start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol= cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page= end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2020 dt-pub=20201029 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Oxytocin Influences Male Sexual Activity via Non-synaptic Axonal Release in the Spinal Cord en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Oxytocinergic neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus that project to extrahypothalamic brain areas and the lumbar spinal cord play an important role in the control of erectile function and male sexual behavior in mammals. The gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) system in the lumbosacral spinal cord is an important component of the neural circuits that control penile reflexes in rats, circuits that are commonly referred to as the “spinal ejaculation generator (SEG).” We have examined the functional interaction between the SEG neurons and the hypothalamo-spinal oxytocin system in rats. Here, we show that SEG/GRP neurons express oxytocin receptors and are activated by oxytocin during male sexual behavior. Intrathecal injection of oxytocin receptor antagonist not only attenuates ejaculation but also affects pre-ejaculatory behavior during normal sexual activity. Electron microscopy of potassium-stimulated acute slices of the lumbar cord showed that oxytocin-neurophysin-immunoreactivity was detected in large numbers of neurosecretory dense-cored vesicles, many of which are located close to the plasmalemma of axonal varicosities in which no electron-lucent microvesicles or synaptic membrane thickenings were visible. These results suggested that, in rats, release of oxytocin in the lumbar spinal cord is not limited to conventional synapses but occurs by exocytosis of the dense-cored vesicles from axonal varicosities and acts by diffusion—a localized volume transmission—to reach oxytocin receptors on GRP neurons and facilitate male sexual function. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=OtiTakumi en-aut-sei=Oti en-aut-mei=Takumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=SatohKeita en-aut-sei=Satoh en-aut-mei=Keita kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=UtaDaisuke en-aut-sei=Uta en-aut-mei=Daisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=NagafuchiJunta en-aut-sei=Nagafuchi en-aut-mei=Junta kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=TateishiSayaka en-aut-sei=Tateishi en-aut-mei=Sayaka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=UedaRyota en-aut-sei=Ueda en-aut-mei=Ryota kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakanamiKeiko en-aut-sei=Takanami en-aut-mei=Keiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=YoungLarry J. en-aut-sei=Young en-aut-mei=Larry J. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=GalioneAntony en-aut-sei=Galione en-aut-mei=Antony kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=MorrisJohn F. en-aut-sei=Morris en-aut-mei=John F. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=SakamotoTatsuya en-aut-sei=Sakamoto en-aut-mei=Tatsuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=SakamotoHirotaka en-aut-sei=Sakamoto en-aut-mei=Hirotaka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Applied Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics, University of Oxford kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=oxytocin kn-keyword=oxytocin en-keyword=localized volume transmission kn-keyword=localized volume transmission en-keyword=spinal cord kn-keyword=spinal cord en-keyword=male sexual activity kn-keyword=male sexual activity en-keyword=gastrin-releasing peptide kn-keyword=gastrin-releasing peptide en-keyword=spinal ejaculation generator kn-keyword=spinal ejaculation generator END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol= cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page= end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2020 dt-pub=20200906 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Variation of pro‐vasopressin processing in parvocellular and magnocellular neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus: Evidence from the vasopressin‐related glycopeptide copeptin en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is synthesized in parvocellular‐ and magnocellular neuroendocrine neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus. Whereas magnocellular AVP neurons project primarily to the posterior pituitary, parvocellular AVP neurons project to the median eminence (ME) and to extrahypothalamic areas. The AVP gene encodes pre‐pro‐AVP that comprises the signal peptide, AVP, neurophysin (NPII), and a copeptin glycopeptide. In the present study, we used an N‐terminal copeptin antiserum to examine copeptin expression in magnocellular and parvocellular neurons in the hypothalamus in the mouse, rat, and macaque monkey. Although magnocellular NPII‐expressing neurons exhibited strong N‐terminal copeptin immunoreactivity in all three species, a great majority (~90%) of parvocellular neurons that expressed NPII was devoid of copeptin immunoreactivity in the mouse, and in approximately half (~53%) of them in the rat, whereas in monkey hypothalamus, virtually all NPII‐immunoreactive parvocellular neurons contained strong copeptin immunoreactivity. Immunoelectron microscopy in the mouse clearly showed copeptin‐immunoreactivity co‐localized with NPII‐immunoreactivity in neurosecretory vesicles in the internal layer of the ME and posterior pituitary, but not in the external layer of the ME. Intracerebroventricular administration of a prohormone convertase inhibitor, hexa‐d‐arginine amide resulted in a marked reduction of copeptin‐immunoreactivity in the NPII‐immunoreactive magnocellular PVN neurons in the mouse, suggesting that low protease activity and incomplete processing of pro‐AVP could explain the disproportionally low levels of N‐terminal copeptin expression in rodent AVP (NPII)‐expressing parvocellular neurons. Physiologic and phylogenetic aspects of copeptin expression among neuroendocrine neurons require further exploration. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=KawakamiNatsuko en-aut-sei=Kawakami en-aut-mei=Natsuko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=OtuboAkito en-aut-sei=Otubo en-aut-mei=Akito kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MaejimaSho en-aut-sei=Maejima en-aut-mei=Sho kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=TalukderAshraf H. en-aut-sei=Talukder en-aut-mei=Ashraf H. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=SatohKeita en-aut-sei=Satoh en-aut-mei=Keita kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=OtiTakumi en-aut-sei=Oti en-aut-mei=Takumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakanamiKeiko en-aut-sei=Takanami en-aut-mei=Keiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=UedaYasumasa en-aut-sei=Ueda en-aut-mei=Yasumasa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=ItoiKeiichi en-aut-sei=Itoi en-aut-mei=Keiichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=MorrisJohn F. en-aut-sei=Morris en-aut-mei=John F. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=SakamotoTatsuya en-aut-sei=Sakamoto en-aut-mei=Tatsuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=SakamotoHirotaka en-aut-sei=Sakamoto en-aut-mei=Hirotaka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Laboratory of Information Biology, Graduate School of Information Sciences, Tohoku University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Physiology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Laboratory of Information Biology, Graduate School of Information Sciences, Tohoku University kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=copeptin kn-keyword=copeptin en-keyword=hypothalamo‐pituitary–adrenal system kn-keyword=hypothalamo‐pituitary–adrenal system en-keyword=immunohistochemistry kn-keyword=immunohistochemistry en-keyword=paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus kn-keyword=paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus en-keyword=processing kn-keyword=processing en-keyword=vasopressin kn-keyword=vasopressin en-keyword=RRID: AB_2722604 kn-keyword=RRID: AB_2722604 en-keyword=RRID: AB_2061966 kn-keyword=RRID: AB_2061966 en-keyword=RRID: AB_2314234 kn-keyword=RRID: AB_2314234 en-keyword=RRID: AB_10013361 kn-keyword=RRID: AB_10013361 en-keyword=RRID: AB_2313960 kn-keyword=RRID: AB_2313960 en-keyword=RRID: AB_2722605 kn-keyword=RRID: AB_2722605 en-keyword=RRID: AB_90782 kn-keyword=RRID: AB_90782 END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=55 cd-vols= no-issue=7 article-no= start-page=1255 end-page=1265 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2014 dt-pub=20140701 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Quality control of photosystem II: direct imaging of the changes in the thylakoid structure and distribution of FtsH proteases in spinach chloroplasts under light stress en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=　Under light stress, the reaction center-binding protein D1 of PSII is photo-oxidatively damaged and removed from PSII complexes by proteases located in the chloroplast. A protease considered to be responsible for degradation of the damaged D1 protein is the metalloprotease FtsH. We showed previously that the active hexameric FtsH protease is abundant at the grana margin and the grana end membranes, and this homo-complex removes the photodamaged D1 protein in the grana. Here, we showed a change in the distribution of FtsH in spinach thylakoids during excessive illumination by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and immunogold labeling of FtsH. The change in distribution of the protease was accompanied by structural changes to the thylakoids, which we detected using spinach leaves by TEM after chemical fixation of the samples. Quantitative analyses showed several characteristic changes in the structure of the thylakoids, including shrinkage of the grana, outward bending of the marginal portions of the thylakoids and an increase in the height of the grana stacks under excessive illumination. The increase in the height of the grana stacks may include swelling of the thylakoids and an increase in the partition gaps between the thylakoids. These data strongly suggest that excessive illumination induces partial unstacking of the thylakoids, which enables FtsH to access easily the photodamaged D1 protein. Finally three-dimensional tomography of the grana was recorded to observe the effect of light stress on the overall structure of the thylakoids. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=Yoshioka-NishimuraMiho en-aut-sei=Yoshioka-Nishimura en-aut-mei=Miho kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=NanbaDaisuke en-aut-sei=Nanba en-aut-mei=Daisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakakiTakashi en-aut-sei=Takaki en-aut-mei=Takashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=OhbaChikako en-aut-sei=Ohba en-aut-mei=Chikako kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=TsumuraNodoka en-aut-sei=Tsumura en-aut-mei=Nodoka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=MoritaNoriko en-aut-sei=Morita en-aut-mei=Noriko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=SakamotoHirotaka en-aut-sei=Sakamoto en-aut-mei=Hirotaka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=MurataKazuyoshi en-aut-sei=Murata en-aut-mei=Kazuyoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamamotoYasusi en-aut-sei=Yamamoto en-aut-mei=Yasusi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil= Techinical support center, JEOL kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Ushimado Marine Institute, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=National Institute for Physiological Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil= Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=FtsH protease kn-keyword=FtsH protease en-keyword=Light stress kn-keyword=Light stress en-keyword=Photosystem II kn-keyword=Photosystem II en-keyword=Spinach chloroplast kn-keyword=Spinach chloroplast en-keyword=TEM kn-keyword=TEM en-keyword=Thylakoid kn-keyword=Thylakoid END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=525 cd-vols= no-issue=7 article-no= start-page=1586 end-page=1598 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2017 dt-pub=20170501 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Identification of the sexually dimorphic gastrin-releasing peptide system in the lumbosacral spinal cord that controls male reproductive function in the mouse and Asian house musk shrew (Suncus murinus) en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Several regions of the brain and spinal cord control male reproductive function. We previously demonstrated that the gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) system, located in the lumbosacral spinal cord of rats, controls spinal centers to promote penile reflexes during male copulatory behavior. However, little information exists on the male-specific spinal GRP system in animals other than rats. The objective of this study was to examine the functional generality of the spinal GRP system in mammals using the Asian house musk shrew (Suncus murinus; suncus named as the laboratory strain), a specialized placental mammal model. Mice are also used for a representative model of small laboratory animals. We first isolated complementary DNA encoding GRP in suncus. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that suncus preproGRP was clustered to an independent branch. Reverse transcription-PCR showed that GRP and its receptor mRNAs were both expressed in the lumbar spinal cord of suncus and mice. Immunohistochemistry for GRP demonstrated that the sexually dimorphic GRP system and male-specific expression/distribution patterns of GRP in the lumbosacral spinal cord in suncus are similar to those of mice. In suncus, we further found that most GRP-expressing neurons in males also express androgen receptors, suggesting that this male-dominant system in suncus is also androgen-dependent. Taken together, these results indicate that the sexually dimorphic spinal GRP system exists not only in mice but also in suncus, suggesting that this system is a conserved property in mammals. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=TamuraKei en-aut-sei=Tamura en-aut-mei=Kei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=KobayashiYasuhisa en-aut-sei=Kobayashi en-aut-mei=Yasuhisa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=HirookaAsuka en-aut-sei=Hirooka en-aut-mei=Asuka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakanamiKeiko en-aut-sei=Takanami en-aut-mei=Keiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=OtiTakumi en-aut-sei=Oti en-aut-mei=Takumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=JogaharaTakamichi en-aut-sei=Jogahara en-aut-mei=Takamichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=OdaSen-ichi en-aut-sei=Oda en-aut-mei=Sen-ichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=SakamotoTatsuya en-aut-sei=Sakamoto en-aut-mei=Tatsuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=SakamotoHirotaka en-aut-sei=Sakamoto en-aut-mei=Hirotaka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil= Laboratory of Animal Management and Resources, Department of Zoology, Okayama University of Science kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil= Laboratory of Animal Management and Resources, Department of Zoology, Okayama University of Science kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=RRID kn-keyword=RRID en-keyword=AB_2060157 kn-keyword=AB_2060157 en-keyword=RRID: AB_2571636 kn-keyword=RRID: AB_2571636 en-keyword=RRID: AB_626757 kn-keyword=RRID: AB_626757 en-keyword=Suncus murinus (suncus) kn-keyword=Suncus murinus (suncus) en-keyword=gastrin-releasing peptide kn-keyword=gastrin-releasing peptide en-keyword=male reproductive function kn-keyword=male reproductive function en-keyword=sexual dimorphism kn-keyword=sexual dimorphism en-keyword=spinal cord kn-keyword=spinal cord END