Melatonin promotes sleep by activating the BK channel in C. elegans.

Melatonin (Mel) promotes sleep through G protein-coupled receptors. However, the downstream molecular target(s) is unknown. We identified the Caenorhabditis elegans BK channel SLO-1 as a molecular target of the Mel receptor PCDR-1-. Knockout of pcdr-1, slo-1, or homt-1 (a gene required for Mel synthesis) causes substantially increased neurotransmitter release and shortened sleep duration, and these effects are nonadditive in double knockouts. Exogenous Mel inhibits neurotransmitter release and promotes sleep in wild-type (WT) but not pcdr-1 and slo-1 mutants. In a heterologous expression system, Mel activates the human BK channel (hSlo1) in a membrane-delimited manner in the presence of the Mel receptor MT1 but not MT2 A peptide acting to release free Gßγ also activates hSlo1 in a MT1-dependent and membrane-delimited manner, whereas a Gßλ inhibitor abolishes the stimulating effect of Mel. Our results suggest that Mel promotes sleep by activating the BK channel through a specific Mel receptor and Gßλ.

HRPU-2, a Homolog of Mammalian hnRNP U, Regulates Synaptic Transmission by Controlling the Expression of SLO-2 Potassium Channel in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Slo2 channels are large-conductance potassium channels abundantly expressed in the nervous system. However, it is unclear how their expression level in neurons is regulated. Here we report that HRPU-2, an RNA-binding protein homologous to mammalian heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein U (hnRNP U), plays an important role in regulating the expression of SLO-2 (a homolog of mammalian Slo2) in Caenorhabditis elegans Loss-of-function (lf) mutants of hrpu-2 were isolated in a genetic screen for suppressors of a sluggish phenotype caused by a hyperactive SLO-2. In hrpu-2(lf) mutants, SLO-2-mediated delayed outward currents in neurons are greatly decreased, and neuromuscular synaptic transmission is enhanced. These mutant phenotypes can be rescued by expressing wild-type HRPU-2 in neurons. HRPU-2 binds to slo-2 mRNA, and hrpu-2(lf) mutants show decreased SLO-2 protein expression. In contrast, hrpu-2(lf) does not alter the expression of either the BK channel SLO-1 or the Shaker type potassium channel SHK-1. hrpu-2(lf) mutants are indistinguishable from wild type in gross motor neuron morphology and locomotion behavior. Together, these observations suggest that HRPU-2 plays important roles in SLO-2 function by regulating SLO-2 protein expression, and that SLO-2 is likely among a restricted set of proteins regulated by HRPU-2. Mutations of human Slo2 channel and hnRNP U are strongly linked to epileptic disorders and intellectual disability. The findings of this study suggest a potential link between these two molecules in human patients.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein U (hnRNP U) belongs to a family of RNA-binding proteins that play important roles in controlling gene expression. Recent studies have established a strong link between mutations of hnRNP U and human epilepsies and intellectual disability. However, it is unclear how mutations of hnRNP U may cause such disorders. This study shows that mutations of HRPU-2, a worm homolog of mammalian hnRNP U, result in dysfunction of a Slo2 potassium channel, which is critical to neuronal function. Because mutations of Slo2 channels are also strongly associated with epileptic encephalopathies and intellectual disability in humans, the findings of this study point to a potential mechanism underlying neurological disorders caused by hnRNP U mutations.

Elevated OCT1 participates in colon tumorigenesis and independently predicts poor prognoses of colorectal cancer patients.

Octamer transcription factor 1 (OCT1) was found to influence the genesis and progression of numerous cancers except for colorectal cancer (CRC). This study tried to explore the role of OCT1 in CRC and clarify the association between its expression and patients' clinical outcome. Transcriptional and post-transcriptional expression of OCT1 was detected in CRC cancerous tissues and paired normal mucosae by real-time PCR as well as immunohistochemistry. Moreover, the effect of OCT1 knockdown on CRC cell proliferation was investigated both in vitro and in vivo using Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, colony-forming assay, and mouse tumorigenicity assay. Expression of OCT1 was found to be elevated in CRC. Suppression of OCT1 significantly inhibited CRC cell proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, upregulated level of OCT1 was significantly associated with N stage, M stage, and American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage (P = 0.027, 0.014, and 0.002, respectively) as well as differential degree (P = 0.022). By using multivariate Cox hazard model, OCT1 was also shown to be a factor independently predicting overall survival (OS; P = 0.013, hazard ratio = 2.747, 95 % confidence interval 1.125 to 3.715) and disease-free survival (DFS; P = 0.004, hazard ratio = 2.756, 95 % confidence interval 1.191 to 4.589) for CRC patients. Our data indicate that OCT1 carries weight in colorectal carcinogenesis and functions as a novel prognostic indicator and a promising target of anti-cancer therapy for CRC.

α-Catulin CTN-1 is required for BK channel subcellular localization in C. elegans body-wall muscle cells.

The BK channel, a voltage- and Ca(2+)-gated large-conductance potassium channel with many important functions, is often localized at specific subcellular domains. Although proper subcellular localization is likely a prerequisite for the channel to perform its physiological functions, little is known about the molecular basis of localization. Here, we show that CTN-1, a homologue of mammalian α-catulin, is required for subcellular localization of SLO-1, the Caenorhabditis elegans BK channel α-subunit, in body-wall muscle cells. CTN-1 was identified in a genetic screen for mutants that suppressed a lethargic phenotype caused by expressing a gain-of-function (gf) isoform of SLO-1. In body-wall muscle cells, CTN-1 coclusters with SLO-1 at regions of dense bodies, which are Z-disk analogs of mammalian skeletal muscle. In ctn-1 loss-of-function (lf) mutants, SLO-1 was mislocalized in body-wall muscle but its transcription and protein level were unchanged. Targeted rescue of ctn-1(lf) in muscle was sufficient to reinstate the lethargic phenotype in slo-1(gf);ctn-1(lf). These results suggest that CTN-1 plays an important role in BK channel function by mediating channel subcellular localization.

Track-A-Worm 2.0: A Software Suite for Quantifying Properties of C. elegans Locomotion, Bending, Sleep, and Action Potentials.

Comparative analyses of locomotor behavior and cellular electrical properties between wild-type and mutant C. elegans are crucial for exploring the gene basis of behaviors and the underlying cellular mechanisms. Although many tools have been developed by research labs and companies, their application is often hindered by implementation difficulties or lack of features specifically suited for C. elegans. Track-A-Worm 2.0 addresses these challenges with three key components: WormTracker, SleepTracker, and Action Potential (AP) Analyzer. WormTracker accurately quantifies a comprehensive set of locomotor and body bending metrics, reliably distinguish between the ventral and dorsal sides, continuously tracks the animal using a motorized stage, and seamlessly integrates external devices, such as a light source for optogenetic stimulation. SleepTracker detects and quantifies sleep-like behavior in freely moving animals. AP Analyzer assesses the resting membrane potential, afterhyperpolarization level, and various AP properties, including threshold, amplitude, mid-peak width, rise and decay times, and maximum and minimum slopes. Importantly, it addresses the challenge of AP threshold quantification posed by the absence of a pre-upstroke inflection point. Track-A-Worm 2.0 is potentially a valuable tool for many C. elegans research labs due to its powerful functionality and ease of implementation.

[Expression and survival prediction of microRNA-155 in hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplantation].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the expression of microRNA-155 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its contribution to recurrence and prognosis of HCC after liver transplantation (LT). METHODS: The expression levels of microRNA-155 in 100 HCC samples were detected by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional regression analyses were utilized to determine the association of microRNA-155 expression with patient survivals. RESULTS: The expression levels of microRNA-155 were higher in primary HCC patients with post-LT recurrence (n = 45, mean relative level = 14.94) than those with non-recurrence (n = 55, mean relative level = 4.70) (P = 0.001) and correlated with micro-vascular invasion of HCC tissue samples (P = 0.001). The patients with a higher expression of microRNA-155 had significantly worse recurrence-free survival (RFS: (21.5 ± 3.2) months, log rank P < 0.001) and overall survival (OS: (29.3 ± 3.2) months, log rank P < 0.001) than those with a lower expression of microRNA-155 (RFS: (50.8 ± 3.2) months; OS: (54.6 ± 3.5) months). Multivariate analysis revealed that a high expression of miR-155 was an independent prognostic predictor. CONCLUSION: MicroRNA-155 is over-expressed in primary HCC with tumor recurrence and may serve as a novel biomarker for tumor recurrence and survival of HCC patients after LT. The detection of microRNA-155 is of clinical significance in HCC.

Roles and Sources of Calcium in Synaptic Exocytosis.

Calcium ions (Ca2+) play a critical role in triggering neurotransmitter release. The rate of release is directly related to the concentration of Ca2+ at the presynaptic site, with a supralinear relationship. There are two main sources of Ca2+ that trigger synaptic vesicle fusion: influx through voltage-gated Ca2+ channels in the plasma membrane and release from the endoplasmic reticulum via ryanodine receptors. This chapter will cover the sources of Ca2+ at the presynaptic nerve terminal, the relationship between neurotransmitter release rate and Ca2+ concentration, and the mechanisms that achieve the necessary Ca2+ concentrations for triggering synaptic exocytosis at the presynaptic site.

Regulation of Ryanodine Receptor-Dependent Neurotransmitter Release by AIP, Calstabins, and Presenilins.

Ryanodine receptors (RyRs) are Ca2+ release channels located in the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. Presynaptic RyRs play important roles in neurotransmitter release and synaptic plasticity. Recent studies suggest that the proper function of presynaptic RyRs relies on several regulatory proteins, including aryl hydrocarbon receptor-interacting protein, calstabins, and presenilins. Dysfunctions of these regulatory proteins can greatly impact neurotransmitter release and synaptic plasticity by altering the function or expression of RyRs. This chapter aims to describe the interaction between these proteins and RyRs, elucidating their crucial role in regulating synaptic function.

Regulation of Neurotransmitter Release by K+ Channels.

K+ channels play potent roles in the process of neurotransmitter release by influencing the action potential waveform and modulating neuronal excitability and release probability. These diverse effects of K+ channel activation are ensured by the wide variety of K+ channel genes and their differential expression in different cell types. Accordingly, a variety of K+ channels have been implicated in regulating neurotransmitter release, including the Ca2+- and voltage-gated K+ channel Slo1 (also known as BK channel), voltage-gated K+ channels of the Kv3 (Shaw-type), Kv1 (Shaker-type), and Kv7 (KCNQ) families, G-protein-gated inwardly rectifying K+ (GIRK) channels, and SLO-2 (a Ca2+-. Cl-, and voltage-gated K+ channel in C. elegans). These channels vary in their expression patterns, subcellular localization, and biophysical properties. Their roles in neurotransmitter release may also vary depending on the synapse and physiological or experimental conditions. This chapter summarizes key findings about the roles of K+ channels in regulating neurotransmitter release.

Locomotion modulates olfactory learning through proprioception in C. elegans.

Locomotor activities can enhance learning, but the underlying circuit and synaptic mechanisms are largely unknown. Here we show that locomotion facilitates aversive olfactory learning in C. elegans by activating mechanoreceptors in motor neurons, and transmitting the proprioceptive information thus generated to locomotion interneurons through antidromic-rectifying gap junctions. The proprioceptive information serves to regulate experience-dependent activities and functional coupling of interneurons that process olfactory sensory information to produce the learning behavior. Genetic destruction of either the mechanoreceptors in motor neurons, the rectifying gap junctions between the motor neurons and locomotion interneurons, or specific inhibitory synapses among the interneurons impairs the aversive olfactory learning. We have thus uncovered an unexpected role of proprioception in a specific learning behavior as well as the circuit, synaptic, and gene bases for this function.

CaV1 and CaV2 calcium channels mediate the release of distinct pools of synaptic vesicles.

Activation of voltage-gated calcium channels at presynaptic terminals leads to local increases in calcium and the fusion of synaptic vesicles containing neurotransmitter. Presynaptic output is a function of the density of calcium channels, the dynamic properties of the channel, the distance to docked vesicles, and the release probability at the docking site. We demonstrate that at Caenorhabditis elegans neuromuscular junctions two different classes of voltage-gated calcium channels, CaV2 and CaV1, mediate the release of distinct pools of synaptic vesicles. CaV2 channels are concentrated in densely packed clusters ~250 nm in diameter with the active zone proteins Neurexin, α-Liprin, SYDE, ELKS/CAST, RIM-BP, α-Catulin, and MAGI1. CaV2 channels are colocalized with the priming protein UNC-13L and mediate the fusion of vesicles docked within 33 nm of the dense projection. CaV2 activity is amplified by ryanodine receptor release of calcium from internal stores, triggering fusion up to 165 nm from the dense projection. By contrast, CaV1 channels are dispersed in the synaptic varicosity, and are colocalized with UNC-13S. CaV1 and ryanodine receptors are separated by just 40 nm, and vesicle fusion mediated by CaV1 is completely dependent on the ryanodine receptor. Distinct synaptic vesicle pools, released by different calcium channels, could be used to tune the speed, voltage-dependence, and quantal content of neurotransmitter release.

Specific configurations of electrical synapses filter sensory information to drive choices in behavior.

Synaptic configurations in precisely wired circuits underpin how sensory information is processed by the nervous system, and the emerging animal behavior. This is best understood for chemical synapses, but far less is known about how electrical synaptic configurations modulate, in vivo and in specific neurons, sensory information processing and context-specific behaviors. We discovered that INX-1, a gap junction protein that forms electrical synapses, is required to deploy context-specific behavioral strategies during C. elegans thermotaxis behavior. INX-1 couples two bilaterally symmetric interneurons, and this configuration is required for the integration of sensory information during migration of animals across temperature gradients. In inx-1 mutants, uncoupled interneurons display increased excitability and responses to subthreshold temperature stimuli, resulting in abnormally longer run durations and context-irrelevant tracking of isotherms. Our study uncovers a conserved configuration of electrical synapses that, by increasing neuronal capacitance, enables differential processing of sensory information and the deployment of context-specific behavioral strategies.

Dystrobrevin controls neurotransmitter release and muscle Ca(2+) transients by localizing BK channels in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Dystrobrevin is a major component of a dystrophin-associated protein complex. It is widely expressed in mammalian tissues, including the nervous system, in which it is localized to the presynaptic nerve terminal with unknown function. In a genetic screen for suppressors of a lethargic phenotype caused by a gain-of-function isoform of SLO-1 in Caenorhabditis elegans, we isolated multiple loss-of-function (lf) mutants of the dystrobrevin gene dyb-1.dyb-1(lf) phenocopied slo-1(lf), causing increased neurotransmitter release at the neuromuscular junction, increased frequency of Ca(2+) transients in body-wall muscle, and abnormal locomotion behavior. Neuron- and muscle-specific rescue experiments suggest that DYB-1 is required for SLO-1 function in both neurons and muscle cells. DYB-1 colocalized with SLO-1 at presynaptic sites in neurons and dense body regions in muscle cells, and dyb-1(lf) caused SLO-1 mislocalization in both types of cells without altering SLO-1 protein level. The neuronal phenotypes of dyb-1(lf) were partially rescued by mouse α-dystrobrevin-1. These observations revealed novel functions of the BK channel in regulating muscle Ca(2+) transients and of dystrobrevin in controlling neurotransmitter release and muscle Ca(2+) transients by localizing the BK channel.

Gap junctions synchronize action potentials and Ca2+ transients in Caenorhabditis elegans body wall muscle.

The sinusoidal locomotion of Caenorhabditis elegans requires synchronous activities of neighboring body wall muscle cells. However, it is unknown whether the synchrony results from muscle electrical coupling or neural inputs. We analyzed the effects of mutating gap junction proteins and blocking neuromuscular transmission on the synchrony of action potentials (APs) and Ca2+ transients among neighboring body wall muscle cells. In wild-type worms, the percentage of synchronous APs between two neighboring cells varied depending on the anatomical relationship and junctional conductance (Gj) between them, and Ca2+ transients were synchronous among neighboring muscle cells. Compared with the wild type, knock-out of the gap junction gene unc-9 resulted in greatly reduced coupling coefficient and asynchronous APs and Ca2+ transients. Inhibition of unc-9 expression specifically in muscle by RNAi also reduced the synchrony of APs and Ca2+ transients, whereas expression of wild-type UNC-9 specifically in muscle rescued the synchrony defect. Loss of the stomatin-like protein UNC-1, which is a regulator of UNC-9-based gap junctions, similarly impaired muscle synchrony as unc-9 mutant did. The blockade of muscle ionotropic acetylcholine receptors by (+)-tubocurarine decreased the frequencies of APs and Ca2+ transients, whereas blockade of muscle GABAA receptors by gabazine had opposite effects. However, both APs and Ca2+ transients remained synchronous after the application of (+)-tubocurarine and/or gabazine. These observations suggest that gap junctions in C. elegans body wall muscle cells are responsible for synchronizing muscle APs and Ca2+ transients.

IDO-competent-DCs induced by IFN-γ attenuate acute rejection in rat liver transplantation.

PURPOSE: We established a stable rat model of liver transplantation using Sprague-Dawley rats and Wistar rats in order to investigate the role of the IDO gene in acute rejection after rat liver transplantation. METHODS: IDO gene expression and IDO enzyme activity were quantified in liver syngeneic grafts and allografts using microdialysis-HPLC. Liver allografts were evaluated for IDO expression by histopathology. We measured liver function-related biomarkers in liver allografts which were re-infused with untreated or IFN-γ-treated dendritic cells (DCs). RESULTS: We found a significant increase in IDO gene expression and IDO enzyme activity in liver allografts compared the sham and syngeneic graft groups. There was a significant correlation between the number of IDO-positive cells and severity of acute rejection. IDO gene expression and enzyme activity was upregulated in the IFN-γ-treated DC group within 7 days after transplantation compared to the untreated DC group and survival rates were significantly improved. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that IDO gene expression correlates with the severity of acute rejection and that IFN-γ-induced IDO-positive DCs may attenuate acute rejection and catalyze local tryptophan metabolism via IDO enzyme expression, leading to immune tolerance after liver transplantation.

The impact of sulfonylureas on tacrolimus apparent clearance revealed by a population pharmacokinetics analysis in Chinese adult liver-transplant patients.

AIMS: The aims of this study were to determine the population pharmacokinetics of tacrolimus in Chinese adult liver-transplant recipients and to identify factors that may account for this variability. METHODS: Tacrolimus dose and blood concentrations, along with clinical data, were collected retrospectively from 262 liver-transplant recipients. Data were analyzed using a nonlinear mixed-effects modeling method. A 1-compartment model with first-order absorption and elimination was selected as the base model. The influence of the following parameters were explored: (1) demographic characteristics, (2) biochemical and hematological laboratory test results, (3) surgery parameters, and (4) commonly used comedications. RESULTS: The typical values (interindividual variability percent coefficient of variation) for apparent clearance (CL/F) and apparent volume of distribution (V/F) were 20.9 L h (23.8%) and 808 l (70.4%), respectively. The residual variability was 33.6%. Finally, the 4 covariates that showed a strong correlation with CL/F in this study were daily dose, hematocrit, total plasma protein, and the coadministration of sulfonylureas. CL/F was reduced significantly with sulfonylureas cotherapy, higher hematocrit levels, and elevated total protein. Moreover, CL/F increased nonlinearly with larger daily doses of tacrolimus. CONCLUSIONS: Concurrent therapy with sulfonylureas influenced tacrolimus CL/F in liver transplantation patients. These results and model will help clinicians to optimize tacrolimus regimens in Chinese liver transplantation patients.

Effect of ursodeoxycholic acid administration after liver transplantation on serum liver tests and biliary complications: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Endogenous hydrophobic bile acids are suspected to be one of the pathogenetic factors of biliary complications after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). This study was designed to investigate the effects of hydrophilic ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) administration early after OLT on serum liver tests and the incidence of biliary complications. METHODS: 112 adult patients undergoing OLT from donation after cardiac death (DCD) were randomized to UDCA (13-15 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks; 56 patients) or placebo (56 patients). Serum liver tests and serum bile acids of all patients and biliary bile acids in patients with T-tube drainage were determined during the 4 weeks after OLT. Biliary complications as well as patient and graft survival were analyzed during a mean follow-up of 41.6 months. RESULTS: UDCA treatment decreased ALT, AST and GGT (p < 0.05) during the 4 weeks after OLT and the incidence of biliary sludge and casts within the 1st year (p < 0.05). However, no differences in the incidence of other biliary complications as well as 1-, 3- and 5-year graft and patient survival were observed. CONCLUSIONS: UDCA administration early after DCD-OLT improves serum liver tests and decreases the incidence of biliary sludge and casts within the 1st postoperative year but does not affect overall outcome up to 5 years after OLT.

Recording Gap Junction Current from Xenopus Oocytes.

Heterologous expression of connexins and innexins in Xenopus oocytes is a powerful approach for studying the biophysical properties of gap junctions (GJs). However, this approach is technically challenging because it requires a differential voltage clamp of two opposed oocytes sharing a common ground. Although a small number of labs have succeeded in performing this technique, essentially all of them have used either homemade amplifiers or commercial amplifiers that were designed for single-oocyte recordings. It is often challenging for other labs to implement this technique. Although a high side current measuring mode has been incorporated into a commercial amplifier for dual oocyte voltage-clamp recordings, there had been no report for its application until our recent study. We have made the high side current measuring approach more practical and convenient by introducing several technical modifications, including the construction of a magnetically based recording platform that allows precise placement of oocytes and various electrodes, use of the bath solution as a conductor in voltage differential electrodes, adoption of a commercial low-leakage KCl electrode as the reference electrode, fabrication of current and voltage electrodes from thin-wall glass capillaries, and positioning of all the electrodes using magnetically based devices. The method described here allows convenient and robust recordings of junctional current (Ij) between two opposed Xenopus oocytes.

Channel-independent function of UNC-9/Innexin in spatial arrangement of GABAergic synapses in C. elegans.

Precise synaptic connection of neurons with their targets is essential for the proper functioning of the nervous system. A plethora of signaling pathways act in concert to mediate the precise spatial arrangement of synaptic connections. Here we show a novel role for a gap junction protein in controlling tiled synaptic arrangement in the GABAergic motor neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans, in which their axons and synapses overlap minimally with their neighboring neurons within the same class. We found that while EGL-20/Wnt controls axonal tiling, their presynaptic tiling is mediated by a gap junction protein UNC-9/Innexin, that is localized at the presynaptic tiling border between neighboring dorsal D-type GABAergic motor neurons. Strikingly, the gap junction channel activity of UNC-9 is dispensable for its function in controlling tiled presynaptic patterning. While gap junctions are crucial for the proper functioning of the nervous system as channels, our finding uncovered the novel channel-independent role of UNC-9 in synapse patterning.

A novel auxiliary subunit critical to BK channel function in Caenorhabditis elegans.

The BK channel is a Ca²+- and voltage-gated potassium channel with many important physiological functions. To identify proteins important to its function in vivo, we screened for Caenorhabditis elegans mutants that suppressed a lethargic phenotype caused by expressing a gain-of-function (gf) isoform of the BK channel α-subunit SLO-1. BKIP-1 (for BK channel interacting protein), a small peptide with no significant homology to any previously characterized molecules, was thus identified. BKIP-1 and SLO-1 showed similar expression and subcellular localization patterns and appeared to interact physically through discrete domains. bkip-1 loss-of-function (lf) mutants phenocopied slo-1(lf) mutants in behavior and synaptic transmission and suppressed the lethargy, egg-laying defect, and deficient neurotransmitter release caused by SLO-1(gf). In heterologous expression systems, BKIP-1 decreased the activation rate and shifted the conductance-voltage relationship of SLO-1 in a Ca²+-dependent manner and increased SLO-1 surface expression. Thus, BKIP-1 is a novel auxiliary subunit critical to SLO-1 function in vivo.