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J D Sweatt

Publications and source records attributed to J D Sweatt.

66 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Inhibitors of Na+/H+ exchange block epinephrine- and ADP-induced stimulation of human platelet phospholipase C by blockade of arachidonic acid release at a prior step.

The ability of epinephrine or ADP to cause an increase in the production of phospholipase C products (diacylglycerol and inositol phosphates) in human platelets is blocked by perturbants of Na+/H+ exchange, i.e. ethylisopropylamiloride, decreased extraplatelet pH, or removal of extraplatelet Na+. These perturbants do not, however, block inositol phosphate production in response to 0.2 unit/ml thrombin, indicating that inhibition of Na+/H+ exchange does not inhibit the phospholipase C enzyme directly. Since the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin and the endoperoxide/thromboxane antagonist SQ29548 block epinephrine- and ADP-induced inositol phosphate production, it can be concluded that these agonists activate phospholipase C secondary to mobilization of arachidonic acid and production of cyclooxygenase products. This conclusion is consistent with the observation that the endoperoxide analogue U46619 causes inositol phosphate production. Furthermore, the effect of U46619 is not blocked by inhibitors of Na+/H+ exchange. The initial pool of arachidonic acid mobilized by epinephrine can be measured using negative ion gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and is sensitive to inhibition of Na+/H+ exchange. The present data suggest that epinephrine and ADP cause mobilization of a small pool of arachidonic acid by a pathway involving Na+/H+ exchange. The cyclooxygenase products derived from this pool subsequently activate phospholipase C. Since the same treatments that block epinephrine- and ADP-induced diacylglycerol and inositol phosphate production also block epinephrine- and ADP-induced dense granule secretion, it appears that activation of phospholipase C, albeit indirectly via cyclooxygenase products, may be required for epinephrine and ADP to evoke platelet secretion.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗

Evidence that Na+/H+ exchange regulates receptor-mediated phospholipase A2 activation in human platelets.

Data in the previous paper suggest that epinephrine can mobilize a small pool of arachidonic acid via an enzymatic pathway distinct from phospholipase C and that this pathway is blocked by perturbations that block Na+/H+ exchange. The present studies demonstrate that epinephrine and ADP stimulate a phosphatidylinositol-hydrolyzing phospholipase A2 activity in human platelets. This occurs even when measurable phospholipase C activation, platelet secretion, and secondary aggregation are blocked with the thromboxane A2 receptor antagonist SQ29548. Furthermore, perturbants of Na+/H+ exchange diminish lysophosphatidylinositol production in response to epinephrine, ADP, and thrombin, but not to the Ca2+ ionophore A23187. Artificial alkalinization of the platelet interior with methylamine reverses the effect of the Na+/H+ antiporter inhibitor, ethylisopropylamiloride, on thrombin-stimulated lysolipid production, suggesting that the alkalinization of the platelet interior which would occur secondary to activation of Na+/H+ exchange might play an important role in phospholipase A2 activation. In addition, treatment of platelets with methylamine increases the sensitivity of phospholipase A2 to activation by the Ca2+ ionophore A23187, suggesting that changes in pH and Ca2+ may regulate phospholipase A2 activity synergistically. Finally, epinephrine causes a prompt decrease in platelet-chlortetracyclin fluorescence even in the presence of cyclooxygenase inhibitors, suggesting that epinephrine is able to mobilize membrane-bound Ca2+ independent of phospholipase C activation. Taken together, the data suggest that epinephrine-provoked stimulation of phospholipase A2 activity may occur as a result of Ca2+ mobilization and a concomitant intraplatelet alkalinization resulting from accelerated Na+/H+ exchange.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗

Inhibitors of Na+/H+ exchange block stimulus-provoked arachidonic acid release in human platelets. Selective effects on platelet activation by epinephrine, ADP, and lower concentrations of thrombin.

We have observed previously that removal of extraplatelet Na+ blocks platelet secretion of dense granule contents in response to epinephrine, ADP, and 0.004 unit/ml thrombin, all agents which must mobilize arachidonic acid for its subsequent conversion to cyclooxygenase products in order to elicit platelet secretion. The present studies demonstrate that removal of extraplatelet Na+ blocks arachidonic acid mobilization in response to epinephrine, ADP, and 0.004 unit/ml thrombin without altering arachidonic acid conversion to thromboxane A2. The data also provide several lines of evidence which suggest that the blockade of arachidonic acid release due to removal of extraplatelet Na+ is a manifestation of blockade of Na+/H+ exchange system. 1) There is a concentration-dependent effect of extraplatelet Na+ (EC50 congruent to 55 mM) on [3H]arachidonic acid release such that mobilization is observed when [Na+]o greater than [Na+]i. 2) Increasing extraplatelet [H+] (i.e. decreasing extraplatelet pH from pH 7.35 to 6.8) causes a concentration-dependent decline in stimulus-provoked [3H]arachidonic acid release. 3) Ethylisopropylamiloride and other potent 5-amino analogs of amiloride block [3H]arachidonic acid release with a potency that parallels their effects on Na+/H+ exchange in other cellular systems. None of the above manipulations alter primary aggregation induced by epinephrine, ADP, or 0.004 unit/ml thrombin, indicating that stimulus-receptor binding, subsequent exposure of fibrinogen receptors, and fibrinogen-mediated platelet-platelet cross-linking are not significantly inhibited by [3H]arachidonic acid release in response to greater than 0.1 unit/ml thrombin, a stimulus that can elicit platelet secretion in the absence of products of the cyclooxygenase pathway. Therefore, Na+/H+ exchange may selectively modulate arachidonic acid mobilization in response to the so-called "weak agonists," agonists that require this mobilization to effect vigorous platelet aggregation and dense granule secretion.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗

Benzo [b]-promazines, chlorpromazine free radical and analino-N, N-dimethylpropylamine analogs influence rat striatal DA-adenylate cyclase and calmodulin-phosphodiesterase.

A series of Benzo [b]-promazines and analino-N, N-dimethylpropylamine analogs and the free radical of chlorpromazine were compared to chlorpromazine and promazine in the rat striatum for their ability to inhibit either dopamine activated adenylate cyclase or calmodulin stimulation of a partially purified high Km cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase. Chlorpromazine and the corresponding free radical were generally the most potent inhibitors of the two enzyme preparations, however, Piperazino-Benzo [b]-promazine, 1-Oxo-Benzo [b]-promazine, N-38-76-3A and Benzo [b]-promazine were relatively effective inhibitors. To a lesser extent, tyrosine, N-57-77, Piperidino-Benzo [b]-promazine, Diethyl-Benzo [b]-promazine, promazine and 1-Oxo-Diethyl-Benzo [b]-promazine exerted varying degrees of antagonism of the two enzymes. In all instances the compounds inhibited dopamine-sensitive adenylate cyclase to a greater extent than the calmodulin activated phosphodiesterase.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗

A biochemist's view of long-term potentiation.

This review surveys the molecular mechanisms of long-term potentiation (LTP) from the point of view of a biochemist. On the basis of available data, LTP in area CA1 of the hippocampus is divided into three phases--initial, early, and late--and the mechanisms contributing to the induction and expression of each phase are examined. We focus on evidence for the involvement of various second messengers and their effectors as well as the biochemical strategies employed in each phase to convert a transient signal into a lasting change in the neuron. We also consider, from a biochemical perspective, the implications of a multiphase model for LTP.

Animals↗

Input-specific immunolocalization of differentially phosphorylated Kv4.2 in the mouse brain.

Voltage-gated A-type potassium channels such as Kv4.2 regulate generation of action potentials and are localized abundantly in the hippocampus and striatum. Phosphorylation consensus sites for various kinases exist within the sequence of the potassium channel subunit Kv4.2, including consensus sites for extracellular signal-regulated kinase/mitogen activated protein kinase (ERK/MAPK), protein kinase A (PKA), protein kinase C (PKC), and calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII), and kinase assays have shown that particular amino acids of the consensus sites are bonafide phosphorylation sites in vitro. We have developed antibodies recognizing Kv4.2 triply phosphorylated at the three ERK sites as well as two antibodies recognizing singly phosphorylated Kv4.2 channels at the PKA sites (one amino-terminal and one carboxy-terminal). In the present study, we report the development of reliable immunohistochemistry protocols to study the localization of these phosphorylated versions of Kv4.2, as well as total Kv4.2 in the mouse brain. A general description of the areas highlighted by these antibodies includes the hippocampus, amygdala, cortex, and cerebellum. Such areas display robust synaptic plasticity and have been implicated in spatial, associative, and motor learning. Interestingly, in the hippocampus, the antibodies to differentially phosphorylated Kv4.2 channels localize to specific afferent pathways, indicating that the Kv4.2 phosphorylation state may be input specific. For example, the stratum lacunosum moleculare, which receives inputs from the entorhinal cortex via the perforant pathway, displays relatively little ERK-phosphorylated Kv4.2 or PKA carboxy-terminal-phosphorylated Kv4.2. However, this same layer is highlighted by antibodies that recognize Kv4.2 that has been phosphorylated by PKA at the amino terminus. Similarly, of the three antibodies tested, the soma of CA3 neurons are primarily recognized by the ERK triply phosphorylated Kv4.2 antibody, and the mossy fiber inputs to CA3 are primarily recognized by the carboxy-terminal PKA-phosphorylated Kv4.2. This differential phosphorylation is particularly interesting in two contexts. First, phosphorylation may be serving as a mechanism for targeting. For example, the amino-terminal PKA phosphorylation may be acting as a tag for a discrete pool of Kv4.2 to enter stratum lacunosum moleculare. Second, as phosphorylation may regulate channel biophysical properties, differential phosphorylation of Kv4.2 in the dendrites of pyramidal neurons may confer unique biophysical properties upon particular dendritic input layers.

Amygdala↗

Mice lacking the ERK1 isoform of MAP kinase are unimpaired in emotional learning.

The extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) are members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) superfamily of enzymes and have recently garnered considerable attention in the field of learning and memory. ERK activation has been shown to be required for the induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the rat hippocampus and for the formation of associative and spatial memories in both the rat and the mouse. However, the individual roles for the two isoforms of ERK have yet to be deciphered. To investigate the specific contribution of the ERK1 (p44) isoform of MAPK to mammalian learning, we performed a general behavioral and physiological characterization of mice lacking the ERK1 gene. The ERK1-null animals demonstrated significantly higher levels of activity in the open field test. However, we observed no other discernible deficits in the ERK1 knockout mice in our behavioral testing. Specifically, no differences were observed in the acquisition or retention (24 h and 2 wk after training) of either contextual or cue fear conditioning between the ERK1(-/-) and their wild-type littermate controls. In addition, no learning phenotype was observed in the passive avoidance test. When hippocampal slices were analyzed, we found no deficits in baseline synaptic transmission or in tetanus-induced LTP in hippocampal area CA1. We found no apparent compensatory changes in the expression of ERK2 (p42 MAPK). We conclude that hippocampus- and amygdala-dependent emotional learning does not depend critically on the activity of ERK1.

Animals↗

A necessity for MAP kinase activation in mammalian spatial learning.

Although the biochemical mechanisms underlying learning and memory have not yet been fully elucidated, mounting evidence suggests that activation of protein kinases and phosphorylation of their downstream effectors plays a major role. Recent findings in our laboratory have shown a requirement for the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade in hippocampal synaptic plasticity. Therefore, we used an inhibitor of MAPK activation, SL327, to test the role of the MAPK cascade in hippocampus-dependent learning in mice. SL327, which crosses the blood-brain barrier, was administered intraperitoneally at several concentrations to animals prior to cue and contextual fear conditioning. Administration of SL327 completely blocked contextual fear conditioning and significantly attenuated cue learning when measured 24 hr after training. To determine whether MAPK activation is required for spatial learning, we administered SL327 to mice prior to training in the Morris water maze. Animals treated with SL327 exhibited significant attenuation of water maze learning; they took significantly longer to find a hidden platform compared with vehicle-treated controls and also failed to use a selective search strategy during subsequent probe trials in which the platform was removed. These impairments cannot be attributed to nonspecific effects of the drug during the training phase; no deficit was seen in the visible platform task, and injection of SL327 following training produced no effect on the performance of these mice in the hidden platform task. These findings indicate that the MAPK cascade is required for spatial and contextual learning in mice.

Animals↗

A biochemical blueprint for long-term memory.

The greatest barrier to the long-term storage of information in a biological system is the inevitability of molecular turnover. In this review, we discuss the features required of any chemical mechanism capable of overcoming this obstacle, positing that a specific type of "mnemogenic", or memory-forming, chemical reaction is the basis of the engram. We describe how molecules as diverse as protein kinases, prions, and transcription factors can participate in mnemogenic reactions, and outline a blueprint for memory that postulates mnemogenic reactions at the synapse and in the nucleus and considers the constraints imposed by requirements for high fidelity and the ability to forget. This sort of a priori analysis may facilitate directed experimental approaches to understanding the mechanisms of lifelong memory.

Biochemistry↗

Ca(2+)-induced persistent protein kinase C activation in rat hippocampal homogenates.

Protein kinase C (PKC) is thought to play an important role in neuronal function by mediating changes in synaptic strength. Specifically, it has been argued that persistent PKC activation underlies the maintenance of long-term potentiation (LTP) of synaptic transmission in the hippocampus, a model widely used to study mammalian learning and memory. Because the induction of LTP is known to be dependent upon Ca2+ influx into the postsynaptic neuron, we investigated Ca(2+)-dependent mechanisms that operate to elicit persistent PKC activation in the hippocampus. Hippocampal homogenates were incubated with Ca2+ for a brief period and subsequently assayed for persistent changes in basal (Ca(2+)-independent) PKC activity, using the selective PKC substrate neurogranin(28-43) (NG(28-43)). After Ca2+ incubation, basal PKC phosphorylation of NG(28-43) was increased and expression of the increased activity could be inhibited by PKC(19-36), a selective peptide inhibitor of PKC. These data indicate the presence of a persistently activated form of PKC in Ca(2+)-pretreated hippocampal homogenates. The persistently activated PKC was localized to the soluble fraction of homogenates. Generation of the soluble, persistently activated form of PKC was blocked by the calpain inhibitor, leupeptin, suggesting a proteolytic activation of PKC. Column chromatography and Western blots indicated the presence of PKM, a proteolytic fragment of PKC that is active in the absence of calcium, diacylglycerols, or phospholipid cofactors. Thus, Ca2+ induces proteolytic activation of PKC in hippocampal homogenates. This suggests that proteolytic activation is a plausible candidate as a mechanism underlying the persistent activation of PKC associated with LTP.

Animals↗