title: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor stimulates the transcriptional and neuroprotective activity of myocyte-enhancer factor 2C through an ERK1/2-RSK2 signaling cascade.
abstract: Neurotrophin activation of myocyte-enhancer factor (MEF) 2C is one of the strongest pro-survival signaling pathways in developing neurons. To date, neurotrophin stimulation of MEF2C has been largely attributed to its direct phosphorylation by extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 5. Because MEF2C is not directly phosphorylated by ERK1/2 in vitro, it is generally assumed that the ERK1/2 signaling cascade does not regulate MEF2C. Surprisingly, we discovered that ERK1/2 are required for both the transcriptional and neuroprotective activity of MEF2C in cortical neurons stimulated by brain-derived neurotrophic factor. ERK1/2 stimulation of MEF2C is mediated by p90 ribosomal S6 kinase 2 (RSK2), a Ser/Thr protein kinase downstream of ERK1/2. RSK2 strongly phosphorylates purified recombinant MEF2C protein in vitro. Furthermore, RSK2 can directly phosphorylate MEF2C on S192, a consensus RSK2-phosphorylation site located in the transactivation domain of MEF2C. Substitution of S192 with a non-phosphorylatable alanine diminishes both the transcriptional and neuroprotective activity of MEF2C to an extent similar to mutation on S387, an established activating phosphorylation site. Together, our data identifies ERK1/2-RSK2 signaling as a novel mechanism by which neurotrophins activate MEF2C and promote neuronal survival.
authors.affiliation: Toxicology Program in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-7234, USA.
authors.forename: Yupeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lidong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhengui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xia
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D019610:Cytoprotection / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D064326:MEF2 Transcription Factors; D018006:Myogenic Regulatory Factors / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D038744:Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 90-kDa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D064326:MEF2 Transcription Factors; C578041:Mef2c protein, mouse; D018006:Myogenic Regulatory Factors; D038744:Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 90-kDa; C069330:ribosomal protein S6 kinase, 90kDa, polypeptide 3; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases