Publications by authors named "John Q Wang"

Five muscarinic acetylcholine (mACh) receptor subtypes are divided into two classes: the M1 class (M, M, and M) and the M2 class (M and M). The former is coupled to G proteins, while the latter is coupled to G proteins. Accumulating evidence indicates that mACh receptors play a significant role in the regulation of the Src family kinase (SFK), a subfamily of non-receptor tyrosine kinases.

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The commonly used general anesthetic propofol can enhance the γ-aminobutyric acid-mediated inhibitory synaptic transmission and depress the glutamatergic excitatory synaptic transmission to achieve general anesthesia and other outcomes. In addition to the actions at postsynaptic sites, the modulation of presynaptic activity by propofol is thought to contribute to neurophysiological effects of the anesthetic, although potential targets of propofol within presynaptic nerve terminals are incompletely studied at present. In this study, we explored the possible linkage of propofol to synapsins, a family of neuron-specific phosphoproteins which are the most abundant proteins on presynaptic vesicles, in the adult mouse brain in vivo.

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Metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors are G protein-coupled receptors. Among eight mGlu subtypes (mGlu1-8), mGlu8 has drawn increasing attention. This subtype is localized to the presynaptic active zone of neurotransmitter release and is among the mGlu subtypes with high affinity for glutamate.

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Metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors are involved in the experience-dependent neuroplasticity in the mesolimbic reward circuit. A Gα-coupled mGlu2 subtype is distributed presynaptically in the striatum. These autoreceptors may have a significant influence over striatal neurons in their intracellular signaling pathways in response to a psychostimulant.

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Group II metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors (mGlu2/3) are Gαi/o-coupled receptors and are primarily located on presynaptic axonal terminals in the central nervous system. Like ionotropic glutamate receptors, group II mGlu receptors are subject to regulation by posttranslational phosphorylation. Pharmacological evidence suggests that several serine/threonine protein kinases possess the ability to regulate mGlu2/3 receptors.

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There are more than 200 opioid overdose deaths each day in the US. In combating this epidemic we look to available treatment tools. Here, we find only three medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of opioid use disorder.

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Major depressive disorder is a common and serious mood illness. The molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis and symptomatology of depression are poorly understood at present. Multiple neurotransmitter systems are believed to be implicated in depression.

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Activation of protein kinases after cocaine administration controls psychomotor behaviours by interacting with metabotropic receptors in the brain. This study identified how c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) interacts with metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) in vitro and in the caudate and putamen (CPu). The potential role of this interaction in the regulation of psychomotor behaviour was also evaluated after administration of cocaine.

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Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) have an important influence on human physiology and pathology. They are members of the degenerin/epithelial sodium channel family. Four genes encode at least six subunits, which combine to form a variety of homotrimers and heterotrimers.

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Major depressive disorder is a chronic psychiatric disease with a high prevalence. Brain mechanisms for depression at cellular and molecular levels are far from clear. Increasing evidence from clinical and preclinical studies reveals critical roles of the non-receptor tyrosine kinase (nRTK) superfamily in the pathophysiology, symptomatology, and therapy of depression.

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Group I metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors (mGlu1/5 subtypes) are G protein-coupled receptors and are broadly expressed in the mammalian brain. These receptors play key roles in the modulation of normal glutamatergic transmission and synaptic plasticity, and abnormal mGlu1/5 signaling is linked to the pathogenesis and symptomatology of various mental and neurological disorders. Group I mGlu receptors are noticeably regulated via a mechanism involving dynamic protein-protein interactions.

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Adenosine A receptors are G-coupled receptors and are predominantly expressed in the striatum of mammalian brains. As a mostly postsynaptic receptor, A receptors are implicated in the regulation of a variety of intracellular signaling pathways in striatopallidal output neurons and are linked to the pathogenesis of various neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders. This study investigated the possible role of A receptors in the modulation of the Src family kinase (SFK) in the adult rat striatum.

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A biological reward system is integral to all animal life and humans are no exception. For millennia individuals have investigated this system and its influences on human behavior. In the modern day, with the US facing an ongoing epidemic of substance use without an effective treatment, these investigations are of paramount importance.

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Background: Circadian rhythm disturbance is common postoperatively in older patients with hip fractures, which may contribute to the development of postoperative delirium (POD). As a reliable biomarker of endogenous circadian rhythms, melatonin regulates the sleep-wake cycle and environmental adaptation, and its secretory rhythm may be modified by anaesthesia and surgery. This study compared the impact of subarachnoid anaesthesia (SA) and general anaesthesia (GA), on the peak of melatonin secretion (primary outcome), the circadian rhythm of melatonin, cortisol and sleep, and the POD incidence (secondary outcome).

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Adenosine A receptors are widely expressed in the mammalian brain. Through interacting with G -coupled A receptors, the neuromodulator adenosine modulates a variety of cellular and synaptic activities. To determine the linkage from A receptors to a key intracellular signaling pathway, we investigated the impact of blocking A receptors on a subfamily of nonreceptor tyrosine kinases, that is, the Src family kinase (SFK), in different rat brain regions in vivo.

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Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are mainly proton-gated cation channels that are activated by pH drops and nonproton ligands. They are part of the degenerin/epithelial sodium channel superfamily due to their sodium permeability. Predominantly expressed in the central nervous system, ASICs are involved in synaptic plasticity, learning/memory, and fear conditioning.

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Stress-induced α-synuclein aggregation, especially the most toxic species (oligomers), may precede synaptic and cognitive dysfunction. Under pathological conditions, α-synuclein is degraded primarily through the autophagic/lysosomal pathway. We assessed the involvement of autophagy in α-synuclein aggregation and cognitive impairment following general anesthesia and surgical stress.

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The Src family kinase (SFK) is a subfamily of non-receptor tyrosine kinases. The SFK member Fyn is enriched at synaptic sites in the limbic reward circuit and plays a pivotal role in the regulation of glutamate receptors. In this study, we investigated changes in phosphorylation and function of the two key SFK members (Fyn and Src) and SFK interactions with a metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptor in the limbic striatum of adult rats in response to chronic passive stress, i.

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Objective: The adenosine A receptor is a G protein-coupled receptor and inhibits upon activation cAMP formation and protein kinase A (PKA) activity. As a widely expressed receptor in the mammalian brain, A receptors are implicated in the modulation of a variety of neuronal and synaptic activities. In this study, we investigated the role of A receptors in the regulation of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors in the adult rat brain in vivo.

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Major depressive disorder is a chronic debilitating mental illness. Its pathophysiology at cellular and molecular levels is incompletely understood. Increasing evidence supports a pivotal role of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), in particular the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) subclass of MAPKs, in the pathogenesis, symptomatology, and treatment of depression.

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The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) is enriched in the central nervous system, including the dopamine responsive regions such as the striatum and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). The kinase is sensitive to changing cellular and synaptic input and is implicated in the regulation of synaptic transmission and plasticity. In this study, the role of a G protein-coupled adenosine A receptor in the regulation of ERK1/2 was investigated in the rat brain in vivo.

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The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is implicated in the rewarding effect of psychostimulants, although molecular mechanisms underlying the rewarding properties of stimulants in this region are poorly understood. Group I metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors (mGlu1/5 subtypes) are believed to be critical in this event. We thus in this study investigated changes in mGlu1/5 receptor expression and function in the rat mPFC in response to conditioned place preference (CPP) induced by amphetamine.

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The metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptor 5 is a G protein-coupled receptor and is densely expressed in the mammalian brain. Like other glutamate receptors, mGlu5 receptors are tightly regulated by posttranslational modifications such as phosphorylation, although underlying mechanisms are incompletely investigated. In this study, we investigated the role of a prime kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 (ERK1), in the phosphorylation and regulation of mGlu5 receptors in vitro and in striatal neurons.

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The psychostimulant amphetamine (AMPH) has an impact on a variety of cellular activities in striatal neurons, although underlying signaling mechanisms are incompletely understood. The Src family kinase (SFK) is among key signaling molecules enriched in striatal neurons and is involved in the regulation of a set of discrete downstream targets. Given the likelihood that AMPH may regulate SFKs, we investigated and characterized the effect of AMPH on SFK phosphorylation and enzymatic activity in rat striatal neurons in vivo.

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The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), especially its extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) subfamily, is a group of kinases enriched in the mammalian brain. While ERK is central to cell signaling and neural activities, the regulation of ERK by transmitters is poorly understood. In this study, the role of acetylcholine in the regulation of ERK was investigated in adult rat striatum in vivo.

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