The role of intracellular Ca2+ during early sexual development in Dictyostelium discoideum: effects of LaCl3, LaCl3, Ins(1,4,5)P3, TMB-8, chlortetracycline and A23187 on cell fusion

1988 ◽  
Vol 90 (3) ◽  
pp. 465-473 ◽  
Author(s):  
MICHAEL A. LYDAN ◽  
DANTON H. O'DAY

The agents LaCl3, Ins(1,4,5)P3, TMB-8, chlortetracycline (CTC) and A23187 were used to study the requirement for internal calcium mobilization during gamete cell fusion in Dictyostelium discoideum. The inhibition of the influx of calcium (LaCl3) prevented cell fusion in a dose-dependent manner. At the intracellular level, Ins(1,4,5)P3, an endogenous regulator of calcium release from intracellular stores, stimulated cell fusion within one hour following its addition. Treatment with agents that prevent the release of calcium from intracellular stores (TMB-8, CTC) also inhibited cell fusion in a dose-dependent manner. However, the non-specific augmentation of cytosolic calcium levels through the use of the ionophore A23187 inhibited cell fusion, and the amount inhibition was directly related to the drug concentration. Studies on cell morphology and growth plus results from reversibility experiments involving the ability to form macrocysts reveal that these effects are not due to non-specific drug toxicity. In total, these results suggest that the mobilization of calcium both from the extracellular environment and from intracellular stores important and is probably regulated during gamete cell fusion in D. discoideum.

2000 ◽  
Vol 348 (1) ◽  
pp. 173-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arun BANDYOPADHYAY ◽  
Dong-Wook SHIN ◽  
Do Han KIM

Experiments were conducted to examine the role of calcineurin in regulating Ca2+ fluxes in mammalian cells. In COS-7 cells, increasing concentrations (1-10 μM) of ATP triggered intracellular Ca2+ release in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment of the cells with calcineurin inhibitors such as cyclosporin A (CsA), deltamethrin and FK506 resulted in an enhancement of ATP-induced intracellular Ca2+ release. Measurement of calcineurin-specific phosphatase activity in vitro demonstrated a high level of endogenous calcineurin activities in COS-7 cells, which was effectively inhibited by the addition of deltamethrin or CsA. The expression of constitutively active calcineurin (CnA∆CaMAI) inhibited the ATP-induced increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i), in both the presence and the absence of extracellular Ca2+. These results suggest that the constitutively active calcineurin prevented Ca2+ release from the intracellular stores. In the calcineurin-transfected cells, treatment with CsA restored the calcineurin-mediated inhibition of intracellular Ca2+ release. Protein kinase C-mediated phosphorylation of Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptor [Ins(1,4,5)P3R] was partly inhibited by the extracts prepared from the vector-transfected cells and completely inhibited by those from cells co-transfected with CnA∆CaMAI and calcineurin B. On the addition of 10 μM CsA, the inhibited phosphorylation of Ins(1,4,5)P3R was restored in both the vector-transfected cells and the calcineurin-transfected cells. These results show direct evidence that Ca2+ release through Ins(1,4,5)P3R in COS-7 cells is regulated by calcineurin-mediated dephosphorylation.


1987 ◽  
Vol 33 (12) ◽  
pp. 1125-1129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiji Rivera ◽  
Danton H. O'Day

Chloroquine inhibits sexual cell fusion and macrocyst formation in heterothallic Dictyostelium discoideum in a dose-dependent manner. As judged by cell morphology, the effect of chloroquine is not due to nonspecific toxicity, and normal macrocyst development ensues upon the removal of the drug. The mode of action of chloroquine on both receptor recycling and protease activity is discussed in terms of current knowledge of sexual cell fusion in D. discoideum.


1989 ◽  
Vol 257 (6) ◽  
pp. G969-G976
Author(s):  
O. Subero ◽  
P. Lobo ◽  
J. Chacin

The role of extracellular Ca2+ in metabolic effects induced by theophylline and histamine was investigated in the isolated toad gastric mucosa. Primary and secondary effects on metabolism were differentiated by using K(+)-free solutions, which blocked the secretory responses but not the metabolic ones. The stimulation of respiration induced by theophylline and histamine was dose dependent and was significantly decreased by Ca2(+)-free solutions. In the presence of 1.8 mM Ca2+, the rate of glycogen breakdown was increased by theophylline in a dose-dependent manner and the dose-response curve was somewhat similar to that obtained with oxygen uptake. This effect was inhibited by incubation in Ca2(+)-free solutions. Ca2+ stimulated the rate of glycogen utilization in a concentration-dependent manner. The rates of oxidation of exogenous glucose and pyruvate were significantly inhibited by Ca2(+)-free solutions in theophylline- and histamine-stimulated mucosa, whereas the rates of oxidation of butyrate and acetate were not significantly affected. The Ca2+ ionophore A23187 significantly stimulated the rate of oxygen uptake and this response was not blocked by omeprazole and Sch 28080, two specific inhibitors of gastric H(+)-K(+)-ATPase. The results indicate that Ca2+ is required for optimal stimulation of carbohydrate catabolism in the toad gastric mucosa.


1991 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Tsagarakis ◽  
L. H. Rees ◽  
G. M. Besser ◽  
A. Grossman

ABSTRACT We have employed an acute explant system of the rat hypothalamus in vitro, as previously described, to examine the role of calcium and calmodulin in the release of corticotrophin-releasing hormone-41 (CRH-41). Release of CRH-41, as determined by radioimmunoassay, was stimulated in a dose-dependent manner by the membrane-depolarizing agents KCl and veratridine. Stimulation was also observed with the calcium ionophore A23187. The calcium channel blocker verapamil (1–100 μmol/l) inhibited both KCl-and veratridine-induced release in a dose-dependent manner (maximum inhibition of 75% and 60% respectively), thus providing further evidence that calcium entry is required for secretion of CRH-41 following membrane depolarization. Trifluoperazine (1–100 μmol/1), an inhibitor of calmodulin—calcium interaction, decreased both KCl- and veratridine-evoked CRH-41 secretion in a dose-dependent fashion (maximum inhibition of 50% and 30% respectively). Similarly, phenytoin, a calmodulin-dependent kinase inhibitor, in the concentration range of 1–100 μmol/1, also decreased depolarization-induced CRH-41 release in a dose-dependent manner. The basal release of CRH-41 was unaffected by either treatment. Finally, both calmodulin inhibitors (10 μmol/l) decreased CRH-41 release induced by the calcium ionophore A23187 (10 μmol/l). These data provide evidence for the role of calcium in membrane depolarization-induced stimulus-secretion coupling of rat hypothalamic CRH-41. Furthermore, inhibition of the stimulatory responses by two separate classes of calmodulin inhibitors suggests a role for calmodulin, at least in part, in this process.


2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 426-431
Author(s):  
Jin Xuezhu ◽  
Li Jitong ◽  
Nie Leigang ◽  
Xue Junlai

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the role of citrus leaf extract in carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic injury and its potential molecular mechanism. Carbon tetrachloride was used to construct hepatic injury animal model. To this end, rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: control, carbon tetrachloride-treated, and two carbon tetrachloride + citrus leaf extract-treated groups. The results show that citrus leaf extract treatment significantly reversed the effects of carbon tetrachloride on the body weight changes and liver index. Besides, treatment with citrus leaf extract also reduced the levels of serum liver enzymes and oxidative stress in a dose-dependent manner. H&E staining and western blotting suggested that citrus leaf extract could repair liver histological damage by regulating AMPK and Nrf-2.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. 4717
Author(s):  
Jin-Young Lee ◽  
Da-Ae Kim ◽  
Eun-Young Kim ◽  
Eun-Ju Chang ◽  
So-Jeong Park ◽  
...  

Lumican, a ubiquitously expressed small leucine-rich proteoglycan, has been utilized in diverse biological functions. Recent experiments demonstrated that lumican stimulates preosteoblast viability and differentiation, leading to bone formation. To further understand the role of lumican in bone metabolism, we investigated its effects on osteoclast biology. Lumican inhibited both osteoclast differentiation and in vitro bone resorption in a dose-dependent manner. Consistent with this, lumican markedly decreased the expression of osteoclastogenesis markers. Moreover, the migration and fusion of preosteoclasts and the resorptive activity per osteoclast were significantly reduced in the presence of lumican, indicating that this protein affects most stages of osteoclastogenesis. Among RANKL-dependent pathways, lumican inhibited Akt but not MAP kinases such as JNK, p38, and ERK. Importantly, co-treatment with an Akt activator almost completely reversed the effect of lumican on osteoclast differentiation. Taken together, our findings revealed that lumican inhibits osteoclastogenesis by suppressing Akt activity. Thus, lumican plays an osteoprotective role by simultaneously increasing bone formation and decreasing bone resorption, suggesting that it represents a dual-action therapeutic target for osteoporosis.


1990 ◽  
Vol 123 (2) ◽  
pp. 218-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiangbing Wang ◽  
Noriyuki Sato ◽  
Monte A. Greer ◽  
Susan E. Greer ◽  
Staci McAdams

Abstract. The mechanism by which 30% medium hyposmolarity induces PRL secretion by GH4C1 cells was compared with that induced by 100 nmol/l TRH or 30 mmol/l K+. Removing medium Ca2+, blocking Ca2+ channels with 50 μmol/l verapamil, or inhibiting calmodulin activation with 20 μmol/l trifluoperazine, 10 μmol/l chlorpromazine or 10 μmol/l pimozide almost completely blocked hyposmolarity-induced secretion. The smooth muscle relaxant, W-7, which is believed relatively specific in inhibiting the Ca2+-calmodulin interaction, depressed hyposmolarity-induced PRL secretion in a dose-dependent manner (r = −0.991, p<0.01 ). The above drugs also blocked or decreased high K+-induced secretion, but had much less effect on TRH-induced secretion. Secretion induced by TRH, hyposmolarity, or high K+ was optimal at pH 7.3-7.65 and was significantly depressed at pH 6.0 or 8.0, indicating that release of hormone induced by all 3 stimuli is due to an active cell process requiring a physiologic extracellular pH and is not produced by nonspecific cell toxicity. The data suggest hyposmolarity and high K+ may share some similarities in their mechanism of stimulating secretion, which is different from that of TRH.


Genome ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 54 (9) ◽  
pp. 752-762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alireza Sameny ◽  
John Locke

Transposable elements are found in the genomes of all eukaryotes and play a critical role in altering gene expression and genome organization. In Drosophila melanogaster, transposable P elements are responsible for the phenomenon of hybrid dysgenesis. KP elements, a deletion-derivative of the complete P element, can suppress this mutagenic effect. KP elements can also silence the expression of certain other P-element-mediated transgenes in a process called P-element-dependent silencing (PDS), which is thought to involve the recruitment of heterochromatin proteins. To explore the mechanism of this silencing, we have mobilized KP elements to create a series of strains that contain single, well-defined KP insertions that show PDS. To understand the quantitative role of KP elements in PDS, these single inserts were combined in a series of crosses to obtain genotypes with zero, one, or two KP elements, from which we could examine the effect of KP gene dose. The extent of PDS in these genotypes was shown to be dose dependent in a logarithmic rather than linear fashion. A logarithmic dose dependency is consistent with the KP products interacting with heterochromatic proteins in a concentration-dependent manner such that two molecules are needed to induce gene silencing.


2014 ◽  
Vol 115 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory Hoeker ◽  
Ashleigh Hood ◽  
Rodolphe Katra ◽  
Steven Poelzing ◽  
Steven Pogwizd

Introduction: Sex differences in β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) responsiveness are associated with female cardioprotection. We hypothesize that female (F) rabbits have reduced responsiveness to β-AR stimulation vs males (M), and that the degree and type of sex differences vary with the β-AR subtypes that are activated. Methods: Ventricular action potentials (AP) and intracellular calcium transients (CaT) were optically mapped from the epicardial surface of rabbit hearts during 3 Hz pacing. Spontaneous calcium release (SCR) and ectopic activity were elicited at 1, 3, and 5.5 Hz. β-responsiveness was assessed with the nonselective β-agonist isoproterenol (Iso, 1-316 nM), or β2-AR selective agonist zinterol (Zin, 10 nM). Results: At baseline, the time constant of CaT decay (τ) was faster in F than M (54.0±1.7 vs 62.1±3.0 ms; n=14, 14; p < 0.05), with no sex difference in CaT duration (CaD80). AP duration (APD90) was shorter in F than M (202.5±5.0 vs 218.2±5.7 ms; p < 0.05). Iso decreased τ, CaD80, and APD90 in a dose-dependent manner in both sexes (n = 5, 5 for F, M). Iso decreased τ to a lesser extent in F than M for 1 and 32-316 nM Iso (F = 11-32 ms, M = 23-48 ms; p < 0.05). The Iso-induced decrease in CaD80 was not significantly different in F than M at any dose. The Iso-induced decrease in APD90 was significantly less in F than M only at 316 nM Iso (75.5±8.7 ms vs 103.9±6.2 ms, p < 0.05). In contrast, there were no sex differences in the response to Zin for τ, CaD80, or APD90 (n = 6, 6 for F, M). Zin decreased τ by 7.2±2.0 ms in F vs 12.7±3.7 ms in M; CaD80 by 18.0±5.3% in F vs 21.1±8.0 ms in M; and APD90 by 24.9±8.5 ms in F vs 21.9±8.9 ms in M. SCR was observed in 50% (6/12) of hearts treated with Zin, whereas Iso elicited SCR in all hearts (10/10) with a dose threshold of 32 nM. No ectopic beats were observed with Zin (0/36 trials in 12 hearts). With Iso, ectopic activity was less frequent in F hearts (16%, 12/75 trials in 5 hearts) than in M hearts (41%, 26/68 trials in 5 hearts, p < 0.05). Conclusions: These results suggest that sex differences in AP and CaT depend on the dose of the agonist used and the β-AR subtypes that are activated. Elucidating nuances of sex differences in β-AR subtype physiology will provide a better understanding of the mechanisms of reduced β-responsiveness in F and its cardioprotective effects.


1993 ◽  
Vol 106 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.J. May ◽  
G. Entwistle ◽  
M.J. Humphries ◽  
A. Ager

Previous studies have shown that unactivated lymphocytes bind to CS1 peptide and that the adhesion of these cells to high endothelium is inhibited by CS1 peptide. These results suggest that lymphocyte binding occurs via recognition of the CS1-containing splice variant of fibronectin expressed on the high endothelial surface. We have now extended these studies by determining the role of the CS1 receptor, alpha 4 beta 1 (VLA-4) and the alternative VLA-4 ligand, VCAM-1 in a rat model of lymphocyte-high endothelial cell interaction. Anti-VLA-4 antibody, HP2/1, blocked lymphocyte adhesion to resting and IFN-gamma (interferon-gamma) pretreated cultured high endothelial cells (HEC) in a dose-dependent manner with maximal inhibition of 60%. HP2/1 completely blocked the adhesion of rat lymphocytes to immobilized CS1 peptide and to a recombinant soluble (rs) form of human VCAM-1. Lymphocyte binding to rsVCAM-1 was also completely blocked by CS1 peptide. Anti-rat VCAM-1 monoclonal antibody 5F10 inhibited adhesion to untreated and IFN-gamma-treated HEC equally and its effect at 50% inhibition was slightly less than that of HP2/1. These findings suggest that a CS1 peptide-inhibitable ligand expressed by high endothelium is VCAM-1. The majority of cultured HEC expressed significant levels of VCAM-1 under basal conditions, as did HEV in peripheral lymph nodes. VCAM-1 expression by HEC was upregulated by cytokine pretreatment and the effects were ordered: IFN-gamma &gt; TNF-alpha &gt; IL-1 beta. The results described here demonstrate that rat peripheral lymph node HEC express VCAM-1, its expression is upregulated by cytokines, in particular IFN-gamma, and it supports the adhesion of unactivated lymphocytes. They also suggest that the VLA-4/VCAM-1 adhesion pathway may operate during the constitutive migration of lymphocytes into lymphoid organs. Although the mechanism of CS1 peptide inhibition was not determined, these results show that VCAM-1 is a CS1 peptide-inhibitable ligand and therefore CS1, on its own, cannot be used as a specific indicator of fibronectin activity.


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