Role of disrupted in schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) in stress-induced prefrontal cognitive dysfunction

Recent genetic studies have linked mental illness to alterations in disrupted in schizophrenia 1 (DISC1), a multifunctional scaffolding protein that regulates cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling via interactions with phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4). High levels of cAMP during stress exposure impair function of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), a region gravely afflicted in mental illness. As stress can aggravate mental illness, genetic insults to DISC1 may worsen symptoms by increasing cAMP levels. The current study examined whether viral knockdown (KD) of the Disc1 gene in rat PFC increases susceptibility to stress-induced PFC dysfunction. Rats were trained in a spatial working memory task before receiving infusions of (a) an active viral construct that knocked down Disc1 in PFC (DISC1 KD group), (b) a 'scrambled' construct that had no effect on Disc1 (Scrambled group), or (c) an active construct that reduced DISC1 expression dorsal to PFC (Anatomical Control group). Data were compared with an unoperated Control group. Cognitive performance was assessed following mild restraint stress that had no effect on normal animals. DISC1 KD rats were impaired by 1  h restraint stress, whereas Scrambled, Control, and Anatomical Control groups were unaffected. Thus, knocking down Disc1 in PFC reduced the threshold for stress-induced cognitive dysfunction, possibly through disinhibited cAMP signaling at neuronal network synapses. These findings may explain why patients with DISC1 mutations may be especially vulnerable to the effects of stress.

Molecular components of tolerance to opiates in single hippocampal neurons

We examined the effect of acute and chronic opioid treatment on synaptic transmission and mu-opioid receptor (MOR) endocytosis in cultures of naïve rat hippocampal neurons. Opioid agonists that activate MOR inhibited synaptic transmission at inhibitory but not excitatory autapses. [D-Ala(2),N-Me-Phe(4),Gly(5)-ol]-enkephalin (DAMGO), morphine, and methadone were all effective at blocking inhibitory transmission. These same drugs also reduced the amplitude of voltage-dependent Ca(2+) currents in inhibitory but not excitatory neurons. Chronic treatment with all three opioids reduced the subsequent effects of a challenge with either the same drug or one of the others in individual autaptic neurons. Chronic treatment with DAMGO or methadone produced internalization of enhanced yellow fluorescent protein-tagged MOR expressed in hippocampal neurons within hours, whereas morphine produced internalization much more slowly, even when accompanied by overexpression of beta-arrestin-2. We conclude that DAMGO, methadone, and morphine all produce tolerance in single hippocampal neurons. Morphine-induced tolerance does not necessarily seem to involve receptor endocytosis.

The C terminus of the Ca channel alpha1B subunit mediates selective inhibition by G-protein-coupled receptors

Inhibition of calcium channels by G-protein-coupled receptors depends on the nature of the Galpha subunit, although the Gbetagamma complex is thought to be responsible for channel inhibition. Ca currents in hypothalamic neurons and N-type calcium channels expressed in HEK-293 cells showed robust inhibition by G(i)/G(o)-coupled galanin receptors (GalR1), but not by Gq-coupled galanin receptors (GalR2). However, deletions in the C terminus of alpha(1B-1) produced Ca channels that were inhibited after activation of both GalR1 and GalR2. Inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC) also revealed Ca current modulation by GalR2. Imaging studies using green fluorescent protein fusions of the C terminus of alpha(1B) demonstrated that activation of the GalR2 receptor caused translocation of the C terminus of alpha(1B-1) to the membrane and co-localization with Galphaq and PKC. Similar translocation was not seen with a C-terminal truncated splice variant, alpha(1B-2). Immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that Galphaq interacts directly with the C terminus of the alpha(1B) subunit. These results are consistent with a model in which local activation of PKC by channel-associated Galphaq blocks modulation of the channel by Gbetagamma released by Gq-coupled receptors.

Expression of CX3CR1 chemokine receptors on neurons and their role in neuronal survival

Recent in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that the chemokine fractalkine is widely expressed in the brain and localized principally to neurons. Central nervous system expression of CX(3)CR1, the only known receptor for fractalkine, has been demonstrated exclusively on microglia and astrocytes. Thus, it has been proposed that fractalkine regulates cellular communication between neurons (that produce fractalkine) and microglia (that express its receptor). Here we show, for the first time, that hippocampal neurons also express CX(3)CR1. Receptor activation by soluble fractalkine induces activation of the protein kinase Akt, a major component of prosurvival signaling pathways, and nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB, a downstream effector of Akt. Fractalkine protects hippocampal neurons from the neurotoxicity induced by the HIV-1 envelope protein gp120(IIIB), an effect blocked by anti-CX(3)CR1 antibodies. Experiments with two different inhibitors of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, a key enzyme in the activation of Akt, and with a phospholipid activator of Akt demonstrate that Akt activation is responsible for the neuroprotective effects of fractalkine. These data show that neuronal CX(3)CR1 receptors mediate the neurotrophic effects of fractalkine, suggesting that fractalkine and its receptor are involved in a complex network of both paracrine and autocrine interactions between neurons and glia.

Involvement of regions in domain I in the opioid receptor sensitivity of alpha1B Ca(2+) channels

The structural basis of Ca(2+) channel inhibition by G proteins has received considerable attention recently, and multiple regions on Ca(2+) channels that interact with G protein subunits have been identified. We have demonstrated previously that a region extending from the N terminus to the I/II loop of the Ca(2+) channel is involved in determining the differences between alpha1B and alpha1E Ca(2+) channels with respect to inhibition by G proteins. Here we explore this region of the channel in greater detail in an effort to further define the regions involved in determining inhibition. Chimeric Ca(2+) channels constructed from alpha1B and alpha1E Ca(2+) channels revealed that the N terminus, the I/II loop, and domain I all play an important role in determining inhibition. We identified a 70-amino acid fragment from domain I that mediates the effects of domain I, and a 50-amino acid fragment from the I/II loop that mediates the effects of the I/II loop. When these regions from alpha1B were exchanged into alpha1E, inhibition identical with that of alpha1B was observed. The differences between alpha1B and alpha1E in the identified region of domain I involve residues that are predicted to be almost exclusively extracellular. Mutations to some of the high-affinity G protein binding regions of alpha1B (alpha interaction domain, CC14, and a C-terminal Galpha binding site) caused relatively little change in inhibition, which suggests that these sites are not necessary individually for G protein-mediated inhibition and may help to explain the small effects of exchanging these regions in isolation.

Chemokines regulate hippocampal neuronal signaling and gp120 neurotoxicity

The HIV-1 envelope protein gp120 induces apoptosis in hippocampal neurons. Because chemokine receptors act as cellular receptors for HIV-1, we examined rat hippocampal neurons for the presence of functional chemokine receptors. Fura-2-based Ca imaging showed that numerous chemokines, including SDF-1alpha, RANTES, and fractalkine, affect neuronal Ca signaling, suggesting that hippocampal neurons possess a wide variety of chemokine receptors. Chemokines also blocked the frequency of spontaneous glutamatergic excitatory postsynaptic currents recorded from these neurons and reduced voltage-dependent Ca currents in the same neurons. Reverse transcription-PCR demonstrated the expression of CCR1, CCR4, CCR5, CCR9/10, CXCR2, CXCR4, and CX3CR1, as well as the chemokine fractalkine in these neurons. Both fractalkine and macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC) produced a time-dependent activation of extracellular response kinases (ERK)-1/2, whereas no activation of c-JUN NH2-terminal protein kinase (JNK)/stress-activated protein kinase, or p38 was evident. Furthermore, these two chemokines, as well as SDF-1alpha, activated the Ca- and cAMP-dependent transcription factor CREB. Several chemokines were able also to block gp120-induced apoptosis of hippocampal neurons, both in the presence and absence of the glial feeder layer. These data suggest that chemokine receptors may directly mediate gp120 neurotoxicity.

Structural features determining differential receptor regulation of neuronal Ca channels

Dihydropyridine-insensitive Ca channels are subject to direct receptor G-protein-mediated inhibition to differing extents. alpha1B channels are much more strongly modulated than alpha1E channels. To understand the structural basis for this difference, we have constructed and expressed various alpha1B and alpha1E chimeric Ca channels and examined their regulation by kappa-opioid receptors. Replacement of the first membrane-spanning domain of alpha1E with the corresponding region of alpha1B resulted in a chimeric Ca channel that was modulated by kappa-opioid receptors to a significantly greater extent than alpha1E. Transfer of the N terminus and I/II loop from alpha1B in addition to domain I resulted in a chimeric channel that was modulated to the same extent as alpha1B. Other regions of the molecule do not appear to contribute significantly to the degree of inhibition obtained, although the C terminus may contribute to facilitation.