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Biomedical subjects

M Nirenberg

Publications and source records attributed to M Nirenberg.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Inhibitors of CDP-choline synthesis, action potential calcium channels, and stimulus-secretion coupling.

The effects of putative transmethylation inhibitors were tested on stimulus-secretion coupling and neurotransmitter secretion at synapses between neuroblastoma X glioma hybrid cells and myotubes. 5'-Deoxy-5'-isobutylthio-3-deazaadenosine or 5'-deoxy-5'-isobutylthioadenosine inhibited CDP-choline synthesis catalyzed by cholinephosphate cytidylyltransferase (CTP:cholinephosphate cytidylyltransferase, EC 2.7.7.15) and thereby decreased the rate of phosphatidylcholine synthesis from CDP-choline, but did not affect the transmethylation pathway for phosphatidylcholine synthesis. These compounds also inhibited 45Ca2+ uptake by hybrid cells mediated by voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels, acetylcholine secretion at synapses, and signal transduction through cell membranes mediated by myotube nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. In contrast, 3-deazaadenosine or adenosine inhibited the transmethylation pathway for phosphatidylcholine synthesis, but had no effect on Ca2+ action potentials, acetylcholine secretion, or signal transduction through cell membranes mediated by nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. These results show that the stimulus-secretion coupling and secretion reactions studied are not dependent on phospholipid methylation and suggest that the activity of action potential Ca2+ channels and the rate of neurotransmitter secretion are functionally coupled to the rate of phosphatidylcholine synthesis via the CDP-choline pathway.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1983

Modulation of synapse formation by cyclic adenosine monophosphate.

Synapses between neuroblastoma-hybrid cells and myotubes exhibit a high degree of plasticity. Increase of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AMP) levels of the hybrid cells for several days results in the appearance of functional voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels, which are required for evoked secretion of acetylcholine. The results show that cyclic AMP regulates synaptogenesis by regulating the expression of voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels, and suggest that cyclic AMP affects posttranslational modifications of some glycoproteins and cellular levels of certain proteins.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

A topographic gradient of molecules in retina can be used to identify neuron position.

A monoclonal antibody was obtained that binds to cell membrane molecules distributed in a topographic gradient in avian retina. Thirty-five-fold more antigen was detected in dorsoposterior retina that in ventroanterior retina. Most of the antigen was associated with the synaptic layers of the retina. Less antigen was detected in cerebrum, thalamus, cerebellum, and optic tectum, but little or none was found in non-neural tissues tested. The antigen was found on most or all cell types in retina, and the concentration of antigen found is a function of the square of the circumferential distance from the ventroanterior pole of the gradient toward the dorsoposterior pole. Thus, the antigen can be used as a marker of cell position along the ventroanterior-dorsoposterior axis of the retina.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Presence of autoantibody for phospholipase inhibitory protein, lipomodulin, in patients with rheumatic diseases.

The activity of phospholipase inhibitory protein, lipomodulin, partially purified from rabbit neutrophils, was markedly decreased after treatment with sera from patients with rheumatic diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and dermatomyositis. The decrease of the protein's inhibitory activity on phospholipase A2 paralleled the amount of [35S]methionine-labeled lipomodulin precipitated by the sera. Absorption of patients' sera with anti-human IgM (mu chain) or protein A-agarose, but not with anti-human IgG (gamma chain), decreased their ability to decrease the activity of lipomodulin on phospholipase A2 or to precipitate the radioactive lipomodulin. The IgM fraction of patients' sera could precipitate [35S]methionine-labeled lipomodulin (40,000 daltons) which comigrated with highly purified lipomodulin on gel electrophoresis with sodium dodecyl sulfate. All of these observations suggest that the sera of many patients with rheumatic diseases contain autoantibody against lipomodulin. A monoclonal antibody against lipomodulin was also obtained. Stimulating human fibroblasts with bradykinin in the presence of monoclonal antilipomodulin antibody markedly enhanced arachidonic acid release due to the activation of phospholipase(s) in the intact cells, and this stimulatory effect was blocked by adding purified lipomodulin. These findings suggest that lipomodulin regulates the activity of phospholipase(s) on the cell surface and that autoantibodies against lipomodulin may play a role in certain symptoms of rheumatic diseases, especially by the formation of prostaglandins and other metabolites of arachidonic acid.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Control of opiate receptor-adenylate cyclase interactions by calcium ions and guanosine-5'-triphosphate.

Adenylate cyclase of homogenates of NG108-15 neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid cells is activated by low concentrations of Ca2+ ions and is inhibited by higher (greater than 0.1 mM) concentrations of Ca2+ ions. Activation of either opiate receptors by 10 microM morphine or alpha-adrenergic receptors by 10 microM norepinephrine inhibits adenylate cyclase by 55% in the absence of Ca2+ ions, and inhibits the Ca2+-dependent activation of adenylate cyclase by more than 90%. Concentrations of Ca2+ ions greater than 0.1 mM inhibit adenylate cyclase and also reduce the extent inhibition of adenylate cyclase by morphine but not by norepinephrine. Guanosine-5'-triphosphate (0.1-1 microM) is required for inhibition of adenylate cyclase by morphine. The results show that morphine inhibits adenylate cyclase by a guanosine-5-triphosphate-dependent process and that the extent of inhibition of adenylate cyclase by morphine or norepinephrine is a function of the Ca2+ ion concentration and the proportion of adenylate cyclase molecules that are activated or inhibited by Ca2+ ions.

Adenylyl Cyclase Inhibitors↗
PubMed1979

Regulation of adenylate cyclase of neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid cells by alpha-adrenergic receptors. I. Inhibition of adenylate cyclase mediated by alpha receptors.

(-)-Norepinephrine and other catecholamines inhibit basal and prostaglandin E1-stimulated adenylate cyclase activities by 35 to 60% in homogenates of NG108-15 neuroblastoma x gloma hybrid cells and markedly reduce adenosine 3'35:'-monophosphate levels of intact cells, but do not affect guanosine 3':5'-monophosphate levels. The specificity of the NG108-15 receptor for ligands is that of an alpha receptor, possibly a presynaptic alpha 2 receptor. The inhibition of adenylate cyclase by norepinephrine is reversed by alpha receptor antagonists such as dihydroergotamine or phentolamine, but not by the beta receptor antagonist propranolol. The effect of norepinephrine on adenylate cyclase activity initially is dependent on GTP; half-maximal inhibition of enzyme activity by norepinephrine is obtained with 0.2 micron GTP. The inhibition of adenylate cyclase activity by norepinephrine is reduced by 10 mM NaF and is abolished by 0.05 mM guanyl-5'-yl imidodiphosphate. Inhibitions of NG108-15 adenylate cyclase mediated by alpha receptors, opiate receptors, and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors are not additive; this suggests that the three species of receptors can be functionally coupled to the same adenylate cyclase molecules or molecules regulating the enzyme.

Adenylyl Cyclase Inhibitors↗
PubMed1979

Monoclonal antibody to a plasma membrane antigen of neurons.

Fusion of spleen cells from a mouse immunized with chicken embryo retina cells with clonal mouse myeloma cells yielded a lymphocyte hybrid cell line that produced antibody that bound to neural tissue such as retina, brain, spinal cord, and dorsal root ganglia but not to other tissues tested. The antigen was shown by indirect immunofluorescence to be associated with plasma membranes of most, or all, neuron cell bodies in chicken retina, but little or no antigen was detected on axons or dendrites, Müller cells, or retina pigment cells. The activity of antigen A2B5 is relatively stable at 100 degrees C, is insensitive to trypsin, exhibits the solubility properties of a ganglioside, and is destroyed by neuraminidase. Antibody A2B5 cytotoxicity against retina cells is inhibited by a GQ ganglioside fraction from bovine brain (estimated half-maximal inhibition at 0.2 microM) or by N-acetylneuraminic acid (half-maximal inhibition at 5000 microM) but not by other purified gangliosides tested. These results suggest that the antigen is a complex ganglioside in plasma membranes of retina neuron cell bodies but not axons or dendrites.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Adenylate cyclase and acetylcholine release regulated by separate serotonin receptors of somatic cell hybrids.

Serotonin activates adenylate cyclase [ATP pyrophosphate-lyase (cyclizing), EC 4.6.1.1] of NCB-20 neuroblastoma--brain hybrid cells with an activation constant of 530 nM, but has little or no effect on cellular cyclic AMP or cyclic GMP content of NIE-115 neuroblastoma or NG108-15 hybrid cells. In homogenates of NCB-20 hybrid cells, lysergic acid diethylamide stimulates adenylate cyclase activity (Kact = 12 nM) and partially inhibits (Ki = 10 nM) the stimulation of adenylate cyclase activity by serotonin. No desensitization was detected of serotonin receptors coupled to adenylate cyclase. Serotonin also depolarizes NCB-20, NG108-15, and NIE-115 cells and increases acetylcholine release. Serotonin receptors mediating depolarizing responses desensitize rapidly and reversibly, and the depolarizing effects of serotonin are neither mimicked nor inhibited by lysergic acid diethylamide. These results indicate that (i) NCB-20 cells possess at least two species of serotonin receptors, which independently regulate cellular functions, (ii) activation of adenylate cyclase does not directly affect membrane potential or acetylcholine release, and (iii) serotonin-dependent cell depolarization does not affect cyclic AMP or cyclic GMP synthesis in the cell lines tested.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1978

Formation of synapses between cells of a neuroblastoma X glioma hybrid clone and mouse myotubes.

Synapses form between cells of a neuroblastoma X glioma hybrid clone and cultured mouse skeletal myotubes. The synapses are cholinergic, and the acetylcholine release mechanism is dependent on calcium ions. The transmitter output of the synapses is low, with considerable variability in the latency and amplitude of the postsynaptic responses to presynaptic action potentials. The fine structure of physiologically identified functional junctions was examined electron microscopically. Small (50 nm) clear vesicles were seen presynaptically and there were areas with a wide (approx. 50 nm) gap containing basement membrane-like material between the pre- and postsynaptic cells. In addition, in some regions there was a densely staining material lining the muscle membrane and some suggestion of infolding of the muscle membrane. In none of the cases, however, have areas been found where small, clear vesicles cluster around pre- and postsynaptic membrane densities. Thus, functional synapses can occur in the absence of the highly organized synaptic structure seen at mature synapses.

Action Potentials↗