Faculty Bibliography

Glycolysis is an evolutionary conserved metabolic pathway that provides small amounts of energy in the form of ATP when compared to other pathways such as oxidative phosphorylation or fatty acid oxidation. The ATP levels inside metabolically active cells are not constant and the local ATP level will depend on the site of production as well as the respective rates of ATP production, diffusion and consumption. Membrane ion transporters (pumps, exchangers and channels) are located at sites distal to the major sources of ATP formation (the mitochondria). We review evidence that the glycolytic complex is associated with membranes; both at the plasmalemma and with membranes of the endo/sarcoplasmic reticular network. We examine the evidence for the concept that many of the ion transporters are regulated preferentially by the glycolytic process. These include the Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase, the H(+)-ATPase, various types of Ca(2+)-ATPases, the Na(+)/H(+) exchanger, the ATP-sensitive K(+) channel, cation channels, Na(+) channels, Ca(2+) channels and other channels involved in intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis. Regulation of these pumps, exchangers and ion channels by the glycolytic process has important consequences in a variety of physiological and pathophysiological processes, and a better understanding of this mode of regulation may have important consequences for developing future strategies in combating disease and developing novel therapeutic approaches

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging and an experimental paradigm of instructed fear, we observed a striking pattern of decreased activity in primary motor cortex with increased activity in dorsal basal ganglia during anticipation of aversive electrodermal stimulation in 42 healthy participants. We interpret this pattern of activity in motor neurocircuitry in response to cognitively-induced fear in relation to evolutionarily-conserved responses to threat that may be relevant to understanding normal and pathological fear in humans

Regulator of calcineurin 1 (RCAN1/MCIP1/DSCR1) regulates the calmodulin-dependent phosphatase calcineurin. Because it is located on human chromosome 21, RCAN1 has been postulated to contribute to mental retardation in Down syndrome and has been reported to be associated with neuronal degeneration in Alzheimer's disease. The studies herein are the first to assess the role of RCAN1 in memory and synaptic plasticity by examining the behavioral and electrophysiological properties of RCAN1 knock-out mice. These mice exhibit deficits in spatial learning and memory, reduced associative cued memory, and impaired late-phase long-term potentiation (L-LTP), phenotypes similar to those of transgenic mice with increased calcineurin activity. Consistent with this, the RCAN1 knock-out mice display increased enzymatic calcineurin activity, increased abundance of a cleaved calcineurin fragment, and decreased phosphorylation of the calcineurin substrate dopamine and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein-32. We propose a model in which RCAN1 plays a positive role in L-LTP and memory by constraining phosphatase signaling

BACKGROUND: The atrioventricular (AV) node is essential for the sequential excitation and optimized contraction of the adult multichambered heart; however, relatively little is known about its formation from the embryonic AV canal. A recent study demonstrated that signaling by Alk3, the type 1a receptor for bone morphogenetic proteins, in the myocardium of the AV canal was required for the development of both the AV valves and annulus fibrosus. To test the hypothesis that bone morphogenetic protein signaling also plays a role in AV node formation, we investigated conduction system function and AV node morphology in adult mice with conditional deletion of Alk3 in the AV canal. METHODS AND RESULTS: High-resolution optical mapping with correlative histological analysis of 28 mutant hearts revealed 4 basic phenotypic classes based on electrical activation patterns and volume-conducted ECGs. The frequency of AV node conduction and morphological abnormalities increased from no detectable anomalies (class I) to severe defects (class IV), which included the presence of bypass tracts, abnormal ventricular activation patterns, fibrosis of the AV node, and twin AV nodes. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings demonstrate that bone morphogenetic protein signaling is required in the myocardium of the AV canal for proper AV junction development, including the AV node

Trafficking of AMPA receptors (AMPARs) is regulated by specific interactions of the subunit intracellular C-terminal domains (CTDs) with other proteins, but the mechanisms involved in this process are still unclear. We have found that the GluR1 CTD binds to cGMP-dependent protein kinase II (cGKII) adjacent to the kinase catalytic site. Binding of GluR1 is increased when cGKII is activated by cGMP. cGKII and GluR1 form a complex in the brain, and cGKII in this complex phosphorylates GluR1 at S845, a site also phosphorylated by PKA. Activation of cGKII by cGMP increases the surface expression of AMPARs at extrasynaptic sites. Inhibition of cGKII activity blocks the surface increase of GluR1 during chemLTP and reduces LTP in the hippocampal slice. This work identifies a pathway, downstream from the NMDA receptor (NMDAR) and nitric oxide (NO), which stimulates GluR1 accumulation in the plasma membrane and plays an important role in synaptic plasticity

Receptive fields of sensory cortical neurons are plastic, changing in response to alterations of neural activity or sensory experience. In this way, cortical representations of the sensory environment can incorporate new information about the world, depending on the relevance or value of particular stimuli. Neuromodulation is required for cortical plasticity, but it is uncertain how subcortical neuromodulatory systems, such as the cholinergic nucleus basalis, interact with and refine cortical circuits. Here we determine the dynamics of synaptic receptive field plasticity in the adult primary auditory cortex (also known as AI) using in vivo whole-cell recording. Pairing sensory stimulation with nucleus basalis activation shifted the preferred stimuli of cortical neurons by inducing a rapid reduction of synaptic inhibition within seconds, which was followed by a large increase in excitation, both specific to the paired stimulus. Although nucleus basalis was stimulated only for a few minutes, reorganization of synaptic tuning curves progressed for hours thereafter: inhibition slowly increased in an activity-dependent manner to rebalance the persistent enhancement of excitation, leading to a retuned receptive field with new preference for the paired stimulus. This restricted period of disinhibition may be a fundamental mechanism for receptive field plasticity, and could serve as a memory trace for stimuli or episodes that have acquired new behavioural significance

Thalamocortical in vivo and in vitro function was studied in mice lacking P/Q-type calcium channels (Cav2.1), in which N-type calcium channels (Cav2.2) supported central synaptic transmission. Unexpectedly, in vitro patch recordings from thalamic neurons demonstrated no gamma-band subthreshold oscillation, and voltage-sensitive dye imaging demonstrated an absence of cortical gamma-band-dependent columnar activation involving cortical inhibitory interneuron activity. In vivo electroencephalogram recordings showed persistent absence status and a dramatic reduction of gamma-band activity. Pharmacological block of T-type calcium channels (Cav3), although not noticeably affecting normal control animals, left the knockout mice in a coma-like state. Hence, although N-type calcium channels can rescue P/Q-dependent synaptic transmission, P/Q calcium channels are essential in the generation of gamma-band activity and resultant cognitive function