1,305 research outputs found
Orexin-1 receptor-cannabinoid CB1 receptor heterodimerization results in both ligand-dependent and -independent coordinated alterations of receptor localization and function
Following inducible expression in HEK293 cells, the human orexin-1 receptor was targeted to the cell surface but became internalized following exposure to the peptide agonist orexin A. By contrast, constitutive expression of the human cannabinoid CB1 receptor resulted in a predominantly punctate, intracellular distribution pattern consistent with spontaneous, agonistindependent internalization. Expression of the orexin-1 receptor in the presence of the CB1 receptor resulted in both receptors displaying the spontaneous internalization phenotype. Single cell fluorescence resonance energy transfer imaging indicated the two receptors were present as heterodimers/oligomers in intracellular vesicles. Addition of the CB1 receptor antagonist SR-141716A to cells expressing only the CB1 receptor resulted in re-localization of the receptor to the cell surface. Although SR-141716A has no significant affinity for the orexin-1 receptor, in cells co-expressing the CB1 receptor, the orexin-1 receptor was also re-localized to the cell surface by treatment with SR-141716A. Treatment of cells co-expressing the orexin-1 and CB1 receptors with the orexin-1 receptor antagonist SB-674042 also resulted in re-localization of both receptors to the cell surface. Treatment with SR-141716A resulted in decreased potency of orexin A to activate the mitogen-activated protein kinases ERK1/2 only in cells co-expressing the two receptors. Treatment with SB-674042 also reduced the potency of a CB1 receptor agonist to phosphorylate ERK1/2 only when the two receptors were co-expressed. These studies introduce an entirely novel pharmacological paradigm, whereby ligands modulate the function of receptors for which they have no significant inherent affinity by acting as regulators of receptor heterodimers
Competing interactions in artificial spin chains
The low-energy magnetic configurations of artificial frustrated spin chains
are investigated using magnetic force microscopy and micromagnetic simulations.
Contrary to most studies on two-dimensional artificial spin systems where
frustration arises from the lattice geometry, here magnetic frustration
originates from competing interactions between neighboring spins. By tuning
continuously the strength and sign of these interactions, we show that
different magnetic phases can be stabilized. Comparison between our
experimental findings and predictions from the one-dimensional Anisotropic
Next-Nearest-Neighbor Ising (ANNNI) model reveals that artificial frustrated
spin chains have a richer phase diagram than initially expected. Besides the
observation of several magnetic orders and the potential extension of this work
to highly-degenerated artificial spin chains, our results suggest that the
micromagnetic nature of the individual magnetic elements allows observation of
metastable spin configurations.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Longitudinal and Transverse Zeeman Ladders in the Ising-Like Chain Antiferromagnet BaCo2V2O8
We explore the spin dynamics emerging from the N\'eel phase of the chain
compound antiferromagnet BaCo2V2O8. Our inelastic neutron scattering study
reveals unconventional discrete spin excitations, so called Zeeman ladders,
understood in terms of spinon confinement, due to the interchain attractive
linear potential. These excitations consist in two interlaced series of modes,
respectively with transverse and longitudinal polarization. The latter have no
classical counterpart and are related to the zero-point fluctuations that
weaken the ordered moment in weakly coupled quantum chains. Our analysis
reveals that BaCo2V2O8, with moderate Ising anisotropy and sizable interchain
interactions, remarkably fulfills the conditions necessary for the observation
of these longitudinal excitations.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, 2 additional pages of supplemental material with
2 figures; Journal ref. added; 1 page erratum added at the end with 1 figur
Making the corona and the fast solar wind: a self-consistent simulation for the low-frequency Alfven waves from photosphere to 0.3AU
We show that the coronal heating and the fast solar wind acceleration in the
coronal holes are natural consequence of the footpoint fluctuations of the
magnetic fields at the photosphere, by performing one-dimensional
magnetohydrodynamical simulation with radiative cooling and thermal conduction.
We initially set up a static open flux tube with temperature 10^4K rooted at
the photosphere. We impose transverse photospheric motions corresponding to the
granulations with velocity = 0.7km/s and period between 20 seconds and 30
minutes, which generate outgoing Alfven waves. We self-consistently treat these
waves and the plasma heating. After attenuation in the chromosphere by ~85% of
the initial energy flux, the outgoing Alfven waves enter the corona and
contribute to the heating and acceleration of the plasma mainly by the
nonlinear generation of the compressive waves and shocks. Our result clearly
shows that the initial cool and static atmosphere is naturally heated up to
10^6K and accelerated to 800km/s.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, ApJL, 632, L49, corrections of mistypes in
eqs.(3) & (5), Mpeg movie for fig.1 (simulation result) is available at
http://www-tap.scphys.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~stakeru/research/suzuki_200506.mp
Behavioral, electrophysiological and histopathological consequences of systemic manganese administration in MEMRI
Manganese (Mn2+)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) offers the possibility to generate longitudinal maps of brain activity in unrestrained and behaving animals. However, Mn2+ is a metabolic toxin and a competitive inhibitor for Ca2+, and therefore, a yet unsolved question in MEMRI studies is whether the concentrations of metal ion used may alter brain physiology. In the present work we have investigated the behavioral, electrophysiological and histopathological consequences of MnCl2 administration at concentrations and dosage protocols regularly used in MEMRI. Three groups of animals were sc injected with saline, 0.1 and 0.5 mmol/kg MnCl2, respectively. In vivo electrophysiological recordings in the hippocampal formation revealed a mild but detectable decrease in both excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSP) and population spike (PS) amplitude under the highest MnCl2 dose. The EPSP to PS ratio was preserved at control levels, indicating that neuronal excitability was not affected. Experiments of pair pulse facilitation demonstrated a dose dependent increase in the potentiation of the second pulse, suggesting presynaptic Ca2+ competition as the mechanism for the decreased neuronal response. Tetanization of the perforant path induced a long-term potentiation of synaptic transmission that was comparable in all groups, regardless of treatment. Accordingly, the choice accuracy tested on a hippocampal-dependent learning task was not affected. However, the response latency in the same task was largely increased in the group receiving 0.5 mmol/kg of MnCl2. Immunohistological examination of the hippocampus at the end of the experiments revealed no sign of neuronal toxicity or glial reaction. Although we show that MEMRI at 0.1 mmol/Kg MnCl2 may be safely applied to the study of cognitive networks, a detailed assessment of toxicity is strongly recommended for each particular study and Mn2+ administration protocol
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