The thrombin receptor mediates functional activity-dependent neuromuscular synapse reduction via protein kinase C activationin vitro
✍ Scribed by Jia, Min ;Li, Minxu ;Dunlap, Veronica ;Nelson, Phillip G.
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1999
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 220 KB
- Volume
- 38
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0022-3034
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✦ Synopsis
Activity-dependent selective reduction of synaptic efficacy is expressed in an in vitro system involving mouse spinal cord and muscle cells. Thrombin or electrical stimulation of the innervating axons induces a decrease in neuromuscular synapse strength, and a specific thrombin inhibitor, hirudin, blocks the electrically evoked down-regulation of synapse effectiveness. We further demonstrate that a thrombin receptor-activating peptide (TRAP), SFLLRNPNDKYEPF, produces a decrement of synapse strength. Both TRAP and electrically evoked synapse decrement are prevented by the specific protein kinase C blocker calphostin C, and the TRAP-evoked synapse decrement is unaffected by a specific protein kinase A blocker, H-89. Thus, we propose that muscle activity, thrombin release, and thrombin receptor and PKC activation are initial steps in the process of the activity-dependent synapse reduction expressed in our system.