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Biomedical subjects

U Heinemann

Publications and source records attributed to U Heinemann.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Salt-dependent and protein-concentration-dependent changes in the solution structure of the DNA-binding histone-like protein, HBsu, from Bacillus subtilis.

The solution structure of the histone-like DNA-binding protein, HBsu, from Bacillus subtilis in 2 mM sodium cacodylate, pH 7.5, is sensitive to the ionic strength of the buffer. This was shown by circular dichroism measurements at different concentrations of sodium chloride and potassium fluoride. The stability of HBsu is also influenced; at HBsu concentrations of about 0.1 mg.ml-1, melting temperatures of 32 degrees C and 55 degrees C were found in the absence of potassium fluoride and in the presence of 0.5 M potassium fluoride, respectively, exhibiting drastic ionic-strength-dependent differences in the temperature-induced unfolding of HBsu. Furthermore, at low ionic strength, circular dichroism spectra vary markedly depending on the HBsu concentration in the approximate range 0.2-3 mg.ml-1. Such protein-concentration-dependent differences in the spectra were not observed in the presence of 0.5 M potassium fluoride. Very similar circular dichroism spectra of HBsu and the histone-like DNA-binding protein of Bacillus stearothermophilus (HBst) at high ionic strength, indicate comparable structures of both proteins under these conditions. Estimation of the secondary structure content from the circular dichroism spectra yields data which are in satisfactory agreement with the values obtained from the crystal structure of HBst. Transition temperatures of 45 degrees C and 61 degrees C were found in differential scanning calorimetric measurements performed with HBsu in potassium-fluoride-free buffer and in the presence of 0.5 M potassium fluoride, respectively. The thermodynamic data point to the melting of native HBsu dimers into two denatured monomers.

Bacillus subtilis↗
PubMed1992

Young CA1 pyramidal cells of rats, but not dentate gyrus granule cells, express a delayed inward rectifying current with properties of IQ.

In hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells (CA1PC) and dentate gyrus granule cells (DGGC) we compared the expression of currents which could cause differences in discharge behaviour. Negative current injections cause a uniform hyperpolarization in DGGC whereas in CA1PC the initial hyperpolarization is followed by a repolarization towards resting membrane potential. The underlying inward current can be classified as IQ. It is sensitive to CsCl, activated at -80 mV, and it has a mean amplitude of -109.8 pA and a mean activation time constant of 187 ms with voltage jumps from -40 to -120 mV. We conclude that some of the differences in response properties of DGGC and CA1PC upon repetitive stimulation can be attributed to differences in the expression of IQ.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Slow depolarizing afterpotentials in neocortical neurons are sodium and calcium dependent.

Depolarizing afterpotentials (DAPs) were studied in intracellular recordings from neocortical slices bathed in tetrodotoxin (TTX) (1 microM) and tetraethylammonium chloride (TEA) (24 mM), to block voltage-dependent Na+ currents and most K+ currents. The DAP was Ca(2+)-dependent, in that its magnitude varied as a function of the duration of the preceding Ca2+ plateau. It had an apparent reversal potential of between -40 and -5 mV. The DAP was blocked when choline replaced all extracellular Na+; there was a hyperpolarizing shift in apparent reversal potential when extracellular Na+ was lowered. The DAP was blocked by amiloride (1 mM), which also decreased the preceding Ca2+ plateau. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that the DAP is due to electrogenic Na+/Ca2+ exchange.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Tracing of axonal connections by rhodamine-dextran-amine in the rat hippocampal-entorhinal cortex slice preparation.

In order to demonstrate axonal connections preserved in rat temporal cortex slices the authors used rhodamine-dextran-amine as a tracer. The slices contained the neocortical areas Te2 and Te3, the medial and lateral entorhinal cortices (MEC and LEC), the subicular regions, and the dentate gyrus and hippocampus proper. Rhodamine-dextran-amine crystals were placed by microinjection into a given area. Following this local lesioning the dye was permitted to diffuse and migrate intraaxonally in antero- and retrograde directions for about 8 hours. The slices were then formaldehyde-fixed and analyzed by fluorescence microscopy. Most of the known connections within and between the entorhinal cortex and the hippocampus and dentate gyrus were preserved in the slice preparation, provided that the slices were cut with a near horizontal orientation corresponding to plates 99-108 in Paxinos and Watson (1986). Only the lateral perforant path between the LEC and the hippocampus could not be followed to its full extent. The authors conclude that most aspects of the intrinsic synaptic organization of the temporal lobe can be reliably studied in hippocampal-entorhinal cortex slice preparations.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Double helix conformation, groove dimensions and ligand binding potential of a G/C stretch in B-DNA.

The self-complementary DNA fragment CCGGCGCCGG crystallizes in the rhombohedral space group R3 with unit cell parameters a = 54.07 A and c = 44.59 A. The structure has been determined by X-ray diffraction methods at 2.2 A resolution and refined to an R value of 16.7%. In the crystal, the decamer forms B-DNA double helices with characteristic groove dimensions: compared with B-DNA of random sequence, the minor groove is wide and deep and the major groove is rather shallow. Local base pair geometries and stacking patterns are within the range commonly observed in B-DNA crystal structures. The duplex bears no resemblance to A-form DNA as might have been expected for a sequence with only GC base pairs. The shallow major groove permits an unusual crystal packing pattern with several direct intermolecular hydrogen bonds between phosphate oxygens and cytosine amino groups. In addition, decameric duplexes form quasi-infinite double helices in the crystal by end-to-end stacking. The groove geometries and accessibilities of this molecule as observed in the crystal may be important for the mode of binding of both proteins and drug molecules to G/C stretches in DNA.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Overproduction, crystallization, and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of the major cold shock protein from Bacillus subtilis, CspB.

The major cold shock protein from Bacillus subtilis (CspB) was overexpressed using the bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase/promoter system and purified to apparent homogeneity from recombinant Escherichia coli cells. CspB was crystallized in two different forms using vapor diffusion methods. The first crystal form obtained with ammonium sulfate as precipitant belongs to the trigonal crystal system, space group P3(1)21 (P3(2)21) with unit cell dimensions a = b = 59.1 A and c = 46.4 A. The second crystal form is tetragonal, space group P4(1)2(1)2 (P4(3)2(1)2) with unit cell dimensions a = b = 56.9 A and c = 53.0 A. These crystals grow with polyethylene glycol 4000 as precipitant.

Bacillus subtilis↗
PubMed1992

Effects of the triazole derivative loreclezole (R72063) on stimulus induced ionic and field potential responses and on different patterns of epileptiform activity induced by low magnesium in rat entorhinal cortex-hippocampal slices.

Effects of loreclezole (R72063), a triazole derivative with anticonvulsant properties, were studied on field potentials in rat hippocampal slices and on different patterns of low Mg(2+)-induced epileptiform activity in combined entorhinal cortex-hippocampal slices. Lowering extracellular Mg2+ induced recurrent (10-60/min), short (40-80 ms) discharges in hippocampal areas CA1 and CA3. In the entorhinal cortex (EC) up to 90 s long ictaform events associated with large negative field potential and changes in the neuronal microenvironment were generated. These seizure like events changed their characteristics after one to two hours to recurrent discharges of 0.8 to 10 s. 20 microM loreclezole blocked the seizure like events in the entorhinal cortex completely 30-80 min after onset of application. The recurrent short discharges in the hippocampus were reliably blocked by 40 muM loreclezole 60-90 min after bath application with incomplete recovery after washout of several hours. The recurrent discharges in the entorhinal cortex were reliably blocked by 80 microM loreclezole applied for 80-100 min. Decreases in [Ca2+]o and associated slow field potentials evoked by repetitive stimulation of the stratum radiatum were depressed in a dose dependent manner, while similar changes induced by alvear stimulation remained almost unaffected. A paired pulse stimulus paradigm used to test for effect of loreclezole on synaptically evoked transient field potentials in normal medium revealed interference with mechanisms involved in frequency potentiation. While responses to alvear stimulation were largely unaffected, the response to a paired pulse stimulus to stratum radiatum was depressed over the whole range of tested stimulus intervals (15 to 150 ms). The findings suggest that loreclezole has effects on different patterns of epileptiform activity induced by extracellular low Mg2+ possibly by interfering with processes leading to frequency potentiation.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Comparison of the effects of losigamone and its isomers on maximal electroshock induced convulsions in mice and on three different patterns of low magnesium induced epileptiform activity in slices of the rat temporal cortex.

Losigamone (AO-33) is a recemate of a tetronic acid derivative. The effects of losigamone and its three isomers (AO-242, AO-294 and AO-23) were compared on maximal electroshock (MES) induced convulsions in mice and on different patterns of extracellularly recorded, low Mg2+ induced epileptiform activity in slices of the rat temporal cortex. Lowering Mg2+ induced recurrent short discharges in areas CA3 and CA1 while ictaform events that lasted for many seconds were induced in the entorhinal cortex. In the hippocampus the activity stayed stable over a number of hours. In contrast, the ictaform events in the entorhinal cortex changed their characteristics after one to two hours to recurrent discharges of 0.8 to 10 s. Afterdischarges and interictal events were absent. 50 microM AO-242 showed a similar efficacy to 50 microM AO-33 in reducing and blocking epileptiform discharges in areas CA1 and CA3 while 50 microM AO-294 and 50 microM AO-23 had weaker effects than 50 microM AO-33. Concentrations of 50 microM and 100 microM AO-242 showed a similar efficacy to AO-33 on ictaform events in the entorhinal cortex. Late recurrent discharges were also blocked by AO-33 and AO-242 although at higher concentrations (300 microM). The in vitro observations are with respect to order of efficacy in accordance with the in vivo data obtained in the maximal electroshock test in mice. The order of potency in the MES test was AO-242 greater than AO-33 much greater than AO-294 much greater than AO-23.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Slow and fast transient potassium currents in cultured rat hippocampal cells.

1. Potassium currents have been recorded from rat hippocampal neurons in dissociated cultures prepared at E17-E19. Currents were studied with the whole-cell version of the patch clamp method. The kinetics and pharmacological properties of two transient outward currents have been characterized. 2. Most of the recordings have been done in cells which had been in culture 10-18 days. Both a fast and a slow transient current could be elicited. A subtraction procedure was used to isolate the fast transient current. The fast transient current decayed monoexponentially with a time constant of about 10 ms. The slow transient current decayed with two time constants in the order of 500 ms and of 3.4 s. The reversal potential of the slow current shifted by 54 mV for a tenfold change in extracellular potassium concentration. 3. Studies on the removal of inactivation for the two currents revealed time constants of 29 and 107 ms for the fast and slow transient current, respectively. 4. The steady-state inactivation properties of the fast transient current were determined by studying the current with a fixed depolarizing command of -10 mV and varying pre-pulse amplitudes from a holding potential of -50 mV. The inactivation curve could be fitted with a Boltzmann equation. Half-maximal inactivation occurred at -81 mV. The steady-state activation properties of the fast transient current were determined by varying the depolarizing voltage commands following a fixed pre-pulse to -110 mV. The threshold for activation was between -70 and -60 mV. Half-maximal activation was reached at -19 mV. 5. The steady-state inactivation properties of the slow transient current were determined by studying the current elicited by varying the hyperpolarizing voltage steps from a holding potential of 0 mV. The inactivation curve could be fitted with a Boltzmann equation. Half-maximal inactivation was obtained at -61 mV. The steady-state activation properties were determined in a manner similar to the fast current. The threshold for activation was between -40 and -30 mV. 6. The slow transient current was not inactivated immediately when the conditioning pre-pulse was stopped. The rate of current decay increased with stimulus frequency. 7. Both transient currents were sensitive to 4-aminopyridine (4-AP). The fast transient current was blocked completely by 5 mM provided a pre-pulse of 1 s to -110 mV was employed. The slow transient current was already depressed by 4-AP applied in the 100 microM range but could never be blocked completely.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1992

Pharmacological properties of excitatory amino acid induced changes in extracellular calcium concentration in rat hippocampal slices.

We have studied extracellular ionic changes induced by iontophoretic application of excitatory amino acids in rat hippocampal slices. In contrast to kinetics of changes in [Ca2+]o, kinetics of changes in [K+]o, [Na+]o, [Cl-]o as well as in extracellular space size were comparable for different glutamate receptor agonists. Thus, alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA), quisqualate (quis), and kainate caused reductions in [Ca2+]o followed by an increase of [Ca2+]o above baseline, whereas glutamate, aspartate, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), and DL-homocysteic acid caused only reductions in [Ca2+]o. After blocking the NMDA receptors with ketamine and 2-amino-5- phosphonovaleric acid (2-APV), glutamate-induced decreases in [Ca2+]o were followed by an overshoot. Reduction of the transmembrane Na+ gradient by lowering [Na+]o, blocking of the Na(+)-K+ ATPase by lowering [K+]o, and application of ouabain blocked the overshoots after quis application, whereas vanadate, a blocker of the Ca(2+)-Mg2+ ATPase, had no effects. Lithium enhanced the reductions in [Ca2+]o and blocked the overshoots. Amiloride also reduced the overshoots. All organic Ca2+ entry blockers diminished reductions of [Ca2+]o but increased the overshoots. Inorganic Ca2+ antagonists had variable effects. Ni2+ had similar effects as the organic Ca2+ entry blockers while Cd2+ reduced both the [Ca2+]o decreases as well as the subsequent overshoots. Co2+ had initially a similar action as Ni2+. With prolonged application, [Ca2+]o decreases became augmented and, during wash, overshoots could no longer be elicited. We suggest that the overshoots in [Ca2+]o are due to a combined effect of extracellular space shrinkage and activation of the Na+/Ca2+ exchangers. This would imply that NMDA receptor activation blocks extrusion of Ca2+ from the cells. We tested the hypothesis that quis-induced intracellular Ca2+ release and extrusion of Ca2+ from the cells contributed to the overshoots. Dantrolene was without effect on the quis-induced signals, while ryanodine reduced the overshoots. Caffeine on the other hand diminished the [Ca2+]o decreases with no effects on the overshoots. To test for possible second messenger routes by which NMDA receptor activation might slow Ca2+ extrusion from cells, we investigated the effects of arachidonic acid and N-monomethyl-D- arginine on the quis-induced signals. While these agents reduced decreases in [Ca2+]o, they had no clear effects on the overshoots. Thus a possible route by which NMDA receptor activation may affect Ca2+ extrusion from cells has still to be elucidated.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1992

Hypoxia-induced functional alterations in adult rat neocortex.

1. Brief periods of hypoxia (2-7 min) were induced in rat neocortical slices maintained in an interface-type recording chamber at 34-35 degrees C by changing the aerating gas from 95% O2-5% CO2 to 95% N2-5% CO2. Field potential (FP) and intracellular recordings were obtained in layers II/III of primary somatosensory cortex. Intracellular injection of biocytin revealed the characteristic morphology of supragranular spiny pyramidal neurons. 2. Excitatory synaptic transmission reversibly decreased by 45% as estimated from FP responses to orthodromic stimulation of the underlying white matter/layer VI. Excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) were suppressed by 36% in amplitude and recovered within 2-3 min after reoxygenation. During the recovery period, EPSPs showed a reversible increase in duration by 72%. 3. Inhibitory synaptic transmission was completely blocked as determined in FP responses with a paired-pulse inhibition protocol. The fast inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP) declined by 58% during hypoxia. The long-lasting IPSP was suppressed by 75% and showed incomplete recovery. During hypoxia, the amplitude of both IPSPs was significantly more strongly suppressed than the EPSP. 4. In 40% of the cells, hypoxia induced an early anoxic hyperpolarization with a reversal potential of E = -80.8 mV, followed by a postanoxic hyperpolarization (E = -89.4 mV). In a second group of cells (37%), a gradual anoxic depolarization with E = -57.5 mV was observed instead of an early hyperpolarization. In both groups of cells, the anoxic response was associated with a marked decrease in input resistance, by 42 and 31%, respectively. 5. The spike discharge frequency was reversibly suppressed by 71% during hypoxia. A transient hyperexcitability accompanied with a rise in input resistance and discharge rate was observed in 38% of the cells on reoxygenation. 6. The reversal potential of the anoxic hyperpolarization was unaffected by tetrodotoxin (TTX) but was significantly altered by application of the ATP-sensitive K+ channel (KATP) blocker gliquidone. Application of gliquidone additionally resulted in a significantly smaller hypoxia-induced decline in paired-pulse inhibition. 7. Increases in tissue high-energy phosphates induced by preincubating the slices in 25 mM creatine for greater than 2 h had a pronounced protective effect on excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission. 8. These data suggest a selective vulnerability of the neocortical inhibitory system during hypoxia. Our results further indicate that hypoxia activates a pre- and postsynaptic KATP conductance because of the decline in intracellular ATP.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1992

Properties of two voltage-activated potassium currents in acutely isolated juvenile rat dentate gyrus granule cells.

1. The properties of outward currents were investigated in acutely isolated dentate gyrus granule cells at postnatal ages of day 5-7, 10-14, 18-24 (P5-7, P10-14, P18-24) and at adulthood (2-3 mo), with the use of the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. 2. Kinetic analysis and pharmacological properties showed that an A-type K+ current (IA) and a delayed rectifier current (IK) were present in these cells. 3. IA in P10-14 cells activated and inactivated rapidly with a decay time constant of 7.5 +/- 2.1 (SD) ms with command pulses to +30 mV. The removal of inactivation was monoexponential with a time constant of 23.1 ms (holding potential, -50 mV; conditioning voltage steps of varying duration to -110 mV). V 1/2 of the Boltzmann function describing steady-state inactivation was -65.1 +/- 1.8 mV with a slope factor of -6.0. IA was sensitive to 5 mM 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) but not to 10 mM tetraethylammonium (TEA). 4. IK in P10-14 cells displayed a voltage-dependent activation time constant (4.3 +/- 0.8 ms for command pulses to +30 mV and 16.2 +/- 2.4 for command pulses to -10 mV) and a double-exponential decay (time constants 194 +/- 21 and 1,625 +/- 254 ms). The rate constant of removal of inactivation was 332.1 ms. IK showed a reduction by 61.4 +/- 5.3% with 10 mM TEA and was partially blocked by 5 mM 4-AP in a subpopulation of cells. 5. Whereas IA remained stable over time, IK showed a substantial reduction of current amplitude by 67% after 30 min of cell perfusion through the patch pipette. The time course of this reduction was monoexponential with a time constant of 6.9 min and was partly due to a shift in V1/2 of the steady-state inactivation from -79.2 to -99.6 mV. 6. IA and IK remained stable with respect to kinetic properties during ontogenesis. However, the relative contribution and pharmacological properties of the investigated K+ currents varied with age. Although IA dominated in P5-7 cells, IK was prominent in most older cells. Five millimolars 4-AP reduced IA by 40.7 +/- 26.7% in P5-7 cells and blocked IA completely in 80% of investigated P10-14 cells. Similar changes were observed for the effects of 4-AP on IK (18.7% depression in the age group P5-8, 46.1% in the age group P10-14, and 45.7% in adult animals).

4-Aminopyridine↗
PubMed1992

The dentate gyrus as a regulated gate for the propagation of epileptiform activity.

Properties of the interaction between the entorhinal cortex (EC) and the dentate gyrus were studied in a combined EC hippocampal slice preparation in which most of the fiber connectivity within this structure is intact. Epileptiform activity was induced by lowering extracellular Mg2+ concentration. This caused short recurrent discharges in the hippocampus while seizure-like events (SLE) slowly spread from the site of initiation to neighboring areas. At the end of a SLE, the EC, the subiculum and the neocortical area Te2 discharged in synchrony. This activity could develop into a state of recurrent tonic discharges highly synchronized between the different areas. These discharges were insensitive to treatment with currently available antiepileptic drugs. Although the SLE increased neuronal firing and extracellular potassium concentration in the dentate gyrus, this activity had only moderate effects on the activity generated in areas CA3 and CA1. Removing GABAergic inhibition with baclofen and bicuculline caused the spread of SLE from the EC to the dentate gyrus. Slow inhibitory postsynaptic potentials and intrinsic properties of dentate gyrus granule cells appear to underlie the filtering function of the dentate gyrus.

Afferent Pathways↗
PubMed1991

Ribonuclease T1 with free recognition and catalytic site: crystal structure analysis at 1.5 A resolution.

The free form of ribonuclease T1 (RNase T1) has been crystallized at neutral pH, and the three-dimensional structure of the enzyme has been determined at 1.5 A nominal resolution. Restrained least-squares refinement yielded an R value of 14.3% for 12,623 structure amplitudes. The high resolution of the structure analysis permits a detailed description of the solvent structure around RNase T1, the reliable rotational setting of several side-chain amide and imidazole groups and the identification of seven disordered residues. Among these, the disordered and completely internal Val78 residue is noteworthy. In the RNase T1 crystal structures determined thus far it is always disordered in the absence of bound guanosine, but not in its presence. A systematic analysis of hydrogen bonding reveals the presence in RNase T1 of 40 three-center and an additional seven four-center hydrogen bonds. Three-center hydrogen bonds occur predominantly in the alpha-helix, where their minor components close 3(10)-type turns, and in beta-sheets, where their minor components connect the peptide nitrogen and carbonyl functions of the same residue. The structure of the free form is compared with complexes of RNase T1 with filled base recognition site and/or catalytic site. Several structural rearrangements occurring upon inhibitor or substrate binding are clearly apparent. In conjunction with the available biochemical knowledge, they are used to describe probable steps occurring early during RNase T1-catalyzed phosphate transesterification.

Amino Acid Sequence↗