title: A role for c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1), but not JNK2, in the beta-amyloid-mediated stabilization of protein p53 and induction of the apoptotic cascade in cultured cortical neurons.
abstract: beta-Amyloid (A beta) peptide has been shown to induce neuronal apoptosis; however, the mechanisms underlying A beta-induced neuronal cell death remain to be fully elucidated. The stress-activated protein kinase, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), is activated in response to cellular stress and has been identified as a proximal mediator of cell death. In the present study, expression of active JNK was increased in the nucleus and cytoplasm of A beta-treated cells. Evaluation of the nature of the JNK isoforms activated by A beta revealed a transient increase in JNK1 activity that reached its peak at 1 h and a later activation (at 24 h) of JNK2. The tumour suppressor protein, p53, is a substrate for JNK and can serve as a signalling molecule in apoptosis. In cultured cortical neurons, we found that A beta increased p53 protein expression and phosphorylation of p53 at Ser(15). Thus it appears that A beta increases p53 expression via phosphorylation-mediated stabilization of the protein. Given the lack of availability of a JNK inhibitor that can distinguish between JNK1- and JNK2-mediated effects, we employed antisense technology to deplete cells of JNK1 or JNK2 selectively. Using this strategy, the respective roles of JNK1 and JNK2 on the A beta-mediated activation of the apoptotic cascade (i.e. p53 stabilization, caspase 3 activation and DNA fragmentation) were examined. The results obtained demonstrate a role for JNK1 in the A beta-induced stabilization of p53, activation of caspase 3 and DNA fragmentation. In contrast, depletion of JNK2 had no effect on the proclivity of A beta to activate capase 3 or induce DNA fragmentation. These results demonstrate a significant role for JNK1 in A beta-mediated induction of the apoptotic cascade in cultured cortical neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland.
authors.forename: Marie P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Fogarty
authors.forename: Eric J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Downer
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Campbell
mesh_terms: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001483:Base Sequence; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D007700:Kinetics; D048055:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 8; D048056:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 9; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000494:pharmacology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D017931:DNA Primers; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D048056:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 9; D048055:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 8; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases