Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UNIPROT:P50583 (asymmetrical)
 12,197 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Postsynaptic density (PSD)-95, SAP102, and Chapsyn-110 are members of the PSD-95/SAP90 protein family, which interact with the C-terminus of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor and shaker-type potassium channel subunits. Here we report that appropriate section pretreatment with pepsin has led to qualitative and quantitative changes in light microscopic immunohistochemical detection of the protein family. First, pepsin pretreatment lowered the concentration of affinity-purified primary antibodies, while it greatly increased the intensity of immunoreactions. Second, the resulting overall distributions of PSD-95, SAP102, and Chapsyn-110 in the adult mouse brain were consistent with their mRNA distributions. Third, instead of the reported patterns of somatodendritic labeling, tiny punctate staining in the neuropil became overwhelming. Fourth, many PSD-95-immunopositive puncta were apposed closely to synaptophysin-positive nerve terminals and overlapped with NMDA receptor subunits. By postembedding immunogold, the PSD-95 antibody was shown to label exclusively the postsynaptic density at asymmetrical synapses. Based on these results, we conclude that antibody access and binding to the postsynaptically located PSD-95/SAP90 protein family are hindered when conventional immunohistochemistry is adopted, and that pepsin pretreatment effectively unmasks the postsynaptic epitopes. On the other hand, PSD-95 in axon terminals of cerebellar basket cells, where high levels of potassium channels are present, was detectable irrespective of pepsin pretreatment, suggesting that PSD-95 antibody is readily accessible to the presynaptic epitopes. Consequently, the present immunohistochemical results have provided light microscopic evidence supporting the prevailing notion that the PSD-95/SAP90 protein family interacts with NMDA receptor subunits and potassium channel subunits.
 ...
PMID:Improved immunohistochemical detection of postsynaptically located PSD-95/SAP90 protein family by protease section pretreatment: a study in the adult mouse brain. 1102

Previously, several studies attempting to analyze olfactory functions using dissociated culture systems of the olfactory bulb (OB) have been reported. Reciprocal dendrodendritic synapses between secondary neurons (mitral/tufted cells) and interneurons (periglomerular/granule cells) are considered to play the most important role in signal processing in the OB. However, it is unclear whether these reciprocal synapses are formed in vitro in the same way as they are in the intact OB. Thus, we synaptologically investigated the nature of cultured OB neurons. These neurons from embryonic rats were classified into four groups based on the size of their somata and their glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) immunoreactivity. At 14 days in vitro, most of the neurons synchronously showed spontaneous intracellular Ca2+ oscillations that were reversibly inhibited by application of D-APV and CNQX. Moreover, the frequency of the oscillations decreased and their amplitude became larger following application of bicuculline. These results suggest functional glutamatergic synaptic coupling and inhibitory GABAergic synaptic modulation. Immunocytochemical staining revealed many dot-like products (puncta) that were immunoreactive to GAD as well as to synaptophysin surrounding the cultured neurons. These results strongly indicate the presence of GABAergic synapses. The existence of synaptic contacts in OB neuron cultures was also confirmed by electron microscopy. Two types of synapses, symmetrical and asymmetrical, were morphologically recognizable. Moreover, we could also identify peculiar synapses resembling the in vivo reciprocal dendrodendritic synapses. The use of these primary culture systems will facilitate the elucidation of mechanisms underlying olfactory functions.
 ...
PMID:A primary culture system of rat olfactory bulb forming many synapses similar to intact ones and spontaneously generating synchronous intracellular calcium oscillations. 1119 91

Orexins are expressed in neurons of the dorsolateral hypothalamus and their axons widely distribute throughout the central nervous system. The noradrenergic cell groups of the lower brainstem belong to the targets of these orexin projections. Double immunostainings for orexin and phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT), as well as orexin and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) were applied to demonstrate the orexinergic innervation of catecholamine cell groups in the lower brainstem of the mouse and the rat. In various densities, networks of orexin-positive fibers and terminals were present on neurons of each adrenaline (C1, C2, C3) and noradrenaline (locus coeruleus, A1, A2, A4, A5 and A7) cell groups. The most dense networks of orexin fibers and terminals were detected in the locus coeruleus, the subcoeruleus area, and in the nucleus of the solitary tract. By using confocal microscope to analyze triple immunostainings we could detect that about two-third of the orexin-PNMT or orexin-TH immunopositive close contacts contained synaptophysin (a presynapse-specific protein) in the C1, C2 and C3 adrenaline, or in the A1, A2 noradrenaline cell groups, respectively. Orexin-immunopositive axons in the C1, C2, as well as A1, A2 and A6 cell groups have been examined by an electron microscope. Relatively few asymmetrical (excitatory) synaptic contacts could be demonstrated between PNMT- or TH-positive dendrites and orexin terminals, although the vast majority of orexin-positive axons was located in juxtaposition to PNMT- or TH-positive neurons.
 ...
PMID:Interactions between orexin-immunoreactive fibers and adrenaline or noradrenaline-expressing neurons of the lower brainstem in rats and mice. 2043 98

Immunohistochemical investigation of the regional distribution of neuronal and glial elements in the barrels of somatic cortex was carried out in rats (n=10). High level of synaptophysin protein expression was detected in the in barrel walls together with the accumulation of astroglial cells in their central areas. Ultrastructural investigation of chemical synapse structure showed the predominance of asymmetrical perforated axospinous contacts, presumably of excitatory type. The symmetric inhibitory synapses were more frequently located in the barrel walls in the areas of the denser neuronal perikarya distribution, as well as on the large dendritic processes. The number of vertically oriented myelinated axons within the barrels was found to be significantly greater than the number of the horizontally oriented interneuronal circuits.
 ...
PMID:[Structural organization of the barrel cerebral cortex in rat (an immunohistochemical study)]. 2059 79

Ectopic adrenal cortical neoplasms are extremely rare; few involve the central nervous system (CNS). We report a 17-month-old girl with spinal adrenal cortical neoplasms. She was unable to crawl or stand and was irritable at night. Her appearance was asymmetrical; the right side of her face and her lower right leg were enlarged. In addition, she manifested hyperplasia of the thymus, fibrous hyperplasia of the bladder, and hamartoma in the liver. However, all abnormalities were asymptomatic. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed well-circumscribed masses within the dura mater at the T12-L1 and L3-L4 level. Histology disclosed that the lesions were composed of sheets and nests of round and polygonal cells with mostly round regular nuclei; eosinophilic to clear cytoplasm was abundant. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were strongly positive for inhibin-alpha, positive for synaptophysin and vimentin, and negative for GFAP, EMA, S-100, NSA, and chromogranin A. In addition, the nuclei stained positive for steroidogenic factor 1 (Ad4BP/SF-1), which is involved in adrenal steroidogenesis. This case confirms the occurrence of adrenocortical adenoma in the CNS. We suggest that this tumor should be considered in the differential diagnosis of CNS tumors.
 ...
PMID:Ectopic adrenal cortical adenoma in the spinal region: case report and review of the literature. 2104 15

Serotonin neurons arise from the brainstem raphe nuclei and send their projections throughout the brain to release 5-HT which acts as a modulator of several neuronal populations. Previous electron microscopy studies in rats have morphologically determined the distribution of 5-HT release sites (boutons) in certain brain regions and have shown that 5-HT containing boutons form synaptic contacts that are either symmetric or asymmetric. In addition, 5-HT boutons can form synaptic triads with the pre- and postsynaptic specializations of either symmetrical or asymmetrical synapses. However, due to the labor intensive processing of serial sections required by electron microscopy, little is known about the neurochemical properties or the quantitative distribution of 5-HT triads within whole brain or discrete subregions. Therefore, we used a semi-automated approach that combines immunohistochemistry and high-resolution confocal microscopy to label serotonin transporter (SERT) immunoreactive axons and reconstruct in 3D their distribution within limbic brain regions. We also used antibodies against key pre- (synaptophysin) and postsynaptic components of excitatory (PSD95) or inhibitory (gephyrin) synapses to (1) identify putative 5-HTergic boutons within SERT immunoreactive axons and, (2) quantify their close apposition to neurochemical excitatory or inhibitory synapses. We provide a 5-HTergic axon density map and have determined the ratio of synaptic triads consisting of a 5-HT bouton in close proximity to either neurochemical excitatory or inhibitory synapses within different limbic brain areas. The ability to model and map changes in 5-HTergic axonal density and the formation of triadic connectivity within whole brain regions using this rapid and quantitative approach offers new possibilities for studying neuroplastic changes in the 5-HTergic pathway.
 ...
PMID:Mapping the connectivity of serotonin transporter immunoreactive axons to excitatory and inhibitory neurochemical synapses in the mouse limbic brain. 2748 50