title: Involvement of the proteasome and caspase activation in hippocampal long-term depression induced by the serine protease subtilisin.
abstract: The serine protease subtilisin-A produces a long-term depression (LTD) of synaptic potentials in hippocampal slices which differs mechanistically from classical LTD. Since caspases have been implicated in hippocampal plasticity, this study examined a possible role for these enzymes in subtilisin-induced LTD. Subtilisin produced a concentration-dependent decrease in the size of field excitatory synaptic potentials (fEPSPs), which was not prevented or modified by the caspase inhibitors Z-VAD(OMe)-fmk and Z-DEVD-fmk. Similarly Z-VAD(OMe)-fmk did not modify the selective loss of protein expression produced by subtilisin. Subtilisin reduced the expression of procaspase-3 and caspase-9 but, while caspase-9 was converted to its conventionally activated form (39 kDa), caspase-3 was metabolised along a non-canonical pathway to a 29/30 kDa protein rather than the classical 17/19 kDa fragments. Both Z-VAD(OMe)-fmk and Z-DEVD-fmk were unable to prevent the reduced expression of Postsynaptic Density Protein-95, Vesicle-Associated Membrane Protein-1 and Unco-ordinated 5H3 proteins produced by subtilisin, although MG132 did produce partial recovery from subtilisin-induced depression of fEPSPs. When tested on long-term potentiation (LTP) induced by theta stimulation in the stratum radiatum, MG132 inhibited the immediate increase in fEPSP size but generated a higher plateau LTP. Twin LTP stimulation generated a further increase in LTP amplitude in control slices but not in slices exposed to MG132. The results indicate that subtilisin does produce caspase activation but that this does not contribute to its induction of LTD. However, activation of the proteasome does contribute to subtilisin-induced LTD and may also play a modulatory role in electrically induced LTP.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Forrest
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Darlington
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Stone
mesh_terms: D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D007976:Leupeptins / Q000494:pharmacology; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D036881:Long-Term Synaptic Depression / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013381:Subtilisins / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; D007976:Leupeptins; C476093:z-Val-Ala-Asp(Ome)-fluoromethylketone; D013381:Subtilisins; D053148:Caspase 3; D053453:Caspase 9; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex; C072553:benzyloxycarbonylleucyl-leucyl-leucine aldehyde