title: Glutamate-dependent activation of NF-kappaB during mouse cerebellum development.
abstract: NF-kappaB and activator protein 1 (AP-1) are dimeric transcription factors involved in transcriptional regulation in many cells, including neurons. We have examined their activity during mouse cerebellum development, a postnatal process starting just after birth and completed by the fourth postnatal (PN) week. The activity of these factors was analyzed by binding of nuclear extracts to a synthetic oligonucleotide representing the kappaB site of human immunodeficiency virus or the AP-1 site of the urokinase promoter. NF-kappaB activity was observed from 7 PN, was restricted to the developing cerebellum, and was not observed in the early postnatal neocortex and hippocampus. On the other hand, AP-1 activity was not found in cerebellum but was present in both neocortex and hippocampus. Moreover, a kappaB-driven transgene was found to be increasingly expressed in the cerebellum from 5 PN to 10 PN but not in the adult. The regulation of NF-kappaB activation in mouse cerebellum was analyzed by intraperitoneal injection of glutamate receptor antagonists to 9 PN mice, which abolished NF-kappaB-binding activity, suggesting an endogenous loop of glutamate receptor activation. Glutamate receptor agonists, on the other hand, induced NF-kappaB nuclear translocation in the cerebellum of 5 PN mice, which is a stage in which NF-kappaB is not yet endogenously activated. This effect was specific for NF-kappaB and not observed for AP-1. In adult mice, NF-kappaB activity was absent in the cerebellum and was not induced by intraperitoneal injection of glutamate receptor agonists. These data show that NF-kappaB is specifically activated during cerebellum development and indicate an important role of glutamate receptors in this process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Microbial Biology, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guerrini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Molteni
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wirth
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kistler
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Blasi
mesh_terms: D015763:2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate / Q000494:pharmacology; D018750:6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione / Q000494:pharmacology; D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D003515:Cycloleucine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000494:pharmacology; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D019076:Transgenes / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D016328:NF-kappa B; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D003515:Cycloleucine; C036361:1-amino-1,3-dicarboxycyclopentane; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D018750:6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione; D015763:2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate