Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0033036 (APC)
10,214 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa can be roughly classified into long- and short-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) strains and LPS-deficient strains, based on the silver-stained patterns of their LPSs after SDS-PAGE. The ionic binding of 3H-gentamicin, a polycationic antibiotic, to the negatively charged sites on the surface structures of P. aeruginosa strains, often differing in LPS structure, was the highest in the long-LPS strains followed in descending order by the short-LPS strains and LPS-deficient strains. It was presumed that a clinical isolate of P. aeruginosa No. 45 is lacking in the O-polysaccharide chains and some structures of the core-regions consisting of its LPS-structure after SDS-PAGE. On the other hand, the binding of 3H-gentamicin to this strain was quite. high, i.e., similar to that to of the long-LPS strains. To clarify this finding, P. aeruginosa PAC1R and its LPS-deficient mutants were used as reference strains because the chemical structures of their LPSs containing the repeated units of O-polysaccharides and the neutral sugar contents in the core-regions were previously confirmed. The PAC605 strain of the LPS-mutants of the PAC series, was completely lacking in the repeated units of O-polysaccharide and also lacking in some neutral sugar residues of the core-oligosaccharide region. However, this strain was highly bound to 3H-gentamicin, suggesting that the negatively charged sites on the deep core-oligosaccharide region and/or on lipid A participated in the binding of 3H-gentamicin. This manner of binding may be also applied to P. aeruginosa No. 45. When P. aeruginosa PAC1R, PAC605 and No. 45 strains were each exposed to gentamicin (20 micrograms/ml) for 10 minutes, the viable cell counts of PAC1R decreased to about 70% of the initial count, whereas the viable cell counts of PAC605 and No. 45 strains decreased to 3.6 and 11.0% respectively, indicating the vulnerability of both types of the strains to be enhanced by the bactericidal action of gentamicin with short-term incubation.
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PMID:[Ionic binding of 3H-gentamicin and short-term bactericidal activity of gentamicin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates differing in lipopolysaccharide structure]. 954 84

Although, since the isolation of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), a wealth of literature has been published describing its localization, binding sites, and biological activities in a variety of mammalian tissues, only very little is known about PACAP in avian species. Therefore, in order to find out the sites of actions of PACAP and to elucidate its physiological significance in birds, we identified a chicken PACAP receptor homologue of the mammalian type I receptors (PAC(1)-Rs). The chicken PACAP type I cDNA sequence was obtained using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in combination with 3'- and 5'-RACE PCR. This cDNA encodes a 471 amino acid precursor protein, sharing 81-83% sequence identity with mammalian analogs and 76% amino acid identity with the goldfish type I PACAP receptor. Northern blot analysis of chicken brain poly(A)(+)-rich RNA revealed the presence of a 5.5 kb and 7.5 kb PAC(1) receptor transcript. RT-PCR revealed that the chicken PACAP receptor is mainly expressed in the brain and gonads. A smaller amount of the receptor mRNA was found in pituitary, adrenal gland, kidney, intestine, pancreas, lung, and heart tissue. In situ hybridization with specific antisense oligodeoxynucleotide probes showed a widespread distribution of PAC(1) receptor mRNA in the chicken brain, with the highest expression being found in the dorsal telencephalon, olfactory bulb, hypothalamus, optic tectum, and cerebellar cortex. These findings suggest that PACAP affect a variety of functions both in the brain and peripheral tissues of the chicken.
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PMID:Molecular cloning and expression of a chicken pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide receptor. 1052 79

The superior cervical ganglion (SCG) is a well-characterized model of neural development, in which several regulatory signals have been identified. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) has been found to regulate diverse ontogenetic processes in sympathetics, though functional requirements for high peptide concentrations suggest that other ligands are involved. We now describe expression and functions of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) during SCG ontogeny, suggesting that the peptide plays critical roles in neurogenesis. PACAP and PACAP receptor (PAC(1)) mRNA's were detected at embryonic days 14.5 (E14.5) through E17.5 in vivo and virtually all precursors exhibited ligand and receptor, indicating that the system is expressed as neuroblasts proliferate. Exposure of cultured precursors to PACAP peptides, containing 27 or 38 residues, increased mitogenic activity 4-fold. Significantly, PACAP was 1000-fold more potent than VIP and a highly potent and selective antagonist entirely blocked effects of micromolar VIP, consistent with both peptides acting via PAC(1) receptors. Moreover, PACAP potently enhanced precursor survival more than 2-fold, suggesting that previously defined VIP effects were mediated via PAC(1) receptors and that PACAP is the more significant developmental signal. In addition to neurogenesis, PACAP promoted neuronal differentiation, increasing neurite outgrowth 4-fold and enhancing expression of neurotrophin receptors trkC and trkA. Since PACAP potently activated cAMP and PI pathways and increased intracellular Ca(2+), the peptide may interact with other developmental signals. PACAP stimulation of precursor mitosis, survival, and trk receptor expression suggests that the signaling system plays a critical autocrine role during sympathetic neurogenesis.
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PMID:Autocrine expression and ontogenetic functions of the PACAP ligand/receptor system during sympathetic development. 1069 16

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP) is transiently expressed in ovarian granulosa/lutein cells from eCG/hCG-treated rats, and in vitro immunoneutralization of endogenously released PACAP inhibits acute progesterone secretion and subsequent luteinization in such cells. This suggests that PACAP mediates locally some of the effects of the LH surge, but the putative PACAP receptor(s) involved in such an auto or paracrine activity is presently unknown. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction with specific primers to the three cloned PACAP-binding receptors called PAC(1), VPAC(1), and VPAC(2) demonstrated both PAC(1) and VPAC(2) mRNA in extracts from preovulatory follicular cells. Radioligand-binding assays revealed the presence of high-affinity binding sites with characteristics of these two receptors on the intact cells, and autoradiography demonstrated that the binding was restricted to a minor proportion of the follicular cells as well as the oocytes. Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) dose-dependently stimulated cAMP accumulation and acute progesterone accumulation. Forskolin and db-cAMP also stimulated acute progesterone accumulation, and the protein kinase A inhibitor H89 dose-dependently inhibited peptide induced acute progesterone accumulation, suggesting involvement of cAMP and the protein kinase A pathway in the process. In conclusion, two of the three PACAP binding receptors are present on preovulatory follicular cells and are involved in the effects of PACAP on acute progesterone production. The data provide further evidence to establish PACAP as an auto- or paracrine regulator of LH-induced acute progesterone production in rat preovulatory follicles.
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PMID:Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide stimulates acute progesterone production in rat granulosa/Lutein cells via two receptor subtypes. 1085 61

To map in detail the brain areas in which pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) may play a significant role in birds, the distribution of PACAP and PACAP type I receptor (PAC(1)-R) mRNA was examined throughout the entire chicken brain by using in situ hybridization histochemistry. Widespread distribution of both PACAP and its receptor mRNA was found. The telencephalic areas where the most intense signals for PACAP mRNA were found included the hyperstriatum accessorium, the hippocampus, and the archistriatum. In the diencephalon, a group of neurons that highly expressed PACAP mRNA was observed from the anterior medial hypothalamic nucleus to the inferior hypothalamic nucleus. Moderate expression was found in the paraventricular nucleus and the preoptic region. A second large group of neurons containing PACAP message was found within the nucleus dorsolateralis anterior thalami and extended caudally to the area around the nucleus ovoidalis and the nucleus paramedianus internus thalami. Furthermore, expression of PACAP message was observed within the bed nucleus of the pallial commissure, nucleus spiriformis medialis, optic tectum, cerebellar cortex, olfactory bulbs, and several nuclei within the brainstem (dorsal vagal and parabrachial complex, reticular formation). The highest expression of PAC(1)-R mRNA was found in the dorsal telencephalon, olfactory bulbs, lateral septum, optic tectum, cerebellum, and throughout the hypothalamus and thalamus. The presence of PACAP and PAC(1)-R mRNA in a variety of brain areas in birds suggests that PACAP mediates several physiologically important processes in addition to regulating the activity of the pituitary gland.
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PMID:Distribution of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide type I receptor mRNA in the chicken brain. 1086 37

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) regulates pituitary hormone biosynthesis and secretion through its cognate receptors. PACAP also plays an important role in the regulation of ovarian steroid biosynthesis. If so, there might be a feedback regulation of hypothalamic PACAP synthesis by the pituitary and by ovarian steroids. In the present study, we used RNase protection assays to determine changes in mRNA levels of PACAP and type I PACAP receptor (PAC(1)) under the conditions of ovariectomy and replacement with ovarian steroids. Progesterone (P) alone or in combination with estradiol (E) induced significant increases in PACAP mRNA level in the medial basal hypothalamus (MBH) and PAC(1) mRNA levels in MBH and the preoptic area (POA). This finding suggests that feedback regulation takes place between the ovary and hypothalamic PACAP neurons. P is known to be a major regulatory feedback factor for hypothalamic luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) neurons, but P receptor is not present in these neurons. Therefore, we examined a possible involvement of PACAP in the feedback regulatory pathway of P to LHRH neurons. After an antisense PAC(1) oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) was i.c.v.-injected into the third ventricle of E and P-treated rats, LHRH mRNA levels were determined. The ODN markedly decreased the P-induced increase in the LHRH mRNA level. Taken together, the present data suggest that PACAP may play a role as a mediator in the regulation of LHRH synthetic machinery by stimulatory feedback of P.
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PMID:Progesterone increases mRNA levels of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) and type I PACAP receptor (PAC(1)) in the rat hypothalamus. 1089 85

We have previously reported that the pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) gene is regulated in ovarian granulosa cells by the autocrine and/or paracrine interaction between progesterone and its nuclear receptor progesterone receptor (PR). To initiate studies on the functional significance of the progesterone-induced PACAP production in luteinizing granulosa cells, we sought to determine the expression and hormonal regulation of PACAP receptors in the rat ovary. The relative mRNA levels of three known PACAP receptor subtypes (PAC(1), VPAC(1), and VPAC(2)) were determined in ovaries of immature rats treated with gonadotropins, by semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays. Results show that all PAC(1), VPAC(1), and VPAC(2) transcripts are expressed at a detectable level in immature rat ovaries. Importantly, the ovarian level of PAC(1), but not VPAC(1) or VPAC(2), mRNA notably changes during gonadotropin challenges. Ovarian PAC(1) mRNA expression decreases during the pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMSG)-induced follicular phase but substantially increases during the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)-induced periovulatory period. Because the hCG-induced increase in ovarian PAC(1) mRNA expression is attributable to the hormone-induced PAC(1) mRNA expression in granulosa cells of the preovulatory follicles, we next examined whether hCG regulates PAC(1) mRNA expression by directly acting on granulosa cells. When granulosa cells isolated from PMSG (40 h)-primed immature rats were challenged with hCG (or forskolin), PAC(1), but not VPAC(1) or VPAC(2), mRNA expression significantly increased within 6 h. Because the LH-induced PAC(1) mRNA expression (6 h) proceeds PR activation (3 h) in granulosa cells as the LH-induced PACAP mRNA expression (6 h) does, we further determined the cause-effect relationship among LH, PR activation and PAC(1) receptor gene expression, by examining the effect of PR antagonist, ZK98299, on the ability of LH to increase PAC(1) mRNA levels in luteinizing granulosa cells. Results show that ZK98299 inhibited the stimulatory effect of hCG (or forskolin) on PAC(1) mRNA expression, at the level of all known splice variants of PAC(1) mRNA in granulosa cells. In summary, our results demonstrating that PR activation is critical for the LH-induced PAC(1) gene expression in luteinizing granulosa cells suggest that PR activation regulates the finely tuned expression of the PACAP/PACAP receptor genes in luteinizing granulosa cells and thus dictates the timing of the autocrine and/or paracrine function of PACAP in preovulatory follicles.
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PMID:Progesterone receptor activation mediates LH-induced type-I pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide receptor (PAC(1)) gene expression in rat granulosa cells. 1102 74

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) stimulates alpha-subunit transcription and lengthens LH-beta mRNA transcripts, but reduces FSH-beta mRNA levels in rat pituitary cell cultures. PACAP also stimulates follistatin transcription, an effect which may explain the decrease in FSH-beta mRNA. To begin to investigate the cells in which PACAP activates the follistatin gene, quantitative in situ hybridization for follistatin mRNA combined with immunostaining for LHbeta and S100 protein was performed. In control cultures, follistatin mRNA was expressed in 70% of gonadotrophs and in 47% of folliculostellate cells (S-100+). PACAP increased (P<0.001) both the number of follistatin-expressing cells as well as the number of grains per cell in both gonadotrophs and folliculostellate cells, while GnRH only affected (P=0.01) gonadotrophs. Follistatin and FSH-beta gene expression in rat pituitary cultures were also measured by competitive quantitative RT-PCR and northern analysis, respectively. Both PACAP and GnRH increased (P<0.05) follistatin gene expression and suppressed (P<0.05) FSH-beta mRNA, and the effect of PACAP together with GnRH on follistatin exceeded that of GnRH alone. PACAP regulation of follistatin and FSH-beta gene expression was studied further in LbetaT2 cells that were found to express receptors for the specific PACAP receptor, PAC(1). Follistatin mRNA was undetectable in cultures exposed to control media, or stimulated with PACAP, GnRH or rh-activin-A. In contrast to the results in primary pituitary cultures, PACAP increased FSH-beta mRNA in these follistatin-deficient cells. Moreover, using transient transfection, PACAP stimulated transcription of ovine-FSH-beta-luciferase. GnRH likewise increased FSH-beta mRNA and stimulated FSH-beta gene transcription in LbetaT2 cells. Activin-A increased FSH-beta gene expression dose-dependently, and activin induction of FSH-beta mRNA was blocked completely by 3-fold excess follistatin. These results indicate that PACAP stimulates follistatin gene expression in both gonadotrophs and folliculostellate cells, and provide further evidence that follistatin is required for PACAP or continuous GnRH to down-regulate FSH-beta mRNA. These experiments suggest a mechanism by which PACAP influences FSH production selectively by an autocrine effect on gonadotrophs and by a paracrine mechanism through folliculostellate cells that involves follistatin.
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PMID:Evidence that PACAP and GnRH down-regulate follicle-stimulating hormone-beta mRNA levels by stimulating follistatin gene expression: effects on folliculostellate cells, gonadotrophs and LbetaT2 gonadotroph cells. 1208 67

Previous studies have shown that human fetal adrenal gland from 17- to 20-week-old fetuses expressed pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) receptors, which were localized on chromaffin cells. The aim of the present study was to identify PACAP receptor isoforms and to determine whether PACAP can affect intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) and catecholamine secretion. Using primary cultures and specific stimulation of chromaffin cells, we demonstrate that PACAP-38 induced an increase in [Ca(2+)](i) that was blocked by PACAP (6-38), was independent of external Ca(2+), and originated from thapsigargin-insensitive internal stores. The PACAP-triggered Ca(2+) increase was not affected by inhibition of PLC beta (preincubation with U-73122) or by pretreatment of cells with Xestospongin C, indicating that the inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate-sensitive stores were not mobilized. However, forskolin (FSK), which raises cytosolic cAMP, induced an increase in Ca(2+) similar to that recorded with PACAP-38. Blockage of PKA by H-89 or (R(p))-cAMPS suppressed both PACAP-38 and FSK calcium responses. The effect of PACAP-38 was also abolished by emptying the caffeine/ryanodine-sensitive Ca(2+) stores. Furthermore, treatment of cells with orthovanadate (100 microm) impaired Ca(2+) reloading of PACAP-sensitive stores indicating that PACAP-38 can mobilize Ca(2+) from secretory vesicles. Moreover, PACAP induced catecholamine secretion by chromaffin cells. It is concluded that PACAP-38, through the PAC(1) receptor, acts as a neurotransmitter in human fetal chromaffin cells inducing catecholamine secretion, through nonclassical, recently described, ryanodine/caffeine-sensitive pools, involving a cAMP- and PKA-dependent phosphorylation mechanism.
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PMID:PAC1 receptor activation by PACAP-38 mediates Ca2+ release from a cAMP-dependent pool in human fetal adrenal gland chromaffin cells. 1242 44

The aim of the present study was to characterize the effects of pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) on the endocrine pancreas in anesthetized dogs. PACAP(1-27) and a PACAP receptor (PAC(1)) blocker, PACAP(6-27), were locally administered to the pancreas. PACAP(1-27) (0.005-5 microg) increased basal insulin and glucagon secretion in a dose-dependent manner. PACAP(6-27) (200 microg) blocked the glucagon response to PACAP(1-27) (0.5 microg) by about 80%, while the insulin response remained unchanged. With a higher dose of PACAP(6-27) (500 microg), both responses to PACAP(1-27) were inhibited by more than 80%. In the presence of atropine with an equivalent dose (128.2 microg) of PACAP(6-27) (500 microg) on a molar basis, the insulin response to PACAP(1-27) was diminished by about 20%, while the glucagon response was enhanced by about 80%. The PACAP(1-27)-induced increase in pancreatic venous blood flow was blocked by PACAP(6-27) but not by atropine. The study suggests that the endocrine secretagogue effect of PACAP(1-27) is primarily mediated by the PAC(1) receptor, and that PACAP(1-27) may interact with muscarinic receptor function in PACAP-induced insulin and glucagon secretion in the canine pancreas in vivo.
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PMID:Effects of PACAP(1-27) on the canine endocrine pancreas in vivo: interaction with cholinergic mechanism. 1289 20


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