Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.11.12 (PKG)
 2,515 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Neurotrophins and semaphorin 3A are present along pathways and in targets of developing axons of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory neurons. Growth cones of sensory axons are probably regulated by interaction of cytoplasmic signaling triggered coincidentally by both types of guidance molecules. We investigated the in vitro interactions of neurotrophins and semaphorin 3A (Sema3A) in modulating growth cone behaviors of axons extended from DRGs of embryonic day 7 chick embryos. Growth cones of DRGs raised in media containing 10(-9) m NGF or BDNF were more resistant to Sema3A-induced growth cone collapse than when DRGs were raised in 10(-11) m NGF. After overnight culture in 10(-11) m NGF, a 1 hr treatment with 10(-9) m NGF or BDNF was sufficient to increase growth cone resistance to Sema3A-induced collapse. This neurotrophin-mediated decrease in the collapse response of DRG growth cones was not associated with reduced expression on growth cones of the Sema3A-binding protein neuropilin-1. A series of pharmacological studies followed. Phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase activity is not required for these effects of NGF. The effects of inhibitors and activators of protein kinase A (PKA) indicate that PKA activity is involved in NGF modulation of Sema3A-induced growth cone collapse. The effects of inhibitors and activators of PKG indicate that PKG activity is involved in Sema3A-induced growth cone collapse. The effects of inhibitors also indicate that Rho-kinase activity is involved in Sema3A-induced growth cone collapse. These results are consistent with the idea that growth cone responses to an individual guidance cue depend on coincident signaling by other guidance cues and by other regulatory pathways.
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PMID:Nerve growth factor and semaphorin 3A signaling pathways interact in regulating sensory neuronal growth cone motility. 1215 45

Previous in vitro studies using cGMP or cAMP revealed a cross-talk between signaling mechanisms activated by axonal guidance receptors. However, the molecular elements modulated by cyclic nucleotides in growth cones are not well understood. cGMP is a second messenger with several distinct targets including cGMP-dependent protein kinase I (cGKI). Our studies indicated that the alpha isoform of cGKI is predominantly expressed by sensory axons during developmental stages, whereas most spinal cord neurons are negative for cGKI. Analysis of the trajectories of axons within the spinal cord showed a longitudinal guidance defect of sensory axons within the developing dorsal root entry zone in the absence of cGKI. Consequently, in cGKI-deficient mice, fewer axons grow within the dorsal funiculus of the spinal cord, and lamina-specific innervation, especially by nociceptive sensory neurons, is strongly reduced as deduced from anti-trkA staining. These axon guidance defects in cGKI-deficient mice lead to a substantial impairment in nociceptive flexion reflexes, shown using electrophysiology. In vitro studies revealed that activation of cGKI in embryonic dorsal root ganglia counteracts semaphorin 3A-induced growth cone collapse. Our studies therefore reveal that cGMP signaling is important for axonal growth in vivo and in vitro.
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PMID:cGMP-mediated signaling via cGKIalpha is required for the guidance and connectivity of sensory axons. 1241 79

Polarized neurites (axons and dendrites) form the functional circuitry of the nervous system. Secreted guidance cues often control the polarity of neuron migration and neurite outgrowth by regulating ion channels. Here, we show that secreted semaphorin 3A (Sema3A) induces the neurite identity of Xenopus spinal commissural interneurons (xSCINs) by activating Ca(V)2.3 channels (Ca(V)2.3). Sema3A treatment converted the identity of axons of cultured xSCINs to that of dendrites by recruiting functional Ca(V)2.3. Inhibition of Sema3A signalling prevented both the expression of Ca(V)2.3 and acquisition of the dendrite identity, and inhibition of Ca(V)2.3 function resulted in multiple axon-like neurites of xSCINs in the spinal cord. Furthermore, Sema3A-triggered cGMP production and PKG activity induced, respectively, the expression of functional Ca(V)2.3 and the dendrite identity. These results reveal a mechanism by which a guidance cue controls the identity of neurites during nervous system development.
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PMID:Semaphorin 3A induces CaV2.3 channel-dependent conversion of axons to dendrites. 2160 96