title: Stimulation of immediate early gene expression in striatal neurons by nitric oxide.
abstract: Exposure of primary cultures of embryonic rat striatal neurons to agents releasing nitric oxide (NO), including sin-1 molsidomine, S-nitroso-n-acetyl-penicillamine (SNAP), and S-nitrosoglutathione, resulted in an increase in the levels of expression of the immediate early genes c-fos and zif/268 in the cultured neurons. The membrane-permeable cGMP analogue, 8-bromo-cGMP, did not significantly affect c-fos and zif/268 mRNA levels, and the highly selective inhibitor of cGMP-dependent protein kinase, KT5823, was unable to inhibit the elevation in c-fos and zif/268 mRNA levels induced by SNAP. The induction of c-fos by the calcium ionophore A23187 was reduced by treatment with SNAP or 8-bromo-cGMP. Inhibitors of ADP-ribosyltransferases attenuated the stimulation of c-fos expression by SNAP. These results demonstrate for the first time that NO can induce immediate early gene expression in neurons, suggesting that NO may act as a mediator of neuronal plasticity via alterations in the expression of downstream genes. In addition, the results suggest that NO may exert these effects through a pathway that does not involve guanylate cyclase and cGMP-dependent protein kinase.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacological Laboratories, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Morris
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism*; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000502:physiology; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000502:physiology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D051766:Early Growth Response Protein 1; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D017781:Genes, Immediate-Early; D016762:Genes, fos; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D010396:Penicillamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D026423:S-Nitroso-N-Acetylpenicillamine; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D051766:Early Growth Response Protein 1; C486110:Egr1 protein, rat; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D026423:S-Nitroso-N-Acetylpenicillamine; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D010396:Penicillamine; D006152:Cyclic GMP