[Application of optogenetic technique in pain research].

Chronic pain represents a major clinical issue which so far is still in shortage of selective and effective treatment. Multiple components are involved in the pain processing, including peripheral, spinal and supraspinal levels of the nervous system. The core to fight the pain problem effectively is to have a good understanding of nociceptive mechanism and the neurobiology of pain perception. Optogenetic technique allows selective activation of subpopulation neurons and provides possibility for better understanding of complex pathway and modulation mechanism in nervous system. Here we review the researches to date that used optogenetic tools for studying pain pathway, and we also provide a brief overview of some new development in optogenetic techniques that may have great potentials in pain research.

Phosphoinositide kinases play key roles in norepinephrine- and angiotensin II-induced increase in phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate and modulation of cardiac function.

The seemly paradoxical Gq agonist-stimulated phosphoinositide production has long been known, but the underlying mechanism and its physiological significance are not known. In this study, we studied cardiac phosphoinositide levels in both cells and whole animals under the stimulation of norepinephrine (NE), angiotensin II (Ang II), and other physiologically relevant interventions. The results demonstrated that activation of membrane receptors related to NE or Ang II caused an initial increase and a later fall in phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) levels in the primary cultured cardiomyocytes from adult rats. The possible mechanism underlying this increase in PIP2 was found to be through an enhanced activity of phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase IIIß, which was mediated by an up-regulated interaction between phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase IIIß and PKC; the increased activity of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate 5-kinase γ was also involved for NE-induced increase of PIP2. When the systolic functions of the NE/Ang II-treated cells were measured, a maintained or failed contractility was found to be correlated with a rise or fall in corresponding PIP2 levels. In two animal models of cardiac hypertrophy, PIP2 levels were significantly reduced in hypertrophic hearts induced by isoprenaline but not in those induced by swimming exercise. This study describes a novel mechanism for phosphoinositide metabolism and modulation of cardiac function.

Agonist-dependent potentiation of vanilloid receptor transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 function by stilbene derivatives.

Transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) is a nonselective cation channel activated by capsaicin, low pH, and noxious heat and plays a key role in nociception. Understanding mechanisms for functional modulation of TRPV1 has important implications. One characteristic of TRPV1 is that channel activity induced by either capsaicin or other activators can be sensitized or modulated by factors involving different cell signaling mechanisms. In this study, we describe a novel mechanism for the modulation of TRPV1 function: TRPV1 function is modulated by 4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS) and its analogs. We found that, in rat dorsal root ganglion neurons, although DIDS did not induce the activation of TRPV1 per se but drastically increased the TRPV1 currents induced by either capsaicin or low pH. DIDS also blocked the tachyphylaxis of the low pH-induced TRPV1 currents. 4-Acetamido-4'-isothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (SITS), a DIDS analog, failed to enhance the capsaicin-evoked TRPV1 current but increased the low pH-evoked TRPV1 currents, with an effect comparable with that of DIDS. SITS also blocked the low pH-induced tachyphylaxis. DIDS also potentiated the currents of TRPV1 channels expressed in human embryonic kidney 293 cells, with an effect of left-shifting the concentration-response curve of the capsaicin-induced TRPV1 currents. This study demonstrates that DIDS and SITS, traditionally used chloride channel blockers, can modify TRPV1 channel function in an agonist-dependent manner. The results provide new input for understanding TRPV1 modulation and developing new modulators of TRPV1 function.

Specificity of Gbetagamma signaling depends on Galpha subunit coupling with G-protein-sensitive K(+) channels.

Many neurotransmitters activate G-protein-gated inwardly rectifying K(+) (Kir3) channels by stimulating G-protein-coupled receptors. However, in native systems, only receptors coupled to pertussis-toxin (PTX)-sensitive G proteins (Gi/Go) have been shown to be able to activate Kir3 channels through the betagamma subunits of G proteins (Gbetagamma), whereas activation of receptors coupled to PTX-insensitive G proteins such as Gq or Gs do not activate Kir3 channels. The question remains as to how signaling specificity is achieved and what are its key determinants. In this study, we have used the Xenopus oocyte expression system to investigate specific activation of Kir3 channels by heterotrimeric G proteins. We have demonstrated the activation of Kir3.4 channels by agonist stimulation of non-PTX-sensitive G proteins under conditions of Galpha subunit overexpression. We present evidence to suggest a key role for the coupling efficiency of Galpha subunits in determining the specificity of Gbetagamma signaling to the channel.

[Synergistic effects of low temperature in winter and ebb tide at night on Sonneratia apetala seedlings growth and key eco-physiological traits].

By setting up a set of simulated tidal systems with different air- and water temperature and tidal flood conditions, this paper studied the synergistic effects of low temperature in winter and ebb tide at night on the growth and key eco-physiological traits of Sonneratia apetala seedlings. Low air temperature depressed the seedlings growth, but the reduction in the seedling height and basal stem diameter was compensated 41.2% and 44.6%, respectively by a 5 degrees C increase of water temperature. Low air temperature (15 degrees C) reduced the leaf Fv/Fm significantly, indicating a dramatic reduction in the leaf photosynthetic capacity, whereas the flooded tide with higher water temperature could not compensate this damage. The flooded tide with high air temperature increased the proline and soluble sugar contents in mature leaves, which could protect the mature leaves from cold damage. When extreme cold events occurred, the flooded tide at night worked as a heat storage medium, which alleviated the cold damage on the seedlings growth and leaf physiological traits, and promoted the survival rate of S. apetala seedlings.

Binding of PLCdelta1PH-GFP to PtdIns(4,5)P2 prevents inhibition of phospholipase C-mediated hydrolysis of PtdIns(4,5)P2 by neomycin.

AIM: To investigate the effects of the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain of phospholipase C(delta1) (PLC(delta1)PH) on inhibition of phospholipase C (PLC)-mediated hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PtdIns(4,5)P2] by neomycin. METHODS: A fusion construct of green fluorescent protein (GFP) and PLC (delta1)PH (PLC(delta1)PH-GFP), which is known to bind PtdIns(4,5)P2 specifically, together with laser-scanning confocal microscopy, was used to trace PtdIns(4,5)P2 translocation. RESULTS: Stimulation of the type 1 muscarinic receptor and the bradykinin 2 receptor induced a reversible PLC(delta1)PH-GFP translocation from the membrane to the cytosol in COS-7 cells. PLC inhibitor U73122 blocked the translocation. Wortmannin, a known PtdIns kinase inhibitor, did not affect the translocation induced by ACh, but blocked recovery after translocation, indicating that PtdIns(4,5)P2 hydrolysis occurs through receptor-mediated PLC activation. Neomycin, a commonly used phospholipase C blocker, failed to block the receptor-induced PLCd1PH-GFP translocation, indicating that neomycin is unable to block PLC-mediated PtdIns(4,5)P2 hydrolysis. However, in the absence of PLCd1PH-GFP expression, neomycin abolished the receptor-induced hydrolysis of PtdIns(4,5)P2 by PLC. CONCLUSION: Although PLCd1PH and neomycin bind to PtdIns(4,5)P2 in a similar way, they have distinct effects on receptor-mediated activation of PLC and PtdIns(4,5)P2 hydrolysis.