cyclic-gmp and decamethrin

Axon pathfinding depends on attractive and repulsive turning of growth cones to extracellular cues. Localized cytosolic Ca2+ signals are known to mediate the bidirectional responses, but downstream mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we report that calcium-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and calcineurin (CaN) phosphatase provide a switch-like mechanism to control the direction of Ca(2+)-dependent growth cone turning. A relatively large local Ca2+ elevation preferentially activates CaMKII to induce attraction, while a modest local Ca2+ signal predominantly acts through CaN and phosphatase-1 (PP1) to produce repulsion. The resting level of intracellular Ca2+ concentrations also affects CaMKII/CaN operation: a normal baseline allows distinct turning responses to different local Ca2+ signals, while a low baseline favors CaN-PP1 activation for repulsion. Moreover, the cAMP pathway negatively regulates CaN-PP1 signaling to inhibit repulsion. Finally, CaMKII/CaN-PP1 also mediates netrin-1 guidance. Together, these findings establish a complex Ca2+ mechanism that targets the balance of CaMKII/CaN-PP1 activation to control distinct growth cone responses.

Topics: Animals; Benzylamines; Calcineurin; Calcium; Calcium Signaling; Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2; Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; Cells, Cultured; Chlorocebus aethiops; COS Cells; Cyclic AMP; Cyclic GMP; Cyclosporine; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Interactions; Egtazic Acid; Embryo, Mammalian; Embryo, Nonmammalian; Enzyme Inhibitors; Growth Cones; Humans; Models, Neurological; Nerve Growth Factors; Netrin-1; Neurons; Nitriles; Okadaic Acid; Phosphoprotein Phosphatases; Photolysis; Protein Phosphatase 1; Pyrans; Pyrethrins; Semaphorin-3A; Spinal Cord; Spiro Compounds; Sulfonamides; Time Factors; Tumor Suppressor Proteins; Xenopus

The latencies and incidence of deltamethrin-induced motor symptoms were compared in rats pretreated with saline or 3-acetylpyridine (3-AP) (75 mg/kg i.p. 4 days before). 3-AP produced considerable degeneration of the inferior olive and hence the climbing fiber afferents to the cerebellar cortex. The times of onset of whole body tremor and spontaneous choreiform episodes were accelerated significantly in lesioned rats. Therefore the olivocerebellar tract is not important in mediating deltamethrin symptoms, but is necessary to compensate for the disruption of motor activity and coordination induced by deltamethrin at another site. Cerebellar cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cyclic GMP) levels were elevated significantly during the deltamethrin syndrome. The increase in cyclic GMP levels correlated directly with the duration of motor symptoms. This suggests that deltamethrin has an indirect effect on cerebellar cyclic GMP levels. Lesion of the olive-cerebellar tract did not abolish this rise in cerebellar cyclic GMP levels. The sequential development of the motor symptoms, whole body tremor followed by choreiform episodes was found to have an additive effect in raising cerebellar cyclic GMP levels. This suggests that both the nature and the general level of motor activity can influence cerebellar cyclic GMP levels.

Topics: Animals; Cerebellum; Cyclic GMP; Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced; Harmaline; Male; Motor Activity; Neural Pathways; Nitriles; Olivary Nucleus; Pyrethrins; Pyridines; Rats

Topics: Acetylcholine; Animals; Brain; Cerebellum; Cyclic AMP; Cyclic GMP; DDT; Female; Nitriles; Nucleotides, Cyclic; Pyrethrins; Rats