Immunocytochemical evidence for co-expression of Type III IP3 receptor with signaling components of bitter taste transduction

Background  

Taste receptor cells are responsible for transducing chemical stimuli into electrical signals that lead to the sense of taste. An important second messenger in taste transduction is IP₃, which is involved in both bitter and sweet transduction pathways. Several components of the bitter transduction pathway have been identified, including the T2R/TRB taste receptors, phospholipase C β2, and the G protein subunits α-gustducin, β3, and γ13. However, the identity of the IP₃ receptor subtype in this pathway is not known. In the present study we used immunocytochemistry on rodent taste tissue to identify the IP₃ receptors expressed in taste cells and to examine taste bud expression patterns for IP₃R3.     

Genetically-increased taste cell population with Gα-gustducin-coupled sweet receptors is associated with increase of gurmarin-sensitive taste nerve fibers in mice

Background  

The peptide gurmarin is a selective sweet response inhibitor for rodents. In mice, gurmarin sensitivity differs among strains with gurmarin-sensitive C57BL and gurmarin-poorly-sensitive BALB strains. In C57BL mice, sweet-responsive fibers of the chorda tympani (CT) nerve can be divided into two distinct populations, gurmarin-sensitive (GS) and gurmarin-insensitive (GI) types, suggesting the existence of two distinct reception pathways for sweet taste responses. By using the dpa congenic strain (dpa CG) whose genetic background is identical to BALB except that the gene(s) controlling gurmarin sensitivity are derived from C57BL, we previously found that genetically-elevated gurmarin sensitivity in dpa CG mice, confirmed by using behavioral response and whole CT nerve response analyses, was linked to a greater taste cell population co-expressing sweet taste receptors and a Gα protein, Gα-gustducin. However, the formation of neural pathways from the increased taste cell population to nerve fibers has not yet been examined.     

Intracerebroventricular antisense knockdown of Gα<Subscript>i2</Subscript> results in ciliary stasis and ventricular dilatation in the rat

Background  

In the CNS, the heterotrimeric G protein Gα_i2 is a minor Gα subunit with restricted localization in the ventricular regions including the ependymal cilia. The localization of Gα_i2 is conserved in cilia of different tissues, suggesting a particular role in ciliary function. Although studies with Gα_i2-knockout mice have provided information on the role of this Gα subunit in peripheral tissues, its role in the CNS is largely unknown. We used intracerebroventricular (icv) antisense administration to clarify the physiological role of Gα_i2 in the ventricular system.     

Valine 738 and lysine 735 in the fifth transmembrane domain of rTas1r3 mediate insensitivity towards lactisole of the rat sweet taste receptor

Background  

The sweet taste inhibitor lactisole acts on the human sweet taste receptor heteromer TAS1R2-TAS1R3 but not on its rodent counterpart. Recently, it was shown that the lactisole sensitivity of the human sweet taste receptor involves the part of TAS1R3 encompassing the seven transmembrane regions but not the huge N-terminal domain. Using mutational analysis we investigated which amino acid residues distinguish lactisole insensitive rat from sensitive human T1R3 receptors.     

Effect of Mg2+ on the Magnetic Compensation of Lithium–Chromium Ferrite

PAC measurements on ¹¹¹In(¹¹¹Cd) implanted and thermally treated α-Fe have shown an indication for a cubic defect with the ¹¹¹Cd probe in the centre of it. The measured room temperature (R. T.) magnetic hyperfine fields are B _hf1 = −38.4(8) T for substitution and B _hf2 = +11.5(3) T for the cubic defect. Additionally, probes with pure quadrupole frequency distributions were observed, which are incorporated in surface contaminations.     

Steroid receptor expression in the fish inner earvaries with sex,social status,and reproductive state

Background  

Gonadal and stress-related steroid hormones are known to influence auditory function across vertebrates but the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for steroid-mediated auditory plasticity at the level of the inner ear remain unknown. The presence of steroid receptors in the ear suggests a direct pathway for hormones to act on the peripheral auditory system, but little is known about which receptors are expressed in the ear or whether their expression levels change with internal physiological state or external social cues. We used qRT-PCR to measure mRNA expression levels of multiple steroid receptor subtypes (estrogen receptors: ERα, ERβa, ERβb; androgen receptors: ARα, ARβ; corticosteroid receptors: GR2, GR1a/b, MR) and aromatase in the main hearing organ of the inner ear (saccule) in the highly social African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni, and tested whether these receptor levels were correlated with circulating steroid concentrations.     

Beta-decay asymmetries in polarized12B and12N and theG-parity non-conservation

The decay asymmetries (A) in polarized¹²B and¹²N have been measured as a function of -ray energies (E). The coefficients _± inA = ±P(p/E) (1+_± E) have been determined to be _–(¹²B) =+(0.31±0.06)%/MeV and ₊(¹²N) = –(0.21±0.07)%/MeV. The experimental value, _––₊=(0.52±0.09)%/MeV, is larger than the prediction according to conservation of vector current which includes no second-class current, _––_{+ CVC}0.27%/MeV, and indicates the existence of the second-class induced-tensor current.This work has been done in collaboration with I. Tanihata and J. Göring.     

Solid Substrate-Room Temperature Phosphorescence Method for the Determination of Trace Mn(II) Based on Oxidizing Reaction of Hydrogen Peroxide Using α,α′-Bipyridine as Sensitizer

A new solid substrate-room temperature phosphorescence (SS-RTP) method for the determination of trace manganese (II) has been established. It bases on the fact that fullerol (R) emits strong and stable room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) on filter paper substrate. H₂O₂ can oxidize R to cause the SS-RTP quenching. But manganese (II) can obstruct H₂O₂ to oxidize R, and enhance the RTP of R. α,α′-Bipyridine (Bipy) can sensitize the RTP. After adding Bipy, the ΔI _p enhances 7 times than that without Bipy. Under the optimum conditions, the linear dynamic range of this method is 0.016–1.12 pg spot⁻¹ with a detection limit (L.D.) of 4.6 fg spot⁻¹ ( is the absolute mass of Mn²⁺), and the regression equation of working curve is ΔI _p=25.20 + 63.55 (pg spot⁻¹), n=6, r=0.9983. For 0.016 and 1.12 pg spot⁻¹ Mn²⁺, RSDS are 4.3 and 4.8%, respectively (n=7). This method has been applied to the determination of trace manganese (II) in actual sample with high sensitivity and good selection. And the reaction mechanism of SS-RTP is discussed.     

Amiloride-sensitive channels in type I fungiform taste cells in mouse

Background  

Taste buds are the sensory organs of taste perception. Three types of taste cells have been described. Type I cells have voltage-gated outward currents, but lack voltage-gated inward currents. These cells have been presumed to play only a support role in the taste bud. Type II cells have voltage-gated Na⁺ and K⁺ current, and the receptors and transduction machinery for bitter, sweet, and umami taste stimuli. Type III cells have voltage-gated Na⁺, K⁺, and Ca²⁺ currents, and make prominent synapses with afferent nerve fibers. Na⁺ salt transduction in part involves amiloride-sensitive epithelial sodium channels (ENaCs). In rodents, these channels are located in taste cells of fungiform papillae on the anterior part of the tongue innervated by the chorda tympani nerve. However, the taste cell type that expresses ENaCs is not known. This study used whole cell recordings of single fungiform taste cells of transgenic mice expressing GFP in Type II taste cells to identify the taste cells responding to amiloride. We also used immunocytochemistry to further define and compare cell types in fungiform and circumvallate taste buds of these mice.     

Microscopic three-cluster study of the low-energy 9 Be photodisintegration

The ⁹Be and ⁹B nuclei are investigated in a microscopic three-cluster model involving α + α + n (or α + α + p) configurations. The ⁸Be (0 ⁺ , 2 ⁺ ) + n and ⁵He (3/2 ^- , 1/2 ^- ) + α (or mirror) channels are included by taking account of the unstable nature of ⁸Be and ⁵He. Spectroscopic properties of ⁹Be and ⁹B are analyzed. We show that the ⁵He + α configurations cannot be neglected to derive accurate results. The ⁹Be(γ,αα)n photodisintegration cross-section is shown to be mainly determined by ⁸Be + n channels at low energies, but ⁵He + α channels become important beyond E _γ≈ 4 MeV. Received: 7 September 2001 / Accepted: 19 November 2001     

Lifetimes and configuration mixing in 110Cd

Lifetimes of excited states in ¹¹⁰Cd have been measured by the Doppler shift attenuation method in the reaction (α,2nγ) at E _α= 25 MeV. Lifetime values for 8 states and lifetime limits for 3 states were obtained. The band structures of ¹¹⁰Cd have been interpreted in terms of a modified version of the interacting boson model (IBM + 2 q.p.). The calculations explain well the excitation energies and electromagnetic transition probabilities up to J ^π= 16⁺, except for the 10⁺ ₁ state. The structural features are discussed in terms of collective and two quasiparticle excitations. Received: 20 March 1999 / Revised version: 28 May 1999     

Tails of the dynamical structure factor of 1D spinless fermions beyond the Tomonaga approximation

We consider one-dimensional (1D) interacting spinless fermions with a non-linear spectrum in a clean quantum wire (non-linear bosonization). We compute diagrammatically the 1D dynamical structure factor, S(ω,q), beyond the Tomonaga approximation focusing on it's tails, |ω| ≫vq, i.e. the 2-pair excitation continuum due to forward scattering. Our methodology reveals three classes of diagrams: two “chiral” classes which bring divergent contributions in the limits ω→±vq, i.e. near the single-pair excitation continuum, and a “mixed” class (so-called Aslamasov-Larkin or Altshuler-Shklovskii type diagrams) which is crucial for the f-sum rule to be satisfied. We relate our approach to the T=0 ones present in the literature. We also consider the case and show that the 2-pair excitation continuum dominates the single-pair one in the range: |q|T/k_F ≪ω±vq ≪T (substantial for q ≪k_F). As applications we first derive the small-momentum optical conductivity due to forward scattering: σ∼1/ω for T ≪ω and σ∼T/ω² for T ≫ω. Next, within the 2-pair excitation continuum, we show that the attenuation rate of a coherent mode of dispersion Ω_q crosses over from , e.g. γ_q ∼|q|³ for an acoustic mode, to , independent of Ω_q, as temperature increases. Finally, we show that the 2-pair excitation continuum yields subleading curvature corrections to the electron-electron scattering rate: , where V is the dimensionless strength of the interaction.     

Space-like hypersurfaces with positive constant r-mean curvature in Lorentzian product spaces

In this paper we obtain a height estimate concerning compact space-like hypersurfaces Σ ⁿ immersed with some positive constant r-mean curvature into an (n + 1)-dimensional Lorentzian product space , and whose boundary is contained into a slice {t} × M ⁿ . By considering the hyperbolic caps of the Lorentz–Minkowski space , we show that our estimate is sharp. Furthermore, we apply this estimate to study the complete space-like hypersurfaces immersed with some positive constant r-mean curvature into a Lorentzian product space. For instance, when the ambient space–time is spatially closed, we show that such hypersurfaces must satisfy the topological property of having more than one end which constitutes a necessary condition for their existence.     

Projectile charge and velocity effect on UO2 sputtering in the nuclear stopping regime

Angular distributions and yields of uranium sputtered by slow highly charged Xe^q+ ions (kinetic energy 1.5 keV ￡ E_k ￡ 811.5~{\rm keV}\le E_{k}\le 81  keV, charge state 1≤q≤25) from UO₂ were measured by means of the catcher technique. A charge state effect on the sputtering process is observed at 8 and 81 keV. A deviation from a Acosθ shape (the linear collision cascade theory) is observed in case of Xe^q+ impinging a UO₂ surface at E_k=8 keV. Yields increase linearly with projectile charge state q thus clearly revealing the contribution of potential energy to the sputtering process. In addition, as the kinetic energy of a Xe¹⁰⁺ projectile decreases from 81 keV to 1.5 keV, a velocity effect is clearly observed on the angular distribution.     

Structural effects and potential changes in growth factor signalling in penis-projecting autonomic neurons after axotomy

Background  

The responses of adult parasympathetic ganglion neurons to injury and the neurotrophic mechanisms underlying their axonal regeneration are poorly understood. This is especially relevant to penis-projecting parasympathetic neurons, which are vulnerable to injury during pelvic surgery such as prostatectomy. We investigated the changes in pelvic ganglia of adult male rats in the first week after unilateral cavernous (penile) nerve axotomy (cut or crush lesions). In some experiments FluoroGold was injected into the penis seven days prior to injury to allow later identification of penis-projecting neurons. Neurturin and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) are neurotrophic factors for penile parasympathetic neurons, so we also examined expression of relevant receptors, GFRα1 and GFRα2, in injured pelvic ganglion neurons.     

Sensitive Phosphorimetric Determination of Bumetanide in Human Urine with Its Inhibition Effect on the Formation of [Fe-morin] <Superscript>3+</Superscript> Complex

A novel solid substrate-room temperature phosphorimetry (SS-RTP) was developed for determination of bumetanide (BMTN). It was validated by determining selectivity, linearity, accuracy, precision, and signal to noise ratio (S/N) for analysis. And all the experiments presented in this work were based on that BMTN inhibited the formation of [Fe-morin]³⁺ ([FeR]³⁺) complex by the reaction between Fe³⁺ and R, which led to severe quenching of room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) signal. The rate constant of the reaction (k) was 2.44 × 10⁻⁴ s⁻¹, the activation energy (E) was 21.39 kJ mol⁻¹. Detection limit of this method (LD, 5.0 ag spot⁻¹, corresponding concentration was 1.2 × 10⁻¹⁴ g mL⁻¹) was evaluated and compared with other methods, indicating better sensitivity for BMTN determination using this technique. And due to the high sensitivity of the method, it has been successfully applied to determine BMTN in human urine samples. The linear range was from 0.040 pg mL⁻¹ to 4.0 pg mL⁻¹, allowing wide determined range of BMTN. Meanwhile, the mechanism of this method was also discussed.     

Optical spectra of triply-charged rare-earth ions in polycrystalline corundum

Solid samples of polycrystalline corundum α-Al₂O₃ activated by triply-charged rare-earth ions RE³⁺ (R=Eu³⁺, Er³⁺, Pr³⁺) were synthesized by the sol-gel technology. Characteristic narrow-line optical absorption and luminescence spectra produced by intraconfigurational 4f-4f transitions in RE³⁺ ions have been measured. RE³⁺ ions have been established to form one dominant type of optical centers in the corundum matrix, and the energy diagram of Eu³⁺ and Er³⁺ Stark levels in corundum has been determined. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 1442–1449 (August 1998)     

Investigation of metabolic changes in blood and tissue of mice γ-irradiated with sublethal doses by direct observation of EPR signals from Hb-NO complexes

The metabolic changes in probes of blood and tissue (spleen, liver and kidney) of mice under total γ-irradiation with the doses varied in the interval of 1–10 Gy at the dose rate of 0.073 Gy/min were studied in the early postirradiation period by ex vivo electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). It was established that the impact with the lower dose rate leads to more intensive nitric monoxide biosynthesis in comparison with higher dose rates. In the early postirradiation period (from 2 up to 6 h), irradiation with doses higher than 2 Gy brings about an increase of the NO concentration and, hence, the appearance of nitrosyl complexes which were registered directly by EPR in blood and spleen. The observed line is identified as the signal from α-(Fe²⁺-NO)₂β(Fe³⁺)₂ or α-(Fe²⁺-NO) α(Fe²⁺)β(Fe³⁺)₂ complexes since the methemoglobin concentration also increases in comparison with the control level. The concentration of Hb-NO complexes in blood and spleen depends on the dose and individual radiosensitivity of the organism. Therefore, the intensity of the Hb-NO signal may serve as a criterion of the radiation injury level during the first hours after the irradiation. 30 h after the impact, the Hb-NO complexes were no longer detected. For the first day, the concentration of Fe³⁺-transferrin in blood increases with the dose and time passed after the irradiation. The intensity of the EPR signal from Fe³⁺-transferrin in blood may also serve as a measure of the radiation injury level.     

Polarization effect in langasite crystals

The variation of the resonance frequency of piezoelectric resonators subjected to a constant electric field is demonstrated with longitudinal vibrations in La₃Ga₅SiO₁₄ (langasite) crystal rods at temperatures between −60 and +80°C. For the rods whose longtudinal axis makes angle α with the crystal axis in the plane of the axes and [0001], the change in the frequency is proportional to the field strength and depends on α. For a field of ±1.5 × 10⁶ V/m and α = 15°, the relative change in the frequency is ±120 × 10⁻⁶. It is shown that La₃Ga₅SiO₁₄ crystals offer a set of physical parameters that makes them promising for electrically controlled acoustoelectronic devices and for devices based on nonlinear interaction between acoustic waves.