title: Regulation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase, p38 kinase and AP-1 DNA binding in cultured brain neurons: roles in glutamate excitotoxicity and lithium neuroprotection.
abstract: In rat cerebellar granule cells, glutamate induced rapid activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 kinase to phosphorylate c-Jun (at Ser63) and p53 (at Ser15), respectively, and a subsequent marked increase in activator protein-1 (AP-1) binding that preceded apoptotic death. These glutamate-induced effects and apoptosis could largely be prevented by long-term (7 days) pretreatment with 0.5-2 mm lithium, an antibipolar drug. Glutamate's actions could also be prevented by known blockers of this pathway, MK-801 (an NMDA receptor blocker), SB 203580 (a p38 kinase inhibitor) and curcumin (an AP-1 binding inhibitor). The concentration- and time-dependent suppression of glutamate's effects by lithium and curcumin correlated well with their neuroprotective effects. These results suggest a prominent role of JNK and p38, as well as their downstream AP-1 binding activation and p53 phosphorylation in mediating glutamate excitotoxicity. Moreover, the neuroprotective effects of lithium are mediated, at least in part, by suppressing NMDA receptor-mediated activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Neurobiology Section, Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Ren-Wu
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zheng-Hong
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Hirohiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kanai
authors.forename: Elzbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chalecka-Franaszek
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leeds
authors.forename: De-Maw
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Chuang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000633:toxicity; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D008094:Lithium / Q000494:pharmacology; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism; D013995:Time; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D004247:DNA; D008094:Lithium; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases