Signal Amplification Mechanism Research Articles

Switching between cortical and subcortical sensorimotor pathways

It is well known that the reaction times of visually guided saccades exhibit a bimodal distribution. Those with extremely short reaction times are termed 'express saccades'. In their case, visual input appears to be transformed into motor output via a 'short-loop', brainstem-mediated pathway. In contrast, those with longer reaction times are called 'regular saccades'. The latter are presumably executed via a cortically mediated, 'long-loop' sensorimotor pathway. The 'gate' that switches signal flow between the short and long loop is thought to be located in between the superficial and deeper layers of the superior colliculus (SC). Nonlinear signal amplification mechanisms, which operate in local circuits of the deeper SC layers may underlie this gating function, with switching of the gate regulated in a context-dependent manner by inputs from the cerebral cortex and basal ganglia.

DNA detection and signal amplification via an engineered allosteric enzyme.

Rapid, sensitive, and sequence-specific DNA detection can be achieved in one step using an engineered intrasterically regulated enzyme. The semi-synthetic inhibitor-DNA-enzyme (IDE) construct (left) rests in the inactive state but upon exposure to a complementary DNA sequence undergoes a DNA hybridization-triggered allosteric enzyme activation (right). The ensuing rapid substrate turnover provides the built-in signal amplification mechanism for detecting approximately 10 fmol DNA in less than 3 min under physiological conditions.

Unexpected virilization in male mice lacking steroid 5 alpha-reductase enzymes.

Mice lacking steroid 5 alpha-reductase 1 and 2 were produced by gene targeting and breeding. Male mice without 5 alpha-reductase 2 or without both enzymes had fully formed internal and external genitalia and were fertile, but had smaller prostates and seminal vesicles than controls. T accumulated to high levels in the reproductive tissues of the mutant mice. DHT administration increased seminal vesicle and coagulating gland weights in mice deficient in 5 alpha-reductase 2 and increased the weights of the prostate, seminal vesicle, and coagulating gland in animals deficient in both enzymes. An inhibitor of both 5 alpha-reductases (GI 208335X) decreased prostate and coagulating gland weights of control mice, but had no effect in those lacking 5 alpha-reductase 1 and 2. Castration reduced the sizes of these tissues in animals of all genotypes. Androgen-dependent gene expression was decreased in the seminal vesicles of mice lacking one or more 5 alpha-reductases and was restored by administration of T or DHT. Female mice missing both enzymes exhibited parturition and fecundity defects similar to those of animals without 5 alpha-reductase 1. We conclude that T is the only androgen required for differentiation of the male urogenital tract in mice and that the synthesis of DHT serves largely as a signal amplification mechanism.

Optically active dendrimers with a binaphthyl core and phenylene dendrons: light harvesting and enantioselective fluorescent sensing.

Optically active dendrimers containing a 1,1'-binaphthyl core and cross-conjugated phenylene dendrons were synthesized and characterized. The chiral optical properties of these phenylene-based dendrimers are different from the previously reported phenyleneethynylene-based dendrimers probably because of the increased steric interaction between the adjacent phenylene units. UV and fluorescence spectroscopic studies demonstrate that the energy harvested by the periphery of the dendrimers can be efficiently transferred to the more conjugated core, generating much enhanced fluorescence signal at higher generation. The fluorescence of these dendrimers can be quenched both efficiently and enantioselectively by chiral amino alcohols. The energy migration and light-harvesting effects of the dendrimers make the higher generation dendrimer more sensitive to fluorescent quenchers than the lower ones. Thus, the dendritic structure provides a signal amplification mechanism. These materials are potentially useful in the enantioselective recognition of chiral organic molecules.

Dynamic properties of retino-geniculate synapses in the cat.

Simultaneous recordings from relay cells in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and their retinal afferents were used to examine the rules governing the transmission of spikes across the retino-geniculate synapse. Retinal spikes that terminate short retinal interspike intervals are much more likely to be transmitted across the synapse than spikes terminating longer intervals. This facilitation can be observed for interspike intervals as long as 50 ms when retinal firing rates are low, but the range of effective intervals decreases exponentially as retinal firing rate increases. Contribution, the fraction of LGN spikes triggered by an individual retinal afferent, is typically much higher during visual stimulation than during maintained activity, and these differences are unrelated to presynaptic or postsynaptic firing rate. It is suggested that this effect is a manifestation of increased synchronization of spikes among retinal afferents to the geniculate cell during structured visual stimulation, and that this synchronization offers a means of enhancing signal-to-noise ratio at the retino-geniculate synapse. Cross-correlograms between geniculate burst spikes and retinal afferents often contain two distinct peaks; a short latency peak that results from direct coupling between burst spikes and retinal input spikes, and a longer latency peak that represents indirect coupling in which retinal spikes trigger the calcium spike underlying the burst. Direct coupling is most likely to occur for the later spikes in the burst, and is present regardless of whether the calcium spike underlying the burst is triggered by the same or a different retinal afferent. These results further illuminate the relationship between tonic and burst modes of retino-geniculate transmission and indicate that bursts in LGN relay cells can be viewed as a mechanism of signal amplification, producing signals whose timing is potentially related to the temporal structure of a stimulus, independent of presynaptic and postsynaptic firing rate. This mechanism also appears to capitalize on the synchronization that is present among parallel retinal afferents to a geniculate cell.

Utilization of a receptor reserve for effective amplification of mitogenic signaling by an epidermal growth factor mutant deficient in receptor activation.

The idea of a receptor reserve in mediating cellular function is well known but direct biochemical evidence has not been easy to obtain. This study stems from our results showing that L15 of epidermal growth factor (EGF) is important in both EGF receptor (EGFR) binding and activation, and the L15A analog of human EGF (hEGF) partially uncouples EGFR binding from EGFR activation (Nandagopal et al., [1996] Protein Engng 9:781-788). We address the cellular mechanism of mitogenic signal amplification by EGFR tyrosine kinase in response to L15A hEGF. L15A is partially impaired in receptor dimerization, shown by chemical cross-linking and allosteric activation of EGFR in a substrate phosphorylation assay. Immunoprecipitation experiments reveal, however, that L15A can induce EGFR autophosphorylation in intact murine keratinocytes by utilizing spare receptors, the ratio of total phosphotyrosine content per receptor being significantly lower than that elicited by wild-type. This direct biochemical evidence, based on function, of utilization of a receptor reserve for kinase stimulation suggests that an EGF variant can activate varying receptor numbers to generate the same effective response. L15A-activated receptors can stimulate mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) that is important for mitogenesis. The lack of linear correlation between levels of receptor dimerization, autophosphorylation, and MAPK activation suggests that signal amplification is mediated by cooperative effects. Flow cytometric analyses show that the percentages of cells which proliferate in response to 1 nM L15A and their rate of entry into S-phase are both decreased relative to 1 nM wild-type, indicating that MAPK activation alone is insufficient for maximal stimulation of mitogenesis. Higher concentrations of L15A reverse this effect, indicating that L15A and wild-type differ in the number of receptors each activates to induce the threshold response, which may be attained by cooperative activation of receptor dimers/oligomers by van der Waal's weak forces of attraction. The maintenance of a receptor reserve underscores an effective strategy in cell survival.

Double-labeled donor probe can enhance the signal of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) in detection of nucleic acid hybridization.

A set of fluorescently-labeled DNA probes that hybridize with the target RNA and produce fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) signals can be utilized for the detection of specific RNA. We have developed probe sets to detect and discriminate single-strand RNA molecules of plant viral genome, and sought a method to improve the FRET signals to handle in vivo applications. Consequently, we found that a double-labeled donor probe labeled with Bodipy dye yielded a remarkable increase in fluorescence intensity compared to a single-labeled donor probe used in an ordinary FRET. This double-labeled donor system can be easily applied to improve various FRET probes since the dependence upon sequence and label position in enhancement is not as strict. Furthermore this method could be applied to other nucleic acid substances, such as oligo RNA and phosphorothioate oligonucleotides (S-oligos) to enhance FRET signal. Although the double-labeled donor probes labeled with a variety of fluorophores had unexpected properties (strange UV-visible absorption spectra, decrease of intensity and decay of donor fluorescence) compared with single-labeled ones, they had no relation to FRET enhancement. This signal amplification mechanism cannot be explained simply based on our current results and knowledge of FRET. Yet it is possible to utilize this double-labeled donor system in various applications of FRET as a simple signal-enhancement method.

Antigen receptor signaling: integration of protein tyrosine kinase functions.

Antigen receptors on T and B cells function to transduce signals leading to a variety of biologic responses minimally including antigen receptor editing, apoptotic death, developmental progression, cell activation, proliferation and survival. The response to antigen depends upon antigen affinity and valence, involvement of coreceptors in signaling and differentiative stage of the responding cell. The requirement that these receptors integrate signals that drive an array of responses may explain their evolved structural complexity. Antigen receptors are composed of multiple subunits compartmentalized to provide antigen recognition and signal transduction function. In lieu of on-board enzymatic activity these receptors rely on associated Protein Tyrosine Kinases (PTKs) for their signaling function. By aggregating the receptors, and hence their appended PTKs, antigens induce PTK transphosphorylation, activating them to phosphorylate the receptor within conserved motifs termed Immunoreceptor Tyrosine-based Activation Motifs (ITAMs) found in transducer subunits. The tyrosyl phosphorylated ITAMs then interact with Src Homology 2 (SH2) domains within the PTKs leading to their further activation. As receptor phosphorylation is amplified, other effectors, such as Shc, dock by virtue of SH2 binding, and serve, in-turn, as substrates for these PTKs. This sequence of events not only provides a signal amplification mechanism by combining multiple consecutive steps with positive feedback, but also allows for signal diversification by differential recruitment of effectors that provide access to distinct parallel downstream signaling pathways. The subject of antigen receptor signaling has been recently reviewed in depth (DeFranco, 1997; Kurosaki, 1997). Here we discuss the biochemical basis of antigen receptor signal transduction, using the B cell receptor (BCR) as a paradigm, with specific emphasis on the involved PTKs. We review several specific mechanisms by which responses through these receptors are propagated and modified by accessory molecules, and discuss how signal amplification and diversification are achieved.

How a sex pheromone might act at a concentration below 10(-16) M.

The sex-inducing pheromone of Volvox carteri is a glycoprotein that triggers development of males and females at a concentration below 10(-16) M. Evidence is presented for the existence of a novel mechanism of signal amplification operating within the extracellular matrix of this multicellular organism. A family of 70 kDa matrix glycoproteins denoted pherophorins bear a C-terminal domain being homologous to the sex-inducing pheromone. Under the influence of the pheromone, this domain is liberated by highly specific proteolysis.

Regulation of retinal cGMP cascade by phosducin in bovine rod photoreceptor cells. Interaction of phosducin and transducin.

Photoexcitation of retinal rod photoreceptor cells involves the activation of cGMP enzyme cascade in which sequential activation of rhodopsin, transducin, and the cGMP phosphodiesterase in the rod outer segment constitutes the signal amplification mechanism. Phosducin, a 33-kDa phosphoprotein, has been shown to form a tight complex with the T beta gamma subunit of transducin. In this study, we examined the interaction of phosducin-T beta gamma and the possible regulatory role of phosducin on the cGMP cascade. Addition of phosducin to photolyzed rod outer segment (ROS) membrane reduced the GTP hydrolysis activity of transducin as well as the subsequent activation of the cGMP phosphodiesterase. Phosducin also inhibited the pertussis toxin-catalyzed ADP-ribosylation of transducin, indicating that the interaction between the T alpha and T beta gamma subunits of transducin was interrupted upon binding of phosducin. The inhibitory effects of phosducin were reversed by the addition of exogenous T beta gamma. These results suggest that phosducin is capable of regulating the amount of T beta gamma available to interact with T alpha to form the active transducin complex and thereby functions as a negative regulator of the cGMP cascade. The phosducin-induced alteration of the subunit organization of transducin was examined by chemical cross-linking method using para-phenyl dimaleimide as cross-linker. It was found that the cross-linking among T alpha and T beta gamma was blocked in the presence of phosducin. This result implies that T beta gamma may undergo a conformational change upon phosducin binding which leads to the release of T alpha. Since phosducin is a soluble protein, the interaction with transducin only occurs when transducin is dissociated from ROS disc membrane. Indeed, phosducin failed to dissociate membrane-bound transducin and did not inhibit the initial cycle of transducin activation as measured by the presteady state GTP hydrolysis. However, phosducin interacts effectively with transducin released into solution after the initial activation and blocks the re-binding of T alpha. T beta gamma to ROS membrane by forming a tight complex with T beta gamma. This interaction may play an important role in regulating the turnover of the cGMP cascade in photoreceptor cells.

The signal for glucose repression of the lactose-galactose regulon is amplified through subtle modulation of transcription of the Kluyveromyces lactis Kl-GAL4 activator gene.

Induction of the lactose-galactose regulon is strongly repressed by glucose in some but not all strains of Kluyveromyces lactis. We show here that in strongly repressed strains, two to three times less Kl-GAL4 mRNA is synthesized and that expression of structural genes in the regulon such as LAC4, the structural gene for beta-galactosidase, is down regulated 40-fold or more. Comparative analysis of strains having a strong or weak repression phenotype revealed a two-base difference in the promoter of the Kl-GAL4 (also called LAC9) positive regulatory gene. This two-base difference is responsible for the strong versus the weak repression phenotype. The two base changes are symmetrically located in a DNA sequence having partial twofold rotational symmetry (14 of 21 bases). We hypothesize that this region functions as a sensitive regulatory switch, an upstream repressor sequence (URS). According to our model, the presence of glucose in the culture medium signals, by an unidentified pathway, a repressor protein to bind the URS. Binding reduces transcription of the Kl-GAL4 gene so that the concentration of the Kl-GAL4 protein falls below the level needed for induction of LAC4 and other genes in the regulon. For strains showing weak glucose repression, we hypothesize that the two base changes in the URS reduce repressor binding so that the regulon is not repressed. Our results illustrate an important principle of genetic regulation: a small (2- to 3-fold) change in the concentration of a regulatory protein can produce a large (40-fold or greater) change in expression of structural genes. This mechanism of signal amplification could play a role in many biological phenomena that require regulated transcription.

Intracellular Signal Transduction and Amplification Mechanisms in the Regulation of Oocyte Maturation

Meiotic cell division can be induced by various extracellular signals in different organisms. The inducing signals interact with surface receptors. The signal is transduced across the oocyte plasma membrane, into the cytoplasm, where it is amplified by protein phosphorylation. Maturation-promoting factor appears in all meiotic and mitotic cells and is associated with protein phosphorylation. Cells use at least two systems for the activation of protein phosphorylation in response to extracellular stimuli: direct activation of a receptor-associated protein kinase and indirect activation via guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G-proteins). G-proteins indirectly activate or inhibit protein kinases dependent on cAMP, Ca2+, or diacylglycerol. Oocytes appear to use each of these signals and several different kinases to regulate meiotic cell division. The evidence for the involvement of each of these cellular signal transduction and amplification mechanisms in the regulation of meiotic cell division is discussed. Models are presented to account for possible interactions between various positive and negative modulators.

β-Galactosidase-induced destabilization of liposome composed of phosphatidylethanolamine and ganglioside G M1

A novel type of liposome bilayer destabilization catalyzed by the enzyme, β-galactosidase, is described. Unsaturated phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), an H II-phase-forming lipid, does not form stable liposomes at physiological temperature and pH. However, stable unilamellar lipomosomes can be prepared by mixing PE with a minimum of 5 mol% ganglioside G M1, a micellar-phase-forming lipid. Treatment of these G M1/PE liposomes with β-galactosidase induces a rapid leakage (3–6 min) of the entrapped fluorescent dye, calcein. The studies indicate that liposome destabilization is the result of catalytic degradation of G M1, rather than a stoichiometric binding of G M1 by β-galactosidase. Kinetic data indicate that the destabilization takes place via liposome collision. This simple, rapid method of liposome destabilization by β-galactosidase will be useful in designing a liposome-based signal amplification mechanism for assays involving enzymes.

A homogeneous, liposome-based signal amplification for assays involving enzymes.

Exploiting the fact that phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) liposome can be stabilized by a membrane lipid or protein, and that destruction of this stabilizer leads to rapid lysis of the liposome, we have designed a liposome-based signal enhancement mechanism for assays that involve enzyme as the final read-out step. Stable liposomes with entrapped glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) were prepared with unsaturated PE stabilized with 5 mol percent of ganglioside GM1. Addition of beta-galactosidase caused rapid (3-5 min) lysis of liposomes, revealing the latent G6PDH activity, owing to the enzymatic degalactosylation of GM1. We have used Microgenic's CEDIA assay for digoxin as an example. The magnitude of signal was 25 mA/min per microgram of digoxin per liter for the unamplified assay and 1000 mA/min per microgram of digoxin per liter for the liposome-enhanced assay--i.e., a 40-fold amplification. This simple, rapid, and homogeneous signal-amplification mechanism is likely to be useful in many enzyme-dependent assays, such as ELISA, CEDIA, gene-probe assays, and immunoliposome assays.

Long-latency reflexes and motor control: [formula omitted] (NIH Clinical Center, Bldg. 10, Rm. 5N226, Bethesda, MD 20892, U.S.A.)

It is well known that the reaction times of visually guided saccades exhibit a bimodal distribution. Those with extremely short reaction times are termed ‘express saccades’. In their case, visual input appears to be transformed into motor output via a ‘short-loop’, brainstem-mediated pathway. In contrast, those with longer reaction times are called ‘regular saccades’. The latter are presumably executed via a cortically mediated, ‘long-loop’ sensorimotor pathway. The ‘gate’ that switches signal flow between the short and long loop is thought to be located in between the superficial and deeper layers of the superior colliculus (SC). Nonlinear signal amplification mechanisms, which operate in local circuits of the deeper SC layers may underlie this gating function, with switching of the gate regulated in a context-dependent manner by inputs from the cerebral cortex and basal ganglia.

LIGHT‐INDUCED CAROTENE SYNTHESIS IN MUTANTS OF PHYCOMYCES WITH ABNORMAL PHOTOTROPISM

Abstract—Mutants of Phycomyces. abnormal in their phototropic responses (the mad mutants), have been tested for their responses in light‐induced carotene synthesis (LICS). The amount of carotene synthesized at any given fluence is significantly lower in the madA, madB and madD mutants than in the wild type. The amount of carotene is not lower in other mad mutants (madC, madE, madF and madG). The double mutant mad A madB and the triple mutant mad A madB madC show stronger effects. The wild type strain, as well as those carrying a single mad mutation (madA and madB) or those carrying two or three mad mutations (madA madB. madA madB madC) show closely similar sensitivity to LICS. This contrasts with phototropism and photoinitiation of sporangiophores which are sensitive to extremely small signals in the wild type and in which the madA mutation decreases the sensitivity by nearly a factor of 104 and madB mutation by a factor of 105. It appears that LICS does not share the signal amplification mechanisms characteristic of the other two responses.