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Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent Protein Kinase II (ca2+/calmodulin-dependent + protein_kinase_ii)
Selected AbstractsImpairment of CaMKII activation and attenuation of neuropathic pain in mice lacking NR2B phosphorylated at Tyr1472EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 5 2010Shinji Matsumura Abstract Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is a key mediator of long-term potentiation (LTP), which can be triggered by N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptor-mediated Ca2+ influx. We previously demonstrated that Fyn kinase-mediated phosphorylation of NR2B subunits of NMDA receptors at Tyr1472 in the dorsal horn was involved in a neuropathic pain state even 1 week after nerve injury. Here we show that Y1472F-KI mice with a knock-in mutation of the Tyr1472 site to phenylalanine did not exhibit neuropathic pain induced by L5 spinal nerve transection, whereas they did retain normal nociceptive responses and induction of inflammatory pain. Phosphorylation of NR2B at Tyr1472 was only impaired in the spinal cord of Y1472F-KI mice among the major phosphorylation sites. There was no difference in the Ca2+ response to glutamate and sensitivity to NMDA receptor antagonists between naive wild-type and Y1472F-KI mice, and the Ca2+ response to glutamate was attenuated in the Y1472F-KI mice after nerve injury. Autophosphorylation of CaMKII at Thr286 was markedly impaired in Y1472F-KI mice after nerve injury, but there was no difference in phosphorylation of CaMKII at Thr305 or protein kinase C, at Thr674, and activation of neuronal nitric oxide synthase and microglia in the superficial layer of spinal cord between wild-type and Y1472F-KI mice after the operation. These results demonstrate that the attenuation of neuropathic pain is caused by the impaired NMDA receptor-mediated CaMKII signaling in Y1472F-KI mice, and suggest that autophosphorylation of CaMKII at Thr286 plays a central part not only in LTP, but also in persistent neuropathic pain. [source] Interaction of LDL receptor-related protein 4 (LRP4) with postsynaptic scaffold proteins via its C-terminal PDZ domain-binding motif, and its regulation by Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IIEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 3 2006Qing-Bao Tian No abstract is available for this article. [source] A role for synGAP in regulating neuronal apoptosisEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 3 2005Irene Knuesel Abstract The brain-specific Ras/Rap GTPase-activating protein synGAP is a major component of the postsynaptic density at glutamatergic synapses. It is a target for phosphorylation by Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, which up-regulates its GTPase-activating activity. Thus, SynGAP may play an important role in coupling N -methyl- d -aspartate-type glutamate receptor activation to signaling pathways downstream of Ras or Rap. Homozygous deletion of synGAP is lethal within the first few days after birth. Therefore, to study the functions of synGAP, we used the cre/loxP recombination system to produce conditional mice mutants in which gradual loss of synGAP begins at ,,1 week, and usually becomes maximal by 3 weeks, after birth. The resulting phenotypes fall into two groups. In a small group, the level of synGAP protein is reduced to 20,25% of wild type, and they die at 2,3 weeks of age. In a larger group, the levels remain higher than ,,40% of wild type, and they survive and remain healthy. In all mutants, however, an abnormally high number of neurons in the hippocampus and cortex undergo apoptosis, as detected by caspase-3 activation. The effect is cell autonomous, occurring only in neuronal types in which the synGAP gene is eliminated. The level of caspase-3 activation in neurons correlates inversely with the level of synGAP protein measured at 2 and 8 weeks after birth, indicating that neuronal apoptosis is enhanced by reduction of synGAP. These data show that synGAP plays a role in regulation of the onset of apoptotic neuronal death. [source] Differential effects of acute and chronic exercise on plasticity-related genes in the rat hippocampus revealed by microarrayEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 6 2002Raffaella Molteni Abstract Studies were performed to determine the effects of acute and chronic voluntary periods of exercise on the expression of hippocampal genes. RNAs from rodents exposed to a running wheel for 3, 7 and 28 days were examined using a microarray with 1176 cDNAs expressed primarily in the brain. The expression of selected genes was quantified by Taqman RT-PCR or RNase protection assay. The largest up-regulation was observed in genes involved with synaptic trafficking (synapsin I, synaptotagmin and syntaxin); signal transduction pathways (Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, CaM-KII; mitogen-activated/extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase, MAP-K/ERK I and II; protein kinase C, PKC-,) or transcription regulators (cyclic AMP response element binding protein, CREB). Genes associated with the glutamatergic system were up-regulated (N -methyl- d -aspartate receptor, NMDAR-2A and NMDAR-2B and excitatory amino acid carrier 1, EAAC1), while genes related to the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system were down-regulated (GABAA receptor, glutamate decarboxylase GAD65). Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was the only trophic factor whose gene was consistently up-regulated at all timepoints. These results, together with the fact that most of the genes up-regulated have a recognized interaction with BDNF, suggest a central role for BDNF on the effects of exercise on brain plasticity. The temporal profile of gene expression seems to delineate a mechanism by which specific molecular pathways are activated after exercise performance. For example, the CaM-K signal system seems to be active during acute and chronic periods of exercise, while the MAP-K/ERK system seems more important during long-term exercise. [source] Proteasome-driven turnover of tryptophan hydroxylase is triggered by phosphorylation in RBL2H3 cells, a serotonin producing mast cell lineFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 19 2002Yoshiko Iida We previously demonstrated in mast cell lines RBL2H3 and FMA3 that tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) undergoes very fast turnover driven by 26S-proteasomes [Kojima, M., Oguro, K., Sawabe, K., Iida, Y., Ikeda, R., Yamashita, A., Nakanishi, N. & Hasegawa, H. (2000) J. Biochem (Tokyo) 2000, 127, 121,127]. In the present study, we have examined an involvement of TPH phosphorylation in the rapid turnover, using non-neural TPH. The proteasome-driven degradation of TPH in living cells was accelerated by okadaic acid, a protein phosphatase inhibitor. Incorporation of 32P into a 53-kDa protein, which was judged to be TPH based on autoradiography and Western blot analysis using anti-TPH serum and purified TPH as the size marker, was observed in FMA3 cells only in the presence of both okadaic acid and MG132, inhibitors of protein phosphatase and proteasome, respectively. In a cell-free proteasome system constituted mainly of RBL2H3 cell extracts, degradation of exogenous TPH isolated from mastocytoma P-815 cells was inhibited by protein kinase inhibitors KN-62 and K252a but not by H89. Consistent with the inhibitor specificity, the same TPH was phosphorylated by exogenous Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in the presence of Ca2+ and calmodulin but not by protein kinase A (catalytic subunit). TPH protein thus phosphorylated by Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II was digested more rapidly in the cell-free proteasome system than was the nonphosphorylated enzyme. These results indicated that the phosphorylation of TPH was a prerequisite for proteasome-driven TPH degradation. [source] Differential regulation of CaMKII inhibitor , protein expression after exposure to a novel context and during contextual fear memory formationGENES, BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR, Issue 6 2010K. Radwa Understanding of the molecular basis of long-term fear memory (fear LTM) formation provides targets in the treatment of emotional disorders. Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is one of the key synaptic molecules involved in fear LTM formation. There are two endogenous inhibitor proteins of CaMKII, CaMKII N, and N,, which can regulate CaMKII activity in vitro. However, the physiological role of these endogenous inhibitors is not known. Here, we have investigated whether CaMKII N, protein expression is regulated after contextual fear conditioning or exposure to a novel context. Using a novel CaMKII N, -specific antibody, CaMKII N, expression was analysed in the naïve mouse brain as well as in the amygdala and hippocampus after conditioning and context exposure. We show that in naïve mouse forebrain CaMKII N, protein is expressed at its highest levels in olfactory bulb, prefrontal and piriform cortices, amygdala and thalamus. The protein is expressed both in dendrites and cell bodies. CaMKII N, expression is rapidly and transiently up-regulated in the hippocampus after context exposure. In the amygdala, its expression is regulated only by contextual fear conditioning and not by exposure to a novel context. In conclusion, we show that CaMKII N, expression is differentially regulated by novelty and contextual fear conditioning, providing further insight into molecular basis of fear LTM. [source] Dopamine D1 and D3 receptors oppositely regulate NMDA- and cocaine-induced MAPK signaling via NMDA receptor phosphorylationJOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 2 2007Hongyuan Jiao Abstract Development of drug addiction involves complex molecular changes in the CNS. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway plays a key role in mediating neuronal activation induced by dopamine, glutamate, and drugs of abuse. We previously showed that dopamine D1 and D3 receptors play different roles in regulating cocaine-induced MAPK activation. Although there are functional and physical interactions between dopamine and glutamate receptors, little is known regarding the involvement of D1 and D3 receptors in modulating glutamate-induced MAPK activation and underlying mechanisms. In this study, we show that D1 and D3 receptors play opposite roles in regulating N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) -induced activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in the caudate putamen (CPu). D3 receptors also inhibit NMDA-induced activation of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase and p38 kinase in the CPu. NMDA-induced activation of the NMDA-receptor R1 subunit (NR1), Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and the cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB), and cocaine-induced CREB activation in the CPu are also oppositely regulated by dopamine D1 and D3 receptors. Finally, the blockade of NMDA-receptor reduces cocaine-induced ERK activation, and inhibits phosphorylation of NR1, Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, and CREB, while inhibiting ERK activation attenuates cocaine-induced CREB phosphorylation in the CPu. These results suggest that dopamine D1 and D3 receptors oppositely regulate NMDA- and cocaine-induced MAPK signaling via phosphorylation of NR1. [source] Regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinases by glutamate receptorsJOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 1 2007John Q. Wang Abstract Glutamate receptors regulate gene expression in neurons by activating intracellular signaling cascades that phosphorylate transcription factors within the nucleus. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade is one of the best characterized cascades in this regulatory process. The Ca2+ -permeable ionotropic glutamate receptor, mainly the NMDA receptor subtype, activates MAPKs through a biochemical route involving the Ca2+ -sensitive Ras-guanine nucleotide releasing factor, Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, and phosphoinositide 3-kinase. The metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR), however, activates MAPKs primarily through a Ca2+ -insensitve pathway involving the transactivation of receptor tyrosine kinases. The adaptor protein Homer also plays a role in this process. As an information superhighway between surface glutamate receptors and transcription factors in the nucleus, active MAPKs phosphorylate specific transcription factors (Elk-1 and CREB), and thereby regulate distinct programs of gene expression. The regulated gene expression contributes to the development of multiple forms of synaptic plasticity related to long-lasting changes in memory function and addictive properties of drugs of abuse. This review, by focusing on new data from recent years, discusses the signaling mechanisms by which different types of glutamate receptors activate MAPKs, features of each MAPK cascade in regulating gene expression, and the importance of glutamate/MAPK-dependent synaptic plasticity in memory and addiction. [source] Identification of the isoforms of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor mRNAs in the substantia nigraJOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 1 2006Akifumi Kamata Abstract Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMK)II is highly expressed in the CNS and mediates activity-dependent neuronal plasticity. Four CaMKII isoforms, ,, ,, , and ,, have a large number of splicing variants. Here we identified isoforms of CaMKII in the rat substantia nigra (SN). Northern blot and RT,PCR analyses revealed that the , and , isoform mRNAs with several splicing variants were predominantly expressed in SN. Immunoblot analysis indicated that the major isoforms were ,A, ,C, ,1 and ,3. An immunohistochemical study also confirmed the preferential localization of , and , isoforms in SN dopaminergic neurons. In dopaminergic neurons, immunoreactivity against anti-CaMKII,1,4 antibody was detected in both nucleus and cytoplasm, in contrast to the predominant expression of , isoforms in the cytoplasm. Furthermore, we showed expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNAs with exons II and IV in SN. Taken together with our previous observations, the results suggest that the CaMKII,3 isoform is involved in the expression of BDNF in the SN. [source] Role of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in dendritic spine remodeling during epileptiform activity in vitroJOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH, Issue 9 2009Xiang-ming Zha Abstract Epileptiform activity (EA) in vivo and in vitro induces a loss of dendritic spines and synapses. Because CaMKII has been implicated in synaptogenesis and synaptic plasticity, we investigated the role of CaMKII in the effects of EA on spines, using rat hippocampal slice cultures. To visualize dendrites and postsynaptic densities (PSDs) in pyramidal neurons in the slices, we used biolistic transfection to express either free GFP or a PSD95-YFP construct that specifically labels PSDs. This allowed us to distinguish two classes of dendritic protrusions: spines that contain PSDs, and filopodia that lack PSDs and that are, on average, longer than spines. By these criteria, 48 hr of EA caused a decrease specifically in the number of spines. Immunoblots showed that EA increased CaMKII activity in the slices. Inhibition of CaMKII by expression of AIP, a specific peptide inhibitor of CaMKII, reduced spine number under basal conditions and failed to prevent EA-induced spine loss. However, under EA conditions, AIP increased the number of filopodia and the number of PSDs on the dendritic shaft. These data show at least two roles for CaMKII activity in maintenance and remodeling of dendritic spines under basal or EA conditions. First, CaMKII activity promotes the maintenance of spines and spine PSDs. Second, CaMKII activity suppresses EA-induced formation of filopodia and suppresses an increase in shaft PSDs, apparently by promoting translocation of PSDs from dendritic shafts to spines and/or selectively stabilizing spine rather than shaft PSDs. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Structure and composition of the postsynaptic density during developmentTHE JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE NEUROLOGY, Issue 20 2010Matthew T. Swulius Abstract In this study, we used electron tomography as well as immunogold labeling to analyze the morphology and distribution of proteins within postsynaptic densities (PSDs) isolated from rats before birth (embryonic day 19) and at postnatal days 2, 21, and 60. Our data provide direct evidence of distinct morphological and compositional differences in PSDs throughout development. Not all PSD components are present at the early stages of development, with a near lack of the scaffolding molecule PSD-95 at E19 and P2. The presence of NR1 and NR2b suggests that PSD-95 is not directly required for clustering of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors in PSDs early in development. ,-Actinin is abundant by E19, suggesting that it is a core structural component of the PSD. Both , and , isoforms of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) are present early on but then rise in labeling density by approximately fourfold by P21. Among all the molecules studied, only calmodulin (CaM) was found in higher abundance early in PSD development and then fell in amount over time. Spatial analysis of the immunogold label shows a nonrandom distribution for all the proteins studied, lending support to the idea that the PSD is systematically assembled in an organized fashion. Morphological data from electron tomography shows that the PSD undergoes major structural changes throughout development. J. Comp. Neurol. 518:4243,4260, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Modulation of synaptic plasticity by stress and antidepressantsBIPOLAR DISORDERS, Issue 3 2002Maurizio Popoli Recent preclinical and clinical studies have shown that mechanisms underlying neuronal plasticity and survival are involved in both the outcome of stressful experiences and the action of antidepressants. Whereas most antidepressants predominantly affect the brain levels of monoamine neurotransmitters, it is increasingly appreciated that they also modulate neurotransmission at synapses using the neurotransmitter glutamate (the most abundant in the brain). In the hippocampus, a main area of the limbic system involved in cognitive functions as well as attention and affect, specific molecules enriched at glutamatergic synapses mediate major changes in synaptic plasticity induced by stress paradigms or antidepressant treatments. We analyze here the modifications induced by stress or antidepressants in the strength of synaptic transmission in hippocampus, and the molecular modifications induced by antidepressants in two main mediators of synaptic plasticity: the N -methyl- D -aspartate (NMDA) receptor complex for glutamate and the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II). Both stress and antidepressants induce alterations in long-term potentiation of hippocampal glutamatergic synapses, which may be partly accounted for by the influence of environmental or drug-induced stimulation of monoaminergic pathways projecting to the hippocampus. In the course of antidepressant treatments significant changes have been described in both the NMDA receptor and CaM kinase II, which may account for the physiological changes observed. A central role in these synaptic changes is exerted by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which modulates both synaptic plasticity and its molecular mediators, as well as inducing morphological synaptic changes. The role of these molecular effectors in synaptic plasticity is discussed in relation to the action of antidepressants and the search for new molecular targets of drug action in the therapy of mood disorders. [source] AGE-RELATED SYNAPTIC CHANGES IN THE CA1 STRATUM RADIATUM AND SPATIAL LEARNING IMPAIRMENT IN RATSCLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 7 2009Li-Hong Long SUMMARY 1Age-related impairments in hippocampus-dependent spatial learning and memory are not associated with a loss of neurons, but may be related to synaptic changes. In the present study, we analysed the behavioural performance of adult, middle-aged and old Wistar rats using the Morris water maze, as well as the structure of synapses and the expression of autophosphorylated Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II at threonine 286 (pThr286-,CaMKII), a key post-synaptic protein in the CA1 stratum radiatum, in the same rats. 2Old Wistar rats showed significant cognitive deficits. Synaptic density, the area of post-synaptic densities and the total number of synapses in the CA1 stratum radiatum of old rats were significantly decreased compared with adult rats. The decrease in autophosphorylated pThr286-,CaMKII was age dependent. 3These findings reveal that age-related impairments in learning and memory are associated with synaptic atrophy. The decreased expression of pThr286-CaMKII may result in reduced synaptic function with ageing. [source] | |||||||||||||