IP3 accumulation and/or inositol depletion: two downstream lithium's effects that may mediate its behavioral and cellular changes.

Lithium is the prototype mood stabilizer but its mechanism is still unresolved. Two hypotheses dominate-the consequences of lithium's inhibition of inositol monophosphatase at therapeutically relevant concentrations (the 'inositol depletion' hypothesis), and of glycogen-synthase kinase-3. To further elaborate the inositol depletion hypothesis that did not decisively determine whether inositol depletion per se, or phosphoinositols accumulation induces the beneficial effects, we utilized knockout mice of either of two inositol metabolism-related genes-IMPA1 or SMIT1, both mimic several lithium's behavioral and biochemical effects. We assessed in vivo, under non-agonist-stimulated conditions, 3H-inositol incorporation into brain phosphoinositols and phosphoinositides in wild-type, lithium-treated, IMPA1 and SMIT1 knockout mice. Lithium treatment increased frontal cortex and hippocampal phosphoinositols labeling by several fold, but decreased phosphoinositides labeling in the frontal cortex of the wild-type mice of the IMPA1 colony strain by ~50%. Inositol metabolites were differently affected by IMPA1 and SMIT1 knockout. Inositoltrisphosphate administered intracerebroventricularly affected bipolar-related behaviors and autophagy markers in a lithium-like manner. Namely, IP3 but not IP1 reduced the immobility time of wild-type mice in the forced swim test model of antidepressant action by 30%, an effect that was reversed by an antagonist of all three IP3 receptors; amphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion of wild-type mice (distance traveled) was 35% reduced by IP3 administration; IP3 administration increased hippocampal messenger RNA levels of Beclin-1 (required for autophagy execution) and hippocampal and frontal cortex protein levels ratio of Beclin-1/p62 by about threefold (p62 is degraded by autophagy). To conclude, lithium affects the phosphatidylinositol signaling system in two ways: depleting inositol, consequently decreasing phosphoinositides; elevating inositol monophosphate levels followed by phosphoinositols accumulation. Each or both may mediate lithium-induced behavior.

Molecular effects of lithium are partially mimicked by inositol-monophosphatase (IMPA)1 knockout mice in a brain region-dependent manner.

We have previously shown that homozygote knockout (KO) of inositol-monophosphatase1 (IMPA1) results in lithium (Li)-like behavior. We now aimed to find out whether Li-treated mice and IMPA1 KO mice exhibit neurochemical similarity at the gene- and protein-expression level. Hippocampal and frontal cortex B-cell lymphoma (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein (BAX), P53, Perodoxin2 (PRDX2), myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) mRNA levels, and hippocampal, frontal cortex and hypothalamic cytokine levels, all previously reported to be affected by lithium treatment, were measured in three groups of mice: wildtype (WT) on regular-food (RF), WT on Li-supplemented food (Li-treated) and IMPA1-KOs. Hippocampal and frontal cortex Bcl-2 and MARCKS were the only genes commonly affected (downregulated) by Li and IMPA1 KO; Bcl-2 - by 28% and 19%, respectively; MARCKS - by about 20% in both regions. The effect of Li and of IMPA1 KO on cytokine levels differed among the three brain areas studied. Only in the hippocampus both interventions exerted similar effects. Frontal cortex cytokine levels were unaffected neither by Li nor by IMPA1 KO. Similar changes in Bcl-2 and MARCKS but not in PRDX2 and NPY following both Li-treatment and IMPA1 KO suggest a mechanism different than inositol-monophosphatase1 inhibition for Li׳s effect on the latter genes. The cytokine levels results suggest that the mechanism mediating Li׳s effect on the inflammatory system differs among brain regions. Only in the hippocampus the results favor the involvement of the phosphatidylinositol (PI) cycle.

Acute intracerebroventricular inositol does not reverse the effect of chronic lithium treatment in the forced swim test.

BACKGROUND: Lithium has numerous biochemical effects but it is difficult to dissect which of these is responsible for its therapeutic action in bipolar disorder. In the current study we aimed to address one of the major hypotheses, the inositol depletion hypothesis. This hypothesis postulates that lithium's mood-stabilizing effect is mediated by the depletion of brain inositol levels and the subsequent effect on cellular signaling. METHODS: We studied whether acute intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of myo-inositol could reverse the antidepressant-like effect of chronic lithium treatment in the forced swim test (FST). RESULTS: In contrast with our prediction, acute myo-inositol administration did not reverse the effect of chronic lithium to decrease immobility in the FST. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study are limited due to the following: (1) inositol was given acutely while possible events downstream of inositol depletion might require a longer period and (2) ICV inositol may not have reached those areas of the brain involved in the FST.

Trehalose induced antidepressant-like effects and autophagy enhancement in mice.

RATIONALE: The disaccharide trehalose protects cells from hypoxic and anoxic injury and suppresses protein aggregation. In vivo studies with trehalose show cellular and behavioral beneficial effects in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, trehalose was shown to enhance autophagy, a process that had been recently suggested to be involved in the therapeutic action of antidepressant and mood-stabilizing drugs. OBJECTIVE: The present study was therefore designed to explore antidepressant and mood-stabilizing activity of trehalose in animal models for depression and mania. METHODS: Trehalose 1 or 2% was administered for 3 weeks as a drinking solution to Black Swiss mice (a model of manic-like behaviors) or 2% to ICR mice and their behavior evaluated in a number of tests related to depression or mania. The effects of trehalose were compared with similar chronic administration of the disaccharide maltose as well as with a vehicle (water) control. RESULTS: Chronic administration of trehalose resulted in a reduction of frontal cortex p62/beclin-1 ratio suggesting enhancement of autophagy. Trehalose had no mood-stabilizing effects on manic-like behavior in Black Swiss mice but instead augmented amphetamine-induced hyperactivity, an effect similar to antidepressant drugs. In ICR mice, trehalose did not alter spontaneous activity or amphetamine-induced hyperactivity but in two separate experiments had a significant effect to reduce immobility in the forced swim test, a standard screening test for antidepressant-like effects. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that trehalose may have antidepressant-like properties. It is hypothesized that these behavioral changes could be related to trehalose effects to enhance autophagy.

Histochemical method for characterization of enzyme crystals: application to crystals of Torpedo californica acetylcholinesterase.

Histochemical methods are employed to detect and localize a wide range of enzymes. Even though protein crystallographers do not commonly use this technique, the extensively used colorimetric reaction of Karnovsky was successfully adapted for easy and quick identification of acetylcholinesterase crystals. The method relies on the reduction of ferricyanide to ferrocyanide by thiocholine, released from acetylthiocholine by enzymatic hydrolysis, followed by formation of a cupric ferrocyanide precipitate, and allows rapid differentiation between salt and enzyme crystals and between native and inhibited crystals of the enzyme.

Structures of recombinant native and E202Q mutant human acetylcholinesterase complexed with the snake-venom toxin fasciculin-II.

Structures of recombinant wild-type human acetylcholinesterase and of its E202Q mutant as complexes with fasciculin-II, a 'three-finger' polypeptide toxin purified from the venom of the eastern green mamba (Dendroaspis angusticeps), are reported. The structure of the complex of the wild-type enzyme was solved to 2.8 A resolution by molecular replacement starting from the structure of the complex of Torpedo californica acetylcholinesterase with fasciculin-II and verified by starting from a similar complex with mouse acetylcholinesterase. The overall structure is surprisingly similar to that of the T. californica enzyme with fasciculin-II and, as expected, to that of the mouse acetylcholinesterase complex. The structure of the E202Q mutant complex was refined starting from the corresponding wild-type human acetylcholinesterase structure, using the 2.7 A resolution data set collected. Comparison of the two structures shows that removal of the charged group from the protein core and its substitution by a neutral isosteric moiety does not disrupt the functional architecture of the active centre. One of the elements of this architecture is thought to be a hydrogen-bond network including residues Glu202, Glu450, Tyr133 and two bridging molecules of water, which is conserved in other vertebrate acetylcholinesterases as well as in the human enzyme. The present findings are consistent with the notion that the main role of this network is the proper positioning of the Glu202 carboxylate relative to the catalytic triad, thus defining its functional role in the interaction of acetylcholinesterase with substrates and inhibitors.

Acetylcholinesterase from Schistosoma mansoni: interaction of globular species with heparin.

In the cercarial and schistosomal stages of the life cycle of the trematode Schistosoma mansoni, acetylcholinesterase occurs as two principal molecular forms (both globular), present in approximately equal amounts, with sedimentation coefficients of 6.5 S and 8 S. The 6.5 S form is solubilized by bacterial phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C from intact schistosomula. It is thus located on the outer surface of the schistosomal tegument and is most probably analogous to the glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored G(2) form of acetylcholinesterase found in the electric organ of Torpedo, on the surface of mammalian erythrocytes, and elsewhere. Both forms are fully solubilized by the non-ionic detergent Triton X-100. Upon passing such a detergent extract over a heparin-Sepharose column, only the 8 S form was retained on the column. The bound acetylcholinesterase could be progressively eluted by increasing the salt concentration, with approx. 0.5-0.6 M NaCl being needed for complete elution. Selective inhibition experiments carried out on live parasites using the covalent acetylcholinesterase inhibitor echothiophate (phospholine), which does not penetrate the tegument, selectively inhibited the 6.5 S form, but not the 8 S form, suggesting an internal location for the latter. Monoclonal antibodies raised against S. mansoni acetylcholinesterase also distinguished between the two forms. Thus monoclonal antibody SA7 bound the 6.5 S form selectively, whereas SA57 recognized the 8 S form. The selective binding of the 8 S form to heparin suggests that, within the parasite, this form may be associated with the extracellular matrix of the musculature.

Effect of heat shock on acetylcholinesterase activity in chick muscle cultures.

The effect of heat shock was studied on the acetylcholinesterase activity of chick muscle primary cultures. In cultures transferred from 37 degrees C to 45 degrees C, a sharp drop in activity was followed by rapid spontaneous recovery. The time of onset of recovery resembled the time needed for expression of heat shock proteins. In cultures exposed to heat shock at 45 degrees C and allowed to recover at 37 degrees C, reappearance of acetylcholinesterase activity did not involve de novo protein synthesis since it was not prevented by cycloheximide. Our data raise the possibility of a role for heat shock proteins as molecular chaperones in rescuing heat-denaturing acetylcholinesterase.

Atomic structure of acetylcholinesterase from Torpedo californica: a prototypic acetylcholine-binding protein.

The three-dimensional structure of acetylcholinesterase from Torpedo californica electric organ has been determined by x-ray analysis to 2.8 angstrom resolution. The form crystallized is the glycolipid-anchored homodimer that was purified subsequent to solubilization with a bacterial phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C. The enzyme monomer is an alpha/beta protein that contains 537 amino acids. It consists of a 12-stranded mixed beta sheet surrounded by 14 alpha helices and bears a striking resemblance to several hydrolase structures including dienelactone hydrolase, serine carboxypeptidase-II, three neutral lipases, and haloalkane dehalogenase. The active site is unusual because it contains Glu, not Asp, in the Ser-His-acid catalytic triad and because the relation of the triad to the rest of the protein approximates a mirror image of that seen in the serine proteases. Furthermore, the active site lies near the bottom of a deep and narrow gorge that reaches halfway into the protein. Modeling of acetylcholine binding to the enzyme suggests that the quaternary ammonium ion is bound not to a negatively charged "anionic" site, but rather to some of the 14 aromatic residues that line the gorge.

Purification and crystallization of a dimeric form of acetylcholinesterase from Torpedo californica subsequent to solubilization with phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C.

A dimeric form of acetylcholinesterase from Torpedo californica was purified to homogeneity by affinity chromatography subsequent to solubilization with a phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C of bacterial origin. Bipyramidal crystals of the enzyme were obtained from solutions in polyethylene glycol 200. The crystals diffract to 2.0 A (1 A = 0.1 nm) resolution. They were found to be orthorhombic, space group P2221, with a = 163.4(+/- 0.2) A, b = 112.1(+/- 0.2) A, c = 81.3(+/- 0.1) A.

Microtiter assay for acetylcholinesterase.

A microtiter plate adaptation of the classical Ellman colorimetric procedure for measurement of acetylcholinesterase activity is described. This method permits use of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay plate reader for rapid analysis of multiple samples and is particularly suitable for analysis of acetylcholinesterase activity on sucrose gradients. The novel procedure is rapid and sensitive and does not require use of radioactive material.

Tumor necrosis factor induction by Sendai virus.

Supernatants of peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes (PBMC) treated with Sendai virus were found to exert significant cytotoxic effects mediated by leukocyte-produced proteins distinct from interferon. Fractionation of the PBMC into adherent and nonadherent cells indicated that these virus-induced cytotoxins (CTX) were produced primarily in the mononuclear phagocytes. Cells of the monocyte-like U937 line pretreated with 4 beta-phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate could also be induced with Sendai virus to produce CTX. The nonadherent mononuclear cells of the peripheral blood responded poorly to the virus with regard to CTX production, even though they could be induced to produce CTX with phytohemagglutinin (PHA). With the use of monospecific antibodies to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and to lymphotoxin (LT), it was found that TNF is the major CTX produced by PBMC and by the U937 cells after 24 hr stimulation by the virus, whereas LT is not induced under these conditions to any measurable extent. TNF was also found to be produced in significant amounts together with LT upon stimulation of the nonadherent fraction of the PBMC by PHA. These findings indicate that besides bacterial lipopolysaccharides, other biological agents including viruses can be effective inducers of tumor necrosis factor, suggesting implications regarding the physiologic role of this protein.

Use of monoclonal antibodies to a human cytotoxin for its isolation and for examining the self-induction of resistance to this protein.

Crude preparations of cytotoxins (CTXs) produced by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells exert a marked cytotoxic effect when applied to cells in the presence of cycloheximide but in its absence can induce resistance to cytotoxicity. To examine the relationship between these cytotoxic and protective activities, we attempted to fully dissociate the CTX from the other proteins secreted by mononuclear cells. Mice injected with preparations of the cytokines secreted by peripheral blood mononuclear cells developed significant titers of serum antibodies to CTX(s). Splenocytes of such immunized mice were fused with NSO myeloma cells; a few among the resulting hybridoma cells secreted CTX-binding antibodies. Immunoadsorbents constructed with a monoclonal antibody produced by one of these hybridomas were used to purify to homogeneity a CTX (Mr approximately 17,500) from crude preparations of cytokines, by a single adsorption and elution cycle. Purified CTX was cytotoxic in the presence of cycloheximide but in its absence induced resistance to cytotoxicity; this resistance was manifested by decreased vulnerability to CTX in a subsequent incubation in the presence of cycloheximide. We conclude that CTX itself can induce certain changes in cells, which are reflected in resistance to its own cytotoxic effect.