title: Region-specific reduction of Gbeta4 expression and induction of the phosphorylation of PKB/Akt and ERK1/2 by aging in rat brain.
abstract: This study was designed to investigate the change of expression level of G protein beta(4) subunit (Gbeta(4)) and the activity of PKB/Akt and ERK1/2 during aging process. Both mRNA and protein levels of Gbeta(4) and the induction of phosphorylation of PKB/Akt and ERK1/2 were examined in nine regions of brain (frontal cortex, striatum, hypothalamus, hippocampus, cerebellum, cerebral cortex, thalamic area, brainstem, and amygdala-septum-preoptic area) from weanling (3-week-old), young (12-week-old), adult (24-week-old), and aged (80- or 96-week-old) rats. Aging process (defined as the comparison of 12-week-old young rats with 96-week-old aged rats in this study) significantly reduced Gbeta(4) mRNA (in all testing regions except striatum and thalamic area) and protein expression (except hypothalamus and hippocampus). Aging process also caused a significant increase in the phosphorylation of both PKB/Akt in striatum, hippocampus, cerebellum and thalamic area, and ERK1/2 in all testing regions. Although the precise relationship between increased activities of PKB/Akt and ERK1/2 by aging and decreased expression of Gbeta(4) remains unknown, current data represent the first demonstration of a change in Gbeta(4) expression with age in rat brain and suggest that an age-related alteration in expression level of Gbeta(4) may, at least in part, play an important role in aging processes.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Gyu Yong
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Jong Seong
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Seok Yong
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chang-Seon
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Myung
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D044387:GTP-Binding Protein beta Subunits / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D044387:GTP-Binding Protein beta Subunits; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3