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Biomedical subjects

R Hammerschlag

Publications and source records attributed to R Hammerschlag.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Loss of response to thyroid hormone in developing nervous tissue correlates with enhanced synthesis of a 25-kilodalton stress protein.

Directly following transfer to in vitro conditions, lumbar dorsal root ganglia (DRG) from triiodothyronine (T3)-treated premetamorphic tadpoles showed an approximately three fold increase in incorporation of bath-applied radiolabeled amino acid relative to DRG from vehicle-treated tadpoles. By contrast, at 1 h after transfer, no increased incorporation was detected. At this time, examination of in-vitro-synthesized [35S]proteins by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis revealed a selective enhancement of a slightly acidic 25-kilodalton (kD) polypeptide. Addition of 1 M glycerol to the incubation medium prevented the enhanced synthesis of the low-molecular-weight polypeptide and preserved the T3 response. When DRG were exposed in situ, the T3 response - monitored following intraganglionic injection of [35S]methionine-was detected after 2 h, but not after 4 h. Four hours were also the earliest time at which an elevated level of the 25-kD polypeptide was observed. The correlation between loss of hormonal responsiveness and appearance of a putative stress protein is of general importance as a cautionary note for in vitro studies of endocrine effects on developing tissues.

Animals

Sensory ganglia from tadpoles but not adult bullfrogs synthesize heat shock-like proteins in vitro at non-heat shock temperature.

Lumbar dorsal root ganglia (DRG) from premetamorphic bullfrog tadpoles showed a selectively enhanced accumulation of two radiolabeled proteins when incubated in vitro at 22 degrees C for longer than 1 hr. During the first hour in vitro or after in vivo labeling, these polypeptides--of 25 and 68 kD molecular mass and slightly acidic isoelectric point--were detected in the DRG only at relatively low levels. Accumulation of the 25 kD species increased in lumbar DRG from tadpoles of all metamorphic stages but waned at stage XXV (completion of metamorphosis) and was absent from DRG of adult bullfrogs. In contrast, increased levels of the 68 kD species were detected only at premetamorphic stages. Tail DRG from premetamorphic tadpoles did not increase their synthesis of either polypeptide in vitro, which is consistent with the above findings because sensory neurons in tail DRG, but not in lumbar DRG, are mature at this developmental stage. Although the molecular sizes of the two polypeptides led us initially to consider them as heat shock-like proteins, only the 68 kD species was further increased (by approximately 100-fold) when premetamorphic lumbar DRG were incubated at 37 degrees C. The 25 kD species, which was the predominant protein induced at 22 degrees C, showed no further increase in response to hyperthermia. The enhanced in vitro synthesis of these polypeptides at control temperature (22 degrees C) is an example of cellular stress responses that may occur not as a consequence of elevated temperature or exogenous chemical agents, but as a result of transplantation-associated trauma. This phenomenon also represents an example of a cellular stress response that is "outgrown" during development.

Aging

Premetamorphic effects of thyroid hormones on tadpole sensory ganglia.

Tadpoles at premetamorphic stages of development were used to compare the precocious responses of lumbar dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and hindlimb bud (tissues destined for growth) with the responses of tail DRG and tail muscle (tissues destined for resorption) following exogenous administration of triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). Responses to intraperitoneal (i.p.) hormone treatment were assessed at varying times by injection of [3H]leucine i.p. and determination of 3H-labeled protein in tissues after an additional 1.5 hr. Incorporation of [3H]leucine in lumbar DRG and hindlimb bud was markedly stimulated by either hormone. T3 and T4 effects were both maximal at 0.3 nmol/g body wt although, as examined in lumbar DRG, the response to T4 was more rapid and of lesser magnitude than that to T3. By contrast, incorporation in tail DRG and tail muscle was significantly depressed in response to T3 and was unaffected by T4. Co-injection of T3 and T4 (either 1:1 or 1:6 as occurs during the peak surge of circulating thyroid hormones during metamorphic climax) did not produce an additive effect; the hindlimb bud response was reduced while the lumbar DRG, tail DRG and tail muscle responses to the individual hormones were virtually eliminated. The present data suggest that the responses of lumbar and tail sensory neurons to thyroid hormones parallel the responses of their peripheral target tissues.

Animals

Metalloendoprotease inhibitors block fast axonal transport.

Metalloendoprotease activity that was sensitive to the metal chelator 1,10-phenanthroline and to synthetic dipeptide substrates of the enzyme was detected in homogenates of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and spinal nerve from the bullfrog. Exposure of an intact in vitro preparation of DRG and spinal nerves to 1,10-phenanthroline led to a dose-dependent depression in the accumulation of fast-transported 3H-labeled protein proximal to a nerve ligature. In nonligated preparations, the chelator treatment reduced the amount of transported protein entering the nerve; no marked effect on the transport rate was observed. Exposure of a desheathed region of spinal nerve to 1,10-phenanthroline, while DRG were maintained in control medium, resulted in a slight depression of fast transport. This effect was not dose dependent over the range that produced a dose response when both DRG and spinal nerve were exposed to the drug. Treatment of DRG and spinal nerve with the metalloendoprotease substrate analogues carbobenzoxy (CBZ)-Ser-Leu-amide or CBZ-Gly-Leu-amide inhibited fast axonal transport, whereas treatment with CBZ-Gly-Gly-amide, which is not a substrate, had no detectable effect on transport. Selective exposure of desheathed nerve trunk to CBZ-Ser-Leu-amide inhibited fast transport, but the effect was less marked than when DRG and nerve trunk were treated. Although previous studies have focused on the role of metalloendoprotease activity in exocytosis, the present data suggest that the enzyme may also be involved in earlier stages of intracellular transport.

Animals

Complex compartmentation of tyrosine sulfate-containing proteins undergoing fast axonal transport.

The compartmentation of fast-transported proteins that possess sulfated tyrosine residues--sulfoproteins--has been examined for further resolution of the possible significance of sulfated tyrosine in routing and delivery of fast-transported proteins. In vitro fast axonal transport of [35S]methionine- or 35SO4-labeled proteins was measured in dorsal root ganglion neurons for analysis of protein compartmentation en route and in synaptic regions. When membrane fractions were exposed to Na2CO3 for separation of "lumenal" and peripheral membrane proteins from integral components of the membrane, approximately 20% of the [35S]methionine incorporated into fast-transported proteins was present in a carbonate-releasable form in the axon, whereas 53% of the incorporated 35SO4 was released by carbonate. Eighty percent of the 35SO4 in this releasable fraction was acid labile, typical of sulfate ester-linked to tyrosine. Sulfoproteins were also detected in synaptosomes and were released into the extracellular medium in a calcium-dependent fashion, an observation suggesting that fast-transported sulfoproteins are secreted. Of the remaining 47% of the fast-transported 35SO4-labeled proteins resistant to carbonate treatment (the integral membrane protein fraction), nearly 60% of the 35SO4 was acid labile. Other membrane stripping agents, such as 0.1 M NaOH, 0.5 M NaCl, or mild trypsin treatment, failed to remove acid-labile 35SO4-labeled species from carbonate-treated membrane. Quantitative comparisons of several of the most abundant sulfoproteins resolved via two-dimensional gel electrophoresis confirmed that approximately 7% of each of the species remained associated with carbonate-treated membranes, presumably as integral membrane components.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals

A double-isotope procedure for examining protein microheterogeneity: multiple forms of fast-transported glycoproteins and sulfoproteins possess a common polypeptide chain.

Several fast-transported proteins that appear as single bands after sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis resolve into multiple spots during isoelectric focusing. A method was devised for determining if such microheterogeneity in net charge indicates that individual polypeptides have been posttranslationally modified to differing extents. Dorsal root ganglia were pulse-labeled with [35S]methionine and either [3H]leucine or [3H]proline, proteins fast-transported into peripheral sensory axons were separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, and isotope incorporation ratios of proteins associated with individual gel spots were determined. When four microheterogeneous glycoproteins were analyzed, each protein "family" showed markedly similar isotope ratios for its three to seven characteristic spots. Such ratios differed between families by almost twofold. In addition, a group of nonglycosylated, sulfate-containing proteins was identified as a family on the basis of the similar isotope incorporation ratios of its component spots. These results suggest that protein microheterogeneity can result from variable sulfation of tyrosine residues as well as from variation in sialic acid-containing oligosaccharide side-chains. More generally, the method can be utilized to test for protein microheterogeneity in cases where the amounts of protein are too low to permit peptide mapping analysis and where the nature of the charge-altering modification is unknown.

Animals

Involvement of coated vesicles in the initiation of fast axonal transport.

The present study examines whether coated vesicles play a role in the intrasomal transit of newly synthesized fast-transported proteins. Coated vesicles isolated from bullfrog brain were shown to have a protein composition and ultrastructure similar to purified bovine brain coated vesicles. Bullfrog brain was then used as unlabeled carrier for the isolation of coated vesicles from dorsal root ganglia labeled with [3H]leucine. Fast-transported [35S]methionine-labeled proteins were generated in separate preparations from sciatic nerve, and co-electrophoresed on two-dimensional gels with [3H]proteins of the coated vesicle fraction. The [35S]Met fluorographic X-ray film pattern was used as a guide to remove gel regions which were tested for the presence of 3H. By this means, 45 of 67 individual fast-transported proteins examined were found to contain significant levels of 3H. The fact that these proteins have similar net charge and molecular weight characteristics to the mature fast-transported proteins with which they co-migrated, suggests that such species have already undergone post-translational modifications prior to becoming associated with coated vesicles. Since most modifications of this type occur in the Golgi apparatus, it appears that the majority of fast-transported proteins are isolated in association with a population of post-Golgi coated vesicles. The role of coated vesicles is incorporated into a model describing the pathway taken by fast-transported proteins during the initiation of fast axonal transport.

Animals

Fast axonal transport of tyrosine sulfate-containing proteins: preferential routing of sulfoproteins toward nerve terminals.

The presence of a subset of fast-transported proteins containing sulfate while lacking carbohydrate residues [Stone et al. (1983). J. Neurochem. 41:1085-1089] was confirmed by two-dimensional gel electrophoretic analysis of individual fast-transported proteins double-labeled with 35SO4 and [3H]mannose. Analysis by high-pressure liquid chromatography revealed that the sulfate moieties of these "sulfoproteins" are linked to tyrosine residues. Separation of fast-transported 35SO4-labeled proteins delivered to local regions of axon from proteins en route toward terminal regions demonstrated, on the basis of acid lability of tyrosine-bound sulfate, that the sulfoproteins were localized preferentially in the wavefront of fast-transported proteins. Analysis of individual sulfoproteins confirmed differential transport in that sulfoproteins were present at threefold greater amount in the wavefront than in material off-loaded to local regions of the axon. By contrast, nonsulfated species of molecular weights similar to those of the sulfoproteins were detected in nearly equal amounts in both regions of the transport profile. Treatment of nerve segments containing total 35SO4-labeled fast-transported proteins with sodium carbonate led to solubilization of half the protein-bound sulfate. Exposure of the solubilized proteins to mild acid resulted in the release of approximately 80% of the 35SO4 associated with this fraction. Two-dimensional gel patterns displaying carbonate releasable or nonreleasable fractions are consistent with the most abundantly labeled sulfoproteins being transported within membrane-bound organelles. In terms of apparent destination and subcellular compartmentalization, the sulfoproteins meet critical requirements for consideration as secretable fast-transported proteins.

Animals

Glycosylation as a criterion for defining subpopulations of fast-transported proteins.

The role carbohydrate residues may play in the sorting of newly synthesized fast-transported proteins during the initiation of fast axonal transport has been examined by identifying individual fast-transported glycoproteins that contain either or both fucose and galactose. [3H]Fucose or [3H]galactose was incorporated together with [35S]methionine in vitro in bullfrog dorsal root ganglia. Fast-transported proteins that accumulated proximal to a ligature on the spinal nerve were separated via two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, and 92 gel spots were analyzed quantitatively for the presence of 35S and 3H. Of these spots, 56 (61%) contained either or both fucose and galactose. Glycomoieties were generally associated with families of charged spots whose isoelectric points could be altered with neuraminidase treatment. Single spots tended to be unglycosylated and were unaffected by neuraminidase. The prevalence of glycoproteins was considerably greater in the higher-molecular weight range. Of the 55 spots analyzed with molecular weight greater than approximately 35,000 daltons, 89% were glycosylated, whereas only 19% of the 37 spots with lower molecular weight contained sugar moieties. When considered in light of previous studies in which similar subpopulations have been described, the current findings suggest that the presence or absence of glycomoieties may represent another criterion by which proteins are sorted during the initiation of fast axonal transport.

Animals

Fast-transported glycoproteins and nonglycosylated proteins contain sulfate.

35SO4-labeled fast-transported proteins of bullfrog dorsal root ganglion neurons were separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, and their mobilities were compared to similar species labeled with [3H]mannose or [3H]fucose. Fluorography revealed regions of poorly resolved, high molecular weight material, likely to represent sulfated proteoglycans, as well as many well resolved spots that corresponded in mobility to individual [35S]methionine-labeled fast-transported proteins. The majority of these well resolved spots appeared as "families," previously identified as glycoproteins based on their labeling with sugars. Thus, sulfate can be a contributor to the carbohydrate side-chain charge that underlies microheterogeneity. The most heavily 35SO4-labeled species, however, corresponded to fast-transported proteins that were not labeled by either sugar. The relative acid labilities of 35SO4 associated with individual species cut from the gel confirmed the assignments of these spots as glycoproteins or nonglycoproteins. A group of spots intermediate in their acid lability was also detected, suggesting that some proteins may contain sulfate linked to carbohydrate as well as to amino acid residues.

Animals

Evidence that all newly synthesized proteins destined for fast axonal transport pass through the Golgi apparatus.

Effects of the sodium ionophore, monensin, were examined on the passage from neuronal cell body to axon of materials undergoing fast intracellular transport. In vitro exposure of bullfrog dorsal root ganglia to concentrations of drug less than 1.0 micron led to a dose-dependent depression in the amount of fast-transported [3H]leucine- or [3H]glycerol-labeled material appearing in the nerve trunk. Incorporation of either precursor was unaffected. Exposure of a desheathed nerve trunk to similar concentrations of monensin, while ganglia were incubated in drug-free medium, had no effect on transport. With [3H]fucose as precursor, fast transport of labeled glycoproteins was depressed to the same extent as with [3H]leucine; synthesis, again, was unaffected. By contrast, with [3H]galactose as precursor, an apparent reduction in transport of labeled glycoproteins was accounted for by a marked depression in incorporation. The inference from these findings, that monensin acts to block fast transport at the level of the Golgi apparatus, was supported by ultrastructural examination of the drug-treated neurons. An extensive and selective disruption of Golgi saccules was observed, accompanied by an accumulation of clumped smooth membranous cisternae. Quantitative analyses of 48 individual fast-transported protein species, after separation by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, revealed that monensin depresses all proteins to a similar extent. These results indicate that passage through the Golgi apparatus is an obligatory step in the intracellular routing of materials destined for fast axonal transport.

Animals

An increase in smooth endoplasmic reticulum and a decrease in Golgi apparatus occur with ionic conditions that block initiation of fast axonal transport.

The ultrastructure of bullfrog spinal ganglia was analyzed after incubation in media containing concentrations of calcium and cobalt known to inhibit export of proteins from the soma to the axon. Although most somal organelles were morphologically unchanged by the various incubation media, striking changes were seen in the smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) and the Golgi apparatus (GA). In order of effect, calcium-free medium (CFM), normal medium supplemented with cobalt (NM--Co), and CFM supplemented with cobalt (CFM--Co) produced increasing amounts of SER coupled with decreasing densities of GA stacks. In the extreme case, CFM--Co incubation resulted in a nearly 10-fold increase in SER volume as well as in a virtually complete depletion of GA stacks. Axons originating within the ganglion were also examined and showed little change after the various incubations. The rank order of the altered incubation media in producing morphological changes was the same as the relative effectiveness of the media in depressing the fast axonal transport of [3H]protein within the dorsal root ganglion neurons. The morphological and biochemical results are discussed with respect to establishing the localization of the calcium-dependent step(s) that has been proposed to occur in the neuronal soma during the initiation of axonal transport.

Animals

Differential effects of cobalt on the initiation of fast axonal transport.

Effects of Co2+ on the fast axonal transport of individual proteins were examined in vitro in bullfrog spinal/sciatic nerves. 35S-methionine-labeled proteins, fast-transported in control and Co2+-treated preparations were separated via two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. While the overall amount of protein transported was reduced, no qualitative differences could be seen when gel fluorographic patterns were compared. Quantitative analyses of the 48 most abundantly transported species revealed two significantly different populations (p less than 0.01) differentially sensitive to Co2+ and distinguishable to a large extent by molecular weight. Those proteins less sensitive to Co2+ ranged from approximately 20,000 to 35,000 daltons while those more sensitive to Co2+ were greater than approximately 35,000 daltons. The finding that all proteins are affected by Co2+ supports the proposal that fast-transported proteins are subject to a common Co2+-sensitive, Ca2+-requiring step. The observed differential effects are consistent with more than one Ca2+-dependent step occurring during the initiation phase of fast transport.

Animals

Ca2+- or Mg2+-stimulated ATPase activity in bullfrog spinal nerve: relation to Ca2+ requirements for fast axonal transport.

Adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity stimulated by Ca2+ or Mg2+ was characterized in spinal nerve and spinal sensory ganglion of bullfrog. Enzyme activity of homogenates from both sources reached a maximum at a 1-2 mM concentration of either cation, although the level of maximal activity in nerve trunks was approximately twice that in ganglia. Enzyme activation was not observed with 2 mM-Sr2+ or Ba2+. Co2+ or Mn2+, at 2 mM, depressed Ca2+ activation of the enzyme by 50-60% in nerve but had no inhibitory effect on ganglia activity. In intact spinal ganglion/spinal nerve preparations, incubated for 20 h in medium containing 0.2 mM-Co2+, no effect was detected on Ca2+/Mg2+ ATPase activity in ganglia or nerve trunks whereas fast axonal transport was inhibited by 80%. Incubation in medium containing 0.02 mM-Hg2+ depressed enzyme activity in ganglia by 64% and in nerve trunks by 44%, whereas fast transport was again inhibited by 80%. When only nerve trunks were exposed to these ions, Hg2+ but not Co2+ was observed to slow the rate of fast axonal transport. The divalent cation specificity of the Ca2+/Mg2+ ATPase activity is distinct from the ion specificities, determined in previous work, of the Ca2+ requirement during initiation of fast axonal transport in the soma, and of the Ca2+ requirement during translocation in the axon. Thus, previous observations of Ca2+-dependent events in fast axonal transport cannot be taken per se to suggest the involvement of Ca2+/Mg+ ATPase in the transport process.

Adenosine Triphosphatases

Relation of somal lipid synthesis to the fast axonal transport of protein and lipid.

The role of somal lipid synthesis in the fast axonal transport of protein and lipid was examined in vitro utilizing spinal/sciatic nerve preparations of bullfrog. Inhibition of phospholipid synthesis in dorsal root ganglia by the amphiphilic cation, fenfluramine (0.1-2.0 mM) was monitored as decreased incorporation of [3H]choline into phosphatidyl choline. This inhibition was directly proportional to a decrease in the amount of [3H]protein undergoing fast axonal transport, the two variables being related by a slope close to unity. [3H]Choline-labeled lipid undergoing fast transport in the axon was unaffected by inhibition of somal phospholipid synthesis. Levels of fenfluramine up to 1.0 mM had no effect on uptake or incorporation of [3H]leucine. Selective exposure of desheathed nerve trunks to 1.0 mM fenfluramine had no effect on [3H]protein translocation, indicating that local phospholipid synthesis is not required to maintain ongoing transport in the axon. Inhibition of cholesterol synthesis in the ganglia with the analog 20,25-diazacholesterol also resulted in depression of [3H]protein transport. Since synthesis of both phospholipid and cholesterol are required at the level of the ganglion, it is suggested that the initiation of fast axonal transport of protein is dependent on the assembly of lipoprotein structures in the soma.

Animals

The role of calcium in the initiation of fast axonal transport.

Incubation of neuronal cell bodies in a calcium-free medium depresses the amount, but not the rate, of fast axonal transport of [3H]protein. Under these conditions, which do not affect protein synthesis or general energy metabolism, less protein appears to be loaded onto the transport system. Depression of transport also is seen when cell bodies are exposed to medium containing Co2+; selective exposure of axons to this medium has no effect on transport. These findings have led to the concept of an initiation phase of fast axonal transport that comprises the events by which selected proteins are transferred from their polysomal sites of synthesis to the transport system. The divalent cation specificity of the Ca2+ requirement, and its occurrence subsequent to Golgi apparatus-associated glycosylation, suggest that proteins destined for fast axonal transport are routed through the soma in a manner similar to that of secretory proteins and integral membrane proteins in nonneural cells. This analogy is pursued to consider a scheme whereby Golgi-derived vesicles deliver fast-transported proteins to the axonal smooth endoplasmic reticulum. Possible roles of Ca2+ in the formation and exocytotic fusion of such vesicles are considered.

Animals