The link between an Nav1.7 mutation and erythromelalgia

Author(s):  
Bradley J. Kerr

The landmark paper discussed in this chapter is ‘Gain-of-function mutation in Nav1.7 in familial erythromelalgia induces bursting of sensory neurons’, published by Dib-Hajj et al. in 2005. The voltage-dependent sodium channels Nav1.7, Nav1.8, and Nav1.9 have a restricted pattern of expression in sensory neurons in the periphery and are concentrated in small nociceptive neurons of the dorsal root ganglion, the trigeminal ganglion, and the nodose ganglion. In this paper, Dib-Hajj and colleagues studied a family with erythromelalgia (Weir Mitchell disease), an autosomal-dominant, inherited pain disorder in which burning pain in the extremities can be triggered by warming of the skin or moderate exertion. By identifying a novel mutation in SCN9A, which encodes Nav1.7, they established the critical role of this specific ion channel in this patient population. These findings represent an important first step towards developing isoform-specific channel blockers for the treatment of an inherited chronic pain condition.

1988 ◽  
Vol 255 (4) ◽  
pp. E469-E474
Author(s):  
J. P. Kile ◽  
M. S. Amoss

It has been proposed that gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulates Ca2+ entry by activation of voltage-independent, receptor-mediated Ca2+ channels in the rat gonadotroph. Little work has been done on the role of calcium in GnRH-induced luteinizing hormone (LH) release in species other than the rat. Therefore, this study was done to compare the effects of agents that alter Ca2+ or Na+ entry on LH release from calf anterior pituitary primary cells in culture. GnRH (100 ng/ml), Ca2+ ionophore A23187 (2.5 microM), and the depolarizing agent ouabain (0.1-10 microM) all produced significant increases (P less than 0.05) in LH release; these effects were significantly reduced when the cells were preincubated with the organic Ca2+ channel blockers nifedipine (1-10 microM) and verapamil (1-10 microM) and with Co2+ (0.01-1 mM). The effect of ouabain was inhibited by tetrodotoxin (TTX; 1-10 nM) as well as by nifedipine at 0.1-10 microM. In contrast to its effect on rat pituitary LH release, TTX significantly inhibited GnRH-stimulated LH release at 1-100 nM. These results suggest that GnRH-induced LH release may employ Ca2+ as a second messenger in bovine gonadotrophs and support recent speculation that GnRH-induced Ca2+ mobilization may in part be voltage dependent.


1998 ◽  
Vol 274 (4) ◽  
pp. R1125-R1130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takahiro Nagayama ◽  
Kimiya Masada ◽  
Makoto Yoshida ◽  
Mizue Suzuki-Kusaba ◽  
Hiroaki Hisa ◽  
...  

We examined the role of K+ channels in the secretion of adrenal catecholamine (CA) in response to splanchnic nerve stimulation (SNS), acetylcholine (ACh), 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenyl-piperazinium (DMPP), and muscarine in anesthetized dogs. K+ channel blockers and the cholinergic agonists were infused and injected, respectively, into the adrenal gland. The voltage-dependent K+ channel (KA type) blocker mast cell degranulating (MCD) peptide infusion (10–100 ng/min) enhanced increases in CA output induced by SNS (1–3 Hz), but it did not affect increases in CA output induced by ACh (0.75–3 μg), DMPP (0.1–0.4 μg), or muscarine (0.5–2 μg). The small-conductance Ca2+-activated K+(SKCa) channel blocker scyllatoxin infusion (10–100 ng/min) enhanced the ACh-, DMPP-, and muscarine-induced increases in CA output, but it did not affect the SNS-induced increases in CA output. These results suggest that KA channels may play an inhibitory role in the regulation of adrenal CA secretion in response to SNS and that SKCa channels may play the same role in the secretion in response to exogenously applied cholinergic agonists.


2002 ◽  
Vol 283 (5) ◽  
pp. G1027-G1034 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Kurjak ◽  
A. Sennefelder ◽  
M. Aigner ◽  
V. Schusdziarra ◽  
H. D. Allescher

In enteric synaptosomes of the rat, the role of voltage-dependent Ca2+channels in K+-induced VIP release and nitric oxide (NO) synthesis was investigated. Basal VIP release was 39 ± 4 pg/mg, and cofactor-substituted NO synthase activity was 7.0 ± 0.8 fmol · mg−1 · min−1. K+ depolarization (65 mM) stimulated VIP release Ca2+ dependently (basal, 100%; K+, 172.2 ± 16.2%; P < 0.05, n = 5). K+-stimulated VIP release was reduced by blockers of the P-type (ω-agatoxin-IVA, 3 × 10−8 M) and N-type (ω-conotoxin-GVIA, 10−6 M) Ca2+ channels by ∼50 and 25%, respectively, but not by blockers of the L-type (isradipine, 10−8 M), Q-type (ω-conotoxin-MVIIC, 10−6 M), or T-type (Ni2+, 10−6 M) Ca2+ channels. In contrast, NO synthesis was suppressed by ω-agatoxin-IVA, ω-conotoxin-GVIA, and isradipine by ∼79, 70, and 70%, respectively, whereas Ni2+ and ω-conotoxin-MVIIC had no effect. These findings are suggestive of a coupling of depolarization-induced VIP release primarily to the P- and N-type Ca2+ channels, whereas NO synthesis is presumably dependent on Ca2+ influx not only via the P- and N- but also via the L-type Ca2+ channel. In contrast, none of the Ca2+ channel blockers affected VIP release evoked by exogenous NO, suggesting that NO induces VIP secretion by a different mechanism, presumably involving intracellular Ca2+ stores.


1999 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 447-454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trevor L. Tredway ◽  
Jian-Zhong Guo ◽  
Vincent A. Chiappinelli

N-type voltage-dependent calcium channels mediate the nicotinic enhancement of GABA release in chick brain. The role of voltage-dependent calcium channels (VDCCs) in the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR)-mediated enhancement of spontaneous GABAergic inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) was investigated in chick brain slices. Whole cell recordings of neurons in the lateral spiriform (SpL) and ventral lateral geniculate (LGNv) nuclei showed that cadmium chloride (CdCl2) blocked the carbachol-induced increase of spontaneous GABAergic IPSCs, indicating that VDCCs might be involved. To conclusively show a role for VDCCs, the presynaptic effect of carbachol on SpL and LGNv neurons was examined in the presence of selective blockers of VDCC subtypes. ω-Conotoxin GVIA, a selective antagonist of N-type channels, significantly reduced the nAChR-mediated enhancement of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) release in the SpL by 78% compared with control responses. Nifedipine, an L-type channel blocker, and ω-Agatoxin-TK, a P/Q-type channel blocker, did not inhibit the enhancement of GABAergic IPSCs. In the LGNv, ω-Conotoxin GVIA also significantly reduced the nAChR-mediated enhancement of GABA release by 71% from control values. Although ω-Agatoxin-TK did not block the nicotinic enhancement, L-type channel blockers showed complex effects on the nAChR-mediated enhancement. These results indicate that the nAChR-mediated enhancement of spontaneous GABAergic IPSCs requires activation of N-type channels in both the SpL and LGNv.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adeline Orts-Del’Immagine ◽  
Yasmine Cantaut-Belarif ◽  
Olivier Thouvenin ◽  
Julian Roussel ◽  
Asha Baskaran ◽  
...  

SummaryRecent evidence indicate active roles for the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) on body axis development and morphogenesis of the spine implying CSF-contacting neurons (CSF-cNs) in the spinal cord. CSF-cNs project a ciliated apical extension into the central canal that is enriched in the channel PKD2L1 and enables the detection of spinal curvature in a directional manner. Dorsolateral CSF-cNs ipsilaterally respond to lateral bending while ventral CSF-cNs respond to longitudinal bending. Historically, the implication of the Reissner fiber (RF), a long extracellular thread in the CSF, to CSF-cN sensory functions has remained a subject of debate. Here, we reveal using electron microscopy in zebrafish larvae that the RF is in close vicinity with cilia and microvilli of ventral and dorsolateral CSF-cNs. We investigate in vivo the role of cilia and the Reissner fiber in the mechanosensory functions of CSF-cNs by combining calcium imaging with patch-clamp recordings. We show that disruption of cilia motility affects CSF-cN sensory responses to passive and active curvature of the spinal cord without affecting the Pkd2l1 channel activity. Since ciliary defects alter the formation of the Reissner fiber, we investigated whether the Reissner fiber contributes to CSF-cN mechanosensitivity in vivo. Using a hypomorphic mutation in the scospondin gene that forbids the aggregation of SCO-spondin into a fiber, we demonstrate in vivo that the Reissner fiber per se is critical for CSF-cN mechanosensory function. Our study uncovers that neurons contacting the cerebrospinal fluid functionally interact with the Reissner fiber to detect spinal curvature in the vertebrate spinal cord.Abstract FigureeToCThe role of the Reissner fiber, a long extracellular thread running in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), has been since its discovery in 1860 a subject of debate. Orts-Del’Immagine et al. report that the Reissner fiber plays a critical role in the detection of spinal curvature by sensory neurons contacting the CSF.HighlightsSince its discovery, the role of the Reissner fiber has long been a subject of debateMechanoreception in CSF-contacting neurons (CSF-cNs) in vivo requires the Reissner fiberCSF-cN apical extension is in close vicinity of the Reissner fiberCSF-cNs and the Reissner fiber form in vivo a sensory organ detecting spinal curvature


2001 ◽  
Vol 85 (1) ◽  
pp. 362-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-Hong Zhang ◽  
J. L. Kenyon ◽  
G. D. Nicol

The whole cell patch-clamp technique was used to examine the effects of protein kinase C (PKC) activation (via the phorbol ester, phorbol 12,13 dibutyrate, PDBu) on the modulation of potassium currents ( I K) in cultured capsaicin-sensitive neurons isolated from dorsal root ganglia from embryonic rat pups and grown in culture. PDBu, in a concentration- and time-dependent manner, reduced I K measured at +60 mV by ∼30% if the holding potential ( V h) was −20 or −47 mV but had no effect if V h was −80 mV. The PDBu-induced inhibition of I K was blocked by pretreatment with the PKC inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide I and I K was unaffected by 4-α phorbol, indicating that the suppression of I Kwas mediated by PKC. The inhibition of I K by 100 nM PDBu at a V h of −50 mV was reversed over several minutes if V h was changed to −80 mV. In addition, intracellular perfusion with 5 mM bis-( o-aminophenoxy)- N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid (BAPTA) or pretreatment with ω-conotoxin GVIA or Cd2+-Ringer, but not nifedipine, prevented the PDBu-induced suppression of I K at −50 mV, suggesting that a voltage-dependent influx of calcium through N-type calcium channels was necessary for the activation of PKC. The potassium channel blockers tetraethylammonium (TEA, 10 mM) and 4-aminopyridine (4-AP, 3 mM and 30 μM) reduced I K, but only TEA attenuated the ability of PDBu to further inhibit the current, suggesting that the I K modified by PDBu was sensitive to TEA. Interestingly, in the presence of 3 mM or 30 μM 4-AP, 100 nM PDBu inhibited I K when V h was −80 mV. Thus 4-AP promotes the capacity of PDBu to reduce I K at −80 mV. We find that activation of PKC inhibits I K in rat sensory neurons and that voltage-dependent calcium entry is necessary for the development and maintenance of this inhibition.


2008 ◽  
Vol 586 (15) ◽  
pp. 3629-3638 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoav Noam ◽  
Wytse J. Wadman ◽  
Johannes A. Van Hooft

2021 ◽  
Vol 153 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicoletta Savalli ◽  
Marina Angelini ◽  
Federica Steccanella ◽  
Julian Wier ◽  
Fenfen Wu ◽  
...  

Initiation of skeletal muscle contraction is triggered by rapid activation of RYR1 channels in response to sarcolemmal depolarization. RYR1 is intracellular and has no voltage-sensing structures, but it is coupled with the voltage-sensing apparatus of CaV1.1 channels to inherit voltage sensitivity. Using an opto-electrophysiological approach, we resolved the excitation-driven molecular events controlling both CaV1.1 and RYR1 activations, reported as fluorescence changes. We discovered that each of the four human CaV1.1 voltage-sensing domains (VSDs) exhibits unique biophysical properties: VSD-I time-dependent properties were similar to ionic current activation kinetics, suggesting a critical role of this voltage sensor in CaV1.1 activation; VSD-II, VSD-III, and VSD-IV displayed faster activation, compatible with kinetics of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release. The prominent role of VSD-I in governing CaV1.1 activation was also confirmed using a naturally occurring, charge-neutralizing mutation in VSD-I (R174W). This mutation abolished CaV1.1 current at physiological membrane potentials by impairing VSD-I activation without affecting the other VSDs. Using a structurally relevant allosteric model of CaV activation, which accounted for both time- and voltage-dependent properties of CaV1.1, to predict VSD-pore coupling energies, we found that VSD-I contributed the most energy (~75 meV or ∼3 kT) toward the stabilization of the open states of the channel, with smaller (VSD-IV) or negligible (VSDs II and III) energetic contribution from the other voltage sensors (&lt;25 meV or ∼1 kT). This study settles the longstanding question of how CaV1.1, a slowly activating channel, can trigger RYR1 rapid activation, and reveals a new mechanism for voltage-dependent activation in ion channels, whereby pore opening of human CaV1.1 channels is primarily driven by the activation of one voltage sensor, a mechanism distinct from that of all other voltage-gated channels.


2015 ◽  
Vol 118 (12) ◽  
pp. 1533-1543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun-Chun Hsu ◽  
Lu-Yuan Lee

Both transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) and vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) receptors are abundantly expressed in bronchopulmonary C-fiber sensory nerves and can be activated by a number of endogenous inflammatory mediators. A recent study has reported a synergistic effect of simultaneous TRPA1 and TRPV1 activations in vagal pulmonary C-fiber afferents in anesthetized rats, but its underlying mechanism was not known. This study aimed to characterize a possible interaction between these two TRP channels and to investigate the potential role of Ca2+ as a mediator of this interaction in isolated rat vagal pulmonary sensory neurons. Using the perforated patch-clamp recording technique, our study demonstrated a distinct positive interaction occurring abruptly between TRPA1 and TRPV1 when they were activated simultaneously by their respective agonists, capsaicin (Cap) and allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), at near-threshold concentrations in these neurons. AITC at this low concentration evoked only minimal or undetectable responses, but it markedly amplified the Cap-evoked current in the same neurons. This potentiating effect was eliminated when either AITC or Cap was replaced by non-TRPA1 and non-TRPV1 chemical activators of these neurons, demonstrating the selectivity of the interaction between these two TRP channels. Furthermore, when Ca2+ was removed from the extracellular solution, the synergistic effect of Cap and AITC on pulmonary sensory neurons was completely abrogated, clearly indicating a critical role of Ca2+ in mediating the action. These results suggest that this TRPA1-TRPV1 interaction may play a part in regulating the sensitivity of pulmonary sensory neurons during airway inflammatory reaction.


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