title: Axonal neuropathy-associated TRPV4 regulates neurotrophic factor-derived axonal growth.
abstract: Spinal muscular atrophy and hereditary motor and sensory neuropathies are characterized by muscle weakness and atrophy caused by the degenerations of peripheral motor and sensory nerves. Recent advances in genetics have resulted in the identification of missense mutations in TRPV4 in patients with these hereditary neuropathies. Neurodegeneration caused by Ca(2+) overload due to the gain-of-function mutation of TRPV4 was suggested as the molecular mechanism for the neuropathies. Despite the importance of TRPV4 mutations in causing neuropathies, the precise role of TRPV4 in the sensory/motor neurons is unknown. Here, we report that TRPV4 mediates neurotrophic factor-derived neuritogenesis in developing peripheral neurons. TRPV4 was found to be highly expressed in sensory and spinal motor neurons in early development as well as in the adult, and the overexpression or chemical activation of TRPV4 was found to promote neuritogenesis in sensory neurons as well as PC12 cells, whereas its knockdown and pharmacologic inhibition had the opposite effect. More importantly, nerve growth factor or cAMP treatment up-regulated the expression of phospholipase A(2) and TRPV4. Neurotrophic factor-derived neuritogenesis appears to be regulated by the phospholipase A(2)-mediated TRPV4 pathway. These findings show that TRPV4 mediates neurotrophic factor-induced neuritogenesis in developing peripheral nerves. Because neurotrophic factors are essential for the maintenance of peripheral nerves, these findings suggest that aberrant TRPV4 activity may lead to some types of pathology of sensory and motor nerves.
authors.affiliation: Sensory Research Center, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yongwoo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Jooyoung
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Hyungsup
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jungeun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Ji Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.forename: Saewoon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Kyung-Tai
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hawon
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Dong-Jin
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Sung Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: In-Beom
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Mi-Ryoung
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Uhtaek
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Oh
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D001369:Axons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D048708:Cell Growth Processes / Q000187:drug effects; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000494:pharmacology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D015417:Hereditary Sensory and Motor Neuropathy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D016501:Neurites / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016716:PC12 Cells; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010703:Phorbol Esters / Q000494:pharmacology; D054467:Phospholipases A2 / Q000378:metabolism; D055503:Protein Multimerization / Q000187:drug effects; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D050916:TRPV Cation Channels / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D010703:Phorbol Esters; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D050916:TRPV Cation Channels; C416986:TRPV4 protein, human; C008876:phorbol-12,13-didecanoate; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D054467:Phospholipases A2