by Lau Kwok Fai. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 126-134). / Acknowledgments --- p.i / Abstract --- p.ii / Contents --- p.iv / Abbreviations --- p.ix / List of Figures --- p.x / List of Tables --- p.xii / List of Primers --- p.xiii / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction / Chapter 1.1 --- A Brief Introduction of GH --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Growth Hormone Receptor (GHR) --- p.3 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- Tissue Distribution of GHR --- p.4 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- GHR Biosynthesis and Degradation --- p.7 / Chapter 1.2.3 --- Regulation of GHR level --- p.8 / Chapter 1.2.4 --- Structure of GHR --- p.10 / Chapter 1.2.5 --- Possible Signal Transduction Pathways of GHR --- p.13 / Chapter 1.2.6 --- GHR Related Dwarfism --- p.15 / Chapter 1.2.7 --- Significance of Cloning of GHR cDNA --- p.16 / Chapter 1.3 --- Objectives of the Present Study --- p.17 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- General Materials and Methods / Chapter 2.1 --- Ethanol Precipitation of DNA and RNA --- p.19 / Chapter 2.2 --- Spectrophotometric Determination of DNA and RNA --- p.19 / Chapter 2.3 --- Minipreparation of Plasmid DNA --- p.19 / Chapter 2.4 --- Preparation of Plasmid DNA using Magic´ёØ Minipreps DNA Purification Kit from Promega --- p.20 / Chapter 2.5 --- Preparation of Plasmid DNA using QIAGEN-tip100 --- p.21 / Chapter 2.6 --- Preparation and Transformation of Escherichia coli Competent Cell --- p.22 / Chapter 2.7 --- Rapid Screening for the Presence of Desired Plasmid --- p.23 / Chapter 2.8 --- Agarose Gel Electrophoresis --- p.23 / Chapter 2.9 --- Formaldehyde / Agarose Gel Electrophoresis --- p.24 / Chapter 2.10 --- Restriction Digestion of DNA --- p.25 / Chapter 2.11 --- Linearization and Dephosphorylation of Plasmid Vector --- p.25 / Chapter 2.12 --- Purification of DNA form Agarose Gel Using GENECLEAN II® Kit --- p.25 / Chapter 2.13 --- Purification of DNA by Phenol / Chloroform Extraction --- p.26 / Chapter 2.14 --- DNA Radiolabelling --- p.26 / Chapter 2.15 --- Spun-Column Chromatography --- p.27 / Chapter 2.16 --- Capillary Transfer of DNA/RNA to a Nylon Membrane --- p.27 / Chapter 2.16.1 --- DNA Denaturation --- p.27 / Chapter 2.16.2 --- Capillary Transfer --- p.28 / Chapter 2.17 --- Hybridization of DNA/RNA --- p.28 / Chapter 2.18 --- Autoradiography --- p.29 / Chapter 2.19 --- Preparation of Ribonuclease Free Reagents and Apparatus --- p.29 / Chapter 2.20 --- Total RNA Isolation --- p.30 / Chapter 2.21 --- mRNA Isolation --- p.31 / Chapter 2.22 --- First Strand cDNA Synthesis --- p.32 / Chapter 2.23 --- Polymerase Chain Reaction --- p.32 / Chapter 2.24 --- 3'End Modification of PCR Amplified DNA --- p.33 / Chapter 2.25 --- Ligation of DNA Fragments --- p.34 / Chapter 2.26 --- DNA Sequencing --- p.34 / Chapter 2.26.1 --- DNA Sequencing Reaction --- p.34 / Chapter 2.26.2 --- DNA Sequencing Electrophoresis --- p.35 / Chapter 2.27 --- Reagents and Buffers --- p.38 / Chapter 2.27.1 --- Media for Bacterial Culture --- p.38 / Chapter 2.27.2 --- Reagents for Preparation of Plasmid DNA --- p.38 / Chapter 2.27.3 --- Buffers for Agarose Gel Electrophoresis --- p.40 / Chapter 2.27.4 --- Buffers for Formaldehyde Gel Electrophoresis --- p.40 / Chapter 2.27.5 --- Buffers for Preparation Competent Cells --- p.41 / Chapter 2.27.6 --- Buffers for Capillary Transfer and Hybridization --- p.42 / Chapter 2.27.7 --- Buffers for Total RNA Extraction --- p.43 / Chapter 2.27.8 --- 10X CIP Buffers --- p.43 / Chapter 2.28 --- Size of DNA/RNA Molecular Weight Markers --- p.44 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Molecular Studies on Chicken Growth Hormone Receptor / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.45 / Chapter 3.2 --- Material and Methods --- p.46 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Molecular Cloning of Chicken GHR cDNA by PCR --- p.46 / Chapter 3.2.1.1 --- Animals and Tissue --- p.46 / Chapter 3.2.1.2 --- Reverse Transcrbed-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) --- p.46 / Chapter 3.2.1.3 --- Subcloning of PCR Amplified DNA Fragments --- p.47 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Ontogeny of GHR mRNA Expression in Chicken Liver and Brain --- p.48 / Chapter 3.2.2.1 --- Animals and Tissues --- p.48 / Chapter 3.2.2.2 --- Northern Analysis --- p.48 / Chapter 3.2.2.3 --- Quantification of GHR mRNA level --- p.49 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Prokaryotic Expression of Chicken GHR cDNA --- p.49 / Chapter 3.2.3.1 --- Subcloning of Chicken GHR cDNA into a Prokaryotic Expression Vector --- p.49 / Chapter 3.2.3.2 --- Expression of Chicken GHR cDNAin E.coli --- p.50 / Chapter 3.2.3.3 --- SDS-Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) --- p.50 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- Reagents and Buffers / Chapter 3.2.4.1 --- Medium for Bacterial Culture --- p.53 / Chapter 3.2.4.2 --- Reagents for SDS-PAGE --- p.53 / Chapter 3.2.5 --- Size of Protein Molecular Weight Markers --- p.54 / Chapter 3.3 --- Results --- p.55 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Molecular Cloning of Chicken GHR cDNA by PCR --- p.55 / Chapter 3.3.1.1 --- RT-PCR --- p.55 / Chapter 3.3.1.2 --- Subcloning --- p.56 / Chapter 3.3.1.3 --- Nucleotide Sequence Analysis --- p.57 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Ontogeny of GHR mRNA Expression in Chicken Liver and Brain --- p.59 / Chapter 3.3.3 --- Prokaryotic Expression of Chicken GHR cDNA --- p.64 / Chapter 3.3.3.1 --- Subcloning --- p.64 / Chapter 3.3.3.2 --- Nucleotide Sequence Analysis --- p.65 / Chapter 3.3.3.3 --- Prokaryotic Expression --- p.66 / Chapter 3.4 --- Discussion --- p.68 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Molecular Cloning of Chicken GHR cDNA by PCR --- p.68 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Ontogeny of GHR mRNA Expression in Chicken Liver and Brain --- p.70 / Chapter 3.4.3 --- Prokaryotic Expression of Chicken GHR cDNA --- p.71 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Molecular Cloning of Pigeon Growth Hormone Receptor Complementary DNA by Polymerase Chain Reaction and Sequence Analysis / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.74 / Chapter 4.2 --- Materials and Methods --- p.75 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Animals and Tissues --- p.75 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Cloning of Pigeon GHR cDNA Main Core by PCR --- p.75 / Chapter 4.2.2.1 --- RT-PCR --- p.75 / Chapter 4.2.2.2 --- Southern Analysis of PCR Amplified Product --- p.76 / Chapter 4.2.2.3 --- Subcloning of PCR Amplified DNA Fragment --- p.76 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Determination of 3' End Coding Sequence of Pigeon GHR cDNA --- p.76 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Determination of 5' End Coding Sequence of Pigeon GHR cDNA --- p.79 / Chapter 4.3 --- Results / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Cloning of Pigeon GHR cDNA Main Core by PCR --- p.82 / Chapter 4.3.1.1 --- RT-PCR --- p.82 / Chapter 4.3.1.2 --- Southern Analysis --- p.83 / Chapter 4.3.1.3 --- Subcloning of Fragment M --- p.83 / Chapter 4.3.1.4 --- Restriction Digestion of Plasmid --- p.85 / Chapter 4.3.1.5 --- Nucleotide Sequence Analysis --- p.86 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Determination of 3' End and 5' End coding Sequences of Pigeon GHR cDNA --- p.88 / Chapter 4.3.2.1 --- Random Primer Initiated RNA-PCR --- p.88 / Chapter 4.3.2.2 --- AmpliFINDER RACE --- p.88 / Chapter 4.3.2.3 --- Subcloning of Fragment 3' and Fragment 5' --- p.90 / Chapter 4.3.2.4 --- Nucleotide Sequence Analysis --- p.92 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- Nucleotide Sequence and Predicted Amino Acid Sequence of Pigeon GHR --- p.93 / Chapter 4.4 --- Discussion --- p.100 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Attempts on Molecular Cloning of Fish Growth Hormone Receptor Complementary DNA / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.106 / Chapter 5.2 --- Materials and Methods --- p.107 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Animals and Tissues --- p.107 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Design of PCR primers --- p.107 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- RT-PCR and Subcloning of PCR Amplified DNA --- p.108 / Chapter 5.2.4 --- Northern Analysis of Dace Liver RNA --- p.110 / Chapter 5.3 --- Results / Chapter 5.3.1 --- PCR --- p.111 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Subcloning --- p.112 / Chapter 5.3.3 --- Nucleotide Sequence Analysis --- p.114 / Chapter 5.3.4 --- Northern Analysis --- p.117 / Chapter 5.4 --- Discussion --- p.119 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- General Discussion --- p.123 / References --- p.126 / Appendix --- p.135

by Ying Tat Mak. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 178-198). / Title --- p.1 / Abstract --- p.2 / Acknowledgments --- p.5 / Contents --- p.6 / Abbreviations --- p.9 / List of Tables --- p.11 / List of Figures --- p.13 / Chapter Chapter 1: --- Introduction / Chapter 1.1 --- Cholesterol Metabolism and Atherosclerosis --- p.15 / Chapter 1.1.1 --- Cholesterol and Cholesterol Metabolism --- p.17 / Chapter 1.1.2 --- Cholesterol Transport: Apolipoprotein and Lipoprotein --- p.23 / Chapter 1.1.3 --- Cholesterol and Atherosclerosis --- p.26 / Chapter 1.2 --- Hyperlipidaemia --- p.30 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- Primary and Secondary Hyperlipidaemia --- p.31 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- Mutations leading to Primary Hypercholesterolaemia --- p.36 / Chapter 1.3 --- Familial Hypercholesterolaemia --- p.38 / Chapter 1.3.1 --- Historical Aspects --- p.38 / Chapter 1.3.2 --- Clinical Features - Diagnosis and Consequences --- p.39 / Chapter 1.3.3 --- Population Prevalence --- p.40 / Chapter 1.3.4 --- Mutations in the Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor Gene --- p.41 / Chapter 1.4 --- Methods for Detecting Mutations in LDL Receptor Gene --- p.51 / Chapter 1.4.1 --- Southern Blotting Based Methods --- p.51 / Chapter 1.4.2 --- Polymerase Chain Reaction Based Methods --- p.52 / Chapter 1.4.3 --- Screening Methods for Unknown Mutations in LDL Receptor Gene --- p.56 / Chapter 1.5 --- Mutations of the LDL receptor gene in Chinese --- p.58 / Chapter Chapter 2: --- Objectives --- p.63 / Chapter Chapter 3: --- Materials and Methods / Chapter 3.1 --- Subjects / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Patients --- p.65 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Normocholesterolaemia Subjects --- p.67 / Chapter 3.2 --- Materials / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Enzymes --- p.67 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- DNA Markers --- p.68 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Reagents Kits --- p.68 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- Primers for PCR --- p.68 / Chapter 3.2.5 --- Chemicals and Reagents --- p.69 / Chapter 3.2.6 --- Radioisotopes --- p.70 / Chapter 3.2.7 --- Solutions and Buffers --- p.70 / Chapter 3.3 --- Methods / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Blood Collection --- p.71 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- General Biochemistry Tests --- p.72 / Chapter 3.3.3 --- DNA Extraction --- p.72 / Chapter 3.3.4 --- RNA Extraction --- p.73 / Chapter 3.3.5 --- Polymerase Chain Reaction --- p.74 / Chapter 3.3.6 --- Agarose Gel Electrophoresis --- p.76 / Chapter 3.3.7 --- Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis --- p.78 / Chapter 3.3.8 --- Single Strand Conformation Polymorphism --- p.79 / Chapter 3.3.9 --- Reverse Transcription - Polymerase Chain Reaction --- p.79 / Chapter 3.3.10 --- Direct DNA Sequencing --- p.81 / Chapter 3.3.11 --- Haplotyping of the LDL receptor gene --- p.83 / Chapter 3.3.12 --- Restriction Enzyme Digestion --- p.84 / Chapter Chapter 4: --- Results / Chapter 4.1 --- Patients Investigations --- p.88 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- Normal Control Subjects --- p.88 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- Patients --- p.88 / Chapter 4.2 --- PCR-SSCP Analysis of LDL Receptor Gene --- p.90 / Chapter 4.3 --- Summary of Mutations Identified --- p.92 / Chapter 4.4 --- Novel Mutations --- p.94 / Chapter 4.5 --- Previously Reported Mutations --- p.97 / Chapter 4.6 --- Polymorphisms and Silent Mutation --- p.100 / Chapter 4.6.1 --- New Polymorphism --- p.100 / Chapter 4.6.2 --- New Silent Mutation --- p.102 / Chapter 4.6.3 --- Reported Polymorphisms --- p.103 / Chapter 4.7 --- Southern Blotting --- p.103 / Chapter 4.8 --- Haplotypes --- p.104 / (All Figures for Chapter 4) --- p.106 / Chapter Chapter 5: --- Discussions / Chapter 5.1 --- Use of SSCP in Screening for Mutations and Polymorphisms --- p.158 / Chapter 5.2 --- Novel and Reported Mutations --- p.160 / Chapter 5.3 --- Novel Polymorphism and Silent Mutation --- p.170 / Chapter 5.4 --- Common Polymorphisms --- p.171 / Chapter 5.5 --- Possible Common Mutations of the LDL Receptor Gene in Chinese --- p.172 / Chapter 5.6 --- Pattern of LDL Receptor Gene Mutations in Chinese --- p.173 / References --- p.178

Kai Hong Kwok. / Thesis submitted in: December 1997. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 90-98). / Abstract also in Chinese. / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction / Chapter 1.1. --- Classification of β-adrenoceptor in cardiovascular system --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2. --- Vasodilator effects of β-adrenoceptor-agonists and their mechanisms --- p.4 / Chapter 1.3. --- Role of endothelium in β-adrenoceptor-mediated vasodilation --- p.7 / Chapter 1.4. --- Role of K+ channels in β-adrenoceptor-mediated relaxation --- p.11 / Chapter 1.5. --- Other aspect regarding the vascular response to stimulation of B-adrenoceptor --- p.15 / Chapter 1.6. --- Clinical aspect of B-adrenoceptor agents --- p.15 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Methods and Materials / Chapter 2.1. --- Tissue Preparation --- p.19 / Chapter 2.1.1. --- Preparation of the isolated rat mesenteric artery --- p.19 / Chapter 2.1.2. --- Removal of the functional endothelium --- p.19 / Chapter 2.1.3. --- Organ bath set-up --- p.20 / Chapter 2.1.4. --- Length-tension relationship and an optimal resting tension --- p.22 / Chapter 2.2. --- Experimental Procedure --- p.22 / Chapter 2.2.1. --- Relaxant effects of the B-adrenoceptor agonists --- p.24 / Chapter 2.2.2. --- Effects of putative K+ channel blockers --- p.24 / Chapter 2.2.3. --- Effects of inhibitors of nitric oxide activity --- p.25 / Chapter 2.2.4. --- Effect of indomethacin --- p.25 / Chapter 2.2.5. --- "Effects of K+ channel opener, nitric oxide donor and forskolin" --- p.26 / Chapter 2.3. --- Chemicals and Solutions --- p.26 / Chapter 2.3.1. --- Chemicals and drugs --- p.26 / Chapter 2.3.2. --- Preparation of drug stock solutions --- p.26 / Chapter 2.3.3. --- Solutions --- p.28 / Chapter 2.4. --- Statistical Analysis --- p.28 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Results / Chapter 3.1. --- Relaxant Effect of Isoprenaline --- p.29 / Chapter 3.1.1. --- Relaxant effect of isoprenaline --- p.29 / Chapter 3.1.2. --- Effects of inhibitors of nitric oxide activity --- p.29 / Chapter 3.1.3. --- Effect of charybdotoxin on the vasorelaxant response to isoprenaline --- p.32 / Chapter 3.1.4. --- Effect of glibenclamide on the vasorelaxant response to isoprenaline --- p.32 / Chapter 3.1.5. --- Effect of TPA+ on isoprenaline-induced relaxation --- p.36 / Chapter 3.1.6. --- Effect of TPA+ in the presence of iberiotoxin or glibenclamide --- p.36 / Chapter 3.1.7. --- Effect of Ba2+ on the vasorelaxant effect of isoprenaline --- p.41 / Chapter 3.1.8. --- Effect of raising extracellular K+ on isoprenaline-mediated relaxation --- p.41 / Chapter 3.2. --- Relaxant Effect of Dobutamine --- p.44 / Chapter 3.2.1. --- Effects of inhibitors of endothelium-derived factors on the relaxant effect of dobutamine --- p.44 / Chapter 3.2.2. --- Antagonism of the effect of dobutamine by β1-adrenoceptor antagonist --- p.44 / Chapter 3.2.3. --- Effects of putative Kca channel blockers on the relaxant effect of dobutamine --- p.51 / Chapter 3.2.4. --- Effect of TPA+ on the relaxant effect of dobutamine --- p.55 / Chapter 3.2.5. --- Effect of raising extracellular K+ on the relaxant effect of dobutamine --- p.55 / Chapter 3.3. --- Relaxant Effect of Fenoterol --- p.57 / Chapter 3.3.1. --- Effect of inhibitors of nitric oxide activity on the relaxant effect of fenoterol --- p.57 / Chapter 3.3.2. --- Effect of charybdotoxin on the relaxant effect of fenoterol --- p.57 / Chapter 3.3.3. --- Effect of TPA+ on the relaxant effect of fenoterol --- p.64 / Chapter 3.3.4. --- Effect of glibenclamide on the relaxant effect of fenoterol --- p.64 / Chapter 3.3.5. --- Effect of raising extracellular K+ on fenoterol-mediated relaxation --- p.64 / Chapter 3.4. --- Effects of cAMP- and cGMP-elevating agents --- p.69 / Chapter 3.4.1. --- Effects of inhibitors of endothelium-derived factors on the relaxation induced by nitroprusside and forskolin --- p.69 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Effect of charybdotoxin on relaxant effect of forskolin --- p.69 / Chapter 3.4.3 --- Effect of Ba2+ on the vasorelaxant effect of forskolin --- p.76 / Chapter 3.4.4 --- Effect of TPA+ on the relaxant effect of forskolin --- p.76 / Chapter 3.4.5 --- Effect of glibenclamide on the relaxant effects of forskolin and cromakalim --- p.76 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Discussion / Chapter 4.1. --- Effect of Isoprenaline and Fenoterol --- p.77 / Chapter 4.2. --- Effect of Dobutamine --- p.83 / Chapter 4.3. --- Conclusion --- p.88 / References --- p.90 / Publications --- p.98

Rowlands Dewi Kenneth. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 113-121). / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgements --- p.iii / Publications --- p.iv / Abbreviations --- p.v / Contents --- p.vii / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Prostaglandins --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Prostanoid biosynthesis and metabolism --- p.1 / Chapter 1.3 --- Prostaglandin receptors --- p.3 / Chapter 1.3.1 --- DP-receptors --- p.3 / Chapter 1.3.2 --- EP1-receptors --- p.4 / Chapter 1.3.3 --- EP2-receptors --- p.4 / Chapter 1.3.4 --- EP3-receptors --- p.5 / Chapter 1.3.5 --- EP4-receptors --- p.6 / Chapter 1.3.6 --- FP-receptors --- p.7 / Chapter 1.3.7 --- IP-receptors --- p.8 / Chapter 1.3.8 --- TP-receptors --- p.11 / Chapter 1.4 --- Agonists and antagonists --- p.11 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Role of prostacyclin in pain modulation --- p.14 / Chapter 2.1 --- Pain --- p.14 / Chapter 2.2 --- Prostaglandins and pain --- p.15 / Chapter 2.3 --- Prostacyclin and pain --- p.16 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- [3H]-Iloprost binding sites --- p.16 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- IP-receptor mRNA --- p.17 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- IP-receptor knockout mice --- p.17 / Chapter 2.3.4 --- Direct nociceptive action of prostacyclin --- p.18 / Chapter 2.4 --- Treatment of prostanoid-induced pain --- p.19 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Dorsal root ganglion cells --- p.21 / Chapter 3.1 --- In vitro model of pain --- p.21 / Chapter 3.2 --- Characteristics of cultured DRG cells --- p.22 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Size and distribution --- p.22 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Biochemical and physiological characteristics --- p.22 / Chapter 3.2.2.1 --- Gapsaicin-sensitive neurones --- p.23 / Chapter 3.2.2.2 --- Neuropeptide content --- p.23 / Chapter 3.2.2.3 --- Elevation of [Ca2+］i --- p.24 / Chapter 3.3 --- Effect of nerve growth factor --- p.24 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Materials and solutions --- p.26 / Chapter 4.1 --- Materials --- p.26 / Chapter 4.2 --- Solutions --- p.30 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Culture medium --- p.30 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Buffers --- p.31 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Solutions --- p.32 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Development of dorsal root ganglion cell preparation --- p.33 / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.33 / Chapter 5.2 --- Methods --- p.34 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Dissection of dorsal root ganglia --- p.34 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Preparation of a single-cell suspension --- p.34 / Chapter 5.2.2.1 --- Effect of trimming dorsal root ganglia --- p.34 / Chapter 5.2.2.2 --- Enzymatic dissociation --- p.35 / Chapter 5.2.2.3 --- Mechanical dissociation --- p.36 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- Neuronal cell enrichment --- p.36 / Chapter 5.2.3.1 --- Differential adhesion --- p.36 / Chapter 5.2.3.2 --- BSA gradient --- p.37 / Chapter 5.2.3.3 --- Combination of BSA gradient and differential adhesion --- p.37 / Chapter 5.2.4 --- Cell counting --- p.37 / Chapter 5.2.5 --- Culture conditions --- p.38 / Chapter 5.2.6 --- Size distribution of DRG cells --- p.39 / Chapter 5.2.7 --- Immunocytochemistry --- p.39 / Chapter 5.3 --- Results and discussion --- p.40 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Preparation of single-cell suspension --- p.40 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Neuronal cell enrichment --- p.42 / Chapter 5.3.3 --- Size distribution of DRG cells --- p.32 / Chapter 5.3.4 --- Effects of mitotic inhibitors and NGF --- p.45 / Chapter 5.3.5 --- Immunocytochemistry --- p.48 / Chapter 5.4 --- Conclusions --- p.48 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Methods --- p.53 / Chapter 6.1 --- Dorsal root ganglion cell preparation --- p.53 / Chapter 6.1.1 --- Preparation of tissue culture plates and coverslips --- p.54 / Chapter 6.1.2 --- Preparation of Pasteur pipettes --- p.54 / Chapter 6.2 --- Measurement of adenylate cyclase activity --- p.55 / Chapter 6.2.1 --- Introduction --- p.55 / Chapter 6.2.2 --- Preparation of columns --- p.55 / Chapter 6.2.3 --- Measurement of [3H]-cyclic AMP production --- p.56 / Chapter 6.2.4 --- Data analysis --- p.57 / Chapter 6.3 --- Measurement of phospholipase C activity --- p.58 / Chapter 6.3.1 --- Introduction --- p.58 / Chapter 6.3.2 --- Preparation of columns --- p.58 / Chapter 6.3.3 --- Measurement of [3H]-inositol phosphate production --- p.59 / Chapter 6.3.4 --- Data analysis --- p.60 / Chapter 6.4 --- Measurement of [Ca2+]i --- p.60 / Chapter 6.4.1 --- Introduction --- p.60 / Chapter 6.4.2 --- Preparations of cells --- p.61 / Chapter 6.4.3 --- Measurement of Fura-2 fluorescence --- p.62 / Chapter 6.5 --- Measurement of neuropeptides --- p.62 / Chapter 6.5.1 --- Introduction --- p.62 / Chapter 6.5.2 --- Preparation of cells --- p.63 / Chapter 6.5.3 --- CGRP assay --- p.64 / Chapter 6.5.4 --- Substance P assay --- p.64 / Chapter 6.5.5 --- Purification of samples using Sep-Pak cartridges --- p.65 / Chapter Chapter 7 --- Characterisation of prostacyclin receptors on adult rat dorsal root ganglion cells --- p.66 / Chapter 7.1 --- Stimulation of adenylate cyclase --- p.66 / Chapter 7.1.1 --- Introduction --- p.66 / Chapter 7.1.2 --- Agonist concentration-response curves --- p.67 / Chapter 7.1.3 --- Cross-desensitisation experiments --- p.72 / Chapter 7.1.4 --- Evidence for EP3-receptors --- p.77 / Chapter 7.1.5 --- G-protein coupling of the IP-receptor --- p.77 / Chapter 7.1.6 --- Discussion --- p.78 / Chapter 7.1.7 --- Conclusions --- p.82 / Chapter 7.2 --- Stimulation of phospholipase C --- p.82 / Chapter 7.2.1 --- Introduction --- p.82 / Chapter 7.2.2 --- Agonist concentration-response curves --- p.83 / Chapter 7.2.3 --- G-protein coupling --- p.83 / Chapter 7.2.4 --- Discussion and Conclusions --- p.84 / Chapter 7.3 --- Stimulation of changes in [Ca2+]i --- p.87 / Chapter 7.3.1 --- Introduction --- p.87 / Chapter 7.3.2 --- Preliminary results --- p.87 / Chapter 7.3.3 --- Discussion and conclusions --- p.89 / Chapter Chapter 8 --- Neuropeptide release by adult rat dorsal root ganglion cells --- p.90 / Chapter 8.1 --- Introduction --- p.90 / Chapter 8.2 --- Methods and Results --- p.91 / Chapter 8.3 --- Discussion --- p.91 / Chapter 8.4 --- Conclusions --- p.92 / Chapter Chapter 9 --- Regulation of prostacyclin receptors on adult rat DRG cells --- p.93 / Chapter 9.1 --- Introduction --- p.93 / Chapter 9.2 --- Contribution of non-neuronal cells --- p.93 / Chapter 9.3 --- Effect of DRG cell density --- p.94 / Chapter 9.4 --- Effect of indomethacin --- p.99 / Chapter 9.5 --- Contribution of endogenously-produced non-prostanoid ligands --- p.100 / Chapter 9.6 --- Effect of PKC activation --- p.102 / Chapter 9.7 --- Discussion --- p.104 / Chapter 9.8 --- Conclusions --- p.106 / Chapter Chapter 10 --- General Discussion and Conclusions --- p.107 / Chapter 10.1 --- Development of DRG cell preparation --- p.107 / Chapter 10.2 --- Effect of prostanoid mimetics on intracellular messengers --- p.108 / Chapter 10.3 --- Regulation of prostacyclin receptors --- p.109 / Chapter 10.4 --- Role of prostacyclin in pain modulation --- p.111 / References --- p.113

Chu Kit Man. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 142-168). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / 摘要 --- p.iii / Acknowledgement --- p.iv / Abbreviations --- p.v / Publications Based on Work in this thesis --- p.viii / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- G protein-coupled receptors --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.2 --- Heterotrimeric G proteins --- p.3 / Chapter 1.1.3 --- Second messenger systems --- p.4 / Chapter 1.1.4 --- Mechanism of GPCR activation --- p.6 / Chapter 1.2 --- Prostacyclin and its receptors --- p.9 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- General properties of prostacyclin --- p.9 / Chapter 1.2.1.1 --- Synthesis of prostacyclin --- p.9 / Chapter 1.2.1.2 --- Prostacyclin analogues --- p.10 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- Characterization of IP-receptors --- p.12 / Chapter 1.2.2.1 --- Distribution of IP-receptors --- p.12 / Chapter 1.2.2.2 --- Cloning of IP-receptors --- p.14 / Chapter 1.2.2.3 --- Structure of IP-receptors --- p.15 / Chapter 1.2.3 --- Coupling of IP-receptors to G proteins --- p.16 / Chapter 1.2.3.1 --- Interaction with Gs --- p.16 / Chapter 1.2.3.2 --- Interaction with Gq --- p.17 / Chapter 1.2.3.3 --- Interaction with Gi --- p.18 / Chapter 1.2.3.4 --- Interaction with PPARs --- p.20 / Chapter 1.2.4 --- Role of prostacyclin in mitogenesis/anti-mitogenesis --- p.20 / Chapter 1.3 --- Signal transduction network of MAPK family --- p.27 / Chapter 1.3.1 --- MAPK modules in mammalian cells --- p.29 / Chapter 1.3.1.1 --- Extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) cascade --- p.30 / Chapter 1.3.1.2 --- Stress-activated protein kinase (JNK and p38) cascades --- p.33 / Chapter 1.3.2 --- Activation ofERKl/2 through GPCRs --- p.35 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Materials and solutions --- p.53 / Chapter 2.1 --- Materials --- p.53 / Chapter 2.2 --- "Culture media, buffer and solutions" --- p.58 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Culture media --- p.58 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Buffers --- p.59 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Solutions --- p.62 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Methods --- p.65 / Chapter 3.1 --- Maintenance of cell lines --- p.65 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Chinese Hamster ovary (CHO) cells --- p.65 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Human neuroblastoma (SK-N-SH) cells --- p.66 / Chapter 3.1.3 --- Rat/mouse neuroblastoma/glioma hybrid (NG108-15) cells --- p.66 / Chapter 3.2 --- Transient transfection of mammalian cells --- p.67 / Chapter 3.3 --- Measurement of ERK activity --- p.68 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- PathDetect® Elkl trans-Reporting System --- p.68 / Chapter 3.3.1.1 --- Introduction --- p.68 / Chapter 3.3.1.2 --- β-galactosidase assay --- p.72 / Chapter 3.3.1.3 --- Transient transfection of cells --- p.72 / Chapter 3.3.1.4 --- Cell assay --- p.73 / Chapter 3.3.1.5 --- Luciferase assay --- p.74 / Chapter 3.3.1.6 --- Micro β-gal assay --- p.74 / Chapter 3.3.1.7 --- Data analysis --- p.75 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Western Blotting --- p.79 / Chapter 3.3.2.1 --- Introduction --- p.79 / Chapter 3.3.2.2 --- Transient transfection of cells --- p.79 / Chapter 3.3.2.3 --- Cell assay --- p.79 / Chapter 3.3.2.4 --- Protein electrophoresis and transfer --- p.80 / Chapter 3.3.2.5 --- Immunodetection --- p.80 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Measurement of adenylyl cyclase activity --- p.83 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- wyo-[3H]-inositol labelling method --- p.83 / Chapter 3.4.1.1 --- Preparation of columns --- p.83 / Chapter 3.4.1.2 --- Incubation of cells --- p.84 / Chapter 3.4.1.3 --- Measurement of [3H]-cyclic AMP production --- p.84 / Chapter 3.4.1.4 --- Data analysis --- p.85 / Chapter 3.5 --- Measurement of phospholipase C activity --- p.85 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- wyo-[3H]-inositol labelling method --- p.85 / Chapter 3.5.1.1 --- Preparation of columns --- p.86 / Chapter 3.5.1.2 --- Incubation of cells --- p.86 / Chapter 3.5.1.3 --- Measurement of [3H]-inositol phosphate production --- p.87 / Chapter 3.5.1.4 --- Data analysis --- p.88 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Results --- p.89 / Chapter 4.1 --- Validation of PathDetect® Elkl Trans-Reporting System --- p.89 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- Introduction --- p.89 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- Internal control --- p.89 / Chapter 4.1.3 --- Response to cicaprost and ATP --- p.91 / Chapter 4.1.4 --- Normalisation of ERK1/2 activity with transfection efficiency --- p.92 / Chapter 4.1.5 --- Cicaprost response in CHO cells in the absence of mIP- receptor --- p.93 / Chapter 4.1.6 --- Normalised luciferase activity reflecting ERK1/2 activation --- p.93 / Chapter 4.1.7 --- Conclusion --- p.95 / Chapter 4.2 --- Characterization of IP-receptors --- p.101 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- IP-receptor activation of adenylyl cyclase and phospholipase C --- p.101 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- IP-receptor activation ofERKl/2 in mIP-CHO cells --- p.102 / Chapter 4.2.2.1 --- PathDetect System --- p.102 / Chapter 4.2.2.2 --- Western Blotting --- p.103 / Chapter 4.2.2.3 --- Conclusion --- p.104 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Role of the Gs-mediated pathway in cicaprost-stimulated ERK1/2 activation --- p.104 / Chapter 4.2.3.1 --- Role of cyclic AMP --- p.105 / Chapter 4.2.3.2 --- Role of protein kinase A --- p.106 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Role of the Gq-mediated pathway in cicaprost-stimulated ERK1/2 activation --- p.106 / Chapter 4.2.4.1 --- Role of IP3 --- p.107 / Chapter 4.2.4.2 --- Role of protein kinase C --- p.108 / Chapter 4.2.4.3 --- Conclusion --- p.108 / Chapter 4.2.5 --- IP-receptor activation of ERKl/2 in hIP-CHO cells --- p.109 / Chapter 4.2.5.1 --- Activation ofERKl/2 in hIP-CHO cells --- p.109 / Chapter 4.2.5.2 --- Role of the Gq-mediated pathway in cicaprost- stimulated ERK 1/2 activation --- p.110 / Chapter 4.2.5.3 --- Role of the Gs-mediated pathway in cicaprost- stimulated ERK 1/2 activation --- p.111 / Chapter 4.2.5.4 --- Conclusions --- p.113 / Chapter 4.2.6 --- IP-receptor activation of ERX1/2 in neuroblastoma cells --- p.114 / Chapter 4.2.6.1 --- Rat/mouse neuroblastoma/glioma (NG108-15) cells --- p.114 / Chapter 4.2.6.2 --- Human neuroblastoma (SK-N-SH) cells --- p.115 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- General Discussion and Conclusions --- p.137 / References --- p.142

Increasing evidence that ordinary cues paired with reward can acquire value indicates that the incentive properties of rewards are capable of being transferred onto cues, making them incentive stimuli. Studies have begun focusing on isolating components of the reward circuit involved in imparting incentive salience onto a cue with the goal of identifying rats with susceptibilities to drug addiction. Such studies have found that under a Pavlovian Conditioned Approach (PCA) paradigm, sign-tracking rats are at increased risk for instilling incentive salience onto conditioned stimuli and for engaging in drug-related behavior. With better understanding of the neural basis of sign tracking and its behavioral aspect of drug seeking comes a better chance of discovering treatment methods for drug addiction. This study examines the potential behavioral outcomes of altering the pathway starting in the Ventral Pallidum (VP) and ending in the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) by using Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs). While there is some evidence of an interaction between the effects of DREADDs on this neural circuit and behavior, not all results presented here reach significance. Additional studies are needed to confirm the hypothesis of specific inhibitory DREADDs from the VP to the VTA causing increased amounts of sign tracking in rats as a way to assess whether this pathway is implicated in predisposing rats to sign-tracking behavior. / 2018-07-11T00:00:00Z

Remyelination is a spontaneous regenerative process whereby myelin sheaths are restored to demyelinated axons. Key players in this process are oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs), a widespread population of CNS progenitor cells which persist into adulthood. Remyelination is impaired in patients with chronic demyelinating conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis, and as with other regenerative processes, its efficiency declines with increasing age. Hence, there is a need for the development of therapeutic interventions that will aid in promoting endogenous remyelination when the endogenous regenerative potential is compromised. The nuclear receptor RXR$\gamma$ is an important positive regulator of OPC differentiation and an accelerator of endogenous remyelination in aged rats. RXR$\gamma$ functions as a ligand-induced transcription factor and is able to regulate gene transcription. It does so by heterodimerising with other nuclear receptors and recruiting co-regulators involved in chromatin remodelling. However, we lack understanding on the specific mechanism by which RXR$\gamma$ promotes OPC differentiation. With the work presented in this thesis I demonstrate that RXR$\gamma$ function is regulated at multiple signalling levels. Proximity ligation assays revealed that RXR$\gamma$ remains consistently bound to its partners throughout the oligodendrocyte lineage, and the biological relevance of each heterodimer is determined by the dynamic association of co-regulators. This is in turn influenced by ligand presence and subcellular receptor localisation. To identify the genes controlled by RXR$\gamma$ in OPCs I carried out ChIP sequencing, which revealed genes involved in proliferation and cell cycle control. Further functional assessments aided me in the development of a hypothesis whereby RXR$\gamma$ activation does not directly influence oligodendrocyte formation, but rather promotes cell cycle exit thereby accelerating and facilitating OPC differentiation. Altered nuclear receptor expression and ligand presence in ageing OPCs may consequently impair this process. My thesis provides an alternative hypothesis to how RXR$\gamma$ regulates lineage cell progression, highlighting a new avenue in the development of therapeutic interventions targeting generic stem cell functions for which drugs are already FDA approved, rather than oligodendrocyte-specific pathways.

This report describes the synthesis, chemical derivation, and pharmacological and behavioral characterization of several unique classes of opioid receptor modulators. In chapter one, a general overview of opioid receptor history, signaling biology, and therapeutic applications is provided. Also reviewed are several topics of high current interest, including, biased signaling, opioid receptor splice variants/heteromers, and applications of opioid modulators in the treatment of mood disorders. This introduction aims to frame the work that follows, and emphasize to the reader the untapped potential of the opioid receptor system, particularly in the realm of therapeutics development. Chapter two discusses the development of several new C-H activation reactions to provide rapid access to the core molecular scaffold of alkaloids from Tabernanthe iboga. The methods described permit the expedient construction of structurally diverse ibogamine analogs via a modular approach. In chapter three, this work is extended by applying the new reaction methodologies to explore a novel class of oxaibogamine analogs, which act as opioid receptor agonists and antagonists. The thorough exploration of structure-activity relationships within this skeleton is described, along with the pharmacological characterization of several select analogs as biased agonists at both the kappa- and mu-opioid receptors. This section concludes with a discussion of potential therapeutic applications for the synthesized compounds as new analgesics and antidepressants, and future goals and plans for this structural class. In chapter four, the isolation and pharmacological study of several alkaloids of Mitragyna speciosa is presented. Mitragynine, the primary natural alkaloid in this plant, is isolated, along with several naturally occurring analogs, and the modulatory activity of these compounds at the opioid receptors is fully characterized. Further, preliminary results are presented suggesting activity of these alkaloids at several other classes of central nervous system targets, including serotonin and adrenergic receptors. Also discussed are the preparations of semi-synthetic and fully synthetic mitragynine derivatives, including a total synthesis of mitragynine itself. These novel analogs are applied to explore key structure-activity relationships in this unusual opioid-active scaffold. Again, potential applications of Mitragyna alkaloid analogs in the treatment of pain and depression are discussed. In the final chapter, I describe our discovery that tianeptine, a clinically used atypical antidepressant of previously unknown mechanism of action, acts as an agonist of both the mu- and delta-opioid receptors. Activation of the mu-opioid receptor is thus proposed as the initial molecular-level event responsible for eliciting the beneficial therapeutic effects of this agent. This hypothesis is integrated with the large body of literature describing this compound, and mechanistic theories connecting the opioid activity of tianeptine to previous observations are described, with a particular emphasis on indirect modulation of glutamate signaling. Behavioral studies in mice employing both genetic knockout and pharmacological inhibition are then used to confirm the involvement of the opioid receptors in tianeptine's mechanism of action. Also described are thorough explorations of opioid structure-activity relationships within the tianeptine scaffold, and the design and synthesis of novel analogs having improved pharmacokinetic properties. It is hoped that these derivatives may one day serve as new therapeutic options for patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression.

The cerebral cortex continuously encodes new sensory information and organizes it within an experiential intracortical framework. The cortical integration of internal and external information forms the associations that are the basis for higher order sensory representation, and ultimately, perception. Deciphering the cellular and synaptic principles of sensory-cortical integration requires a system with a simplified interface between the internal and external worlds. The piriform cortex provides a relatively simple substrate for the study of intracortical modulation of sensory coding. Within piriform, primary sensory information from the olfactory bulb converges onto neurons in a single cortical layer, where it directly integrates with intracortical input. The major barrier to studying intracortical influences on sensory representation in piriform has been the inability to isolate single types of intracortical input. Here, we use optogenetic techniques to functionally isolate two important classes of intracortical input to piriform pyramidal neurons, and slice electrophysiology to assess their synaptic properties. We first expressed channelrhodopsin in a small subset of piriform neurons, effectively isolating the recurrent synapses formed onto piriform pyramidal neurons by their peers. Recurrent collaterals form strong excitatory connections that extend throughout piriform without spatial attenuation in strength, linking distant piriform neurons. This extensive recurrent network is constrained by powerful disynaptic inhibition, which can also reduce activation by primary sensory inputs in a timing-dependent manner. Next, we functionally isolated inputs to the piriform from the anterior olfactory nucleus (AON), an early target of olfactory bulb output whose role in olfaction is largely unknown. The AON makes weaker excitatory connections with piriform, but unlike recurrent connections, these inputs do not drive strong disynaptic inhibition. Sequential activation of AON inputs leads to pronounced summation that boosts piriform activation in an NMDA-receptor-dependent manner, and may enhance plasticity of AON-to-piriform synapses. The AON is a potentially powerful modulator of piriform cortex, whose role in odor information processing merits further study. Our results collectively illustrate critical features of intracortical input classes to piriform cortex, and how these inputs may have distinct roles in shaping odor representations and olfactory learning.

The study of B and T cell receptor repertoires from high throughput sequencing is a recent development that allows for unprecedented resolution and quantification of the adaptive immune response. The immense diversity and long tailed distribution of these repertoires has up until now limited such studies to expanded clonal signatures or to analysis of imprecise signals with limited dynamic range collected by techniques such as radioactive and fluorescent labeling. This thesis presents a number of quantitative methods to characterize the repertoire and examine the questions of sequence diversity and inter-repertoire divergence of T cell repertoires. These approaches attempt to accurately parametrize the inherent distribution of T cell clones drawing from statistical tools derived from ecological literature and information theory. The methods presented are applied to T cell analyses of various tissue compartments of the human body, including peripheral blood mononucleocytes, thymic tissues, spleen, inguinal lymph nodes, lung lymph nodes and the brain. A number of applications are explored with strong implications for translational use in medicine. Novel insights are made into the mechanism of maintenance and compartmentalization of na{\"i}ve T cells from human donors of many different ages. Diversity and divergence of the tumor infiltrating sequence repertoire is measured in low grade gliomas and glioblastomas from cancer patients, and potential sequence based biomarkers are assessed for studying glioma phenotype progression. A careful investigation of the immune response to allogeneic stimulus reveals the effect of HLA on sequence sharing and diversity of the alloresponse, and quantifies for the first time using sequence data the fraction of T cells in a repertoire that are alloreactive. The use of repertoire sequencing and mathematical models within immunology is a new and emerging concept within the rapidly expanding field of systems immunology and will undoubtedly have a profound impact on the future of immunology research. It is hoped that the tools presented in this thesis will give insight into how to quantitatively explore the breadth and depth of the T cell receptor repertoire, and provide future directions for TCR repertoire analysis.