Cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase potentiates serotonin-induced Egr-1 binding activity in PC12 cells

Increased motor neuron resilience by small molecule compounds that regulate IGF-II expression

The selective vulnerability of motor neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is evident by sparing of a few subpopulations during this fast progressing and debilitating degenerative disease. By studying the gene expression profile of resilient vs. vulnerable motor neuron populations we can gain insight in what biomolecules and pathways may contribute to the resilience and vulnerability. Several genes have been found to be differentially expressed in the vulnerable motor neurons of the cervical spinal cord as compared to the spared motor neurons in CNIII/IV. One gene that is differentially expressed and present at higher levels in less vulnerable motor neurons is insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II). The motor neuron protective effect of IGF-II has been demonstrated both in vitro and in SOD1 transgenic mice. Here, we have screened a library of small molecule compounds and identified inducers of IGF-II mRNA and protein expression. Several identified compounds significantly protected motor neurons from glutamate excitotoxicity in vitro. One of the compounds, vardenafil, resulted in a complete motor neuron protection, an effect that was reversed by blocking receptors of IGF-II. When administered to naïve rats vardenafil was present in the cerebrospinal fluid and increased IGF-II mRNA expression in the spinal cord. When administered to SOD1 transgenic mice, there was a significant delay in motor symptom onset and prolonged survival. Vardenafil also increased IGF-II mRNA and protein levels in motor neurons derived from healthy subject and ALS patient iPSCs, activated a human IGF-II promoter and improved survival of ALS-patient derived motor neurons in culture. Our findings suggest that modulation of genes differentially expressed in vulnerable and resilient motor neurons may be a useful therapeutic approach for motor neuron disease.

Transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG-I): pathophysiological significance

The ability of the endothelium to produce nitric oxide, which induces generation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) that activates cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG-I), in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), is essential for the maintenance of vascular homeostasis. Yet, disturbance of this nitric oxide/cGMP/PKG-I pathway has been shown to play an important role in many cardiovascular diseases. In the last two decades, in vitro and in vivo models of vascular injury have shown that PKG-I is suppressed following nitric oxide, cGMP, cytokine, and growth factor stimulation. The molecular basis for these changes in PKG-I expression is still poorly understood, and they are likely to be mediated by a number of processes, including changes in gene transcription, mRNA stability, protein synthesis, or protein degradation. Emerging studies have begun to define mechanisms responsible for changes in PKG-I expression and have identified cis- and trans-acting regulatory elements, with a plausible role being attributed to post-translational control of PKG-I protein levels. This review will focus mainly on recent advances in understanding of the regulation of PKG-I expression in VSMCs, with an emphasis on the physiological and pathological significance of PKG-I down-regulation in VSMCs in certain circumstances.

Serotonergic 5-HT2A receptor stimulation induces steroid 5alpha-reductase gene expression in rat C6 glioma cells via transcription factor Egr-1

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are widely used for the treatment of depressive mood disorders and well known to inhibit the reuptake of neurotransmitter serotonin into nerve terminals. Thus, it seems conceivable that these drugs may induce the outflow of serotonin from the synapse as a consequence of inhibiting the reuptake, resulting in the stimulation of glial cells surrounding nerve terminals. On this hypothesis, the effect of serotonin on steroid 5alpha-reductase type 1 (5alpha-R) gene expression in rat C6 glioma cells was examined as one of the in vitro model experiments for investigating the indirect influence of SSRIs on glial cells. Serotonin elevated 5alpha-R mRNA and protein levels through the stimulation of serotonin 5-HT2A receptors, and also elevated Egr-1 mRNA and protein levels prior to 5alpha-R gene expression in the glioma cells. Furthermore, serotonin failed to significantly increase 5alpha-R mRNA levels in the cells preloaded with the antisense oligodeoxynucleotide targeted on Egr-1 gene. These results indicate that serotonin may stimulate 5alpha-R gene expression via transcription factor Egr-1 in glial cells, thus suggesting that serotonin flowing out of the serotonergic synapse may be implicated in SSRI-induced changes in neurosteroid metabolism in brain.

Activation of the cGMP pathway in dopaminergic structures reduces cocaine-induced EGR-1 expression and locomotor activity

Nitric oxide (NO) and the C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) exert their action on brain via the cGMP signaling pathway. NO, by activating soluble guanylyl cyclase, and CNP, by stimulating membrane-bound guanylyl cyclase, cause intracellular increases of cGMP, activating cGMP-dependent protein kinases (PKGs). We show here that injection of CNP into the rat ventral tegmental area strongly reduced cocaine-induced egr-1 expression in the nucleus accumbens in a dose-dependent manner. The effect of CNP was reversed by the previous injection of a selective PKG inhibitor, KT5823. Activation of PKG by 8-bromo-cGMP reduced, like CNP, cocaine-induced gene transcription in dopaminergic structures. To confirm the involvement of PKG, this was overexpressed in either the mesencephalon or the caudate-putamen. Using the polyethyleneimine delivery system, an active protein was expressed by injecting a plasmid vector containing the human PKG-Ialpha cDNA. PKG was overexpressed in dopaminergic and GABAergic neurons when the plasmid was injected in the ventral tegmental area, whereas overexpression was observed in medium spiny GABAergic neurons and in both cholinergic and GABAergic interneurons when the PKG vector was injected into the caudate-putamen. Activation of the overexpressed PKG reduced cocaine-induced egr-1 expression in dopaminergic structures and affected behavior (i.e., locomotor activity). These effects were again reversed by previous injection of the selective PKG inhibitor. The current data suggest that NO and the neuropeptide CNP are potential regulators of cocaine-related effects on behavior.

Regulation of gene expression by cyclic GMP

Cyclic GMP, produced in response to nitric oxide and natriuretic peptides, is a key regulator of vascular smooth muscle cell contractility, growth, and differentiation, and is implicated in opposing the pathophysiology of hypertension, cardiac hypertrophy, atherosclerosis, and vascular injury/restenosis. cGMP regulates gene expression both positively and negatively at transcriptional as well as at posttranscriptional levels. cGMP-regulated transcription factors include the cAMP-response element binding protein CREB, the serum response factor SRF, and the nuclear factor of activated T cells NF/AT. cGMP can regulate CREB directly, through phosphorylation by cGMP-dependent protein kinase, or indirectly, through activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways; regulation of SRF and NF/AT by cGMP is indirect, through modulation of RhoA and calcineurin signaling, respectively. Downregulation of the RNA-binding protein HuR by cGMP leads to destabilization of guanylate cyclase mRNA, but this posttranscriptional mechanism may affect many more cGMP-regulated genes. In this review, we discuss the role of cGMP-regulated gene expression in (patho)physiological processes most relevant to the cardiovascular system, such as regulation of vascular tone, cardiac hypertrophy, phenotypic modulation of vascular smooth muscle cells, and regulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis.

Activation of extracellular-regulated kinase by 5-hydroxytryptamine(2A) receptors in PC12 cells is protein kinase C-independent and requires calmodulin and tyrosine kinases

5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)(2A) receptors have been implicated to play a role in both the treatment and pathophysiology of a number of psychiatric disorders. Therefore, the coupling of this receptor to signals, such as extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), that elicit long-term neuronal changes may be relevant. In the present study we examined the coupling of the G(q)-coupled receptor to ERK in PC12 cells, a cell line commonly used as a neuronal model system. Activation of ERK occurred through a pathway different than the protein kinase C-dependent pathways described previously in studies of non-neuronal cells. Activation of ERK, in PC12 cells, was inhibited by both chelation of extracellular Ca(2+) and by depletion of intracellular Ca(2+) stores. Surprisingly, activation was not inhibited, but actually potentiated, by a variety of protein kinase C inhibitors covering all known protein kinase C isoforms. In contrast, the coupling of receptor to activation of ERK was found to be sensitive to N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulfonamide hydrochloride (W7) and N-(4-aminobutyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulfonamide (W13), inhibitors of calmodulin, but not to 1-(N,O-bis[5-isoquinolinesulfonyl]-N-methyl-L-tyrosyl)-4-phenylpiperazine (KN62) and 2-[N-(2-hydroxyethyl)]-N-4-methoxybenzenesulfonyl)]amino-N-(4-chlorocinnamyl)-N-methylbenzylamine) (KN93), inhibitors of calmodulin-dependent protein kinase. Additionally, the general tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein, as well as the Src inhibitor PP1 and the epidermal growth factor receptor kinase inhibitor 4-(3-chloroanilino)-6,7-dimethoxyquinazoline (AG 1478), inhibited receptor-mediated activation of ERK, suggesting a role for tyrosine kinases. In fact, 5-HT was found to stimulate tyrosine phosphorylation of a number of proteins, and this phosphorylation was inhibited by W7. 5-HT(2A) receptor-activation of ERK through a protein kinase C-independent pathway requiring Ca(2+)/calmodulin/tyrosine kinases represents a pathway distinct from those described in studies of non-neuronal cells.

Differential rat brain expression of EGR proteins and of the transcriptional corepressor NAB in response to acute or chronic cocaine administration

Members of the Egr family of early genes are known to play a prominent role in neuronal plasticity. Using in situ hybridization, we report the induction in the rat forebrain of the immediate early gene egr-1 and of the transcriptional repressor NAB2 in response to acute or repeated cocaine administration. A single exposure to cocaine enhanced the expression of egr-1 in dopaminergic brain areas. Chronic cocaine treatment was not followed by induction of egr-1 mRNA initially, but only 12 h following the last injection, whereas Egr-1 binding activity was maintained elevated at 2 h and was increased again at 12 h. Expression of the Egr corepressor NAB2, but not NAB1, was rapidly and transiently stimulated by cocaine. Both acute and chronic cocaine treatment displayed biphasic NAB2 mRNA expression. It appears that NAB2 operates as an inducible regulator of gene expression in postmitotic neurons. Egr-3 displayed an expression profile similar to that of Egr-1 in response to acute cocaine injection and was expressed slightly earlier upon repeated cocaine treatment. Regulation of Egr transcription factors during chronic cocaine treatment appears to differ from that of the AP1 transcription factor, since Egr-1 and Egr-3 were induced after both acute and repeated cocaine administration, and that neither Egr-2 nor Egr-3 substituted for Egr-1 after chronic cocaine treatment. Our data suggest that Egr-1, Egr-3, and NAB2 are the key members of their families that regulate expression of Egr target genes.

The nitric oxide releasing agent sodium nitroprusside modulates cocaine-induced immediate early gene expression in rat brain

The nitric oxide (NO)/cGMP pathway triggers key events in synaptic phenomena involved in learning and memory. Using in situ hybridization, the present report demonstrates that NO released by sodium nitroprusside regulates egr-1, c-fos, and junB immediate early gene expression in rat forebrain. These genes, which are rapidly and transiently induced in response to diverse extracellular stimulation, coordinate alterations in gene expression underlying neuronal plasticity. Intracerebroventricular injection of sodium nitroprusside induced immediate early gene expression, which was highest in the nucleus accumbens. On the other hand, sodium nitroprusside abolished the cocaine-induced early gene expression in the dopaminergic projection fields nucleus accumbens, caudate-putamen, and frontal cortex. Further studies are warranted to explore the potential of the NO/cGMP/cGMP-dependent protein kinase pathway to modify cocaine-related behavioral effects.