title: Endogenous beta-amyloid peptide synthesis modulates cAMP response element-regulated gene expression in PC12 cells.
abstract: Extracellular-regulated kinases play a fundamental role in several neuroplasticity processes. In order to test whether endogenous beta-amyloid peptides play a role in the activation of extracellular-regulated kinase, we investigated the Rap1-extracellular-regulated kinase pathway in PC12 cells expressing human beta-amyloid precursor protein containing familial Alzheimer's disease mutations. In PC12 cells transfected with mutant human beta-amyloid precursor proteins that lead to higher levels of endogenous beta-amyloid, we observed an up-regulation of phospho-extracellular-regulated kinase and higher levels of activity-induced cAMP response element-directed gene expression. These results suggest that moderate levels of endogenous beta-amyloid peptides stimulate cAMP response element-directed gene expression. This stimulation was via a Rap1/MEK/extracellular-regulated kinase signaling pathway, as it was blocked by inhibition of Rap1 and MEK activities, and it requires beta-amyloid precursor protein cleavage at the gamma-site as it was abolished by a gamma-secretase inhibitor. Interestingly, in agreement with the previous observations, micromolar levels of extracellular fibrillar beta-amyloid blocked the cAMP response element-regulated gene expression stimulated by potassium and forskolin. This indicates that beta-amyloid can provoke different responses on cAMP response element-directed gene expression, such that low beta-amyloid levels may play a physiological role favoring synaptic plasticity under normal conditions while it would inhibit this mechanism under pathological conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, 3655 Promenade Sir-William-Osler, Montreal, QC, Canada H3G 1Y6. vechev2@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Echeverria
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ducatenzeiler
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Cuello
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000503:physiopathology; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; D015153:Blotting, Western; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D020930:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D009154:Mutation; D016716:PC12 Cells; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051381:Rats; D014162:Transfection; D020827:rap1 GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D020930:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases; D010450:Endopeptidases; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; C509280:BACE1 protein, human; D020827:rap1 GTP-Binding Proteins