Polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule modulates photic signaling in the mouse suprachiasmatic nucleus

Neural glycomics: the sweet side of nervous system functions

The success of investigations on the structure and function of the genome (genomics) has been paralleled by an equally awesome progress in the analysis of protein structure and function (proteomics). We propose that the investigation of carbohydrate structures that go beyond a cell's metabolism is a rapidly developing frontier in our expanding knowledge on the structure and function of carbohydrates (glycomics). No other functional system appears to be suited as well as the nervous system to study the functions of glycans, which had been originally characterized outside the nervous system. In this review, we describe the multiple studies on the functions of LewisX, the human natural killer cell antigen-1 (HNK-1), as well as oligomannosidic and sialic (neuraminic) acids. We attempt to show the sophistication of these structures in ontogenetic development, synaptic function and plasticity, and recovery from trauma, with a view on neurodegeneration and possibilities to ameliorate deterioration. In view of clinical applications, we emphasize the need for glycomimetic small organic compounds which surpass the usefulness of natural glycans in that they are metabolically more stable, more parsimonious to synthesize or isolate, and more advantageous for therapy, since many of them pass the blood brain barrier and are drug-approved for treatments other than those in the nervous system, thus allowing a more ready access for application in neurological diseases. We describe the isolation of such mimetic compounds using not only Western NIH, but also traditional Chinese medical libraries. With this review, we hope to deepen the interests in this exciting field.

Circadian rhythm and sleep-wake systems share the dynamic extracellular synaptic milieu

The mammalian circadian and sleep-wake systems are closely aligned through their coordinated regulation of daily activity patterns. Although they differ in their anatomical organization and physiological processes, they utilize overlapping regulatory mechanisms that include an assortment of proteins and molecules interacting within the extracellular space. These extracellular factors include proteases that interact with soluble proteins, membrane-attached receptors and the extracellular matrix; and cell adhesion molecules that can form complex scaffolds connecting adjacent neurons, astrocytes and their respective intracellular cytoskeletal elements. Astrocytes also participate in the dynamic regulation of both systems through modulating neuronal appositions, the extracellular space and/or through release of gliotransmitters that can further contribute to the extracellular signaling processes. Together, these extracellular elements create a system that integrates rapid neurotransmitter signaling across longer time scales and thereby adjust neuronal signaling to reflect the daily fluctuations fundamental to both systems. Here we review what is known about these extracellular processes, focusing specifically on areas of overlap between the two systems. We also highlight questions that still need to be addressed. Although we know many of the extracellular players, far more research is needed to understand the mechanisms through which they modulate the circadian and sleep-wake systems.

Nuclear fragments of the neural cell adhesion molecule NCAM with or without polysialic acid differentially regulate gene expression

The neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) is the major carrier of polysialic acid (PSA) which modulates NCAM functions of neural cells at the cell surface. In previous studies, we have shown that stimulation of cultured neurons with surrogate NCAM ligands leads to the generation and nuclear import of PSA-lacking and -carrying NCAM fragments. Here, we show that the nuclear import of the PSA-carrying NCAM fragment is mediated by positive cofactor 4 and cofilin, which we identified as novel PSA-binding proteins. In the nucleus, the PSA-carrying NCAM fragment interacts via PSA with PC4 and cofilin, which are involved in RNA polymerase II-dependent transcription. Microarray analysis revealed that the nuclear PSA-carrying and -lacking NCAM fragments affect expression of different genes. By qPCR and immunoblot analysis we verified that the nuclear PSA-carrying NCAM fragment increases mRNA and protein expression of nuclear receptor subfamily 2 group F member 6, whereas the PSA-lacking NCAM fragment increases mRNA and protein expression of low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 2 and α-synuclein. Differential gene expression evoked by nuclear NCAM fragments without and with PSA indicates that PSA-carrying and -lacking NCAM play different functional roles in the nervous system.

The cell adhesion molecule EphA4 is involved in circadian clock functions

Circadian (∼24 h) rhythms of cellular network plasticity in the central circadian clock, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), have been described. The neuronal network in the SCN regulates photic resetting of the circadian clock as well as stability of the circadian system during both entrained and constant conditions. EphA4, a cell adhesion molecule regulating synaptic plasticity by controlling connections of neurons and astrocytes, is expressed in the SCN. To address whether EphA4 plays a role in circadian photoreception and influences the neuronal network of the SCN, we have analyzed circadian wheel-running behavior of EphA4 knockout (EphA4^-/- ) mice under different light conditions and upon photic resetting, as well as their light-induced protein response in the SCN. EphA4^-/- mice exhibited reduced wheel-running activity, longer endogenous periods under constant darkness and shorter periods under constant light conditions, suggesting an effect of EphA4 on SCN function. Moreover, EphA4^-/- mice exhibited suppressed phase delays of their wheel-running activity following a light pulse during the beginning of the subjective night (CT15). Accordingly, light-induced c-FOS (FBJ murine osteosarcoma viral oncogene homolog) expression was diminished. Our results suggest a circadian role for EphA4 in the SCN neuronal network, affecting the circadian system and contributing to the circadian response to light.

Brain Control of Plasma Cholesterol Involves Polysialic Acid Molecules in the Hypothalamus

The polysialic acid (PSA) is a large glycan that is added to cell-surface proteins during their post-translational maturation. In the brain, PSA modulates distances between cells and controls the plasticity of the nervous system. In the hypothalamus, PSA is involved in many aspects of energy balance including food intake, osmoregulation, circadian rhythm, and sleep. In this work, we investigated the role of hypothalamic PSA in the regulation of plasma cholesterol levels and distribution. We report that HFD consumption in mice rapidly increased plasma cholesterol, including VLDL, LDL, and HDL-cholesterol. Although plasma VLDL-cholesterol was normalized within the first week, LDL and HDL were still elevated after 2 weeks upon HFD. Importantly, we found that hypothalamic PSA removal aggravated LDL elevation and reduced HDL levels upon HFD. These results indicate that hypothalamic PSA controls plasma lipoprotein profile by circumventing the rise of LDL-to-HDL cholesterol ratio in plasma during overfeeding. Although mechanisms by which hypothalamic PSA controls plasma cholesterol homeostasis remains to be elucidated, these findings also suggest that low level of hypothalamic PSA might be a risk factor for dyslipidemia and cardiovascular diseases.

Polysialic acid enters the cell nucleus attached to a fragment of the neural cell adhesion molecule NCAM to regulate the circadian rhythm in mouse brain

In the mammalian nervous system, the neural cell adhesion molecule NCAM is the major carrier of the glycan polymer polysialic acid (PSA) which confers important functions to NCAM's protein backbone. PSA attached to NCAM contributes not only to cell migration, neuritogenesis, synaptic plasticity, and behavior, but also to regulation of the circadian rhythm by yet unknown molecular mechanisms. Here, we show that a PSA-carrying transmembrane NCAM fragment enters the nucleus after stimulation of cultured neurons with surrogate NCAM ligands, a phenomenon that depends on the circadian rhythm. Enhanced nuclear import of the PSA-carrying NCAM fragment is associated with altered expression of clock-related genes, as shown by analysis of cultured neuronal cells deprived of PSA by specific enzymatic removal. In vivo, levels of nuclear PSA in different mouse brain regions depend on the circadian rhythm and clock-related gene expression in suprachiasmatic nucleus and cerebellum is affected by the presence of PSA-carrying NCAM in the cell nucleus. Our conceptually novel observations reveal that PSA attached to a transmembrane proteolytic NCAM fragment containing part of the extracellular domain enters the cell nucleus, where PSA-carrying NCAM contributes to the regulation of clock-related gene expression and of the circadian rhythm.

Structural plasticity of the circadian timing system. An overview from flies to mammals

The circadian timing system orchestrates daily variations in physiology and behavior through coordination of multioscillatory cell networks that are highly plastic in responding to environmental changes. Over the last decade, it has become clear that this plasticity involves structural changes and that the changes may be observed not only in central brain regions where the master clock cells reside but also in clock-controlled structures. This review considers experimental data in invertebrate and vertebrate model systems, mainly flies and mammals, illustrating various forms of structural circadian plasticity from cellular to circuit-based levels. It highlights the importance of these plastic events in the functional adaptation of the clock to the changing environment.

Polysialic acid: biosynthesis, novel functions and applications

As an anti-adhesive, a reservoir for key biological molecules, and a modulator of signaling, polysialic acid (polySia) is critical for nervous system development and maintenance, promotes cancer metastasis, tissue regeneration and repair, and is implicated in psychiatric diseases. In this review, we focus on the biosynthesis and functions of mammalian polySia, and the use of polySia in therapeutic applications. PolySia modifies a small subset of mammalian glycoproteins, with the neural cell adhesion molecule, NCAM, serving as its major carrier. Studies show that mammalian polysialyltransferases employ a unique recognition mechanism to limit the addition of polySia to a select group of proteins. PolySia has long been considered an anti-adhesive molecule, and its impact on cell adhesion and signaling attributed directly to this property. However, recent studies have shown that polySia specifically binds neurotrophins, growth factors, and neurotransmitters and that this binding depends on chain length. This work highlights the importance of considering polySia quality and quantity, and not simply its presence or absence, as its various roles are explored. The capsular polySia of neuroinvasive bacteria allows these organisms to evade the host immune response. While this "stealth" characteristic has made meningitis vaccine development difficult, it has also made polySia a worthy replacement for polyetheylene glycol in the generation of therapeutic proteins with low immunogenicity and improved circulating half-lives. Bacterial polysialyltransferases are more promiscuous than the protein-specific mammalian enzymes, and new studies suggest that these enzymes have tremendous therapeutic potential, especially for strategies aimed at neural regeneration and tissue repair.

Polysialylated N-glycans identified in human serum through combined developments in sample preparation, separations, and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry

The N-glycan diversity of human serum glycoproteins, i.e., the human blood serum N-glycome, is both complex and constrained by the range of glycan structures potentially synthesizable by human glycosylation enzymes. The known glycome, however, has been further limited by methods of sample preparation, available analytical platforms, e.g., based upon electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), and software tools for data analysis. In this report several improvements have been implemented in sample preparation and analysis to extend ESI-MS glycan characterization and to include polysialylated N-glycans. Sample preparation improvements included acidified, microwave-accelerated, PNGase F N-glycan release to promote lactonization, and sodium borohydride reduction, that were both optimized to improve quantitative yields and conserve the number of glycoforms detected. Two-stage desalting (during solid phase extraction and on the analytical column) increased sensitivity by reducing analyte signal division between multiple reducing-end-forms or cation adducts. Online separations were improved by using extended length graphitized carbon columns and adding TFA as an acid modifier to a formic acid/reversed phase gradient, providing additional resolving power and significantly improved desorption of both large and heavily sialylated glycans. To improve MS sensitivity and provide gentler ionization conditions at the source-MS interface, subambient pressure ionization with nanoelectrospray (SPIN) was utilized. When these improved methods are combined together with the Glycomics Quintavariate Informed Quantification (GlyQ-IQ) recently described (Kronewitter et al. Anal. Chem. 2014, 86, 6268-6276), we are able to significantly extend glycan detection sensitivity and provide expanded glycan coverage. We demonstrated the application of these advances in the context of the human serum glycome, and for which our initial observations included the detection of a new class of heavily sialylated N-glycans, including polysialylated N-glycans.

[Structural plasticity of the adult central nervous system: insights from the neuroendocrine hypothalamus]

Accumulating evidence renders the dogma obsolete according to which the structural organization of the brain would remain essentially stable in adulthood, changing only in response to a need for compensatory processes during increasing age and degeneration. It has indeed become clear from investigations on various models that the adult nervous system can adapt to physiological demands by altering reversibly its synaptic circuits. This potential for structural and functional modifications results not only from the plastic properties of neurons but also from the inherent capacity of the glial cellular components to undergo remodeling as well. This is currently known for astrocytes, the major glial cells in brain which are well-recognized as dynamic partners in the mechanisms of synaptic transmission, and for the tanycytes and pituicytes which contribute to the regulation of neurosecretory processes in neurohemal regions of the hypothalamus. Studies on the neuroendocrine hypothalamus, whose role is central in homeostatic regulations, have gained good insights into the spectacular neuronal-glial rearrangements that may subserve functional plasticity in the adult brain. Following pioneering works on the morphological reorganizations taking place in the hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal system under certain physiological conditions such as dehydration and lactation, studies on the gonadotropic system that orchestrates reproductive functions have re-emphasized the dynamic interplay between neurons and glia in brain structural plasticity processes. This review summarizes the major contributions provided by these researches in the field and also addresses the question of the morphological rearrangements that occur on a 24-h basis in the central component of the circadian clock responsible for the temporal aspects of endocrine regulations. Taken together, the reviewed data highlight the close cooperation between neurons and glia in developing strategies for functional adaptation of the brain to the changing conditions of the internal and external environment.

Removal of polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule increases morphine analgesia and interferes with tolerance in mice

Neurons that express high levels of polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM) in adult spinal substantia gelatinosa also express the μ-opioid receptor. While PSA removal from NCAM by spinal intrathecal injection of endoneuraminidase-N (endo-N) did not detectably change opioid receptor expression, morphine-induced analgesia was significantly increased. This analgesic strengthening was detected as early as 15 min after endo-N treatment and persisted for at least 7 days. In addition, the tolerance that develops with chronic morphine treatment was overcome in the absence of PSA. Interestingly, the same effects on analgesia and tolerance were also produced by selective deletion of the NCAM-180 isoform.

Daily changes in synaptic innervation of VIP neurons in the rat suprachiasmatic nucleus: contribution of glutamatergic afferents

The daily temporal organization of rhythmic functions in mammals, which requires synchronization of the circadian clock to the 24-h light-dark cycle, is believed to involve adjustments of the mutual phasing of the cellular oscillators that comprise the time-keeper within the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus (SCN). Following from a previous study showing that the SCN undergoes day/night rearrangements of its neuronal-glial network that may be crucial for intercellular phasing, we investigated the contribution of glutamatergic synapses, known to play major roles in SCN functioning, to such rhythmic plastic events. Neither expression levels of the vesicular glutamate transporters nor numbers of glutamatergic terminals showed nycthemeral variations in the SCN. However, using quantitative imaging after combined immunolabelling, the density of synapses on neurons expressing vasoactive intestinal peptide, known as targets of the retinal input, increased during the day and both glutamatergic and non-glutamatergic synapses contributed to the increase (+36%). This was not the case for synapses made on vasopressin-containing neurons, the other major source of SCN efferents in the non-retinorecipient region. Together with electron microscope observations showing no differences in the morphometric features of glutamatergic terminals during the day and night, these data show that the light synchronization process in the SCN involves a selective remodelling of synapses at sites of photic integration. They provide a further illustration of how the adult brain may rapidly and reversibly adapt its synaptic architecture to functional needs.

Role of polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule in rapid eye movement sleep regulation in rats

Recent evidence suggests that synaptic plasticity occurs during homeostatic processes, including sleep-wakefulness regulation, although the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA NCAM) is a transmembrane protein that has been implicated in various forms of plasticity. To investigate whether PSA NCAM is involved in the neuronal plasticity associated with spontaneous sleep-wakefulness regulation and sleep homeostasis, four studies were conducted using rats. First, we showed that PSA NCAM immunoreactivity is present in close proximity to key neurons in several nuclei of the sleep-wakefulness system, including the tuberomammillary hypothalamic nucleus, dorsal raphe nucleus, and locus coeruleus. Second, using western blot analysis and densitometric image analysis of immunoreactivity, we found that 6 h of sleep deprivation changed neither the levels nor the general location of PSA NCAM in the sleep-wakefulness system. Finally, we injected endoneuraminidase (Endo N) intracerebroventricularly to examine the effects of polysialic acid removal on sleep-wakefulness states and electroencephalogram (EEG) slow waves at both baseline and during recovery from 6 h of sleep deprivation. Endo N-treated rats showed a small but significant decrease in baseline rapid eye movement (REM) sleep selectively in the late light phase, and a facilitated REM sleep rebound after sleep deprivation, as compared with saline-injected controls. Non-REM sleep and wakefulness were unaffected by Endo N. These results suggest that PSA NCAM is not particularly involved in the regulation of wakefulness or non-REM sleep, but plays a role in the diurnal pattern of REM sleep as well as in some aspects of REM sleep homeostasis.

Valproic Acid Alters GnRH-GABA Interactions in Cycling Female Rats

SUMMARY OF THE AIMS: Women with epilepsy using antiepileptic drug valproic acid (VPA) often suffer from reproductive endocrine disorders, menstrual disorders and polycystic ovaries. Valproic acid exerts anticonvulsive effects via gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) neurotransmitter system, which also acts as a neurochemical regulator of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons and suggests possibility of valproic acid mediated interruption in gonadotropin releasing hormone pulse generator in hypothalamus. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of valproic acid treatment on the expression of gonadotropin releasing hormone, gamma amino butyric acid and polysialylated form of neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM) a marker of neuronal plasticity in the median preoptic area (mPOA) and median eminence-arcuate (ME-ARC) region having GnRH neuron cell bodies and axon terminals, respectively.

METHODS

Three-month-old virgin Wistar strain female rats received VPA (i.p.) at a dose of 300 mg/kg once a day for 12 weeks; control group received an equivalent volume of vehicle. GnRH, GABA and PSA-NCAM expressions were studied by immunohistofluorescence technique from mPOA and ME-ARC region of hypothalamus. Ovarian histology was also studied using Mayer's Haematoxylin-Eosin staining method.

RESULTS

GnRH and PSA-NCAM staining was much higher in mPOA and ME-ARC region from vehicle treated control proestrous rats, whereas VPA treatment significantly enhanced GABA expression, and reduced both GnRH and PSA-NCAM expression. Mayer's Haematoxylin-Eosin staining of mid-ovarian sections revealed significantly higher number of ovarian follicular cysts in VPA treated rats.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings of alterations in GnRH and GABA expression and GnRH neuronal plasticity marker PSA-NCAM as well as changes in ovarian histology suggest that treatment with VPA disrupts hypothalamo-hypophyseal-gonadal axis (HPG) at the level of GnRH pulse generator in hypothalamus.

The circadian visual system, 2005

The primary mammalian circadian clock resides in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), a recipient of dense retinohypothalamic innervation. In its most basic form, the circadian rhythm system is part of the greater visual system. A secondary component of the circadian visual system is the retinorecipient intergeniculate leaflet (IGL) which has connections to many parts of the brain, including efferents converging on targets of the SCN. The IGL also provides a major input to the SCN, with a third major SCN afferent projection arriving from the median raphe nucleus. The last decade has seen a blossoming of research into the anatomy and function of the visual, geniculohypothalamic and midbrain serotonergic systems modulating circadian rhythmicity in a variety of species. There has also been a substantial and simultaneous elaboration of knowledge about the intrinsic structure of the SCN. Many of the developments have been driven by molecular biological investigation of the circadian clock and the molecular tools are enabling novel understanding of regional function within the SCN. The present discussion is an extension of the material covered by the 1994 review, "The Circadian Visual System."

Polysialic acid-induced plasticity reduces neuropathic insult to the central nervous system

Under chronic conditions of neuropathic pain, nociceptive C terminals are lost from their target region in spinal lamina II, leading to reduced thermal hyperalgesia. This region of the spinal cord expresses high levels of polysialic acid (PSA), a cell surface carbohydrate known to weaken cell-cell interactions and promote plasticity. Experimental removal of PSA from the spinal cord exacerbates hyperalgesia and results in retention of C terminals, whereas it has no effect on plasticity of touch Abeta fibers and allodynia. We propose that expression of PSA at this stress pathway relay point could serve to protect central circuitry from chronic sensory overload.

Changes in L1 and NCAM expression in the rat suprachiasmatic nucleus during growth and after orbital enucleation

Mammals possess a master circadian clock in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). In order to clarify the roles of the L1 adhesion molecule (L1) and neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), both members of the immunoglobulin superfamily, in the organization of the clock core, changes in the expression of these molecules in the SCN during the growth of rats were examined by immunohistochemistry. On postnatal day 7, L1 and NCAM were chiefly expressed in the region surrounding the SCN, but not in the SCN itself. In subsequent weeks, however, expression of both molecules shifted predominately to the SCN. This change seemed to parallel immunoreactivity increases in the SCN of synaptotagmin, a synapse marker, and of phosphotyrosine, a possible factor in the photic entrainment of the SCN clock. To further elucidate the roles of the L1 and NCAM adhesion molecules in the formation and maintenance of retinal neural projection into the SCN, the effects of orbital enucleation on their expression in the SCN were examined. L1 expression decreased on days 1 and 2 after the operation, in parallel with reductions in the tyrosine phosphorylation of several proteins, but recovered to the control level by the second week. In contrast, the expression of NCAM showed little change following orbital enucleation. These results suggest that L1 and NCAM are involved in the morphological organization of the SCN during the developmental stage, and that expression of L1 also contributes to the formation of the SCN network in a manner that is dependent on the retinal neural input to it.

Dynamic regulation of polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule in the suprachiasmatic nucleus

The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) prominently expresses polysialic acid (PSA), a carbohydrate polymer that is attached to neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) and promotes changes in cell interactions. Previous studies have shown that expression of PSA is important for circadian rhythm stability under constant darkness, and for photic entrainment of the SCN circadian clock. In the present study, immunoblot analyses of the Syrian hamster SCN revealed marked diurnal fluctuations in PSA under a 24-h light/dark cycle. PSA levels were reduced by >90% during the mid-to-late dark phase, and were elevated to maximal daytime levels approximately 1 h after lights-on. A similar pattern of PSA fluctuation persisted under constant darkness. Exposure of animals under a 24-h light/dark cycle to a 30-min light pulse during the late dark phase dramatically increased SCN contents of PSA within 60 min, and these values returned to basal levels 1-2 h later. There was no effect of light-on expression of PSA in the hippocampus. Parallel studies revealed changes in the NCAM-180 isoform that carries PSA in the brain, suggesting that regulation of PSA may include protein as well as carbohydrate-associated mechanisms. Immunohistological analysis revealed light-induced enhancement of PSA in the SCN subregion containing calbindin D(28K) cells. PSA staining was also closely associated with the majority of SCN cells expressing light-inducible Fos protein. This rhythmic, light-inducible expression of PSA within the SCN suggests that dynamic cell interactions are important for the photic regulation of circadian clock phase.

Intrinsic role of polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule in photic phase resetting of the Mammalian circadian clock

The suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN), the location of the mammalian circadian clock, are one of the few adult brain regions that express the highly polysialylated form of neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM). A role for the polysialic acid (PSA) component of PSA-NCAM, which is known to promote tissue plasticity, has been reported for photic entrainment of circadian rhythmicity in vivo. The in vivo results, however, do not discriminate between PSA acting upstream or downstream of the glutamatergic synapses that convey photic information to the SCN. To address this key issue, we exploited an in vitro rat brain slice preparation that retains robust circadian function. As in the intact SCN, PSA levels in the isolated SCN are rhythmic, with higher levels during the early subjective day and lower levels during subjective night. Importantly, bath application of glutamate to SCN slices rapidly and transiently increases PSA levels during both the subjective day and night. Pretreating the slices with endoneuraminidase, which selectively removes PSA from NCAM and thereby prevents this increase, abolishes glutamate- and optic chiasm stimulation-induced phase delays of the SCN circadian neuronal activity rhythm. These results support the hypothesis that PSA expression in the SCN is controlled by both the circadian clock and photic input to the clock and that expression of PSA in the SCN is critical for photic-like phase shifts of the clock. Together, these results establish that such actions of PSA are manifested downstream from presynaptic retinohypothalamic terminals and therefore are intrinsic to the SCN itself.

Removal of polysialic acid from the SCN potentiates nonphotic circadian phase resetting

The adult suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) expresses a polysialylated form of neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM) that modulates cell interactions. Previous studies have shown that PSA is important for photic entrainment of the SCN circadian clock, suggesting that changes in cell-cell interactions may contribute to the phase-resetting capacity of this system. A possible role for PSA in nonphotic circadian phase resetting was evaluated using the enzyme endoneuraminidase (endo N) to selectively remove PSA from the SCN. Pretreatment of rat brain slices containing the SCN with endo N enhanced the daytime phase-advancing effects of the serotonin agonist, 8-hydroxy-2-dipropylaminotetralin [8-OH-DPAT] (41% greater than inactivated enzyme controls; P<.05). Similarly, removal of PSA from the Syrian hamster SCN in vivo potentiated the daytime phase-advancing effects of behavioral arousal (sleep deprivation) and of systemic application of 8-OH-DPAT (61% and 220% greater, respectively, than inactivated enzyme controls; both P<.05). While endo N perturbation of both photic and nonphotic phase resetting suggests that PSA plays a central role in clock regulation, it is striking that the effects on the two inputs are opposite in direction. This difference could reflect the antagonistic relationship between photic and nonphotic signaling pathways. It could also be explained by a permissive role of PSA common to both inputs, which in and of itself would not specify direction of response. Such a bidirectional control mechanism, based on PSA's attenuation of cell-cell interactions, is well documented in the developing nervous system, and may be retained in plastic regions of the adult brain.

Neuroendocrine plasticity in GnRH release during rat estrous cycle: correlation with molecular markers of synaptic remodeling

Morphological changes in the gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons in the preoptic area (POA) and their terminals in the median eminence-arcuate (ME-ARC) region are reported to occur during ovarian cycle that may be involved in the GnRH release into the portal blood during preovulatory surge. However, the neuronal substrates participating in altered GnRH neuronal plasticity are poorly understood. The present study was designed to determine whether morphological changes occurring in the GnRH neuron cell bodies in the POA and their terminals in the ME-ARC region of hypothalamus with pulsatile GnRH release in cycling female rats are associated with expression of intrinsic determinants of neuronal plasticity. The plasticity markers studied are polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM), high molecular weight isoforms of NCAM, growth associated protein (GAP-43), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and synaptophysin. Regularly cycling female rats were sacrificed at diestrous, i.e., when GnRH release is low, and at proestrous, i.e., when preovulatory GnRH surge occurs, using perfusion fixation method for immunohistochemical staining of GnRH cells. GnRH cell bodies and their terminals from the POA and ME-ARC region respectively, were localized using immunohistochemical technique in proestrous and diestrous phase of estrous cycle and our results showed a marked increase in the GnRH nerve terminals length and immunoreactivity in the ME-ARC region from proestrous phase rats as compared to diestrous rats. Immunoblot analyses of the POA and ME-ARC region of the hypothalamus revealed a significant increase in the content of PSA-NCAM, NCAM-180, NCAM-140, GAP-43 and synaptophysin from proestrous phase rats as compared to diestrous phase rats. The ME-ARC region showed more pronounced increase in the protein expression of these markers of neuronal plasticity as compared to the POA, whereas, hippocampal region did not show any significant change in the content of these markers showing specificity of the changes to the GnRH system. GFAP content was significantly decreased in the POA with a marginal increase in the GFAP level from the ME-ARC region. These results demonstrate the involvement of synaptic proteins in the dynamic plasticity of the ME-ARC region of hypothalamus, allowing GnRH nerve terminals to release the neurohormone into the pituitary portal blood on the day of proestrous.

Downstream of Otx2, or how to get a head

Otx2 is a member of a highly conserved family of homeodomain-containing transcription factors that function in early brain development. Recent studies have identified a significant number of target genes downstream of Otx2, allowing us to address the question of how it fulfils its diverse developmental roles. Interestingly, many of these target genes are not transcription factors or signaling molecules, and they probably have no direct affect on gene expression. Furthermore, there is evidence that Otx2 coordinates the activity of unrelated genes that have overlapping functions, and that it does so directly without intermediate transcriptional or signaling activity.

Cellular communication and coupling within the suprachiasmatic nucleus

In mammals, the part of the nervous system responsible for most circadian behavior can be localized to a pair of structures in the hypothalamus known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Importantly, when SCN neurons are removed from the organism and maintained in a brain slice preparation, they continue to generate 24h rhythms in electrical activity, secretion, and gene expression. Previous studies suggest that the basic mechanism responsible for the generation of these rhythms is intrinsic to individual cells in the SCN. If we assume that individual cells in the SCN are competent circadian oscillators, it is obviously important to understand how these cells communicate and remain synchronized with each other. Cell-to-cell communication is clearly necessary for conveying inputs to and outputs from the SCN and may be involved in ensuring the high precision of the observed rhythm. In addition, there is a growing body of evidence that a number of systems-level phenomena could be dependent on the cellular communication between circadian pacemaker neurons. It is not yet known how this cellular synchronization occurs, but it is likely that more than one of the already proposed mechanisms is utilized. The purpose of this review is to summarize briefly the possible mechanisms by which the oscillatory cells in the SCN communicate with each other.

Roles, regulation, and mechanism of polysialic acid function during neural development

The polysialylated form of the neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM) appeared during the evolution of vertebrates as a new mechanism for regulation of cell interactions. This large and abundant glycoprotein can exert steric effects at the cell surface that lead to the attenuation of cell-cell bonds mediated not only by NCAM but also a variety of other adhesion receptors. PSA-NCAM expression changes both as a result of developmental programs and physiological inputs. This global modulation of cell-cell attachment has been shown to facilitate cell migration, axon pathfinding and targeting, and plastic changes in the embryonic and adult nervous system.

Multiple oscillators in the suprachiasmatic nucleus

The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus is the site of the pacemaker that controls circadian rhythms of a variety of physiological functions. Data strongly indicate the majority of the SCN neurons express self-sustaining oscillations that can be detected as rhythms in the spontaneous firing of individual neurons. The period of single SCN neurons in a dissociated cell culture is dispersed in a wide range (from 20h to 28h in rats), but that of the locomotor rhythm is close to 24h, suggesting individual oscillators are coupled to generate an averaged circadian period in the nucleus. Electrical coupling via gap junctions, glial regulation, calcium spikes, ephaptic interactions. extracellular ion flux, and diffusible substances have been discussed as possible mechanisms that mediate the interneuronal rhythm synchrony. Recently, GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), a major neurotransmitter in the SCN, was reported to regulate cellular communication and to synchronize rhythms through GABA(A) receptors. At present, subsequent intracellular processes that are able to reset the genetic loop of oscillations are unknown. There may be diverse mechanisms for integrating the multiple circadian oscillators in the SCN. This article reviews the knowledge about the various circadian oscillations intrinsic to the SCN, with particular focus on the intercellular signaling of coupled oscillators.

The circadian gene Clock is restricted to the anterior neural plate early in development and is regulated by the neural inducer noggin and the transcription factor Otx2

The circadian cycle is a simple, universal molecular mechanism for imposing cyclical control on cellular processes. Here we have examined the regulation of one of the key circadian genes, Clock, in early Xenopus development. We find that the expression of Clock is dependent on developmental stage, not on time per se, and is mostly restricted to the anterior neural plate. It's expression can be induced by the secreted polypeptide noggin, and subsequently upregulated by Otx2, a transcription factor required for the determination of anterior fate.