Search results for " calcium"
showing 10 items of 342 documents
Asymmetry Between Pre- and Postsynaptic Transient Nanodomains Shapes Neuronal Communication.
2020
Synaptic transmission and plasticity are shaped by the dynamic reorganization of signaling molecules within pre- and postsynaptic compartments. The nanoscale organization of key effector molecules has been revealed by single-particle trajectory (SPT) methods. Interestingly, this nanoscale organization is highly heterogeneous. For example, presynaptic voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) and postsynaptic ligand-gated ion channels such as AMPA receptors (AMPARs) are organized into so-called nanodomains where individual molecules are only transiently trapped. These pre- and postsynaptic nanodomains are characterized by a high density of molecules but differ in their molecular organization an…
SERCA and P-glycoprotein inhibition and ATP depletion are necessary for celastrol-induced autophagic cell death and collateral sensitivity in multidr…
2019
Multidrug resistance (MDR) represents an obstacle in anti-cancer therapy. MDR is caused by multiple mechanisms, involving ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters such as P-glycoprotein (P-gp), which reduces intracellular drug levels to sub-therapeutic concentrations. Therefore, sensitizing agents retaining effectiveness against apoptosis- or drug-resistant cancers are desired for the treatment of MDR cancers. The sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA) pump is an emerging target to overcome MDR, because of its continuous expression and because the calcium transport function is crucial to the survival of tumor cells. Previous studies showed that SERCA inhibitors exhibit anti-c…
Elastin-derived peptide VGVAPG affects the proliferation of mouse cortical astrocytes with the involvement of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr), peroxi…
2019
Abstract During aging and ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, elastin molecules are degraded and elastin-derived peptides are released into the brain microenvironment. Val-Gly-Val-Ala-Pro-Gly (VGVAPG) is a repeating hexapeptide in the elastin molecule. It is well documented that the peptide sequence binds with high affinity to elastin-binding protein (EBP) located on the cell surface, thereby transducing a molecular signal into the cell. The aim of our study was to investigate whether EBP, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (Pparγ) are involved in VGVAPG-stimulated proliferation. Primary astrocytes were maintained in DMEM/F12 medium without ph…
RPGR protein complex regulates proteasome activity and mediates store-operated calcium entry
2018
Ciliopathies are a group of genetically heterogeneous disorders, characterized by defects in cilia genesis or maintenance. Mutations in the RPGR gene and its interacting partners, RPGRIP1 and RPGRIP1L, cause ciliopathies, but the function of their proteins remains unclear. Here we show that knockdown (KD) of RPGR, RPGRIP1 or RPGRIP1L in hTERT-RPE1 cells results in abnormal actin cytoskeleton organization. The actin cytoskeleton rearrangement is regulated by the small GTPase RhoA via the planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway. RhoA activity was upregulated in the absence of RPGR, RPGRIP1 or RPGRIP1L proteins. In RPGR, RPGRIP1 or RPGRIP1L KD cells, we observed increased levels of DVl2 and DVl3 pr…
Oxidative modification impairs SERCA activity in Drosophila and human cell models of Parkinson's disease
2021
DJ-1 is a causative gene for familial Parkinson's disease (PD) with different functions, standing out its role against oxidative stress (OS). Accordingly, PD model flies harboring a mutation in the DJ-1β gene (the Drosophila ortholog of human DJ-1) show high levels of OS markers like protein carbonylation, a common post-translational modification that may alter protein function. To increase our understanding of PD pathogenesis as well as to discover potential therapeutic targets for pharmacological intervention, we performed a redox proteomic assay in DJ-1β mutant flies. Among the proteins that showed increased carbonylation levels in PD model flies, we found SERCA, an endoplasmic reticulum…
Ryanodine receptor- and sodium-calcium exchanger-mediated spontaneous calcium activity in immature oligodendrocytes in cultures
2019
Myelination in the central nervous system depends on interactions between axons and oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). Action potentials in an axon can be followed by release of biologically active substances, like glutamate, which can instruct OPCs to start myelination. Myelin Basic Protein (MBP) is an "executive molecule of myelin" required for the formation of compact myelin. As cells of the oligodendrocyte lineage (OLCs) are capable of producing MBP in pure oligodendrocyte cultures, i.e. without neurons, we investigated Ca2+ signaling in developing OLCs in cultures. We show that spontaneous Ca2+ transients (CTs) occur at very low frequency in both bipolar OPCs and mature oligodendr…
Gadolinium perturbs expression of skeletogenic genes, calcium uptake and larval development in phylogenetically distant sea urchin species
2018
Chelates of Gadolinium (Gd), a lanthanide metal, are employed as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging and are released into the aquatic environment where they are an emerging contaminant. We studied the effects of environmentally relevant Gd concentrations on the development of two phylogenetically and geographically distant sea urchin species: the Mediterranean Paracentrotus lividus and the Australian Heliocidaris tuberculata. We found a general delay of embryo development at 24 h post-fertilization, and a strong inhibition of skeleton growth at 48 h. Total Gd and Ca content in the larvae showed a time- and concentration-dependent increase in Gd, in parallel with a reduction in C…
Transient Confinement of CaV2.1 Ca2+-Channel Splice Variants Shapes Synaptic Short-Term Plasticity
2019
Summary The precision and reliability of synaptic information transfer depend on the molecular organization of voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) within the presynaptic membrane. Alternative splicing of exon 47 affects the C-terminal structure of VGCCs and their affinity to intracellular partners and synaptic vesicles (SVs). We show that hippocampal synapses expressing VGCCs either with exon 47 (CaV2.1+47) or without (CaV2.1Δ47) differ in release probability and short-term plasticity. Tracking single channels revealed transient visits (∼100 ms) of presynaptic VGCCs in nanodomains (∼80 nm) that were controlled by neuronal network activity. Surprisingly, despite harboring prominent bindin…
Dynamic compartmentalization of calcium channel signalling in neurons.
2020
Calcium fluxes through the neuronal membrane are strictly limited in time due to biophysical properties of voltage-gated and ligand-activated ion channels and receptors. Being embedded into the crowded dynamic environment of biological membranes, Ca2+-permeable receptors and channels undergo perpetual spatial rearrangement, which enables their temporary association and formation of transient signalling complexes. Thus, efficient calcium-mediated signal transduction requires mechanisms to support very precise spatiotemporal alignment of the calcium source and Ca2+-binding lipids and proteins in a highly dynamic environment. The mobility of calcium channels and calcium-sensing proteins themse…
The application of casein phosphopeptide and amorphous calcium phosphate with fluoride (CPP-ACPF) for restoring mineral loss after dental bleaching w…
2018
Abstract Objective To conduct an in vitro evaluation of the effect of casein-phosphopeptide and amorphous calcium phosphate with fluoride [CPP-ACPF] upon the calcium [Ca] and phosphorus [P] composition and morphology of dental enamel and dentin after the application of two bleaching agents: 37.5% hydrogen peroxide [HP]) and 35% carbamide peroxide [CP]. Materials and methods The crowns of 40 extracted human teeth were divided into four groups (n = 10 each). The crowns were sectioned along the cervical-incisal axis, and each half was embedded in acrylic resin, leaving a window 3 mm in diameter to explore the enamel or dentin (according to the study group involved). Groups 1a and 1b correspond…