Involvement of betagamma subunits of G(q/11) in muscarinic M(1) receptor potentiation of corticotropin-releasing hormone-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity in rat frontal cortex

Muscarinic receptor control of pyramidal neuron membrane potential in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in rats

Damage to the cholinergic input to the prefrontal cortex has been implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders. Cholinergic endings release acetylcholine, which activates nicotinic and/or G-protein-coupled muscarinic receptors. Muscarinic receptors activate transduction systems, which control cellular effectors that regulate the membrane potential in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) neurons. The mechanisms responsible for the cholinergic-dependent depolarization of mPFC layer V pyramidal neurons in slices obtained from young rats were elucidated in this study. Glutamatergic and GABAergic transmission as well as tetrodotoxin (TTX)-sensitive Na(+) and voltage-dependent Ca(++) currents were eliminated. Cholinergic receptor stimulation by carbamoylcholine chloride (CCh; 100 μM) evoked depolarization (10.0 ± 1.3 mV), which was blocked by M1/M4 (pirenzepine dihydrochloride, 2 μM) and M1 (VU 0255035, 5 μM) muscarinic receptor antagonists and was not affected by a nicotinic receptor antagonist (mecamylamine hydrochloride, 10 μM). CCh-dependent depolarization was attenuated by extra- (20 μM) or intracellular (50 μM) application of an inhibitor of the βγ-subunit-dependent transduction system (gallein). It was also inhibited by intracellular application of a βγ-subunit-binding peptide (GRK2i, 10μM). mPFC pyramidal neurons express Nav1.9 channels. CCh-dependent depolarization was abolished in the presence of antibodies against Nav1.9 channels in the intracellular solution and augmented by the presence of ProTx-I toxin (100 nM) in the extracellular solution. CCh-induced depolarization was not affected by the following reagents: intracellular transduction system blockers, including U-73122 (10 μM), chelerythrine chloride (5 μM), SQ 22536 (100 μM) and H-89 (2 μM); channel blockers, including Ba(++) ions (200 μM), apamin (100 nM), flufenamic acid (200 μM), 2-APB (200 μM), SKF 96365 (50 μM), and ZD 7288 (50 μM); and a Na(+)/Ca(++) exchanger blocker, benzamil (20 μM). We conclude that muscarinic M1 receptor-dependent depolarization in mPFC pyramidal neurons is evoked by the activation of Nav1.9 channels and that the signal transduction pathway involves G-protein βγ subunits.

Interaction of neuropeptide Y and corticotropin-releasing factor signaling pathways in AR-5 amygdalar cells

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a 41 amino acid neuropeptide which is involved in the stress response. CRF and neuropeptide Y (NPY) produce reciprocal effects on anxiety in the central nucleus of the amygdala. The molecular mechanisms of possible CRF-NPY interactions in regulating anxiety behavior is not known. In the central nervous system, the action of NPY leads to inhibition of cAMP production while CRF is known to stimulate levels of cAMP in the brain. Consequently, we hypothesized that NPY may antagonize anxiety-like behavior by counter-regulating CRF-stimulated cAMP accumulation and activation of the protein kinase A pathway. We have engineered an immortalized amygdalar cell line (AR-5 cells) which express via RT-PCR, the CRF(2alpha), Y(1) and Y(5) NPY receptor. In addition, in these cells CRF treatment results in significant concentration-dependent increases in cAMP production. Furthermore, incubation of 3 microM CRF with increasing concentrations of NPY was able to significantly inhibit the increases in cAMP compared to that observed with 3 microM CRF treatment alone. These findings suggest that CRF and NPY may counter-regulate each other in amygdalar neurons via reciprocal effects on the protein kinase A pathway.

Beta gamma-mediated enhancement of corticotropin-releasing hormone-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity by activation of gamma-aminobutyric acid(B) receptors in membranes of rat frontal cortex

A number of studies have shown that activation of gamma-aminobutyric acid(B) (GABA(B)) receptors potentiates neurotransmitter-induced accumulation of cyclic AMP in brain slices, but the mechanisms involved in the facilitatory effect have not been fully elucidated. In the present study, we showed that in membranes of rat frontal cortex the GABA(B) receptor agonist (-)baclofen increased basal adenylyl cyclase activity and potentiated the maximal enzyme stimulation elicited by corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). The less active enantiomer (+)baclofen had no effect on cyclic AMP formation, whereas the natural agonist GABA mimicked the stimulatory action of (-)baclofen. In radioligand-binding experiments, the affinity and maximal binding capacity of (125)I-Tyr-CRH was not affected by (-)baclofen. The GABA(B) receptor antagonist CGP 55845A competitively counteracted the (-)baclofen potentiation of CRH-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity with a pA(2) value of 6.70. Moreover, both (-)baclofen and GABA, but not (+)baclofen, caused a concentration-dependent stimulation of [(35)S]GTP gamma S binding to membrane G-proteins. The intracerebral injection of pertussis toxin significantly reduced the facilitatory effects of (-)baclofen on both basal and CRH-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activities. Moreover, membrane incubation with the GDP-bound form of the alpha subunit of transducin, a scavenger of G protein beta gamma subunits, blocked the stimulatory effects of (-)baclofen. The data indicate that in rat frontal cortex activation of GABA(B) receptors potentiates the CRH stimulation of adenylyl cyclase activity through a mechanism involving the beta gamma subunits of the pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein G(i)/G(o).