PMID- 15744756
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20050825
LR  - 20131121
IS  - 0021-9541 (Print)
IS  - 0021-9541 (Linking)
VI  - 204
IP  - 2
DP  - 2005 Aug
TI  - D-aspartate modulates transcriptional activity in Harderian gland of frog, Rana 
      esculenta: Morphological and molecular evidence.
PG  - 445-54
AB  - In the green frog, Rana esculenta, a substantial amount of D-aspartate (D-Asp) is 
      found endogenously within the Harderian gland (HG) following its synthesis from 
      L-aspartate (L-Asp) by an aspartate racemase. The frog HG is an orbital 
      seromucoid gland that displays seasonal changes in secretory activity. Our in 
      vivo experiments, consisting of i.p. injection of 2.0 mumol/g b.w. D-Asp in frogs 
      collected during two periods of differing glandular activity (high or medium-low 
      secretory activity), revealed that HG can to take up and accumulate D-Asp and 
      that this amino acid may modulate the exocrine secretion through a kinase 
      pathway. At a time when the gland shows relatively low secretory activity, i.p. 
      administration of D-Asp rapidly induced activation of ERK1 and an increase in 
      cells active in RNA synthesis. This increase in transcriptional activity was 
      followed by a significant increase in mucous secretion. By contrast, 
      administration of exogenous D-Asp when HG was showing high activity rapidly 
      induced inhibition of both ERK1 and transcriptional activity. Since D-Asp is 
      known to be recognized by receptors for N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA), it is 
      possible that in the HG, D-Asp mediated NMDA activation may enhance the kinase 
      pathway. The above activation of opposing stimulatory and inhibitory processes 
      could reflect different levels of NMDA-receptor activity, which could vary as a 
      function of the level of gland activity. This study provides the first evidence 
      of a role for this excitatory amino acid in exocrine secretion. The effects of 
      D-Asp in HG appear to be specific since they were not seen in frogs treated with 
      other D- or L-amino acids with known excitatory effects on neurosecretion.
CI  - (c) 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
FAU - Raucci, Franca
AU  - Raucci F
AD  - Dip. Scienze della Vita, Seconda Universita di Napoli, via Vivaldi, Caserta, 
      Italy.
FAU - Santillo, Alessandra
AU  - Santillo A
FAU - D'Aniello, Antimo
AU  - D'Aniello A
FAU - Chieffi, Paolo
AU  - Chieffi P
FAU - Baccari, Gabriella Chieffi
AU  - Baccari GC
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PL  - United States
TA  - J Cell Physiol
JT  - Journal of cellular physiology
JID - 0050222
RN  - 4SR0Q8YD1X (D-Aspartic Acid)
RN  - EC 2.7.11.24 (Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3)
RN  - EC 5.1.- (Racemases and Epimerases)
SB  - IM
MH  - Animals
MH  - D-Aspartic Acid/biosynthesis/pharmacokinetics/*pharmacology
MH  - Female
MH  - Harderian Gland/drug effects/*metabolism/ultrastructure
MH  - Histocytochemistry
MH  - Male
MH  - Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3/metabolism
MH  - Racemases and Epimerases/metabolism
MH  - Rana esculenta
MH  - Transcription, Genetic/*drug effects
EDAT- 2005/03/04 09:00
MHDA- 2005/08/27 09:00
CRDT- 2005/03/04 09:00
PHST- 2005/03/04 09:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2005/08/27 09:00 [medline]
PHST- 2005/03/04 09:00 [entrez]
AID - 10.1002/jcp.20316 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - J Cell Physiol. 2005 Aug;204(2):445-54. doi: 10.1002/jcp.20316.