Gene Expression of KA Type and NMDA Receptors and of a Glycine Transporter in the Rat Pineal Gland

Sato, Kohji; Kiyama, Hiroshi; Shimada, Shoichi; Tohyama, Masaya

doi:10.1159/000126515

Cited by 22 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…This contrasts with the total lack of AMPA-type receptor expression reported in the pineal gland of the rat [7], However, low levels of subunit expres sion in individual cells of small size, like sparsely distrib uted glial cells, may have not been detected by the situ hybridization histochemistry in this species. In the pri mate pineal gland, the unique presence of GluRl charac terizes glial cells in the distal part while GluR4 character izes glial cells mainly located in the proximal part as well as astrocytic processes within the distal part.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 75%

“…The absence of expression of AMPA-type receptor sub unit reported in the pineal gland of the rat by in situ hybridization suggests that the lack of AMPA-type recep tors in pinealocytes is a common trait in mammals [7], However, AMPA-sensitive glutamate binding sites have been described in the rat pineal gland [5]. This discrepan cy between data obtained in the rat may be related to low levels of AM PA receptor subunit expression that have not been detected using oligonucleotidic probes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, their physiologi cal role and their cellular targets in the pineal gland are not known. In the rat pineal gland, the excitatory neu rotransmitter glutamate is present in the pinealocytes, mainly at the level of synaptic ribbons, as well as in glial cells, neural elements and endothelial cells [3,4], Glutamate inhibits NE-stimulated melatonin synthesis in isolated superfused rat pineal gland [5,6], In situ hybridization studies recently reported that several glu tamate receptor subunits are expressed throughout the rat pineal gland [7][8][9], However, only a single type of glutamate binding site has been pharmacologically char acterized [10], The binding of glutamate to this site is preferentially displayed by a-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate (AMPA), a glutamate receptor agonist that inhibits NE-induced melatonin synthesis in vitro [5], Similarly, the bovine pineal gland exhibits a glutamate binding site that is insensitive to the gluta mate receptor agonists N-methyl-Z)-aspartate (NMDA) and kainate and displays high affinity for quisqualate [11], a strong agonist of the AMPA-gated glutamate receptor subtype. These observations suggest that gluta mate plays a specific role via glutamate receptors of the AMPA subtype in the control of the secretory activity of the mammalian pineal gland.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Non-N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Glutamate Receptors in Glial Cells and Neurons of the Pineal Gland in a Higher Primate

Mick¹

1995

Neuroendocrinology

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A role for glutamate in signalling mechanisms in the mammalian pineal gland is suggested by the high concentration of the transmitter in pinealocytes and the expression of glutamate receptor subunits in the rat gland. A single type of glutamate binding site has been characterized in the rat and bovine pineal gland, preferentially sensitive to the glutamate agonist α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate (AMPA), a potent inhibitor of melatonin synthesis in vitro. In order to investigate the anatomical basis of a putative role of glutamate in the pineal gland of a higher primate, we performed an immuno-histochemical analysis of the cellular localization of AMPA-type glutamate receptor subunits in the pineal gland of the macaque. Staining obtained with an antibody specific to GluRl receptor sub unit showed that this subunit is present in interstitial cells and astrocyte-like cells located in the parenchyma of the distal part of the gland. An antibody specific to GluR4 subunit stained astrocyte-like cells throughout the gland, however mainly in the proximal part, as well as a network of thin and long astrocytic-like processes located exclusively in the distal part of the gland. Staining obtained with an antibody recognizing both GluR2 and GluR3 subunits and the variant GluR4c exhibits a neuropilar-like pattern heterogeneously distributed throughout the gland. The three antibodies stained neuronal-like cells located mainly in the central part of the gland. These findings reveal that in the primate pineal gland, glutamate can act on glial cells via AMPA-gated receptor channels in unusual subunit configurations that likely underly high calcium permeability. Glutamate-induced responses in astrocytes may either regulate glutamatergic transmission by a stimulation of glutamate transport or modulate pinealocyte activity. Based on the existence of distinct glial subpopulations characterized by the differential distribution of AMPA-type receptor subunits, the anatomical division of the pineal gland into proximal and distal parts indicates a functional partition of the gland in higher primates. Intrapineal neuronal-like cells bearing AMPA-type receptors similar to those present in central neurons may be targets of a glutamatergic central neural input or of neighboring pinealocytes.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 75%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Non-N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Glutamate Receptors in Glial Cells and Neurons of the Pineal Gland in a Higher Primate

Mick¹

1995

Neuroendocrinology

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“…The class I mGluR5 receptor is also present in pineal cells and triggers Ca 2ϩ efflux from intracellular stores Pabst and Redecker, 1999). Other ionotropic Glu receptors have also been reported in the pineal glands of several species (Sato et al, 1993;Mick, 1995;Yatsushiro et al, 2000). In the rat pineal gland GluR1 is functionally expressed in pinealocytes and may participate in a Ca 2ϩ -signaling cascade that enhances and expands the Gluergic signal throughout the pineal gland (Yatsushiro et al, 2000).…”

Section: B Other Nonadrenergic Nonpeptidergic Transmitters Of the Pmentioning

confidence: 99%

Generation of the Melatonin Endocrine Message in Mammals: A Review of the Complex Regulation of Melatonin Synthesis by Norepinephrine, Peptides, and Other Pineal Transmitters

2003

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“…On stimulation of the receptor, Ca 2+ was released from internal stores, possibly from the endoplasmic reticulum, resulting in a transient increase of intracellular [Ca 2+ ] (Yatsushiro et al, 1999). In the case of ionotropic receptors, the presence of mRNAs and of some of the subunit proteins of three classes of receptor, i.e., NMDA‐, kainate‐, and α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA)‐type receptors, has been shown in pineal glands (Sato et al, 1993; Toole et al, 1993; Wisden and Seeburg, 1993; Petralia et al, 1994; Mick, 1995; Moller et al, 1995). Very recently it was found that only the AMPA‐type glutamate receptor type 1 subunit was functionally expressed in pinealocytes (Yatsushiro et al, 2000).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Glutamate Receptor Subunit δ2 Is Highly Expressed in a Novel Population of Glial‐Like Cells in Rat Pineal Glands in Culture

Yatsushiro

Hayashi

Morita

et al. 2000

Journal of Neurochemistry

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Abstract:The mammalian pineal gland uses L-glutamate as an intercellular chemical transmitter to regulate negatively melatonin synthesis. To receive glutamate signals, pinealocytes express at least three kinds of glutamate receptors: metabotropic receptor types 3 and 5 and an ionotropic receptor, GluR1. In this study, we examined whether or not the fourth class of ionotropic receptor, ␦, which is known for its nondefinitive molecular function and its unique expression pattern in brain, is expressed in pineal gland. RT-PCR analyses with specific probes indicated the expression of mRNA of ␦2 but not that of ␦1 in pineal gland and cultured pineal cells. Western blotting analysis with polyclonal antibodies specific to the carboxyl-terminal region of the ␦2 receptor recognized a single 110-kDa polypeptide of cerebellar membranes and specifically immunostained Purkinje cells. The ␦2 antibodies recognized a 110-kDa polypeptide of pineal membranes and specifically immunostained huge glial-like cells with the occasional presence of several long, branching processes in a pineal cell culture. ␦2 is not uniformly distributed throughout the cells and is relatively abundant at the periphery of the cell bodies and long processes, where the terminals of synaptophysin-positive processes of pinealocytes, a site for glutamate secretion, are frequently present. The ␦2-positive cells constitute a very minor population among total pineal cells (ϳ0.03%). Double immunolabeling with ␦2 antibodies and antibodies against marker proteins for pineal interstitial cells clearly distinguishes ␦2-positive pineal cells and other known interstitial cells, including glial fibrillary acidic proteinor vimentin-positive glial-like cells. These results indicated that the ␦2 glutamate receptor is expressed in a novel subpopulation of pineal glial-like cells in culture and suggest the presence of a glutamate-mediated intercellular signal transduction mechanism between pinealocytes and ␦2-expressing cells. The pineal cells may provide a good experimental system for studies on the function of glutamate receptor ␦2.

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Gene Expression of KA Type and NMDA Receptors and of a Glycine Transporter in the Rat Pineal Gland

Cited by 22 publications

References 17 publications

Non-N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Glutamate Receptors in Glial Cells and Neurons of the Pineal Gland in a Higher Primate

Non-N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Glutamate Receptors in Glial Cells and Neurons of the Pineal Gland in a Higher Primate

Generation of the Melatonin Endocrine Message in Mammals: A Review of the Complex Regulation of Melatonin Synthesis by Norepinephrine, Peptides, and Other Pineal Transmitters

Glutamate Receptor Subunit δ2 Is Highly Expressed in a Novel Population of Glial‐Like Cells in Rat Pineal Glands in Culture

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