Interaction with neuronal calcium sensor NCS-1 mediates desensitization of the D2 dopamine receptor

Dopaminergic transmission within limbic regions of the brain is highly dependent on the regulation of D2 receptor activity. Here we show that the neuronal calcium sensor-1 (NCS-1) can mediate desensitization of D2 dopamine receptors. Analysis of D2 receptors expressed in human embryonic kidney 293 cells indicates that NCS-1 attenuates agonist-induced receptor internalization via a mechanism that involves a reduction in D2 receptor phosphorylation. This effect of NCS-1 was accompanied by an increase in D2 receptor-mediated cAMP inhibition after dopamine stimulation. The ability of NCS-1 to modulate D2 receptor signaling was abolished after a single amino acid mutation in NCS-1 that has been shown to impair the calcium-binding properties of NCS-1. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments from striatal neurons reveal that NCS-1 is found in association with both the D2 receptor and G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 2, a regulator of D2 receptor desensitization. Colocalization of NCS-1 and D2 receptors was examined in both primate and rodent brain. In striatum, NCS-1 and D2 receptors were found to colocalize within sites of synaptic transmission and in close proximity to intracellular calcium stores. NCS-1-D2 receptor interaction may serve to couple dopamine and calcium signaling pathways, thereby providing a critical component in the regulation of dopaminergic signaling in normal and diseased brain.

Dopamine D2 and D3 receptors are linked to the actin cytoskeleton via interaction with filamin A

We have used a yeast two-hybrid approach to uncover protein interactions involving the D2-like subfamily of dopamine receptors. Using the third intracellular loop of the D2S and D3 dopamine receptors as bait to screen a human brain cDNA library, we identified filamin A (FLN-A) as a protein that interacts with both the D2 and D3 subtypes. The interaction with FLN-A was specific for the D2 and D3 receptors and was independently confirmed in pull-down and coimmunoprecipitation experiments. Deletion mapping localized the dopamine receptor-FLN-A interaction to the N-terminal segment of the D2 and D3 dopamine receptors and to repeat 19 of FLN-A. In cultures of dissociated rat striatum, FLN-A and D2 receptors colocalized throughout neuronal somata and processes as well as in astrocytes. Expression of D2 dopamine receptors in FLN-A-deficient M2 melanoma cells resulted in predominant intracellular localization of the D2 receptors, whereas in FLN-A-reconstituted cells, the D2 receptor was predominantly localized at the plasma membrane. These results suggest that FLN-A may be required for proper cell surface expression of the D2 dopamine receptors. Association of D2 and D3 dopamine receptors with FLN-A provides a mechanism whereby specific dopamine receptor subtypes may be functionally linked to downstream signaling components via the actin cytoskeleton.

Prefrontal activation evoked by infrequent target and novel stimuli in a visual target detection task: an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging study

An event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging study of prefrontal cortex was conducted during which subjects performed a visual "oddball" target detection task. Exemplars of three stimulus categories were presented at a rate of one per 1.5 sec for 10 runs, each consisting of 132 trials. Standards were color squares of varying sizes that were presented on approximately 92% of trials. Targets were color circles of varying sizes presented irregularly on approximately 4% of trials. Novels were pictures of everyday objects that were also presented irregularly on approximately 4% of trials. Ten subjects participated in two separate sessions in which they were required to count mentally or to push a button whenever a target appeared. Targets evoked activation within prefrontal cortex, primarily within the middle frontal gyri (MFG). This MFG activation did not differ as a function of the required response. Novels did not evoke significant activity within this region despite evidence from a separate behavioral and event-related potential study demonstrating their strong influence on processing. In additional imaging sessions with two subjects, the rules were reversed to require a button press whenever an object, but not a circle, appeared. These former novels now evoked activation in the MFG, but the former target circles did not. These experiments indicate that MFG activation is reliably evoked by exemplars from arbitrary stimulus categories that are mapped by experimental rules onto an arbitrary covert or overt response.

Dissociation of mnemonic and perceptual processes during spatial and nonspatial working memory using fMRI

Neuroimaging studies in humans have consistently found robust activation of frontal, parietal, and temporal regions during working memory tasks. Whether these activations represent functional networks segregated by perceptual domain is still at issue. Two functional magnetic resonance imaging experiments were conducted, both of which used multiple-cycle, alternating task designs. Experiment 1 compared spatial and object working memory tasks to identify cortical regions differentially activated by these perceptual domains. Experiment 2 compared working memory and perceptual control tasks within each of the spatial and object domains to determine whether the regions identified in experiment 1 were driven primarily by the perceptual or mnemonic demands of the tasks, and to identify common brain regions activated by working memory in both perceptual domains. Domain-specific activation occurred in the inferior parietal cortex for spatial tasks, and in the inferior occipitotemporal cortex for object tasks, particularly in the left hemisphere. However, neither area was strongly influenced by task demands, being nearly equally activated by the working memory and perceptual control tasks. In contrast, activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) was strongly task-related. Spatial working memory primarily activated the right middle frontal gyrus (MFG) and the IPS. Object working memory activated the MFG bilaterally, the left inferior frontal gyrus, and the IPS, particularly in the left hemisphere. Finally, activation of midline posterior regions, including the cingulate gyrus, occurred at the offset of the working memory tasks, particularly the shape task. These results support a prominent role of the prefrontal and parietal cortices in working memory, and indicate that spatial and object working memory tasks recruit differential hemispheric networks. The results also affirm the distinction between spatial and object perceptual processing in dorsal and ventral visual pathways.

Dual signaling regulated by calcyon, a D1 dopamine receptor interacting protein

The synergistic response of cells to the stimulation of multiple receptors has been ascribed to receptor cross talk; however, the specific molecules that mediate the resultant signal amplification have not been defined. Here a 24-kilodalton single transmembrane protein, designated calcyon, we functionally characterize that interacts with the D1 dopamine receptor. Calcyon localizes to dendritic spines of D1 receptor-expressing pyramidal cells in prefrontal cortex. These studies delineate a mechanism of Gq- and Gs-coupled heterotrimeric GTP-binding protein-coupled receptor cross talk by which D1 receptors can shift effector coupling to stimulate robust intracellular calcium (Ca2+i) release as a result of interaction with calcyon. The role of calcyon in potentiating Ca2+-dependent signaling should provide insight into the D1 receptor-modulated cognitive functions of prefrontal cortex.

Cerebral cortical hyperactivation in response to mental stress in patients with coronary artery disease

The central nervous system (CNS) effects of mental stress in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) are unexplored. The present study used positron emission tomography (PET) to measure brain correlates of mental stress induced by an arithmetic serial subtraction task in CAD and healthy subjects. Mental stress resulted in hyperactivation in CAD patients compared with healthy subjects in several brain areas including the left parietal cortex [angular gyrus/parallel sulcus (area 39)], left anterior cingulate (area 32), right visual association cortex (area 18), left fusiform gyrus, and cerebellum. These same regions were activated within the CAD patient group during mental stress versus control conditions. In the group of healthy subjects, activation was significant only in the left inferior frontal gyrus during mental stress compared with counting control. Decreases in blood flow also were produced by mental stress in CAD versus healthy subjects in right thalamus (lateral dorsal, lateral posterior), right superior frontal gyrus (areas 32, 24, and 10), and right middle temporal gyrus (area 21) (in the region of the auditory association cortex). Of particular interest, a subgroup of CAD patients that developed painless myocardial ischemia during mental stress had hyperactivation in the left hippocampus and inferior parietal lobule (area 40), left middle (area 10) and superior frontal gyrus (area 8), temporal pole, and visual association cortex (area 18), and a concomitant decrease in activation observed in the anterior cingulate bilaterally, right middle and superior frontal gyri, and right visual association cortex (area 18) compared with CAD patients without myocardial ischemia. These findings demonstrate an exaggerated cerebral cortical response and exaggerated asymmetry to mental stress in individuals with CAD.

A robust point-matching algorithm for autoradiograph alignment

We present a novel method for the geometric alignment of autoradiographs of the brain. The method is based on finding the spatial mapping and the one-to-one correspondences (or homologies) between point features extracted from the images and rejecting non-homologies as outliers. In this way, we attempt to account for the local, natural and artifactual differences between the autoradiograph slices. We have used the resulting automated algorithm on a set of left prefrontal cortex autoradiograph slices, specifically demonstrated its ability to perform point outlier rejection, validated its robustness property using synthetically generated spatial mappings and provided an anecdotal visual comparison with the well-known iterated closest-point (ICP) algorithm. Visualization of a stack of aligned left prefrontal cortex autoradiograph slices is also provided.

Dual role of substance P/GABA axons in cortical neurotransmission: synaptic triads on pyramidal cell spines and basket-like innervation of layer II-III calbindin interneurons in primate prefrontal cortex

In spite of accumulating evidence on the potent neuromodulatory, neuroprotective, trophic and memory-enhancing effects of the neuropeptide substance P (SP) in the cerebral cortex, the excitatory or inhibitory nature of the cortical SP innervation remains unclear and the postsynaptic targets of SP fibers are not defined. To obtain further insight into these issues, we have examined SP-containing axons and their postsynaptic targets in the prefrontal cortex of adult monkeys with single- and double label immunocytochemistry combined with light and correlated electron microscopy. SP fibers in the primate prefrontal cortex, unlike those in the rat cortex, preferentially innervate cortical layers I, II and upper layer III. Our results demonstrate for the first time that all SP-immunoreactive boutons in all cortical layers contain GABA. Of the entire sample of SP boutons, 53% synapse on dendritic shafts, 39% on dendritic spines and 8% on cell bodies. Another new finding is that synapse-forming SP boutons, in addition to their known innervation of pyramidal cells, form pericellular baskets around interneurons in layers II and upper III, a subpopulation of which contains calbindin D28k. Finally, the study also revealed that SP boutons frequently participate in 'synaptic triads' with spines which receive another (asymmetric, putatively excitatory amino acid-utilizing) synapse. Our findings indicate that SP/GABA axons in the primate prefrontal cortex modulate excitatory amino acid-mediated neurotransmission and control feed-forward disinhibitory GABAergic circuits in supragranular cortical layers.

Workshop on schizophrenia

On November 29-30, 1995, the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine brought together experts in schizophrenia and specialists in other areas of the biological sciences in a workshop aimed at promoting the application of the latest biological information to this clinical problem. The workshop paid particular attention to evidence of pathology in the brains of people with schizophrenia, and to the possibility that this reflects an abnormality in brain development that eventually leads to the appearance of symptoms. The participants were impressed with the complexity of the problem, and felt that multiple approaches would be required to understand this disease. They recommended that a major focus should be on the search for predisposing genes, but that there should be parallel research in many other areas.

Infrequent events transiently activate human prefrontal and parietal cortex as measured by functional MRI

P300 is an event-related potential elicited by infrequent target events whose amplitude is dependent on the context provided by the immediately preceding sequence of stimuli, suggesting its dependence on working memory. We employed magnetic resonance imaging sequences sensitive to blood oxygenation level to identify regional changes evoked by infrequent visual target stimuli presented in a task typically used to elicit P300. Targets evoked transient event-related activation bilaterally in the middle frontal gyrus, in the inferior parietal lobe, and near the inferior aspect of the posterior cingulate gyrus beginning within 1.5 s of target onset and peaking between 4.5 and 6 s. These regions have been identified in previous neuroimaging studies in humans, and in single-unit recordings in monkeys, as components of a neural system mediating working memory, which suggests that this system may be activated by the same events that evoke P300.

Activation of human prefrontal cortex during spatial and nonspatial working memory tasks measured by functional MRI

Separate working memory domains for spatial location, and for objects, faces, and patterns, have been identified in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of nonhuman primates. We have used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine whether spatial and nonspatial visual working memory processes are similarly dissociable in human PFC. Subjects performed tasks which required them to remember either the location or shape of successive visual stimuli. We found that the mnemonic component of the working memory tasks affected the hemispheric pattern of PFC activation. The spatial (LOCATION) working memory task preferentially activated the middle frontal gyrus (MFG) in the right hemisphere, while the nonspatial (SHAPE) working memory task activated the MFG in both hemispheres. Furthermore, the area of activation in the left hemisphere extended into the inferior frontal gyrus for nonspatial SHAPE task. A perceptual target (DOT) detection task also activated the MFG bilaterally, but at a level approximately half that of the working memory tasks. The activation in the MFG occurred within 3-6 s of task onset and declined following task offset. Time-course analysis revealed a different pattern for cingulate gyrus, in which activation occurred upon task completion. Cingulate gyrus activation was greatest following the SHAPE task and was greater in the left hemisphere. The present results support the prominent role of the PFC and, specifically, the MFG in working memory, and indicate that the mnemonic content of the task affects the relative weighting of hemispheric activation.

Distribution and neurochemical character of substance P receptor (SPR)-immunoreactive striatal neurons of the macaque monkey: accumulation of SP fibers and SPR neurons and dendrites in "striocapsules" encircling striosomes

The striatal distribution of the substance P receptor (SPR) protein was examined in relation to its ligand, the neuro-peptide SP, as well as to the neurochemical and compartmental composition of the neostriatum in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) in immunohistochemical experiments. About 2% of striatal neurons, displaying varicose, virtually spine-free dendrites characteristic of large and medium-sized aspiny interneurons, expressed SPR immunoreactivity. SPR/choline acetyltransferase, SPR/somatostatin, SPR/GABA, SPR/calbindin D28k, and SPR/parvalbumin double immunolabeling experiments demonstrated that SPR-positive cells are either cholinergic or somatostatinergic. Comparison of SP and SPR immunoreactivities in double-labeled and adjacent single-labeled sections revealed compartment-specific match and mismatch between the densities of the peptide and receptor. A matching high density of SP fibers and SPR cells and dendrites was only observed in the rim of the striosome compartments. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence for an anatomical border comprised of dendritic processes that separate striatal compartments. We have termed these zones "striocapsules," because they encircle and encapsulate striosomal cell islands. In the striatal matrix, an abundance of SPR-labeled profiles was complemented with light SP staining. By contrast, in the core of the striosomes, SPR labeling was sparse and SP staining intense. SP-positive axon-like puncta frequently contacted SPR-positive dendrites in all striatal compartments. The SP receptor/ligand match indicates a sharp increase in the efficacy of SP action in the striocapsules, and suggests that the influence of SP might be heightened in this striatal subcompartment.

Presynaptic and postsynaptic subcellular localization of substance P receptor immunoreactivity in the neostriatum of the rat and rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta)

The substance P receptor (SPR) gene is expressed at high levels in basal ganglia, but the paucity of information about localization of the encoded receptor protein has limited our understanding of this peptide's involvement in cellular and subcellular mechanisms in this region. Morphological evidence in the rodent striatum indicates that SPRs are expressed in postsynaptic neuronal elements, while pharmacological studies suggest the existence of presynaptic SPRs in this structure. We have examined the issue of subcellular distribution of this receptor protein in rat and primate neostriatal tissue, employing an antiserum raised against SPR. Electron microscopic analysis revealed that SPR immunoreactivity is present in presynaptic and postsynaptic neuronal elements in both species. In agreement with earlier studies, SPR immunoreactivity was found predominantly in perikarya and dendrites of a small subset of striatal neurons, the large and medium-sized aspiny interneurons. In addition, a small but significant proportion of the immunoreaction product was localized in presynaptic profiles, both in axons and axon terminals. The majority of SPR immunoreactive boutons formed asymmetric synapses with dendrites and dendritic spines. The association of SPRs with asymmetric synapses provides a morphological substrate for peptidergic modulation of excitatory neurotransmission of extrastriatal origin. A minor proportion of immunolabeled axons established symmetric synaptic junctions with unlabeled dendrites. The presence of SPRs in these synapses suggests a presynaptic peptidergic modulation of intrinsic striatal transmitter systems. The observations in this study also indicate that SPR mediates a complex combination of postsynaptic and presynaptic effects on acetylcholine release in the mammalian striatum.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging of human prefrontal cortex activation during a spatial working memory task

High-speed magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was used to detect activation in the human prefrontal cortex induced by a spatial working memory task modeled on those used to elucidate neuronal circuits in nonhuman primates. Subjects were required to judge whether the location occupied by the current stimulus had been occupied previously over a sequence of 14 or 15 stimuli presented in various locations. Control tasks were similar in all essential respects, except that the subject's task was to detect when one of the stimuli presented was colored red (color detection) or when a dot briefly appeared within the stimulus (dot detection). In all tasks, two to three target events occurred randomly. The MR signal increased in an area of the middle frontal gyrus corresponding to Brodmann's area 46 in all eight subjects performing the spatial working memory task. Right hemisphere activation was greater and more consistent than left. The MR signal change occurred within 6-9 sec of task onset and declined within a similar period after task completion. An increase in MR signal was also noted in the control tasks, but the magnitude of change was less than that recorded in the working memory task. These differences were replicated when testing was repeated in five of the original subjects. The localization of spatial working memory function in humans to a circumscribed area of the middle frontal gyrus supports the compartmentalization of working memory functions in the human prefrontal cortex and the localization of spatial memory processes to comparable areas in humans and nonhuman primates.

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

We studied two patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease by in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy and obtained spectra from an extract of biopsy tissue from a third patient. In vivo spectra from the two patients, 3 months and less than 1 month after symptom onset, revealed only minor changes. A second study of one of the patients 10 months after symptom onset found a decrease in N-acetylaspartate and other metabolites. Spectroscopy of the biopsy extract obtained 4 months after onset of symptoms showed no reduction in metabolites measured by in vivo spectroscopy, in accord with quantitative pathology showing no overall neuronal loss. Changes in metabolites detectable by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy are not an early feature of this disease.

Immunocytochemical localization of DARPP-32, a dopamine and cyclic-AMP-regulated phosphoprotein, in the primate brain

The localization of DARPP-32, a dopamine and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein, has been studied in monkey brain by immunocytochemistry. This study indicates that DARPP-32 is enriched in neurons in regions receiving a dense dopamine input from the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area. Thus, the majority of somata in the anterior olfactory area, nucleus accumbens, caudate nucleus, and putamen are immunoreactive for DARPP-32. In the caudate nucleus, immunoreactive spines receive asymmetric contacts from unlabeled axon terminals. Immunoreactive somata have diameters of 10-15 microns. In regions known to receive projections from these nuclei, immunoreactivity is confined to small puncta that represent axons and axon terminals. Regions in which immunoreactivity is present in puncta include the ventral pallidum, globus pallidus, and substantia nigra pars reticulata. Dopaminergic neurons themselves are not immunoreactive. Neurons containing moderate to weak immunoreactivity for DARPP-32 are observed in portions of the cerebral cortex, particularly in the temporal cortex (layer VI). DARPP-32-positive neurons are also present in the cerebellum, in the medial habenula, and in portions of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and amygdaloid complex. DARPP-32 immunoreactivity is also present in astrocytes in the subcortical white matter and in tanycytes in the arcuate nucleus and median eminence. DARPP-32 may be an effective marker for dopaminoceptive neurons in which the actions of dopamine on the D-1 dopamine receptor are mediated through cAMP and its associated protein kinase.

Development and plasticity of the primate cerebral cortex

The results of our studies of corticocortical connectivity in developing monkey association cortex contrast with those obtained in similar studies of sensory regions in other species. In association areas of the monkey, these connections emerge very early in development, and many of the details of their organization are well specified from their earliest appearance. The presence of an adultlike pattern of organization a full month before birth suggests that these events probably are determined in large part by forces independent of general environmental stimulation, unlike the pattern seen for sensory regions in the cat. Do these differences reflect variations between species or between the development of sensory and nonsensory regions of the cortex? The answer is probably both. Our results suggest that diverse areas of the brain may differ in the extent to which they respond to environmental influences. For example, many of the organizational features that apparently emerge from an initially diffuse organization in sensory areas appear to be more strictly specified in their initial formation in the prefrontal cortex. However, we should not rule out the possibility that many of the features of connectional organization that are responsive to the environment in the sensory areas (e.g., the distribution of corticocortical neurons) develop in the prefrontal cortex during the prenatal period and therefore may simply be buffered from the effects of environmental stimuli. In addition, many aspects of the circuitry of the prefrontal cortex clearly continue to develop well into the postnatal period and may be subject to modification by experience. Among these are the organization and density of synaptic contacts and the elaboration of dendritic surfaces. Although relatively little is known concerning the response of these features to stimulation in the prefrontal cortex, studies from sensory areas suggest that these may be good candidates for modification by external interventions. The text of this paper was taken from a presentation given at the 1986 Johnson and Johnson Pediatric Roundtable. In the period between the original talk and the publication of this article, several studies have emerged on the development of corticocortical connectivity in sensory cortical regions of nonhuman primates. In agreement with our data in the monkey prefrontal cortex, these studies have also found that the distribution of callosal neurons in the somatosensory and visual cortices is adultlike at least 1 month prior to birth.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Region-specific distribution of catecholamine afferents in primate cerebral cortex: a fluorescence histochemical analysis

The density, laminar distribution, spatial orientation, and intrahemispheric pathways of norepinephrine (NE)- and dopamine (DA)- containing axons were analyzed in a wide range of cytoarchitectonically distinct areas of cerebral cortex in the adult rhesus monkey by fluorescence histochemistry. Although the boundaries between most areas were rarely sharp, there were marked regional differences in density and distribution of monoamine afferents in different cortical regions. Fibers exhibiting typical DA-like morphology were found only in the temporal and frontal lobes including motor and premotor areas as well as anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortices. In contrast, NE-containing axons were present in all cerebral lobes, with notably high density in the somatosensory area and low numbers in primary visual cortex. Intracerebral distribution was characterized by a network of large preterminal axons coursing both anteroposteriorly and mediolaterally in layer VI and in the subjacent white matter. In most cytoarchitectonic regions examined, catecholamine (CA)-containing axons exhibited a bilaminar distribution into one superficial and one deep fiber band. The location and width of the two dense bands, as well as the orientation and relative density of fibers within them, was region specific. Although fluorescent axons were found at all cortical depths, layers I, and IV usually contained relatively few fluorescent axons while layers II-III and IV-V were often densely innervated. An observation that may reflect a specialization in gyrencephalic brains is the particularly dense CA innervation around sulcal invaginations in all cerebral lobes. The present results confirm previous biochemical evidence of regional heterogeneity in the concentration of DA and NE in the primate neocortex (Brown and Goldman, '77:Brain Res. 124:576-550) an provide the first anatomical demonstration of corresponding differences in the pattern and density of CA innervation in diverse cytoarchitectonic areas in rhesus monkey. These findings raise the possibility of selective targets and functions for CA fibers in different layers and regions of the primate cortex.