Neuronal cdc-2 like kinase in developing kindling rat hippocampus.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that neuronal cdc2-like kinase (Cdk5/p35nck5a) plays an important role in neuronal maturation and sprouting.


METHODS
Changes kinase activity, expression levels and subcellular localizations of Cdk5 and p35nck5a in the rat hippocampus were studied during kindling progression by Western blot analysis, immunohistochemistry, immunoprecipitation and kinase assay.


RESULTS
Kinase activity in kindling rats was significantly higher than that in normal adult rats. The kinase activity at stage 3 was most prominent among all stages of kindling progression. The changes in kinase activity coincided with those of p35nck5a expression in kindling rats. In contrast, the expression of Cdk5 was constant throughout the progression of kindling stages. However, subcellular localization of Cdk5 dramatically changed in the hippocampal neurons of kindling rats. Cdk5 was translocated from axon to soma when kinase activity was high. p35nck5a was always localized in the soma throughout kindling progression.


CONCLUSIONS
Neuronal cdc2-like kinase plays an important role in synaptic reorganization, and the translocation of Cdk5 to the soma from the axon may be a novel regulatory mechanism to control kinase activity.
Cai
X
X
Department of Stomatology, Affiliated Zhujiang Hospital, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China. cxiaohui@fimmu.edu.cn
Tang
D
D
Xu
R
R
D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D051360:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 5; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007696:Kindling, Neurologic / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C089495:neuronal Cdk5 activator (p25-p35); D051360:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 5; C495907:Cdk5 protein, rat; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases