ABSTRACT
This overview focuses on the recent advances in carbon nanotube (CNT)-based biochips and tries to clarify their potential for modern molecular medicine.
Subject(s)
Biomedical Technology/methods , Drug Delivery Systems/methods , Microchip Analytical Procedures/methods , Nanotubes, Carbon , Animals , HumansABSTRACT
Nanotube can be generally seen as a nanoscale cylindrical structure. Membrane (or tunneling) nanotube (TNT) is a cytoplasmic tunnel between two cells. Such direct cell-cell channel is used for a physical transport of biochemical cargo, whereas nanotubular networks between cells may be a novel principle of communicative and integrative biology. Recently, TNTs and their networks were discovered in plant cells and then they were reported also in animal cells. Just the reverse, a notion of plant synapse has been also proposed only recently, long after the corresponding notion of neuronal synapse in animals. However, both TNTs and synapses seem to be closely related and evolutionary conserved structures through different types of cells. Accordingly, this mini-review aims to demonstrate that TNTs may represent one of the deep functional similarities between neuronal, immune, viral and plant synapses.
ABSTRACT
Chemotactic cytokines, or chemokines, are a large family of small proteins, which are distinguished from other cytokines in that they are the only members of the cytokine family that act on G-protein coupled receptor superfamily. This minireview tries to answer the title question by structure/function analysis of chemokines, cytokines, and their receptors. We also consider secretion of chemokines/cytokines in health and disease as well as expression of their receptors both in immune system and brain. Our analysis suggests that cytokine and chemokine receptors may share similar architecture with Toll-like receptors. Such similarity hints a similar way of their functioning as molecular switches controlled by protein-protein interactions. Hence, we pay attention to the related receptor-receptor associations and evolutionary conserved leucine-rich motifs.
Subject(s)
Chemokines/chemistry , Chemokines/metabolism , Cytokines/metabolism , Receptors, Chemokine/chemistry , Receptors, Chemokine/metabolism , Receptors, Cytokine/metabolism , Amino Acid Motifs , Amino Acid Sequence , Cytokines/chemistry , Humans , Molecular Sequence Data , Receptors, Cytokine/chemistry , Toll-Like Receptors/chemistry , Toll-Like Receptors/metabolismABSTRACT
Common architecture of cytokine receptors and G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) may underlie pathological receptor heteromer formation and signaling. Here, we clarify how chemokines and cytokines can participate in pathogenic processes of Parkinson's disease, especially in dopaminergic neurons of substantia nigra. Possible common architecture of GPCRs and cytokine receptors suggests that they may act as molecular switches similar to the prototypical innate immune receptors: Toll-like receptors. Thus, pathological signaling (as well as trafficking and internalization) of receptors may be initiated by their incorrect dimerization depending on direct or indirect (via adaptor proteins) receptor-receptor interactions, leading to neuroinflammatory responses.
Subject(s)
Parkinson Disease/metabolism , Receptors, Cytokine/metabolism , Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled/physiology , Animals , Humans , Neurons/metabolism , Neurons/pathology , Parkinson Disease/complications , Parkinson Disease/pathologyABSTRACT
This minireview aims to demonstrate that (i) natural nanotubes play important roles in chemical signaling and (ii) they represent one of the deep functional similarities between neural and immune synapses. We also pay attention to the related receptor assemblies and possibilities of chemically synthesized carbon nanotubes to simulate functions of the natural ones.
Subject(s)
Immune System/physiology , Intercellular Junctions/physiology , Nanotubes , Synapses/physiology , Animals , GABA Agents/pharmacology , Ion Channels/physiology , Microtubules/physiology , Nanotechnology , Nanotubes, Carbon , Neurotransmitter Agents/physiology , Receptors, GABA/physiology , gamma-Aminobutyric Acid/physiologyABSTRACT
Receptor assemblies seem to play a key role in the integration and modulation of molecular signals of cell-cell communications. This may be confirmed by recent discoveries of the immunological synapse and cytokine networks which can be also treated within a sort of meta-system-neuroimmune molecular network. On the examples of receptor superfamilies expressed both in the neural and immune cells, our review paper aims to show some implications of receptor-receptor interactions for basal ganglia functions in health and disease.
Subject(s)
Basal Ganglia/physiology , Cell Communication/immunology , Neurons/physiology , Receptors, Cell Surface/physiology , Animals , Basal Ganglia/cytology , Humans , Models, Neurological , Receptors, Cell Surface/classification , Signal Transduction/physiologyABSTRACT
Exciting complexity of natural phenomena can be based on rather simple biophysical principles. For example, the genetic code is based on a double-helix of DNA formed by planar geometry of weak hydrogen bounds. On the examples of cytokine networks, immune synapse, psychoneuroimmunology and systems biology, this review paper attempts to show how molecular networks both in brain and immunity can be studied using common principles of protein-protein interactions.
