In eukaryotes, class I alpha-mannosidases are involved in early N-glycan processing reactions and in N-glycan-dependent quality control in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). To investigate the role of these enzymes in plants, we identified the ER-type alpha-mannosidase I (MNS3) and the two Golgi-alpha-mannosidase I proteins (MNS1 and MNS2) from Arabidopsis thaliana. All three MNS proteins were fou...

Fluorescence studies on the interaction, with porcine pepsin, of oligopeptides bearing a mansyl (Mns, 6-(N-methylanilino)-2-naphthalenesulfonyl) or dansyl (Dns, 5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-1-sulfonyl) group at the NH2 or COOH terminus have provided further evidence showing that the probe group is drawn into the extended active site largely as a consequence of the specific binding of the peptide ...

The discovery of mirror neurons in the monkey, that fire during both the execution and the observation of the same action, sparked great interest in studying the human equivalent. For over a decade, both functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) have been used to quantify activity in the human mirror neuron system (MNS)-yet, little is still known about how fM...

The pathway mediating reciprocal inhibition from muscle spindle afferents (Ia axons) to motoneurons (MNs) supplying antagonist muscles has been well studied in adult cats, but little is known about how this disynaptic pathway develops. As a basis for studying its development, we characterized this pathway in mice during the first postnatal week, focusing on the projection of quadriceps (Q) Ia a...

Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) is expressed in the developing limb muscles of the chick embryo during the period of spinal motoneuron (MN) programmed cell death, and its receptor c-met is expressed in lumbar MNs during this same period. Although cultured motoneurons from brachial, thoracic, and lumbar segments are all rescued from cell death by chick embryo muscle extract (CMX...

Little is known regarding the effect of chronic changes in neuronal activity on the extent of collateral sprouting by identified CNS neurons. We have investigated the relationship between activity and sprouting in oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (VP) neurons of the hypothalamic magnocellular neurosecretory system (MNS). Uninjured MNS neurons undergo a robust collateral-sprouting response that res...

The aim of the study was to determine whether chronic muscle overload has measurable effect on electrophysiological properties of motoneurons (MNs), and whether duration of this overload influences intensity of adaptations. The compensatory overload was induced in the rat medial gastrocnemius (MG) by bilateral tenotomy of its synergists (lateral gastrocnemius, soleus, and plantaris); as a resul...

Compared to conventional transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), the triple technique (TST) strongly decrease effects of desynchronization descending discharges and accompanying phase cancellation that follow TMS offers a more sensitive method quantify motor evoked potentials (MEPs). Using TST, we explored as whether sub-threshold evokes peripheral neuron (MNs). We compared number MEPs elicite...

Plasma membrane chloride (Cl(-)) pathways play an important role in neuronal physiology. Here, we investigated the role of NKCC1 cotransporters (a secondary active Cl(-) uptake mechanism) in Cl(-) handling in cultured rat dorsal root ganglion neurons (DRGNs) and motor neurons (MNs) derived from fetal stage embryonic day 14. Gramicidin-perforated patch-clamp recordings revealed that DRGNs accumu...

Gaunt, R. A., A. Prochazka, V. K. Mushahwar, L. Guevremont, and P. H. Ellaway. Intraspinal microstimulation excites multisegmental sensory afferents at lower stimulus levels than local -motoneuron responses. J Neurophysiol 96: 2995–3005, 2006. First published August 30, 2006; doi:10.1152/jn.00061.2006. Microstimulation within the motor regions of the spinal cord is often assumed to activate mot...