Mediation of nerve growth factor-driven cell cycle arrest in PC12 cells by p53. Simultaneous differentiation and proliferation subsequent to p53 functional inactivation

Interactions of neural-like cells with 3D-printed polycaprolactone with different inner diameters for neural regeneration

Background/purpose

Peripheral neural regeneration is an interesting and challenging field. The aim of this study was to investigate the interactions of neural-like PC12 cells and Poly-D-Lysine (PDL)-coated 3D-printed polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds with different inner diameters of half tubular array (HTA) (0, 200, 300, and 400 μm), respectively.

Materials and methods

This study used the fused deposition modeling (FDM) technique with 3D-printing to fabricate the thermoplastic polymer. Scaffold properties were measured by mechanical testing, and coating quality was observed under a scanning electron microscope (SEM). PC12 cell biocompatibility was examined by an MTT assay. Cell differentiation was evaluated by immunofluorescence staining.

Results

The cell viability of PC12 cells on PDL-coated PCL scaffolds with a 200-μm inner diameter of HTA was shown with significant differences (∗P < 0.05, ∗∗P < 0.01, ∗∗∗P < 0.001) than other PCL groups at all experimental dates. The SEM observation showed that PDL-coated PCL scaffolds with 200-μm inner diameters of HTA promoted cell adhesion. An immunofluorescence staining of PC12 cells on the PDL-coated PCL scaffold with a 200-μm inner diameter of the HTA group showed that it stimulated PC12 cells for neurite formation much better than the other groups.A PDL-coated PCL scaffold with a 200-μm inner diameter of HTA can promote the growth and differentiation of PC12 cells better than other groups. It indicated that PDL-coated PCL scaffolds with a 200-μm inner diameter HTA can be used for further neural regeneration application.

Cromolyn platform suppresses fibrosis and inflammation, promotes microglial phagocytosis and neurite outgrowth

Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by chronic neuroinflammation and may perpetuate ongoing fibrotic reactions within the central nervous system. Unfortunately, there is no therapeutic available that treats neurodegenerative inflammation and its sequelae. Here we utilize cromolyn, a mast cell inhibitor with anti-inflammatory capabilities, and its fluorinated analogue F-cromolyn to study fibrosis-related protein regulation and secretion downstream of neuroinflammation and their ability to promote microglial phagocytosis and neurite outgrowth. In this report, RNA-seq analysis shows that administration of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α to HMC3 human microglia results in a robust upregulation of fibrosis-associated genes. Subsequent treatment with cromolyn and F-cromolyn resulted in reduced secretion of collagen XVIII, fibronectin, and tenascin-c. Additionally, we show that cromolyn and F-cromolyn reduce pro-inflammatory proteins PLP1, PELP1, HSP90, IL-2, GRO-α, Eotaxin, and VEGF-Α, while promoting secretion of anti-inflammatory IL-4 in HMC3 microglia. Furthermore, cromolyn and F-cromolyn augment neurite outgrowth in PC12 neuronal cells in concert with nerve growth factor. Treatment also differentially altered secretion of neurogenesis-related proteins TTL, PROX1, Rab35, and CSDE1 in HMC3 microglia. Finally, iPSC-derived human microglia more readily phagocytose Aβ42 with cromolyn and F-cromolyn relative to controls. We propose the cromolyn platform targets multiple proteins upstream of PI3K/Akt/mTOR, NF-κB, and GSK-3β signaling pathways to affect cytokine, chemokine, and fibrosis-related protein expression.

Mesenchymal stem cell-derived magnetic extracellular nanovesicles for targeting and treatment of ischemic stroke

Exosomes and extracellular nanovesicles (NV) derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) may be used for the treatment of ischemic stroke owing to their multifaceted therapeutic benefits that include the induction of angiogenesis, anti-apoptosis, and anti-inflammation. However, the most serious drawback of using exosomes and NV for ischemic stroke is the poor targeting on the ischemic lesion of brain after systemic administration, thereby yielding a poor therapeutic outcome. In this study, we show that magnetic NV (MNV) derived from iron oxide nanoparticles (IONP)-harboring MSC can drastically improve the ischemic-lesion targeting and the therapeutic outcome. Because IONP stimulated expressions of therapeutic growth factors in the MSC, MNV contained greater amounts of those therapeutic molecules compared to NV derived from naive MSC. Following the systemic injection of MNV into transient middle-cerebral-artery-occlusion (MCAO)-induced rats, the magnetic navigation increased the MNV localization to the ischemic lesion by 5.1 times. The MNV injection and subsequent magnetic navigation promoted the anti-inflammatory response, angiogenesis, and anti-apoptosis in the ischemic brain lesion, thereby yielding a considerably decreased infarction volume and improved motor function. Overall, the proposed MNV approach may overcome the major drawback of the conventional MSC-exosome therapy or NV therapy for the treatment of ischemic stroke.

Trophic and neurotrophic factors in human pituitary adenomas (Review)

The pituitary gland is an organ that functionally connects the hypothalamus with the peripheral organs. The pituitary gland is an important regulator of body homeostasis during development, stress, and other processes. Pituitary adenomas are a group of tumors arising from the pituitary gland: they may be subdivided in functional or non-functional, depending on their hormonal activity. Some trophic and neurotrophic factors seem to play a key role in the development and maintenance of the pituitary function and in the regulation of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical axis activity. Several lines of evidence suggest that trophic and neurotrophic factors may be involved in pituitary function, thus suggesting a possible role of the trophic and neurotrophic factors in the normal development of pituitary gland and in the progression of pituitary adenomas. Additional studies might be necessary to better explain the biological role of these molecules in the development and progression of this type of tumor. In this review, in light of the available literature, data on the following neurotrophic factors are discussed: ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), transforming growth factors β (TGF‑β), glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), vascular endothelial growth inhibitor (VEGI), fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) which influence the proliferation and growth of pituitary adenomas.

p53 on the crossroad between regeneration and cancer

Regeneration and tumorigenesis share common molecular pathways, nevertheless the outcome of regeneration is life, whereas tumorigenesis leads to death. Although the process of regeneration is strictly controlled, malignant transformation is unrestrained. In this review, we discuss the involvement of TP53, the major tumor-suppressor gene, in the regeneration process. We point to the role of p53 as coordinator assuring that regeneration will not shift to carcinogenesis. The fluctuation in p53 activity during the regeneration process permits a tight control. On one hand, its inhibition at the initial stages allows massive proliferation, on the other its induction at advanced steps of regeneration is essential for preservation of robustness and fidelity of the regeneration process. A better understanding of the role of p53 in regulation of regeneration may open new opportunities for implementation of TP53-based therapies, currently available for cancer patients, in regenerative medicine.

The Paradox of p53: What, How, and Why?

Unlike the rather stereotypic image by which it was portrayed until not too many years ago, p53 is now increasingly emerging as a multifaceted transcription factor that can sometimes exert opposing effects on biological processes. This includes pro-survival activities that seem to contradict p53's canonical proapoptotic features, as well as opposing effects on cell migration, metabolism, and differentiation. Such antagonistic bifunctionality (balancing both positive and negative signals) bestows p53 with an ideal attribute to govern homeostasis. The molecular mechanisms underpinning the paradoxical activities of p53 may be related to a protein conformational spectrum (from canonical wild-type to "pseudomutant"), diversity of DNA response elements, and/or higher-order chromatin configuration. Altogether, this functional flexibility positions p53 as a transcriptional "super hub" that dictates cell homeostasis, and ultimately cell fate, by governing a hierarchy of other functional hubs. Deciphering the mechanisms by which p53 determines which hubs to engage, and how one might modulate the preferences of p53, remains a major challenge for both basic science and translational cancer medicine.

Ionizing Radiation Induces Altered Neuronal Differentiation by mGluR1 through PI3K-STAT3 Signaling in C17.2 Mouse Neural Stem-Like Cells

Most studies of IR effects on neural cells and tissues in the brain are still focused on loss of neural stem cells. On the other hand, the effects of IR on neuronal differentiation and its implication in IR-induced brain damage are not well defined. To investigate the effects of IR on C17.2 mouse neural stem-like cells and mouse primary neural stem cells, neurite outgrowth and expression of neuronal markers and neuronal function-related genes were examined. To understand this process, the signaling pathways including PI3K, STAT3, metabotrophic glutamate receptor 1 (mGluR1) and p53 were investigated. In C17.2 cells, irradiation significantly increased the neurite outgrowth, a morphological hallmark of neuronal differentiation, in a dose-dependent manner. Also, the expression levels of neuronal marker proteins, β-III tubulin were increased by IR. To investigate whether IR-induced differentiation is normal, the expression of neuronal function-related genes including synaptophysin, a synaptic vesicle forming proteins, synaptotagmin1, a calcium ion sensor, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors, inhibitory neurotransmitter receptors and glutamate receptors, excitatory neurotransmitter receptors was examined and compared to that of neurotrophin-stimulated differentiation. IR increased the expression of synaptophysin, synaptotagmin1 and GABA receptors mRNA similarly to normal differentiation by stimulation of neurotrophin. Interestingly, the overall expression of glutamate receptors was significantly higher in irradiated group than normal differentiation group, suggesting that the IR-induced neuronal differentiation may cause altered neuronal function in C17.2 cells. Next, the molecular mechanism of the altered neuronal differentiation induced by IR was studied by investigating signaling pathways including p53, mGluR1, STAT3 and PI3K. Increases of neurite outgrowth, neuronal marker and neuronal function-related gene expressions by IR were abolished by inhibition of p53, mGluR-1, STAT3 or PI3K. The inhibition of PI3K blocked both p53 signaling and STAT3-mGluR1 signaling but inhibition of p53 did not affect STAT3-mGluR1 signaling in irradiated C17.2 cells. Finally, these results of the IR-induced altered differentiation in C17.2 cells were verified in ex vivo experiments using mouse primary neural stem cells. In conclusion, the results of this study demonstrated that IR is able to trigger the altered neuronal differentiation in undifferentiated neural stem-like cells through PI3K-STAT3-mGluR1 and PI3K-p53 signaling. It is suggested that the IR-induced altered neuronal differentiation may play a role in the brain dysfunction caused by IR.

Ionizing radiation induces neuronal differentiation of Neuro-2a cells via PI3-kinase and p53-dependent pathways

PURPOSE

The influence of ionizing radiation (IR) on neuronal differentiation is not well defined. In this study, we investigated the effects of IR on the differentiation of Neuro-2a mouse neuroblastoma cells and the involvement of tumor protein 53 (p53) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) during this process.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The mouse neuroblastoma Neuro-2a cells were exposed to (137)Cs γ-rays at 4, 8 or 16 Gy. After incubation for 72 h with or without inhibitors of p53, phosphatidylinositol-4, 5-bisphosphate 3-kinase (PI3K) and other kinases, the neuronal differentiation of irradiated Neuro-2a cells was examined through analyzing neurite outgrowth and neuronal maker expression and the activation of related signaling proteins by western blotting and immunocytochemistry. Mouse primary neural stem cells (NSC) were exposed to IR at 1 Gy. The change of neuronal marker was examined using immunocytochemistry.

RESULTS

The irradiation of Neuro-2a cells significantly increased the neurite outgrowth and the expression of neuronal markers (neuronal nuclei [NeuN], microtubule-associated protein 2 [Map2], growth associated protein-43 [GAP-43], and Ras-related protein 13 [Rab13]). Immunocytochemistry revealed that neuronal class III beta-tubulin (Tuj-1) positive cells were increased and nestin positive cells were decreased by IR in Neuro-2a cells, which supported the IR-induced neuronal differentiation. However, the IR-induced neuronal differentiation was significantly attenuated when p53 was inhibited by pifithrin-α (PFT-α) or p53-small interfering RNA (siRNA). The PI3K inhibitor, LY294002, also suppressed the IR-induced neurite outgrowth, the activation of p53, the expression of GAP-43 and Rab13, and the increase of Tuj-1 positive cells. The increase of neurite outgrowth and Tuj-1 positive cells by IR and its suppression by LY294002 were also observed in mouse primary NSC.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that IR is able to trigger the neuronal differentiation of Neuro-2a cells and the activation of p53 via PI3K is an important step for the IR-induced differentiation of Neuro-2a cells.

Epigenetic setting and reprogramming for neural cell fate determination and differentiation

In the mammalian brain, epigenetic mechanisms are clearly involved in the regulation of self-renewal of neural stem cells and the derivation of their descendants, i.e. neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, according to the developmental timing and the microenvironment, the 'niche'. Interestingly, local epigenetic changes occur, concomitantly with genome-wide level changes, at a set of gene promoter regions for either down- or upregulation of the gene. In addition, intergenic regions also sensitize the availability of epigenetic modifiers, which affects gene expression through a relatively long-range chromatinic interaction with the transcription regulatory machineries including non-coding RNA (ncRNA) such as promoter-associated ncRNA and enhancer ncRNA. We show that such an epigenetic landscape in a neural cell is statically but flexibly formed together with a variable combination of generally and locally acting nuclear molecules including master transcription factors and cell-cycle regulators. We also discuss the possibility that revealing the epigenetic regulation by the local DNA-RNA-protein assemblies would promote methodological innovations, e.g. neural cell reprogramming, engineering and transplantation, to manipulate neuronal and glial cell fates for the purpose of medical use of these cells.

Neural stem and progenitor cell fate transition requires regulation of Musashi1 function

Background

There is increasing evidence of a pivotal role for regulated mRNA translation in control of developmental cell fate transitions. Physiological and pathological stem and progenitor cell self-renewal is maintained by the mRNA-binding protein, Musashi1 through repression of translation of key mRNAs encoding cell cycle inhibitory proteins. The mechanism by which Musashi1 function is modified to allow translation of these target mRNAs under conditions that require inhibition of cell cycle progression, is unknown.

Results

In this study, we demonstrate that differentiation of primary embryonic rat neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) or human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells results in the rapid phosphorylation of Musashi1 on the evolutionarily conserved site serine 337 (S337). Phosphorylation of this site has been shown to be required for cell cycle control during the maturation of Xenopus oocytes. S337 phosphorylation in mammalian NSPCs and human SH-SY5Y cells correlates with the de-repression and translation of a Musashi reporter mRNA and with accumulation of protein from the endogenous Musashi target mRNA, p21^WAF1/CIP1. Inhibition of Musashi regulatory phosphorylation, through expression of a phospho-inhibitory mutant Musashi1 S337A or over-expression of the wild-type Musashi, blocked differentiation of both NSPCs and SH-SY5Y cells. Musashi1 was similarly phosphorylated in NSPCs and SH-SY5Y cells under conditions of nutrient deprivation-induced cell cycle arrest. Expression of the Musashi1 S337A mutant protein attenuated nutrient deprivation-induced NSPC and SH-SY5Y cell death.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that in response to environmental cues that oppose cell cycle progression, regulation of Musashi function is required to promote target mRNA translation and cell fate transition. Forced modulation of Musashi1 function may present a novel therapeutic strategy to oppose pathological stem cell self-renewal.

Neurite outgrowth resistance to rho kinase inhibitors in PC12 Adh cell

Rho kinase (ROCK) inhibitor is a promising agent for neural injury disorders, which mechanism is associated with neurite outgrowth. However, neurite outgrowth resistance occurred when PC12 Adh cell was treated with ROCK inhibitors for a longer time. PC12 Adh cells were treated with ROCK inhibitor Y27632 or NGF for different durations. Neurite outgrowth resistance occurred when PC12 Adh cell exposed to Y27632 (33 µM) for 3 or more days, but not happen when exposed to nerve growth factor (NGF, 100 ng/mL). The gene expression in the PC12 Adh cells treated with Y27632 (33 µM) or NGF (100 ng/mL) for 2 or 4 days was assayed by gene microarray, and the reliability of the results were confirmed by real-time RT-PCR. Cluster analysis proved that the gene expression profile of PC12 Adh cell treated with Y27632 for 4 days was different from that treated with Y27632 for 2 days and those treated with NGF for 2 and 4 days, respectively. Pathway analysis hinted that the neurite outgrowth resistance could be associated with up-regulation of inflammatory pathways, especially rno04610 (complement and coagulation cascades), and down-regulation of cell cycle pathways, especially rno04110.

Inhibition of Preadipocyte Differentiation by Germacranolides fromCalea urticifoliain 3T3-L1 Cells

The effects of germacranolides isolated from Calea urticifolia on adipocytic differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells were examined. These germacranolides inhibited adipogenesis at a concentration of 1.25-5 microM. But no inhibitory activity against cell proliferation and no nonspecific binding activity to protein were observed. These results indicate that these germacranolides are the specific inhibitors of preadipocyte differentiation.

Downregulation of TrkA protein expression by miRNA‑92a promotes the proliferation and migration of human neuroblastoma cells

The aims of this study were to investigate the regulation of TrkA protein by micro (mi)RNA‑92a and its effect on the proliferation and migration of human neuroblastoma cells. The BE(2)‑M17 human neuroblastoma cell line was cultured and transfected with either miRNA‑92a mimics or miRNA‑92a inhibitors. The expression levels of miRNA‑92a and TrkA mRNA were detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction prior and subsequent to transfection. TrkA protein was quantitatively detected by flow cytometry. The proliferation and migration of neuroblastoma cells were examined in vitro by Cell Counting Kit‑8 and Transwell assays. Transfection of BE(2)‑M17 cells with miRNA‑92a mimics produced significantly higher expression levels of miRNA‑92a compared with those in the same cells transfected with negative controls (NCs). Increased proliferation and migration of the cells was also observed. Transfection of BE(2)‑M17 cells with miRNA‑92a inhibitors resulted in significantly lower expression levels of miRNA‑92a when compared with those of the same cells transfected with NCs (P<0.01). This reduction in the miRNA‑92a expression levels was accompanied by reduced proliferation and migration of the cells. The expression levels of TrkA mRNA and protein after 24 h transfection with the miRNA‑92a mimics were significantly reduced when compared with the control (P<0.01). However, the expression levels of TrkA were significantly higher (P<0.01) after 48 h transfection with miRNA‑92a inhibitors when compared with the control. In conclusion, miRNA‑92a promoted the proliferation and migration of human neuroblastoma cells through downregulation of TrkA, which suggested that miRNA‑92a may be a potential target for human neuroblastoma treatment in the future.

Inhibition of nerve growth factor-induced neurite outgrowth from PC12 cells by dexamethasone: signaling pathways through the glucocorticoid receptor and phosphorylated Akt and ERK1/2

Glucocorticoids are important mediators of the stress response and are commonly employed as drugs for the suppression of immune rejection after organ transplantation. Previous investigations uncovered the possibility of mood depression in patients undergoing long-term treatment with synthetic glucocorticoids, including dexamethasone (DEX). Exogenous glucocorticoids and their synthetic derivatives can also adversely affect the development of the central nervous system. Although neurite extension from rat pheochromocytoma-derived PC12 cells and a variety of primary neurons is stimulated by nerve growth factor (NGF), and signaling pathways triggered by the binding of NGF to tyrosine kinase receptor type 1 (TrkA) function in both neurite outgrowth and neuronal survival, the effect of DEX on the activation of regulatory proteins and pathways downstream of TrkA has not been well characterized. To analyze the influence of DEX on NGF-induced neurite outgrowth and signaling, PC12 cells, a widely utilized model of neuronal differentiation, were pretreated with the glucocorticoid prior to NGF induction. NGF-induced neurite outgrowth was attenuated by pretreatment with DEX, even in the absence of DEX after the addition of NGF. Moreover, DEX suppressed the phosphorylation of Akt and extracellular-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) in the neurite outgrowth signaling cascade initiated by NGF. Finally, the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonist, RU38486, counteracted the inhibitory effect of DEX pretreatment, not only on the phosphorylation of Akt and ERK1/2, but also on neurite extension from PC12 cells. These results suggest that DEX binding to the GR impairs NGF-promoted neurite outgrowth by interfering with the activation/phosphorylation of Akt and ERK1/2. These novel findings are likely to be useful for elucidating the central nervous system depressive mechanism(s) of action of DEX and other glucocorticoids.

The paradigm of mutant p53-expressing cancer stem cells and drug resistance

It is well accepted that expression of mutant p53 involves the gain of oncogenic-specific activities accentuating the malignant phenotype. Depending on the specific cancer type, mutant p53 can contribute to either the early or the late events of the multiphase process underlying the transformation of a normal cell into a cancerous one. This multifactorial system is evident in ~50% of human cancers. Mutant p53 was shown to interfere with a variety of cellular functions that lead to augmented cell survival, cellular plasticity, aberration of DNA repair machinery and other effects. All these effects culminate in the acquisition of drug resistance often seen in cancer cells. Interestingly, drug resistance has also been suggested to be associated with cancer stem cells (CSCs), which reside within growing tumors. The notion that p53 plays a regulatory role in the life of stem cells, coupled with the observations that p53 mutations may contribute to the evolvement of CSCs makes it challenging to speculate that drug resistance and cancer recurrence are mediated by CSCs expressing mutant p53.

Separate cyclic AMP sensors for neuritogenesis, growth arrest, and survival of neuroendocrine cells

Dividing neuroendocrine cells differentiate into a neuronal-like phenotype in response to ligands activating G protein-coupled receptors, leading to the elevation of the second messenger cAMP. Growth factors that act at receptor tyrosine kinases, such as nerve growth factor, also cause differentiation. We report here that two aspects of cAMP-induced differentiation, neurite extension and growth arrest, are dissociable at the level of the sensors conveying the cAMP signal in PC12 and NS-1 cells. Following cAMP elevation, neuritogenic cyclic AMP sensor/Rapgef2 is activated for signaling to ERK to mediate neuritogenesis, whereas Epac2 is activated for signaling to the MAP kinase p38 to mediate growth arrest. Neither action of cAMP requires transactivation of TrkA, the receptor for NGF. In fact, the differentiating effects of NGF do not require activation of any of the cAMP sensors protein kinase A, Epac, or neuritogenic cyclic AMP sensor/Rapgef2 but, rather, depend on ERK and p38 activation via completely independent signaling pathways. Hence, cAMP- and NGF-dependent signaling for differentiation are also completely insulated from each other. Cyclic AMP and NGF also protect NS-1 cells from serum withdrawal-induced cell death, again by two wholly separate signaling mechanisms, PKA-dependent for cAMP and PKA-independent for NGF.

Autoregulation of Musashi1 mRNA translation during Xenopus oocyte maturation

The mRNA translational control protein, Musashi, plays a critical role in cell fate determination through sequence-specific interactions with select target mRNAs. In proliferating stem cells, Musashi exerts repression of target mRNAs to promote cell cycle progression. During stem cell differentiation, Musashi target mRNAs are de-repressed and translated. Recently, we have reported an obligatory requirement for Musashi to direct translational activation of target mRNAs during Xenopus oocyte meiotic cell cycle progression. Despite the importance of Musashi in cell cycle regulation, only a few target mRNAs have been fully characterized. In this study, we report the identification and characterization of a new Musashi target mRNA in Xenopus oocytes. We demonstrate that progesterone-stimulated translational activation of the Xenopus Musashi1 mRNA is regulated through a functional Musashi binding element (MBE) in the Musashi1 mRNA 3' untranslated region (3' UTR). Mutational disruption of the MBE prevented translational activation of Musashi1 mRNA and its interaction with Musashi protein. Further, elimination of Musashi function through microinjection of inhibitory antisense oligonucleotides prevented progesterone-induced polyadenylation and translation of the endogenous Musashi1 mRNA. Thus, Xenopus Musashi proteins regulate translation of the Musashi1 mRNA during oocyte maturation. Our results indicate that the hierarchy of sequential and dependent mRNA translational control programs involved in directing progression through meiosis are reinforced by an intricate series of nested, positive feedback loops, including Musashi mRNA translational autoregulation. These autoregulatory positive feedback loops serve to amplify a weak initiating signal into a robust commitment for the oocyte to progress through the cell cycle and become competent for fertilization.

Driving apoptosis-relevant proteins toward neural differentiation

Emerging evidence suggests that apoptosis regulators and executioners may control cell fate, without involving cell death per se. Indeed, several conserved elements of apoptosis are integral components of terminal differentiation, which must be restrictively activated to assure differentiation efficiency, and carefully regulated to avoid cell loss. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying key checkpoints responsible for neural differentiation, as an alternative to cell death will surely make stem cells more suitable for neuro-replacement therapies. In this review, we summarize recent studies on the mechanisms underlying the non-apoptotic function of p53, caspases, and Bcl-2 family members during neural differentiation. In addition, we discuss how apoptosis-regulatory proteins control the decision between differentiation, self-renewal, and cell death in neural stem cells, and how activity is restrained to prevent cell loss.

p53-Dependent pathways in neurite outgrowth and axonal regeneration

The tumor suppressor p53 is a multifunctional sensor of a number of cellular signals and pathways essential for cell biology, including DNA damage, cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, angiogenesis and cell metabolism. In the last few years, a novel role for p53 in neurobiology has emerged, which includes a role in the regulation of neurite outgrowth and axonal regeneration. p53 integrates a number of extracellular signals that involve neurotrophins and axon guidance cues to modulate the cytoskeletal response associated with neurite outgrowth at both the transcriptional and post-translational level. Here, we review our current knowledge of this topic and speculate about future research directions that involve p53 and related molecular pathways and that might advance our understanding of neurite outgrowth and axonal regeneration at the molecular level.

Sema3F downregulates p53 expression leading to axonal growth cone collapse in primary hippocampal neurons

Hippocampal nerve growth is regulated by the coordinated action of numerous external stimuli, including positively acting neurotrophin-derived growth cues and restrictive semaphorin cues, however the underlying cellular mechanisms remain largely unclear. We examined the potential cellular mechanism of Semaphorin3F (Sema3F) in cultured primary hippocampal neurons. We show that Sema3F can down-regulate p53 expression in primary hippocampal neurons, thereby contributing to growth cone collapse. Sema3F suppressed p53-induced pathways, which we show to be required to maintain growth cone structure. Sema3F-induced growth cone collapse was partially reversed by overexpression of p53, which promoted growth cone extension. Inhibition of p53 function by inhibitor, siRNAs, induced axonal growth cone collapse, whereas p53 over-expression led to larger growth cones in cultured primary hippocampal neurons.These data reveal a novel mechanism by which Sema3F can induce hippocampal neuron growth cone collapse and provide evidence for an intracellular mechanism for cross talk between positive and negative axon growth cues.

The A2A adenosine receptor rescues neuritogenesis impaired by p53 blockage via KIF2A, a kinesin family member

The A2A adenosine receptor (A2AR) is a G-protein-coupled receptor. We previously reported that the C terminus of the A2AR binds to translin-associated protein X (TRAX) and modulates nerve growth factor (NGF)-evoked neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells. Herein, we show that neuritogenesis of primary hippocampal neurons requires p53 because blockage of p53 suppressed neurite outgrowth. The impaired neuritogenesis caused by p53 blockage was rescued by activation of the A2AR (designated the A2A rescue effect) in a TRAX-dependent manner. Importantly, suppression of a TRAX-interacting protein (kinesin heavy chain member 2A, KIF2A) inhibited the A2A rescue effect, whereas overexpression of KIF2A caused a rescue effect. Expression of a KIF2A fragment (KIF2A514), which disturbed the interaction between KIF2A and TRAX, blocked the rescue effect. Transient colocalization of TRAX and KIF2A was detected in the nucleus of PC12 cells upon NGF treatment. These data suggest that functional interaction between KIF2A and TRAX is critical for the A2A rescue effect. Moreover, p53 blockage during NGF treatment prevented the redistribution of KIF2A from the nucleus to the cytoplasmic region. Expression of a nuclear-retained KIF2A variant (NLS-KIF2A) did not rescue the impaired neurite outgrowth as did the wild-type KIF2A. Therefore, redistribution of KIF2A to the cytoplasmic fraction is a prerequisite for neurite outgrowth. Collectively, we demonstrate that KIF2A functions downstream of p53 to mediate neuritogenesis of primary hippocampal neurons and PC12 cells. Stimulation of the A2AR rescued neuritogenesis impaired by p53 blockage via an interaction between TRAX and KIF2A.

The tumor suppressor p53 transcriptionally regulates cGKI expression during neuronal maturation and is required for cGMP-dependent growth cone collapse

The cGMP-dependent protein kinase type I (cGKI) has multiple functions including a role in axonal growth and pathfinding of sensory neurons, and counteracts Semaphorin 3A (Sema3A)-induced growth cone collapse. Within the nervous system, however, the transcriptional regulation of cGKI is still obscure. Recently, the transcription factor and tumor suppressor p53 has been reported to promote neurite outgrowth by regulating the gene expression of factors that promote growth cone extension, but specific p53 targets genes that may counteract growth cone collapse have not been identified so far. Here, we show that p53 promotes cGKI expression in neuronal-like PC-12 cells and primary neurons by occupying specific regulatory elements in a chromatin environment during neuronal maturation. Importantly, we demonstrate that p53-dependent expression of cGKI is required for the ability of cGMP to counteract growth cone collapse. Growth cone retraction mediated by Sema3A is overcome by cGMP only in wild-type, but not in p53-null dorsal root ganglia. Reconstitution of p53 levels is sufficient to recover both cGKI expression and the ability of cGMP to counteract growth cone collapse, while cGKI overexpression rescues growth cone collapse in p53-null primary neurons. In conclusion, this study identifies p53 as a transcription factor that regulates the expression of cGKI during neuronal maturation and cGMP-dependent inhibition of growth cone collapse.

Specificity and robustness of the mammalian MAPK-IEG network

The mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade is a conserved signal transduction pathway found in organisms of complexity spanning from yeast to humans. In many mammalian tissue types, this pathway can correctly transduce signals from different extracellular messengers, leading to specific and often mutually exclusive cellular responses. The transduced signal is tuned by a complicated set of positive and negative feedback control mechanisms and fed into a downstream gene expression network. This network, based on the immediate early gene system, has two possible, mutually exclusive outcomes. Using a mathematical model, we study how different stimuli lead to different temporal signal structure. Further, we investigate how each of the feedback controls contributes to the overall specificity of the gene expression output, and hypothesize that the complicated nature of the mammalian mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway results in a system able to robustly identify and transduce the proper signal without investing in two completely separate signal cascades. Finally, we quantify the role of the RKIP protein in shaping the signal, and propose a novel mechanism of its involvement in cancer metastasis.

The non-apoptotic role of p53 in neuronal biology: enlightening the dark side of the moon

The transcription factor p53 protects neurons from transformation and DNA damage through the induction of cell-cycle arrest, DNA repair and apoptosis in a range of in vitro and in vivo conditions. Indeed, p53 has a crucial role in eliciting neuronal cell death during development and in adult organisms after exposure to a range of stressors and/or DNA damage. Nevertheless, accumulating evidence challenges this one-sided view of the role of p53 in the nervous system. Here, we discuss how-unexpectedly-p53 can regulate the proliferation and differentiation of neural progenitor cells independently of its role in apoptosis, and p53 post-translational modifications might promote neuronal maturation, as well as axon outgrowth and regeneration, following neuronal injury. We hope to encourage a more comprehensive view of the non-apoptotic functions of p53 during neural development, and to warn against oversimplifications regarding its role in neurons. In addition, we discuss how further insight into the p53-dependent modulation of these mechanisms is necessary to elucidate the decision-making processes between neuronal cell death and differentiation during development, and between neuronal degeneration and axonal regeneration after injury.

Sall2 is a novel p75NTR-interacting protein that links NGF signalling to cell cycle progression and neurite outgrowth

By screening a fetal brain two-hybrid library with the death domain of the p75 neurotrophin receptor (NTR), we identified the Sall2 transcription factor as a novel interacting protein. Sall2 is a unique member of the Sall gene family, which is believed to be a tumour suppressor. Here, we show that Sall2 contains a p75NTR interaction domain not found in other Sall proteins and that p75NTR/Sall2 complexes co-immunoprecipitate from brain lysates. NGF dissociates p75NTR/Sall2 complexes and activates TrkA, which has an obligate function in the nuclear translocation of Sall2. NGF also increases Sall2 expression and this is mediated by p75NTR, but may not require TrkA. Depletion of Sall2 from cells decreases the expression and activity of p21(WAF1/CIP1), as well as the ability of NGF to induce growth arrest and the development of neurites. Overexpression of Sall2 activates p21(WAF1/CIP1), induces growth arrest, and promotes neurite outgrowth independently of NGF. These data establish Sall2 as a link between NTRs and transcriptional events that regulate the growth and development of neuronal cells.

Function and regulation of the mammalian Musashi mRNA translational regulator

The evolutionarily conserved RNA-binding protein, Musashi, regulates neural stem cell self-renewal. Musashi expression is also indicative of stem cell populations in breast and intestinal tissues and is linked to cell overproliferation in cancers of these tissues. Musashi has been primarily implicated as a repressor of target mRNAs in stem cell populations. However, little is known about the mechanism by which Musashi exerts mRNA translational control or how Musashi function is regulated. Recent findings in oocytes of the frog, Xenopus, indicate an unexpected role for Musashi as an activator of a number of maternal mRNAs during meiotic cell cycle progression. Given the importance of Musashi function in stem cell biology and the implications of aberrant Musashi expression in cancer, it is critical that we understand the molecular processes that regulate Musashi function.

The p53 transcriptional target gene wnt7b contributes to NGF-inducible neurite outgrowth in neuronal PC12 cells

Differentiation of PC12 cells by nerve growth factor (NGF) is characterized by changes in signal transduction pathways leading to growth arrest and neurite extension. The transcription factor p53, involved in regulating cell cycle and apoptosis, is also activated during PC12 differentiation and contributes to each of these processes but the mechanisms are incompletely understood. NGF signaling stabilizes p53 protein expression, which enables its transcriptional regulation of target genes, including the newly identified target, wnt7b, a member of the wnt family of secreted morphogens. We tested the hypothesis that wnt7b expression is a factor in NGF-dependent neurite outgrowth of differentiating PC12 cells. Wnt7b transcript and protein levels are increased following NGF treatment in a p53-dependent manner, as demonstrated by a reduction in wnt7b protein levels following stable shRNA-mediated silencing of p53. In addition, overexpressed human tp53 was capable of inducing marked wnt7b expression in neuronal PC12 cells but tp53 overexpression did not elevate wnt7b levels in several tested human tumor cell lines. Ectopic wnt7b overexpression was sufficient to rescue neurite outgrowth in NGF-treated p53-silenced PC12 cells, which could be blocked by c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibition with SP600125 and did not involve beta-catenin nuclear translocation. Addition of sFRP1 to differentiation medium inhibited wnt7b-dependent phosphorylation of JNK, demonstrating that wnt7b is secreted and signals through a JNK-dependent mechanism in PC12 cells. We further identify an NGF-inducible subset of wnt receptors that likely supports wnt7b-mediated neurite extension in PC12 cells. In conclusion, wnt7b is a novel p53-regulated neuritogenic factor in PC12 cells that in conjunction with NGF-regulated Fzd expression is involved in p53-dependent neurite outgrowth through noncanonical JNK signaling.

Nerve growth factor potentiates p53 DNA binding but inhibits nitric oxide-induced apoptosis in neuronal PC12 cells

NGF is recognized for its role in neuronal differentiation and maintenance. Differentiation of PC12 cells by NGF involves p53, a transcription factor that controls growth arrest and apoptosis. We investigated NGF influence over p53 activity during NO-induced apoptosis by sodium nitroprusside in differentiated and mitotic PC12 cells. NGF-differentiation produced increased p53 levels, nuclear localization and sequence-specific DNA binding. Apoptosis in mitotic cells also produced these events but the accompanying activation of caspases 1-10 and mitochondrial depolarization were inhibited during NGF differentiation and could be reversed in p53-silenced cells. Transcriptional regulation of PUMA and survivin expression were not inhibited by NGF, although NO-induced mitochondrial depolarization was dependent upon de novo gene transcription and only occurred in mitotic cells. We conclude that NGF mediates prosurvival signaling by increasing factors such as Bcl-2 and p21(Waf1/Cip1) without altering p53 transcriptional activity to inhibit mitochondrial depolarization, caspase activation and apoptosis.

NGF-mediated transcriptional targets of p53 in PC12 neuronal differentiation

BACKGROUND

p53 is recognized as a critical regulator of the cell cycle and apoptosis. Mounting evidence also suggests a role for p53 in differentiation of cells including neuronal precursors. We studied the transcriptional role of p53 during nerve growth factor-induced differentiation of the PC12 line into neuron-like cells. We hypothesized that p53 contributed to PC12 differentiation through the regulation of gene targets distinct from its known transcriptional targets for apoptosis or DNA repair.

RESULTS

Using a genome-wide chromatin immunoprecipitation cloning technique, we identified and validated 14 novel p53-regulated genes following NGF treatment. The data show p53 protein was transcriptionally activated and contributed to NGF-mediated neurite outgrowth during differentiation of PC12 cells. Furthermore, we describe stimulus-specific regulation of a subset of these target genes by p53. The most salient differentiation-relevant target genes included wnt7b involved in dendritic extension and the tfcp2l4/grhl3 grainyhead homolog implicated in ectodermal development. Additional targets included brk, sdk2, sesn3, txnl2, dusp5, pon3, lect1, pkcbpb15 and other genes.

CONCLUSION

Within the PC12 neuronal context, putative p53-occupied genomic loci spanned the entire Rattus norvegicus genome upon NGF treatment. We conclude that receptor-mediated p53 transcriptional activity is involved in PC12 differentiation and may suggest a contributory role for p53 in neuronal development.

The effects of a mutant p53 protein on the proliferation and differentiation of PC12 rat phaeochromocytoma cells

PC12 rat phaeochromocytoma cells show neuronal differentiation upon NGF treatment. NGF induces prolonged activation of the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK pathway in which the 42/44 kDa mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), ERK 1 and 2 are thought to be the key mediators of the differentiation signals. Activation of ERKs leads to the increased transcription of early response genes resulting in cell cycle arrest. Upon NGF treatment the p53 protein, the most commonly mutated tumor suppressor in human cancers, translocates to the nucleus and may play a role in the mediation of NGF-induced cell cycle arrest and neuronal differentiation. Here we demonstrate that in PC12 cells expressing both wild-type and V143A mutant p53 proteins (p143p53PC12 cells), p53-mediated biological responses are critically influenced. p143p53PC12 cells are not able to cease their proliferation and begin their neuronal differentiation program upon NGF treatment. The presence of mutant p53 also reduces the DNA-binding activity of endogenous p53 and disturbs the regulatory machinery of p53 including both the phosphorylation of ERK 1/2, p38 and SAPK/JNK MAP kinases and itself.

The tumor suppressor protein p53 is required for neurite outgrowth and axon regeneration

Axon regeneration is substantially regulated by gene expression and cytoskeleton remodeling. Here we show that the tumor suppressor protein p53 is required for neurite outgrowth in cultured cells including primary neurons as well as for axonal regeneration in mice. These effects are mediated by two newly identified p53 transcriptional targets, the actin-binding protein Coronin 1b and the GTPase Rab13, both of which associate with the cytoskeleton and regulate neurite outgrowth. We also demonstrate that acetylation of lysine 320 (K320) of p53 is specifically involved in the promotion of neurite outgrowth and in the regulation of the expression of Coronin 1b and Rab13. Thus, in addition to its recognized role in neuronal apoptosis, surprisingly, p53 is required for neurite outgrowth and axonal regeneration, likely through a different post-translational pathway. These observations may suggest a novel therapeutic target for promoting regenerative responses following peripheral or central nervous system injuries.

p53 is required for nerve growth factor-mediated differentiation of PC12 cells via regulation of TrkA levels

p53 is necessary for the elimination of neural cells inappropriately differentiated or in response to stimuli. However, the role of p53 in neuronal differentiation is not certain. Here, we showed that nerve growth factor (NGF)-mediated differentiation in PC12 cells is enhanced by overexpression of wild-type p53 but inhibited by mutant p53 or knockdown of endogenous wild-type p53, the latter of which can be rescued by expression of exogenous wild-type p53. Interestingly, p53 knockdown or overexpression of mutant p53 attenuates NGF-mediated activation of TrkA, the high-affinity receptor for NGF and a tyrosine kinase, and activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. In addition, p53 knockdown reduces the constitutive levels of TrkA, which renders PC12 cells inert to NGF. And finally, we showed that both constitutive and stimuli-induced expressions of TrkA are regulated by p53 and that induction of TrkA by activated endogenous p53 enhances NGF-mediated differentiation. Taken together, our data demonstrate that p53 plays a critical role in NGF-mediated neuronal differentiation in PC12 cells at least in part via regulation of TrkA levels.

A tail of two signals: the C terminus of the A(2A)-adenosine receptor recruits alternative signaling pathways

G protein-coupled receptors are endowed with carboxyl termini that vary greatly in length and sequence. In most instances, the distal portion of the C terminus is dispensable for G protein coupling. This is also true for the A(2A)-adenosine receptor, where the last 100 amino acids are of very modest relevance to G(s) coupling. The C terminus was originally viewed mainly as the docking site for regulatory proteins of the beta-arrestin family. These beta-arrestins bind to residues that have been phosphorylated by specialized kinases (G protein-coupled receptor kinases) and thereby initiate receptor desensitization and endocytosis. More recently, it has become clear that many additional "accessory" proteins bind to C termini of G protein-coupled receptors. The article by Sun et al. in the current issue of Molecular Pharmacology identifies translin-associated protein-X as yet another interaction partner of the A(2A) receptor; translin-associated protein allows the A(2A) receptor to impinge on the signaling mechanisms by which p53 regulates neuronal differentiation, but the underlying signaling pathways are uncharted territory. With a list of five known interaction partners, the C terminus of the A(2A) receptor becomes a crowded place. Hence, there must be rules that regulate the interaction. This allows the C terminus to act as coincidence detector and as signal integrator. Despite our ignorance about the precise mechanisms, the article has exciting implications: the gene encoding for translin-associated protein-X maps to a locus implicated in some forms of schizophrenia; A(2A) receptor agonists are candidate drugs for the treatment of schizophrenic symptoms. It is of obvious interest to explore a possible link.

Rescue of p53 Blockage by the A2AAdenosine Receptor via a Novel Interacting Protein, Translin-Associated Protein X

Blockage of the p53 tumor suppressor has been found to impair nerve growth factor (NGF)-induced neurite outgrowth in PC-12 cells. We report herein that such impairment could be rescued by stimulation of the A(2A) adenosine receptor (A(2A)-R), a G protein-coupled receptor implicated in neuronal plasticity. The A(2A)-R-mediated rescue occurred in the presence of protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors or protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitors and in a PKA-deficient PC-12 variant. Thus, neither PKA nor PKC was involved. In contrast, expression of a truncated A(2A)-R mutant harboring the seventh transmembrane domain and its C terminus reduced the rescue effect of A(2A)-R. Using the cytoplasmic tail of the A(2A)-R as bait, a novel-A(2A)-R-interacting protein [translin-associated protein X (TRAX)] was identified in a yeast two-hybrid screen. The authenticity of this interaction was verified by pull-down experiments, coimmunoprecipitation, and colocalization of these two molecules in the brain. It is noteworthy that reduction of TRAX using an antisense construct suppressed the rescue effect of A(2A)-R, whereas overexpression of TRAX alone caused the same rescue effect as did A(2A)-R activation. Results of [(3)H]thymidine and bromodeoxyuridine incorporation suggested that A(2A)-R stimulation inhibited cell proliferation in a TRAX-dependent manner. Because the antimitotic activity is crucial for NGF function, the A(2A)-R might exert its rescue effect through a TRAX-mediated antiproliferative signal. This antimitotic activity of the A(2A)-R also enables a mitogenic factor (epidermal growth factor) to induce neurite outgrowth. We demonstrate that the A(2A)-R modulates the differentiation ability of trophic factors through a novel interacting protein, TRAX.

Colostrinin-Driven Neurite Outgrowth Requires p53 Activation in PC12 Cells

1. Colostrinin (CLN) induces maturation and differentiation of murine thymocytes, promotes proliferation of peripheral blood leukocytes, induces immunomodulator cytokines, and ameliorates oxidative stress-mediated activation of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinases. 2. Here we report that upon treatment with CLN, medullary pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells ceased to proliferate and extend neurites. 3. The arrest of CLN-treated PC12 cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle was due to an increase in the phosphorylation of p53 at serine(15) (p53ser15) and expression of p21WAF1. PC12 cells treated with inhibitory oligonucleotides to p53 lacked p53ser15 and p21WAF1 expression, and did not show morphological changes after CLN exposure. Transfection with inhibitory oligonucleotides to p21WAF1 had no effect on p53 activation; however, cells failed to arrest or extend neurites. An oligonucleotide inhibiting luciferase expression had no effect on CLN-mediated p53 activation, p21WAF1 expression, growth arrest, or neurite outgrowth. 4. We conclude that CLN induces delicate cassettes of signaling pathways common to cell proliferation and differentiation, and mediates activities that are similar to those of hormones and neurotrophins, leading to neurite outgrowth.

GDF11 forms a bone morphogenetic protein 1-activated latent complex that can modulate nerve growth factor-induced differentiation of PC12 cells

All transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) superfamily members are synthesized as precursors with prodomain sequences that are proteolytically removed by subtilisin-like proprotein convertases (SPCs). For most superfamily members, this is believed sufficient for activation. Exceptions are TGF-betas 1 to 3 and growth differentiation factor 8 (GDF8), also known as myostatin, which form noncovalent, latent complexes with their SPC-cleaved prodomains. Sequence similarities between TGF-betas 1 to 3, myostatin, and superfamily member GDF11, also known as bone morphogenetic protein 11 (BMP11), prompted us to examine whether GDF11 might be capable of forming a latent complex with its cleaved prodomain. Here we demonstrate that GDF11 forms a noncovalent latent complex with its SPC-cleaved prodomain and that this latent complex is activated via cleavage at a single specific site by members of the developmentally important BMP1/Tolloid family of metalloproteinases. Evidence is provided for a molecular model whereby formation and activation of this complex may play a general role in modulating neural differentiation. In particular, mutant GDF11 prodomains impervious to cleavage by BMP1/Tolloid proteinases are shown to be potent stimulators of neurodifferentiation, with potential for therapeutic applications.

S100B increases proliferation in PC12 neuronal cells and reduces their responsiveness to nerve growth factor via Akt activation

S100B is a Ca2+-modulated protein of the EF-hand type expressed in high abundance in a restricted set of cell types including certain neuronal populations. S100B has been suggested to participate in cell cycle progression, and S100B levels are high in tumor cells, compared with normal parental cells. We expressed S100B in the neuronal cell line PC12, which normally does not express the protein, by the Tet-Off technique, and found the following: (i) proliferation was higher in S100B+ PC12 cells than in S100B- PC12 cells; (ii) nerve growth factor (NGF), which decreased the proliferation of S100B- PC12 cells, was less effective in the case of S100B+ PC12 cells; (iii) expression of S100B made PC12 cells resistant to the differentiating effect of NGF; and (iv) interruption of S100B expression did not result in an immediate restoration of PC12 cell sensitivity to the differentiating effect of NGF. Expression of S100B in PC12 cells resulted in activation of Akt; increased levels of p21WAF1, an inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) 2 and a positive regulator of cdk4; increased p21WAF1-cyclin D1 complex formation; and increased phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma suppressor protein, Rb. These S100B-induced effects, as well as the reduced ability of S100B+ PC12 cells to respond to NGF, were dependent on Akt activation because they were remarkably reduced or abrogated in the presence of LY294002, an inhibitor of the Akt upstream kinase phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. Thus, S100B might promote cell proliferation and interfere with NGF-induced PC12 cell differentiation by stimulating a p21WAF1/cyclin D1/cdk4/Rb/E2F pathway in an Akt-mediated manner.

Deacetylation of p53 after nerve growth factor treatment in PC12 cells as a post-translational modification mechanism of neurotrophin-induced tumor suppressor activation

The tumor suppressor protein p53 is a transcription factor that regulates the response to cellular insults such as DNA damage and growth factor withdrawal. Transcriptional activity of p53 requires post-translational modification by phosphorylation and acetylation. This study used site-specific antibodies to demonstrate that nerve growth factor (NGF) treatment of PC12 cells results in p53 deacetylation at lysine (Lys) 382. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity, measured by a direct fluorescent assay, was increased after NGF treatment and peaked before p53 deacetylation. Inhibition of HDAC by trichostatin blocked the deacetylation of p53 and its transcriptional activity toward a reporter gene construct. Comparison of PC12 with PC12 cells containing a temperature-sensitive, dominant-negative construct showed that p53 deacetylation required functional p53. Inhibitors of MAP kinase that block p53 transactivation and inhibitors of TrkA receptor also abolished HDAC activation, indicating that deacetylation of p53 is an NGF-dependent post-translational mechanism of p53 activation. Finally, NGF or serum withdrawal did not lead to p53 deacetylation. A model is proposed in which the acetylation status of Lys 382 of p53 discriminates between cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.

Nerve growth factor receptor signaling induces histone acetyltransferase domain-dependent nuclear translocation of p300/CREB-binding protein-associated factor and hGCN5 acetyltransferases

The transcriptional coactivators, p300/CREB-binding protein-associated factor (PCAF) and hGCN5, are recruited to chromatin-remodeling complexes on enhancers of various gene promoters in response to growth factor stimulation. However, the molecular mechanisms by which surface receptor signals modulate the assembly of nuclear transcription complexes are not fully understood. Here we report that nerve growth factor receptor signaling induces nuclear translocation of PCAF and hGCN5 dependent upon the phosphorylation of Ser and Thr residues within their histone acetyltransferase domains, which requires activation of PI3K, Rsk2(pp90), and MSK-1. Neurotrophin stimulation induces p53(K320) acetylation by PCAF and transcriptionally activates p53-responsive enhancer elements within the p21(WAF/CIP1) promoter associated with G(1)/S arrest during neuronal differentiation. Most importantly, these findings represent the first evidence for signal-dependent nuclear translocation of PCAF and hGCN5 acetyltransferases and allude to a novel mechanism for ligand/receptor modulation of nuclear chromatin-remodeling complexes in neurons.

Marrow stromal cells, mitosis, and neuronal differentiation: stem cell and precursor functions

To define relationships among marrow stromal cells (MSCs), multipotential progenitors, committed precursors, and derived neurons, we examined differentiation, mitosis, and apoptosis in vitro. Neural induction medium morphologically converted over 70% of MSCs to typical neurons, which expressed tau, neuronal nuclear antigen, neuron-specific enolase, and TUC-4 within 24 hours. A subset decreased fibronectin expression, consistent with mesenchymal to neuroectodermal conversion. More than 35% of differentiating neurons incorporated bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and divided, increasing cell number by 60%, while another subpopulation differentiated without incorporating BrdU or dividing. Inhibition of mitosis and DNA synthesis did not prevent neural differentiation, with 70% of blocked cells expressing tau and displaying neuronal morphologies. By deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling assay, less than 1% of cells underwent apoptosis at 36 and 72 hours, suggesting differentiation without cell-selective mechanisms. Apparently, MSCs may directly differentiate into neurons without passing through a mitotic stage, suggesting that distinctions among stem cells, progenitors, and precursors are more flexible than formerly recognized.

Nerve growth factor withdrawal-mediated apoptosis in naive and differentiated PC12 cells through p53/caspase-3-dependent and -independent pathways

Programmed cell death is regulated in response to a variety of stimuli, including the tumor suppressor protein p53, that can mediate cell cycle arrest through p21/Waf1 and apoptosis through the Bcl-2/Bax equilibrium and caspases. Neuronal cell apoptosis has been reported to require p53, whereas other data suggest that neuronal cell death may be independent of p53. Comparison of wild type PC12 to a temperature-sensitive PC12 cell line that depresses the normal function of p53 has permitted investigation of the importance of p53 in a variety of cell functions. This study examined the role of p53 in trophic factor withdrawal-mediated apoptosis in both naïve and differentiated PC12 cells. Our data show that as PC12 cells differentiate they are more poised to undergo apoptosis than their undifferentiated counterparts. Survival assays with XTT (sodium 3'-1-(phenylaminocarbonyl)-3,4-tetrazolium-bis(4-methoxy-6-nitro)benzene sulfonic acid) and TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling) demonstrated that lack of p53 is initially protective against apoptosis. The window of protection is about 20 h for naïve and 36 h for differentiated cells. Apoptosis involved caspases 3, 6, and 9. However, caspase 3 activation was absent in cells lacking p53, concomitant with the delayed apoptosis. When the expression of caspase 3 was silenced with interference RNA, wild type PC12 cells revealed a morphology and biochemistry similar to PC12[p53ts] cells, indicating that caspase 3 accounts for the observed delay in apoptosis in p53 dysfunction. These results suggest that p53 is important, but not essential, in factor withdrawal-mediated apoptosis. Parallel pathways of caspase-mediated apoptosis are activated later in the absence of functional p53.

Individual and combined effects of TrkA and p75NTR nerve growth factor receptors. A role for the high affinity receptor site

A long-standing question in neurotrophin signal transduction is whether heteromeric TrkA-p75NTR complexes possess signaling capabilities that are significantly different from homo-oligomeric TrkA or p75NTR alone. To address this issue, various combinations of transfected PC12 cells expressing a platelet-derived growth factor receptor-TrkA chimera and the p75NTR-selective nerve growth factor mutant (Delta9/13 NGF) were utilized to selectively stimulate TrkA or p75NTR signaling, respectively. The contribution of individual and combined receptor effects was analyzed in terms of downstream signaling and certain end points. The results suggest two unique functions for the high affinity heteromeric NGF receptor site: (a) integration of both the MAPK and Akt pathways in the production of NGF-induced neurite outgrowth, and (b) rapid and sustained activation of the Akt pathway, with consequent long term cellular survival. Whereas activation of TrkA signaling is sufficient for eliciting neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells, signaling through p75NTR plays a modulatory role, especially in the increased formation of fine, synaptic "bouton-like" structures, in which both TrkA and p75NTR appear to co-localize. In addition, a new interaction in the TrkA/p75NTR heteromeric receptor signal transduction network was revealed, namely that NGF-induced activation of the MAPK pathway appears to inhibit the parallel NGF-induced Akt pathway.

Molecular characterization of oncostatin M-induced growth arrest of MCF-7 cells expressing a temperature-sensitive mutant of p53

Our previous studies have shown that treatment of MCF-7 breast cancer cells with cytokine oncostatin M (OM) results in a growth arrest and a concurrent decrease in p53 expression. It remains to be determined whether these two important events are directly connected, as changes in p53 protein levels can lead to variable biological outcomes. In this study we have generated stable cell lines (MCF7-ptsp53) that express p53Val135 a p53 temperature-sensitive mutant. We demonstrate that overexpression of the wildtype (wt) p53 at permissive temperature in MCF7-ptsp53 cells leads to growth arrest at the G2-M phase of the cell cycle. Inhibition of endogenous p53 function with the expression of mutant p53 protein at non-permissive temperature did not affect the OM-induced G1 cell cycle arrest. Microarray studies were further carried out to identify p53- and OM-regulated genes that mediate the G2/M or G1 cell cycle arrest. We show that the expression of p21 was upregulated and expressions of cdc2, cyclin B2 and protein regulator of cytokinesis 1 (PRC1) were suppressed by overexpression of the wt p53 in MCF7-ptsp53 cells at the permissive temperature. In contrast, OM treatment caused coordinate changes of mRNA expression of several cell cycle components including c/EBPdelta, cdc20, and thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) that mainly affect G1-S phase transition. All together, our results suggest that the downregulation of p53 transcription may be involved in some other cellular changes induced by OM but it is not directly connected to the antiproliferative activity of OM per se.

Estrogen-induced proliferation of urothelial cells is modulated by nerve growth factor

Both nerve growth factor (NGF) and estrogen have been shown to stimulate proliferation of various cell types. Human urothelial cells (HUC) express the alpha- and beta-subtypes of the estrogen receptor (ER(alpha) and ER(beta)) as well as tyrosine kinase A (trkA), the high-affinity receptor for NGF. We investigated interactions between estrogen and NGF relative to cell proliferation using primary cultures of HUC. 17 beta-estradiol (E2) stimulated NGF synthesis by HUC, and E2 (50 nM), the ER(alpha) agonist 16 alpha-iodo-17 beta-estradiol (10 nM), or the ER(beta) agonist genistein (50 nM) each stimulated HUC proliferation, an effect that was abolished by the estrogen antagonist ICI-182,780 (100 nM). NGF (1-100 ng/ml) stimulated HUC proliferation, and this was abolished by NGF antiserum (0.1 microl/ml) or the trkA antagonist K252a (100 nM). HUC proliferation stimulated by E2 was also abolished by NGF antiserum or K252a. Finally, we observed that treatment of HUC with NGF (50 ng/ml) or E2 (50 nM) stimulated trkA phosphorylation, and this was abolished by K252a (100 nM) or NGF antiserum (0.1 microl/ml). These data indicate that the effects of ER activation on HUC proliferation at least partly involve activation of trkA by NGF.

Overexpression of the signaling adapter FRS2 reconstitutes the cell cycle deficit of a nerve growth factor non-responsive TrkA receptor mutant

We have characterized the cell cycle deficit of a novel TrkA receptor mutant (TrkAS3) that fails to support nerve growth factor (NGF)-dependent cell cycle arrest and neurite outgrowth. TrkAS3 receptors fail to support an NGF-dependent increase in the expression of cyclin D1 and the cell cycle inhibitor, p21(Waf1/Cip1), two important regulators of G(1) /S transition, and do not down-regulate expression of the G(2) /M phase marker, cdc2/cdk1, or the S phase marker, proliferating cell nuclear antigen. Moreover, NGF-activated TrkAS3 receptors do not down-regulate cyclin-dependent kinase 4 phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein, essential for G(1) arrest, in comparison to NGF-activated wild-type TrkA. Collectively these data indicate that TrkAS3 receptors fail to support NGF-dependent G(1) arrest. Interestingly, ectopic expression of regulators of G(1) /S arrest, such as cyclin D1 or inhibitors of cell cycle (p21(Waf1/Cip1), p16(INK4A) ), or the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptor substrate-2 (FRS2) in cells expressing TrkAS3 reconstitutes NGF-dependent neurite outgrowth. Collectively, these data suggest a model in which NGF-stimulated TrkA-dependent activation of FRS2 supports neurite outgrowth through a mechanism that likely involves the induction of p21(Waf1/Cip1) expression and the arrest of cells at G(1) /S.