title: mGluRI targets microglial activation and selectively prevents neuronal cell engulfment through Akt and caspase dependent pathways.
abstract: Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are expressed throughout the mammalian central nervous system and integrate a host of signal transduction pathways that determine cellular function, plasticity and injury. Yet, one of the more unique regulatory functions of this family of GTP-binding proteins involves cytoprotection in the nervous system. Here, we demonstrate that activation of group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRIs) in primary hippocampal neurons not only provides intrinsic cellular protection for the maintenance of genomic DNA integrity, but also prevents inflammatory microglial activation and specific neuronal cell engulfment during free radical oxidative stress. Loss of cellular membrane asymmetry and exposure of membrane phosphatidylserine (PS) residues were necessary and sufficient to result in microglial activation and proliferation, since administration of an antibody to the PS receptor could block microglial activity. Through the continuous assessment of individual neurons in real time, activation of mGluRIs was documented to block neuronal PS exposure and prevented subsequent neuronal cell engulfment by microglia seeking "PS tagged" neurons. Furthermore, regulation of both cellular integrity and microglial activity by mGluRI activation was dependent upon the activation and phosphorylation of protein kinase B (Akt1), prevention of mitochondrial membrane depolarization with associated permeability transition pore complex formation, and the down regulation of caspase 9-like activity. Our work defines a significant role of mGluRIs for the modulation of cellular survival and inflammation in the nervous system during oxidative stress.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cellular and Molecular Cerebral Ischemia, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 4201 St. Antoine, Detroit, Michigan 48201, USA.
authors.forename: Zhao Zhong
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.forename: Jingqiong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Faqi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maiese
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D017304:Annexin A5 / Q000378:metabolism; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D002232:Carbocyanines / Q000378:metabolism; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000378:metabolism; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D003998:Dicarboxylic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling / Q000379:methods; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D017628:Microglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000494:pharmacology; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014226:Triazenes / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D017304:Annexin A5; D001562:Benzimidazoles; D002232:Carbocyanines; D003998:Dicarboxylic Acids; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate; D014226:Triazenes; C104077:metabotropic glutamate receptor type 1; C099612:NOC 9; D009599:Nitroprusside; C068624:5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1',3,3'-tetraethylbenzimidazolocarbocyanine; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol; D045304:Cytochromes c; C494920:Akt1 protein, rat; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D020169:Caspases; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; C010117:3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycol