title: Extracellular signal-regulated kinases are not involved in activity-dependent survival or apoptosis in cerebellar granule neurons.
abstract: Cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) depend on potassium depolarization for survival and undergo apoptosis when deprived of depolarizing concentration of potassium. Extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2) are thought to be activated in response to potassium depolarization and responsible for the activity-dependent survival in CGNs, but one recent study has revealed that ERK1/2 is activated by potassium deprivation and is required for apoptosis of CGNs. In this study we showed that ERK1/2 was inactivated, rather than activated, by potassium deprivation, indicating a lack of ERK1/2 involvement in potassium deprivation-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, suppression of potassium depolarization-induced activation of ERK1/2 with chemical inhibitor U0126 or PD98059 had no influence on the pro-survival effect of potassium depolarisation. Thus, ERK1/2 was not required for potassium depolarization-dependent survival of CGNs. Taken together, our findings suggest that ERK1/2 is not involved in activity-dependent survival or apoptosis of CGNs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Zhongshan Medical College, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Chi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Shoufang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Zhongmin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Wenming
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ruzhu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiaonan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Jinsheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Yifan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Mingtao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017209:Apoptosis; D002470:Cell Survival; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D020930:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020930:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases