Search results for "välittäjäaineet"

Negatively Charged Gangliosides Promote Membrane Association of Amphipathic Neurotransmitters

2018

Lipophilic neurotransmitters (NTs) such as dopamine are chemical messengers enabling neurotransmission by adhering onto the extracellular surface of the post-synaptic membrane in a synapse, followed by binding to their receptors. Previous studies have shown that the strength of the NT-membrane association is dependent on the lipid composition of the membrane. Negatively charged lipids such as phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylglycerol, and phosphatidic acid have been indicated to promote NT-membrane binding, however these anionic lipids reside almost exclusively in the intracellular leaflet of the post-synaptic membrane instead of the extracellular leaflet facing the synaptic cleft. Meanwhile…

A Perspective : Active Role of Lipids in Neurotransmitter Dynamics

2019

AbstractSynaptic neurotransmission is generally considered as a function of membrane-embedded receptors and ion channels in response to the neurotransmitter (NT) release and binding. This perspective aims to widen the protein-centric view by including another vital component—the synaptic membrane—in the discussion. A vast set of atomistic molecular dynamics simulations and biophysical experiments indicate that NTs are divided into membrane-binding and membrane-nonbinding categories. The binary choice takes place at the water-membrane interface and follows closely the positioning of the receptors’ binding sites in relation to the membrane. Accordingly, when a lipophilic NT is on route to a m…

Active acetylcholine receptors prevent the atrophy of skeletal muscles and favor reinnervation

2020

Denervation of skeletal muscles induces severe muscle atrophy, which is preceded by cellular alterations such as increased plasma membrane permeability, reduced resting membrane potential and accelerated protein catabolism. The factors that induce these changes remain unknown. Conversely, functional recovery following denervation depends on successful reinnervation. Here, we show that activation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) by quantal release of acetylcholine (ACh) from motoneurons is sufficient to prevent changes induced by denervation. Using in vitro assays, ACh and non-hydrolysable ACh analogs repressed the expression of connexin43 and connexin45 hemichannels, which prom…

Dynamics of the ligand-binding domains of ionotropic glutamate receptors

2010

Technicolor and new matter generations

2010

This work consists of an overview part and three research papers. The subject of this work is a class of models for dynamical electroweak symmetry breaking, and new generations of fermionic matter. An introductory overview of the standard model of electroweak interactions is given, as well as an overview of some of the recent developments in the field of walking technicolor models. We study some recently proposed models for dynamical electroweak symmetry breaking, namely the minimal walking technicolor (MWT) and next to minimal walking technicolor (NMWT) model. We show that, as a result of cancellation of the global and gauge anomalies associated with the technicolor sector, a non sequentia…