title: Low Dose Administration of Glutamate Triggers a Non-Apoptotic, Autophagic Response in PC12 Cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Increasing amounts of the neurotransmitter glutamate are associated with excitotoxicity, a phenomenon related both to homeostatic processes and neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  PC12 cells (rat pheochromocytoma) were treated with various concentrations of the non-essential amino acid glutamate for 0.5-24 hours. The effect of glutamate on cell morphology was monitored with electron microscopy and haematoxylin-eosin staining. Cell survival was calculated with the MTT assay. Expression analysis of chaperones associated with the observed phenotype was performed using either Western Blotting at the protein level or qRT-PCR at the mRNA level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Administration of glutamate in PC12 cells in doses as low as 10 μM causes an up-regulation of GRP78, GRP94 and HSC70 protein levels, while their mRNA levels show the opposite kinetics. At the same time, GAPDH and GRP75 show reduced protein levels, irrespective of their transcriptional rate. On a cellular level, low concentrations of glutamate induce an autophagy-mediated pro-survival phenotype, which is further supported by induction of the autophagic marker LC3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings in the present study underline a discrete effect of glutamate on neuronal cell fate depending on its concentration. It was also shown that a low dose of glutamate orchestrates a unique expression signature of various chaperones and induces cell autophagy, which acts in a neuroprotective fashion.
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stamoula
authors.forename: Theofanis
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vavilis
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aggelidou
authors.forename: Aikaterini
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaidoglou
authors.forename: Angeliki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cheva
authors.forename: Kyriakos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mellidis
authors.forename: Antigone
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lazou
authors.forename: Costas
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Haitoglou
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Albani
authors.forename: Aristeidis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kritis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy / Q000187:drug effects*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D050883:HSC70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D018832:Molecular Chaperones / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016716:PC12 Cells; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D000091342:Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP
chemical_list: D018698:Glutamic Acid; D050883:HSC70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C051684:GRP78 protein, rat; D000091342:Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP; C053387:endoplasmin