Co-expression Of Synaptophysin Research Articles

Neuron-like Differentiation and Selective Ablation of Undifferentiated Embryonic Stem Cells Containing Suicide Gene with Oct-4 Promoter

In vivo transplantation of undifferentiated embryonic stem (ES) cells can produce teratomas with uncontrolled cell proliferation. Although ES cells may be attractive candidates for human cell-replacement therapy in the future, the major limitation of its application to the therapy is teratoma formation. In the present study, ES cells containing herpes simplex virus-thymidine kinase (HSV-tk) transgene for a suicide gene expression under the control of the Oct-4 promoter was used for ablation of undifferentiated ES cells, which may produce teratomas, using three-dimensional cell culture system allowing a multilayer cell construct. Selective ablation of undifferentiated ES cells expressing HSV-tk gene under the control of Oct-4 promoter was achieved by ganciclovir treatment. Surviving ES cells after ganciclovir treatment expressed several neuron-associated markers such as synaptophysin, beta-tubulin, vesicular glutamate transporter 1, syntaxin, protein kinase C and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) but not Oct-4. Coexpression of synaptophysin as a marker of neuronal synapse and GFAP as that of glial fibers in the surviving ES cells revealed finely structured neuronal network. Furthermore, decrease of Ki-67 proliferative index was detected in the surviving ES cells. In conclusion, selective ablation of undifferentiated ES cells by a suicide gene decreases proliferative activity and induces neuron-like differentiation in ES cells.

A mutant impaired in SNARE complex dissociation identifies the plasma membrane as first target of synaptobrevin 2.

Membrane fusion depends on the formation of a complex of four SNARE motifs, three that bear a central glutamine and are localized in the target membrane (t-SNARE) and one that bears an arginine and is localized in the donor vesicle (v-SNARE). We have characterized the arginine 56 to proline mutant (R56P) of synaptobrevin-2 (Sb). SbR56P was blocked at the plasma membrane in association with the endogenous plasma membrane t-SNARE due to an inhibition of SNARE complex dissociation, suggesting that the plasma membrane is its first target. Cell surface blockade of SbR56P could be rescued by coexpression of synaptophysin, a partner of Sb. Sb was blocked at the plasma membrane but SNARE complexes were unaffected in cells expressing defective dynamin, indicating that the phenotype of SbR56P was not due to an internalization defect. When expressed in neurons, SbR56P localized both to axonal and dendritic plasma membranes, showing that both domains are initial targets of Sb. The R56P mutation affects a highly conserved position in v-SNAREs, and might thus provide a general tool for identifying their first target membranes.