PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Patrick Carroll

Publications and source records attributed to Patrick Carroll.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Gene profiling during development and after a peripheral nerve traumatism reveals genes specifically induced by injury in dorsal root ganglia.

In order to shed light on transcriptional networks involved in adult peripheral nerve repair program, we propose for the first time an organization of the transcriptional dynamics of the mouse dorsal root ganglia (DRG) following a sciatic nerve lesion. This was done by a non-hierarchical bioinformatical clustering of four Serial Analysis of Gene Expression libraries performed on DRG at embryonic day E13, neonatal day P0, adult and adult 3 days post-sciatic nerve section. Grouping genes according to their expression profiles shows that a combination of down-regulation of genes expressed at the adult stages, re-expression of embryonic genes and induction of a set of de novo genes takes place in injured neurons. Focusing on this latter event highlights Ddit3, Timm8b and Oazin as potential new injury-induced molecular actors involved in a stress response pathway. Their association with the traumatic state was confirmed by real-time PCR and in situ hybridization investigations. Clustering analysis allows us to distinguish developmental re-programming events from nerve-injury-induced processes and thus provides a basis for molecular understanding of transcriptional alterations taking place in the DRG after a sciatic nerve lesion.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Expression of Drosophila BarH1-H2 homeoproteins in developing dopaminergic cells and segmental nerve a (SNa) motoneurons.

Barh1/h2 genes encode two related homeobox transcription factors (B-H1 and B-H2) previously shown to play essential roles in the formation and specification of the distal leg segments and in retinal neurogenesis. Here we describe the restricted expression pattern of the B-H1/-H2 homeoprotein within the embryonic ventral nerve cord of Drosophila. We show that B-H1/-H2 are specifically expressed in a subset of dopaminergic neurons, namely the unpaired ventral midline dopaminergic neuron, and in a subpopulation of laterally projecting motoneurons, i.e. the five motoneurons forming the segmental nerve a (SNa) branch. Using the GAL4-UAS system we show that B-H1/-H2(Gal4) in combination with a membrane-targeted enhanced green fluorescent protein reporter line provides a powerful genetic tool reproducibly to label SNa motoneuron projections and terminals at the periphery, and their dendritic tree in the ventral nerve cord. Thus, the highly restricted expression pattern of the B-H1/-H2 homeoproteins and notably the related Gal4 driver represent powerful genetic tools to identify and study genes that control axon guidance, synaptogenesis or dendritic arborization within a small subpopulation of motoneurons identifiable from embryogenesis to late larval stages.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Silanediol inhibitors of angiotensin-converting enzyme. Synthesis and evaluation of four diastereomers of Phe[Si]Ala dipeptide analogues.

Four stereoisomers of a Phe-Ala silanediol dipeptide mimic have been evaluated as inhibitors of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and compared to ketone-based inhibitors reported by Almquist et al. One stereogenic center of the isomers was derived from the individual enantiomers of methyl 3-hydroxy-2-methylpropionate, with separation of diastereomers after introduction of the second stereogenic center. The diastereomeric identities were established by X-ray crystallography of an intermediate. Inhibition of ACE by three of the silanediol diastereomers (IC(50) = 3.8-207 nM) closely paralleled that of the corresponding diastereomeric ketones (IC(50) = 1.0-46 nM). The fourth diastereomer, corresponding to the least inhibitory ketone (IC(50) = 3200 nM), exhibited an unexpected level of inhibition in the silanediol (IC(50) = 72 nM), suggesting an alternative mode of binding to the enzyme.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors↗
PubMed2005

Reelin signaling is necessary for a specific step in the migration of hindbrain efferent neurons.

The cytoarchitecture of the hindbrain results from precise and co-ordinated sequences of neuronal migrations. Here, we show that reelin, an extracellular matrix protein involved in neuronal migration during CNS development, is necessary for an early, specific step in the migration of several hindbrain nuclei. We identified two cell populations not previously known to be affected in reeler mutants that show a common migratory defect: the olivocochlear efferent neurons and the facial visceral motor nucleus. In control embryos, these cells migrate first toward a lateral position within the neural tube, and then parallel to the glial cell processes, to a ventral position where they settle close to the pial surface. In reeler mutants, the first migration is not affected, but the neurons are unable to reach the pial surface and remain in an ectopic position. Indeed, this is the first evidence that the migration of specific hindbrain nuclei can be divided into two parts: a reelin-independent and a reelin-dependent migration. We also show that reelin is expressed at high levels at the final destination of the migratory process, while the reelin intracellular effector Dab1 was expressed by cell groups that included the two populations affected. Mice mutant at the Dab1 locus, called scrambler, exhibit the same phenotype, a failure of final migration. However, examination of mice lacking both reelin receptors, ApoER2 and VLDLR, did not reveal the same phenotype, suggesting involvement of an additional reelin-binding receptor. In the hindbrain, reelin signaling might alter the adhesive properties of efferent neurons and their ability to respond to directional cues, as has been suggested for the migration of olfactory bulb precursors.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Role of T-type calcium current in identified D-hair mechanoreceptor neurons studied in vitro.

Different subsets of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) mechanoreceptors transduce low- and high-intensity mechanical stimuli. It was shown recently that, in vivo, neurotrophin-4 (NT-4)-dependent D-hair mechanoreceptors specifically express a voltage-activated T-type calcium channel (Ca(v)3.2) that may be required for their mechanoreceptive function. Here we show that D-hair mechanoreceptors can be identified in vitro by a rosette-like morphology in the presence of NT-4 and that these rosette neurons are almost all absent in DRG cultures taken from NT-4 knock-out mice. In vitro identification of the D-hair mechanoreceptor allowed us to explore the electrophysiological properties of these cells. We demonstrate that the T-type Ca(v)3.2 channel induced slow membrane depolarization that contributes to lower the voltage threshold for action potential generation and controls spike latency after stimulation of D-hair mechanoreceptors. Indeed, the properties of the T-type amplifier are particularly well suited to explain the high sensitivity of D-hair mechanoreceptors to slowly moving stimuli.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed2004

Ruthenium complexes as protein kinase inhibitors.

[reaction: see text] Replacing complex natural products with simple metal complexes could lead to a new class of metallopharmaceuticals in which the metal center plays mainly a structural role. A strategy is introduced for the creation of ruthenium complex-based protein kinase inhibitors 1 (X = CO or CH(2)), morphed out of the class of indolocarbazole inhibitors with the alkaloid staurosporine as its most prominent member.

Carbazoles↗
PubMed2004

Coronin-1 expression in T lymphocytes: insights into protein function during T cell development and activation.

Coronin has been described as an actin-binding protein of Dictyostelium discoideum, and it has been demonstrated to play a role in cell migration, cytokinesis and phagocytosis. Coronin-related proteins are found in many eukaryotic species, including Coronin-1 in mammals whose expression is enriched in the hematopoietic tissues. Here, we characterize Coronin-1 gene and protein expression in mouse embryonic and adult T lymphocytes. Coronin-1 is expressed throughout T cell ontogeny and in peripheral alphabeta T cells. Expression varies along thymic cell development, with maximum levels observed in embryonic early thymocytes and, in the adults, the selected TCRalphabeta(+) single-positive thymocytes. Subcellular localization analysis indicates that Coronin-1 is in equilibrium between the cytosol and the cell cortex, where it accumulates in F-actin-rich membrane protrusions induced by polarized activation of TCR-CD3-stimulated T cells. These data are consistent with a role of Coronin-1 in T cell differentiation/activation events involving membrane dynamisms and the cortical actin cytoskeleton.

Actins↗
PubMed2003

Changes in subcellular distribution of protocadherin gamma proteins accompany maturation of spinal neurons.

Protocadherins gamma (Pcdhgamma) are a family of transmembrane proteins in which variable extracellular domains are associated with an invariant cytoplasmic domain, potentially allowing these proteins to trigger common cellular responses through diverse extracellular signals. We studied the expression of the family by in situ hybridisation and immunohistochemistry for the conserved portion of the mRNA or protein. During mouse development, Pcdhgamma expression is highest in neural tissues, but is also present in some nonneural tissues. In the adult, Pcdhgamma expression is maintained at high levels in brain, in particular in hippocampus and in the Purkinje cells of the cerebellum, whereas it is downregulated in spinal cord. Using antibodies against the conserved cytoplasmic domain, we show that in cultured embryonic spinal cord neurons, Pcdhgamma protein is present initially in both axonal and dendritic growth cones. At later stages of differentiation in vitro, Pcdhgamma distribution becomes polarised to the somatodendritic compartment. We propose that members of the Pcdhgamma family may play roles in neuronal growth and maturation.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Insight into the mechanism of the asymmetric addition of alkyl groups to aldehydes catalyzed by titanium-BINOLate species.

The asymmetric addition of alkyl groups to aldehydes catalyzed by BINOLate-titanium complexes has become the testing grounds to evaluate the potential of new BINOL-based ligands. We have investigated the mechanism of this reaction and report our findings here. Model systems for the open form of the catalyst, (BINOLate)[Ti(O-i-Pr)(3)](2), based on mono-oxygen-alkylated BINOL ligands have been examined. Comparison of the reactivity and enantioselectivity of the mono-alkyl BINOL derivatives with those of BINOL indicate that the open form of the catalyst, (BINOLate)[Ti(O-i-Pr)(3)](2), is not active in the asymmetric addition reaction. Several BINOLate-titanium complexes have been synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystallography. These include the dinuclear (BINOLate)Ti(O-i-Pr)(2).Ti(O-i-Pr)(4), which contains a bridging naphtholate and isopropoxy group, trinuclear (BINOLate)Ti(O-i-Pr)(2).[Ti(O-i-Pr)(4)](2), and trimeric [(BINOL)Ti(O-i-Pr)(2)](3). The solid-state and solution structures reported here indicate that (BINOLate)Ti(O-i-Pr)(2) prefers to bind to titanium tetraisopropoxide rather than to itself, explaining why no nonlinear effects are observed in the catalytic reaction. Additionally, experimental evidence suggests that the BINOLate-titanium species responsible for the catalytic and stoichiometric asymmetric addition reactions are different, indicating that the proposed intermediate, (BINOLate)Ti(R)(aldehyde)(O-i-Pr), is not involved in either of these processes. Reactions were examined using different sources of the alkyl group [ZnMe(2) or MeTi(O-i-Pr)(3)]. Under similar conditions, it was found that the product ee's were the same, independent of whether ZnMe(2) or Me-Ti(O-i-Pr)(3) was used as the source of the alkyl groups. This indicates that the role of the dialkylzinc is not to add the alkyl group to the carbonyl but rather to transfer the alkyl group to titanium. On the basis of these results, we hypothesize that the intermediate in the asymmetric addition involves (BINOLate)Ti(O-i-Pr)(2)(aldehyde).MeTi(O-i-Pr)(3).

Alcohols↗
PubMed2002

Wdr12, a mouse gene encoding a novel WD-Repeat Protein with a notchless-like amino-terminal domain.

The WD-repeat protein family consists of a large group of structurally related yet functionally diverse proteins found predominantly in eukaryotic cells. These factors contain several (4-16) copies of a recognizable amino-acid sequence motif (the WD unit) thought to be organized into a "propeller-like" structure involved in protein-protein regulatory interactions. Here, we report the cloning of a mouse cDNA, referred to as Wdr12, which encodes a novel WD-repeat protein of 423 amino acids. The WDR12 protein was predicted to contain seven WD units and a nuclear localization signal located within a protruding peptide between the third and fourth WD domains. The amino-terminal region shows similarity to that of the Notchless WD repeat protein. Sequence comparisons revealed WDR12 orthologs in various eukaryotic species. Wdr12 seems to correspond to a single-copy gene in the mouse genome, located within the C1-C2 bands of chromosome 1. These data, together with the results of Wdr12 gene expression studies and evidence of in vitro binding of WDR12 to the cytoplasmic domain of Notch1, led us to postulate a function for the WDR12 protein in the modulation of Notch signaling activity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2002

Reelin is a detachment signal in tangential chain-migration during postnatal neurogenesis.

During development, Reelin acts on migrating neuronal precursors and controls correct cell positioning in the cortex and other brain structures by a hitherto unidentified mechanism. Here we show that in the postnatal mouse brain, Reelin acts as a detachment signal for chain-migrating interneuron precursors in the olfactory bulb. Neuronal precursors cultured in Matrigel detached from chains and migrated individually in the presence of exogenously added Reelin protein or Reelin-expressing brain tissues. Furthermore, we found that in reeler mutant mice, neuronal precursors accumulated in the olfactory bulb and remained in clusters, indicating that they did not change from tangential chain-migration to radial individual migration. Our data provide direct evidence that Reelin acts as a detachment signal, but not a stop or guidance cue. We propose that Reelin may have comparable functions during development.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Glucocorticoid Hormones Negatively Regulate Nerve Growth Factor Expression In Vivo and in Cultured Rat Fibroblasts.

Sciatic nerve transection leads to an up-regulation of nerve growth factor (NGF) production in non-neuronal cells surrounding the axons. The lesion-mediated increase in NGF-mRNA levels in the nerve can be blocked by pretreating the animals with the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone. Dexamethasone also reduces NGF-mRNA levels in cultured sciatic fibroblasts stimulated with fetal calf serum or interleukin-1. In order to study at which level glucocorticoids down-regulate NGF expression, sciatic fibroblasts where transfected with a construct in which a reporter gene (chloramphenicol acetyltransferase) is expressed under the control of the NGF promotor. The results demonstrated that dexamethasone effectively represses NGF gene transcription. Deletion experiments showed that a 162 nucleotide promotor region mediates the glucocorticoid hormone suppression of NGF expression. The negative regulation of NGF synthesis by glucocorticoids is a factor to be considered in the treatment of patients with peripheral nerve lesions.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor controls dopamine D3 receptor expression: implications for neurodevelopmental psychiatric disorders.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) belongs to a family of proteins related to nerve growth factor, which are responsible for neuron proliferation, survival and differentiation. A more diverse role for BDNF as a neuronal extracellular transmitter has, nevertheless, been proposed. The dopamine D(3) receptor has been implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, drug addiction, depression and Parkinson's disease. Its expression during development and in adulthood is highly dependent on dopaminergic innervation. Here we show that BDNF synthesized by dopamine neurons is responsible for the appearance of the D(3) receptor during development and maintains D(3) receptor expression in adults. Moreover, BDNF triggers D(3) receptor overexpression and behavioral sensitization to levodopa in denervated animals. These results suggest that BDNF, by controlling the expression of specific genes such as the D(3) receptor gene, may be an important factor in neurodevelopmental psychiatric diseases.

Journal Article↗