Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0011570 (depression)
 172,036 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

To define conserved domains within the light (L) chains of clostridial neurotoxins, we determined the sequence of botulinum neurotoxin type B (BoNT/B) and aligned it with those of tetanus toxin (TeTx) and BoNT/A, BoNT/C1, BoNT/D, and BoNT/E. The L chains of BoNT/B and TeTx share 51.6% identical amino acid residues whereas the degree of identity to other clostridial neurotoxins does not exceed 36.5%. Each of the L chains contains a conserved motif, HExxHxxH, characteristic for metalloproteases. We then generated specific 5'- and 3'-deletion mutants of the L chain genes of TeTx and BoNT/A and tested the biological properties of the gene products by microinjection of the corresponding mRNAs into identified presynaptic cholinergic neurons of the buccal ganglia of Aplysia californica. Toxicity was determined by measurement of neurotransmitter release, as detected by depression of postsynaptic responses to presynaptic stimuli (Mochida, S., Poulain, B., Eisel, U., Binz, T., Kurazono, H., Niemann, H., and Tauc, L. (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 87, 7844-7848). Our studies allow the following conclusions. 1) Residues Cys439 of TeTx and Cys430 of BoNT/A, both of which participate in the interchain disulfide bond, play no role in the toxification reaction. 2) Derivatives of TeTx that lacked either 8 amino- or 65 carboxyl-terminal residues are still toxic, whereas those lacking 10 amino- or 68 carboxyl-terminal residues are nontoxic. 3) For BoNT/A, toxicity could be demonstrated only in the presence of added nontoxic heavy (H) chain. A deletion of 8 amino-terminal or 32 carboxyl-terminal residues from the L chain had no effect on toxicity, whereas a removal of 10 amino-terminal or 57 carboxyl-terminal amino acids abolished toxicity. 4) The synergistic effect mediated by the H chain is linked to the carboxyl-terminal portion of the H chain, as demonstrated by injection of HC-specific mRNA into neurons containing the L chain. This finding suggests that the HC domain of the H chain becomes exposed to the cytosol during or after the putative translocation step of the L chain.
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PMID:Minimal essential domains specifying toxicity of the light chains of tetanus toxin and botulinum neurotoxin type A. 163 16

Injection of exogenous mRNA purified from various tissue preparations into cellular translation systems such as Xenopus oocytes has allowed expression of complex proteins (e.g., receptors for neurotransmitters). No evidence for expression of injected exogenous mRNA, however, has been reported in terminally differentiated neurons. If achieved, it would allow the study of long-lasting changes of properties of nerve cells in their functional context. To obtain evidence of such expression, we chose two proteins that produce a detectable effect even at very low intracellular concentrations. Tetanus toxin and botulinum neurotoxin fulfill this criterion, being the most potent neurotoxins known. Both toxins block neurotransmitter release at nanomolar intracellular concentrations. These di-chain proteins, consisting of a light chain and a heavy chain, have recently been sequenced. Their active sites are located (or partly located) on the light chain. mRNAs encoding the light chain of either toxin were transcribed in vitro from the cloned and specifically truncated genes of Clostridium tetani and Clostridium botulinum, respectively, and injected into presynaptic cholinergic neurons of the buccal ganglia of Aplysia californica. Depression of neurotransmitter release appeared in less than 1 hr, demonstrating successful expression of foreign mRNA injected into a neuron in situ.
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PMID:Exogenous mRNA encoding tetanus or botulinum neurotoxins expressed in Aplysia neurons. 223

The effects of the potassium channel inhibitor and putative botulinum toxin antagonist 3,4-diaminopyridine (3,4-DAP) were investigated in vitro on the contractile properties of rat diaphragm muscle. In the presence of 100 pM botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT/A), twitches elicited by supramaximal nerve stimulation (0.1 Hz) were reduced to approximately 10% of control in 3 hr at 37 degrees C. Addition of 3,4-DAP led to a rapid reversal of the BoNT/A-induced depression of twitch tension. In the presence of 100 microM 3,4-DAP, antagonism of the BoNT/A-induced blockade began within 30-40 sec and reached 82% of control with a half-time of 6.7 min. The beneficial effect of 3,4-DAP was well maintained and underwent little or no decrement relative to control for at least 8 hr after addition. Application of 1 microM neostigmine 1 hr after 3,4-DAP led to a further potentiation of twitch tension, but this action lasted for < 20 min. Moreover, neostigmine caused tetanic fade during repetitive stimulation. In contrast to the efficacy of the parent compound, the quaternary derivative of 3,4-DAP, 3,4-diamino-1-methyl pyridinium produced little or no twitch potentiation up to a concentration of 1 mM. The potassium channel blocker, tetraethylammonium, generated a transient potentiation followed by a sustained depression of twitch tensions. It is concluded that 3,4-DAP is of benefit in antagonizing the muscle paralysis following exposure to BoNT/A. Co-application of neostigmine or tetraethylammonium with 3,4-DAP, however, appears to confer no additional benefit.
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PMID:Antagonism of botulinum toxin-induced muscle weakness by 3,4-diaminopyridine in rat phrenic nerve-hemidiaphragm preparations. 757 Jun 38

Exposure of isolated mouse hemidiaphragms to botulinum neurotoxins, 0.1 nM BoNT-A or BoNT-B, at 36 degrees C reduced nerve-elicited peak isometric twitch tension to 50% of control values at 55 min (BoNT-A) to 68 min (BoNT-B) after application. Either coincubation of BoNT with the heavy metal chelator TPEN, preincubation with TPEN followed by BoNT, or application of TPEN after BoNT but before neuromuscular block, delayed the onset of muscle failure in a dose-dependent manner by up to five-fold. TPEN doses between 2 and 10 microM were required to antagonize significantly the muscle block produced by BoNT, and the delay in onset was maximal between 10 and 50 microM TPEN. Treatment of muscles with a Zn(2+)-TPEN coordination complex, rather than TPEN alone, eliminated any beneficial effects of TPEN on BoNT intoxication, indicating that these effects were mediated by chelation of Zn2+. Other metal chelators that were not as membrane permeant as TPEN were ineffective in delaying BoNT paralysis, suggesting that TPEN acts by chelating intraterminal Zn2+. In the absence of BoNT, TPEN caused a dose-dependent increase in nerve-elicited twitch tension with a half-maximal concentration at 8 microM. There was no corresponding change in twitches from direct electrical stimulation of the muscle. After BoNT (A or B serotype) had reduced the muscle twitch by 20 to 70%, however, subsequent application of TPEN rapidly depressed nerve-elicited twitches. The shift from potentiation to depression after BoNT treatment suggests that presynaptic vesicle mobilization and/or release involve Zn(2+)-dependent enzymes and that BoNTs interact with these enzyme pathways.
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PMID:Interactions between heavy metal chelators and botulinum neurotoxins at the mouse neuromuscular junction. 757 Jun 39

Tricyclic antidepressants (e.g., imipramine, desipramine) are currently used in the treatment of mood disorders such as depression. At the cellular level they inhibit the re-uptake of the exocytosed monoamines serotonin and noradrenaline. However, they also stimulate phospholipase C activity and the production of the second messenger inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate. Since phospholipase C activation can also lead to the production of the protein kinase C activator diacylglycerol, we have undertaken experiments to see whether acutely applied desipramine could change the synaptic strength of neurons in a protein kinase C-dependent manner. Experiments performed with cultured hippocampal neurons dissociated from neonatal rats revealed that desipramine rapidly enhanced the spontaneous vesicular release of glutamate. This was observed by measuring the frequency of tetrodotoxin-resistant spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents. Analysis of amplitude distribution histograms indicated a presynaptic site of action. The protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine and down-regulation of protein kinase C activity greatly reduced the desipramine-dependent enhancement of the frequency of tetrodotoxin-resistant spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents. This presynaptic modulation requires SNARE proteins because cleavage of SNAP-25 with the botulinum neurotoxin A strongly reduced the desipramine-induced glutamate release. Thus, acute applications of desipramine stimulated the ongoing neurotransmitter release pathway, probably by activating protein kinase C. Our data indicate that tricyclic antidepressant drugs not only act on serotoninergic and/or noradrenergic cells but can also modify the activity of glutamatergic neurons.
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PMID:Acute application of the tricyclic antidepressant desipramine presynaptically stimulates the exocytosis of glutamate in the hippocampus. 1021 74

Nitric oxide (NO) modulates the release of various neurotransmitters, some of these are considered to be involved in neuronal plasticity that includes long-term depression in the cerebellum. To date, there have been no reports on the modulation of the exocytotic release of neurotransmitters in the cerebellar granule cells (CGCs) by NO. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of NO on the exocytotic release of glutamate from rat CGCs. Treatment with NO-related reagents revealed that NO inhibited high-K(+)-evoked glutamate release. Clostridium botulinum type B neurotoxin (BoNT/B) attenuated the enhancement of glutamate release caused by NO synthase (NOS) inhibition; this indicates that NO acts on the high-K(+)-evoked exocytotic pathway. cGMP-related reagents did not affect the high-K(+)-evoked glutamate release. NO-related reagents did not affect Ca(2+) ionophore-induced glutamate release, suggesting that NO inhibits Ca(2+) entry through voltage-dependent Ca(2+) channels (VDCC). Monitoring of intracellular Ca(2+) revealed that NO inhibited high-K(+)-evoked Ca(2+) entry. L-type VDCC blockers inhibited glutamate release and NO did not have an additive effect on the inhibition produced by the L-type VDCC blocker. The inhibition of the high-K(+)-evoked glutamate release by NO was abolished by a reducing reagent; this suggested that NO regulates the high-K(+)-evoked glutamate release from CGCs by redox modulation.
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PMID:Nitric oxide inhibits depolarization-evoked glutamate release from rat cerebellar granule cells. 1712 44

Toosendanin (TSN) is a triterpenoid extracted from Melia toosendan Sieb et Zucc, which was used as a digestive tract-parasiticide and agricultural insecticide in ancient China. TSN was demonstrated to be a selective presynaptic blocker and an effective antibotulismic agent. By interfering with neurotransmitter release through an initial facilitation followed by a subsequent depression, TSN eventually blocks synaptic transmission at both the neuro-muscular junction and central synapses. Despite sharing some similar actions with botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), TSN has a marked antibotulismic effect in vivo and in vitro. Studies suggest that the antibotulismic effect of TSN is achieved by preventing BoNT from approaching its enzymatic substrate, the SNARE protein. It is also found that TSN can induce differentiation and apoptosis in several cell lines, and suppress proliferation of various human cancer cells. TSN inhibits various K(+)-channels, selectively facilitates Ca(2+)-influx via L-type Ca(2+) channels and increases intracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)). The TSN-induced [Ca(2+)](i) increase and overload could be responsible for the TSN-induced biphasic effect on transmitter release, cell differentiation, apoptosis as well as the cytoxicity of TSN.
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PMID:Biological effects of toosendanin, a triterpenoid extracted from Chinese traditional medicine. 1736 32

CD is a complex disorder that can have significant impact on a patient's quality of life and physical well-being. BoNTs are a very effective and well-tolerated first-line therapy in relieving CD symptoms over long-term treatment. BoNT treatment should be administered at the lowest effective dose with a minimum of 3 months between treatments. As the incidence of immunoresistance is low, a reassessment of muscle selection, dosing, and diagnosis should take place in the event of suboptimal patient response. Optimal treatment may involve a combination of oral pharmacologic treatment with BoNTs to maintain the use of lowest possible dosing and to extend effectiveness to the recommended 3-month dosing interval. Physical therapy in conjunction with BoNT treatment can also extend treatment efficacy as well. Comorbidities such as insomnia, depression, and anxiety can interfere with successful CD treatment and should be actively managed along with the symptoms of CD. Although our understanding of CD is incomplete, it is ever expanding. As a deeper understanding of disease pathophysiology and disease progression is gained, treatment efforts will be refined for optimal outcome and patient satisfaction.
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PMID:Treatment recommendations and practical applications of botulinum toxin treatment of cervical dystonia. 1860 68

Rab3a is a small GTP-binding protein associated with presynaptic vesicles. We have measured the releasable pool in the neuromuscular junction of Rab3a(-) mice by recordings of the asynchronous release activity produced by local applications of hypertonic solutions and demonstrated that the releasable pool is significantly reduced in Rab3a(-) synapses. We found that the activity-dependent vesicle recruitment, as well as the synaptic enhancement associated with it, is disrupted in Rab3a(-) synapses. We employed Ca2+ chelators and disruption of Ca2+ sensitivity of fusion machinery by botulinum neurotoxin type-A microinjections, and demonstrated that local Ca2+ elevation may overcome the Rab3a deficiency in maintaining the releasable pool. Rab3a(-) terminals demonstrated a small but significant low-frequency depression, probably due to insufficient refilling of the releasable pool. Our results, taken together, support the hypothesis that Rab3a maintains the pool of fusion competent vesicles tightly coupled to Ca2+ channels.
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PMID:Rab3a-mediated vesicle recruitment regulates short-term plasticity at the mouse diaphragm synapse. 1934 46

The natural target of the botulinum neurototoxin type A (BoNT-A) is the neuromuscular junction. When injected into a muscle, BoNT-A is internalized by motoneurone terminals where it functions as an endopeptidase, cleaving protein components of the synaptic machinery responsible for vesicle docking and exocytosis. As a result, BoNT-A induces a characteristic flaccid paralysis of the affected muscle. In animal models, BoNT-A applied in the periphery can also influence central activity via retrograde transport and transcytosis. An analogous direct central effect in humans is still debated. The present study was designed to address whether BoNT-A modifies the activity of the spinal recurrent inhibitory pathways, when injected at muscular level, in humans. To avoid methodological bias, the recurrent inhibition from an injected muscle (soleus) was investigated on an untreated muscle (quadriceps), and stimulation parameters (producing recurrent inhibition) were monitored on a third non-injected muscle but innervated by the same nerve as the soleus (flexor digitorum brevis). The experiments were performed on 14 post-stroke patients exhibiting spasticity in ankle plantarflexors, candidates for BoNT-A. One month after BoNT-A, the level of recurrent inhibition was depressed. It is suggested that the depression of recurrent inhibition was induced by BoNT-A, injected peripherally, through axonal transport and blockade of the cholinergic synapse between motoneurone recurrent collaterals and Renshaw cells.
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PMID:Beyond muscular effects: depression of spinal recurrent inhibition after botulinum neurotoxin A. 2341 71


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