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Site-directed and natural mutations in studying functional domains in guanylyl cyclase activating proteins (GCAPs).

Guanylyl cyclase activating proteins (GCAPs) are Ca2+-binding proteins of the EF-hand superfamily, through which the intracellular calcium regulates cGMP synthesis in vertebrate photoreceptors. GCAPs play an essential role in the calcium feedback mechanism that controls recovery and light adaptation of rods and cones. Moreover, mutations in at least one of the GCAPs have already been linked to two forms of congenital human retinal diseases. The GCAPs represent a separate small subfamily among the EF-hand proteins that are structurally similar to recoverin, but demonstrate a number of unique regulatory properties. When in the Ca2+-free conformation (as in light-adapted photoreceptors), GCAPs stimulate photoreceptor membrane guanylyl cyclase (retGC), but when the intracellular free Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca2+]free) rise (as in dark-adapted photoreceptors), GCAPs turn into retGC inhibitors. In GCAPs, site-directed mutagenesis has been successfully used to identify a number of structural elements that contribute to their specific function as guanylyl cyclase regulators. These elements include EF-hand Ca2+-binding loops and various other regions in the GCAP primary structure involved in multiple protein-protein interactions within the retGC/GCAP complex.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

Modulation of type A K+ current in Drosophila larval muscle by internal Ca2+; effects of the overexpression of frequenin.

The calcium-dependent modulation of type A K+ current (IA) has been investigated using a two-electrode voltage clamp on larval muscle cells of Drosophila. It was found that the amplitude of IA increases when [Ca2+]o is changed from 0.2 mM to 2 mM. The increase in IA amplitude is not due to overlap with the Ca(2+)-dependent fast K+ current, ICF, since it is observed also in slo1 mutants, which are deficient for this current. This effect is not due to Ca(2+)-dependent shifts in the steady-state activation/inactivation kinetics. The phenomenon is probably due to elevations in internal calcium since it is abolished by Ca2+ channel blockers and promoted by caffeine (5 mM) if added in the absence of external calcium. This calcium effect was dose-dependent since it was not observed in the presence caffeine plus 2 mM calcium in the bath nor for values of [Ca2+]o above 4 mM. The Ca(2+)-dependent modulation of IA is absent in V7, a mutation that causes overexpression of frequenin, a recoverin-like Ca(2+)-binding protein which stimulates guanylyl cyclase [31]. One possible explanation for the loss of IA modulation in the V7 mutation is that the excess of frequenin alters intracellular cGMP-dependent metabolic pathways responsible for the internal calcium homeostasis.

Animals↗

Structural features of heterotrimeric G-protein-coupled receptors and their modulatory proteins.

Over the past 20 years, the general mechanism for signaling through 7-transmembrane helix receptors coupled to GTP hydrolysis has been worked out. Although similar in overall organization, subtype variability and subcellular localization of components have built in considerable signaling specificity. Atomic resolution structures for many of the components have delineated the domain organization of these complex proteins and have given physical form to the idea of subtype specificity. This review describes what is known about the physical structures of the 7-transmembrane helix receptors, the heterotrimeric GTP binding coupling proteins, the adenylate cyclase and phospholipase C effector proteins, and signaling modulatory proteins, such as arrestin, phosducin, recoverin-type myristoyl switch proteins, and the pleckstrin homology domain of G-protein receptor kinase-2. These images allow experimenters to contemplate the details of the supramolecular organization of the multiprotein complexes involved in the transmission of signals across the cellular lipid bilayer.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

[Paraneoplastic neurologic syndromes. Diagnostic and pathogenetic significance of autoantibodies].

Paraneoplastic neurologic syndromes (PNS) are rare disorders of the nervous system that cannot be ascribed to metastases or to destruction of vital systemic organs by the tumor or its treatment. Most frequently, PNS occur in association with small-cell lung, breast or ovarian carcinomas. The most frequent PNS is Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome, which at the same time has the highest predictive value concerning an underlying carcinoma. PNS have been classified mostly under anatomical aspects but now are increasingly categorized according to specific antibodies. In certain neurologic syndromes (sensible and autonomic neuropathy, cerebellitis, limbic encephalitis, Opsoclonus-Myoclonus syndrome, Stiff-man syndrome, neuromyotonia, subacute amaurosis) specific autoantibodies are highly predictive for a neoplasm. Pathogenic relevance of these autoantibodies has been demonstrated only for antibodies against (1) voltage gated calcium channels (VGCC) in Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome, (2) voltage gated potassium channels (VGKC) in neuromyotonia, and (3) recoverin in cancer associated retinopathy. The present article deals with the neurological symptoms of PNS, associated tumors, and the relevance of specific antibodies for the diagnosis and pathogenesis of PNS.

Animals↗

[Carcinoma-associated retinopathy in breast carcinoma and carcinoid tumor].

BACKGROUND: Carcinoma-associated retinopathy (CAR) is a rare paraneoplastic syndrome characterized by diffuse retinal photoreceptor degeneration in the presence of an epithelial tumor. We report on three patients, who developed paraneoplastic retinopathy in the presence of breast carcinoma and a cervical carcinoid tumor. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In addition to biomicroscopic, psychophysical, electrophysiological and angiographic examinations, serum samples were obtained for immunohistochemical staining of human retina. RESULTS: Ring-shaped visual field defects with statokinetic dissociation and abnormal rod and cone responses were found. Immunohistochemical findings included reactions at the level of the inner segments of the photoreceptors, the outer nuclear layer and the outer plexiform layer in absence of anti-recoverin antibodies. CONCLUSIONS: CAR should be considered in the differential diagnosis of visual loss in presence of tumors other than small-cell carcinoma of the lung. The presence of antiretinal antibodies is compatible with a tumor-induced immune response to epitopes shared by both the tumor and retinal tissue. Apparently, various retinal proteins may function as autoantigens.

Adult↗

Ciliary neurotrophic factor blocks rod photoreceptor differentiation from postmitotic precursor cells in vitro.

The development of photoreceptors in the mammalian retina is thought to be controlled by extrinsic signals. We have shown previously that ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) potently inhibits photoreceptor differentiation in cultures of rat retina. The present study analyzes which developmental processes are affected by CNTF. Rod differentiation as determined by opsin and recoverin immunocytochemistry was effectively blocked by CNTF and leukemia inhibitory factor, but not by other neurotrophic agents tested. CNTF did not influence proliferation, cell death, or survival, and had no effect on the downregulation of nestin immunoreactivity in progenitor cells. Opsin-positive rods could be reverted to an opsin-negative state initially, but became unresponsive to CNTF later. No compensatory increase in the number of other cell types was observed. Application of neutralizing antibodies against CNTF revealed that rod development was partially blocked by an endogenous CNTF-like molecule in control cultures. Our results suggest that CNTF can act as a specific negative regulator of rod differentiation. Its action on photoreceptor precursor cells could serve to synchronize the maturation of photoreceptors, which are born over an extended period of time. Together with other stimulatory signals, CNTF may thus control the temporally and numerically correct integration of photoreceptors into the retinal network.

Animals↗

Intracellular neuronal calcium sensor proteins: a family of EF-hand calcium-binding proteins in search of a function.

Intracellular neuronal calcium sensors (NCS) constitute a rapidly growing family of calcium-binding proteins which belong to the superfamily of EF-hand proteins. The NCS family includes as subgroups the recoverins and GCAPs (guanylyl cyclase-activating proteins), which are primarily expressed in retinal photoreceptor cells, and the frequenins and VILIPs (visinin-like proteins), which are widely but differentially expressed in the nervous system. In this review the recent developments in elucidating the functional activities of NCS proteins on signal transduction pathways in neurons are surveyed and discussed. We will focus our attention on calcium-dependent membrane association by the so-called calcium-myristoyl switch as a possible mechanism of signal transduction and on the roles of NCS proteins in intraneuronal signaling cascades, which are best studied in the visual and olfactory systems.

Animals↗

Cellular and subcellular distribution of the calcium-binding protein NCS-1 in the central nervous system of the rat.

NCS-1 (neuronal calcium sensor) is a recently characterized member of a highly conserved neuron-specific family of calcium-binding proteins, which also includes frequenin and recoverin. The cellular and subcellular distributions of NCS-1 in the rat nervous system were investigated using light- and electron-microscopic immunohistochemistry. NCS-1 immunoreactivity was localized to neuronal cell bodies and axons throughout the brain and spinal cord but not to glial cells. The most intense labeling was observed in myelinated axons, the axonal ramifications of the basket cell in the cerebellar cortex, and large neurons in the brainstem and pons. These same structures were also characterized by heavy labeling for neurofilament protein, as determined by double-labeling experiments. Most axon terminals were unlabeled or only lightly labeled. The most remarkable subcellular staining occurred in the perikarya where intense labeling was associated with the membranes of the trans saccules of the Golgi apparatus. The widespread distribution of NCS-1 indicates that it may be active in a variety of calcium-dependent neuronal functions, whereas the specific subcellular localization to the Golgi apparatus and neurofilament-rich structures suggests a specialized role in calcium regulated protein trafficking and cytoskeletal interactions.

Animals↗

Control of photoreceptor proteins by Ca2+.

A decrease of cytoplasmic Ca(2+)-concentration in vertebrate photoreceptor cells after illumination is necessary for light adaptation. Although the mechanisms of adaptation is not completely understood, several Ca(2+)-dependent cellular processes have been discovered. Some involve calcium-binding proteins like recoverin, guanylyl cyclase-activating protein and calmodulin, and their target proteins rhodopsin kinase, guanylyl cyclase, the cGMP-gated channel, and NO synthase. The activity of several enzymes or channels is directly controlled by Ca2+ and does not involve calcium-binding proteins. These proteins are pyrophosphatase, protein kinase C and the cGMP-gated channel.

Animals↗

Hippocalcin: a calcium-binding protein of the EF-hand superfamily dominantly expressed in the hippocampus.

Hippocalcin is a recently identified Ca(2+)-binding protein with three EF-hand structures, dominantly expressed in the hippocampal pyramidal layer. The complete amino acid sequence of hippocalcin deduced from the cDNA is composed of 195 residues, has a calculated molecular mass of 22,574 daltons, and has a striking sequence homology to those of visinin, recoverin, S-modulin, neurocalcins and neural visinin-like proteins. Hippocalcin binds 3 mol of Ca2+ per mol of protein at submicromolar Ca2+ levels, and associates the plasma membrane in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner. Hippocalcin is myristoylated at its NH2-terminal glycine residue, and this modification is a key event in terms of its membrane-association property.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Neurocalcin immunoreactivity in rat olfactory bulb.

Neurocalcin, a newly discovered calcium-binding protein belonging to the recoverin-like superfamily, was detected immunohistochemically in tufted cells from the rat olfactory bulb. More precisely, only periglomerular tufted cells and some tufted cells from the external plexiform layer were expressing neurocalcin. Western blot analysis has confirmed the presence of neurocalcin in rat olfactory bulb. Lack of neurocalcin immunoreactivity in mitral cells and periglomerular cells favor a different phylogenic origin between tufted and mitral or periglomerular cells.

Animals↗

Hippocalcin in the olfactory epithelium: a mediator of second messenger signaling.

Intracellular Ca2+ plays an important role in a variety of second messenger cascades. The function of Ca2+ is mediated, in part, by Ca2+-binding proteins such as calmodulin, calretinin, calbindin, neurocalcin, recoverin, and visinin-like proteins (VILIPs). These proteins are highly expressed in rat olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) and are localized to distinct intracellular regions. In the present study, we have identified another Ca2+-binding protein, hippocalcin, in the rat olfactory epithelium (OE). Olfactory/brain hippocalcin shows high sequence homology with hippocalcins expressed in mice and humans. Hippocalcin was predominantly localized to the olfactory cilia, the site of the initial events of olfactory signal transduction, and was found to regulate the activity of ciliary adenylate cyclases (ACs) and particulate guanylyl cyclases (GCs) in a Ca2+-dependent manner. These data indicate that hippocalcin is expressed in rat ORNs, and is likely to regulate second messenger cascades in a Ca2+-dependent manner.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Photoreceptor cells from mouse ES cells by co-culture with chick embryonic retina.

Degeneration of photoreceptors is a consistent and common endpoint in retinal diseases. Herein, we report the efficient induction of photoreceptor-like cells from mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells using chick embryonic retina tissue. Undifferentiated mouse ES cells were initially cultured in a preferential condition into a neural lineage, and ES cells were then co-cultured with chick embryonic day 6 (E6) retina tissues. After a 10-day co-culture, approximately 20% of the mouse ES derivatives became immuno-positive for rhodopsin. RT-PCR analysis demonstrated expression of the transcription factor crx and a distinct increase of rod photoreceptor-specific markers, IRBP and recoverin, after the start of the co-culture. These results indicate that co-culture of ES cells with chick embryonic retina tissue is a useful and efficient method for the induction of photoreceptor-like cells.

Animals↗

Photoreceptor differentiation and integration of retinal progenitor cells transplanted into transgenic rats.

Previous studies evaluating neural stem cells transplanted into the mature retina have demonstrated limited levels of graft-host integration and photoreceptor differentiation. The purpose of this investigation is to enhance photoreceptor cell differentiation and integration of retinal progenitor cells (RPC) following subretinal transplantation into retinal degenerate rats by optimization of isolation, expansion, and transplantation procedures. RPCs were isolated from human placental alkaline phosphatase (hPAP)-positive embryonic day 17 (E17) rat retina and expanded in serum-free defined media. RPCs at passage 2 underwent in vitro induction with all trans retinoic acid or were transplanted into the subretinal space of post-natal day (P) 17 S334ter-3 and S334ter-5 transgenic rats. Animals were examined post-operatively by ophthalmoscopy and optical coherence tomography (OCT) at weeks 1 and 4. Differentiation profiles of RPCs, both in vitro and in vivo were analysed microscopically by immunohistochemistry for various retinal cell specific markers. Our results demonstrated that the majority of passage 2 RPCs differentiated into retina-specific neurons expressing rhodopsin after in vitro induction. Following subretinal transplantation, grafted cells formed a multi-layer cellular sheet in the subretinal space in both S334ter-3 and S334ter-5 rats. Prominent retina-specific neuronal differentiation was observed in both rat lines as evidenced by recoverin or rhodopsin staining in 80% of grafted cells. Less than 5% of the grafted cells expressed glial fibrillary acidic protein. Synapsin-1 (label for nerve terminals) positive neural processes were present at the graft-host interface. Expression profiles of the grafted RPCs were similar to those of RPCs induced to differentiate in vitro using all-trans retinoic acid. In contrast to our previous study, grafted RPCs can demonstrate extensive rhodopsin expression, organize into layers, and show some features of apparent integration with the host retina following subretinal transplantation in slow and fast retinal degenerate rats. The similarity of the in vitro and in vivo RPC differentiation profiles suggests that intrinsic signals may have a significant contribution to RPC cell fate determination.

Animals↗

The crystal structure of GCAP3 suggests molecular mechanism of GCAP-linked cone dystrophies.

Absorption of light by visual pigments initiates the phototransduction pathway that results in degradation of the intracellular pool of cyclic-GMP (cGMP). This hydrolysis promotes the closing of cGMP-gated cation channels and consequent hyperpolarization of rod and cone photoreceptor cell membranes. Guanylate cyclase-activating proteins (GCAPs) are a family of proteins that regulate retinal guanylate cyclase (GC) activity in a Ca2+-dependent manner. At high [Ca2+], typical of the dark-adapted state (approximately 500 nM), GCAPs inhibit retinal GCs. At the low [Ca2+] (approximately 50 nM) that occurs after the closing of cGMP-gated channels, GCAPs activate retinal GCs to replenish dark-state cGMP levels. Here, we report the crystal structure of unmyristoylated human GCAP3 with Ca2+ bound. GCAP3 is an EF-hand Ca2+-binding protein with Ca2+ bound to EF2, 3 and 4, while Ca2+ binding to EF-hand 1 is disabled. GCAP3 contains two domains with the EF-hand motifs arranged in a tandem array similar to GCAP2 and members of the recoverin subfamily of Ca2+-binding proteins. Residues not involved in Ca2+ binding, but conserved in all GCAPs, cluster around EF1 in the N-terminal domain and may represent the interface with GCs. Five point mutations in the closely related GCAP1 have been linked to the etiology of cone dystrophies. These residues are conserved in GCAP3 and the structure suggests important roles for these amino acids. We present a homology model of GCAP1 based on GCAP3 that offers insight into the molecular mechanism underlying the autosomal dominant cone dystrophies produced by GCAP1 mutations.

Calcium↗

Light-driven translocation of signaling proteins in vertebrate photoreceptors.

The dynamic localization of proteins within cells is often determined by environmental stimuli. In retinal photoreceptors, light exposure results in the massive translocation of three key signal transduction proteins, transducin, arrestin and recoverin, into and out of the outer segment compartment where phototransduction takes place. This phenomenon has rapidly taken the center stage of photoreceptor cell biology, thanks to the introduction of new quantitative and transgenic approaches. Here, we discuss evidence that intracellular protein translocation contributes to adaptation of photoreceptors to diurnal changes in ambient light intensity and summarize the current debate on whether it is driven by diffusion or molecular motors.

Animals↗

Neurocalcin immunoreactivity in the rat main olfactory bulb.

The morphological characteristics and distribution of neurocalcin (NC)-immunoreactive elements were studied in the rat main olfactory bulb (OB) using a polyclonal antibody and the avidin-biotin immunoperoxidase method. NC-positive elements were abundant in the glomerular layer (GL), where numerous immunostained external tufted cells and periglomerular cells were detected. Other less abundant NC-immunolabeled populations included middle and internal tufted cells, Van Gehuchten cells, horizontal cells, vertical cells of Cajal, deep short-axon cells and granule cells. This study demonstrates the presence of NC immunoreactivity in subsets of different neuronal types in the rat main OB. This calcium-binding protein has been found in interneurons, and no evidence of immunoreactivity to NC is detected in projecting neurons. Despite the large population of labeled external tufted cells, most of them belong according to morphological criteria to the local circuit group and some others to those with interbulbar and/or intrabulbar connections. The identification of neuronal subpopulations expressing NC provides a further characterization and shows the existence of biochemical differences within morphologically identical neurons. Thus, this marker may be a useful tool in unravelling the circuitries of the rodent OB in both normal and experimental conditions. The exact physiological function of NC in the olfactory system remains unknown. On the basis of similarities to recoverin, it could be involved in mechanisms responsible for sensory adaptation. Additionally, its calcium-binding abilities may contribute to improve the temporal precision of stimuli transmission, or be concerned with general calcium-related events occurring in specific interneuronal groups.

Animals↗

Rhodopsin phosphorylation and its role in photoreceptor function.

Light-stimulated phosphorylation of rhodopsin was first described 25 years ago. This paper reviews the progress that has been made towards (i) understanding the nature of the enzymes that phosphorylate and dephosphorylate rhodopsin (ii) identifying the sites of phosphorylation on rhodopsin and (iii) understanding the physiological importance of rhodopsin phosphorylation. Many important questions related to rhodopsin phosphorylation remain unanswered and new strategies and methods are needed to address issues such as the roles of Ca2+ and recoverin. We present one such method that uses mass spectrometry to quantitate rhodopsin phosphorylation in intact mouse retinas.

Animals↗