title: Long-term soluble Abeta1-40 activates CaM kinase II in organotypic hippocampal cultures.
abstract: Recent findings suggested a role for soluble amyloid-beta (Abeta) peptides in Alzheimer's disease associated cognitive decline. We investigated the action of soluble, monomeric Abeta(1-40) on CaM kinase II, a kinase involved in neuroplasticity and cognition. We treated organotypic hippocampal cultures short-term (up to 4h) and long-term (5 days) with Abeta(1-40) (1nM-5microM). Abeta did not induce cell damage, apoptosis or synaptic loss. Short-term treatment down-regulated enzymatic activity of the kinase, by reducing its Thr(286) phosphorylation. In contrast, long-term treatment (1nM-microM) markedly and significantly up-regulated enzymatic activity, with peak stimulation at 10nM (three-fold). Up-regulation of activity was associated with increased expression of the alpha-isoform of CaM kinase II, increased phosphorylation at Thr(286) (activator residue) and decreased phosphorylation at Thr(305-306) (inhibitory residues). We investigated the effect of glutamate on CaM kinase II following exposure to 1 or 10nM Abeta(1-40). As previously reported, glutamate increased CaM kinase II activity. However, the glutamate effect was not altered by pretreatment of slices with Abeta. Short- and long-term Abeta treatment showed opposite effects on CaM kinase II, suggesting that long-term changes are an adaptation to the kinase early down-regulation. The marked effect of Abeta(1-40) on the kinase suggests that semi-physiological and slowly raising peptide concentrations may have a significant impact on synaptic plasticity in the absence of synaptic loss or neuronal cell death.
authors.affiliation: Center of Neuropharmacology, Department of Pharmacological Sciences and Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milano, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tardito
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gennarelli
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Musazzi
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gesuete
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chiarini
authors.forename: Valentina Sara
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Barbiero
authors.forename: Russell E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Rydel
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Racagni
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Popoli
mesh_terms: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects*; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D013912:Threonine / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C078592:amyloid beta-protein (1-40); D013912:Threonine; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D002118:Calcium