The goal of this project is to discover the molecular basis of neurochemical transduction mechanisms, using the pineal gland as a model. This program has yielded new information on how Alpha 1-adrenoceptors participate with Beta 1-adrenoceptors in the synergistic regulation of cAMP and cGMP. Alpha 1-Adrenoceptors appear to open a ligand dependent calcium channel, which leads to a 5-fold increase in the apparent intracellular concentration of calcium. In addition Alpha 1-adrenoceptors alter aphospholipid metabolism, by stimulating the activity of both phospholipase A2 and phospholipase C. The combined effects of the increase in calcium and phospholipase C activity potentiates the Beta-adrenergic stimulation of adenylate cyclase; the combined effects of the increase in calcium and of phospholipase A lead to an increase in the Beta-adrenergic stimulation of cGMP. Advances have been made in the purification of pineal N-acetyltransferase and hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase, in the preparations of antisera against hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase, preparation of bovine pineal cDNA libraries, cloning the S-antigen from a bovine retina cDNA library. Pineal processes have been described in a species of hamster and preliminary evidence of such processes in the monkey have been obtained.

Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
Budget End
Support Year
10
Fiscal Year
1986
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
U.S. National Inst/Child Hlth/Human Dev
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
State
Country
United States
Zip Code
Klein, David C; Bailey, Michael J; Carter, David A et al. (2010) Pineal function: impact of microarray analysis. Mol Cell Endocrinol 314:170-83
Kim, Jong-So; Coon, Steven L; Weller, Joan L et al. (2009) Muscleblind-like 2: circadian expression in the mammalian pineal gland is controlled by an adrenergic-cAMP mechanism. J Neurochem 110:756-64
Ganguly, Surajit; Grodzki, Cristina; Sugden, David et al. (2007) Neural adrenergic/cyclic AMP regulation of the immunoglobulin E receptor alpha-subunit expression in the mammalian pinealocyte: a neuroendocrine/immune response link? J Biol Chem 282:32758-64
Moller, Morten; Rath, Martin F; Klein, David C (2006) The perivascular phagocyte of the mouse pineal gland: an antigen-presenting cell. Chronobiol Int 23:393-401
Kim, Jong-So; Coon, Steven L; Blackshaw, Seth et al. (2005) Methionine adenosyltransferase:adrenergic-cAMP mechanism regulates a daily rhythm in pineal expression. J Biol Chem 280:677-84
Iuvone, P Michael; Tosini, Gianluca; Pozdeyev, Nikita et al. (2005) Circadian clocks, clock networks, arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase, and melatonin in the retina. Prog Retin Eye Res 24:433-56
Gaildrat, Pascaline; Moller, Morten; Mukda, Sujira et al. (2005) A novel pineal-specific product of the oligopeptide transporter PepT1 gene: circadian expression mediated by cAMP activation of an intronic promoter. J Biol Chem 280:16851-60
Nguyen, Andrew D; Pan, Chi-Jiunn; Shieh, Jeng-Jer et al. (2005) Increased cellular cholesterol efflux in glycogen storage disease type Ia mice: a potential mechanism that protects against premature atherosclerosis. FEBS Lett 579:4713-8
Ganguly, Surajit; Weller, Joan L; Ho, Anthony et al. (2005) Melatonin synthesis: 14-3-3-dependent activation and inhibition of arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase mediated by phosphoserine-205. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 102:1222-7
Zheng, Weiping; Schwarzer, Dirk; Lebeau, Aaron et al. (2005) Cellular stability of serotonin N-acetyltransferase conferred by phosphonodifluoromethylene alanine (Pfa) substitution for Ser-205. J Biol Chem 280:10462-7

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