title: Chemokines regulate hippocampal neuronal signaling and gp120 neurotoxicity.
abstract: The HIV-1 envelope protein gp120 induces apoptosis in hippocampal neurons. Because chemokine receptors act as cellular receptors for HIV-1, we examined rat hippocampal neurons for the presence of functional chemokine receptors. Fura-2-based Ca imaging showed that numerous chemokines, including SDF-1alpha, RANTES, and fractalkine, affect neuronal Ca signaling, suggesting that hippocampal neurons possess a wide variety of chemokine receptors. Chemokines also blocked the frequency of spontaneous glutamatergic excitatory postsynaptic currents recorded from these neurons and reduced voltage-dependent Ca currents in the same neurons. Reverse transcription-PCR demonstrated the expression of CCR1, CCR4, CCR5, CCR9/10, CXCR2, CXCR4, and CX3CR1, as well as the chemokine fractalkine in these neurons. Both fractalkine and macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC) produced a time-dependent activation of extracellular response kinases (ERK)-1/2, whereas no activation of c-JUN NH2-terminal protein kinase (JNK)/stress-activated protein kinase, or p38 was evident. Furthermore, these two chemokines, as well as SDF-1alpha, activated the Ca- and cAMP-dependent transcription factor CREB. Several chemokines were able also to block gp120-induced apoptosis of hippocampal neurons, both in the presence and absence of the glial feeder layer. These data suggest that chemokine receptors may directly mediate gp120 neurotoxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacological and Physiological Sciences, University of Chicago, 947 E. 58th Street (MC 0926), Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Meucci
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fatatis
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Simen
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Bushell
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018925:Chemokines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000633:toxicity*; D015497:HIV-1; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018925:Chemokines; D017931:DNA Primers; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; D009498:Neurotoxins; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine; D002118:Calcium