title: Excitatory amino acids differentially regulate the expression of GDNF, neurturin, and their receptors in the adult rat striatum.
abstract: Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) family ligands are important regulators of neuronal development and maintenance of the connectivity in the basal ganglia and show neuroprotective activities in several paradigms of brain injury. The mRNAs of two members of this family, GDNF and neurturin, and also their receptors have been detected in the basal ganglia. In the present work, we analyzed the time course changes in the expression of these neurotrophic factors and receptors in the adult rat striatum, induced by quinolinate or kainate excitotoxicity. Our results show that stimulation of NMDA or non-NMDA receptors induced different effects on the mRNA levels analyzed. Expression of GDNF and its preferred receptor, GDNF family receptor-alpha1 (GFRalpha1), was transiently up-regulated by quinolinate and kainate, but with differing intensity and temporal pattern. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that, although GDNF and GFRalpha1 were initially localized in neurons, excitotoxicity induced the expression of these proteins in astrocyte-like cells. Neurturin mRNA levels were only up-regulated after quinolinate injection, whereas quinolinate or kainate injection did not modify GFRalpha2 mRNA. The mRNA for the common receptor, c-Ret, was up-regulated by both agonists with similar temporal pattern but with differing intensity. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that c-Ret protein was located on neurons. These changes in mRNA levels and protein localization of GDNF family components could reflect an endogenous trophic response of striatal cells to different excitotoxic insults.
authors.affiliation: Departament de Biologia Cel small middle dotlular i Anatomia Patològica, Facultat de Medicina, IDIBAPS, Universitat de Barcelona, Casanova 143, Barcelona, E-08036, Spain.
authors.forename: Sònia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marco
authors.forename: Anna M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Canudas
authors.forename: Josep M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Canals
authors.forename: Núria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gavaldà
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pérez-Navarro
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alberch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018846:Excitatory Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D051097:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptors; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000633:toxicity; D008024:Ligands; D008297:Male; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051101:Neurturin; D023282:Nuclease Protection Assays; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D017378:Quinolinic Acid / Q000633:toxicity; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018846:Excitatory Amino Acids; C495041:Gdnf protein, rat; C494989:Gfra1 protein, rat; C494992:Gfra2 protein, rat; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D051097:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptors; D008024:Ligands; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D051101:Neurturin; C495057:Nrtn protein, rat; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C416649:Ret protein, Drosophila; C495001:Ret protein, rat; D017378:Quinolinic Acid; D007608:Kainic Acid