scholarly journals Nicotine Induces Polyspermy in Sea Urchin Eggs through a Non-Cholinergic Pathway Modulating Actin Dynamics

Cells ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nunzia Limatola ◽  
Filip Vasilev ◽  
Luigia Santella ◽  
Jong Tai Chun
Keyword(s):  
Sea Urchin ◽  
Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors ◽  
Acetylcholine Receptors ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Actin Dynamics ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Animal Cells ◽  
Sea Urchin Eggs ◽  
Cholinergic Pathway ◽  
Dose Dependent

While alkaloids often exert unique pharmacological effects on animal cells, exposure of sea urchin eggs to nicotine causes polyspermy at fertilization in a dose-dependent manner. Here, we studied molecular mechanisms underlying the phenomenon. Although nicotine is an agonist of ionotropic acetylcholine receptors, we found that nicotine-induced polyspermy was neither mimicked by acetylcholine and carbachol nor inhibited by specific antagonists of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Unlike acetylcholine and carbachol, nicotine uniquely induced drastic rearrangement of egg cortical microfilaments in a dose-dependent way. Such cytoskeletal changes appeared to render the eggs more receptive to sperm, as judged by the significant alleviation of polyspermy by latrunculin-A and mycalolide-B. In addition, our fluorimetric assay provided the first evidence that nicotine directly accelerates polymerization kinetics of G-actin and attenuates depolymerization of preassembled F-actin. Furthermore, nicotine inhibited cofilin-induced disassembly of F-actin. Unexpectedly, our results suggest that effects of nicotine can also be mediated in some non-cholinergic pathways.

BDNF and nicotine dependence: associations and potential mechanisms

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zeyi Huang ◽  
Daichao Wu ◽  
Xilin Qu ◽  
Meixiang Li ◽  
Ju Zou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nicotine Dependence ◽  
Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors ◽  
Acetylcholine Receptors ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Nicotine Addiction ◽  
Tyrosine Kinase Receptor ◽  
Bdnf Expression ◽  
High Affinity Receptor ◽  
The Brain

AbstractSmoking is the leading preventable cause of death worldwide and tobacco addiction has become a serious public health problem. Nicotine is the main addictive component of tobacco, and the majority of people that smoke regularly develop nicotine dependence. Nicotine addiction is deemed to be a chronic mental disorder. Although it is well known that nicotine binds to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and activates the mesolimbic dopaminergic system (MDS) to generate the pleasant and rewarding effects, the molecular mechanisms of nicotine addiction are not fully understood. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is the most prevalent growth factor in the brain, which regulates neuron survival, differentiation, and synaptic plasticity, mainly through binding to the high affinity receptor tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB). BDNF gene polymorphisms are associated with nicotine dependence and blood BDNF levels are altered in smokers. In this review, we discussed the effects of nicotine on BDNF expression in the brain and summarized the underlying signaling pathways, which further indicated BDNF as a key regulator in nicotine dependence. Further studies that aim to understand the neurobiological mechanism of BDNF in nicotine addcition would provide a valuable reference for quitting smoking and developing the treatment of other addictive substances.

scholarly journals Nonylphenol Induces Apoptosis through ROS/JNK Signaling in a Spermatogonia Cell Line

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 307
Author(s):  
Hyun-Jung Park ◽  
Ran Lee ◽  
Hyunjin Yoo ◽  
Kwonho Hong ◽  
Hyuk Song
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Mapk Signaling ◽  
Ros Generation ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Jnk Signaling ◽  
Apoptosis Markers ◽  
Testicular Size ◽  
Spermatogonia Cell ◽  
Induced Apoptosis ◽  
Dose Dependent

Nonylphenol (NP) is an endocrine-disruptor chemical that negatively affects reproductive health. Testes exposure to NP results in testicular structure disruption and a reduction in testicular size and testosterone levels. However, the effects of NP on spermatogonia in testes have not been fully elucidated. In this study, the molecular mechanisms of NP in GC-1 spermatogonia (spg) cells were investigated. We found that cell viability significantly decreased and apoptosis increased in a dose-dependent manner when GC-1 spg cells were exposed to NP. Furthermore, the expression levels of the pro-apoptotic proteins increased, whereas anti-apoptosis markers decreased in NP-exposed GC-1 spg cells. We also found that NP increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, suggesting that ROS-induced activation of the MAPK signaling pathway is the molecular mechanism of NP-induced apoptosis in GC-1 spg cells. Thus, NP could induce c-Jun phosphorylation; dose-dependent expression of JNK, MKK4, p53, and p38; and the subsequent inhibition of ERK1/2 and MEK1/2 phosphorylation. The genes involved in apoptosis and JNK signaling were also upregulated in GC-1 spg cells treated with NP compared to those in the controls. Our findings suggest that NP induces apoptosis through ROS/JNK signaling in GC-1 spg cells.

Transcriptional targets of DAF-16 insulin signaling pathway protect C. elegans from extreme hypertonic stress

2005 ◽  
Vol 288 (2) ◽  
pp. C467-C474 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Todd Lamitina ◽  
Kevin Strange
Keyword(s):  
Insulin Signaling ◽  
Stress Resistance ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Organic Osmolytes ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Animal Cells ◽  
Hypertonic Stress ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Downstream Target ◽  
Molecular Damage

All cells adapt to hypertonic stress by regulating their volume after shrinkage, by accumulating organic osmolytes, and by activating mechanisms that protect against and repair hypertonicity-induced damage. In mammals and nematodes, inhibition of signaling from the DAF-2/IGF-1 insulin receptor activates the DAF-16/FOXO transcription factor, resulting in increased life span and resistance to some types of stress. We tested the hypothesis that inhibition of insulin signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans also increases hypertonic stress resistance. Genetic inhibition of DAF-2 or its downstream target, the AGE-1 phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, confers striking resistance to a normally lethal hypertonic shock in a DAF-16-dependent manner. However, insulin signaling is not inhibited by or required for adaptation to hypertonic conditions. Microarray studies have identified 263 genes that are transcriptionally upregulated by DAF-16 activation. We identified 14 DAF-16-upregulated genes by RNA interference screening that are required for age- 1 hypertonic stress resistance. These genes encode heat shock proteins, proteins of unknown function, and trehalose synthesis enzymes. Trehalose levels were elevated approximately twofold in age- 1 mutants, but this increase was insufficient to prevent rapid hypertonic shrinkage. However, age- 1 animals unable to synthesize trehalose survive poorly under hypertonic conditions. We conclude that increased expression of proteins that protect eukaryotic cells against environmental stress and/or repair stress-induced molecular damage confers hypertonic stress resistance in C. elegans daf- 2/ age- 1 mutants. Elevated levels of solutes such as trehalose may also function in a cytoprotective manner. Our studies provide novel insights into stress resistance in animal cells and a foundation for new studies aimed at defining molecular mechanisms underlying these essential processes.

Pancreatic polypeptide inhibits pancreatic enzyme secretion via a cholinergic pathway

1987 ◽  
Vol 253 (5) ◽  
pp. G706-G710 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Jung ◽  
D. S. Louie ◽  
C. Owyang
Keyword(s):  
Pancreatic Polypeptide ◽  
Acetylcholine Release ◽  
Pancreatic Enzyme ◽  
Enzyme Secretion ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Amylase Release ◽  
Opioid Receptor Antagonists ◽  
Cholinergic Pathway ◽  
Pancreatic Enzyme Secretion ◽  
Dose Dependent

In rat pancreatic slices, rat pancreatic polypeptide (PP) or C-terminal hexapeptide of PP [PP-(31-36)] inhibited potassium-stimulated amylase release in a dose-dependent manner. The inhibition was unaffected by addition of hexamethonium but blocked by atropine. In contrast, PP(31-36) did not have any effect on acetylcholine- or cholecystokinin octapeptide-stimulated amylase release. In addition, when pancreatic slices were incubated with [3H] choline, PP(31-36) inhibited the potassium-evoked release of synthesized [3H] acetylcholine in a dose-dependent manner. The inhibitory action of PP was unaffected by adrenergic, dopaminergic, or opioid receptor antagonists. Thus PP inhibits pancreatic enzyme secretion via presynaptic modulation of acetylcholine release. This newly identified pathway provides a novel mechanism for hormonal inhibition of pancreatic enzyme secretion via modulation of the classic neurotransmitter function.

Mice lacking neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor β4-subunit and mice lacking both α5- and β4-subunits are highly resistant to nicotine-induced seizures

2004 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Merav Kedmi ◽  
Arthur L. Beaudet ◽  
Avi Orr-Urtreger
Keyword(s):  
Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors ◽  
Acetylcholine Receptors ◽  
Mutant Mice ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Nicotinic Acetylcholine ◽  
Nocturnal Frontal Lobe Epilepsy ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
High Doses ◽  
Dose Dependent ◽  
Rate Of Response

Nicotine, the main addictive component of tobacco, evokes a wide range of dose-dependent behaviors in rodents, and when administrated in high doses, it can induce clonic-tonic seizures. Nicotine acts through the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Mutations in the human α4- and the β2-nAChR subunit genes cause autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy. Using transgenic mice with mutations in nAChR subunits, it was demonstrated previously that the α4-, α5-, and α7-subunits are involved in nicotine-induced seizures. To examine the possibility that the β4-subunit is also involved in this phenotype, we tested mice with homozygous β4-subunit deficiency. The β4 null mice were remarkably resistant to nicotine-induced seizures compared with wild-type and α5 null mice. We also generated mice with double deficiency of both α5- and β4-nAChR subunits and demonstrated that they were more resistant to nicotine’s convulsant effect than either the α5 or the β4 single mutant mice. In addition, the single α5 mutants and the double α5β4-deficient mice exhibited a significantly shorter latency time to seizure than that of the wild-type mice. Our results thus show that β4-containing nAChRs have a crucial role in the pathogenesis of nicotine-induced seizures. Furthermore, by comparing multiple mutant mice with single and double subunit deficiency, we suggest that nicotinic receptors containing either α5- or β4-subunits are involved in nicotine-induced seizures and that receptors containing both subunits are likely to contribute to this phenomena as well. However, the α5-subunit, but not the β4-subunit, regulates the rate of response to high doses of nicotine.

scholarly journals Glyoxalase I is a novel nitric-oxide-responsive protein

1999 ◽  
Vol 344 (3) ◽  
pp. 837-844 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atsushi MITSUMOTO ◽  
Kwi-Ryeon KIM ◽  
Genichiro OSHIMA ◽  
Manabu KUNIMOTO ◽  
Katsuya OKAWA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitric Oxide ◽  
Culture Medium ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Peptide Mapping ◽  
Glyoxalase I ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Human Endothelial Cells ◽  
Native Form ◽  
No Donors ◽  
Dose Dependent

To clarify the molecular mechanisms of nitric oxide (NO) signalling, we examined the NO-responsive proteins in cultured human endothelial cells by two-dimensional (2D) PAGE. Levels of two proteins [NO-responsive proteins (NORPs)] with different pI values responded to NO donors. One NORP (pI 5.2) appeared in response to NO, whereas another (pI 5.0) disappeared. These proteins were identified as a native form and a modified form of human glyoxalase I (Glox I; EC 4.4.1.5) by peptide mapping, microsequencing and correlation between the activity and the isoelectric shift. Glox I lost activity in response to NO, and all NO donors tested inhibited its activity in a dose-dependent manner. Activity and normal electrophoretic mobility were restored by dithiothreitol and by the removal of sources of NO from the culture medium. Glox I was selectively inactivated by NO; compounds that induce oxidative stress (H2O2, paraquat and arsenite) failed to inhibit this enzyme. Our results suggest that NO oxidatively modifies Glox I and reversibly inhibits the enzyme's activity. The inactivation of Glox I by NO was more effective than that of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH), another NO-sensitive enzyme. Thus Glox I seems to be a novel NO-responsive protein that is more sensitive to NO than G3PDH.

scholarly journals Structure-Function of Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Inhibitors Derived From Natural Toxins

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thao N. T. Ho ◽  
Nikita Abraham ◽  
Richard J. Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Drug Design ◽  
Ligand Binding ◽  
Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors ◽  
Acetylcholine Receptors ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Rational Drug Design ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Nicotinic Acetylcholine ◽  
Structure Based Drug Design ◽  
Selective Ligand

Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are prototypical cation-selective, ligand-gated ion channels that mediate fast neurotransmission in the central and peripheral nervous systems. nAChRs are involved in a range of physiological and pathological functions and hence are important therapeutic targets. Their subunit homology and diverse pentameric assembly contribute to their challenging pharmacology and limit their drug development potential. Toxins produced by an extensive range of algae, plants and animals target nAChRs, with many proving pivotal in elucidating receptor pharmacology and biochemistry, as well as providing templates for structure-based drug design. The crystal structures of these toxins with diverse chemical profiles in complex with acetylcholine binding protein (AChBP), a soluble homolog of the extracellular ligand-binding domain of the nAChRs and more recently the extracellular domain of human α9 nAChRs, have been reported. These studies have shed light on the diverse molecular mechanisms of ligand-binding at neuronal nAChR subtypes and uncovered critical insights useful for rational drug design. This review provides a comprehensive overview and perspectives obtained from structure and function studies of diverse plant and animal toxins and their associated inhibitory mechanisms at neuronal nAChRs.

scholarly journals Mechanism of Tacrine Block at Adult Human Muscle Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors

2002 ◽  
Vol 120 (3) ◽  
pp. 369-393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J. Prince ◽  
Richard A. Pennington ◽  
Steven M. Sine
Keyword(s):  
Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Acetylcholine Receptors ◽  
Open Channel ◽  
Single Channel ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Open Probability ◽  
Sequential Model ◽  
Hek 293 ◽  
Voltage Dependent

We used single-channel kinetic analysis to study the inhibitory effects of tacrine on human adult nicotinic receptors (nAChRs) transiently expressed in HEK 293 cells. Single channel recording from cell-attached patches revealed concentration- and voltage-dependent decreases in mean channel open probability produced by tacrine (IC50 4.6 μM at −70 mV, 1.6 μM at −150 mV). Two main effects of tacrine were apparent in the open- and closed-time distributions. First, the mean channel open time decreased with increasing tacrine concentration in a voltage-dependent manner, strongly suggesting that tacrine acts as an open-channel blocker. Second, tacrine produced a new class of closings whose duration increased with increasing tacrine concentration. Concentration dependence of closed-times is not predicted by sequential models of channel block, suggesting that tacrine blocks the nAChR by an unusual mechanism. To probe tacrine's mechanism of action we fitted a series of kinetic models to our data using maximum likelihood techniques. Models incorporating two tacrine binding sites in the open receptor channel gave dramatically improved fits to our data compared with the classic sequential model, which contains one site. Improved fits relative to the sequential model were also obtained with schemes incorporating a binding site in the closed channel, but only if it is assumed that the channel cannot gate with tacrine bound. Overall, the best description of our data was obtained with a model that combined two binding sites in the open channel with a single site in the closed state of the receptor.

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