Authors: Srinivasa Subramaniam Jens Strelau Klaus Unsicker
Publish Date: 2007/12/11
Volume: 331, Issue: 2, Pages: 373-383
Abstract
Transforming growth factorβ TGFβ and glialcelllinederived neurotrophic factor GDNF have been shown to synergize in several paradigms of neuronal survival We have previously shown that cerebellar granule neurons CGN degenerate in low potassium via ERK1/2 extracellularregulated kinasedependent plasma membrane PM damage and caspase3dependent DNA fragmentation Here we have investigated the putative synergistic function of GDNF and TGFβ in CGN degeneration GDNF alone prevents lowpotassiuminduced caspase3 activation and DNA fragmentation but does not affect either lowpotassiuminduced ERK activation or PM damage TGFβ alone does not affect lowpotassiuminduced DNA fragmentation but potentiates lowpotassiuminduced PM damage This effect of TGFβ is independent of ERK1/2 activation but dependent on p38MAPK mitogenactivated protein kinase activation When coapplied with TGFβ GDNF paradoxically antagonizes TGFβinduced potentiation of PM damage by inhibiting TGFβinduced p38MAPK activation In addition PI3K phosphatidylinositol 3kinase inhibitors abolish the GDNF effect This study thus demonstrates a differential mechanism of action of GDNF and TGFβ on CGN degeneration GDNF inhibits caspase3dependent DNA fragmentation but does not affect ERKdependent PM damage However GDNF can attenuate TGFβinduced p38MAPKdependent PM damage via the PI3K pathway
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