Sensory transmitters regulate intracellular calcium in dorsal horn neurons

Primary afferent terminals in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord release excitatory amino acid and peptide transmitters that initiate the central processing of nociceptive information. The postsynaptic actions of amino acid transmitters on spinal neurons have been well characterized, but the cellular basis of peptide actions remains unclear. Substance P is the best characterized of the peptides present in sensory neurons and has been shown to depolarize dorsal horn neurons and to facilitate nociceptive reflexes. To determine the mechanisms by which substance P contributes to afferent synaptic transmission, we have monitored the levels of intracellular calcium in single isolated rat dorsal horn neurons and report that substance P can produce a prolonged elevation in calcium concentration by mobilizing its release from intracellular stores. This elevation may contribute to the long-term changes in the excitable properties of dorsal horn neurons that occur following afferent fibre stimulation. We have also found that L-glutamate elevates intracellular calcium in substance P-sensitive dorsal horn neurons by increasing calcium influx. These results provide a direct demonstration of intracellular calcium changes in response to neuropeptides in mammalian central neurons. They also indicate that there is convergent regulation of intracellular calcium in dorsal horn neurons by two different classes of sensory transmitters that are co-released from the same afferent terminals.     

ATP excites a subpopulation of rat dorsal horn neurones

The peripheral receptive properties and central projections of different classes of dorsal root ganglion neurones are well characterized. Much less is known about the transmitters used by these neurones. Excitatory amino acids have been proposed as sensory transmitters but the sensitivity of virtually all central neurones to those compounds has made it difficult to assess their precise role in sensory transmission. Several neuropeptides have been localized within discrete subclasses of primary sensory neurones that project to the superficial dorsal horn of the spinal cord and may be afferent transmitters. However, only about one-third of spinal sensory neurones have been shown to contain neuropeptides. We have recently described the presence of a 5'-nucleotide hydrolysing acid phosphatase in a separate subpopulation of dorsal root ganglion neurones that project to the superficial dorsal horn. This enzyme also appears in certain autonomic and endocrine cells that contain high concentrations of releasable nucleotides in their storage granules. It is possible that the presence of this enzyme in sensory neurones is also associated with a releasable pool of nucleotides. Holton and Holton have provided evidence that ATP is released from the peripheral terminals of unmyelinated sensory fibres and have suggested that release of ATP might also occur from central sensory terminals. To investigate the possibility that nucleotides act as central sensory transmitters we have examined their actions on rat dorsal horn and dorsal root ganglion neurones maintained in dissociated cell culture. We report here a selective and potent excitation of subpopulations of both neuronal types by ATP.     

ATP mediates fast synaptic transmission in mammalian neurons.

In addition to its diverse functions inside cells, ATP can act at several types of cell-surface receptor. One of these (P2X-purinoceptor) is believed to be a ligand-gated cation channel. The presence of P2X receptors on autonomic, sensory and central neurons suggests that ATP might be released to act as a fast excitatory synaptic transmitter. Here we record excitatory synaptic potentials and currents from cultured coeliac ganglion neurons which are mimicked by ATP, blocked by the P2-purinoceptor antagonist suramin, desensitized by alpha,beta-methylene-ATP and unaffected by antagonists acting at nicotine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), non-NMDA glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), noradrenaline or adenosine receptors. We conclude that ATP is the neurotransmitter at this neuroneuronal synapse.     

促代谢型谷氨酸受体mGluR5参与膀胱的生理与伤害性感受

促代谢型谷氨酸受体(mGluRs)是一类G蛋白偶联受体,参与中枢神经系统的突触可塑性和学习记忆等过程。一些研究资料表明,mGluRs还在躯体痛的外周信号转导和信号传递中起重要作用,但其在内脏感受中的作用尚不清楚。本研究的目的在于考察Ⅰ组促代谢型谷氨酸受体(mGluR5)是否参与膀胱的生理与伤害性感受。在用戊巴比妥钠(50mg/kg,ip)麻醉的大鼠,mGluR5拮抗剂MPEP(3.0mg/kgiv)能明显提高排尿反射的容积阈值,并能减弱快速充胀膀胱引起的腹肌收缩反应,提示mGluR5参与膀胱的生理和伤害性感受过程。在取自正常小鼠的膀胱/盆神经模型,MPEP(0.1￣100μM)对充胀膀胱引起的传入神经活动没有明显影响,而在环磷酰胺(125mg/kgip)致间质性膀胱炎(IC)的小鼠,MPEP(0.3μm)能抑制高阈值膀胱传入神经放电。在清醒、自由活动的IC小鼠,MPEP(1μmol/kg,ip)还明显抑制其后肢对机械刺激的反应。上述结果表明,mGluR5可能并不参与正常膀胱的外周机械性感受的信号转导,但可能参与膀胱生理和伤害性感受信息向脊髓和在中枢内的传递过程;外周和中枢mGluR5在实验性间质性膀胱炎时有上调现象,故可能是治疗内脏感觉过敏的一个潜在药物作用靶点。     

Urinary bladder hyporeflexia and reduced pain-related behaviour in P2X3-deficient mice

Extracellular ATP is implicated in numerous sensory processes ranging from the response to pain to the regulation of motility in visceral organs. The ATP receptor P2X3 is selectively expressed on small diameter sensory neurons, supporting this hypothesis. Here we show that mice deficient in P2X3 lose the rapidly desensitizing ATP-induced currents in dorsal root ganglion neurons. P2X3 deficiency also causes a reduction in the sustained ATP-induced currents in nodose ganglion neurons. P2X3-null mice have reduced pain-related behaviour in response to injection of ATP and formalin. Significantly, P2X3-null mice exhibit a marked urinary bladder hyporeflexia, characterized by decreased voiding frequency and increased bladder capacity, but normal bladder pressures. Immunohistochemical studies localize P2X3 to nerve fibres innervating the urinary bladder of wild-type mice, and show that loss of P2X3 does not alter sensory neuron innervation density. Thus, P2X3 is critical for peripheral pain responses and afferent pathways controlling urinary bladder volume reflexes. Antagonists to P2X3 may therefore have therapeutic potential in the treatment of disorders of urine storage and voiding such as overactive bladder.     

Peripheral modulation of mechano-sensitivity in primary afferent neurons

Considerable attention has centered recently on the changes in neuron excitability and synaptic efficacy caused by certain biogenic amines and neuropeptides. These neuromodulators act at a wide variety of both central and peripheral targets, and bring about diverse biological results. In sensory pathways, modulation occurs at central input synapses of the primary afferents and at peripheral terminals of efferents. This study was undertaken to look at non-synaptic modulation of membrane potentials in peripheral sensory endings of identifiable receptors. Using intracellular recording from the three primary afferent fibres of a recently described simple crustacean stretch receptor, which lacks centrifugal control, we observed in vitro modulation of the sensory response by three neuroactive substances known to be present in vivo. Two neuroamines, serotonin and octopamine, depressed receptor potentials and impulse discharge whereas the pentapeptide proctolin enhanced both these components of the sensory response. The peripheral sensory modulation reported here for a lobster mechano-receptor may occur in many animal groups and sensory systems.     

Deficient pheromone responses in mice lacking a cluster of vomeronasal receptor genes

The mammalian vomeronasal organ (VNO), a part of the olfactory system, detects pheromones--chemical signals that modulate social and reproductive behaviours. But the molecular receptors in the VNO that detect these chemosensory stimuli remain undefined. Candidate pheromone receptors are encoded by two distinct and complex superfamilies of genes, V1r and V2r (refs 3 and 4), which code for receptors with seven transmembrane domains. These genes are selectively expressed in sensory neurons of the VNO. However, there is at present no functional evidence for a role of these genes in pheromone responses. Here, using chromosome engineering technology, we delete in the germ line of mice an approximately 600-kilobase genomic region that contains a cluster of 16 intact V1r genes. These genes comprise two of the 12 described V1r gene families, and represent approximately 12% of the V1r repertoire. The mutant mice display deficits in a subset of VNO-dependent behaviours: the expression of male sexual behaviour and maternal aggression is substantially altered. Electrophysiologically, the epithelium of the VNO of such mice does not respond detectably to specific pheromonal ligands. The behavioural impairment and chemosensory deficit support a role of V1r receptors as pheromone receptors.     

P2X receptors as cell-surface ATP sensors in health and disease

P2X receptors are membrane ion channels activated by the binding of extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP). For years their functional significance was consigned to distant regions of the autonomic nervous system, but recent work indicates several further key roles, such as afferent signalling, chronic pain, and in autocrine loops of endothelial and epithelial cells. P2X receptors have a molecular architecture distinct from other ion channel protein families, and have several unique functional properties.     

Bradykinin and nerve growth factor release the capsaicin receptor from PtdIns(4,5)P2-mediated inhibition.

Tissue injury generates endogenous factors that heighten our sense of pain by increasing the response of sensory nerve endings to noxious stimuli. Bradykinin and nerve growth factor (NGF) are two such pro-algesic agents that activate G-protein-coupled (BK2) and tyrosine kinase (TrkA) receptors, respectively, to stimulate phospholipase C (PLC) signalling pathways in primary afferent neurons. How these actions produce sensitization to physical or chemical stimuli has not been elucidated at the molecular level. Here, we show that bradykinin- or NGF-mediated potentiation of thermal sensitivity in vivo requires expression of VR1, a heat-activated ion channel on sensory neurons. Diminution of plasma membrane phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2) levels through antibody sequestration or PLC-mediated hydrolysis mimics the potentiating effects of bradykinin or NGF at the cellular level. Moreover, recruitment of PLC-gamma to TrkA is essential for NGF-mediated potentiation of channel activity, and biochemical studies suggest that VR1 associates with this complex. These studies delineate a biochemical mechanism through which bradykinin and NGF produce hypersensitivity and might explain how the activation of PLC signalling systems regulates other members of the TRP channel family.     

Onset of neural function in the lateral line.

The development of the nervous system includes the formation of specific neuronal connections. Some insight into the mechanisms by which these connections are made may be obtained by determining the order in which the elements of a developing system begin to function and examining any changes that may occur in the system shortly after it begins functioning. I have investigated the lateral line of the South African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis and I have classified the afferent system into three elements. First, the transduction mechanism, which includes all components that couple the water vibrations to the release of transmitter from the hair cell. Second, the afferent synapse, at which there is transmitter release and subsequent postsynaptic conductance changes. And third, the afferent axon. I report here experiments suggesting that these elements become functional in the following order: first, the axon can conduct action potentials; second, transmission is established; third, the transduction mechanism can modulate transmitter release. This same sequence has been reported in a system related to the lateral line, the auditory pathway of mammals.     

Monoclonal antibodies against carbohydrate differentiation antigens identify subsets of primary sensory neurones

Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurones transmit cutaneous sensory information from the periphery to the spinal cord. Within the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, classes of sensory fibres that are activated by different cutaneous stimuli terminate in separate and highly restricted laminae. Although the developmental events resulting in the laminar organization of sensory afferent terminals have not been defined, it is likely that interactions between surface molecules on DRG and dorsal horn neurones are involved in the generation of afferent synaptic connections. The identification of surface antigens that distinguish functional subclasses of DRG neurones would represent a first step in establishing the existence and nature of such molecules. We report here that monoclonal antibodies directed against carbohydrate differentiation antigens identify cytoplasmic and cell surface molecules expressed selectively by functional subsets of DRG neurons.     

Regulation of lifespan by sensory perception in Caenorhabditis elegans

Caenorhabditis elegans senses environmental signals through ciliated sensory neurons located primarily in sensory organs in the head and tail. Cilia function as sensory receptors, and mutants with defective sensory cilia have impaired sensory perception. Cilia are membrane-bound microtubule-based structures and in C. elegans are only found at the dendritic endings of sensory neurons. Here we show that mutations that cause defects in sensory cilia or their support cells, or in sensory signal transduction, extend lifespan. Our findings imply that sensory perception regulates the lifespan of this animal, and suggest that in nature, its lifespan may be regulated by environmental cues.     

嘌呤受体P2Y在免疫应答中的功能研究进展

P2Y受体是嘌呤受体当中的一个小家族,属于GPCRs(G-protein coupled receptors)代谢型受体,通过选择性结合胞外核苷酸分子如ATP、ADP、UTP、UDP和UDP-glucose而激活。P2Y受体在全身各组织细胞中广泛表达,调控了细胞的多种生理功能。随着研究的深入,发现P2Y受体及其胞外核苷酸分子在免疫应答过程中亦发挥着重要的调控作用。     

Auto-inhibition of brain histamine release mediated by a novel class (H3) of histamine receptor

Although histaminergic neurones have not yet been histochemically visualized, there is little doubt that histamine (HA) has a neurotransmitter role in the invertebrate and mammalian central nervous system. For example, a combination of biochemical, electrophysiological and lesion studies in rats have shown that histamine is synthesized in and released from a discrete set of neurones ascending through the lateral hypothalamic area and widely projecting in the telencephalon. Histamine acts on target cells in mammalian brain via stimulation of two classes of receptor (H1 and H2) previously characterized in peripheral organs and probably uses Ca2+ and cyclic AMP, respectively, as second messengers. It is well established that several neurotransmitters affect neuronal activity in the central nervous system through stimulation not only of postsynaptic receptors, but also of receptors located presynaptically which often display distinct pharmacological specificity and by which they may control their own release. Such 'autoreceptors' have been demonstrated (or postulated) in the case of noradrenaline, dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurones but have never been demonstrated for histamine. We show here that histamine inhibits its own release from depolarized slices of rat cerebral cortex, an action apparently mediated by a class of receptor (H3) pharmacologically distinct from those previously characterized, that is, the H1 and H2 receptors.     

Dopamine activation of the arachidonic acid cascade as a basis for D1/D2 receptor synergism

Understanding the actions of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain is important in view of its roles in neuropsychiatric illnesses. Dopamine D1 receptors, which stimulate both adenylyl cyclase and phospholipase C, and D2 receptors, which inhibit them, can nevertheless act synergistically to produce many electrophysiological and behavioral responses. Because this functional synergism can occur at the level of single neurons, another, as yet unidentified, signalling pathway activated by dopamine has been hypothesized. We report here that in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells transfected with the D2 receptor complementary DNA, D2 agonists potently enhanced arachidonic acid release, provided that such release has been initiated by stimulating constitutive purinergic receptors or by increasing intracellular Ca2+. In CHO cells expressed D1 receptors, D1 agonists exert no such effect. When D1 and D2 receptors are coexpressed, however, activation of both subtypes results in a marked synergistic potentiation of arachidonic acid release. The numerous actions of arachidonic acid and its metabolites in neuronal signal transduction suggest that facilitation of its release may be implicated in dopaminergic responses, such as feedback inhibition mediated by D2 autoreceptors, and may constitute a molecular basis for D1/D2 receptor synergism.     

Temporal hyperacuity in the electric sense of fish

It has recently become evident that sensory thresholds for certain tasks are lower than those expected from the properties of individual receptors. This perceptual capacity, termed hyperacuity, reveals the impressive information-processing abilities of the central nervous system. Although much is known about spatial hyperacuity, temporal hyperacuity has received little attention. Here we demonstrate that an electric fish, Eigenmannia, can detect modulations in the timing (phase) of an electrical signal at least as small as 400 ns. Such sensitivity exceeds the temporal resolution of individual phase-coding afferents. This hyperacuity results from a nonlinear convergence of parallel afferent inputs to the central nervous system; subthreshold inputs from particular areas of the body surface accumulate to permit the detection of these extremely small temporal modulations.     

Subunit arrangement and function in NMDA receptors

Excitatory neurotransmission mediated by NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors is fundamental to the physiology of the mammalian central nervous system. These receptors are heteromeric ion channels that for activation require binding of glycine and glutamate to the NR1 and NR2 subunits, respectively. NMDA receptor function is characterized by slow channel opening and deactivation, and the resulting influx of cations initiates signal transduction cascades that are crucial to higher functions including learning and memory. Here we report crystal structures of the ligand-binding core of NR2A with glutamate and that of the NR1-NR2A heterodimer with glutamate and glycine. The NR2A-glutamate complex defines the determinants of glutamate and NMDA recognition, and the NR1-NR2A heterodimer suggests a mechanism for ligand-induced ion channel opening. Analysis of the heterodimer interface, together with biochemical and electrophysiological experiments, confirms that the NR1-NR2A heterodimer is the functional unit in tetrameric NMDA receptors and that tyrosine 535 of NR1, located in the subunit interface, modulates the rate of ion channel deactivation.     

The cells and logic for mammalian sour taste detection

Mammals taste many compounds yet use a sensory palette consisting of only five basic taste modalities: sweet, bitter, sour, salty and umami (the taste of monosodium glutamate). Although this repertoire may seem modest, it provides animals with critical information about the nature and quality of food. Sour taste detection functions as an important sensory input to warn against the ingestion of acidic (for example, spoiled or unripe) food sources. We have used a combination of bioinformatics, genetic and functional studies to identify PKD2L1, a polycystic-kidney-disease-like ion channel, as a candidate mammalian sour taste sensor. In the tongue, PKD2L1 is expressed in a subset of taste receptor cells distinct from those responsible for sweet, bitter and umami taste. To examine the role of PKD2L1-expressing taste cells in vivo, we engineered mice with targeted genetic ablations of selected populations of taste receptor cells. Animals lacking PKD2L1-expressing cells are completely devoid of taste responses to sour stimuli. Notably, responses to all other tastants remained unaffected, proving that the segregation of taste qualities even extends to ionic stimuli. Our results now establish independent cellular substrates for four of the five basic taste modalities, and support a comprehensive labelled-line mode of taste coding at the periphery. Notably, PKD2L1 is also expressed in specific neurons surrounding the central canal of the spinal cord. Here we demonstrate that these PKD2L1-expressing neurons send projections to the central canal, and selectively trigger action potentials in response to decreases in extracellular pH. We propose that these cells correspond to the long-sought components of the cerebrospinal fluid chemosensory system. Taken together, our results suggest a common basis for acid sensing in disparate physiological settings.     

Two chemosensory receptors together mediate carbon dioxide detection in Drosophila

Blood-feeding insects, including the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae, use highly specialized and sensitive olfactory systems to locate their hosts. This is accomplished by detecting and following plumes of volatile host emissions, which include carbon dioxide (CO2). CO2 is sensed by a population of olfactory sensory neurons in the maxillary palps of mosquitoes and in the antennae of the more genetically tractable fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster. The molecular identity of the chemosensory CO2 receptor, however, remains unknown. Here we report that CO2-responsive neurons in Drosophila co-express a pair of chemosensory receptors, Gr21a and Gr63a, at both larval and adult life stages. We identify mosquito homologues of Gr21a and Gr63a, GPRGR22 and GPRGR24, and show that these are co-expressed in A. gambiae maxillary palps. We show that Gr21a and Gr63a together are sufficient for olfactory CO2-chemosensation in Drosophila. Ectopic expression of Gr21a and Gr63a together confers CO2 sensitivity on CO2-insensitive olfactory neurons, but neither gustatory receptor alone has this function. Mutant flies lacking Gr63a lose both electrophysiological and behavioural responses to CO2. Knowledge of the molecular identity of the insect olfactory CO2 receptors may spur the development of novel mosquito control strategies designed to take advantage of this unique and critical olfactory pathway. This in turn could bolster the worldwide fight against malaria and other insect-borne diseases.     

Reduced vas deferens contraction and male infertility in mice lacking P2X1 receptors

P2X1 receptors for ATP are ligand-gated cation channels, present on many excitable cells including vas deferens smooth muscle cells. A substantial component of the contractile response of the vas deferens to sympathetic nerve stimulation, which propels sperm into the ejaculate, is mediated through P2X receptors. Here we show that male fertility is reduced by approximately 90% in mice with a targeted deletion of the P2X1 receptor gene. Male mice copulate normally--reduced fertility results from a reduction of sperm in the ejaculate and not from sperm dysfunction. Female mice and heterozygote mice are unaffected. In P2X1-receptor-deficient mice, contraction of the vas deferens to sympathetic nerve stimulation is reduced by up to 60% and responses to P2X receptor agonists are abolished. These results show that P2X1 receptors are essential for normal male reproductive function and suggest that the development of selective P2X1 receptor antagonists may provide an effective non-hormonal male contraceptive pill. Also, agents that potentiate the actions of ATP at P2X1 receptors may be useful in the treatment of male infertility.