). We also found that free zinc (Zn2+), reported to bind to amyloid beta-protein in solution, can block the flow of Cs+ through the A beta P[1-40] channel. Because the Zn2+ chelator o-phenanthroline can reverse this blockade, we conclude that the underlying mechanism involves a direct interaction between the transition element Zn2+ and sites in the A beta P[1-40] channel pore. These properties of the A beta P[1-40] channel are rather similar to those observed in the artificial bilayer system. We also show here, by immunocytochemical confocal microscopy, that amyloid beta-protein molecules form deposits closely associated with the plasma membrane of a substantial fraction of the GnRH neurons. Taken together, these results suggest that the interactions between amyloid beta-protein and neuronal membranes also occur in vivo, lending further support to the idea that A beta P[1-40] channel formation might be a mechanism of amyloid beta-protein neurotoxicity.

Neuromuscular development in the avian paralytic mutant crooked neck dwarf (cn/cn): further evidence for the role of neuromuscular activity in motoneuron survival

Neuromuscular transmission and muscle activity during early stages of embryonic development are known to influence the differentiation and survival of motoneurons and to affect interactions with their muscle targets. We have examined neuromuscular development in an avian genetic mutant, crooked neck dwarf (cn/cn), in which a major phenotype is the chronic absence of the spontaneous, neurally mediated movements (motility) that are characteristic of avian and other vertebrate embryos and fetuses. The primary genetic defect in cn/cn embryos responsible for the absence of motility appears to be the lack of excitation-contraction coupling. Although motility in mutant embryos is absent from the onset of activity on embryonic days (E) 3-4, muscle differentiation appears histologically normal up to about E8. After E8, however, previously separate muscles fuse or coalesce secondarily, and myotubes exhibit a progressive series of histological and ultrastructural degenerative changes, including disarrayed myofibrils, dilated sarcoplasmic vesicles, nuclear membrane blebbing, mitochondrial swelling, nuclear inclusions, and absence of junctional end feet. Mutant muscle cells do not develop beyond the myotube stage, and by E18-E20 most muscles have almost completely degenerated. Prior to their breakdown and degeneration, mutant muscles are innervated and synaptic contacts are established. In fact, quantitative analysis indicates that, prior to the onset of muscle degeneration, mutant muscles are hyperinnervated. There is increased branching of motoneuron axons and an increased number of synaptic contacts in the mutant muscle on E8. Naturally occurring cell death of limb-innervating motoneurons is also significantly reduced in cn/cn embryos. Mutant embryos have 30-40% more motoneurons in the brachial and lumbar spinal cord by the end of the normal period of cell death. Electrophysiological recordings (electromyographic and direct records form muscle nerves) failed to detect any differences in the activity of control vs. mutant embryos despite the absence of muscular contractile activity in the mutant embryos. The alpha-ryanodine receptor that is genetically abnormal in homozygote cn/cn embryos is not normally expressed in the spinal cord. Taken together, these data argue against the possibility that the mutant phenotype described here is caused by the perturbation of a central nervous system (CNS)-expressed alpha-ryanodine receptor. The hyperinnervation of skeletal muscle and the reduction of motoneuron death that are observed in cn/cn embryos also occur in genetically paralyzed mouse embryos and in pharmacologically paralyzed avian and rat embryos. Because a primary common feature in all three of these models is the absence of muscle activity, it seems likely that the peripheral excitation of muscle by motoneurons during normal development is a major factor in regulating retrograde muscle-derived (or muscle-associated) signals that control motoneuron differentiation and survival.

Distribution of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate and ryanodine receptors in rat neostriatum

The distribution of the inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) and the cardiac form of the ryanodine receptor, two intracellular calcium channels, was examined in the rat neostriatum. Both IP3 and ryanodine receptor labeling occurred within striatal medium spiny cells but only ryanodine receptor labeling was present in choline acetyltransferase- and parvalbumin-positive interneurons. IP3 receptor labeling was observed within cell bodies, dendrites and spines of spiny striatal neurons, as seen at both the light and electron microscopic levels. Subcellular labeling for the ryanodine receptor was restricted to cell bodies and proximal dendrites when a polyclonal antibody raised against a peptide sequence from the dog cardiac ryanodine receptor was employed. More extensive dendritic labeling was seen using monoclonal antibody MA3-916, also raised against the canine cardiac ryanodine receptor. At the ultrastructural level, labeled dendritic spines were observed frequently with the monoclonal but not the polyclonal antibody. Ryanodine receptor labeling also was present within astrocytic processes surrounding blood vessels and within the neuropil, regardless of the antibody used. The results of these studies suggest that the ryanodine receptor plays a general role in intracellular calcium regulation within striatal cells while the IP3 receptor plays a specialized role within spiny neurons.

NMDA-R1 subunit of the cerebral cortex co-localizes with neuronal nitric oxide synthase at pre- and postsynaptic sites and in spines

The majority of nitric oxide's (NO) physiologic and pathologic actions in the brain has been linked to NMDA receptor activation. In order to determine how the NO-synthesizing enzyme within brain, neuronal NO synthase (nNOS), and NMDA receptors are functionally linked, previous studies have used in situ hybridization techniques in combination with light microscopic immunocytochemistry to show that the two are expressed within single neurons. However, this light microscopic finding does not guarantee that NMDA receptors are distributed sufficiently close to nNOS within single neurons to allow direct interaction of the two. Thus, in this study, dual immuno-electron microscopy was performed to determine whether nNOS and NMDA receptors co-exist within fine neuronal processes. We show that nNOS and the obligatory subunit of functional NMDA receptors, i.e. the NMDA-R1, co-exist within dendritic shafts, spines and terminals of the adult rat visual cortex. Axon terminals form asymmetric synaptic junctions with the dually labeled dendrites, suggesting that the presynaptic terminals release glutamate. Axons and dendrites expressing one without the other also are detected. These results indicate that it is possible for the generation of NO to be temporally coordinated with glutamatergic synaptic transmission at axo-dendritic and axo-axonic junctions and that NO may be generated independently of glutamatergic synaptic transmission. Together, our observations point to a greater complexity than previously recognized for glutamatergic neurotransmission, based on the joint versus independent actions of NO relative to NMDA receptors at pre- versus postsynaptic sites.

Three-dimensional organization of smooth endoplasmic reticulum in hippocampal CA1 dendrites and dendritic spines of the immature and mature rat

Recent studies have shown high levels of calcium in activated dendritic spines, where the smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) is likely to be important for regulating calcium. Here, the dimensions and organization of the SER in hippocampal spines and dendrites were measured through serial electron microscopy and three-dimensional analysis. SER of some form was found in 58% of the immature spines and in 48% of the adult spines. Less than 50% of the small spines at either age contained SER, suggesting that other mechanisms, such as cytoplasmic buffers, regulate ion fluxes within their small volumes. In contrast, >80% of the large mushroom spines of the adult had a spine apparatus, an organelle containing stacks of SER and dense-staining plates. Reconstructed SER occupied 0.001-0.022 microm3, which was only 2-3.5% of the total spine volume; however, the convoluted SER membranes had surface areas of 0.12-2.19 microm2, which were 12 to 40% of the spine surface area. Coated vesicles and multivesicular bodies occurred in some spines, suggesting local endocytotic activity. Smooth vesicles and tubules of SER were found in continuity with the spine plasma membrane and margins of the postsynaptic density (PSD), respectively, suggesting a role for the SER in the addition and recycling of spine membranes and synapses. The amount of SER in the parent dendrites was proportional to the number of spines and synapses originating along their lengths. These measurements support the hypothesis that the SER regulates the ionic and structural milieu of some, but not all, hippocampal dendritic spines.

Ca2+ stores in the chick embryo retina cells

The Ca2+ stores of digitonin permeabilized chick embryo retina cells in culture were characterized, by using the fluorescence of Fluo-3 potassium salt to follow continuously the free [Ca2+] in the medium. After ATP dependent Ca2+ accumulation, the Ca2+ release was induced by several agents; 10 microM cyclic-ADP-ribose (cADPR), 40 microM Ins (1,4,5)P3 10 microM thapsigargin (Th), 25 microM ionomycin (Ion), 15 microM CCCP together with 4.5 micrograms/ml oligomycin (CCCP/Olig), 50 microM arachidonic acid (AA). Neither Ins(1,4,5)P3 nor cADPR were able to mobilize Ca2+ from internal stores in these cells, but Th and AA were effective in releasing Ca2+. Four major Ca2+ stores in chick embryo retina cells were distinguished: i) the thapsigargin sensitive Ca2+ store, most likely the ER; ii) the Ca2+ store sensitive to oligomycin and CCCP, most likely the mitochondrial Ca2+ store, iii) an AA sensitive Ca2+ store, which is distinct from the previous two; and, iv) the Ca2+ store only sensitive to ionomycin. The capacities of these different Ca2+ stores of the chick embryo retina cells, relative to the total intracellular stores, are: 63.3%, 14.1%, 8.2%, for the ER, the mitochondrial and for the AA sensitive Ca2+ stores, respectively.

Sources of Ca2+ for different Ca(2+)-activated K+ conductances in neurones of the rat superior cervical ganglion

1. The role of various Ca(2+)-activated K+ conductances were investigated using intracellular recording and single-electrode voltage clamp in neurones of superior cervical ganglia isolated in vitro from young adult rats. 2. Following replacement of Ca2+ with Co2+ (2 mM) or the addition of Cd2+ (100 microM), action potential amplitude and half-width either increased or decreased (in different cells), but both the after-hyperpolarization (AHP) and the outward tail current following a suprathreshold voltage step were markedly attenuated (by about 75%). 3. Addition of charybdotoxin (60 nM) or nifedipine (10 microM) increased action potential half-width (by about 25%) but had no significant effect on the AHP or tail current. 4. Addition of apamin (100 nM) or omega-conotoxin GVIA (100 nM) reduced the AHP and tail current (by about 60%) but did not significantly affect the action potential. A prolonged apamin-resistant component of the AHP present in 50% of neurones was blocked by ryanodine (20 microM). 5. Omega-Conotoxin MVIIC (150 nM) and omega agatoxin IVA (200 nM) had no significant effects on the action potential half-width or the AHP. 6. None of the Ca2+ channel blockers affected the prolonged ryanodine-sensitive component of the AHP and tail current. 7. We conclude that, in rat sympathetic neurones, Ca2+ entry via L-type channels selectively activates large conductance Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels (BK type) contributing to action potential repolarization, whereas Ca2+ entry via N-type channels selectively activates small conductance Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels (SK type) contributing to the AHP. Ca2+ entry via R-type Ca2+ channels prolongs the AHP by activating Ca2+ release from intracellular stores.

Identification and characterisation of a homologue of p64 in rat tissues

Previous work has suggested that the gene encoding p64, a component of a bovine kidney intracellular chloride channel, may be a member of a gene family. We have raised a polyclonal antibody to an E. coli fusion protein which has sequence similarity to p64. Immunoblotting detected a protein in rat brain, kidney, liver and lung. In rat brain, the protein was enriched in cerebellar microsomal membranes. Western blot analyses of denaturing and blue native polyacrylamide gels indicated that the protein is a single non-disulphide-linked polypeptide chain with an apparent M(r) of 43 kDa that contributes to a native protein complex with an apparent M(r) of 130 kDa.

Effects of rapamycin on ryanodine receptor/Ca(2+)-release channels from cardiac muscle

Ryanodine receptors (RyRs) are intracellular channels that regulate the release of Ca2+ from the endoplasmic reticulum of many cell types. The RyRs are physically associated with FK506-binding proteins (FKBPs); immunophilins, with cis-trans peptidyl-prolyl isomerase activity. FKBP12 copurifies with RyR1 (skeletal isoform) and modulates its gating. A different form of FKBP with a slightly higher molecular weight copurifies with RyR2 (cardiac isoform). Previous studies have demonstrated that FKBP stablizes gating of the skeletal Ca(2+)-release channel. In the present study, we measured the activity of cardiac RyRs incorporated into planar lipid bilayers to show that rapamycin, a drug that inhibits the prolyl isomerase activity of FKBP and dissociates FKBP from the RyR, increases the open probability and reduces the current amplitude of cardiac muscle Ca(2+)-release channels. These experiments show for the first time that submicromolar concentrations of rapamycin can alter channel function. Our results provide support for the hypotheses that FKBP functionally associates with the RyR and that the immunosuppressant drug, rapamycin, alters the function of both cardiac and skeletal muscle isoforms of the Ca(2+)-release channel. Our findings suggest that FKBP-dependent modulation of channel function may be generally applicable to all members of the intracellular Ca(2+)-release channel family and that FKBPs may play important regulatory roles in many cell processes, ranging from long-term depression in neurons to contractility in cardiomyocytes.

Alpha and beta isoforms of ryanodine receptor from chicken skeletal muscle are the homologues of mammalian RyR1 and RyR3

To define the relationship between the two ryanodine receptor (RyR) isoforms present in chicken skeletal muscle, we cloned two groups of cDNAs encoding the chicken homologues of mammalian RyR1 and RyR3. Equivalent amounts of the two chicken isoform mRNAs were detected in thigh and pectoral skeletal muscles. RyR1 and RyR3 mRNAs were co-expressed in testis and cerebellum whereas RyR3 mRNA was expressed also in the cerebrum and heart. The full-length sequence of the chicken RyR3 cDNA was established. The RyR3 receptor from chicken had the same general structure as mammalian and amphibian RyRs. The 15089 nt cDNA encoded a 4869-amino-acid-long protein with a molecular mass of 552445. The predicted amino acid sequence of the chicken RyR3 showed 86.9% identity to mammalian RyR3 and 85.6% to frog RyR3. Antibodies specific for chicken RyR1 and RyR3 recognized two different proteins with an apparent molecular mass of about 500 kDa. The two proteins differ slightly in their apparent molecular mass on SDS/PAGE: the protein recognized by antibodies against RyR3 had a higher mobility than the protein recognized by the antiserum against RyR1. Antibodies against RyR1 detected a protein already present in chicken skeletal muscle from 12-day-old embryos and older, while antibodies against RyR3 isoform detected a protein in muscle from only 18-day-old embryos and older. The expression patterns of RyR1 and RyR3 superimpose with those previously reported for the alpha and beta isoforms respectively. We conclude that alpha and beta isoforms present in chicken skeletal muscle are the homologues of mammalian RyR1 and RyR3.

Expression of type 1 inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor during axogenesis and synaptic contact in the central and peripheral nervous system of developing rat

Release of intracellular Ca2+ is triggered by the second messenger inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate, which binds to the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor and gates the opening of an intrinsic calcium channel in the endoplasmic reticulum. In order to understand the importance of this mechanism in development, we have examined the distribution of the type 1 inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor during development, in some areas of the rat brain and spinal cord and in peripheral neurons, using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. In brain, we find that type 1 inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor is expressed in neurons from very early in development; low levels of expression are first detected after the neurons have migrated to their final positions, when they start to differentiate and begin axonal growth. Increasing levels of expression are observed later in development, during the time of synaptogenesis and dendritic contact. Glial cells do not express type 1 inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor, except for a transient period of expression, probably by oligodendrocytes, in developing fibre tracts during the onset of myelination. In contrast with the brain, both grey and white matter of the spinal cord express type 1 inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor throughout development, and it remains present in the adult spinal cord. We also show, for the first time, that type 1 inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor is expressed in the peripheral nervous system. Strong labelling was observed in the dorsal root ganglia and during development this expression seems to coincide with the onset of axogenesis. These results suggest that type 1 inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate may be involved in the regulatory mechanism controlling Ca2+ levels in neurons during the periods of cell differentiation, axogenesis and synaptogenesis.

Properties of Ryr3 ryanodine receptor isoform in mammalian brain

Although the RNA for the third isoform (Ryr3) of ryanodine receptor (RyR), a Ca2+ release channel, is detected in specific regions of mammalian brain, little is known about the protein. We investigated Ryr3 in rabbit brain, using an antibody raised against the synthetic peptide corresponding to amino acid sequence 4375-4387 of rabbit Ryr3, the homologue of bullfrog beta-RyR. The antibody which reacted with bullfrog beta-RyR, but not with the other isoforms, Ryr1 or Ryr2, specifically precipitated a single polypeptide from rabbit brain microsomes having a size similar to beta-RyR. Sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation revealed that Ryr3 forms a homotetramer, as true of the other isoforms. Being consistent with the distribution of its RNA, Ryr3 was abundantly expressed in hippocampus, corpus striatum, and diencephalon. Ryr3 demonstrated Ca2+-dependent [3H]ryanodine binding, and caffeine increased its Ca2+ sensitivity. The Ca2+ sensitivity of Ryr3 was also enhanced in a medium containing 1 m NaCl, as observed with beta-RyR. [3H]Ryanodine binding gave an estimate of Ryr3 which would be only 2% or less of total RyR in rabbit brain. These results confirm the expression of functional Ryr3 in mammalian brain which is similar to nonmammalian beta-RyR.

Peptide probe of ryanodine receptor function. Imperatoxin A, a peptide from the venom of the scorpion Pandinus imperator, selectively activates skeletal-type ryanodine receptor isoforms

We have used [3H]ryanodine binding experiments and single channel recordings to provide convergent descriptions of the effect of imperatoxin A (IpTxa), a approximately 5-kDa peptide from the venom of the scorpion Pandinus imperator (Valdivia, H. H., Kirby, M. S., Lederer, W. J., and Coronado, R. (1992) Proc. Ntl. Acad. Sc. U.S.A. 89, 12185-12189) on Ca2+ release channels/ryanodine receptors (RyR) of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). At nanomolar concentrations, IpTxa increased the binding of [3H]ryanodine to skeletal SR and, to a lesser extent, to cerebellum microsomes. The activating effect of IpTxa on skeletal SR was Ca(2+)-dependent, synergized by caffeine, and independent of other modulators of RyRs. However, IpTxa had negligible effects on tissues where the expression of skeletal-type RyR isoforms (RyR1) is small or altogether absent, i.e. cardiac, cerebrum, and liver microsomes. Thus, IpTxa may be used as a ligand capable of discriminating between RyR isoforms with nanomolar affinity. IpTxa increased the open probability (Po) of rabbit skeletal muscle RyRs by increasing the frequency of open events and decreasing the duration of the closed lifetimes. This activating effect was dose-dependent (ED50 = 10 nM), had a fast onset, and was fully reversible. Purified RyR from solubilized skeletal SR displayed high affinity for [3H]ryanodine with a KD of 6.1 nM and Bmax of approximately 30 pmol/mg of protein. IpTxa increased [3H]ryanodine binding noncompetitively by increasing Bmax to approximately 60 pmol/mg of protein. These results suggested the presence of an IpTxa-binding site on the RyR or a closely associated regulatory protein. This site appears to be distinct from the caffeine- and adenine nucleotide-regulatory sites. IpTxa may prove a useful tool to identify regulatory domains critical for channel gating and to dissect the contribution of skeletal-type RyRs to intracellular Ca2+ waveforms generated by stimulation of different RyR isoforms.

Detecting changes in calcium influx which contribute to synaptic modulation in mammalian brain slice

The control of neurotransmitter release by modulation of presynaptic calcium influx was investigated at the granule cell to Purkinje cell synapse in rat cerebellar slices. Excitatory post-synaptic currents were measured using whole cell voltage clamp, and changes in presynaptic Ca influx were determined with the Ca-sensitive dye mag-fura-5. Single stimuli of the parallel fibers evoked rapid changes in mag-fura-5 fluorescence which increased from 10 to 90% in 1.4 msec, and then decayed within hundreds of milliseconds to prestimulus levels. These fluorescence changes were unaffected by disruption of internal stores with ryanodine or thapsigargin, and were reduced by 79% by the calcium channel toxin omega-conotoxin-MVIIC. We conclude that these signals result from calcium entry into presynaptic terminals through voltage gated calcium channels opened by action potentials. These fluorescence signals allow us to quantitate changes in calcium influx. We used this approach to study the enhancement of stimulus-evoked synaptic currents by 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX), a phosphodiesterase inhibitor and antagonist of adenosine receptors. Both enhancement of calcium influx into presynaptic terminals, and reduction in the firing threshold of the parallel fibers, were found to contribute to IBMX-mediated synaptic enhancement. Changes in presynaptic calcium influx were also quantified with a novel method, which is unaffected by changes in fiber threshold. These studies illustrate some of the difficulties encountered when determining the factors responsible for synaptic enhancement and demonstrate how measurements of presynaptic calcium influx can contribute to our understanding of synaptic modulation. The approach described here promises to be widely useful in elucidating the role of calcium influx in the modulation of synapses in brain slice.

Intracellular Ca2+ stores in chick cerebellum Purkinje neurons: ontogenetic and functional studies

The molecular composition of intracellular Ca2+ stores in developing chicken cerebellum Purkinje neurons from embryonic day 11 (E11) to posthatching day 2 (P2) was studied by immunocytochemistry using specific antibodies for three molecular constituents, the receptor (R) and/or channel sensitive to inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3), Ca(2+)-adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase), and calsequestrin (CS). CS, IP3R, and Ca(2+)-ATPase were first detected by light-microscopic immunofluorescence in migrating Purkinje cells at E11-E12 and throughout late phases of embryonic development. Ontogenesis of CS, IP3R, and Ca(2+)-ATPase accompanied well-defined stages of cerebellum histogenesis and cytogenesis and was accomplished before hatching. High-resolution immunogold electronmicroscopy revealed that, at E18-P1, CS was still largely distributed to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumen and began to be segregated to ER subcompartments (calciosomes) only by P2, whereas the IP3R was concentrated into ER cisternal stacks as early as E18. Both ionotropic and metabotropic plasma membrane receptors were present in dissociated single chicken Purkinje cells from E16 onward, as indicated by measurements of membrane currents (whole cell recording mode) and of cytoplasmic Ca2+ transients monitored with the cell-trappable fluorescent indicator fura 2-acetoxymethyl ester, respectively. Cytoplasmic Ca2+ transients were detected after either activation of glutamate metabotropic receptors, i.e., evidence of IP3-sensitive Ca2+ channels, or application of caffeine, i.e., evidence of ryanodine-sensitive Ca2+ channels. Intracellular Ca2+ stores appear to be functional during embryonic development.

[3H]9-Methyl-7-bromoeudistomin D, a caffeine-like powerful Ca2+ releaser, binds to caffeine-binding sites distinct from the ryanodine receptors in brain microsomes

[3H]9-Methyl-7-bromoeudistomin D ([3H]MBED), the most powerful Ca2+ releaser from sarcoplasmic reticulum, specifically bound to the brain microsomes. Caffeine competitively inhibited [3H]MBED binding. [3H]MBED binding was markedly blocked by procaine, whereas that was enhanced by adenosine-5'-(beta,gamma-methylene)triphosphate. The Bmax value was 170 times more than that of [3H]ryanodine binding. The profile of sucrose-density gradient centrifugation of solubilized microsomes indicated that [3H]MBED binding protein was different from [3H]ryanodine binding protein. These results suggest that there are MBED/caffeine-binding sites in brain that are distinct from the ryanodine receptor and that MBED becomes an essential molecular probe for characterizing caffeine-binding protein in the central nervous system.

Imaging of caffeine-inducible release of intracellular calcium in cultured embryonic mouse telencephalic neurons

To gain a better understanding of Ca(2+)-induced Ca2+ release in central neurons, we have studied the increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) induced by application of caffeine to cells cultured from embryonic mouse telencephalon (hippocampus or cortex). The magnitudes and distributions of changes in [Ca2+]i in neuron somata were measured by quantitative video microscopy. We observed that application of caffeine to pyramidally shaped neurons typically initiated an increase in [Ca2+]i in the cytoplasmic region between the nucleus and the base of a major dendrite. [Ca2+] in this region increased over a period of 3 to 6 s and was followed by, with a slight delay, a surge of Ca2+ that moved across the soma and into or over the nucleus. Similar Ca2+ responses to caffeine were observed in Ca(2+)-containing and nominally Ca(2+)-free external solutions, suggesting that caffeine was inducing Ca2+ release from intracellular stores. Ca2+ responses to caffeine were potentiated by inducing a tonic Ca2+ influx through N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-type glutamate receptors activated by 0.3 microM glutamate and multiple responses to caffeine could be elicited by using this Ca2+ influx to refill the intracellular stores. Ryanodine inhibition of caffeine-induced Ca2+ release was use- and concentration-dependent; the median effective concentration EC50 for ryanodine declined from 22 microM for the first application of caffeine to 20 nM for the fourth. We conclude, based on these responses to caffeine, that ryanodine-sensitive mechanisms of intracellular Ca2+ release are active in hippocampal and cortical neurons and may be involved in generation of directed Ca2+ waves that engulf the nucleus.

Embryonic chicken skeletal muscle cells fail to develop normal excitation-contraction coupling in the absence of the alpha ryanodine receptor. Implications for a two-ryanodine receptor system

Two ryanodine receptor (RyR), sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release channels, alpha and beta, co-exist in chicken skeletal muscles. To investigate a two-RyR Ca2+ release system, we compared electrically evoked Ca2+ transients in Crooked Neck Dwarf (cn/cn) cultured muscle cells, which do not make alpha RyR, and normal (+/?) cells. At day 3 in culture, Ca2+ release in +/? cells required extracellular Ca2+ (Ca2+o), and Ca2+ transients had slow kinetics. At day 5, Ca2+ release was Ca2+o-independent in 40% of the cells, and transients were more rapid. By day 7, all +/? cells had Ca2+o-independent Ca2+ release. Contractions were observed in +/? cells on all days. Ca2+ transients were observed in cn/cn cells on days 3, 5, and 7, but in each case they were Ca2+o-dependent and exhibited slow kinetics. Localized vesiculations, not contractions, occurred in cn/cn cells. By day 10, Ca2+ transients were no longer observed in cn/cn cells even in Ca2+o. Sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ was not depleted, as caffeine induced Ca2+ transients. Thus, in the absence of alpha RyR there is a failure to develop Ca2+o-independent Ca2+ release and contractions and to sustain Ca2+o-dependent release. Moreover, contributions by the alpha RyR cannot be duplicated by the beta RyR alone.

Calcium signals elicited by quisqualate in cultured Purkinje neurons show developmental changes in sensitivity to acute alcohol

The effect of acute alcohol (33 mM ethanol) on calcium signaling evoked by glutamate receptor activation was studied in cultured cerebellar Purkinje and granule neurons at different stages of development. Calcium signals were measured by microscopic imaging using the calcium sensitive dye fura-2. At an early stage in development (10 days in vitro), acute alcohol enhanced the calcium signals evoked in Purkinje neurons by exogenous application of quisqualate, an agonist at ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors. In contrast, in mature cultured Purkinje neurons (21-24 days in vitro) the calcium signals produced by quisqualate were reduced by alcohol. At an intermediate stage of development (14 days in vitro) reflecting the main period of morphological and physiological maturation, alcohol had no significant effect on the response to quisqualate. Alcohol's actions were significantly altered by manipulation of the intracellular stores with caffeine, implicating intracellular stores in alcohol's actions. Calcium signals produced by quisqualate in the cultured granule neurons were also altered by acute alcohol, in a manner similar to that observed in the Purkinje neurons. These data demonstrate that calcium signaling pathways are a site of alcohol action in developing CNS neurons and that the cellular consequences of alcohol exposure can change with development. Such actions of alcohol could have significant effects on the immature nervous system, where the precise timing of appropriate signaling levels are important aspects of the maturation process.

Characterization of the sarcoplasmic reticulum proteins in the thermogenic muscles of fish

Marlins, sailfish, spearfishes, and swordfish have extraocular muscles that are modified into thermogenic organs beneath the brain. The modified muscle cells, called heater cells, lack organized myofibrils and are densely packed with sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), transverse (T) tubules, and mitochondria. Thermogenesis in the modified extraocular muscle fibers is hypothesized to be associated with increased energy turnover due to Ca2+ cycling at the SR. In this study, the proteins associated with sequestering and releasing Ca2+ from the SR (ryanodine receptor, Ca2+ ATPase, calsequestrin) of striated muscle cells were characterized in the heater SR using immunoblot and immunofluorescent techniques. Immunoblot analysis with a monoclonal antibody that recognizes both isoforms of nonmammalian RYRs indicates that the fish heater cells express only the alpha RYR isoform. The calcium dependency of [3H]ryanodine binding to the RYR isoform expressed in heater indicates functional identity with the non-mammalian alpha RYR isoform. Fluorescent labeling demonstrates that the RYR is localized in an anastomosing network throughout the heater cell cytoplasm. Measurements of oxalate supported 45Ca2+ uptake, Ca2+ ATPase activity, and [32P]phosphoenzyme formation demonstrate that the SR contains a high capacity for Ca2+ uptake via an ATP dependent enzyme. Immunoblot analysis of calsequestrin revealed a significant amount of the Ca2+ binding protein in the heater cell SR. The present study provides the first direct evidence that the heater SR system contains the proteins necessary for Ca2+ release, re-uptake and sequestration, thus supporting the hypothesis that thermogenesis in the modified muscle cells is achieved via an ATP-dependent cycling of Ca2+ between the SR and cytosolic compartments.

Signal transduction in the sexual life of Chlamydomonas

Several signal transduction pathways play important roles in the sexual life cycle of Chlamydomonas. Nitrogen deprivation, perhaps sensed as a drop in intracellular [NH4+], triggers a signal transduction pathway that results in altered gene expression and the induction of the gametogenic pathway. Blue light triggers a second signalling cascade which also culminates in gene induction and completion of gametogenesis. New screens have uncovered several mutants in these pathways, but so far we know little about the biochemical events that transduce the environmental signals of nitrogen deprivation and blue light into the changes in gene transcription that produce gametes. Cell-cell contact of mature, complementary gametes elicits a number of responses that prepare the cells for fusion. Contact is sensed by the agglutinin-mediated cross-linking of flagellar membrane proteins. An increase in [cAMP] couples protein cross-linking to the mating responses. In C. reinhardtii the cAMP signal appears to be generated by the sequential stimulation of as many as 3 distinct adenylyl cyclase activities. Although the molecular mechanisms of adenylyl cyclase activations are poorly understood, Ca2+ may play a role. Most of the mating responses appear to be triggered by a cAMP-dependent protein kinase, but here too, Ca2+ may play a role. Numerous mutants are facilitating studies of the signalling pathways that trigger the mating responses. Cell fusion triggers another series of events that culminate in the expression of zygote specific genes. The mature zygote is sensitive to a light signal which stimulates the expression of genes whose products are essential for germination. The signal transduction pathways that trigger zygospore formation and germination are ripe for investigation in this experimentally powerful system.

Understanding the neostriatal microcircuitry: high-voltage electron microscopy

High voltage electron microscopy (HVEM) and HVEM tomography of selectively stained cell processes in the neostriatum have offered an alternative to serial thin section reconstruction for accurate 3-D visualization and measurement of axons, dendrites, and dendritic spines. Tissue preparation is simple and rapid, allowing examination of large numbers of specimens required for quantitation of neuronal morphology. The resolution of the images exceeds that available from any light microscopic technique and is appropriate for measurement of the finest axons and dendritic spine necks. HVEM tomography allows the direct measurement of dendritic surface area, required for computational modeling of synaptic integration.

Inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate (InsP3)-gated Ca channels from cerebellum: conduction properties for divalent cations and regulation by intraluminal calcium

The conduction properties of inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate (InsP3)-gated calcium (Ca) channels (InsP3R) from canine cerebellum for divalent cations and the regulation of the channels by intraluminal Ca were studied using channels reconstituted into planar lipid bilayers. Analysis of single-channel recordings performed with different divalent cations present at 55 mM on the trans (intraluminal) side of the membrane revealed that the current amplitude at 0 mV and the single-channel slope conductance fell in the sequence: Ba (2.2 pA, 85 pS) > Sr (2.0 pA, 77 pS) > Ca (1.4 pA, 53 pS) > Mg (1.1 pA, 42 pS). The mean open time of the InsP3R recorded with Ca (2.9 ms) was significantly shorter than with other divalent cations (approximately 5.5 ms). The "anomalous mole fraction effect" was not observed in mixtures of divalent cations (Mg and Ba), suggesting that these channels are single-ion pores. Measurements of InsP3R activity at different intraluminal Ca levels demonstrated that Ca in the submillimolar range did not potentiate channel activity, and that very high levels of intraluminal Ca (> or = 10 mM) decreased channel open probability 5-10-fold. When InsP3R were measured with Ba as a current carrier in the presence of 110 mM cis potassium, a PBa/PK of 6.3 was estimated from the extrapolated value for the reversal potential. When the unitary current through the InsP3R at 0 mV was measured as a function of the permeant ion (Ba) concentration, the half-maximal current occurred at 10 mM trans Ba. The following conclusions are drawn from these data: (a) the conduction properties of InsP3R are similar to the properties of the ryanodine receptor, another intracellular Ca channel, and differ dramatically from the properties of voltage-gated Ca channels of the plasma membrane. (b) The estimated size of the Ca current through the InsP3R under physiological conditions is 0.5 pA, approximately four times less than the Ca current through the ryanodine receptor. (c) The potentiation of InsP3R by intraluminal Ca in the submillimolar range remains controversial. (d) A quantitative model that explains the inhibitory effects of high trans Ca on InsP3R activity was developed and the kinetic parameters of InsP3R gating were determined.

Solubilization, partial purification and functional reconstitution of a sheep brain endoplasmic reticulum anion channel

1. An intracellular anion channel, known to be co-localized in brain endoplasmic reticulum membranes with ryanodine-sensitive calcium-release channels, was incorporated into voltage-clamped planar lipid bilayers from sheep brain microsomal membrane vesicles. 2. Single channels, which displayed a main open-state conductance of 80-100 pS in symmetric 450 mM choline Cl, reduced to approximately 20 pS in symmetric 225 mM (choline)2SO4 (the solutions also contained 10 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.4), discriminated poorly between Cl- and choline+ (relative permeability ratio, PCl-/Pcholine+, 2.5). 3. Sheep brain microsomal membrane proteins were solubilized in the zwitterionic detergent CHAPS, and subjected to sequential anion-exchange and size-exclusion chromatography; the solubilizate, and partially-purified protein fractions, were then incorporated into large unilamellar liposomes by freeze-thaw sonication. 4. Reconstituted passive anion (Cl-)-transport, which was reduced by approximately 60% in the presence of SO4(2-), was assayed by measuring the efflux of entrapped 36Cl- (compared to the efflux of [3H]inulin), and also by monitoring the fluorescence quenching of entrapped SPQ by Cl(-)-influx. 5. Cl(-)-transporting activity was enriched up to 200-fold after two stages of purification, and the partially-purified channel protein was incorporated from reconstituted proteoliposomes into planar lipid bilayers, where its permeation behaviour remained very similar to that observed for the native channel.