title: Activation of activator protein-1 in mouse brain regions exposed to simulated microgravity.
abstract: Microgravity induces stress, and the brain is one of the targets that is more influenced in this environment. Alteration in transcription factors can have enormous effect because of discrepancy in the signaling process of the cells. Activator protein-1 (AP-1) is a stress-regulated transcription factor and is involved in the regulation of physiological and pathological stimuli that include cytokines, growth factors, and stress signals. In the present study, an attempt has been made to observe the effect of a microgravity environment on the activation of AP-1 in the mouse brain. Our results show that AP-1 transcription factor is activated in simulated microgravity conditions in different regions of the brain. The activation of the AP-1 is dependent upon the increased kinase activity of c-Jun NH-terminal2 kinase-1. These results suggest that microgravity stress in the brain can elicit AP-1 activity.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Neurotoxicology Laboratory/Proteomics, Department of Biology, Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas 77004, USA.
authors.forename: Shubhashish
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sarkar
authors.forename: Kimberly C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Wise
authors.forename: Sunil K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Manna
authors.forename: Vani
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ramesh
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamauchi
authors.forename: Renard L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Bobby L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Anil D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Kulkarni
authors.forename: Neil R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Pellis
authors.forename: Govindarajan T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Ramesh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D048055:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 8 / Q000378:metabolism; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000378:metabolism; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018474:Weightlessness Simulation
chemical_list: D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048055:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 8