Stimulation of protein-tyrosine phosphorylation in rat striatum after lesion of dopamine neurons or chronic neuroleptic treatment

A transient increase in total head phosphotyrosine levels is observed upon the emergence of Aedes aegypti from the pupal stage

Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of protein tyrosine residues constitutes a major biochemical regulatory mechanism for the cell. We report a transient increase in the total tyrosine phosphorylation of the Aedes aegypti head during the first days after emergence from the pupal stage. This correlates with an initial reduction in total head protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) activity. Similarly, phosphotyrosine (pTyr)-containing bands are seen in extracts prepared from both male and female heads and are spread among a variety of structures including the antennae, proboscis and the maxillary palps combined with the proboscis. Also, mosquitoes treated with sodium orthovanadate, a classical PTP inhibitor, show reduced blood-feeding activity and higher head tyrosine phosphorylation levels. These results suggest that pTyr-mediated signalling pathways may play a role in the initial days following the emergence of the adult mosquito from the pupal stage.

Cyclic adenosine monophosphate-independent tyrosine phosphorylation of NR2B mediates cocaine-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation

BACKGROUND

Activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in the striatum is crucial for long-term behavioral alterations induced by drugs of abuse. In response to cocaine, ERK phosphorylation (i.e., activation) is restricted to medium-sized spiny neurons expressing dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) and depends on a concomitant stimulation of D1R and glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR). However, the mechanisms responsible for this activation, especially the respective contribution of D1R and NMDAR, remain unknown.

METHODS

We studied striatal neurons in culture stimulated with D1R agonist and/or glutamate and wild-type or genetically modified mice treated with cocaine. Biochemical, immunohistochemical, and imaging studies were performed. Mice were also subjected to behavioral experiments.

RESULTS

Stimulation of D1R cannot activate ERK by itself but potentiates glutamate-mediated calcium influx through NMDAR that is responsible for ERK activation. Potentiation of NMDAR by D1R depends on a cyclic adenosine monophosphate-independent signaling pathway, which involves tyrosine phosphorylation of the NR2B subunit of NMDAR by Src family kinases. We also demonstrate that the D1R/Src family kinases/NR2B pathway is responsible for ERK activation by cocaine in vivo. Inhibition of this pathway abrogates cocaine-induced locomotor sensitization and conditioned place preference.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results show that potentiation of NR2B-containing NMDAR by D1R is necessary and sufficient to trigger cocaine-induced ERK activation. They highlight a new cyclic adenosine monophosphate-independent pathway responsible for the integration of dopamine and glutamate signals by the ERK cascade in the striatum and for long-term behavioral alterations induced by cocaine.

Ischemia-reperfusion decreases protein tyrosine phosphorylation and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation in rat lung transplants

BACKGROUND

Dramatic alterations of protein tyrosine phosphorylation have been found during the ischemia-reperfusion (IR) period of human lung transplantation. IR also induces activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38) in the heart and kidney. The objective of the present study was to determine whether these changes exist in a rat single-lung transplant model for further mechanistic investigations.

METHODS

Isogeneic lung transplantation was performed from Lewis (LEW) to LEW rats, whereas allogeneic transplantation was from LEW to Brown Norway (BN) rats. Blood gases and peak airway pressure were monitored. Lung tissues were collected after 6 hours of cold ischemic preservation, after 30 minutes of warm ischemia for lung implantation, and after 2 hours of reperfusion. Protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) and phosphatase (PTP) activities were measured. Protein tyrosine phosphorylation, Src PTK and p38 expression and p38 phosphorylation were examined by western blotting.

RESULTS

In both iso- and allografts, the lung function of transplants was very well preserved. Protein tyrosine phosphorylation, PTK and PTP activities were decreased significantly after 2 hours of reperfusion. Src protein level and phosphorylation of p38 were reduced after 2 hours of reperfusion.

CONCLUSIONS

During the early IR period of lung transplantation, decreased protein tyrosine phosphorylation may be involved in apoptosis and other biologic changes. The lack of p38 activation suggests that activity of mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways in the lung transplantation setting may be different from other IR processes.

Inhibition of protein tyrosine/mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase activity is associated with D2 dopamine receptor supersensitivity in a rat model of Parkinson's disease

Previous work demonstrated that stimulation of D(2) dopamine receptors (D(2)DRs) in the unilaterally 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-lesioned rat enhanced striatal extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activity ipsilateral to the lesion. The present work was designed to explore the mechanism underlying the activation of ERK in the denervated striatum. Stimulation of D(2)DR induced a 60% inhibition in protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) activity but not in PSP activity in lesioned striata. The D(2)DR antagonist spiperone blocked quinpirole-elicited PTP inhibition, and the D(1) receptor agonist 2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-1H-3-benzazepine (SKF38393) did not inhibit PTP activity, indicating that PTP inhibition is a specific effect mediated by stimulation of D(2)DR. We further discovered that striatal mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase (MKP), a protein phosphatase that is responsible for ERK dephosphorylation, is inhibited in response to D(2)DR stimulation in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats. More specifically, MKP1 was identified to be the isozyme affected by D(2)DR stimulation. In PC12 cells that express D(2)DR, quinpirole elicited no change in PTP or MKP activity, whereas ERK was activated by D(2) dopamine receptor stimulation. The results indicate that 6-OHDA-induced striatal denervation leads to abnormal coupling between D(2)DR and PTP/MKP pathway. Moreover, unilateral inhibition of striatal PTP by an intrastriatal injection of vanadate induced contralateral rotation in control rats in response to D(2)DR stimulation, thus mimicking the response observed in the unilateral 6-OHDA-lesioned rat. The results indicate that attenuation of the PTP/MKP pathway may be responsible for the development of D(2)DR supersensitivity.

Ischemia reperfusion-induced dynamic changes of protein tyrosine phosphorylation during human lung transplantation

BACKGROUND

We have recently demonstrated that more than 20% of lung cells undergo apoptosis within the first 2 hr of graft reperfusion after human lung transplantation. It has been found that changes of protein tyrosine phosphorylation are involved in the regulation of apoptosis in various cell types.

METHODS

To determine the protein tyrosine phosphorylation status and related biochemistry changes, lung tissue biopsies were collected from six human lung transplant procedures after cold ischemic preservation (2-5 hr at 4 degrees C), after completing the implantation procedure (approximately 1 hr), and 1 or 2 hr after graft reperfusion. Western blotting was performed to determine protein tyrosine phosphorylation and several signal transduction proteins. Protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) and protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) activities were also measured.

RESULTS

Protein tyrosine phosphorylation was significantly increased after lung implantation and before reperfusion, and significantly decreased during the first 2 hr of graft reperfusion. The activity of Src PTKs was reduced by 50% during graft reperfusion, which was associated with a decrease of Src proteins and human actin filament associated protein, a cofactor for Src activation. PTP activity significantly decreased after lung implantation and remained at a low level 1 hr after reperfusion. After 2 hr of reperfusion, however, PTP activity returned to the basal level.

CONCLUSION

These dynamic changes of PTK and PTP likely explain the observed alterations of protein tyrosine phosphorylation. The significant decrease in protein tyrosine phosphorylation may be related to the observed apoptotic cell death during human lung transplantation.

Sustained cabergoline treatment reverses levodopa-induced dyskinesias in parkinsonian monkeys

The pathophysiology of L-Dopa-induced dyskinesias (LID), a common problem after long-term use of L-dopa in the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD), is not completely understood. Oscillations in L-Dopa concentrations in the brain are believed to be responsible, at least in part, for their pathogenesis. This study was aimed at verifying whether chronic administration of cabergoline, a long-acting dopamine D2-like receptor agonist, can reverse established LID. Four MPTP-treated cynomolgus monkeys with long-standing and stable parkinsonian syndrome and reproducible dyskinesias to L-Dopa, were used in this study. We compared the antiparkinsonian and dyskinetic responses of L-Dopa methyl ester (62.5 mg and 125 mg), given with benserazide (50 mg) (L-Dopa/benserazide), administered before and after a 6-week period during which the animals were treated only by daily administration of cabergoline (doses ranging from 0.125 to 0.185 mg/kg, subcutaneous). During cabergoline treatment, the monkeys initially showed marked dyskinesias, which were reduced significantly after 4 weeks of treatment. However, there was no tolerance to its antiparkinsonian effect. L-Dopa/benserazide given 4 days after cabergoline withdrawal produced a significant antiparkinsonian effect, but dyskinesias were dramatically reduced compared to what had been seen before chronic cabergoline treatment. The duration of the L-Dopa response was not increased after chronic administration of cabergoline. Our data suggest that sustained dopamine D2 receptor stimulation could be of value when trying to reduce or to reverse LID in patients with fluctuating advanced PD.

FAK and PYK2/CAKbeta in the nervous system: a link between neuronal activity, plasticity and survival?

A major aim of neurobiology today is to improve understanding of the signaling pathways that couple rapid events, such as the action potential and neurotransmitter release, to long-lasting changes in synaptic strength and increased neuronal survival. These adaptations involve interactions of neurons with other cells and with the extracellular matrix. They use, in part, the same molecular machinery that controls adhesion, motility or survival in non-neuronal cells. This machinery includes two homologous non-receptor tyrosine kinases, FAK and PYK2/CAKbeta, and the associated SRC-family tyrosine kinases. Specific brain isoforms of FAK with distinct properties are regulated by neurotransmitters, whereas PYK2/CAKbeta is highly sensitive to depolarization. The multiplicity of the pathways that can be activated by these tyrosine kinases indicates their importance in signal transduction in the adult brain.

Differential regulation of FAK+ and PYK2/Cakbeta, two related tyrosine kinases, in rat hippocampal slices: effects of LPA, carbachol, depolarization and hyperosmolarity

FAK+, an isoform of focal adhesion kinase preferentially expressed in brain and PYK2/Cakbeta (proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2/cell adhesion kinasebeta) are two related cytoplasmic tyrosine kinases. They are candidates for coupling electrical activity and stimulation of neurotransmitter receptors to short and long-term changes in synaptic properties, cytoskeletal organization and gene expression in neurons. As the same set of stimuli appear capable of stimulating FAK and/or PYK2 in non-neuronal cells and in cell lines with neuronal characteristics, we investigated the selectivity of regulation of these two kinases in mature nervous tissue. Using rat hippocampal slices, we compared the regulation of FAK+ and PYK2 by stimuli known to be active on one or the other of these two kinases in other cell types: lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), carbachol, depolarization, and hyperosmolarity. Phosphorylation of FAK+ was markedly increased by carbachol and LPA. Carbachol effects occurred via activation of M1 muscarinic receptors and nicotinic receptors. The effects of carbachol and LPA were prevented by protein kinase C inhibitors, whereas 8-Br-cAMP attenuated the effects of carbachol but not of LPA. Tyrosine phosphorylation of PYK2 but not of FAK+ was very strongly enhanced by depolarization and hyperosmolarity. This study and our previous results show that FAK+ and PYK2 are regulated differentially in hippocampal slices: FAK+ is phosphorylated on tyrosine in response to stimulation of G protein-coupled receptors, whereas PYK2 is mainly sensitive to depolarization and hyperosmolarity. Thus, FAK+ and PYK2 may provide specific and separate links between activation of neurotransmitters receptors, depolarization and tyrosine phosphorylation in mature hippocampus.

Reduction of tyrosine kinase activity and protein tyrosine dephosphorylation by anoxic stimulation in vitro

Tyrosine-specific protein phosphorylation has been recently implicated in mediating pathological changes associated with cerebral ischemia. In the present study, acute hypoxia/ischemia (anoxia) was simulated in vitro by incubating rat hippocampal slices in glucose-free artificial cerebrospinal fluid saturated with 95% N2/5% CO2. A marked decrease in the level of tyrosine phosphorylation of many protein bands compared with the control was observed. Immunoprecipitation and western blot confirmed that the NR2A/2B subunits of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors are among the dephosphorylated proteins. Maximal dephosphorylation of bands corresponding to NR2A/2B was reached after 10 min, and no recovery was observed even after 1 h in normal, oxygenated artificial cerebrospinal fluid. The effect was partially blocked by dephostatin, a membrane-permeable inhibitor of protein tyrosine phosphatases, but was not affected by the presence of glutamate receptor antagonists, or by removing extracellular Ca2+ or chelating intracellular Ca2+. Enzyme assay showed that anoxic stimulation resulted in a selective reduction in protein tyrosine kinase activity without affecting protein tyrosine phosphatase activity. Thus the present work suggests that anoxic stimulation produces a selective inhibition of protein tyrosine kinase activity leading to tyrosine-dephosphorylation of several proteins including the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors. The underlying mechanism may involve a novel signal transduction pathway, which may protect neurons from degeneration during ischemic stress.

Paranodin, a glycoprotein of neuronal paranodal membranes

Ranvier nodes are flanked by paranodal regions, at the level of which oligodendrocytes or Schwann cells interact closely with axons. Paranodes play a critical role in the physiological properties of myelinated nerve fibers. Paranodin, a prominent 180 kDa transmembrane neuronal glycoprotein, was purified and cloned from adult rat brain, and found to be highly concentrated in axonal membranes at their junction with myelinating glial cells, in paranodes of central and peripheral nerve fibers. The large extracellular domain of paranodin is related to neurexins, and its short intracellular tail binds protein 4.1, a cytoskeleton-anchoring protein. Paranodin may be a critical component of the macromolecular complex involved in the tight interactions between axons and myelinating glial cells characteristic of the paranodal region.

Unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesions of meso-striatal dopamine neurons and their physiological sequelae

One of the primary approaches in experimental brain research is to investigate the effects of specific destruction of its parts. Here, several neurotoxins are available which can be used to eliminate neurons of a certain neurochemical type or family. With respect to the study of dopamine neurons in the brain, especially within the basal ganglia, the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) provides an important tool. The most common version of lesion induced with this toxin is the unilateral lesion placed in the area of mesencephalic dopamine somata or their ascending fibers, which leads to a lateralized loss of striatal dopamine. This approach has contributed to neuroscientific knowledge at the basic and clinical levels, since it has been used to clarify the neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, and electrophysiology of mesencephalic dopamine neurons and their relationships with the basal ganglia. Furthermore, unilateral 6-OHDA lesions have been used to investigate the role of these dopamine neurons with respect to behavior, and to examine the brain's capacity to recover from or compensate for specific neurochemical depletions. Finally, in clinically-oriented research, the lesion has been used to model aspects of Parkinson's disease, a human neurodegenerative disease which is neuronally characterized by a severe loss of the meso-striatal dopamine neurons. In the present review, which is the first of two, the lesion's effects on physiological parameters are being dealt with, including histological manifestations, effects on dopaminergic measures, other neurotransmitters (e.g. GABA, acetylcholine, glutamate), neuromodulators (e.g. neuropeptides, neurotrophins), electrophysiological activity, and measures of energy consumption. The findings are being discussed especially in relation to time after lesion and in relation to lesion severeness, that is, the differential role of total versus partial depletions of dopamine and the possible mechanisms of compensation. Finally, the advantages and possible drawbacks of such a lateralized lesion model are discussed.

Focal adhesion kinase in rat central nervous system

Focal adhesion kinase (pp125FAK, FAK) is a 125 kDa non-receptor tyrosine kinase enriched in focal adhesions of various cell types, where it is thought to transduce signals triggered by contact with the extracellular matrix. We have studied the expression and localization of FAK in rat CNS. Immunoblotting, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization revealed the presence of FAK in all regions of the adult brain and demonstrated its enrichment in specific neuronal populations of the cerebral and cerebellar cortex, as well as in the hippocampus. During development, FAK protein levels were highest around birth in cerebral cortex and caudate putamen and decreased in the adult. In situ hybridization revealed enrichment of FAK mRNA in the ventricular germinative and external layers during the last period of embryonic growth. In primary cultures FAK immunoreactivity was localized in focal adhesions in astrocytes, whereas in developing neurons the highest levels were found in growth cones and perikarya. In the growth cone, FAK immunoreactivity colocalized with actin filaments. In mature neurons FAK appeared to be distributed in the whole cytoplasm, with no enrichment in any cellular compartment. Our results demonstrate the presence of high levels of FAK in rat CNS, maximal during development but persistent in the adult. Its enrichment in growth cones suggests that it may play a role in neurite outgrowth, as well as in plasticity in the adult.

Modulation of protein tyrosine phosphorylation in rat insular cortex after conditioned taste aversion training

Protein tyrosine phosphorylation is a major signal transduction pathway involved in cellular metabolism, growth, and differentiation. Recent data indicate that tyrosine phosphorylation also plays a role in neuronal plasticity. We are using conditioned taste aversion, a fast and robust associative learning paradigm subserved among other brain areas by the insular cortex, to investigate molecular correlates of learning and memory in the rat cortex. In conditioned taste aversion, rats learn to associate a novel taste (e.g., saccharin) with delayed poisoning (e.g., by LiCl injection). Here we report that after conditioned taste aversion training, there is a rapid and marked increase in tyrosine phosphorylation of a set of proteins in the insular cortex but not in other brain areas. A major protein so modulated, of 180 kDa, is abundant in a membrane fraction and remains modulated for more than an hour after training. Exposure of the rats to the novel taste alone results in only a small modulation of the aforementioned proteins whereas administration of the malaise-inducing agent per se has no effect. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of modulation of protein tyrosine phosphorylation in the brain after a behavioral experience.

Haloperidol-induced morphological alterations are associated with changes in calcium/calmodulin kinase II activity and glutamate immunoreactivity

Administration of haloperidol for 2 weeks causes an increase within the caudate nucleus of asymmetrical synapses associated with a discontinuous or perforated, postsynaptic density (PSD) [Meshul et al. (1992), Psychopharmacology, 106:45-52; Meshul et al. (1992), Neuropsychopharmacology, 7:285-293]. Coadministration of the N-methyl-D-aspartate noncompetitive antagonist, MK-801, with haloperidol blocked the increase in striatal synapses containing a perforated PSD [Meshul et al. (1994), Brain Res., 648:181-195]. Examination of the caudate using immuno-gold electron microscopy revealed the vast majority (90%) of asymmetrical synapses were labelled with a glutamate antibody [Meshul et al. (1994), Brain Res., 648:181-195]. The purpose of this study was to determine if there were any changes in the density of glutamate immunoreactivity within presynaptic terminals of asymmetric synapses within the striatum following treatment with haloperidol for 1 month that would correlate with the previously observed increase in synapses with perforated PSDs. We also determined the activity of striatal calcium/calmodulin kinase II (CaMK II), an enzyme known to be localized within the synaptic region, after administration of haloperidol. We report here that haloperidol causes an increase in the activity of CaMK II and a decrease in the density of immuno-gold labelling for glutamate within the nerve terminals of asymmetrical synapses containing a perforated or nonperforated PSD. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the haloperidol-induced increase in activity of CaMK II and the increase in glutamate release, as suggested by the decrease in presynaptic glutamate immunoreactivity, may ultimately lead to an increase in the number of synapses displaying a perforated PSD. These results support the speculation that the haloperidol-induced increase in synapses containing a perforated PSD may be associated with enhanced activity at excitatory synapses.

Depolarization and neurotransmitters increase neuronal protein tyrosine phosphorylation

In rat hippocampal slices and in neurons in primary culture, K(+)-induced depolarization increased markedly and rapidly tyrosine phosphorylation of a 110-kDa protein (pp110) and, to a lesser degree, of a 120-kDa protein (pp120), in a calcium-dependent fashion. Glutamate, 1-aminocyclopentane-trans-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (an agonist of metabotropic glutamate receptors), and alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (an agonist of ionotropic glutamate receptors) stimulated also tyrosine phosphorylation of pp110 and pp120. These effects were not observed in astrocytes in primary culture. In hippocampal slices tyrosine phosphorylation of pp110 and pp120 was stimulated by Ca(2+)-ionophores and by phorbol esters and antagonized by a chelator of intracellular Ca2+ and by drugs that inhibit protein kinase C. Stimulation of muscarinic and alpha 1-adrenergic receptors increased also tyrosine phosphorylation of pp110 and pp120. These results demonstrate that membrane depolarization and stimulation of neurotransmitter receptors activate a tyrosine phosphorylation pathway in neurons. This pathway involves an increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentrations and the activation of protein kinase C. It may provide a biochemical basis for some neurotrophic effects of electrical activity and neurotransmitters and may contribute to the role of tyrosine phosphorylation in long-term potentiation.