Specificity of latent TGF-ß binding protein (LTBP) incorporation into matrix: role of fibrillins and fibronectin.

Fibrillin microfibrils are extracellular matrix structures with essential functions in the development and the organization of tissues including blood vessels, bone, limbs and the eye. Fibrillin-1 and fibrillin-2 form the core of fibrillin microfibrils, to which multiple proteins associate to form a highly organized structure. Defining the components of this structure and their interactions is crucial to understand the pathobiology of microfibrillopathies associated with mutations in fibrillins and in microfibril-associated molecules. In this study, we have analyzed both in vitro and in vivo the role of fibrillin microfibrils in the matrix deposition of latent TGF-ß binding protein 1 (LTBP-1), -3 and -4; the three LTBPs that form a complex with TGF-ß. In Fbn1(-/-) ascending aortas and lungs, LTBP-3 and LTBP-4 are not incorporated into a matrix lacking fibrillin-1 microfibrils, whereas LTBP-1 is still deposited. In addition, in cultures of Fbn1(-/-) smooth muscle cells or lung fibroblasts, LTBP-3 and LTBP-4 are not incorporated into a matrix lacking fibrillin-1 microfibrils, whereas LTBP-1 is still deposited. Fibrillin-2 is not involved in the deposition of LTBP-1 in Fbn1(-/-) extracellular matrix as cells deficient for both fibrillin-1 and fibrillin-2 still incorporate LTBP-1 in their matrix. However, blocking the formation of the fibronectin network in Fbn1(-/-) cells abrogates the deposition of LTBP-1. Together, these data indicate that LTBP-3 and LTBP-4 association with the matrix depends on fibrillin-1 microfibrils, whereas LTBP-1 association depends on a fibronectin network.

Role of organic cation transporters (OCTs) in the brain.

Organic cation transporters (OCTs) are polyspecific facilitated diffusion transporters that contribute to the absorption and clearance of various physiological compounds and xenobiotics in mammals, by mediating their vectorial transport in kidney, liver or placenta cells. Unexpectedly, a corpus of studies within the last decade has revealed that these transporters also fulfill important functions within the brain. The high-affinity monoamine reuptake transporters (SERT, NET and DAT) exert a crucial role in the control of aminergic transmission by ensuring the rapid clearance of the released transmitters from the synaptic cleft and their recycling into the nerve endings. Substantiated evidence indicate that OCTs may serve in the brain as a compensatory clearance system in case of monoamine spillover after high-affinity transporter blockade by antidepressants or psychostimulants, and in areas of lower high-affinity transporter density at distance from the aminergic varicosities. In spite of similar anatomical profiles, the two brain OCTs, OCT2 and OCT3, show subtle differences in their distribution in the brain and their functional properties. These transporters contribute to shape a variety of central functions related to mood such as anxiety, response to stress and antidepressant efficacy, but are also implicated in other processes like osmoregulation and neurotoxicity. In this review, we discuss the recent knowledge and emerging concepts on the role of OCTs in the uptake of aminergic neurotransmitters in the brain and in these various physiological functions, focusing on the implications for mental health.

Role of Tet1 and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in cocaine action.

Ten-eleven translocation (TET) enzymes mediate the conversion of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), which is enriched in brain, and its ultimate DNA demethylation. However, the influence of TET and 5hmC on gene transcription in brain remains elusive. We found that ten-eleven translocation protein 1 (TET1) was downregulated in mouse nucleus accumbens (NAc), a key brain reward structure, by repeated cocaine administration, which enhanced behavioral responses to cocaine. We then identified 5hmC induction in putative enhancers and coding regions of genes that have pivotal roles in drug addiction. Such induction of 5hmC, which occurred similarly following TET1 knockdown alone, correlated with increased expression of these genes as well as with their alternative splicing in response to cocaine administration. In addition, 5hmC alterations at certain loci persisted for at least 1 month after cocaine exposure. Together, these reveal a previously unknown epigenetic mechanism of cocaine action and provide new insight into how 5hmC regulates transcription in brain in vivo.