title: Possible linkage between glutamate transporter and mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade in cultured rat cortical astrocytes.
abstract: The mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) play a pivotal role in the mediation of cellular responses to a variety of signalling molecules. In the present study, we investigated possible linkage between glutamate signalling and the MAPK cascade in cultured rat cortical astrocytes. Exposure of the cells to L-glutamate (100-1000 microM) resulted in an increase in phosphorylated p44/42 MAPK (ERK1/2) in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The glutamate-induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation was blocked by U0126 and PD98059, specific inhibitors of the MAPK-activating enzyme MEK. Furthermore, L-glutamate-induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation was not mimicked by glutamate receptor agonists and was not blocked by glutamate receptor antagonists. In contrast, the effect of L-glutamate was mimicked by D- and L-aspartate and transportable glutamate uptake inhibitors. These results suggest that the MEK/ERK cascade is activated by a mechanism related to glutamate transporters. We propose that the glutamate transporter functions as a receptor transmitting extracellular glutamate signal to intracellular messengers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan. abe@hoshi.ac.jp
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saito
mesh_terms: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000378:metabolism*; D027322:Amino Acid Transport System X-AG; D000818:Animals; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D003998:Dicarboxylic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000502:physiology*; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D014179:Neurotransmitter Uptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D011759:Pyrrolidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D027322:Amino Acid Transport System X-AG; D003998:Dicarboxylic Acids; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D014179:Neurotransmitter Uptake Inhibitors; D011759:Pyrrolidines; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate; C011274:3-hydroxyaspartic acid; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D018698:Glutamic Acid; C083486:pyrrolidine-2,4-dicarboxylic acid; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases