The presynaptic particle web: ultrastructure, composition, dissolution, and reconstitution.

We report the purification of a presynaptic "particle web" consisting of approximately 50 nm pyramidally shaped particles interconnected by approximately 100 nm spaced fibrils. This is the "presynaptic grid" described in early EM studies. It is completely soluble above pH 8, but reconstitutes after dialysis against pH 6. Interestingly, reconstituted particles orient and bind PSDs asymmetrically. Mass spectrometry of purified web components reveals major proteins involved in the exocytosis of synaptic vesicles and in membrane retrieval. Our data support the idea that the CNS synaptic junction is organized by transmembrane adhesion molecules interlinked in the synaptic cleft, connected via their intracytoplasmic domains to the presynaptic web on one side and to the postsynaptic density on the other. The CNS synaptic junction may therefore be conceptualized as a complicated macromolecular scaffold that isostatically bridges two closely aligned plasma membranes.

G-protein signaling through tubby proteins.

Dysfunction of the tubby protein results in maturity-onset obesity in mice. Tubby has been implicated as a transcription regulator, but details of the molecular mechanism underlying its function remain unclear. Here we show that tubby functions in signal transduction from heterotrimeric GTP-binding protein (G protein)-coupled receptors. Tubby localizes to the plasma membrane by binding phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate through its carboxyl terminal "tubby domain." X-ray crystallography reveals the atomic-level basis of this interaction and implicates tubby domains as phosphorylated-phosphatidyl- inositol binding factors. Receptor-mediated activation of G protein alphaq (Galphaq) releases tubby from the plasma membrane through the action of phospholipase C-beta, triggering translocation of tubby to the cell nucleus. The localization of tubby-like protein 3 (TULP3) is similarly regulated. These data suggest that tubby proteins function as membrane-bound transcription regulators that translocate to the nucleus in response to phosphoinositide hydrolysis, providing a direct link between G-protein signaling and the regulation of gene expression.

Functional cis-heterodimers of N- and R-cadherins.

Classical cadherins form parallel cis-dimers that emanate from a single cell surface. It is thought that the cis-dimeric form is active in cell-cell adhesion, whereas cadherin monomers are likely to be inactive. Currently, cis-dimers have been shown to exist only between cadherins of the same type. Here, we show the specific formation of cis-heterodimers between N- and R-cadherins. E-cadherin cannot participate in these complexes. Cells coexpressing N- and R-cadherins show homophilic adhesion in which these proteins coassociate at cell-cell interfaces. We performed site- directed mutagenesis studies, the results of which support the strand dimer model for cis-dimerization. Furthermore, we show that when N- and R-cadherins are coexpressed in neurons in vitro, the two cadherins colocalize at certain neural synapses, implying biological relevance for these complexes. The present study provides a novel paradigm for cadherin interaction whereby selective cis-heterodimer formation may generate new functional units to mediate cell-cell adhesion.

Implication of tubby proteins as transcription factors by structure-based functional analysis.

Tubby-like proteins (TULPs) are found in a broad range of multicellular organisms. In mammals, genetic mutation of tubby or other TULPs can result in one or more of three disease phenotypes: obesity (from which the name "tubby" is derived), retinal degeneration, and hearing loss. These disease phenotypes indicate a vital role for tubby proteins; however, no biochemical function has yet been ascribed to any member of this protein family. A structure-directed approach was employed to investigate the biological function of these proteins. The crystal structure of the core domain from mouse tubby was determined at a resolution of 1.9 angstroms. From primarily structural clues, experiments were devised, the results of which suggest that TULPs are a unique family of bipartite transcription factors.

Conserved and divergent expression patterns of the proteolipid protein gene family in the amphibian central nervous system.

The recent discovery of a proteolipid protein gene family has revealed that its members are in fact widely distributed and are not exclusively associated with myelination. To date, three different gene products, DMalpha/DM-20/PLP, DMbeta/M6a, and DMgamma/M6b, have been isolated from certain primitive fish species, mouse, and human central nervous system (CNS). We cloned Xenopus laevis orthologues of DMbeta/M6a and DMgamma/M6b and investigated the expression patterns of these gene transcripts as well as that of PLP in developing Xenopus CNS. As is the case in shark and mouse, the mRNA encoding the major myelin integral protein, PLP, is first detected at stage 42/43 in tadpoles and is exclusively found in morphologically recognizable oligodendrocytes throughout the brain, while DMbeta mRNA is solely expressed in young presumptive neurons in the gray matter. There exist two distinct DMgamma mRNAs and, in contrast to these evolutionarily conserved expression patterns, DMgamma mRNAs distribute uniquely within the ventricular zone in young tadpoles (stage 25) through maturity. Furthermore, both DMbeta and DMgamma are expressed in the developing retina, and their distributions are different from one other. In Xenopus CNS, therefore, the expression patterns of three proteolipid proteins, PLP, DMbeta, and DMgamma, are distinct from each other, implying very different roles for their protein products within the cell populations in which they are expressed.

The adhesive binding site of cadherins revisited.

Cadherins are single-pass transmembrane proteins that, through their homophilic specificity, function in selective cell adhesion and sorting. They have a modular structure that includes an ectodomain composed of tandem 'cadherin domains,' which have a beta-sandwich topology similar to that of immunoglobulin domains. Some early experiments suggest that, for the 'classical' cadherins, the adhesive specificity is encoded in the membrane-distal amino-terminal cadherin domain. Here, we review these data, and present new data that supports this idea.

Structure-function analysis of cell adhesion by neural (N-) cadherin.

To investigate the possible biological function of the lateral "strand dimer" observed in crystal structures of a D1 domain extracellular fragment from N-cadherin, we have undertaken site-directed mutagenesis studies of this molecule. Mutation of most residues important in the strand dimer interface abolish the ability of N-cadherin to mediate cell adhesion. Mutation of an analogous central residue (Trp-2) in E-cadherin also abrogates the adhesive capacity of that molecule. We also determined the crystal structure of a Ca2+-complexed two-domain fragment from N-cadherin. This structure, like its E-cadherin counterpart, does not adopt the strand dimer conformation. This suggests the possibility that classical cadherins might stably exist in both dimeric and monomeric forms. Data from several laboratories imply that lateral dimerization or clustering of cadherins may increase their adhesivity. We suggest the possibility that the strand dimer may play a role in this activation.

[Roles of glutamate receptor in c-fos gene expression and epilepsy susceptibility in rats].

We use NMDA to induce expression of c-fos mRNA as a marker to observe the activity of NMDA receptor in neurons during development, and compare the activity of NMDA receptor between audiogenic epilepsy -prone (P77PMC) and audiogenic epilepsy resistant rats brain. In primary culture of rats cerebral cortical neurons NMDA induced c-fos mRNA expression exhibits dose and time-dependent changes, which can be prevented by antagonists. During the development of neurons, the NMDA -induced c-fos mRNA expression reaches a maximum at day 24. NMDA-induced c-fos mRNA expression of P77PMC rats is higher than that of controls during 6 to 24 days in vitro with significant difference (P < 0.05) at day 18. To present changes in c-fos mRNA expression induced by NMDA in cultured P77PMC rat cortical neurons may be one of the factors related to susceptibility of epilepsy in P77PMC rats.

[The effect of IL-2 on IL-2 production and on the IL-2R expression of spleen cell from mice infected with M. tuberculosis H37Rv].

36 mice infected with M. tuberculosis H37 Rv were divided into treated group and untreated group at random. 18 infected mice were in treated group with appropriate dose of human recombinant interleukin-2. Normal group consists of 10 normal mice. At 10, 20, 30 day after treatment, IL-2 production and IL-2R expression of mice spleen cells from all three groups were detected. The results showed that: 1) IL-2 and IL-2R level in untreated group was lower than that in treated group and in normal group; 2) In vivo administration of rIL-2 could enhance IL-2 production and IL-2R expression.

Detection of rotavirus antigen in tracheal aspirates of infants and children with pneumonia.

Clinical manifestations of respiratory tract infection often precede or coincide with rotavirus gastroenteritis in infants and children. To investigate the possible association between respiratory tract manifestations and rotavirus infection, the authors determined human rotavirus (HRV) antigen and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) antigen in tracheal aspirates of 58 children with clinically diagnosed pneumonia by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunofluorescent antibody techniques. HRV antigen was detected in 16 out of the 58 cases (27.6%) and RSV antigen was found positive in 27 cases (46.5%). In four cases both HRV and RSV antigens were detected. The results of our study suggest that rotavirus may occasionally by one of the etiologic agents of acute lower respiratory infections of infants and children and that rotavirus infection may be transmitted via respiratory route. However, further extensive studies are needed for confirmation of the association between rotavirus and respiratory tract infection.