title: Lithium blocks the c-Jun stress response and protects neurons via its action on glycogen synthase kinase 3.
abstract: Lithium has been used as an effective mood-stabilizing drug for the treatment of manic episodes and depression for 50 years. More recently, lithium has been found to protect neurons from death induced by a wide array of neurotoxic insults. However, the molecular basis for the prophylactic effects of lithium have remained obscure. A target of lithium, glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3), is implicated in neuronal death after trophic deprivation. The mechanism whereby GSK-3 exerts its neurotoxic effects is also unknown. Here we show that lithium blocks the canonical c-Jun apoptotic pathway in cerebellar granule neurons deprived of trophic support. This effect is mimicked by the structurally independent inhibitors of GSK-3, FRAT1, and indirubin. Like lithium, these prevent the stress induced c-Jun protein increase and subsequent apoptosis. These events are downstream of c-Jun transactivation, since GSK-3 inhibitors block neuronal death induced by constitutively active c-Jun (Ser/Thr-->Asp) and FRAT1 expression inhibits AP1 reporter activity. Consistent with this, AP1-dependent expression of proapoptotic Bim requires GSK-3-like activity. These data suggest that a GSK-3-like kinase acts in tandem with c-Jun N-terminal kinase to coordinate the full execution of the c-Jun stress response and neuronal death in response to trophic deprivation.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Biotechnology and Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacy, Abo Akademi University, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Vesa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hongisto
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Smeds
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brecht
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Herdegen
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Courtney
authors.forename: Eleanor T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Coffey
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000818:Animals; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D000072224:Bcl-2-Like Protein 11; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D007211:Indoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D008094:Lithium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010091:Oximes / Q000494:pharmacology; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: C477281:5-iodoindirubin-3'-monoxime; D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D000072224:Bcl-2-Like Protein 11; C000606776:Bcl2l11 protein, mouse; C000606778:Bcl2l11 protein, rat; D002352:Carrier Proteins; C491818:Frat1 protein, mouse; D007211:Indoles; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D010091:Oximes; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D008094:Lithium; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases; C021822:myo-inositol-1 (or 4)-monophosphatase