scholarly journals Proposed model of the Dictyostelium cAMP receptors bound to cAMP

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack Calum Greenhalgh ◽  
Aneesh Chandran ◽  
Matthew Thomas Harper ◽  
Graham Ladds ◽  
Taufiq Rahman

Abstract3’,5’-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is well known as a ubiquitous intracellular messenger regulating a diverse array of cellular processes. However, for a group of social amoebae or Dictyostelia undergoing starvation, intracellular cAMP is secreted in a pulsatile manner to their exterior. This then uniquely acts as a first messenger, triggering aggregation of the starving amoebae followed by their developmental progression towards multicellular fruiting bodies formation. Such developmental signalling for extracellularly-acting cAMP is well studied in the popular dictyostelid,Dictyostelium discoideum, and is mediated by a distinct family (‘class E’) of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) collectively designated as the cAMP receptors (cARs). Whilst the biochemical aspects of these receptors are well characterised, little is known about their overall 3D architecture and structural basis for cAMP recognition and subtype-dependent changes in binding affinity. Using a ligand docking-guided homology modelling approach, we hereby present for the first time, plausible models of active forms of the cARs fromD. discoideum. Our models highlight some structural features that may underlie the differential affinities of cAR isoforms for cAMP binding and also suggest few residues that may play important roles for the activation mechanism of this GPCR family.

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (7) ◽  
pp. 1554
Author(s):  
Dabin Choi ◽  
Wesuk Kang ◽  
Taesun Park

The critical roles of keratinocytes and resident mast cells in skin allergy and inflammation have been highlighted in many studies. Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), the intracellular second messenger, has also recently emerged as a target molecule in the immune reaction underlying inflammatory skin conditions. Here, we investigated whether undecane, a naturally occurring plant compound, has anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory activities on sensitized rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) mast cells and HaCaT keratinocytes and we further explored the potential involvement of the cAMP as a molecular target for undecane. We confirmed that undecane increased intracellular cAMP levels in mast cells and keratinocytes. In sensitized mast cells, undecane inhibited degranulation and the secretion of histamine and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α). In addition, in sensitized keratinocytes, undecane reversed the increased levels of p38 phosphorylation, nuclear factor kappaB (NF-κB) transcriptional activity and target cytokine/chemokine genes, including thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC), macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC) and interleukin-8 (IL-8). These results suggest that undecane may be useful for the prevention or treatment of skin inflammatory disorders, such as atopic dermatitis, and other allergic diseases.


2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naohiro Araki ◽  
Mitsuru Iida ◽  
Nobuyuki Amino ◽  
Shinji Morita ◽  
Akane Ide ◽  
...  

Background: Thyroid-stimulating antibodies (TSAb) are known to be responsible for hyperthyroidism in Graves' disease (GD). The conventional methods to measure TSAb depend on cell-based assays that require cumbersome procedures and a sterilized tissue culture technique. The aim of the present study was to develop a ready-to-use cell-based assay for measuring TSAb activity without requiring sterilized conditions. Methods: We developed a new assay kit using a frozen Chinese hamster ovary cell line expressing the thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-gated calcium channel and aequorin, tentatively named the aequorin TSAb assay. Activated stimulatory G-protein-coupled adenylate cyclase increases intracellular cAMP, which then binds to the cyclic nucleotide-gated calcium channel. Activation of this channel allows Ca2+ to enter the cell, and the influx of Ca2+ can be measured with aequorin, which is quantified by a luminometer. Results can be obtained in only 4 h without sterilized conditions. TSAb activities were expressed by international units using the NIBSC 08/204 standard. Results: Positive results of aequorin TSAb were obtained in 197 of 199 (98.9%) of untreated patients with GD. Only 1 of 42 (2.3%) patients with painless thyroiditis had a weakly positive aequorin TSAb. All 45 patients with subacute thyroiditis and 185 normal subjects showed negative aequorin TSAb. As for chronic thyroiditis, all 52 euthyroid patients showed negative aequorin TSAb, but 8 of 50 (16.0%) hypothyroid patients had a positive reaction. However, these positive reactions were not induced by serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and were thought to be induced by the stimulating activity of anti-TSH receptor immunoglobulins. Conventional porcine TSAb and Elecsys thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibodies were positive in 69.3 and 95.5% of GD, respectively. Conclusion: The aequorin TSAb assay was positive in 98.9% of GD and was more sensitive than the conventional assay. This assay can be conducted in only 4 h without sterilized conditions and is practically useful in general clinical laboratories.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 1616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramoji Kosuru ◽  
Magdalena Chrzanowska

Ca2+ is a universal intracellular signal. The modulation of cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration regulates a plethora of cellular processes, such as: synaptic plasticity, neuronal survival, chemotaxis of immune cells, platelet aggregation, vasodilation, and cardiac excitation–contraction coupling. Rap1 GTPases are ubiquitously expressed binary switches that alternate between active and inactive states and are regulated by diverse families of guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) and GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs). Active Rap1 couples extracellular stimulation with intracellular signaling through secondary messengers—cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), Ca2+, and diacylglycerol (DAG). Much evidence indicates that Rap1 signaling intersects with Ca2+ signaling pathways to control the important cellular functions of platelet activation or neuronal plasticity. Rap1 acts as an effector of Ca2+ signaling when activated by mechanisms involving Ca2+ and DAG-activated (CalDAG-) GEFs. Conversely, activated by other GEFs, such as cAMP-dependent GEF Epac, Rap1 controls cytoplasmic Ca2+ levels. It does so by regulating the activity of Ca2+ signaling proteins such as sarcoendoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA). In this review, we focus on the physiological significance of the links between Rap1 and Ca2+ signaling and emphasize the molecular interactions that may offer new targets for the therapy of Alzheimer’s disease, hypertension, and atherosclerosis, among other diseases.


1997 ◽  
Vol 52 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 255-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerhard Starnecker

AbstractIn the butterfly Inachis io, a pupal melanization reducing factor (PMRF) which is located throughout the entire central nervous system controls the intensity of pigmentation of pupal cuticle depending on the background color of the pupation site. PMRF does not only reduce melanization but, in addition, enhances lutein incorporation in a dose-dependent manner to form pupae with yellow color on bright backgrounds.The present paper reports on the effects on pupal pigmentation caused by cyclic nucleo­ tides and phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors which prevent degradation of cyclic nucleo­ tides. The injection of cAMP did not alter pupal coloration whereas its membrane-permeable analog dibutyryl-cAMP mimicked dose-dependently PMRF activity. Thus, pupae of reduced melanization and, in addition, enhanced yellow coloration were formed. This indicates that an increased intracellular cAMP level is capable of mediating PMRF effect. Also, the injection of the PDE inhibitor isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX) caused dose-dependently pupae of reduced melanization and enhanced lutein incorporation.Theophylline (another PDE inhibitor) was only slightly effective (23% inhibition of melanization) at the highest dose compared to IBMX. The injection of cGMP and its analog dibutyryl-cGMP exhibited no melanization reducing effect.Extracts of abdominal ganglia (AG) which contained PMRF activity caused significantly brighter pupae when injected in combination with IBMX. However, this stimulation by IBMX became no longer effective at higher AG doses. Therefore, the present results are suggestive of an involvement of cAMP as a second messenger in the action of PMRF on pupal color adaptation.


Author(s):  
Ulrike Schmidt

Second messengers such as cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), inositoltriphosphate, and diacylglycerol (DAG) are a prerequisite for the signal transduction of extracellular receptors. The latter are central for cellular function and thus are implicated in the pathobiology of a variety of disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This chapter focuses on the involvement of second messenger molecules and their regulators as direct targets in human and animal PTSD and aims to stimulate the underdeveloped research in this field. The synthesis of literature reveals that second messengers clearly play a central role in PTSD-associated brain regions and processes. In particular, pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), an important regulator of intracellular cAMP levels, as well as protein kinase c, the major target of DAG, belong to the hitherto most promising PTSD candidate molecules directly involved in second messenger signaling.


2019 ◽  
pp. 147-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Alblova ◽  
A. Smidova ◽  
D. Kalabova ◽  
D. Lentini Santo ◽  
T. Obsil ◽  
...  

Neutral trehalase 1 (Nth1) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae catalyzes disaccharide trehalose hydrolysis and helps yeast to survive adverse conditions, such as heat shock, starvation or oxidative stress. 14-3-3 proteins, master regulators of hundreds of partner proteins, participate in many key cellular processes. Nth1 is activated by phosphorylation followed by 14-3-3 protein (Bmh) binding. The activation mechanism is also potentiated by Ca(2+) binding within the EF-hand-like motif. This review summarizes the current knowledge about trehalases and the molecular and structural basis of Nth1 activation. The crystal structure of fully active Nth1 bound to 14-3-3 protein provided the first high-resolution view of a trehalase from a eukaryotic organism and showed 14-3-3 proteins as structural modulators and allosteric effectors of multi-domain binding partners.


Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 1587 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sławomir Rumiński ◽  
Ilona Kalaszczyńska ◽  
Małgorzata Lewandowska-Szumieł

The successful implementation of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) in bone regeneration depends on efficient osteogenic differentiation. However, a literature survey and our own experience demonstrated that current differentiation methods are not effective enough. Since the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into osteoblasts and adipocytes can be regulated by cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling, we investigated the effects of cAMP activator, forskolin, and inhibitor, SQ 22,536, on the early and late osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs cultured in spheroids or in a monolayer. Intracellular cAMP concentration, protein kinase A (PKA) activity, and inhibitor of DNA binding 2 (ID2) expression examination confirmed cAMP up- and downregulation. cAMP upregulation inhibited the cell cycle and protected ADSCs from osteogenic medium (OM)-induced apoptosis. Surprisingly, the upregulation of cAMP level at the early stages of osteogenic differentiation downregulated the expression of osteogenic markers RUNX2, Osterix, and IBSP, which was more significant in spheroids, and it is used for the more efficient commitment of ADSCs into preosteoblasts, according to the previously reported protocol. However, cAMP upregulation in a culture of ADSCs in spheroids resulted in significantly increased osteocalcin production and mineralization. Thus, undifferentiated and predifferentiated ADSCs respond differently to cAMP pathway stimulation in terms of osteogenesis, which might explain the ambiguous results from the literature.


2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 282 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. G. Zaffalon ◽  
C. Guimmelette ◽  
C. L. V. Leal ◽  
F. J. Richard

The level of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) within oocytes has been shown to play a critical role in maintaining meiotic arrest. High levels of intracellular cAMP prevent spontaneous oocyte maturation in vitro, whereas a decrease in oocyte cAMP is associated with the resumption of meiosis. Another cyclic nucleotide that also was recently proposed as being involved in meiotic resumption is cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), which could be regulating phosphodiesterase (PDE) 3 activity. The aim of this study was to determine whether cGMP inhibits cAMP-PDE activity in porcine oocytes. With the method described previously by Sasseville et al. (2006 BMC Dev. Biol. 6, 47), PDE activity was measured in groups of 10 oocytes cultured in the absence (control) or presence of different concentrations of cGMP (1, 3, 10, 30, 100, 300, 1000, and 3000 nM) or with the PDE3 inhibitor cilostamide (10 µM). Before assaying PDE activity, the cumulus–oocyte complexes (COC) were matured in vitro for 24 h in the presence of pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (5 IU) and hCG (5 IU) at 38.5°C in 5% CO2. The COC were homogenised in a hypotonic buffer. Data were analysed using one-way ANOVA followed by Duncan’s post-hoc test. Differences with P < 0.05 were considered significant. Results showed that 300, 1000, and 3000 nM cGMP inhibited PDE3 activity (7.9, 5.1, and 4.1 fmol min–1 per COC; P < 0.05) at levels below the controls (13.2 fmol min–1 per COC) and were similar to the activity observed in the presence of (2.4 fmol min–1 per COC; P > 0.05). The other concentrations tested were similar to activity levels seen in the control (1 to 100 nM; 12.2, 11.3, 10.8, 11.5, and 10.4; P > 0.05). In conclusion, the results support the concept that increasing concentrations of cGMP inhibit PDE activity, suggesting the inhibition of the predominant form of cAMP-PDE present in porcine oocytes, PDE3. These results support the hypothesis that cGMP inhibits PDE activity in porcine oocytes. Further work is needed to determine the role this plays in maintaining high cAMP levels and inhibiting oocyte nuclear maturation. Financial support from FGZ FAPESP 2010/20188-6 and 2010/18023-9 is acknowledged.


2018 ◽  
Vol 150 (9) ◽  
pp. 1261-1271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mallikarjuna Rao Sunkara ◽  
Tina Schwabe ◽  
Gunter Ehrlich ◽  
Jana Kusch ◽  
Klaus Benndorf

Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide–modulated (HCN) channels are tetramers that elicit electrical rhythmicity in specialized brain neurons and cardiomyocytes. The channels are dually activated by voltage and binding of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) to their four cyclic nucleotide-binding domains (CNBDs). Here we analyze the effects of cAMP binding to different concatemers of HCN2 channel subunits, each having a defined number of functional CNBDs. We show that each liganded CNBD promotes channel activation in an additive manner and that, in the special case of two functional CNBDs, functionality does not depend on the arrangement of the subunits. Correspondingly, the reverse process of deactivation is slowed by progressive liganding, but only if four and three ligands as well as two ligands in trans position (opposite to each other) are bound. In contrast, two ligands bound in cis positions (adjacent to each other) and a single bound ligand do not affect channel deactivation. These results support an activation mechanism in which each single liganded CNBD causes a turning momentum on the tetrameric ring-like structure formed by all four CNBDs and that at least two liganded subunits in trans positions are required to maintain activation.


Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wesuk Kang ◽  
Dabin Choi ◽  
Taesun Park

Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the primary factor of cutaneous aging, resulting in coarse wrinkles and dryness. In this study, we aimed to test whether decanal, an aromatic compound found mainly in citrus fruits, inhibits UVB-mediated photoaging in human dermal fibroblasts and to explore whether its anti-photoaging effect occurs via cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling. We found that decanal promotes collagen production dose-dependently. Meanwhile, it also increased the intracellular cAMP levels and decreased the number of molecules involved in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/activator protein 1 (AP-1) pathway, downregulating the collagen genes and upregulating the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) genes in UVB-exposed dermal fibroblasts. Furthermore, it enhanced hyaluronic acid levels and hyaluronic acid synthase mRNA expression. Notably, the beneficial effects of decanal were lost in the presence of a cAMP inhibitor. Our results revealed the potential of decanal for preventing photoaging and suggested that its effects are cAMP-mediated in human dermal fibroblasts.


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