Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and its receptors in Bergmann glia cells.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor is an abundant and widely distributed neurotrophin expressed in the Central Nervous System. It is critically involved in neuronal differentiation and survival. The expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and that of its catalytic active cognate receptor (TrkB) has been extensively studied in neuronal cells but their expression and function in glial cells is still controversial. Despite of this fact, brain-derived neurotrophic factor is released from astrocytes upon glutamate stimulation. A suitable model to study glia/neuronal interactions, in the context of glutamatergic synapses, is the well-characterized culture of chick cerebellar Bergmann glia cells. Using, this system, we show here that BDNF and its functional receptor are present in Bergmann glia and that BDNF stimulation is linked to the activation of the phosphatidyl-inositol 3 kinase/protein kinase C/mitogen-activated protein kinase/Activator Protein-1 signaling pathway. Accordingly, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) experiments predicted the expression of full-length and truncated TrkB isoforms. Our results suggest that Bergmann glia cells are able to express and respond to BDNF stimulation favoring the notion of their pivotal role in neuroprotection.
Departamento de Genética y Biología Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Apartado Postal 14-740, México D.F. 07000, Mexico.
Irais
I
Poblete-Naredo
Alain M
AM
Guillem
Claudia
C
Juárez
Rossana C
RC
Zepeda
Leticia
L
Ramírez
Mario
M
Caba
Luisa C
LC
Hernández-Kelly
José
J
Aguilera
Esther
E
López-Bayghen
Arturo
A
Ortega
D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002642:Chick Embryo; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000502:physiology; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000378:metabolism; D020813:Receptor, trkB / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D020813:Receptor, trkB; D011493:Protein Kinase C