Region-specific reduction of Gbeta4 expression and induction of the phosphorylation of PKB/Akt and ERK1/2 by aging in rat brain.
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.
Song
Gyu Yong
GY
College of Pharmacy, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
Kang
Jong Seong
JS
Lee
Seok Yong
SY
Myung
Chang-Seon
CS
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
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