Membrane-anchored carbonic anhydrase IV interacts with monocarboxylate transporters via their chaperones CD147 and GP70.

Monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) mediate the proton-coupled exchange of high-energy metabolites, including lactate and pyruvate, between cells and tissues. The transport activity of MCT1, MCT2, and MCT4 can be facilitated by the extracellular carbonic anhydrase IV (CAIV) via a noncatalytic mechanism. Combining physiological measurements in HEK-293 cells and Xenopus oocytes with pulldown experiments, we analyzed the direct interaction between CAIV and the two MCT chaperones basigin (CD147) and embigin (GP70). Our results show that facilitation of MCT transport activity requires direct binding of CAIV to the transporters chaperones. We found that this binding is mediated by the highly conserved His-88 residue in CAIV, which is also the central residue of the enzyme's intramolecular proton shuttle, and a charged amino acid residue in the Ig1 domain of the chaperone. Although the position of the CAIV-binding site in the chaperone was conserved, the amino acid residue itself varied among different species. In human CD147, binding of CAIV was mediated by the negatively charged Glu-73 and in rat CD147 by the positively charged Lys-73. In rat GP70, we identified the positively charged Arg-130 as the binding site. Further analysis of the CAIV-binding site revealed that the His-88 in CAIV can either act as H donor or H acceptor for the hydrogen bond, depending on the charge of the binding residue in the chaperone. Our results suggest that the CAIV-mediated increase in MCT transport activity requires direct binding between CAIV-His-88 and a charged amino acid in the extracellular domain of the transporter's chaperone.

Calcium-induced calcium release and gap junctions mediate large-scale calcium waves in olfactory ensheathing cells in situ.

Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) are a specialised type of glial cells, supporting axon growth and guidance during development and regeneration of the olfactory nerve and the nerve layer of the olfactory bulb. We measured calcium signalling in OECs in olfactory bulb in-toto preparations using confocal and epifluorescence microscopy and the calcium indicator Fluo-4. We identified two subpopulations of olfactory bulb OECs: OECs in the outer sublamina of the nerve layer responded to purinergic neurotransmitters such as adenosine triphosphate with calcium transients, while OECs in the inner sublamina of the nerve layer did not respond to neurotransmitters. However, the latter generated spontaneous calcium waves that covered hundreds of cells. These calcium waves persisted in the presence of tetrodotoxin and in calcium-free saline, but were abolished after calcium store depletion with cyclopiazonic acid or inositol trisphosphate receptor blockage with 2-APB. Calcium waves could be triggered by laser photolysis of caged inositol trisphosphate. Blocking purinoceptors with PPADS had no effect on calcium wave propagation, whereas blocking gap junctions with carbenoxolone or meclofenamic acid entirely suppressed calcium waves. Increasing calcium buffer capacity in OECs with NP-EGTA ("caged" Ca(2+)) prevented calcium wave generation, and laser photolysis of NP-EGTA in a small group of OECs resulted in a calcium increase in the irradiated cells followed by a calcium wave. We conclude that calcium waves in OECs can be initiated by calcium-induced calcium release via InsP3 receptors and propagate through gap junctions, while purinergic signalling is not involved.

Reversed electrogenic sodium bicarbonate cotransporter 1 is the major acid loader during recovery from cytosolic alkalosis in mouse cortical astrocytes.

KEY POINTS: The regulation of H(+) i from cytosolic alkalosis has generally been attributed to the activity of Cl(-) -coupled acid loaders/base extruders in most cell types, including brain cells. The present study demonstrates that outwardly-directed sodium bicarbonate cotransport via electrogenic sodium bicarbonate cotransporter 1 (NBCe1) mediates the major fraction of H(+) i regulation from cytosolic alkalosis in mouse cortical astrocytes. Cl(-) -coupled acid-loading transporters play only a minor role in the regulation of H(+) i from alkalosis in mouse cortical astrocytes. NBCe1-mediated H(+) i regulation from alkalosis was dominant, with the support of intracellular carbonic anhydrase II, even when the intra- and extracellular [HCO3 (-) ] was very low (<1mM), as in nominally CO2 /HCO3 (-) free condition. A reversed NBCe1 in astrocytes may also be significant for stabilizing extracellular pH in brain tissue. ABSTRACT: Recovery of intracellular pH from cytosolic alkalosis has been attributed primarily to Cl(-) coupled acid loaders/base extruders such as Cl(-) /HCO3 (-) or Cl(-) /OH(-) exchangers. We have studied this process in cortical astrocytes from wild-type and transgenic mouse models with gene deletion for the electrogenic sodium bicarbonate cotransporter 1 (NBCe1) and for carbonic anhydrase (CA) isoform II. An acute cytosolic alkalosis was induced by the removal of either CO2 /HCO3 (-) or butyric acid, and the subsequent acid loading was analysed by monitoring changes in cytosolic H(+) or Na(+) using ion-sensitive fluorescent dyes. We have identified that NBCe1 reverses during alkalosis and contributes more than 70% to the rate of recovery from alkalosis by extruding Na(+) and HCO3 (-) . After CA inhibition or in CAII-knockout (KO) cells, the rate of recovery was reduced by 40%, and even by 70% in the nominal absence of CO2 /HCO3 (-) . Increasing the extracellular K(+) concentration modulated the rate of acid loading in wild-type cells, but not in NBCe1-KO cells. Removing chloride had only a minor effect on the recovery from alkalosis. Reversal of NBCe1 by reducing pH/[HCO3 (-) ] was demonstrated in astrocytes and in Xenopus oocytes, in which human NBCe1 was heterologously expressed. The results obtained suggest that reversed NBCe1, supported by CAII activity, plays a major role in acid-loading cortical astrocytes to support recovery from cytosolic alkalosis.

Spatial and developmental heterogeneity of calcium signaling in olfactory ensheathing cells.

Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) are specialized glial cells in the mammalian olfactory system supporting growth of axons from the olfactory epithelium into the olfactory bulb. OECs in the olfactory bulb can be subdivided into OECs of the outer nerve layer and the inner nerve layer according to the expression of marker proteins and their location in the nerve layer. In the present study, we have used confocal calcium imaging of OECs in acute mouse brain slices and olfactory bulbs in toto to investigate physiological differences between OEC subpopulations. OECs in the outer nerve layer, but not the inner nerve layer, responded to glutamate, ATP, serotonin, dopamine, carbachol, and phenylephrine with increases in the cytosolic calcium concentration. The calcium responses consisted of a transient and a tonic component, the latter being mediated by store-operated calcium entry. Calcium measurements in OECs during the first three postnatal weeks revealed a downregulation of mGluR(1) and P2Y(1) receptor-mediated calcium signaling within the first 2 weeks, suggesting that the expression of these receptors is developmentally controlled. In addition, electrical stimulation of sensory axons evoked calcium signaling via mGluR(1) and P2Y(1) only in outer nerve layer OECs. Downregulation of the receptor-mediated calcium responses in postnatal animals is reflected by a decrease in amplitude of stimulation-evoked calcium transients in OECs from postnatal days 3 to 21. In summary, the results presented reveal striking differences in receptor responses during development and in axon-OEC communication between the two subpopulations of OECs in the olfactory bulb.

Tailoring the interface of hybrid microresonators in viscid fluids enhances their quality factor by two orders of magnitude.

The application of microresonators in fluids is predominantly constrained by the strong damping caused by the viscid drag and the additional inertia of the liquid in the interfacial layer. In this paper we propose the new concept of partial wetting that exploits another property of liquids, its surface energy, to adapt physically the interface of the microresonator to the liquid by the formation of a meniscus. First experiments performed with technically simple batch-fabricated prototypes validate the potential of partial wetting as a vital route to improve the quality factor of microresonators in viscid fluids to values up to 600 exceeding those of conventional microresonators by almost two orders of magnitude.

Extrasynaptic neuron-glia communication: The how and why.

Chemical synaptic transmission between neurons is believed to take place at specialized sites of cell contact, comprising presynaptic terminals and postsynaptic membranes. Neurotransmitter release has been shown to occur also extrasynaptically, mainly targeting glial cells. In a recent study, we investigated the mechanism of extrasynaptic glutamate and ATP release along sensory axons in the olfactory nerve layer. Transmitter release was mediated by calcium-dependent vesicle fusion and triggered calcium transients in adjacent glial cells. These calcium transients were coupled to vasoresponses, indicating that glial calcium signaling mediates neurovascular coupling not only in synaptic brain regions such as gray matter, but also in brain regions devoid of synapses.

Ectopic vesicular neurotransmitter release along sensory axons mediates neurovascular coupling via glial calcium signaling.

Neurotransmitter release generally is considered to occur at active zones of synapses, and ectopic release of neurotransmitters has been demonstrated in a few instances. However, the mechanism of ectopic neurotransmitter release is poorly understood. We took advantage of the intimate morphological and functional proximity of olfactory receptor axons and specialized glial cells, olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs), to study ectopic neurotransmitter release. Axonal stimulation evoked purinergic and glutamatergic Ca(2+) responses in OECs, indicating ATP and glutamate release. In axons expressing synapto-pHluorin, stimulation evoked an increase in synapto-pHluorin fluorescence, indicative of vesicle fusion. Transmitter release was dependent on Ca(2+) and could be inhibited by bafilomycin A1 and botulinum toxin A. Ca(2+) transients in OECs evoked by ATP, axonal stimulation, and laser photolysis of NP-EGTA resulted in constriction of adjacent blood vessels. Our results indicate that ATP and glutamate are released ectopically by vesicles along axons and mediate neurovascular coupling via glial Ca(2+) signaling.