Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:3.2.1.23 (beta-galactosidase)
 14,648 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Neuromodulin (GAP-43) is a membrane protein that is transported to neuronal growth cones. Zuber and co-workers have proposed that the N-terminal 10 amino acid sequence of neuromodulin is sufficient to target proteins to growth cones. We demonstrate that a neuromodulin-beta-galactosidase fusion protein is transported to growth cones of cultured rat neurons, whereas a fusion protein containing the N-terminal 10 amino acids of neuromodulin and beta-galactosidase is not. A mutant neuromodulin lacking cysteines 3 and 4, the palmitylation sites required for membrane attachment, does not target beta-galactosidase to growth cones. We conclude that membrane attachment is required for growth cone accumulation and that structural elements, in addition to the first 10 amino acids of neuromodulin, may be required for growth cone targeting.
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PMID:Targeting of neuromodulin (GAP-43) fusion proteins to growth cones in cultured rat embryonic neurons. 182 82

Cultured embryonic neurons share a number of characteristic morphological and physiological properties with their counterparts in vivo. For example, differentiating hippocampal neurons in culture develop two distinct classes of processes that serve as dendrites and axons. It has also been shown that the microtubule organization and composition in axons differs from those in dendrites, which may contribute to differential transport of macromolecules into axons or dendrites. We have expressed a neuromodulin-beta-galactosidase fusion gene in cultured mesencephalic neurons in order to study the transport of the neurospecific protein neuromodulin into neurite growth cones. When beta-galactosidase alone was expressed in neurons, it was found in the cell bodies with diffuse neurite staining. In marked contrast, the neuromodulin-beta-galactosidase fusion protein was rapidly transported into neurites and was concentrated in the growth cones. This system may provide a useful model for studying the structural domain(s) of neuromodulin that are required for transport and accumulation of neuromodulin in the growth cones of neurons.
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PMID:Expression of a neuromodulin-beta-galactosidase fusion protein in primary cultured neurons and its accumulation in growth cones. 183 22

Neuromodulin (GAP-43) is a neurospecific calmodulin binding protein that is targeted to neuronal growth cones via fast axonal transport by an undefined mechanism. The protein is associated with membranes by palmitoylation of cys-3 and cys-4. The objective of this study was to examine the intracellular localization of neuromodulin and neuromodulin mutants modified in the membrane targeting domain of the protein in neurons and non-neuronal cells. The N-terminal palmitoylation domain of neuromodulin was found to be sufficient for membrane and Golgi targeting as well as neurite transport. A fusion protein consisting of the N-terminal 20 amino acids of neuromodulin and beta-galactosidase accumulated in neurite endings demonstrating that this sequence is sufficient for targeting to growth cone membranes. Mutations in the palmitoylation domain of neuromodulin that abolished its acylation and membrane association diminished its Golgi localization. Mutations that prevented Golgi accumulation of neuromodulin-beta-galactosidase fusion proteins also interfered with neurite transport of the fusion proteins. These data demonstrate a correlation between membrane targeting, Golgi localization, and neurite transport of neuromodulin.
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PMID:Intracellular sorting of neuromodulin (GAP-43) mutants modified in the membrane targeting domain. 793 46

Using transgenic mice, we have examined the expression pattern conferred by regions of genomic GAP-43 coupled to beta-galactosidase. We demonstrate that gene constructions that include the GAP-43 5'-flanking region along with sufficient sequences of the first intron drive beta-galactosidase (lacZ) expression to mimic in many regards the complex spatial and temporal pattern of endogenous GAP-43 expression. Transgene expression reaches peak levels during development, and persists at high levels in particular adult brain regions, such as the hippocampus and olfactory bulb. The inclusion of a stretch of the first intron in the construction is necessary to prevent expression outside of the nervous system, indicating that some of the cell specificity of GAP-43 expression is due to suppression of expression in inappropriate tissues. Injury caused by sciatic nerve crush causes reexpression of the transgene in adult sensory and motor neurons. This genomic region of GAP-43, therefore, includes elements responsive to neuronal growth signals that regulate both development and regeneration.
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PMID:GAP-43 transgenic mice: dispersed genomic sequences confer a GAP-43-like expression pattern during development and regeneration. 830 50

We have studied the distribution of the growth-associated protein GAP-43 in the spinal cord of adult rats by light and electron microscopy, using a new antiserum raised against GAP-43/beta-galactosidase fusion protein. We show that GAP-43 is present at all vertebral levels but is more concentrated in cervical and thoracic regions. In addition to heavy staining in the corticospinal tracts of the white matter, staining can be seen at the light microscopic level throughout the grey matter and is particularly heavy around the central canal and in the superficial dorsal horn. Electron microscopic examination revealed that GAP-43 immunostaining is confined to a subpopulation of axons and axon terminals. Staining occurs in small myelinated and unmyelinated fibres and in terminals which are mainly small and make single axodendritic or axosomatic synapses. Staining in such terminals occurs in the axoplasm but is heaviest immediately adjoining the axolema. Staining was not observed in dendrites, nor in large myelinated axons or large axon terminals. Our results indicate that GAP-43 is expressed in adult rat spinal cord in a subpopulation of small diameter fibres and axon terminals. The distribution and morphology of these terminals is consistent with several different possible origins including corticospinal projection neurons, small diameter primary afferent neurons, and descending raphe-spinal serotonin containing neurons.
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PMID:The distribution of GAP-43 in normal rat spinal cord. 842 92

The ontogeny and cellular specificity of expression of beta-galactosidase activity and olfactory marker protein (OMP) are compared in olfactory tissue of the H-OMP-lacZ-3 line of transgenic mice. In this line the expression of lacZ is driven by a 0.3 kb fragment of the rat OMP promoter. During fetal development, lacZ expression is detectable in olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) shortly after the initial appearance of endogenous OMP. The beta-galactosidase marker was observed only in mature olfactory receptor neurons where it co-localized with endogenous OMP. It was absent from immature neurons that express the growth associated phosphoprotein B50/GAP43. Lesion of the peripheral olfactory pathway by intranasal irrigation with Triton X-100 eliminated expression of both OMP and lacZ in the olfactory neuroepithelium. Subsequent regeneration of the full complement of olfactory receptor neurons was associated with co-expression of both OMP and beta-galactosidase activity. Neither OMP nor beta-galactosidase activity was induced in any other cell type of the regenerating olfactory mucosa. Thus, as little as 0.3 kb of the OMP promoter has the ability to target lacZ expression to olfactory receptor neurons in a temporally and spatially defined manner. We discuss the potential utility of this transgenic line for future studies of the olfactory system.
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PMID:LacZ and OMP are co-expressed during ontogeny and regeneration in olfactory receptor neurons of OMP promoter-lacZ transgenic mice. 901 Jul 27

Perforant path long-term potentiation (LTP) in intact mouse hippocampal dentate gyrus increased the neuron-specific, growth-associated protein GAP-43 mRNA in hilar cells 3 days after tetanus, but surprisingly not in granule cells, the perforant path target. This increase was positively correlated with level of enhancement and restricted to central hilar cells on the side of stimulation. Blockade of LTP by puffing DL-aminophosphonovalerate (APV), an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor blocker into the molecular layer, eliminated LTP-induced GAP-43 mRNA elevation in hilar cells. To determine whether the mRNA elevation was mediated by transcription, LTP was studied in transgenic mice bearing a GAP-43 promoter-lacZ reporter gene. Promoter activity as indexed by Transgene expression (PATE) increased as indicated by blue staining of the lacZ gene product, beta-galactosidase. Potentiation induced a blue band bilaterally in the inner molecular layer of the dentate gyrus along the entire septotemporal axis. Because mossy cells are the only neurons in the central hilar zone that project to the inner molecular layer bilaterally along the entire septotemporal axis and LTP-induced activation of PATE in this zone was confined to the side of stimulation, we concluded that mossy cells were unilaterally activated, increasing synthesis of beta-galactosidase, which was transported bilaterally. Neither granule cells nor pyramidal cells demonstrated increased PATE or increased GAP-43 mRNA levels. These results and recent evidence indicating the necessity of hilar neurons for LTP point to previously unheralded mossy cells as potentially critical for perforant path LTP and the GAP-43 in these cells as important for LTP persistence lasting days.
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PMID:Long-term potentiation activates the GAP-43 promoter: selective participation of hippocampal mossy cells. 932 69

GAP-43 is an abundant protein in axonal growth cones of developing and regenerating neurons. We found that GAP-43 was enriched in detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs) isolated by Triton X-100 extraction from PC12 pheochromocytoma cells and could be detected in detergent-insoluble plasma membrane remnants after extraction of cells in situ. GAP-43 is palmitoylated at Cys-3 and Cys-4. Mutation of either Cys residue prevented association with DRMs. A hybrid protein containing the first 20 amino acid residues of GAP-43 fused to beta-galactosidase was targeted to DRMs even more efficiently than GAP-43 itself. We conclude that tandem palmitoylated Cys residues can target GAP-43 to DRMs, defining a new signal for DRM targeting. We propose that tandem or closely spaced saturated fatty acyl chains partition into domains or "rafts" in the liquid-ordered phase, or a phase with similar properties, in cell membranes. These rafts are isolated as DRMs after detergent extraction. The brain-specific heterotrimeric G protein Go, which may be regulated by GAP-43 in vitro, was also enriched in DRMs from PC12 cells. Targeting of GAP-43 to rafts may function to facilitate signaling through Go. In addition, raft association may aid in sorting of GAP-43 into axonally directed vesicles in the trans-Golgi network.
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PMID:Association of GAP-43 with detergent-resistant membranes requires two palmitoylated cysteine residues. 977 77

Tracing neural connectivity is important in understanding the intricacy of the nervous system as this represents the functional unit throughout the system. Here, we provide evidence that beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) linked to the N-terminal axonal translocation signal of GAP-43 provides a reproducible and versatile reporter system for analyzing the developing nervous system in vivo. When expressed by the GAP-43 promoter in transgenic mice, the fusion protein is detected equally within the developing axons of the peripheral and the central nervous systems, directly reflecting the promoter activity.
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PMID:GAP-43 N-terminal translocation signal targets beta-galactosidase to developing axons in a pan-neuronal transgenic mouse line. 1083 98