The type and distribution of indoleamine-accumulating neurons were studied in the cat retina. The neurons were characterized by their capacity to take up an exogenous indoleamine, 5,6-dihydroxytryptamine, which could then be visualized using formaldehyde-induced fluorescence. Under direct microscopic control, intracellular injection of Lucifer yellow into the labeled cells revealed that the ind...

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase degrades the amino acid tryptophan which is essential for T cells. Tryptophan depletion causes T-cell cycle arrest and solid tumors that express high levels of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase can create immune suppression. Recently, blasts of patients with acute myeloid leukemia were shown to express indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase. We determined INDO (encoding gene for indo...

The indoleamine-accumulating amacrine cells of the rabbit retina are wide-field and numerous. They form a dense plexus in sublamina 5 of the inner plexiform layer where they make reciprocal synapses with rod bipolar cells. To provide a quantitative test for the colocalization of serotonin (5-HT) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the rabbit retina, we designed two parallel double-label exper...

Tryptophan is required for T lymphocyte effector functions. Its degradation is one of the mechanisms selected by tumors to resist immune destruction. Two enzymes, tryptophan-2,3-dioxygenase and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1, control tryptophan degradation through the kynurenine pathway. A third protein, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 2, was identified more recently. All three enzymes were reported...

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), an enzyme involved in the catabolism of tryptophan, is expressed by a variety of cells and tissues such as macrophages, dendritic cells, cells of the endocrine system and by the placenta. IFN- γ is the main inducer of this enzyme. IDO acts as an important defense mechanism of innate immunity against pathogens. It also has tumor suppressive activity and prolong...

The unicellular eukaryotic dinoflagellates shed their flagella and form a new pellicle cyst wall in response to environmental stress. This encystment process can also be induced by indoleamines such as melatonin and 5-methoxytryptamine. To decipher the complex signaling events which lead to encystment, we have investigated the functional roles of Ca2+ and inositol phosphates in indoleamine-indu...