title: Transcriptional coupling of synaptic transmission and energy metabolism: role of nuclear respiratory factor 1 in co-regulating neuronal nitric oxide synthase and cytochrome c oxidase genes in neurons.
abstract: Neuronal activity is highly dependent on energy metabolism; yet, the two processes have traditionally been regarded as independently regulated at the transcriptional level. Recently, we found that the same transcription factor, nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF-1) co-regulates an important energy-generating enzyme, cytochrome c oxidase, as well as critical subunits of glutamatergic receptors. The present study tests our hypothesis that the co-regulation extends to the next level of glutamatergic synapses, namely, neuronal nitric oxide synthase, which generates nitric oxide as a downstream signaling molecule. Using in silico analysis, electrophoretic mobility shift assay, chromatin immunoprecipitation, promoter mutations, and NRF-1 silencing, we documented that NRF-1 functionally bound to Nos1, but not Nos2 (inducible) and Nos3 (endothelial) gene promoters. Both COX and Nos1 transcripts were up-regulated by depolarizing KCl treatment and down-regulated by TTX-mediated impulse blockade in neurons. However, NRF-1 silencing blocked the up-regulation of both Nos1 and COX induced by KCl depolarization, and over-expression of NRF-1 rescued both Nos1 and COX transcripts down-regulated by TTX. These findings are consistent with our hypothesis that synaptic neuronal transmission and energy metabolism are tightly coupled at the molecular level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
authors.forename: Shilpa S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Dhar
authors.forename: Huan Ling
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Margaret T T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Wong-Riley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000235:genetics*; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051379:Mice; D008959:Models, Neurological; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000235:genetics*; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I / Q000235:genetics*; D051266:Nuclear Respiratory Factor 1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D054730:Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs; D034622:RNA Interference; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; C495634:Nrf1 protein, mouse; D051266:Nuclear Respiratory Factor 1; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013779:Tetrodotoxin; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; C496321:Nos1 protein, mouse; C496322:Nos1 protein, rat; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV