Involvement of protein kinase A in patterning of the mouse somatosensory cortex.

Patterning of the mouse somatosensory cortex is unusually evident because of the presence of a "barrel field." Presynaptic serotonin and postsynaptic glutamate receptors regulate barrel formation, but little is known of the intracellular signaling pathways through which they act. To determine whether protein kinase A (PKA) plays a role in the development of the barrel field, we examined five viable PKA subunit-specific knock-out (KO) mouse lines for barrel field abnormalities.

Tracer coupling of neurons in the rat retina inner nuclear layer labeled by Fluorogold.

A subpopulation of neurons in the inner nuclear layer (INL) of the rat retina were labeled 9-13 weeks after application of Fluorogold (FG) to the superior colliculus. Neurobiotin injection of FG-labeled cells in the INL of flatmounted living retina revealed that these cells consisted of both displaced ganglion cells and a subset of amacrine cells. Fluorogold-labeled amacrine cells in the INL showed tracer coupling to other presumptive amacrine cells in the INL, but there was no evidence of coupling to neurons in the ganglion cell layer (GCL).

Prostaglandin E2 induces degranulation-independent production of vascular endothelial growth factor by human mast cells.

Mast cells accumulate in large numbers at angiogenic sites, where they have been shown to express a number of proangiogenic factors, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A). PGE(2) is known to strongly promote angiogenesis and is found in increased levels at sites of chronic inflammation and around solid tumors. The expression pattern of VEGF and the regulation of VEGF-A by PGE(2) were examined in cord blood-derived human mast cells (CBMC).

Electroretinographic oscillatory potentials are reduced in adenylyl cyclase type I deficient mice.

Electroretinography (ERG) of adult Adcy1(brl) mutant mice, which are deficient in adenylyl cyclase type 1 (AC1) activity, revealed decreased amplitude of the oscillatory potentials (OP) and of the primary rising phase of the b-wave intensity-response function in scotopic conditions. These abnormalities were less discernable in 3-6 week old mutants. No abnormalities were detected in the ERG signal obtained in photopic conditions or in the dark adaptation dynamics.

Localization of adenylyl cyclase proteins in the rodent retina.

The isoforms of adenylyl cyclase that mediate cyclic AMP signaling pathways in the retina are, for the most part, unknown. Therefore, the protein expression patterns of adenylyl cyclase isoforms in the rodent retina were characterized immunocytochemically using antibodies directed against Ca(2+)-stimulated (AC1, AC3 and AC8), Ca(2+)-inhibited (AC9) and Ca(2+)-insensitive (AC2, AC4, AC7) isoforms of adenylyl cyclase. The ganglion cell layer and the inner nuclear layer (INL) were immunoreactive for both Ca(2+)-sensitive (AC1, AC3) and Ca(2+)-insensitive (AC2, AC4) isoforms of adenylyl cyclase.