title: TGF-beta1-induced long-term changes in neuronal excitability in aplysia sensory neurons depend on MAPK.
abstract: Transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-beta1) plays important roles in the early development of the nervous system and has been implicated in neuronal plasticity in adult organisms. It induces long-term increases in sensory neuron excitability in Aplysia as well as a long-term enhancement of synaptic efficacy at sensorimotor synapses. In addition, TGF-beta1 acutely regulates synapsin phosphorylation and reduces synaptic depression induced by low-frequency stimuli. Because of the critical role of MAPK in other forms of long-term plasticity in Aplysia, we examined the role of MAPK in TGF-beta1-induced long-term changes in neuronal excitability. Prolonged (6 h) exposure to TGF-beta1 induced long-term increases in excitability. We confirmed this finding and now report that exposure to TGF-beta1 was sufficient to activate MAPK and increase nuclear levels of active MAPK. Moreover, TGF-beta1 enhanced phosphorylation of the Aplysia transcriptional activator cAMP response element binding protein (CREB)1, a homologue to vertebrate CREB. Both the TGF-beta1-induced long-term changes in neuronal excitability and the phosphorylation of CREB1 were blocked in the presence of an inhibitor of the MAPK cascade, confirming a role for MAPK in long-term modulation of sensory neuron function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Texas-Houston Medical School, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Jeannie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chin
authors.forename: Rong-Yu
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Leonard J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Cleary
authors.forename: Arnold
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eskin
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Byrne
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D000818:Animals; D001048:Aplysia / Q000166:cytology*; D002070:Butadienes / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique / Q000379:methods; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology*; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009570:Nitriles / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1
chemical_list: D002070:Butadienes; C115163:CREB1 protein, human; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009570:Nitriles; C508960:TGFB1 protein, human; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; C113580:U 0126; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases