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M Mishina

Publications and source records attributed to M Mishina.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

The AMPA receptor interacts with and signals through the protein tyrosine kinase Lyn.

Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system. The ionotropic glutamate receptors are classified into two groups, NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors and AMPA (alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate) receptors. The AMPA receptor is a ligand-gated cation channel that mediates the fast component of excitatory postsynaptic currents in the central nervous system. Here we report that AMPA receptors function not only as ion channels but also as cell-surface signal transducers by means of their interaction with the Src-family non-receptor protein tyrosine kinase Lyn. In the cerebellum, Lyn is physically associated with the AMPA receptor and is rapidly activated following stimulation of the receptor. Activation of Lyn is independent of Ca2+ and Na+ influx through AMPA receptors. As a result of activation of Lyn, the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathway is activated, and the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) messenger RNA is increased in a Lyn-kinase-dependent manner. Thus, AMPA receptors generate intracellular signals from the cell surface to the nucleus through the Lyn-MAPK pathway, which may contribute to synaptic plasticity by regulating the expression of BDNF.

Animals↗

Citron, a Rho-target, interacts with PSD-95/SAP-90 at glutamatergic synapses in the thalamus.

Proteins of the membrane-associated guanylate kinase family play an important role in the anchoring and clustering of neurotransmitter receptors in the postsynaptic density (PSD) at many central synapses. However, relatively little is known about how these multifunctional scaffold proteins might provide a privileged site for activity- and cell type-dependent specification of the postsynaptic signaling machinery. Rho signaling pathway has classically been implicated in mechanisms of axonal outgrowth, dendrogenesis, and cell migration during neural development, but its contribution remains unclear at the synapses in the mature CNS. Here, we present evidence that Citron, a Rho-effector in the brain, is enriched in the PSD fraction and interacts with PSD-95/synapse-associated protein (SAP)-90 both in vivo and in vitro. Citron colocalization with PSD-95 occurred, not exclusively but certainly, at glutamatergic synapses in a limited set of neurons, such as the thalamic excitatory neurons; Citron expression, however, could not be detected in the principal neurons of the hippocampus and the cerebellum in the adult mouse brain. In a heterologous system, Citron was shown to form a heteromeric complex not only with PSD-95 but also with NMDA receptors. Thus, Citron-PSD-95/SAP-90 interaction may provide a region- and cell type-specific link between the Rho signaling cascade and the synaptic NMDA receptor complex.

Animals↗

Preserved benzodiazepine receptors in Alzheimer's disease measured with C-11 flumazenil PET and I-123 iomazenil SPECT in comparison with CBF.

This study evaluates the regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) with H2(15)O-PET and the distribution of central benzodiazepine receptor (BZR) with C-11 flumazenil (FMZ) by PET and I-123 iomazenil (IMZ) by SPECT in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In AD, whereas the CBF was diminished in the frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital cortex, the distribution volume of FMZ and delayed activity of IMZ were relatively preserved in these cortices, suggesting that the BZR reduction, reflecting neuronal loss, is less prominent than the CBF suppression. The mini-mental state examination score (MMS) was weakly correlated with the CBF in the parietal cortex but not with BZR. It is speculated that the neuronal density reflected by BZR is less impaired than the neuronal function assessed with blood flow in the association cortex of AD. High correlation was found between the uptake of FMZ and the delayed activity of IMZ. The delayed image of IMZ-SPECT is clinically useful to evaluate the preservation of neuronal density in the affected temoporoparietal association cortex in AD.

Aged↗

Benzodiazepine receptor imaging with iomazenil SPECT in aphasic patients with cerebral infarction.

To investigate the relationship between prognosis of aphasia and neuronal damage in the cerebral cortex, we evaluated the distribution of central-type benzodiazepine receptor (BZR) binding in post-stroke aphasics with [123I]iomazenil and SPECT. We performed iomazenil SPECT in six aphasic patients (aged from 45 to 75 years; all right-handed) with unilateral left cerebral infarction. Three patients showed signs of Broca's aphasia and the other three Wernicke's aphasia. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) imaging was performed with [123I]iodoamphetamine (IMP). The regions of interest (ROIs) on both images were set in the cerebral cortex, cerebellar cortex and language-relevant area in both hemispheres. Three patients were classified in the mild prognosis group and the other three in the moderate prognosis group. The left language-relevant area was more closely concerned with the difference in aphasic symptoms than the right one in both BZR and CBF distribution, but the ipsilateral to the contralateral ratio (I/C ratio) in the language-relevant areas in the BZR distribution was significantly lower in the moderate prognosis group than in the mild prognosis group, although no difference was seen for these values between the two groups in the CBF distribution. These results suggest that BZR imaging, which makes possible an increase in neuronal cell viability in the cerebral cortex, is useful not only for clarifying the aphasic symptoms but also for evaluating the prognosis of aphasia in patients with cerebral infarction.

Aged↗

Phosphorylation-dependent interaction of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor epsilon 2 subunit with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase.

BACKGROUND: The NMDA receptors (NMDARs) are ion channels through which Ca2+ influx triggers various intracellular responses. Tyrosine phosphorylation of NMDARs regulates NMDA channel activities, which may be important in neuronal plasticity. The biological significance of the tyrosine phosphorylation events, however, differs among NMDAR subunits: tyrosine phosphorylation of NMDARepsilon1 increases NMDA channel activities, but that of NMDARepsilon2 does not. Since signal transductions from various cell surface receptors are mediated by protein-protein interaction through phosphotyrosine and the Src homology 2 (SH2) domain, we examined the possibility that phosphotyrosines in NMDARepsilon2 contribute to the intracellular signalling events. RESULTS: We first show that Fyn is deeply involved in the phosphorylation of NMDARepsilon2 and second that a phosphotyrosine in NMDARepsilon2 interacts with the p85 regulatory subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase). Both the level of tyrosine phosphorylation on NMDARepsilon2 and the amounts of the p85 subunit (p85) bound to NMDARepsilon2 are decreased in Fyn-deficient mice. Moreover, we show that ischaemia stimulates the binding of p85 to phosphorylated NMDARepsilon2, suggesting a physiological role of the phosphotyrosine/SH2-based interaction between NMDARepsilon2 and p85 in the brain. CONCLUSIONS: The tyrosine phosphorylation event on NMDARs is important in not only the regulation of its channel activity but also intracellular signalling mediated through the interaction of the NMDAR with SH2 domain-containing molecules.

Animals↗

Involvement of primary afferent C-fibres in touch-evoked pain (allodynia) induced by prostaglandin E2.

Nociceptive primary afferents have the capacity to induce a state of increased excitability in dorsal horn neurons of the spinal cord or central sensitization causing thermal hyperalgesia and touch-evoked pain (allodynia). It is believed that primary afferent C-fibres become hypersensitive and induce hyperalgesia and that low-threshold Abeta-fibres are responsible for induction of allodynia, the mechanisms of which remain elusive. We previously showed that intrathecal administration of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha) induce allodynia in conscious mice. Here we demonstrated that selective elimination of C-fibres by neonatal capsaicin treatment resulted in the disappearance of allodynia induced by PGE2, but not that by PGF2alpha. PGE2-induced allodynia was not observed in N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor epsilon1 subunit knockout mice and was sensitive to morphine. In contrast, PGF2alpha-induced allodynia was not observed in NMDA epsilon4 subunit knockout mice and was insensitive to morphine. Furthermore, while PGF2alpha showed a capsaicin-insensitive feeble facilitatory action on evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents in dorsal horn neurons, PGE2 induced a long-lasting facilitation of evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents in a capsaicin-sensitive manner. Taken together, the present study demonstrates that there are two pathways for induction of allodynia and that capsaicin-sensitive C-fibres may participate in PGE2-induced allodynia.

Afferent Pathways↗

Cerebellar activation during ataxic gait in olivopontocerebellar atrophy: a PET study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the possible abnormal regional brain metabolism during ataxic gait in olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA), and to evaluate the response of the cerebellar subregions to instability during bipedal gait. MATERIAL AND METHODS: On 9 patients with OPCA in early phase and on 10 age-matched normal subjects, we performed positron emission tomography (PET) with 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) under two different conditions: supine resting and 30 min treadmill walking. RESULTS: Both in normals and in patients with OPCA, the FDG uptake in the walking state (Uwalk) was significantly greater than that in the resting state (Urest) in the pyramis, declive-folium-tuber and culmen of the cerebellar vermis, and in the thalamus. In the patients, the Uwalk was also significantly greater than the Urest in the posterior lobe of cerebellar hemisphere and in the pons and midbrain. In the pyramis, the activation ratio (= Uwalk/Urest) of the patients was significantly lower than that of the normals. CONCLUSIONS: We considered that these findings reflect the pathophysiology of ataxic gait in OPCA patients and the compensatory mechanism for the instability during ataxic gait.

Adult↗

Diurnal variations of blood pressure in dogs.

Using the telemetry system, we measured the blood pressure (BP) invasively in seven adult mongrels while unanesthetized and unbound. Post-operative BP after implanting the telemetry BP transmitter showed temporarily high values due to the invasive nature of the surgery. It was, however, observed that BP gradually decreased thereafter, and showed settled trends from the eighth day post-operatively. When we took the average of the systolic, mean and diastolic BP at hourly intervals for each of the dogs once their BP had settled, a twin peak diurnal variation (at 8:00 and 19:00) was observed. Moreover, significantly high values (p < 0.05) were identified in active state compared with when sleeping or at rest. The 24 hr BP measured by the telemetry system in seven normal dogs resulted in the following values: systolic 123.4 +/- 7.9 mmHg, mean 91.1 +/- 5.6 mmHg, and diastolic 74.5 +/- 4.9 mmHg.

Animals↗

Attenuation of focal ischemic brain injury in mice deficient in the epsilon1 (NR2A) subunit of NMDA receptor.

The role of glutamate neurotoxicity in cerebral ischemia has long been advocated but still remains controversial, because various glutamate receptor (GluR) antagonists showed inconsistent protective efficacy in brain ischemia models. To address this central issue of ischemic brain damage more directly, we used mutant mice deficient in the GluRepsilon1 (NR2A) subunit of NMDA receptor with or without additional heterozygous mutation in the GluRepsilon2 (NR2B) subunit. Those mutant mice, as well as their littermates, were subjected to focal cerebral ischemia by introducing a 6-0 nylon suture from left common carotid artery. Brain injury volumes after 2 hr of suture insertion, as evaluated by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining at 24 hr after ischemia, revealed significantly smaller injury size in GluRepsilon1 subunit knock-out mice compared with their wild-type littermates. The reduction in injury volume was not attributable to differences in body temperature or in blood flow during ischemia. Additional heterozygous GluRepsilon2 subunit disruption did not result in further reduction in injury volume. These data directly demonstrate relevance of NMDA receptor-mediated tissue injury after brain ischemia and provide evidence that GluRepsilon1 subunit is involved in these injurious mechanisms.

Animals↗

Unilateral labyrinthectomy downregulates glutamate receptor delta-2 expression in the rat vestibulocerebellum.

The differential display method was applied to identify genes expression of which is altered in the flocculus after unilateral labyrinthectomy (UL). Total RNA from sham operated and labyrinthectomized rat flocculi was isolated, amplified by PCR using an arbitrary primer set and separated by electrophoresis on a polyacrylamide gel. PCR products the amounts of which were significantly lower in samples from labyrinthectomized animals than those from controls, were cut out of the gel and sequenced. One of the cDNA fragments showed 100% nucleotide sequence identity to the rat glutamate receptor (GluR) delta-2 subunit mRNA. In situ hybridization autoradiography showed that GluR delta-2 mRNA expression was intensely located to the floccular Purkinje cell layers. Furthermore, northern blot analysis showed that the delta-2 mRNA expression was decreased for at least two days after UL in accordance with diminishing UL-induced behavioral deficits. Therefore, it is suggested that the downregulation of delta-2 mRNA is involved in vestibular compensation. UL-induced spontaneous nystagmus (SN) was then examined in GluR delta-2 mutant mice. The frequency of SN in mutant mice was significantly more than that in wild mice until 12 h after UL. GluR delta-2-associated synaptic efficacy may be changed for the induction of vestibular compensation at the initial stage.

Animals↗

Increased thresholds for long-term potentiation and contextual learning in mice lacking the NMDA-type glutamate receptor epsilon1 subunit.

The NMDA-type glutamate receptor (GluR) channel, composed of the GluRepsilon and GluRzeta subunits, plays a key role in synaptic plasticity in the CNS. The mutant mice lacking the GluRepsilon1 subunit exhibited a reduction in hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP), but a stronger tetanic stimulation restored the impairment and the saturation level of LTP was unaltered. These results suggest an increase of threshold for LTP induction in the GluRepsilon1 mutant mice. After a series of backcrosses we established a GluRepsilon1 mutant mouse line with a 99.99% pure C57BL/6 genetic background. The performance of the mutant mice in tone- and context-dependent fear conditioning tests was comparable with that of the wild-type mice. However, a significant difference in the extent of contextual learning became apparent when the chamber exposure time before footshock was shortened. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in freezing responses immediately after footshock on the conditioning day between the wild-type and mutant mice, and the difference was not restored by longer chamber exposure in contrast to the contextual learning on the next day of the conditioning. These results suggest that the GluRepsilon1 subunit of the NMDA receptor channel is a determinant of thresholds for both hippocampal LTP and contextual learning and plays differential roles in two forms of contextual fear memories.

Animals↗

Auditory pathway and auditory brainstem response in mice lacking NMDA receptor epsilon 1 and epsilon 4 subunits.

There is considerable evidence that the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) is a component of excitatory amino acid synapses in the ascending auditory pathway. The availability of mice that are defective in NMDAR epsilon 1 or NMDAR epsilon 4 subunit paves the way for investigations on the role of this receptor in auditory function. Non-radioactive in situ hybridization was used in the parent C57/6J wild strain to determine if these subunits are normally expressed in cochlear nucleus (CN) and superior olivary complex (SOC) and to confirm their absence in the respective mutant mice. Evoked auditory brainstem response (ABR) to normal acoustic stimulation was investigated to assess function. In situ hybridization revealed the expression of NMDAR epsilon 1 and epsilon 4 subunits mRNAs in major neuronal types in the CN and SOC of the wild type mice while epsilon 1 and epsilon 4 expression were absent in their respective mutant mice. The ABR threshold for the epsilon 1 mutant mice was similar to that of wild type mice however the threshold for the epsilon 4 mutant mice was significantly elevated. These results suggest a role for the NMDAR epsilon 4 in normal auditory functions while the NMDAR epsilon 1 may have a less critical function under normal conditions.

Animals↗

Efficient mutagenesis of zebrafish by a DNA cross-linking agent.

We developed a novel procedure for efficient mutagenesis of zebrafish using a DNA cross-linking agent 4,5',8-trimethylpsoralen (TMP), which is known to frequently induce small deletions in Escherichia coli and Caenorhabditis elegans. A specific-locus test and pilot screenings indicated that the TMP mutagenesis procedure was efficient. To confirm the successful mutagenesis by TMP, we characterized mutants with selective impairments in the nervous system. The no tectal neuron mutation hindered the development of the tectal neurons, while the edawakare mutation resulted in the enhancement of the extension and branching of the peripheral axons of trigeminal ganglion and Rohon-Beard sensory neurons. These results suggest that the TMP mutagenesis will provide an efficient method to isolate and characterize zebrafish mutants at molecular level.

Animals↗

Efficient production of Cre-mediated site-directed recombinants through the utilization of the puromycin resistance gene, pac: a transient gene-integration marker for ES cells.

Gene targeting in embryonic stem (ES) cells is a powerful tool for generating mice carrying specifically designed mutations in the germline. Puromycin can completely kill ES cells within 24 to 48 h whereas G418 and hygromycin cannot. We have, therefore, proposed that the puromycin N-acetyltransferase ( pac ) gene, may be utilized as a transient gene-integration marker. Using a circular expression vector of cre and pac genes, Cre-mediated mutant cells were effectively enriched by pulse treatment of puromycin without stable integration of their genes. We have thus demonstrated the first application of pac as a transient gene-integration marker for ES cells.

Acetyltransferases↗

Metabolite analysis of [11C]flumazenil in human plasma: assessment as the standardized value for quantitative PET studies.

Analysis of carbon-11 labeled metabolites in plasma was carried out during positron emission tomography (PET) studies with a central benzodiazepine receptor ligand [11C]flumazenil ([11C]FMZ) in 24 human subjects (14-76 y.o.) including five normal volunteers and 19 patients with neurological disorders. Arterial plasma samples were obtained at 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 and 60 min after i.v. injection of the tracer, and were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. The rate of plasma [11C]FMZ degradation was associated with a large individual variation, but no significant difference was found in the degradation of [11C]FMZ either between male and female, young and old, or between normal subjects and patient groups. When the mean fraction of unchanged [11C]FMZ at each time point was used instead of individually measured metabolite data for the arterial input function, as much as a 30% error occurred in the distribution volume of the [11C]FMZ binding in the brain. These results indicate that the mean percentage of unchanged [11C]FMZ fraction in subjects cannot be used as the standardized value, and that the analysis of metabolites in plasma is necessary to determine the exact arterial input function for quantitative PET measurement.

Adolescent↗

Developmental expression of NMDA receptor subunits and the emergence of glutamate neurotoxicity in primary cultures of murine cerebral cortical neurons.

Using primary cultures of murine cerebral cortices, we investigated the developmental expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunits in relation to the appearance of NMDA receptor-mediated glutamate neurotoxicity. The cultures were not affected by glutamate exposure on culture days 7-9, but became sensitive to glutamate neurotoxicity on day 11. The expression of NMDA receptor subunit messenger RNAs (mRNAs) was investigated by means of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The epsilon 3-NR2C and epsilon 4-NR2D transcripts could not be detected in the culture. The epsilon 2-NR2B and zeta 1-NR1 subunit mRNAs, on the other hand, could be detected clearly and continuously from the culture initiation, and the epsilon 1-NR2A subunit mRNA became clearly detectable on culture day 4. The expression of these three subunits' proteins in the glutamate-insensitive stage (culture day 8) and the sensitive stage (day 11) were studied by means of Western blotting. The epsilon 2-NR2B and zeta 1-NR1 subunit proteins were clearly expressed on culture days 8 and 11, but the epsilon 1-NR2A subunit protein could hardly be detected on either day 8 or day 11. These results suggest that the glutamate neurotoxicity in the primary culture was mediated mainly by epsilon 2/zeta 1 NMDA receptors. The time lag between the protein expression of the epsilon 2-NR2B and zeta 1-NR1 subunits and the emergence of glutamate neurotoxicity may be necessary for the maturation of functional NMDA receptor systems, including heteromeric receptor formation, increase in receptor density and maturation of the postreceptor signal transduction system.

Animals↗

Telomerase activity in adrenal cortical tumors and pheochromocytomas with reference to clinicopathologic features.

Telomeres consist of short repeated sequences that are shortened on continuous cell proliferations and synthesized by telomerase, an RNA-dependent DNA polymerase. Recent molecular studies have reported that telomerase is activated in most human cancers, whereas it is not detected in most somatic cells. These findings indicate that the positive telomerase activity is closely related to the malignant potential of human tumors. In several types of human tumors, including adrenal cortical tumors and pheochromocytomas, it is very difficult to predict the malignant potential using conventional histopathologic examination. To determine whether telomerase activity is useful as a diagnostic marker, we examined telomerase activity in adrenal cortical tumors and pheochromocytomas with special reference to their clinicopathologic features. Using a highly sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based detection method, telomerase activity was demonstrated in one of 13 adrenal cortical tumors and two of seven pheochromocytomas, whereas all seven normal portions of adrenal gland failed to showed any telomerase activity. Although none of the tumors examined in this study was associated with metastasis, these three telomerase-positive tumors were accompanied by clinicopathologic features suggesting malignant potential. Telomerase activity might be a potential marker for estimating the biologic characteristics of adrenal cortical tumors and pheochromocytomas.

Adolescent↗