Reorganization of Septins Modulates Synaptic Transmission at Neuromuscular Junctions.

Septins (Sept) are highly conserved Guanosine-5'-triphosphate (GTP)-binding cytoskeletal proteins involved in neuronal signaling in the central nervous system but their involvement in signal transmission in peripheral synapses remains unclear. Sept5 and Sept9 proteins were detected in mouse peripheral neuromuscular junctions by immunofluorescence with a greater degree of co-localization with presynaptic than postsynaptic membranes. Preincubation of neuromuscular junction preparations with the inhibitor of Sept dynamics, forchlorfenuron (FCF), decreased co-localization of Sept with presynaptic membranes. FCF introduced ex vivo or in vivo had no effect on the amplitude of the spontaneous endplate currents (EPCs), indicating the absence of postsynaptic effects of FCF. However, FCF decreased acetylcholine (ACh) quantal release in response to nerve stimulation, reduced the amplitude of evoked quantal currents and decreased the number of quanta with long synaptic delays, demonstrating the presynaptic action of FCF. Nevertheless, FCF had no effect on the amplitude of calcium transient in nerve terminals, as detected by calcium-sensitive dye, and slightly decreased the ratio of the second response amplitude to the first one in paired-pulse experiments. These results suggest that FCF-induced decrease in ACh quantal secretion is not due to a decrease in Ca2+ influx but is likely related to the impairment of later stages occurring after Ca2+ entry, such as trafficking, docking or membrane fusion of synaptic vesicles. Therefore, Sept9 and Sept5 are abundantly expressed in presynaptic membranes, and disruption of Sept dynamics suppresses the evoked synchronous and delayed asynchronous quantal release of ACh, strongly suggesting an important role of Sept in the regulation of neurotransmission in peripheral synapses.

Reconstructed Serine 288 in the Left Flipper Region of the Rat P2X7 Receptor Stabilizes Nonsensitized States.

Serine 275, a conserved residue of the left flipper region of ATP-gated P2X3 receptors, plays a key role in both agonist binding and receptor desensitization. It is conserved in most of the P2X receptors except P2X7 and P2X6. By combining experimental patch-clamp and modeling approaches, we explored the role of the corresponding residue in the rat P2X7 receptor (rP2X7) by replacing the phenylalanine at position 288 with serine and characterizing the membrane currents generated by either the wild-type (WT) or the mutated rP2X7 receptor. F288S, an rP2X7 mutation, slowed the deactivation subsequent to 2 and 20 s applications of 1 mM ATP. F288S also prevented sensitization (a progressive current growth) observed with the WT in response to a 20 s application of 1 mM ATP. Increasing the ATP concentration to 5 mM promoted sensitization also in the mutated rP2X7 receptor, accelerating the deactivation rate to typical WT values. YO-PRO1 uptake in cells expressing either the WT or the F288S P2X7 receptor was consistent with recorded membrane current data. Interestingly, in the human P2X7 (hP2X7) receptor, substitution Y288S did not change the deactivation rate, while the Y288F mutant generated a "rat-like" phenotype with a fast deactivation rate. Our combined experimental, kinetic, and molecular modeling data suggest that the rat F288S novel phenotype is due to a slower rate of ATP binding and/or unbinding and stabilization of nonsensitized receptor states.

Selective Calcium-Dependent Inhibition of ATP-Gated P2X3 Receptors by Bisphosphonate-Induced Endogenous ATP Analog ApppI.

Pain is the most unbearable symptom accompanying primary bone cancers and bone metastases. Bone resorptive disorders are often associated with hypercalcemia, contributing to the pathologic process. Nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (NBPs) are efficiently used to treat bone cancers and metastases. Apart from their toxic effect on cancer cells, NBPs also provide analgesia via poorly understood mechanisms. We previously showed that NBPs, by inhibiting the mevalonate pathway, induced formation of novel ATP analogs such as ApppI [1-adenosin-5'-yl ester 3-(3-methylbut-3-enyl) triphosphoric acid diester], which can potentially be involved in NBP analgesia. In this study, we used the patch-clamp technique to explore the action of ApppI on native ATP-gated P2X receptors in rat sensory neurons and rat and human P2X3, P2X2, and P2X7 receptors expressed in human embryonic kidney cells. We found that although ApppI has weak agonist activity, it is a potent inhibitor of P2X3 receptors operating in the nanomolar range. The inhibitory action of ApppI was completely blocked in hypercalcemia-like conditions and was stronger in human than in rat P2X3 receptors. In contrast, P2X2 and P2X7 receptors were insensitive to ApppI, suggesting a high selectivity of ApppI for the P2X3 receptor subtype. NBP, metabolite isopentenyl pyrophosphate, and endogenous AMP did not exert any inhibitory action, indicating that only intact ApppI has inhibitory activity. Ca2+-dependent inhibition was stronger in trigeminal neurons preferentially expressing desensitizing P2X3 subunits than in nodose ganglia neurons, which also express nondesensitizing P2X2 subunits. Altogether, we characterized previously unknown purinergic mechanisms of NBP-induced metabolites and suggest ApppI as the endogenous pain inhibitor contributing to cancer treatment with NBPs.

Membrane current series monitoring: essential reduction of data points to finite number of stable parameters.

In traditional studies of changes in cell membrane potential or trans-membrane currents a large part of the recorded data presents "a pure noise." This noise results mainly from the random openings of membrane ionic channels. Different types of stationary or non-stationary noise analysis have been used in electrophysiological experiments for identification of channels kinetic states. But these methods have a limited power and often cannot answer to the main question of the experimental study: do external factors induce a significant change of channels kinetics? A new method suggested in the current study is based on the scaling properties of the beta-distribution function that allows reducing the series containing 200,000 and more data points to analysis of only 10-20 stable parameters. The following clusterization using the generalized Pearson correlation function allows taking into account the influence of an external factor and combine/separate different parameters of interest into a statistical cluster considering the influential parameter. This method which we call BRC (Beta distribution-Reduction-Clusterization) opens new possibilities in creation of a largely reduced database while extracting specific fingerprints of the long-term series. The BRC method was validated using patch clamp current recordings containing 250,000 data points obtained from the living cells and from open tip electrode. The numerical distinction between these two series in terms of the reduced parameters was obtained.

Highly conserved tyrosine 37 stabilizes desensitized states and restricts calcium permeability of ATP-gated P2X3 receptor.

Tyrosine 37 in the first transmembrane (TM1) domain is highly conserved in ATP-gated P2X receptors suggesting its fundamental role. We tested whether Y37 contributes to the desensitization of P2X3 receptors, which is currently not well understood. By combining electrophysiological, imaging and modeling approaches, we studied desensitization of various Y37 P2X3 mutants and potential partners of Y37. Unlike the membrane current of the WT receptor, which desensitized in seconds, Y37A mutant current did not fully desensitize even after minutes-long applications of ß,γ-meATP, α,ß-meATP, ATP or 2MeS-ATP. The fractional calcium current was enhanced in the Y37A mutant. Y37F did not rescue the native P2X3 phenotype indicating a role for the hydroxyl group of Y37 for the WT receptor. Homology modeling indicated I318 or I319 in TM2 as potential partners for Y37 in the receptor closed state. We tested this hypothesis by creating a permanent interaction between the two residues via disulfide bond. Whereas single Y37C, I318C and I319C mutants were functional, the double mutants Y37C-I318C and Y37C-I319C were non-functional. Using a cyclic model of receptor operation, we suggest that the conserved tyrosine 37 links TM1 to TM2 of adjacent subunit to stabilize desensitized states and restricts calcium permeability through the ion channel.

Role of the ectodomain serine 275 in shaping the binding pocket of the ATP-gated P2X3 receptor.

ATP-activated P2X3 receptors expressed in nociceptive sensory neurons play an important role in pain signaling. Basic properties of this receptor subtype, including very strong desensitization, depend on the rate of dissociation of the agonist from the binding site. Even though the rough structure of the ATP binding site has been proposed on the basis of the X-ray structure of the zebrafish P2X4 receptor and mutagenesis studies, the fine subunit-specific structural properties predisposing the receptor to tight capture of the agonist inside the binding pocket have not been elucidated. In this work, by exploring in silico the functional role for the left flipper located in the ectodomain region, we identified within this loop a candidate residue S275, which could contribute to the closure of the agonist-binding pocket. Testing of the S275 mutants using the patch-clamp technique revealed a crucial role for S275 in agonist binding and receptor desensitization. The S275A mutant showed a reduced rate of onset of desensitization and accelerated resensitization and was weakly inhibited by nanomolar agonist. Extracellular calcium application produced inhibition instead of facilitation of membrane currents. Moreover, some full agonists became only partial agonists when applied to the S275A receptor. These effects were stronger with the more hydrophobic mutants S275C and S275V. Taken together, our data suggest that S275 contributes to the closure of the agonist-binding pocket and that effective capture of the agonist provided by the left flipper in calcium-dependent manner determines the high rate of desensitization, slow recovery, and sensitivity to nanomolar agonist of the P2X3 receptor.

Temporal coding at the immature depolarizing GABAergic synapse.

In the developing hippocampus, GABA exerts depolarizing and excitatory actions and contributes to the generation of neuronal network driven giant depolarizing potentials (GDPs). Here, we studied spike time coding at immature GABAergic synapses and its impact on synchronization of the neuronal network during GDPs in the neonatal (postnatal days P2-6) rat hippocampal slices. Using extracellular recordings, we found that the delays of action potentials (APs) evoked by synaptic activation of GABA(A) receptors are long (mean, 65 ms) and variable (within a time window of 10-200 ms). During patch-clamp recordings, depolarizing GABAergic responses were mainly subthreshold and their amplification by persistent sodium conductance was required to trigger APs. AP delays at GABAergic synapses shortened and their variability reduced with an increase in intracellular chloride concentration during whole-cell recordings. Negative shift of the GABA reversal potential (E(GABA)) with low concentrations of bumetanide, or potentiation of GABA(A) receptors with diazepam reduced GDPs amplitude, desynchronized neuronal firing during GDPs and slowed down GDPs propagation. Partial blockade of GABA(A) receptors with bicuculline increased neuronal synchronization and accelerated GDPs propagation. We propose that spike timing at depolarizing GABA synapses is determined by intracellular chloride concentration. At physiological levels of intracellular chloride GABAergic depolarization does not reach the action potential threshold and amplification of GABAergic responses by non-inactivating sodium conductance is required for postsynaptic AP initiation. Slow and variable excitation at GABAergic synapse determines the level of neuronal synchrony and the rate of GDPs propagation in the developing hippocampus.

Aromatic residues at position 55 of rat alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are critical for maintaining rapid desensitization.

The rat alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) can undergo rapid onset of desensitization; however, the mechanisms of desensitization are largely unknown. The contribution of a tryptophan (W) residue at position 55 of the rat alpha7 nAChR subunit, which lies within the beta2 strand, was studied by mutating it to other hydrophobic and/or aromatic amino acids, followed by voltage-clamp experiments in Xenopus oocytes. When mutated to alanine, the alpha7-W55A nAChR desensitized more slowly, and recovered from desensitization more rapidly, than wildtype alpha7 nAChRs. The contribution of desensitization was validated by kinetic modelling. Mutating W55 to other aromatic residues (phenylalanine or tyrosine) had no significant effect on the kinetics of desensitization, whereas mutation to various hydrophobic residues (alanine, cysteine or valine) significantly decreased the rate of onset and increased the rate of recovery from desensitization. To gain insight into possible structural rearrangements during desensitization, we probed the accessibility of W55 by mutating W55 to cysteine (alpha7-W55C) and testing the ability of various sulfhydryl reagents to react with this cysteine. Several positively charged sulfhydryl reagents blocked ACh-induced responses for alpha7-W55C nAChRs, whereas a neutral sulfhydryl reagent potentiated responses; residue C55 was not accessible for modification in the desensitized state. These data suggest that W55 plays an important role in both the onset and recovery from desensitization in the rat alpha7 nAChR, and that aromatic residues at position 55 are critical for maintaining rapid desensitization. Furthermore, these data suggest that W55 may be a potential target for modulatory agents operating via hydrophobic interactions.

Experimental and modeling studies of desensitization of P2X3 receptors.

The function of ATP-activated P2X3 receptors involved in pain sensation is modulated by desensitization, a phenomenon poorly understood. The present study used patch-clamp recording from cultured rat or mouse sensory neurons and kinetic modeling to clarify the properties of P2X3 receptor desensitization. Two types of desensitization were observed, a fast process (t1/2 = 50 ms; 10 microM ATP) following the inward current evoked by micromolar agonist concentrations, and a slow process (t1/2 = 35 s; 10 nM ATP) that inhibited receptors without activating them. We termed the latter high-affinity desensitization (HAD). Recovery from fast desensitization or HAD was slow and agonist-dependent. When comparing several agonists, there was analogous ranking order for agonist potency, rate of desensitization and HAD effectiveness, with 2-methylthioadenosine triphosphate the strongest and beta,gamma-methylene-ATP the weakest. HAD was less developed with recombinant (ATP IC50 = 390 nM) than native P2X3 receptors (IC50 = 2.3 nM). HAD could also be induced by nanomolar ATP when receptors seemed to be nondesensitized, indicating that resting receptors could express high-affinity binding sites. Desensitization properties were well accounted for by a cyclic model in which receptors could be desensitized from either open or closed states. Recovery was assumed to be a multistate process with distinct kinetics dependent on the agonist-dependent dissociation rate from desensitized receptors. Thus, the combination of agonist-specific mechanisms such as desensitization onset, HAD, and resensitization could shape responsiveness of sensory neurons to P2X3 receptor agonists. By using subthreshold concentrations of an HAD-potent agonist, it might be possible to generate sustained inhibition of P2X3 receptors for controlling chronic pain.

A calcium dependent de-adhesion mechanism regulates the direction and rate of cell migration: a mathematical model.

Cell migration has long been studied by a variety of techniques and many proteins have been implicated in its regulation. Integrins, key proteins that link the cell to the extracellular matrix, are central to adhesion complexes whose turnover defines the rate of cell locomotion. The formation and disassembly of these adhesions is regulated by both intracellular and extracellular factors. In this study we have focused on the Ca2+-dependent protein network (module) that disassembles the adhesion complexes. We have developed a mathematical model that includes the Ca2+-dependent enzymes micro-calpain and phospholipase C (PLC) as well as IP3 receptors and stretch activated Ca2+ channels, all of which have been reported to regulate migration. The model also considers the spatial effects of Ca2+ propagation into lamella. Our model predicts differential activation of calpain at the leading and trailing edges of the cell. Since disassembly of integrin adhesive contacts is proportional to the degree of calpain activation, this leads to cell migration in a preferred direction. We show how the dynamics of Ca2+ spiking affects calpain activation and thus changes the disassembly rate of adhesions. The spiking is controlled by PLC activity and currents through stretch-activated Ca2+ channels. Our model thus combines the effects of various molecular factors and leads to a consistent explanation of the regulation of the rate and direction of cell migration.

Quantal release of ATP from clusters of PC12 cells.

Although ATP is important for intercellular communication, little is known about the mechanism of endogenous ATP release due to a dearth of suitable models. Using PC12 cells known to express the P2X2 subtype of ATP receptors and to store ATP with catecholamines inside dense-core vesicles, we found that clusters of PC12 cells cultured for 3-7 days generated small transient inward currents (STICs) after an inward current elicited by exogenous ATP. The amplitude of STICs in individual cells correlated with the peak amplitude of ATP-induced currents. STICs appeared as asynchronous responses (approximately 20 pA average amplitude) for 1-20 s and were investigated with a combination of patch clamping, Ca2+ imaging, biochemistry and electron microscopy. Comparable STICs were produced by focal KCl pulses and were dependent on extracellular Ca2+. STICs were abolished by the P2X antagonist PPADS and potentiated by Zn2+, suggesting they were mediated by P2X2 receptor activation. The highest probability of observing STICs was after the peak of intracellular Ca2+ increase caused by KCl. Biochemical measurements indicated that KCl application induced a significant release of ATP from PC12 cells. Electron microscopy studies showed narrow clefts without 'synaptic-like' densities between clustered cells. Our data suggest that STICs were caused by quantal release of endogenous ATP by depolarized PC12 cells in close juxtaposition to the recorded cell. Thus, STICs may be a new experimental model to characterize the physiology of vesicular release of ATP and to study the kinetics and pharmacology of P2X2 receptor-mediated quantal currents.

Agonist-dependence of recovery from desensitization of P2X(3) receptors provides a novel and sensitive approach for their rapid up or downregulation.

1. Fast-desensitizing P2X(3) receptors of nociceptive dorsol root ganglion (DRG) neurons are thought to mediate pain sensation. Since P2X(3) receptor efficiency is powerfully modulated by desensitization, its underlying properties were studied with patch-clamp recording. 2. On rat cultured DRG neurons, 2 s application of ATP (EC(50)=1.52 microm), ADP (EC(50)=1.1 microm) or alpha,beta-meATP (EC(50)=1.78 microm) produced similar inward currents that fully desensitized, at the same rate, back to baseline. Recovery from desensitization was much slower after ATP and ADP than after alpha,beta-meATP and, in all cases, it had sigmoidal time course. 3. By alternating the application of ATP and alpha,beta-meATP, we observed complete cross-desensitization indicating that these agonists activated the same receptors. This notion was confirmed by the similar antagonism induced by 2', 3'-O-(2,4,6,trinitrophenyl)-adenosine triphosphate (TNP-ATP). 4. Recovery from desensitization elicited by ATP was unexpectedly shaped by transient application of alpha,beta-methylene-adenosine triphosphate (alpha,beta-meATP), and vice versa. Thus, short-lasting, full desensitization produced by alpha,beta-meATP protected receptors from long-lasting desensitization induced by subsequent ATP applications. ATP and ADP had similar properties of recovery from desensitization. 5. Low nm concentrations of alpha,beta-meATP (unable to evoke membrane currents) could speed up recovery from ATP-induced desensitization, while low nm concentrations of ATP enhanced it. Ambient ATP levels were found to be in the pm range (52+/-3 pm). 6. The phenomenon of cross-desensitization and protection was reproduced by rP2X(3) receptors expressed by rat osteoblastic cell 17/2.8 or human embryonic kidney cell 293 cells, indicating P2X(3) receptor specificity. 7. It is suggested that transient application of an agonist that generates rapid recovery from desensitization, is a novel, powerful tool to modulate P2X(3) receptor responsiveness to the natural agonist ATP.

Bimodal action of protons on ATP currents of rat PC12 cells.

The mode of action of extracellular protons on ATP-gated P2X2 receptors remains controversial as either enhancement or depression of ATP-mediated currents has been reported. By investigating, at different pH, the electrophysiological effect of ATP on P2X2 receptors and complementing it with receptor modelling, the present study suggests a unified mechanism for both potentiation and inactivation of ATP receptors by protons. Our experiments on patch-clamped PC12 cells showed that, on the same cell, mild acidification potentiated currents induced by low ATP concentrations (<0.1 mM) and attenuated responses to high ATP concentrations (>1 mM) with emergence of current fading and rebound. To clarify the nature of the ATP/H+ interaction, we used the Ding and Sachs's "loop" receptor model which best describes the behavior of such receptors with two open states linked via one inactivated state. No effects by protons could be ascribed to H+-mediated open channel block. However, by assuming that protons facilitated binding of ATP to resting as well as open receptors, the model could closely replicate H+-induced potentiation of currents evoked by low ATP doses plus fading and rebound induced by high ATP doses. The latter phenomenon was due to receptor transition to the inactive state. The present data suggest that the high concentration of protons released with ATP (and catecholamines) from secretory vesicles may allow a dual action of H+ on P2X2 receptors. This condition might also occur on P2X2 receptors of central neurons exposed to low pH during ischemia.