Actin cytoskeleton disruption is an early event upon exposure of cerebellar gra...

• Author(s): Tiago, Teresa ; Silva, D. ; Samhan-Arias, A. K. ; Aureliano, M. ; Gutiérrez-Merino, Carlos
• Date: 2009
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/1303
• Origin: Sapientia - Universidade do Algarve
• Subject(s): Neurons; Actin
• Document Type: Conference Object
• Language: English

Description

In this work we have studied the alterations of the actin cytoskeleton in cultured cerebellar granule neurons during exposure to the peroxynitritereleasing agent SIN-1 for less than 2 hours. Actin polymerization state was assessed by fluorescence microscopy ratio images using double labelling for actin filaments (phallacidin) and monomers (DNase-I). In addition, agonists and antagonists of L-type Ca2+ channels and NMDA receptors were used in order to find out whether these compounds were able to attenuate or potentiate the effects of oxidative stress on the perturbation of the actin cytoskeleton. The results reveal that a flux of peroxynitrite as low as 0.5 ;M/min during 1h is sufficient to promote alterations of actin dynamics leading to partial actin cytoskeleton disruption and suggest that this is an early event linked to cytosolic calcium concentration changes.