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B L Jacobs

Publications and source records attributed to B L Jacobs.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Neuronal release of serotonin in the cerebellum of behaving rats: an in vivo microdialysis study.

Release of endogenous serotonin [5-hydroxy-tryptamine (5-HT)] in the cerebellum of awake rats was characterized using in vivo microdialysis. 5-HT output was increased (approximately 70%) by local application of KCI (100 mM) and was reduced (approximately 60%) by both tetrodotoxin (0.5 microM) and omission of Ca2+ from the perfusion fluid. 5-HT release was decreased (approximately 70%) by the selective 5-HT1A agonist 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (0.25 mg/kg, s.c.), and this effect was rapidly reversed by a selective 5-HT1A antagonist, N-[2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl]-N-(2-pyridinyl)cyclo- hexane-carboxamide trihydrochloride (WAY-100635; 0.1 mg/kg, i.p.). These results indicate that a large portion of the measurable 5-HT output in the cerebellum is of neuronal origin, is dependent on impulse flow, and is sensitive to 5-HT1A autoreceptor activation. Further studies examined the relationship between 5-HT levels and general activity of the animals across the light-dark transition and during behavioral manipulations. Both 5-HT levels and behavioral activity were significantly elevated during the dark period, with changes in 5-HT efflux closely paralleling changes in activity. Similar increases (approximately 40%) in 5-HT output were observed during both feeding and feeding in the presence of a stressor (tail pinch). These findings suggest that behavioral state is an important factor determining neuronal 5-HT release in cerebellum under physiological conditions.

Animals↗

WAY-100635, a potent and selective 5-hydroxytryptamine1A antagonist, increases serotonergic neuronal activity in behaving cats: comparison with (S)-WAY-100135.

We reported previously that pharmacological blockade of somatodendritic 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)1A autoreceptors with spiperone, a nonselective 5-HT1A antagonist, increases the spontaneous firing rate of central serotonergic neurons in awake cats. The present study examined the effects of systemic administration of two reportedly selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonists, (S)-WAY-100135 {N-tert-butyl-3-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl) piperazin-1-yl]-2-phenylpropanamide} and its more potent analog WAY-100635 {N-[2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl] ethyl]-N-(2-pyridinyl)cyclohexanecarboxamide}, on the single-unit activity of serotonergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus of freely moving cats. In addition, we assessed the antagonist action of these compounds at the 5-HT1A autoreceptor by examining their ability to block the inhibition of serotonergic neuronal activity produced by systemic administration of 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin, a highly selective 5-HT1A agonist. Administration of (S)-WAY-100135 (0.025-1.0 mg/kg i.v.) moderately depressed neuronal activity at all doses tested. In contrast, administration of WAY-100635 (0.025-0.5 mg/kg i.v.) significantly increased neuronal activity. The stimulatory action of WAY-100635, like that of spiperone, was evident during wakefulness (when serotonergic neurons typically display a relatively high level of activity) but not during sleep (when serotonergic neurons display little or no spontaneous activity). Pretreatment with (S)-WAY-100135 (0.5 mg/kg i.v.) weakly attenuated the inhibitory action of 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin. In contrast, WAY-100635 at doses as low as 0.1 mg/kg i.v. completely blocked the action of 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin. The antagonist action of WAY-100635 at 5-HT1A autoreceptors closely paralleled its ability to increase neuronal activity. Overall, WAY-100635 appears to act as a selective 5-HT1A antagonist, whereas (S)-WAY-100135 does not. The results obtained with WAY-100635 confirm our previous findings obtained with spiperone and further support the hypothesis that 5-HT1A autoreceptor-mediated feedback inhibition operates under physiological conditions.

Animals↗

Nucleic acid affinity chromatography: preparation and characterization of double-stranded RNA agarose.

An improved method for the preparation of a double-stranded RNA-coupled resin is described. Periodate-oxidized double-stranded RNA, in the form of either purified reovirus double-stranded RNA or poly(rl). poly(rC), was covalently attached to agarose-adipic acid hydrazide. The resulting affinity resin had increased specificity for known double-stranded RNA binding proteins, as compared to a similar commercially available resin. The application of this resin in the purification and characterization of double-stranded RNA binding proteins is described.

Binding, Competitive↗

Identification of a plant-encoded analog of PKR, the mammalian double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase.

Plant virus or viroid infection stimulates the phosphorylation of a plant-encoded protein of M(r) 68,000 to 70,000 (now termed pPKR) that is associated with double-stranded RNA-stimulated protein kinase activity. Using various biochemical and immunological comparisons, we have demonstrated that this plant protein is an analog of the mammalian PKR enzymes. pPKR is both cytosolic and ribosome associated, similar to mammalian PKR, and appears to be capable of phosphorylating exogenous histones. Monoclonal anti-serum to the human PKR as well as antiserum to a conserved double-stranded RNA-binding domain present on mammalian PKR demonstrated cross-reactivity with pPKR. Likewise, polyclonal antiserum to the pPKR detected the mouse and human PKR in western blot analysis. Northern blot analysis of a mammalian PKR cDNA detected a specific 2.5-kb transcript present in plant poly (A)+ RNA.

Animals↗

Reversal of the interferon-sensitive phenotype of a vaccinia virus lacking E3L by expression of the reovirus S4 gene.

The vaccinia virus (VV) E3L gene, which encodes a potent inhibitor of the interferon (IFN)-induced, double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-dependent protein kinase, PKR, is thought to be involved in the IFN-resistant phenotype of VV. The E3L gene products, p25 and p20, act as inhibitors of PKR, presumably by binding and sequestering activator dsRNA from the kinase. In this study we demonstrate that VV with the E3L gene specifically deleted (vP1080) was sensitive to the antiviral effects of IFN and debilitated in its ability to rescue vesicular stomatitis virus from the antiviral effects of IFN. Infection of L929 cells with E3L-minus virus led to rRNA degradation typical of activation of the 2'-5'-oligoadenylate synthetase/RNase L system, and extracts of infected cells lacked the PKR-inhibitory activity characteristic of wild-type VV. The reovirus S4 gene, which encodes a dsRNA-binding protein (sigma 3) that can also inhibit PKR activation by binding and sequestering activator dsRNA, was inserted into vP1080. The resultant virus (vP1112) was partially resistant to the antiviral effects of IFN in comparison with vP1080. Further studies demonstrated that transient expression of the reovirus sigma 3 protein rescued E3L-minus VV replication in HeLa cells. In these studies, rescue by sigma 3 mutants correlated with their ability to bind dsRNA. Finally, vP112 was also able to rescue the replication of the IFN-sensitive virus vesicular stomatitis virus in a manner similar to that of wild-type VV. Together, these results suggest that the reovirus S4 gene can replace the VV E3L gene with respect to interference with the IFN-induced antiviral activity.

Animals↗

Rescue of vaccinia virus lacking the E3L gene by mutants of E3L.

Vaccinia virus with the E3L gene deleted was able to replicate in RK-13 but not HeLa cells. This host range phenotype could be complemented by an E3L gene expressed transiently from a plasmid. Analysis of mutants of E3L indicates that the ability to complement deletion of E3L correlates with the ability of mutated proteins to bind double-stranded RNA but not with their ability to migrate to the nucleus.

Animals↗

Atomic force microscopy of nucleoprotein complexes.

Recent data on the AFM studies of nucleoprotein complexes of different types are reviewed in this paper. The first section describes the progress in the sample preparation methods for AFM studies of nucleic acids and nucleoprotein complexes. The second part of this paper reviews AFM data on studies of complexes of DNA with regulatory proteins. These studies include two different types of DNA distortion induced by proteins binding: local bending of DNA at sites of protein binding and formation of large loops due to protein-protein interactions between molecules bound to distant sites along the DNA molecules (DNA looping). The prospects for use of AFM for physical mapping of genomes are discussed in this section as well. The third part of the paper reviews data on studies of complexes of DNA with non-sequence specific binding proteins. Special emphasis is given to studies of chromatin which have resulted in progress in the understanding of structure of native chromatin fiber. In this section, novel data on AFM studies of RecA-DNA filaments and complexes of dsRNA with the dsRNA-specific protein p25 are also presented. Discussion of the substrate preparation procedures in relation to the AFM studies of nucleoprotein complexes is given in the final section.

Animals↗

Response of serotonergic caudal raphe neurons in relation to specific motor activities in freely moving cats.

Serotonergic neuronal responses during three specific motor activities were studied in nuclei raphe obscurus (NRO) and raphe pallidus (NRP) of freely moving cats by means of extracellular single-unit recordings. Responses to treadmill-induced locomotion were primarily excitatory, with 21 of 24 neurons displaying increased firing rates, directly related to treadmill speed. Individual regression analyses determined three response patterns: maximal activation at low speed (0.25 m/sec), augmentation of neuronal activity only at high treadmill speed (0.77 m/sec), and a linear increase. A smaller fraction of NRO and NRP serotonergic neurons (6 of 27) also responded to hypercarbic ventilatory challenge with increased firing rates. The magnitude of neuronal response was dependent upon the fraction of inspired CO2 and was related to ventilatory motor output, specifically, inspiratory amplitude. A subgroup of neurons responsive to hypercarbia in wakefulness demonstrated significant reductions in neuronal response to hypercarbia in slow-wave sleep. Finally, unit activity for 12 of 29 cells increased in response to spontaneous feeding, displaying two distinct patterns of neuronal response in relation to onset and termination of feeding: rapid activation and deactivation versus a gradual increase and decrease. More than half of the cells studied under all three conditions were responsive to more than one motor task. These results indicate that serotonergic caudal raphe neurons are responsive to specific motor system challenges, with many neurons responsive to multiple motor tasks, and that the responsiveness of serotonergic neurons to at least one motor task, hypercarbic ventilatory challenge, is state dependent.

8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin↗

TAR RNA-binding protein is an inhibitor of the interferon-induced protein kinase PKR.

A cDNA encoding a double-stranded-RNA (dsRNA)-binding protein was isolated by screening a HeLa cell cDNA expression library for proteins that bind the HIV-1 Rev-responsive-element RNA. The cDNA encoded a protein that was identical to TRBP, the previously reported cellular protein that binds the transactivation response element (TAR) RNA of human immunodeficiency virus type 1. TRBP inhibited phosphorylation of the interferon-induced ribosome-associated protein kinase PKR and of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF-2 alpha in a transient-expression system in which the translation of a reporter gene was inhibited by the localized activation of PKR. TRBP expression in HeLa cells complemented the growth and protein-synthesis defect of a vaccinia virus mutant lacking the expression of the dsRNA-binding protein E3L. These results implicate TRBP as a cellular regulatory protein that binds RNAs containing specific secondary structure(s) to mediate the inhibition of PKR activation and stimulate translation in a localized manner.

Animals↗

Site-directed mutagenic analysis of reovirus sigma 3 protein binding to dsRNA.

The S4 gene of reovirus encodes a double-stranded RNA-binding protein, sigma 3, that can inhibit activation of the interferon-induced dsRNA-dependent protein kinase, PKR. In this study, we attempted to localize the region of sigma 3 involved in dsRNA-binding by constructing deletion and point mutations, expressing the mutated proteins in COS cells, and testing the ability of the native mutated proteins to bind dsRNA-agarose. Transfection of S4 into COS cells resulted in expression of two forms of sigma 3, a full-length protein, and a protein containing a small truncation at the amino-terminal end. The truncation is likely due to a proteolytic event. Deletions of as few as 10 amino acids from the amino-terminal end of the protein or 10 amino acids from the carboxyl-terminal end of the protein resulted in loss of dsRNA-binding activity. A putative dsRNA-binding domain has previously been localized to an 85 amino acid region located between amino acids 234 and 297 (Miller, J. E., and Samuel, C. E., J. Virol. 66, 5347-5356 1992). Mutagenesis of basic residues located within two distinct motifs of this region showed that some basic residues are absolutely required for binding to dsRNA while others can be changed with little effect.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Phasic stimulation of the locus coeruleus: effects on activity in the lateral geniculate nucleus.

Neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC) encode information related to behavioral state in a tonic pattern of firing and information related to the occurrence of a sensory stimulus in a phasic pattern of firing. The effects of phasic stimulation of the LC (6 pulses at 30 Hz), designed to approximate its physiological activation by sensory stimuli, were studied in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of anesthetized rats. Phasic stimulation of the LC significantly increased neuronal firing in the LGN with a mean latency 320 ms from onset of stimulation. Receiver operating characteristic analyses on a trial-by-trial basis showed that phasic LC stimulation can result in a highly discriminable signal in the LGN. This increased neuronal firing rate in the LGN was specific for the site of stimulation and was reduced by the norepinephrine synthesis inhibitor alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine and by intravenous WB-4101 (alpha 1-receptor antagonist). Neurons in the LGN have a single-spike firing mode when sensory information is faithfully relayed from retina to cortex and a burst-firing mode when the transfer of this information is degraded. Phasic LC stimulation reduced burst firing (2-5 ms interspike intervals, ISIs) at low frequencies (< or = 4 Hz) in the LGN, and for some neurons there was an absolute decrease in burst-like ISIs after LC stimulation, despite an increase in mean firing rate.

Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists↗

Products of the porcine group C rotavirus NSP3 gene bind specifically to double-stranded RNA and inhibit activation of the interferon-induced protein kinase PKR.

The porcine group C rotavirus (Cowden strain) NSP3 protein (the group C equivalent of the group A gene 7 product, formerly called NS34) shares homology with known double-stranded RNA-binding proteins, such as the interferon-induced, double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase PKR. A clone of NSP3, expressed both in vitro and in COS-1 cells, led to the synthesis of minor amounts of a product with an M(r) of 45,000 (the expected full-length M(r) of NSP3) and major amounts of products with M(r)s of 38,000 and 8,000. Restriction enzyme digestion analysis prior to expression in vitro and amino-terminal sequence analysis suggest that the products with M(r)s of 38,000 and 8,000 are cleavage products of the protein with an M(r) of 45,000. The full-length protein and the product with an M(r) of 8,000, both of which contain the motif present in double-stranded RNA-binding proteins, bound specifically to double-stranded RNA. The products with M(r)s of 45,000 and 8,000 were also detected in Cowden strain-infected MA104 cells. NSP3 products expressed in COS-1 cells were capable of inhibiting activation of the double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase similar to other double-stranded RNA-binding proteins, and NSP3 products expressed in HeLa cells were capable of rescuing the replication of an interferon-sensitive deletion mutant of vaccinia virus.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Conservative amino acid substitutions of the C-terminal tripeptide (Ala-Arg-Met) on cottonseed isocitrate lyase preserve import in vivo into mammalian cell peroxisomes.

The purpose of this research was twofold, a) to directly demonstrate import in vivo of a native plant peroxisomal protein into peroxisomes of transiently transfected mammalian cells, and b) to identify the targeting signal and amino acid substitutions thereof which preserve translocation of this plant protein into these peroxisomes. The protein selected for study was cottonseed isocitrate lyase (ICL), a glyoxylate cycle enzyme which participates in storage oil mobilization in oilseed cotyledons. Cultured mammalian cells were selected as the import system because of previous success by others with transient transfections and import of heterologous (not plant, however) proteins, and because neither a plant in vitro or transient in vivo import system was established. Optimized transient transfections of cultured CV-1 monkey kidney, mouse L, HeLa, and CHO cells resulted in punctate, anticottonseed-ICL-dependent immunofluorescent patterns. Colocalization in a CVH Px110 cell line of ICL with either endogenous catalase or with stably expressed CAT-PMP20/AKL (chloramphenicol acetyltransferase with a C-terminal-appended 12 amino acids ending with Ala-Lys-Leu) demonstrated targeting of ICL to peroxisomes. Direct evidence for translocation of ICL into CHO cell peroxisomes was obtained from digitonin permeabilization experiments. The necessity of the C-terminal tetrapeptide, KARM-COOH, was demonstrated in CHO and CV-1 cells when removal of this tetrapetide (leaving ICL-VVA-COOH) abolished import into peroxisomes. This result is in general agreement with Olsen et al. (The Plant Cell 5, 941-952 (1993)) who demonstrated that the 37 C-terminal amino acids of oilseed rape ICL were necessary for import in vivo in transgenic plants. The findings of Behari and Baker (J. Biol. Chem. 268, 7315-7322 (1993)), however, indicate that the C-terminal portion of castor bean ICL is dispensible for import in vitro. Single or multiple conservative amino acid substitutions at each position of the C-terminal tripeptide of native cottonseed ICL (S for A, K for R, L for M, SK for AR, SKL for ARM) preserved import of the enzyme in vivo into CHO cell peroxisomes. The demonstrated targeting and translocation of plant ICL and C-terminal modifications thereof into mammalian cell peroxisomes provide important additional evidence for evolutionary conservation of peroxisome import machinery, especially relative to the PTS1 sequence.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Single-unit responses of serotonergic dorsal raphe neurons to 5-HT1A agonist and antagonist drug administration in behaving cats.

Single-unit activity of serotonergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus was recorded in free-moving cats in response to i.v. administration of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)1A agonist and antagonist drugs. The 5-HT1A agonist drugs 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), ipsapirone, buspirone and 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine produced a rapid, dose-dependent inhibition of neuronal activity. 8-OH-DPAT (ED50 = 1.5 micrograms/kg) was approximately 45 times more potent than ipsapirone, buspirone or 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (ED50 range = 6.0-6.8 micrograms/kg) in producing inhibition, and all drugs were more effective when cats were inactive (e.g., drowsiness) than during periods of behavioral arousal (e.g., active waking). Administration of the 5-HT1A autoreceptor antagonist spiperone (0.25 and 1 mg/kg) produced a rapid, dose-dependent increase in the firing rate, suggesting that under physiological conditions serotonergic neurons are controlled by tonic feedback inhibition. This effect was evident during wakefulness (a period of relatively high neuronal activity), but not during sleep (a period of relatively low neuronal activity). Spiperone also blocked the inhibitory action of 8-OH-DPAT in a dose- and time-dependent manner. There was a strong positive correlation between the magnitude of spiperone-induced neuronal activation and blockade of 8-OH-DPAT-induced neuronal suppression. These effects of spiperone cannot be attributed to its dopaminergic D2 or serotonergic 5-HT2 antagonist properties, because administration of haloperidol and ritanserin produced no increase in neuronal activity and did not block the action of 8-OH-DPAT. These results confirm the marked sensitivity of serotonergic dorsal raphe nucleus neurons to selective 5-HT1A agonist compounds in unanesthetized animals and suggest that 5-HT1A somatodendritic autoreceptors exert a tonic inhibitory influence on the firing rate of these neurons during periods of behavioral activation, but not during periods of behavioral quiescence.

8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin↗

Effects of the putative 5-hydroxytryptamine1A antagonists BMY 7378, NAN 190 and (-)-propranolol on serotonergic dorsal raphe unit activity in behaving cats.

Recent evidence from our laboratory has demonstrated that blockade of somatodendritic 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)1A autoreceptors by systemic administration of spiperone increases the firing rate of central serotonergic neurons in awake cats. The present study examines the effects of three other putative 5-HT1A antagonists (BMY 7378 (8-[2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl]-8-azaspiro [4,5]decane-7,9-dione), NAN 190 [1-(2-methoxyphenyl)-4-[4-(2-phthalimido)butyl]piperazine) and (-)-propranolol) on the single-unit activity of serotonergic neurons recorded in the dorsal raphe nucleus of free-moving cats. Systemic administration of the phenylpiperazine derivatives BMY 7378 (5-100 micrograms/kg i.v.) and NAN 190 (5-250 micrograms/kg i.v.) produced a rapid, dose-dependent inhibition of neuronal activity with BMY 7378 being approximately twice as potent as NAN 190 (ED50 = 15.3 micrograms/kg vs. 34.2 micrograms/kg). The suppression of neuronal activity produced by both compounds was greatly attenuated by spiperone (1 mg/kg i.v.). Systemic administration of (-)-propranolol (2 and 4 mg/kg i.v.) produced a modest suppression of serotonergic neuronal activity which did not appear to be dose-related. The ability of BMY 7378, NAN 190 and (-)-propranolol to block the suppression of neuronal activity produced by 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), a selective 5-HT1A agonist, was also examined. Pretreatment with these compounds had no significant effect on the inhibitory response of serotonergic neurons to 8-OH-DPAT challenge. These results indicate that BMY 7378 and NAN 190 act as agonists rather than antagonists at the somatodendritic 5-HT1A autoreceptor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin↗

The mouse antiphosphotyrosine immunoreactive kinase, TIK, is indistinguishable from the double-stranded RNA-dependent, interferon-induced protein kinase, PKR.

The mouse TIK protein, a serine/threonine kinase, was originally isolated from a murine pre-B cell expression library by its ability to bind anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies (Icely et al., J. Biol. Chem. 266, 16073-16077, 1991). The 67 kDa protein was found to have an associated autophosphorylation activity when incubated with ATP. Our results show that TIK is actually the mouse interferon-induced, dsRNA-dependent protein kinase, PKR. We demonstrate that the TIK message is interferon-inducible in mouse L-cells and in vitro transcription and translation of the TIK cDNA produces a protein that is capable of binding double-stranded RNA. The in vitro synthesized TIK protein migrated as a 65 kDa protein on SDS-PAGE when incubated with ATP, but migrated as a 60 kDa protein when incubated with an inhibitor of PKR, 2-aminopurine. We further show that proteolytic digestion of TIK with Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease results in a cleavage pattern identical to that obtained by V8 digestion of authentic PKR. Antiserum to TIK specifically recognized PKR. Cloned TIK had inhibitory activity for replication of EMCV but not VSV. From these observations we conclude that TIK kinase is the mouse interferon-induced, double-stranded RNA-dependent kinase, PKR.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Identification of a conserved motif that is necessary for binding of the vaccinia virus E3L gene products to double-stranded RNA.

The E3L gene of vaccinia virus encodes the double-stranded (ds) RNA binding proteins p20 and p25 that exhibit inhibitory activity for the IFN-induced, P1/elF-2 alpha protein kinase. A region in the E3L encoded proteins (residues 156-180) shares a high degree of similarity with several proteins that bind double-helical RNA including the P1/elF-1 alpha kinase, bacterial and yeast RNase III, and a human transactivator response element/Rev response element binding protein. In this study, mutants of E3L proteins were constructed in order to determine the region of the proteins required for dsRNA binding and kinase inhibitory activity. Our data indicate that both the region necessary for dsRNA binding and for kinase inhibitory activity are located at the carboxyl terminus of the protein. The E3L proteins with 7 amino acids deleted from the carboxyl terminus (184-190) could bind to dsRNA, but with lower affinity than could the full-length protein. This protein did not detectably inhibit kinase in vitro. Deletion of 26 amino acids from the carboxyl terminus of the E3L proteins (165-190) abolished dsRNA binding activity and kinase inhibitory activity. In addition, mutations at amino acid 164, 167, or 174 severely inhibited binding to dsRNA. On the other hand, deletion of 83 amino acids from the amino terminus did not affect the proteins' ability to bind dsRNA or inhibit kinase. These results suggest that a region of sequence between amino acids 164 and 183 is necessary for E3L proteins' dsRNA binding activity. This region lies within the homologous domain that the E3L proteins share with other dsRNA binding proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

5-HT and motor control: a hypothesis.

The activity of 5-HT-containing neurons in the brain is activated preferentially in association with motor output in cats. This is especially apparent during changes in muscle tone and during responses mediated by central pattern generators; such as chewing, locomotion and respiration. These and other data support the hypothesis that the primary functions of the 5-HT system in the brain are to facilitate motor output and concurrently inhibit sensory information processing. This hypothesis is applicable phylogenetically, from invertebrates to mammals.

Animals↗