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Pathway-specific bidirectional regulation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II at spinal nociceptive synapses after acute noxious stimulation.

Larsson, Max LU and Broman, Jonas LU (2006) In JNeurosci 26(16). p.4198-4205
Abstract
An intensely painful stimulus may lead to hyperalgesia, the enhanced sensation of subsequent painful stimuli. This is commonly believed to involve facilitated transmission of sensory signals in the spinal cord, possibly by a long-term potentiation-like mechanism. However, plasticity of identified synapses in intact hyperalgesic animals has not been reported. Here, we show, using neuronal tracing and postembedding immunogold labeling, that after acute noxious stimulation (hindpaw capsaicin injections), immunolabeling of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and of CaMKII phosphorylated at Thr(286/287) (pCaMKII) are upregulated postsynaptically at synapses established by peptidergic primary afferent fibers in the superficial... (More)
An intensely painful stimulus may lead to hyperalgesia, the enhanced sensation of subsequent painful stimuli. This is commonly believed to involve facilitated transmission of sensory signals in the spinal cord, possibly by a long-term potentiation-like mechanism. However, plasticity of identified synapses in intact hyperalgesic animals has not been reported. Here, we show, using neuronal tracing and postembedding immunogold labeling, that after acute noxious stimulation (hindpaw capsaicin injections), immunolabeling of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and of CaMKII phosphorylated at Thr(286/287) (pCaMKII) are upregulated postsynaptically at synapses established by peptidergic primary afferent fibers in the superficial dorsal horn of intact rats. In contrast, postsynaptic pCaMKII immunoreactivity was instead downregulated at synapses of nonpeptidergic primary afferent C-fibers; this loss of pCaMKII immunolabel occurred selectively at distances greater than approximately 20 nm from the postsynaptic membrane and was accompanied by a smaller reduction in total CaMKII contents of these synapses. Both pCaMKII and CaMKII immunogold labeling were unaffected at synapses formed by presumed low-threshold mechanosensitive afferent fibers. Thus, distinct molecular modifications, likely indicative of plasticity of synaptic strength, are induced at different populations of presumed nociceptive primary afferent synapse by intense noxious stimulation, suggesting a complex modulation of parallel nociceptive pathways in inflammatory hyperalgesia. Furthermore, the activity-induced loss of certain postsynaptic pools of autophosphorylated CaMKII at previously unmanipulated synapses supports a role for the kinase in basal postsynaptic function. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
electron microscopy, LTD, substance P, pain, synaptic plasticity, LTP
in
JNeurosci
volume
26
issue
16
pages
4198 - 4205
publisher
Society for Neuroscience
external identifiers
  • wos:000236912100006
  • pmid:16624940
  • scopus:33646443675
ISSN
1529-2401
DOI
10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0352-06.2006
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e231bbd9-1082-4840-af5c-fd6be8216911 (old id 155843)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=16624940&dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:26:16
date last changed
2023-09-04 01:44:26
@article{e231bbd9-1082-4840-af5c-fd6be8216911,
  abstract     = {{An intensely painful stimulus may lead to hyperalgesia, the enhanced sensation of subsequent painful stimuli. This is commonly believed to involve facilitated transmission of sensory signals in the spinal cord, possibly by a long-term potentiation-like mechanism. However, plasticity of identified synapses in intact hyperalgesic animals has not been reported. Here, we show, using neuronal tracing and postembedding immunogold labeling, that after acute noxious stimulation (hindpaw capsaicin injections), immunolabeling of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and of CaMKII phosphorylated at Thr(286/287) (pCaMKII) are upregulated postsynaptically at synapses established by peptidergic primary afferent fibers in the superficial dorsal horn of intact rats. In contrast, postsynaptic pCaMKII immunoreactivity was instead downregulated at synapses of nonpeptidergic primary afferent C-fibers; this loss of pCaMKII immunolabel occurred selectively at distances greater than approximately 20 nm from the postsynaptic membrane and was accompanied by a smaller reduction in total CaMKII contents of these synapses. Both pCaMKII and CaMKII immunogold labeling were unaffected at synapses formed by presumed low-threshold mechanosensitive afferent fibers. Thus, distinct molecular modifications, likely indicative of plasticity of synaptic strength, are induced at different populations of presumed nociceptive primary afferent synapse by intense noxious stimulation, suggesting a complex modulation of parallel nociceptive pathways in inflammatory hyperalgesia. Furthermore, the activity-induced loss of certain postsynaptic pools of autophosphorylated CaMKII at previously unmanipulated synapses supports a role for the kinase in basal postsynaptic function.}},
  author       = {{Larsson, Max and Broman, Jonas}},
  issn         = {{1529-2401}},
  keywords     = {{electron microscopy; LTD; substance P; pain; synaptic plasticity; LTP}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{16}},
  pages        = {{4198--4205}},
  publisher    = {{Society for Neuroscience}},
  series       = {{JNeurosci}},
  title        = {{Pathway-specific bidirectional regulation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II at spinal nociceptive synapses after acute noxious stimulation.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0352-06.2006}},
  doi          = {{10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0352-06.2006}},
  volume       = {{26}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}