Ben Bahr - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

papers by Ben Bahr

Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology, Jul 1, 2002

Protein deposition is a common event in age-related neurological diseases that are characterized ... more Protein deposition is a common event in age-related neurological diseases that are characterized by neuronal dysfunction and eventual cell death. Here, cultured hippocampal slices were infused with the lysosomal disrupter chloroquine to examine the link between abnormal protein processing/deposition and early synaptopathogenesis. Tau species of 55 to 69 kDa increased over several days of treatment with chloroquine, while the protein and message levels of synaptic markers were selectively reduced. Neurons of subfields CA1, CA3, and dentate gyrus accumulated protein deposits recognized by antibodies against paired helical filaments and ubiquitin, and this was accompanied by tubulin fragmentation and deacetylation. The deposition filled the basal pole of pyramidal neurons, encompassing the area of the axon hillock and initial dendritic branching but without causing overt neuronal atrophy. Neurons containing the polar aggregates exhibited severely impaired transport along basal dendrites. Transport capability was also lost along apical dendrites, the opposite direction of deposited material in the basal pole; thus, perpetuating the problem beyond physical blockage must be the associated loss of microtubule integrity. These data indicate that transport failure forms a link between tau deposition and synaptic decline, thus shedding light on how protein aggregation events disrupt synaptic and cognitive functions before the ensuing cellular destruction.

Neuroscience Letters, 1996

Heparin was found to bind to a-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) receptor... more Heparin was found to bind to a-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) receptors and to alter their functional properties. AMPA receptors solubilized in 0.4% Triton X-100 bound to a heparin-agarose column and were eluted by 0.4 M NaC1. Soluble heparin inhibited 10 nM [3H]AMPA binding to detergent-solubilized receptors by 75% (IC50 = 10/tg/ml), but had little effect on binding to membrane-associated receptors. The inhibition of [3H]AMPA binding to detergent-solubilized receptors was not observed when binding was measured in the presence of 0.4 M NaC1, and no effect of heparin was observed on binding of the AMPA receptor antagonist [3H]6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX). Scatchard analyses of [3H]AMPA binding to solubilized receptors revealed that the inhibition induced by heparin was caused by a decrease in the apparent affinity of a portion of the total binding sites. Studies on AMPA receptors reconstituted in artificial lipid bilayers indicated that 10 t~g/ml heparin enhanced cooperativity between channels and prolonged the lifetime of the open channel, but did not affect the amplitude of single channel currents. Thus, heparin may be added to the list of compounds known to modulate AMPA receptor function. These data also raise the possibility that heparin-containing proteoglycans, which are known to be concentrated at synaptic junctions, might be able to bind AMPA receptors and influence their functional characteristics.

Neuroscience Letters, 1993

Glutamate receptors belonging to the AMPA (c~-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid)... more Glutamate receptors belonging to the AMPA (c~-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid) subclass were partially purified 30-to 60-fold from forebrain of adult rats and incorporated into planar bimolecular lipid membranes. The channel conductance associated with the reconstituted receptors was activated by kainate and AMPA in a manner that suggests cooperative binding of two to three agonist molecules is required to induce channel opening. This conductance was blocked by the specific antagonist DNQX (6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione). When the partially purified AMPA receptors were reconstituted by the tip-dipping method in asymmetric saline conditions ('outside-out configuration'), the addition of 300 nM AMPA to the pseudo-extracellular solution elicited single channel current fluctuations that were also inhibited by DNQX. Analyses of the currents revealed that the ion channels of reconstituted AMPA receptors have two distinct conductance levels of 12 and 60 pS with the great majority of receptors belonging to the former variety. These results suggest that reconstitution may be useful in identifying factors that regulate the binding and conductance properties of AMPA receptors.

Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology, 2007

The early processes that lead to synaptic dysfunction during aging are not clearly understood. Dy... more The early processes that lead to synaptic dysfunction during aging are not clearly understood. Dysregulation of >-amino-3hydroxy-5-methylisoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors may cause age-related cognitive decline. Using hippocampal slice cultures exhibiting lysosomal dysfunction, an early marker of brain aging that is linked to protein accumulation, we identified alterations to AMPA and NMDA receptor-mediated synaptic currents. The miniature and spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents that were examined after 3, 6, and 9 days of lysosomal disruption showed progressive changes in amplitude, frequency, and rise and decay kinetics. To investigate whether modifications in specific channel properties of single synaptic receptors contributed to changes in the amplitude and time course of synaptic currents, we examined the single channel properties of synaptic AMPA and NMDA receptors. The channel open probability and the mean open times showed decreases in both receptor populations, whereas the closed times were increased without any change in the channel conductance. The Western blot analysis revealed a progressive decline in synaptic markers including glutamate receptor subunits. These results indicate that lysosomal dysfunction leads to progressive functional perturbation of AMPA and NMDA receptors in this slice model of protein accumulation, suggesting that age-related cognitive decline could result from altered glutamate receptor function before reductions in synaptic density.

Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2006

Cell Biochemistry and Biophysics, 2005

Synaptic glutamate receptors play a prominent role in the excitatory neurotransmission in the ver... more Synaptic glutamate receptors play a prominent role in the excitatory neurotransmission in the vertebrate central nervous system. Although elucidation of the functional properties of glutamate receptors using electrophysiologic analyses has yielded important information, methodological and technological limitations have prevented direct measurement of single channel properties of synaptic receptors. Here, we have isolated murine mossy fiber synaptosomes and reconstituted them into small artificial lipid bilayers to characterize the singlechannel properties of synaptic α amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA)-subtype glutamate receptors. The reconstituted synaptosomal receptors were activated by nanomolar concentrations of AMPA and blocked by a potent AMPA receptor antagonist. The synaptosomal AMPA receptors exhibited channel conductances of 14-56 pS and linear current-voltage relationship. The open and closed dwell time distributions of single channel currents were best described by three exponentials. These channels frequently exhibited burst behavior with long burst duration of approx 60 ms. Experiments with multichannel recordings revealed that steady state probabilities could not be fitted using a binomial distribution, indicating a cooperative channel gating behavior that would account for larger membrane currents. Our findings suggest that isolation, reconstitution into lipid bilayers, and subsequent single channel analysis of synaptosomal receptors is a useful method for investigation of synaptic AMPA receptors.

Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology, 2002

Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 2007

Cell death & disease, Jan 20, 2018

Despite the characteristic etiologies and phenotypes, different brain disorders rely on common pa... more Despite the characteristic etiologies and phenotypes, different brain disorders rely on common pathogenic events. Glutamate-induced neurotoxicity is a pathogenic event shared by different brain disorders. Another event occurring in different brain pathological conditions is the increase of the extracellular ATP levels, which is now recognized as a danger and harmful signal in the brain, as heralded by the ability of P2 receptors (P2Rs) to affect a wide range of brain disorders. Yet, how ATP and P2R contribute to neurodegeneration remains poorly defined. For that purpose, we now examined the contribution of extracellular ATP and P2Rs to glutamate-induced neurodegeneration. We found both in vitro and in vivo that ATP/ADP through the activation of P2Y1R contributes to glutamate-induced neuronal death in the rat hippocampus. We found in cultured rat hippocampal neurons that the exposure to glutamate (100 µM) for 30 min triggers a sustained increase of extracellular ATP levels, which con...

Brain Research, Oct 1, 1995

Transfection of cultured hippocampal slices for five days with antisense oligonucleotides directe... more Transfection of cultured hippocampal slices for five days with antisense oligonucleotides directed against mRNA encoding calpain I resulted in an approximately 60% decrease in the amount of caseinolytic activity stimulated by 10 /zM calcium. Increases in a single proteolytic fragment of spectrin produced by 10-20 min of NMDA receptor stimulation were substantially (~ 50%) reduced in antisense treated slices; this effect was not obtained in slices exposed to NMDA for 45 min. Attenuation of NMDA receptor-induced spectrin proteolysis by the antisense oligonucleotides was confirmed in immunoassays using antibodies that recognize multiple spectrin breakdown products and in immunocytochemical experiments with an antibody that detects an individual calpain I-mediated fragment. Translational suppression of calpain I did not detectably affect evoked synaptic responses but markedly improved their recovery from a 15 min infusion of NMDA. These results indicate that spectrin breakdown products provide a useful index of in situ calpain I activity and support the hypothesis that the protease plays a significant role in excitotoxicity.

Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Basis of Disease, 2011

Synaptic pathology in Alzheimer's disease brains is thought to involve soluble Aβ42 peptide. Here... more Synaptic pathology in Alzheimer's disease brains is thought to involve soluble Aβ42 peptide. Here, sterile incubation in PBS caused small Aβ42 oligomer formation as well as heterogeneous, 6E10-immunopositive aggregates of 80-100 kDa. The high molecular weight aggregates (H-agg) formed in a time-dependent manner over an extended 30-day period. Interestingly, an inverse relationship between dimeric and H-agg formation was more evident when incubations were performed at 37°C as compared to 23°C, thus providing an experimental strategy with which to address synaptic compromise produced by the different Aβ aggregates. H-agg species formed faster and to higher levels at 37°C compared to 23°C, and the two aggregate preparations were evaluated in hippocampal slice cultures, a sensitive system for monitoring synaptic integrity. Applied daily at 80-600 nM for 7 days, the Aβ42 preparations caused dose-dependent and aggregation-dependent declines in α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate (AMPA) and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunits as well as in presynaptic components. Unlike the synaptic effects, Aβ42 induced only trace cellular degeneration that was CA1 specific. The 37°C preparation was less effective at decreasing synaptic markers, corresponding with its reduced levels of Aβ42 monomers and dimers. Aβ42 dimers decayed significantly faster at 37°C than 23°C, and more rapidly than monomers at either temperature. These findings indicate that Aβ42 can self-aggregate into potent synaptotoxic oligomers as well as into larger aggregates that may serve to neutralize the toxic formations. These results will add to the growing debate concerning whether high molecular weight Aβ complexes that form amyloid plaques are protective through the sequestration of oligomeric species.

Journal of Molecular Neuroscience, 2010

Endocannabinoids, including anandamide (AEA), have been implicated in neuroprotective ondemand re... more Endocannabinoids, including anandamide (AEA), have been implicated in neuroprotective ondemand responses. Related to such a response to injury, an excitotoxic kainic acid (KA) injection (i.p.) was found to increase AEA levels in the brain. To modulate the endocannabinoid response during events of excitotoxicity in vitro and in vivo, we utilized a new generation compound (AM5206) that selectively inhibits the AEA deactivating enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). KA caused calpain-mediated spectrin breakdown, declines in synaptic markers, and disruption of neuronal integrity in cultured hippocampal slices. FAAH inhibition with AM5206 protected against the neurodegenerative cascade assessed in the slice model 24 h postinsult. In vivo, KA administration induced seizures and the same neurodegenerative events exhibited in vitro. When AM5206 was injected immediately after KA in rats, the seizure scores were markedly reduced as were levels of cytoskeletal damage and synaptic protein decline. The pre-and postsynaptic proteins were protected by the FAAH inhibitor to levels comparable to those found in healthy control brains. These data support the idea that endocannabinoids are released and converge on pro-survival pathways that prevent excitotoxic progression.

The Journal of Neuroscience, 2005

The endocannabinoid system has been suggested to elicit signals that defend against several disea... more The endocannabinoid system has been suggested to elicit signals that defend against several disease states including excitotoxic brain damage. Besides direct activation with CB1receptor agonists, cannabinergic signaling can be modulated through inhibition of endocannabinoid transport and fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), two mechanisms of endocannabinoid inactivation. To test whether the transporter and FAAH can be targeted pharmacologically to modulate survival/repair responses, the transport inhibitorN-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-arachidonamide (AM404) and the FAAH inhibitor palmitylsulfonyl fluoride (AM374) were assessed for protection against excitotoxicityin vitroandin vivo. AM374 and AM404 both enhanced mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation in cultured hippocampal slices. Interestingly, combining the distinct inhibitors produced additive effects on CB1signaling and associated neuroprotection. After an excitotoxic insult in the slices, infusing the AM374/AM404 combination p...

Experimental Neurology, 2002

In the brain, ␣-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate (AMPA) receptors mediate glutamate... more In the brain, ␣-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate (AMPA) receptors mediate glutamatergic neurotransmission and, when intensely activated, can induce excitotoxic cell death. In addition to their ionotropic properties, however, AMPA receptors have been functionally coupled to a variety of signal transduction events involving Src-family kinases, G-proteins, and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). In the present study, we tested whether AMPA receptors are linked to appropriate signaling events in order to prevent neuronal injury and/or enhance recovery. AMPA stimulation in hippocampal slice cultures caused the selective activation of MAPK through the upstream activator MAPK kinase (MEK). Inhibition of either component of the AMPA receptor-MAPK pathway potentiated cellular damage due to serum deprivation, suggesting that this pathway facilitates compensatory signals in response to injury. Correspondingly, positive modulation of AMPA receptors with the Ampakine 1-(quinoxalin-6-ylcarbonyl)piperidine (CX516) enhanced MAPK activation and reduced the extent of synaptic and neuronal degeneration resulting from excitotoxic episodes. CX516 was neuroprotective when infused into slices either before or after the insult. The Ampakine derivative also elicited neuroprotection in an in vivo model of excitotoxicity as evidenced by reduction in lesion size and preservation of two different types of neurons. Interestingly, the AMPA receptor-MAPK pathway selectively protects against excitotoxicity since enhancing the pathway did not protect against the nonexcitotoxic, slow pathology initiated by lysosomal dysfunction. The results indicate that glutamatergic communication is important for cellular maintenance and that AMPA receptors activate survival signals to counterpoise their own excitotoxic potential.

Hippocampus, 2006

The over-activation of glutamate receptors can lead to excitotoxic cell death and is believed to ... more The over-activation of glutamate receptors can lead to excitotoxic cell death and is believed to be involved in the progression of neurodegenerative events in the vulnerable hippocampus. Here, we used an in vitro slice model to study toxicity produced in the hippocampus by the mitochondrial toxin 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP). The organotypic slice cultures exhibit native cellular organization as well as dense arborization of neuronal processes and synaptic contacts. The hippocampal slices were exposed to 3-NP for 2-20 days, causing calpainmediated breakdown of the spectrin cytoskeleton, a loss of pre-and postsynaptic markers, and neuronal atrophy. The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist memantine reduced both the cytoskeletal damage and synaptic decline in a dose-dependent manner. 3-NPinduced cytotoxicity, as determined by the release of lactate dehydrogenase, was also reduced by memantine with EC 50 values from 1.7 to 2.3 lM. Propidium iodide fluorescence and phase contrast microscopy confirmed memantine neuroprotection against the chronic toxin exposure. In addition, the protected tissue exhibited normal neuronal morphology in the major hippocampal subfields. These results indicate that antagonists of NMDA-type glutamate receptors are protective during the toxic outcome associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. They also provide further evidence of memantine's therapeutic potential against neurodegenerative diseases. V

The Journal of Neuroscience, 1997

Biochemical Journal, 1992

Brain synaptic plasma membranes specifically associated with matrix protein monolayers containing... more Brain synaptic plasma membranes specifically associated with matrix protein monolayers containing the Arg-Gly-Asp sequence recognized by integrin-type adhesion receptors. Experiments using fibronectin affinity chromatography to identify the synaptosomal receptors responsible for this interaction led to the purification of a 55 kDa Arg-Gly-Asp recognition protein that is labelled by antibodies against the alpha 5 beta 1 integrin.

Polyclonal antibodies against specific carboxy-terminal sequences of known-amino-3hydroxy-5-methy... more Polyclonal antibodies against specific carboxy-terminal sequences of known-amino-3hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate (AMPA) receptor subunits (GluR1-4) were used to screen regional homogenates and subcellular fractions from rat brain. Affinity purified anti-GluR1 (against amino acids 877-889), anti-GluR2/3 (850-862), and anti-GluR4a and anti-GluR4b (868-881) labeled distinct subunits with the expected molecular weight of 105,000. These antigens were shown to have distinct distributions in the brain. While GluR2/3 epitopes had a distribution profile similar to that of the presynaptic marker synaptophysin, GluR1 was notable for its abundance in the hippocampus and its relatively low density in neocortical areas, and GluR4 was highly enriched in cerebellar tissue. An additional antigen (glutamate receptor-related, GR53) of lower molecular weight (50,000-59,000) was recognized in rat, human, frog, chick and goldfish brain samples by anti-GluR4a as well as by anti-GluR1at, an antibody that specifically recognizes the extracellular aminoterminal domain of GluR1 (amino acids 163-188). Both antibodies also labeled antigens of 105,000 mol. wt in brain tissue from all species tested. The 53,000 mol. wt antigen was concentrated 10-20-fold in synaptic membranes vs homogenates across rat brain regions. Both the 105,000 and the 53,000 mol. wt proteins were also concentrated in postsynaptic densities, and neither of the two antigens were evident in seven non-brain tissue samples. These data indicate that AMPA receptors have regionally different subunit combinations and that some AMPA receptor composites include proteins other than the conventional 105,000 mol. wt GluR subunits.

Synapse, 1999

Glutamate receptors specifically activated by ␣-amino-3-hydroxy-5methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid... more Glutamate receptors specifically activated by ␣-amino-3-hydroxy-5methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) have been reported to interact with the highly sulfated glycosaminoglycan, heparin, and to subsequently express lower binding affinity for [ 3 H]AMPA. The present study examined whether heparin also modifies the kinetic properties of single channel activity expressed by isolated AMPA receptors from rat forebrain. Upon application of 280 nM AMPA, the partially purified receptors reconstituted in lipid bilayers expressed bursting channel activity that was inhibited by dinitroquinoxaline-2-3,-dione (DNQX). Treating the receptors with heparin (10 µg/ml) produced no change in conductance but the mean burst length for 280 nM AMPA was nearly doubled. Heparin also prolonged the lifetime of open states of the individual ion channels 3-5-fold, perhaps by causing a decrease in the closing rate constant for channel gating. Heparin had no effect on the lifetime of the closed state or on the amplitude of currents. The single channel open time was voltage-dependent and an increase of applied voltage caused a decrease in the heparin effect on channel open times. While the lifetime of the open channel was increased 3-4 times by heparin at 20 mV, there was no significant change induced at 43 mV. The equivalent electric charge of the channel gate was increased by 40%. The heparin effects were specific as another polysaccharide, dextran, and a monomeric constituent of heparin, glucosamine 2,3-disulfate, failed to have any effect on the receptors. These findings suggest that heparin-containing extracellular matrix components can interact with AMPA receptors and influence their functional properties.