Enhanced spin-orbit coupling in tetragonally strained Fe-Co-B films.

Tetragonally strained interstitial Fe-Co-B alloys were synthesized as epitaxial films grown on a 20 nm thick Au0.55Cu0.45 buffer layer. Different ratios of the perpendicular to in-plane lattice constant c/a = 1.013, 1.034 and 1.02 were stabilized by adding interstitial boron with different concentrations 0, 4, and 10 at.%, respectively. Using ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) we found that the total orbital magnetic moment significantly increases with increasing c/a ratio, indicating that reduced crystal symmetry and interstitial B leads to a noticeable enhancement of the effect of spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in the Fe-Co-B alloys. First-principles calculations reveal that the increase in orbital magnetic moment mainly originates from B impurities in octahedral position and the reduced symmetry around B atoms. These findings offer the possibility to enhance SOC phenomena-namely the magnetocrystalline anisotropy and the orbital moment-by stabilizing anisotropic strain by doping 4 at.% B. Results on the influence of B doping on the Fe-Co film microstructure, their coercive field and magnetic relaxation are also presented.

From soft to hard magnetic Fe-Co-B by spontaneous strain: a combined first principles and thin film study.

In order to convert the well-known Fe-Co-B alloy from a soft to a hard magnet, we propose tetragonal strain by interstitial boron. Density functional theory reveals that when B atoms occupy octahedral interstitial sites, the bcc Fe-Co lattice is strained spontaneously. Such highly distorted Fe-Co is predicted to reach a strong magnetocrystalline anisotropy which may compete with shape anisotropy. To probe this theoretical suggestion experimentally, epitaxial films are examined. A spontaneous strain up to 5% lattice distortion is obtained for B content up to 4 at%, which leads to uniaxial anisotropy constants exceeding 0.5 MJ m(-3). However, a further addition of B results in a partial amorphisation, which degrades both anisotropy and magnetisation.

Involvement of axonal phospholipase A2 activity in the outgrowth of adult mouse sensory axons in vitro.

The effect on axonal outgrowth of inhibition of phospholipase A2 activity was studied in a recently developed in vitro model, where dorsal root ganglia with attached spinal roots and nerve stumps from young adult mice were cultured in an extracellular matrix material (Matrigel). The phospholipase A2 inhibitors 4-bromophenacyl bromide and oleyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine dose-dependently reduced axonal outgrowth from the sciatic nerve stump. A similar inhibitory effect was seen when only the cut nerve end was exposed to the inhibitors in a compartmental culture system. The local effect of phospholipase A2 inhibition was further investigated on axons established in culture, using time-lapse recording. Exposure to phospholipase A2 inhibitors caused the retraction of filopodia extensions and a reduction in growth cone motility within a few minutes. After removal of inhibition, normal growth cone motility and axonal growth were regained. Nerve cell bodies and axons, in contrast to Schwann cells, showed immunoreactivity after staining with an antiserum against secretory phospholipase A2, and elevated levels of the enzyme could be detected after culture for 24 h. The immunoreactive protein was of approximately 170,000 molecular weight (phospholipase A2-170) as determined by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. The localization of phospholipase A2-170 in axons growing into the Matrigel was also demonstrated by use of a whole-mount technique. The results of this study show the importance of continuous phospholipase A2 activity for growth cone motility and axonal outgrowth in the mammalian peripheral nerve, and suggest the involvement of an axonally localized enzyme.

Upregulation of cytosolic phospholipase A2 correlates with apoptosis in mouse superior cervical and dorsal root ganglia neurons.

The involvement of cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) in apoptosis of adult mouse superior cervical and dorsal root ganglia neurons has been investigated by the use of immunohistochemistry for cPLA2 and DNA nick-end labeling for apoptotic cells, respectively. cPLA2 immunoreactivity was strongly upregulated in neurons of both preparations during in vitro culturing. By double labeling it was unequivocally demonstrated that cPLA2 was present and upregulated only in neurons undergoing apoptosis. A similar picture emerged when cPLA2 immunoreactivity was compared with staining with Fluoro-Jade, a novel fluorochrome marker for neuronal degeneration. The preferential presence of cPLA2 in apoptotic and degenerating cells suggests that the enzyme is important for some mechanism involved in or intimately coupled to neuronal cell death.

Use of explant cultures of peripheral nerves of adult vertebrates to study axonal regeneration in vitro.

Explanted preparations of peripheral nerves with attached dorsal root ganglia of adult mammals and amphibia survive for several days in serum-free medium and can be used to study axonal regeneration in vitro. This review outlines the methods which we routinely use and how they may be applied to study different aspects of axonal regeneration. When the peripheral nerves are crushed in vitro, axons regenerate through the crush site into the distal stump within 1 day (mouse) or 3 days (frog). The outgrowth distance of the leading sensory axons can be determined with the use of a simple method based on axonal transport of labelled proteins. A compartmentalised system permits selective application of drugs and other agents to either ganglia or peripheral nerve containing the regenerating axons and has been used to study selected aspects of regeneration including influence of non-neuronal cells, retrograde signalling, axonal release of proteins during regeneration and the role of phospholipase A2 activity. Explanted preparations may also be cultured in a layer of extracellular matrix material (matrigel), in which spontaneous outgrowth of a large number of naked axons from the cut ends of nerves starts within 1 day and continues for several days. This provides an opportunity to study the direct effects of different agents on axonal elongation. Preparations cultured in collagen gels show sparse spontaneous axonal growth, but this can be increased by addition of certain growth factors. The phenotype of the regenerating axons can be studied using immunohistochemical methods.

Effects of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor on axonal growth and apoptosis in adult mammalian sensory neurons in vitro.

The effects of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor on axonal outgrowth and apoptosis were studied in vitro using explanted dorsal root ganglia-peripheral nerve preparations of adult mice. In gels of matrigel or collagen type 1, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor increased both the numbers and lengths of axons growing out of explanted preparations, although less effectively than nerve growth factor. Stimulation of axonal outgrowth by glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor was unaffected by K252a, a protein kinase inhibitor which blocks the effects of nerve growth factor and other neurotrophins acting through trk receptors. To determine the phenotype of the axons responding to glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, preparations were stained using antibodies to trkA, calcitonin gene-related peptide, 200,000 mol. wt phosphorylated neurofilaments (monoclonal antibody RT97) and the lectin Bandeiraea simplicifolia 1B4. RT97 recognizes large diameter neurons whilst 1B4 labels small diameter neurons which broadly do not express neurotrophin receptors. In preparations cultured with glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, significant increases in the numbers of outgrowing axons labelled with RT97 and 1B4 were observed but the numbers of calcitonin gene-related peptide-positive axons were not significantly increased and their staining intensity was generally faint. In separate preparations it was found that in the presence of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, the majority of the 1B4 labelled axons were trkA negative, indicating that this factor can stimulate axonal growth in this population of neurons which do not respond to the neurotrophins. Spontaneous apoptosis in neurons and satellite cells occurs in explanted preparations of the type used in the present investigations, but in cryostat sections of preparations cultured in the presence of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, the incidence of apoptosis was lower than in control preparations which had been cultured in the absence of this factor. This suggests that glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor may promote survival of some adult sensory neurons in vitro.

Effects of extracellular matrix components on axonal outgrowth from peripheral nerves of adult animals in vitro.

Relatively little is known of the growth requirements for regenerating axons of the peripheral nervous system of adult animals. In the present study, we show that extracellular matrix material secreted by the Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm tumor cell line (matrigel) supports axonal growth from explanted peripheral nerve-dorsal root ganglia (DRG) preparations of adult mice and amphibia in serum-free media, without addition of growth factors. Axonal growth in matrigel was much more profuse than that in the more commonly used gels of type 1 collagen and, after some days in culture, was accompanied by migration of Schwann cells along axons. The most abundant protein in matrigel is laminin, which has been shown in many studies to support axonal growth but, surprisingly, antisera to laminin did not inhibit axonal growth in matrigel. To determine the ability of the major components of matrigel, laminin, type IV collagen, and heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG), to support axonal growth, these proteins were added to preparations of mouse peripheral nerve-DRGs in type I collagen gels. Regenerating axons were significantly longer in the presence of laminin and type IV collagen than in control cultures, while HSPG had a slight inhibitory effect. In this assay system, however, diluted matrigel solution was even more effective in stimulating axonal growth than laminin or type IV collagen, either alone or in combination. The results suggest that in addition to laminin and type IV collagen, other components within matrigel may contribute to its ability to support axonal growth.

Axonal outgrowth and neuronal apoptosis in cultured adult mouse dorsal root ganglion preparations: effects of neurotrophins, of inhibition of neurotrophin actions and of prior axotomy.

Dorsal root ganglia (L4 and L5) with attached spinal roots and nerve stumps were isolated from young adult mice and cultured in a layer of extracellular matrix material (matrigel). Within one day, a large number of axons grew out from the cut ends of the nerve and the dorsal root. The average outgrowth length was more than doubled by nerve growth factor, which also strongly increased the number of fibres, showing extensive branching. There was also a significant outgrowth stimulation by neurotrophin-3, but no observable effect by brain-derived neurotrophic factor. In preparations isolated and cultured six days after peripheral nerve transection in vivo, there was an increase in both the outgrowth length (about 1.5- to 2-fold) and in the number of axons. Stimulation of axonal outgrowth, which concerned outgrowth from both the peripheral nerve and the dorsal root, could be further enhanced by the addition of nerve growth factor to the culture. K-252a, a selective inhibitor of neurotrophin receptor-associated tyrosine kinase activity, did not affect either the normal outgrowth or the increased outgrowth in pre-axotomized preparations, at a concentration which abolished the stimulating effects by exogenous nerve growth factor and neurotrophin-3. Under the culturing conditions used, spontaneous apoptosis occurred, but none of the neurotrophins tested, nor K-252a, affected the number of apoptotic neuronal cells analysed by nick-labelling DNA breaks at the end of a 48-h culturing period. Altogether, the present data suggest that for most dorsal root ganglia neurons, signalling through the trk receptors does not influence the apoptosis in vitro and is not required for either the spontaneous axonal outgrowth in matrigel or the increased outgrowth which occurs after prior axotomy in vivo.

Protein kinase C and mouse sciatic nerve regeneration.

We have studied the role of protein kinase C (PKC) in peripheral nerve regeneration by using the cultured adult mouse sciatic nerve, which displays regrowth of sensory axons under serum-free conditions. By the use of immunohistochemistry we show that one of the isoforms of PKC, PKC beta, is present in the nerve cell bodies of normal nerves and is upregulated after injury. In spite of this, the specific PKC inhibitor chelerythrine at 5 microM, a concentration well above its IC50 value for PKC, failed to reduce the outgrowth distance of new axons. This was not due to impermeability of the drug, since the same concentration caused a clear reduction of the injury-induced proliferation of Schwann cells in the crush region. Likewise, HA-1004, an inhibitor of cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinases, also lacked effect on outgrowth when used on its own, even at very high concentrations (100 microM). In contrast, outgrowth was significantly reduced when 5 microM chelerythrine and 5 microM HA-1004 were used in combination. In conclusion, the present results suggest that PKC-activity is important but not indispensable for the regeneration process. Successful completion of the latter could be achieved by several, perhaps redundant, phosphorylation systems.

Phospholipase A2 activity is required for regeneration of sensory axons in cultured adult sciatic nerves.

The adult frog dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) and their sciatic nerves (ScN) survive in organ culture for several days. About 3 days after a local test crush, the sensory axons start to regenerate into the distal nerve stump at a rate of approximately 0.6-0.9 mm/day. The axonal outgrowth is inhibited in a non-toxic way by low concentrations of three different phospholipase A2 (PLA2) inhibitors: 4-bromophenacyl bromide (BPB), aristolochic acid, and oleyl-oxyethyl-phosphoryl-choline (OOPC). In contrast, the outgrowth was slightly stimulated by 0.2 microM melittin, a PLA2 activator. Most experiments refer to the effects of BPB, which was shown to almost completely inhibit outgrowth at a concentration which did not affect either ganglionic protein synthesis or axonal transport. Using a compartmental system it could clearly be shown that BPB exerted its action in the outgrowth region. Other experiments showed that the initial period (about 3 days), which precedes the outgrowth, was unaffected by BPB. Several structures, including axonal ones, showed immunoreactivity for the low molecular form of PLA2 (sPLA2). The results suggest that PLA2 activity plays an important role in nerve regeneration and exerts its action at a local level, where the growth cones move forward.

Increased levels of mitogen activated protein kinase (MAP-K) detected in the injured adult mouse sciatic nerve.

Adult mouse sciatic nerves (SNs) with attached dorsal root ganglia (DRG) were analysed for the presence of mitogen activated protein kinase (MAP-K) during normal and regenerative conditions. By immunohistochemistry, MAP-K was found to be present in the normal nerve at low levels in both Schwann cells and DRG nerve cell bodies, with a profoundly increased expression during regeneration. In axonal outgrowth assays, treatment with 2 mM 2-aminopurine (2-AP), a MAP-K antagonist, inhibited the regeneration of axons from the SN as well as from the cultured superior cervical ganglia. The reduced outgrowth was probably not due to toxic effects of the drug since the ganglionic protein synthesis was not inhibited. It is possible that 2-AP interferes with regeneration-related events by inhibition of MAP-K.

Moderate elevation of extracellular potassium transiently inhibits regeneration of sensory axons in cultured adult sciatic nerves.

The adult frog dorsal root ganglia (DRG) together with the sciatic nerve (ScN) has previously been shown to survive in organ culture for several days. If a local test crush is made at the beginning of culturing, there is an initial delay of about 3 days before the sensory axons start to grow into the distal nerve stump at a rate of about 0.6-0.9 mm/day. The present results showed that axonal growth was unaffected in preparations maintained for 8 days in medium containing 10 mM K+ (5 mM is the physiological level). In contrast, the outgrowth was markedly reduced by 15 mM K+ and still more by 20 and 25 mM K+. The growth inhibition was partially counteracted by nifedipine, a Ca(2+)-channel antagonist. Other experiments clearly showed that high K+ exerted its effects during the early phase of the regeneration and lacked effects at later stages. The possibility that Ca(2+)-binding proteins, e.g. calbindin, which showed immunohistochemical reactivity in different structures, contribute to the growth adaptation to high K+ will be considered. The generality of the findings was supported by inhibition of axonal outgrowth of adult mouse sciatic sensory axons by high K+.

Calmodulin and in vitro regenerating frog sciatic nerves: release and extracellular effects.

Although calmodulin (CaM) is commonly considered to be an intracellular protein, it has been suggested lately that it is released and exerts functions extracellularly. In the present investigation this was studied in in vitro regenerating adult frog (Rana temporaria) sciatic nerves. Using a multi-compartment incubation chamber, the non-neuronal cells in the outgrowth region of such nerves were radiolabelled with amino acid precursors. Based on immunological criteria, these cells were shown to release CaM. When the nerves were treated with CaM, both the outgrowth of sensory axons and the injury-induced proliferation of non-neuronal cells were partially inhibited. The inhibitory effects occurred even when the incubation medium contained as little as 30 pM CaM. Furthermore, treatment with anti-CaM antibodies resulted in reduced outgrowth, which suggested that during normal conditions extracellular CaM is kept at an optimal concentration. Finally, conditioned medium was found to contain several CaM-binding proteins. The present findings may reflect an earlier unknown function of extracellular CaM in controlling various growth mechanisms in integrated tissues.

Okadaic acid and cultured frog sciatic nerves: potent inhibition of axonal regeneration in spite of unaffected Schwann cell proliferation and ganglionic protein synthesis.

Okadaic acid (OA) is a frequently used phosphatase inhibitor that by inhibiting dephosphorylation increases the net phosphorylation level in various systems. In the present study OA was used to assess the role of balanced phosphorylation-dephosphorylation reactions for successful regeneration of peripheral nerves. To achieve this, the effects of OA on phosphorylation levels, neurite outgrowth, injury-induced support cell proliferation, and neurofilament stability, respectively, were investigated in the in vitro regenerating, adult frog sciatic sensory nerve. OA at a moderate concentration (20 nM) increased phosphorylation levels and almost completely inhibited the in vitro regeneration in a reversible way. The effect on regeneration was not due to induced neurofilament instability and was only seen when the drug was applied in the outgrowth region. The latter and the absence of effects on support cell proliferation indicate that OA acts locally at the level of newly formed axons. However, the inhibition of regeneration was not a consequence of reduced delivery of proteins by axonal transport, because this process in fact was increased by OA. Altogether, the study suggests that properly balanced phosphorylating-dephosphorylating reactions are critical for regeneration of peripheral nerves.

Comparison of methods for immobilization to carboxymethyl dextran sensor surfaces by analysis of the specific activity of monoclonal antibodies.

The authors have recently described the development of a carboxymethyl dextran-based sensor surface for biospecific interaction analysis by surface plasmon resonance. Ligands are immobilized via primary amine groups after activation of the carboxymethyl groups on the sensor surface with a mixture of N-hydroxysuccinimide and N-ethyl-N'-(dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide. Methods have now been developed for efficient immobilization via thiol/disulfide exchange, aldehyde coupling and biotin-avidin coupling. The specific activity of monoclonal antibodies immobilized by the four different methods was investigated by altering the immobilization conditions, e.g., activation time, protein concentration, ionic strength and the degree of modification, etc. Investigations have also been made concerning possible differences in the specific activity for antibodies immobilized using optimized conditions with respect to the four different chemistries. These studies show that, with the flexible carboxymethyl dextran matrix used here, the immobilization methods give rise to only minor differences in specific activity. Thus, with this solid support, a 'site directed' immobilization strategy for monoclonal antibodies has no advantage. In general the specific activity for optimized systems was approximately 75% for the binding of beta 2 mu-globulin to an immobilized monoclonal antibody directed against beta 2 mu-globulin. Reduced specific activities of immobilized antibodies induced by variation of the coupling conditions could be attributed to the deterioration of the active site of the antibody.

Retrograde axonal transport of locally synthesized proteins, e.g., actin and heat shock protein 70, in regenerating adult frog sciatic sensory axons.

The local synthesis and subsequent retrograde axonal transport of [35S]methionine-labelled proteins was studied in the in vitro regenerating adult frog sciatic sensory axons. By the use of a three compartment culture system, proteins in the outgrowth region were selectively labelled. After 2 days in culture a rise in TCA-insoluble radioactivity was detected in the dorsal root ganglia, which could be prevented by the addition of vinblastine or 2,4-dinitrophenol to the nerve proximal to the crush site. Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of ganglionic proteins revealed a pattern of 35 labelled polypeptides with apparent molecular masses (Mm) ranging from < 15 to 95 kDa and with isoelectric points (pI) ranging from 4.5 to 6.5. The major ones, representing about 75% of the activity in a gel, were of Mm/pI 47/5.4, 48/6.1,. 57/6.0, 62/5.2, 65/4.9-5.0, 65/5.2, and 81/5.4 respectively. One of these polypeptides (47/5.4) was identified as actin and another (81/5.4) as a member of the heat shock protein 70 family. The spots at 65/4.9-5.0 were tubulin isoforms. There was a striking similarity between transported proteins on one hand, and proteins synthesized in the injured nerve on the other, with respect to the Mm/pI of at least 14 protein species. The results suggest that a selected set of proteins, synthesized by non-neuronal cells, e.g., Schwann cells, is transferred to the ganglionic cell bodies by retrograde axonal transport.

Regenerating peripheral axons transport and release low-molecular-mass materials in vitro.

The release of radiolabeled material from regenerating frog sciatic nerves was studied using a multicompartment chamber, in which the ganglia and the outgrowth region, respectively, were separated from the rest of the nerve. The nerves were incubated with radioactive amino acids in the ganglionic compartment, and the material transported to and released at the outgrowth region was collected and analyzed. Approximately 10% of the transported radioactivity was released over a 24-h incubation period. Of the released materials, 84% had a molecular mass of < 1,000 daltons [the low-molecular-mass (LM) fraction] as determined by exclusion chromatography. The presence of LM material could not be explained by leakage, nor was it due to intracellular or extracellular degradation of radiolabeled, transported proteins. It was reduced by cold and was shown by the use of vinblastine to be dependent on axonal transport. According to TLC, both the original precursor and metabolites thereof could be detected among the released LM material. The present results demonstrate the existence of a transport system for LM material in peripheral axons. The preferential release of LM over high-molecular-mass material at the outgrowth region suggests that it could serve specific functions during regeneration.

Insulin and IGF-II, but not IGF-I, stimulate the in vitro regeneration of adult frog sciatic sensory axons.

We used the in vitro regenerating frog sciatic nerve to look for effects of insulin and insulin-like growth factors I and II (IGF-I, IGF-II) on regeneration of sensory axons and on injury induced support cell proliferation in the outgrowth region. In nerves cultured for 11 days, a physiological dose (10 ng/ml, approximately 2 nM) of insulin or IGF-II increased ganglionic protein synthesis (by 20% and 50%, respectively) as well as the level of newly formed, radiolabelled axonal material distal to a crush injury (both by 80%), compared to untreated, paired controls. In addition, insulin increased the outgrowth distance of the furthest regenerating sensory axons by 10%. The preparation was particularly sensitive to insulin during the first 5 days of culturing. Furthermore, both insulin and IGF-II were found to inhibit proliferation of support cells in the outgrowth region in a manner suggesting effects via their individual receptors. The inhibition, about 30%, was observable after 4 but not 11 days in culture. It is not clear if this reflects a stimulated differentiation of some cells. By contrast, IGF-I lacked effects on both regeneration and proliferation. In conclusion, the results suggest that insulin and IGF-II are involved in the regulation of peripheral nerve regeneration.

Early regeneration in vitro of adult mouse sciatic axons is dependent on local protein synthesis but may not involve neurotrophins.

The sensory axons of the adult mouse sciatic nerve were shown to regenerate after a local test crush lesion in vitro in a serum-free medium. The average outgrowth distance of the leading axons after culturing for 3 days was 2.8 +/- 0.1 mm, which was shorter than in vivo (3.8 +/- 0.2 mm). With the use of a compartmentalised culture system we could show that regeneration was partially dependent on local protein synthesis in the injury region. The initial stages of regeneration did not seem to involve neurotrophins since both K252a and K252b, selective and nontoxic inhibitors of the neurotrophin actions, failed to inhibit axonal growth. The present in vitro model system offers favourable conditions to investigate the early events of the regeneration process in an adult mammalian peripheral nerve.