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Compartmental analysis of 45Ca2+ efflux in perfused rat liver: effects of hormonal stimulation.

The kinetics of calcium movements in the isolated perfused rat liver were examined using compartmental analysis of the efflux profiles of 45Ca2+ from 45Ca(2+)-equilibrated livers under a variety of calcium concentrations and hormonal treatments. From the 45Ca2+ efflux profiles, we determined that a three compartment model was appropriate to describe the movements of calcium in the liver on the time scale of the experiments. Hormonal treatment with the alpha-adrenergic agonist, phenylephrine, or the vasoactive peptide, vasopressin, during the efflux period lowered significantly the rate of transfer of Ca2+ between the internal compartments at all of the calcium concentrations employed. Also, phenylephrine treatment leads to increased transfer of Ca2+ into the liver from the perfusate. The temporal characteristics of the phenylephrine and vasopressin sensitive Ca2+ pools were examined by pulsing livers, loaded for variable periods of time with 45Ca2+, with the two hormones during the efflux of 45Ca2+ to measure the kinetics of Ca2+ exchange in the hormone-sensitive pools. Results from these experiments indicate that the rate of unstimulated Ca2+ efflux, k2, for the phenylephrine and vasopressin sensitive Ca2+ pools, modeled as a one compartment system, are the same, 0.074 and 0.078 min-1 for phenylephrine and vasopressin respectively, corresponding to half times for turnover of the pool(s) of 9.3 and 8.9 min, respectively.

Animals↗

Compartmentalization and persistence of endothall in experimental pools.

The compartmentalization and persistence of endothall, an aquatic herbicide, was studied using static greenhouse experimental pools. An overall aqueous pseudo-first-order decay rate coefficient of 0.173 day-1 and a half-life of 4.01 days were observed at endothall treatment levels of 0.03, 1.6, and 4.5 mg liter-1. Instantaneous sediment partition coefficients (Kp) were calculated at maximum endothall concentrations in sediments and ranged from 51.4 to 127.7. Bioconcentration factors (BCF) for the submerged aquatic macrophyte, Myriophyllum spicatum, ranged from 3.9 to 768.9. These instantaneous BCF values were calculated at the maximum M. spicatum endothall concentrations. The short aqueous half-life for endothall compares well with previous studies; however, both the Kp and BCF were one to three orders of magnitude higher than observed in a previous laboratory study and calculated from regression equations based on endothall solubility. Experimental pool studies can be important steps in translation of data from the laboratory to field and in the development of field sampling protocols that require understanding of expected behavior of a chemical in aquatic systems.

Chemical Phenomena↗

Compartmentalization of B-cell antigen receptor functions.

Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK), like the PDGF-receptor, translate information from the extracellular environment into cytoplasmic signals that regulate a spectrum of cellular functions. RTK molecules consist of ligand binding extracellular domains, cytoplasmic kinase domains and tyrosine phosphorylation sites [Ullrich and Schlessinger, 1990 (Cell 61, 203-212); Heldin, 1992 (EMBO J. 11, 4251-4259)]. Upon ligand-induced RTK oligomerization, the kinase domains will become activated and induce auto(trans)phosphorylation of a number of cytoplasmic tyrosine residues. These phosphorylated tyrosine residues are incorporated in distinct sequence motifs and act as specific docking sites for SH2 domain-containing proteins [Songyang et al., 1993 (Cell 72, 767-778)]. In contrast to single- or oligo-chain RTK, immunological receptors such as antigen receptors, FcR and cytokine receptors are multi-chain complexes in which distinct receptor functions appear to be compartmentalized in distinct polypeptides. Here, we summarize current knowledge on the structural and functional characteristics of the B-cell antigen receptor complex (BCR) and address the specific ability of accessory molecules to recruit intracellular signaling intermediates towards the activated receptor complex.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Is taurine a hypothalamic neurotransmitter?: A model of the differential uptake and compartmentalization of taurine by neuronal and glial cell particles from the rat hypothalamus.

Although taurine has been postulated to be a neurotransmitter or neuromodulator in the mammalian CNS, little is known concerning its role in brain function. Evidence suggesting that taurine may influence endocrine and homeostatic mechanisms via the hypothalamus resulted in our investigations into its function in this brain region. The main objectives of the research were to characterize the specific binding, uptake, and release of taurine in the hypothalamus. A specific aim was to examine the proposed neurotransmitter role for taurine in the hypothalamus. This was accomplished by comparing the characteristics and properties of the binding, uptake, and release of taurine with those for the classical neurotransmitters which satisfy the criteria for a neurotransmitter. On such a comparative basis, the characteristics of taurine uptake satisfy the neurotransmitter criterion of inactivation of taurine in the hypothalamus. However, the observed characteristics of taurine binding and release in the hypothalamus do not satisfy the respective neurotransmitter criteria of specific receptors and Ca2+-dependent evoked release. Therefore, solely on the basis of the experimental observations reported herein, we must conclude that taurine apparently does not function as a neurotransmitter in the hypothalamus. Two uptake systems were found in the P2 fraction, a high affinity uptake system and a low affinity uptake system. Uptake systems for taurine have previously been reported in glial and nerve cell homogenates, and therefore, because of the known contamination of crude synaptosomal preparations with glial particles, we sought to determine the cellular origin of the two taurine uptake systems in our crude preparation. Using a variety of diverse biochemical techniques such as hypo-osmotic shock, release experiments and Arrhenius plots, we determined that physical changes of the media or depolarizing stimuli which would influence neuronal and glial cell particles differently, also had differing effects on high and low affinity taurine uptake or its release from the respective uptake compartments. We conclude that the high affinity taurine uptake system/compartment is located on/in neuronal membranes/particles/particles and that the low affinity taurine uptake system/compartment is located on/in neuronal membranes/particles and that model for the differential cellular transport and compartmentalization of taurine into neuronal and glial cells has important implications concerning its possible role in the CNS.

Animals↗

The activities in different neural cell types of certain enzymes associated with the metabolic compartmentation glutamate.

The cellular distribution of certain enzymes associated with the metabolic compartmentation of glutamate was estimated in ultrastructurally preserved and metabolically competent perikarya fractions that were enriched in astrocytes, granule cells and Purkinje cells and derived from 8-day-old rat cerebellum, and in monolayer cultures (14 days in vitro) composed principally of interneurones or astrocytes. The neuronal activities of glutamine synthetase and glutamate dehydrogenase were respectively about 4- to 8-fold and 2- to 5-fold lower than in astrocytes, depending upon the class of neurone and the type of preparation used for comparison. By contrast glutaminase activity was about 3- to 12-fold higher in neuronal than in astroglial preparations. Estimations of the specific activity of succinate dehydrogenase differed less between cell types, indicating that the differences in glutamate dehydrogenase and glutaminase were not simply related to variations in the concentration of mitochondria relative to the other cellular constituents. The findings presented provide direct evidence in support of our model assigning the 'small' glutamate compartment, where most of the labelled glutamine is synthesized, to glial cells, and the 'large' compartment to neurones, and also underline the metabolic interaction between these two cell types in the brain.

Animals↗

Compartmentalization of the embryonic striatum after intraocular transplantation.

In order to assess the intrinsic potential of the isolated embryonic striatum to develop its adult patch and matrix compartments, embryonic day 16 striata were transplanted into the anterior eye chamber of adult host rats. After 2-12 weeks of survival the transplants showed heterogeneous and in the majority of cases complementary distributions of opiate receptor binding and acetylcholinesterase staining, which mark the patch and matrix compartments of the adult striatum, respectively. The complementarity of patch and matrix markers in the transplants shows that the transplants do compartmentalize. However, the density of the markers in the transplants did not reach the levels seen in the adult striatum. The results suggest that the commitment of cells to a striatal compartment is a very early event in the embryonic development of the forebrain.

Acetylcholinesterase↗

Mechanisms of striatal pattern formation: conservation of mammalian compartmentalization.

The striatum is composed of two neuroanatomically and neurochemically defined compartments, termed the patches and matrix. We compared this compartmentalization of the striatum in sections from the rat, rhesus monkey and human, in terms of (1) total striatal area, (2) the ratio of patch to matrix areas, (3) the number of patches and (4) the cross-sectional area of individual patches. Dense mu-opiate receptor binding and immunohistochemical staining for enkephalin were used as histochemical markers for the patch compartment and heavy immunostaining for calcium binding protein was used as a matrix marker. Analysis of coronal sections revealed that a relatively constant ratio of 15% patch to 85% matrix area is maintained in each species. The numbers of patches also remain relatively constant across species, despite a 19-fold increase in total striatal area from rat to human. The constant ratio of patch to matrix areas is maintained by an increase in the size of the individual patches. We hypothesize that the maintenance of a 15% patch to 85% matrix ratio in the striata of different mammalian species occurs through proportionate changes in the length of striatal neurogenesis and the numbers of striatal precursors in the ventricular zone, whereas the maintenance of average patch number is proposed to be a function of reciprocal connections with the substantia nigra and adhesive factors that are specific to patch cells.

Animals↗

The neostriatal mosaic: multiple levels of compartmental organization.

The striatum, which is the major component of the basal ganglia, displays a complex mosaic organization of neurochemical systems that are related to its neuroanatomical connections. This mosaic organization reflects multiple levels of functional compartments. The first level is determined by the segregation of two major striatal output systems, one to the globus pallidus (external segment) and the other to the entopeduncular nucleus and substantia nigra. The second level segregates the cortical outputs of sublaminae of layer V between the patch and matrix compartments of the striatum, which project to the dopaminergic and GABAergic neurons in the substantia nigra, respectively. The third level is related to the topography of cortical inputs by which regions of the striatum may be functionally defined on the basis of the cortical areas with which they are connected. Neurochemical markers display complex mosaic patterns in the striatum that, when examined in the context of the multi-level compartmental organization of the striatum, reveal the highly organized manner by which the striatum processes cortical information.

Animals↗

Three genes and two isozymes: gene conversion and the compartmentalization and expression of the phosphoglycerate kinases of Trypanosoma (Nannomonas) congolense.

The glycosome, a microbody organelle found only in kinetoplastid protozoa, compartmentalizes the first six enzymes of glycolysis. In order to better understand the regulation and targeting of glycolytic enzymes in trypanosomes, we have cloned and analyzed the three genes of the phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) complex of Trypanosoma (Nannomonas) congolense. The organization of the genes within the complex is similar to that of Trypanosoma brucei brucei. The nucleotide and amino-acid sequences, including those of the novel high-molecular-weight 56PGK, show substantial cross-species similarity. However, the two downstream genes, c1PGK and c2PGK, encode identical isozymes in T. congolense, while they encode distinct glycosomal and cytoplasmic isozymes in T. brucei. Western analysis also indicated that there are only two isozymes in T. congolense and that these are constitutively expressed. Differential digitonin solubilization of the trypanosomes indicated that 56PGK is primarily localized to the glycosome, as expected, and that c1/c2PGK is cytoplasmic. Northern analysis demonstrates that while 56PGK is constitutively expressed, c1PGK and c2PGK mRNAs are differentially expressed in the T. congolense developmental stages. This work demonstrates that T. congolense has only one PGK isozyme, 56PGK, that is predominantly localized in glycosomes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

31P-NMR studies of metabolite compartmentation in Fasciola hepatica.

Fasciola hepatica, the common liver fluke, is an anaerobic parasitic worm. Possible compartmentation of metabolites between different cell types, metabolic compartments, and free and macromolecule-bound species was investigated using 31P-NMR. A spectrum of the intact worm shows unusual metabolic features, among which are large amounts of glycerolphosphorylcholine, phospholipids mobile on the NMR time-scale, and free cytosolic ADP. Spectra from cells as different as those in oral sucker tissue and eggs showed similar features. Acidosis after serotonin administration was associated with parallel changes in chemical shifts of intracellular Pi and glucose 6-phosphate, suggesting that they are in the same metabolic compartment. Although 13.4 +/- 1.1 mumol/g wet wt. (n = 3) Mg2+ is present in fluke tissue, a considerable fraction is sequestered out of the cytosol. The intracellular free [Mg2+] was independently estimated from the chemical shifts of ATP and ADP as 1.6 +/- 0.5 mM and 2.9 +/- 0.7 mM, respectively. Quantitation of observable phosphate-containing metabolites in whole tissue and in perchlorate extracts demonstrated that 60% of the total ADP and 50% of the total Pi are 'NMR-invisible' in the intact fluke and therefore probably bound to macromolecules in the cells. The apparent ATP/ADP X Pi free concentration ratio is much lower in this anaerobic tissue than in mammalian oxidative tissues.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗

Structural compartmentalization of MHC class II signaling function.

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules are critical restricting elements in the generation of thymus-dependent immune responses. Recent studies indicate that in addition to providing a composite epitope for recognition by T-cell antigen receptors, MHC class II molecules function in signal transduction through interaction with other cellular proteins. Mutational analyses indicate that structural information necessary for these functions is compartmentalized in different aspects of the molecular complex. Here, William Wade and colleagues review the structural basis of this MHC class II function as defined in the I-A alpha and -beta chains.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Simulation of compartmental models for kinetic data from a positron emission tomograph.

Linear compartmental models are used to describe the disposition of radio-labelled compounds in regions of interest in the mammalian body, based on a time sequence of measurements from a positron emission tomograph (PET). In this paper we show how closed form solutions for the model equations have been incorporated into a computer program for simulation and parameter estimation. A typical PET data example is included to illustrate the implementation and compare the closed form method with a numerical ode solution method.

Body Fluid Compartments↗

Add-in macros for rapid and versatile calculation of non-compartmental pharmacokinetic parameters on Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.

We developed a package of macro programs (named PK_MOMENT) to automatically calculate non-compartmental pharmacokinetic parameters on Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. These macros include rigorous algorithms to execute moment calculations in a comprehensive manner. An optimum number of terminal data points for infinite-time extrapolation can be calculated with one of these macros so that automatic calculation of infinite moment parameters is possible. The moment calculation with PK_MOMENT provided satisfactory results using the hybrid (mixed linear-logarithmic) trapezoidal method rather than the conventional linear trapezoidal method. The macro-aided pharmacokinetic analyses turned out to be useful in that the macro-containing cells can be easily copied and pasted to analyze other data sets and that powerful tools of Excel can be utilized. The use of our macros will be significantly time-saving for routine pharmacokinetic analyses, considering that pharmacokinetic data are usually stored in a spreadsheet format, typically with Excel.

Administration, Oral↗

Lipid compartmentalization in erythrocytes parasitized by Plasmodium spp.

Although reasonably well protected from the host immune system by the erythrocyte membrane, the intraerythrocytic malaria parasite has to make that membrane compatible with its own requirements for development and multiplication. The development of Plasmodium spp brings about major changes in the lipid composition of the host cell membrane, as well as in its physical properties. The parasite itself has a lipid composition that differs from that of the host cell and an intense lipid trafficking seems to occur between intracellular parasite and host cell membrane. Here, Ana Paula Simões, Ben Roelofsen and Jos Op den Kamp discuss how, despite serious methodological limitations and the existence of some conflicting results, an overall picture of lipid compartmentalization within the parasitized erythrocyte is perceived.

Journal Article↗

Compartmentation of glycolysis in trypanosomes: a potential target for new trypanocidal drugs.

In African trypanosomes most enzymes of the glycolytic pathway are found in a microbody-like organelle, called the glycosome. The analysis of their structural and functional properties has shown that these glycosomal enzymes possess some specific features which are absent from the cytosolic proteins of trypanosomes and from the glycolytic enzymes of other organisms, where glycolysis is not compartmentalized within an organelle. The specific properties of the glycosomal enzymes may be responsible for the routing of the proteins from their site of synthesis, the cytosol, into the glycosome, or they may be involved in the proper functioning of the enzymes within the organelle. Whatever the role of the unique features, they are potential targets for compounds that could specifically interfere with glycolysis in trypanosomes. Therefore, a detailed study of the glycolytic enzymes of trypanosomes may lead to the development of therapeutically useful drugs against these harmful parasites.

Animals↗

The translocation of inhaled silicon dioxide: an empirically derived compartmental model.

The movement of inhaled silicon dioxide particles was studied by measuring the amounts in alveolar fluid and cells, lung tissue, and lymphoid tissue during the 6 months following short-term aerosol exposure of Fischer 344 rats. A variety of first-order compartmental models were fit to data from nine exposure experiments to identify the most feasible biologic pathways for the transfer of material among these sites and out of the body. A multivariate least-squares approach was used to simultaneously fit the data from several compartments. The results indicate that transfer between alveolar cells and lung tissue occurs in both directions, suggesting that silica can reenter the alveolar space from the lung tissue. This feature has not been included in previously published models. The results also indicate that transfer from lung tissue to the mediastinal lymph nodes and thymus is indirect; there are one or more unidentified extrapulmonary compartments that receive silica from the lung. Rates of transfer among compartments were dependent on mineral type (quartz or cristobalite), heat treatment, and exposure dose. There was no evidence for direct clearance from the alveolar space via the tracheobronchial tract.

Animals↗

Amino acid compartmentation in chick blood during the peri-hatching period.

Individual amino acid levels and compartmentation in chick blood were measured on day 20 of incubation, at hatching (day 0), or after 1 or 5 days of free life, and compared with those of adult chickens. Blood cell amino acid concentrations were almost one order of magnitude higher than those of plasma, with higher values than those found in mammalian erythrocytes. This difference may be due to the capability for protein synthesis of the nucleated cells coupled with a postulated utilization of amino acids as fuel. The most common pattern of individual plasma amino acid levels was a slight rise at hatching followed by a large decrease, with minimal values for adults. The patterns in the cells did not always coincide with those for plasma. Total blood amino acid levels increased steadily during the period studied due to the increase in intracellular amino acids, giving rise to increasing blood-cell/plasma concentration ratios. These changes showed higher availability of plasma amino acids just after hatching, while the cell concentrations increased steadily to the maximum values in adults. The increase in alanine levels in cells with little changes in plasma can be correlated with the role of this amino acid as the main 2-amino nitrogen carrier in the avian bloodstream. The high amino acid levels in the cells suggest that these cells act as inter-organ transporters and reservoirs of amino acids, they have a different role in their handling and metabolism from those of mammals.

Age Factors↗