title: The chemokine CCL2 activates p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway in cultured rat hippocampal cells.
abstract: Emerging evidence indicates that chemokines can regulate both the physiology and biochemistry of CNS neurons and glia. In the current study, Western blot analysis showed that in rat hippocampal neuronal/glial cultures the signal transduction pathway activated by CCL2, a chemokine expressed in the normal brain and at elevated levels during neuroinflammation, involves a G-protein coupled receptor, p38 MAPK as well as its immediate upstream kinase MKK3/6, and the downstream transcription factor CREB. ERK 1/2 and the transcription factors STAT1 and STAT3 do not play a prominent role. CCL2 also altered Ca(2+) influx and synaptic network activity in the hippocampal neurons. These results suggest an important role for p38 MAPK and CREB in hippocampal actions of CCL2.
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Integrative Neuroscience Department, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States. jscho@dongguk.ac.kr
authors.forename: Jungsook
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Donna L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Gruol
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C491766:Ccl2 protein, rat; D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D002118:Calcium