title: Activation of the p38MAPK cascade is associated with upregulation of TNF alpha receptors in the spinal motor neurons of mouse models of familial ALS.
abstract: Phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK), but not activated c-jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK), increases in the motor neurons of transgenic mice overexpressing ALS-linked SOD1 mutants at different stages of the disease. This effect is associated with a selective increase of phosphorylated MKK3-6, MKK4 and ASK1 and a concomitant upregulation of the TNFalpha receptors (TNFR1 and TNFR2), but not IL1beta and Fas receptors. Activation of both p38 MAPK and JNK occurs in the activated microglial cells of SOD1 mutant mice at the advanced stage of the disease; however, this effect is not accompanied by the concomitant activation of the upstream kinases ASK1 and MKK3,4,6, while both the TNFRs are overexpressed in these cells. No changes of the upstream p38MAPK cascade kinases or TNFRs occur in reactive astrocytes. These findings highlight the activation of a selective intracellular signaling pathway in the motor neurons of SOD1 mutant mice, which is likely implicated in their death.
authors.affiliation: Lab. Molecular Neurobiology, Dept. Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Via Eritrea 62, 20157 Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Veglianese
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lo Coco
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bao Cutrona
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Magnoni
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pennacchini
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pozzi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gowing
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Julien
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tortarolo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bendotti
mesh_terms: D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018450:Disease Progression; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D006801:Humans; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D048371:MAP Kinase Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D048669:MAP Kinase Kinase 6 / Q000378:metabolism; D048848:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 5 / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D017472:Receptors, Interleukin-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology* / Q000473:pathology; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000072105:Superoxide Dismutase-1; D053319:Tumor Necrosis Factor Decoy Receptors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017472:Receptors, Interleukin-1; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I; C000606290:SOD1 protein, human; D053319:Tumor Necrosis Factor Decoy Receptors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019014:fas Receptor; C069521:recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-binding protein-1; C000606291:Sod1 protein, mouse; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D000072105:Superoxide Dismutase-1; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048848:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 5; D048371:MAP Kinase Kinase 3; D048669:MAP Kinase Kinase 6; C482567:Map2k6 protein, mouse