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Modulation of synaptic transmission, studies on spinal cord slices in vitro
Mrózková, Petra ; Paleček, Jiří (advisor) ; Krůšek, Jan (referee)
Modulation of a synaptic transmission in the spinal cord dorsal horn plays a key role in nociceptive signalling, especially in states of pathological pain. The goal of this study was to develop a method for calcium imaging in spinal cord slices in vitro. This method allowed us to record changes of intracellular free calcium ions concentration (iCa2+ ), that are a major mediator of neuronal plasticity. In this work, we have focused on application of this method in a conventional fluorescence microscope and on the role of different neuromodulators of synaptic activity. Changes of iCa2+ induced by dorsal root electrical stimulation were recorded altogether in 744 dorsal horn (lamina I and II) neurons. In the first series of experiments, stimulation protocols activating preferentially A and A + C dorsal root fibers were used and long-term stability of the calcium responses was verified. The dorsal root stimulation induced in the neurons fast and delayed type of calcium response. Application of AMPA and NMDA receptors antagonists, CNQX (50μM) and MK801 (45μM), reduced the calcium response amplitude and confirmed the importance of glutamate receptors in synaptic activation. In several experiments the effect of capsaicin a TRPV1 receptors agonist, application was tested. Application of even low...
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Localization and characterization of binding sites for Ca2+ binding proteins and phosphatidylinositol phosphates on intracellular termini of TRP channels
Boušová, Kristýna ; Teisinger, Jan (advisor) ; Žáčková, Markéta (referee) ; Krůšek, Jan (referee)
This dissertation concerns with characterization of binding sites for calcium binding protein S100A1 and phosphatidylinositol phosphates on intracellular regions of transient receptor potential channels (TRPs), particular from canonical (TRPC), vaniloid (TRPV) and melastatin (TRPM) families. TRPs represent superfamily of important mediators that play critical roles in sensory physiology: contributions to taste, olfaction, vision, hearing, touch and thermo- and osmo- sensation. They serve as non-selective and nociceptive membrane receptors responsible for the modulation of driving force for cations entry into the cell. TRPs are composed from six transmembrane domains and N- and C- termini intracellular regions. Overall four monomer units form a characteristic assembly of functional channel. It was demonstrated that most of this almost thirty-member family transporters are activated by a variety of different stimuli and function as signal integrators. The most examined intracellular TRPs modulators are cytosolic calcium binding proteins and membrane anchored phosphatidylinositol phosphates (PIPs). These signal integrators bind specific domains in intracellular termini of TRPs, thereby change their structure and activate or inhibit the transportation function of receptor. To identify a novel ligand...
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Study of membrane transport processes in yeast using potentiometric fluorescent porbe diS-C3(3)
Bartl, Tomáš ; Gášková, Dana (advisor) ; Krůšek, Jan (referee)
1 Title: Study of membrane transport processes in yeast using potentiometric fluorescent probe diS-C3(3) Author: Tomáš Bartl Department: Institute of Physics of Charles University Supervisor: doc. RNDr. Dana Gášková, CSc., Institute of Physics of Charles University Abstract: Yeast membranes contain a number of transporters. Some are responsible for flow of nutrients to the inside of the cell, others for disposing of waste and foreign substances and some for transport of small ions or protons across the membrane. The focus of this work is on the activity of specific transport membrane proteins, so-called MDR pumps, which are responsible for transport of foreign substances or drugs, out of the cell. Using the series of mutant strains of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (AD1-3, AD1-8 and AD12) differentiated in the presence of specific MDR pumps in their membrane, an influence of various chemical substances on the intracellular concentration of the potentiometric fluorescent probe diS-C3(3), which is actively being transported out of the cell by some of the MDR pumps, was observed. By the examination of the effect of 2-deoxyglucose we proved the active contribution of not only the main MDR pump, Pdr5p, but also of some other pumps, in lowering the intracellular probe concentration. It was observed that...
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Calcium homeostasis and modulation of nociceptive synaptic transmission
Sojka, David ; Paleček, Jiří (advisor) ; Žurmanová, Jitka (referee) ; Krůšek, Jan (referee)
2 SUMMARY OF THE THESIS This study was designed to improve our knowledge regarding mechanisms of nociceptive signaling at spinal cord level. One of the forms of spinal cord synaptic transmission modulation is central sensitization, a manifestation of synaptic plasticity at spinal cord level, which was found to be present at many chronic pain syndromes. This study deals mainly with a development of calcium imaging technique with a final goal to study mechanisms of central sensitization in vitro on population of dorsal horn neurons. We have analyzed synaptically evoked intracellular Ca changes as a result of dorsal root stimulation in a superficial dorsal horn area in spinal cord slices and found two types of Ca responses: one synchronized with electrical stimulation and a second one, delayed response due to Ca release from internal stores. The delayed Ca release was not previously shown to be present in these neurons and it was not dependent on activation of ionotropic glutamatergic receptors, suggesting involvement of metabotropic receptor pathway. The presence of this delayed type of Ca response could have a significant role in the induction of some types of chronic pain syndromes since intracellular calcium increase is thought to be a key trigger point in spinal cord neurons sensitization. An important...
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Study of factors influencing the function of MntH, membrane transport protein of E. coli
Jurková, Ingrid ; Urbánková, Eva (advisor) ; Krůšek, Jan (referee)
MntH belongs to the Nramp family of transport proteins, and plays an important role not only in homeostasis of iron and manganese, but also in bacterial defence against the immunity response of an infected host cell. MntH co-transports divalent metal ions into the cell together with protons with a stoichiometry dependent on the membrane potential and extracellular pH. Using the redistribution potential dye diS-C3(3), we measured the effects of MNTH expression and MntH-mediated metal transport on the cell membrane potential and intracellular pH. Cells expressing MNTH were found to be hyperpolarised and their membrane potential was depolarised upon the addition of metal ions. In the theoretical part of our work, we explored general four-, six-, and eight-state carrier models that were modified by introducing the voltage dependence of all rate constants. Using mathematical modelling, we simulated the effect of various model parameters (including membrane potential, substrate concentration, and carrier or substrate charge) on substrate influx. We observed some of the transport characteristics described for MntH proteins such as variable symport stoichiometry that is influenced by the membrane potential and pH. However, for a more detailed simulation of the eight-state carrier model, more information about...
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Analysis of the arrangement of the binding pocket of the MDR pump Cdr1p of the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans - a major contributor to clinical drug resistance.
Bartl, Tomáš ; Gášková, Dana (advisor) ; Krůšek, Jan (referee)
Title: Analysis of the arrangement of the binding pocket of the MDR pump Cdr1p of the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans - a major contributor to clinical drug resistance. Author: Tomáš Bartl Department: Institute of Physics of Charles University Supervisor: doc. RNDr. Dana Gášková, CSc., Institute of Physics of Charles University Abstract: Candida infections are becoming an increasing cause of death in hospitalized patients. The main reason for drug resistance in the most common yeast pathogen Candida albicans is an increased production of transport proteins, which are removing the drug from the cell cytosol and thus producing the phenomenon called multidrug resistance - MDR. The goal of this thesis was to verify the suitability of the yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae with heterologously expressed MDR pumps from the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans and comparison to the results from C. albicans with homologous expression. The results that the azole drugs miconazole, bifonazole, and ketoconazole, together with potentiometric fluorescent probe diS-C3(3), are substrates of the CaCdr1p and CaCdr2p pumps, but not, or minimally, of the pump CaMdr1p, are consistent with the previously published work. The binding pocket of CaCdr1p was explored using the disc diffusion assay and the diS-C3(3) fluorescent probe...
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