title: Alpha-synuclein regulates neuronal survival via Bcl-2 family expression and PI3/Akt kinase pathway.
abstract: Alpha-synuclein (alpha-SN) is a ubiquitous protein that is especially abundant in the brain and has been postulated to play a central role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and other neurodegenerative disorders. However, little is known about the neuronal functions of alpha-SN and the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying neuronal loss. Here, we show that alpha-SN plays dual roles of neuroprotection and neurotoxicity depending on its concentration or level of expression. At nanomolar concentrations, a-SN protected neurons against serum deprivation, oxidative stress, and excitotoxicity through the PI3/Akt signaling pathway, and its protective effect was increased by Bcl-2 overexpression. Conversely, at both low micromolar and overexpressed levels in the cell, alpha-SN resulted in cytotoxicity. This might be related to decreased Bcl-xL expression and increased bax expression, which is subsequently followed by cytochrome c release and caspase activation and also by microglia-mediated inflammatory responses via the NFkappaB and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, National Creative Research Initiative Center for Alzheimer's Dementia and Neuroscience Research Institute, MRC, Seoul National University, Seoul 110-799, South Korea.
authors.forename: Ji-Heui
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Jong-Cheol
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Rah
authors.forename: Se Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jae Kyung
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Kyeoungsik
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Hye-Sun
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Cheol Hyoung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Seonghan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Eun-Mee
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sang-Hyoung
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sangho
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Se Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.forename: Yoo-Hun
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Suh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002867:Chromones / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D009025:Morpholines / Q000494:pharmacology; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D016716:PC12 Cells; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D051843:Synucleins; D013997:Time Factors; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D051844:alpha-Synuclein
chemical_list: D002867:Chromones; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005419:Flavonoids; D007093:Imidazoles; D009025:Morpholines; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D011725:Pyridines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051843:Synucleins; D051844:alpha-Synuclein; C497604:SNCA protein, human; C497606:Snca protein, rat; C085911:2-(4-morpholinyl)-8-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one; C496319:NOS2 protein, human; C496318:Nos2 protein, rat; C494918:AKT1 protein, human; C494920:Akt1 protein, rat; C093642:SB 203580; C093973:2-(2-amino-3-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one