scholarly journals Synaptic NMDA receptor activity is coupled to the transcriptional control of the glutathione system

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul S. Baxter ◽  
Karen F.S. Bell ◽  
Philip Hasel ◽  
Angela M. Kaindl ◽  
Michael Fricker ◽  
...  

Abstract How the brain’s antioxidant defenses adapt to changing demand is incompletely understood. Here we show that synaptic activity is coupled, via the NMDA receptor (NMDAR), to control of the glutathione antioxidant system. This tunes antioxidant capacity to reflect the elevated needs of an active neuron, guards against future increased demand and maintains redox balance in the brain. This control is mediated via a programme of gene expression changes that boosts the synthesis, recycling and utilization of glutathione, facilitating ROS detoxification and preventing Puma-dependent neuronal apoptosis. Of particular importance to the developing brain is the direct NMDAR-dependent transcriptional control of glutathione biosynthesis, disruption of which can lead to degeneration. Notably, these activity-dependent cell-autonomous mechanisms were found to cooperate with non-cell-autonomous Nrf2-driven support from astrocytes to maintain neuronal GSH levels in the face of oxidative insults. Thus, developmental NMDAR hypofunction and glutathione system deficits, separately implicated in several neurodevelopmental disorders, are mechanistically linked.

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul S. Baxter ◽  
Karen F. S. Bell ◽  
Philip Hasel ◽  
Angela M. Kaindl ◽  
Michael Fricker ◽  
...  

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frédéric Léveillé ◽  
Francesc X. Soriano ◽  
Sofia Papadia ◽  
Giles E. Hardingham

Post-mitotic neurons must have strong antioxidant defenses to survive the lifespan of the organism. We recently showed that neuronal antioxidant defenses are boosted by synaptic activity. Elevated synaptic activity, acting via the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, enhances thioredoxin activity, facilitates the reduction of hyperoxidized peroxiredoxins, and promotes resistance to oxidative stress. In contrast, blockade of spontaneous synaptic NMDA receptor activity renders neurons highly sensitive to hyperoxidation of peroxiredoxins by oxidative insults. These NMDA receptor-dependent effects are mediated in part by a coordinated program of gene expression changes centered on the thioredoxin-peroxiredoxin system, a thiol-based enzymatic system which is an important reducer of oxidative stressors such as hydroperoxides. We show here that while too little glutamatergic activity can render neurons vulnerable to peroxiredoxin hyperoxidation, so can too much. Exposure of neurons to toxic concentrations of glutamate, activating both synaptic and extrasynaptic NMDA receptors, acutely induces peroxiredoxin hyperoxidation. Thus, the effect of NMDA receptor activity on the activity of neuronal peroxiredoxins follows the classical U-shaped dose response curve.


Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1047
Author(s):  
Giovanna Di Emidio ◽  
Stefano Falone ◽  
Paolo Giovanni Artini ◽  
Fernanda Amicarelli ◽  
Anna Maria D’Alessandro ◽  
...  

Mitochondria act as hubs of numerous metabolic pathways. Mitochondrial dysfunctions contribute to altering the redox balance and predispose to aging and metabolic alterations. The sirtuin family is composed of seven members and three of them, SIRT3-5, are housed in mitochondria. They catalyze NAD+-dependent deacylation and the ADP-ribosylation of mitochondrial proteins, thereby modulating gene expression and activities of enzymes involved in oxidative metabolism and stress responses. In this context, mitochondrial sirtuins (mtSIRTs) act in synergistic or antagonistic manners to protect from aging and aging-related metabolic abnormalities. In this review, we focus on the role of mtSIRTs in the biological competence of reproductive cells, organs, and embryos. Most studies are focused on SIRT3 in female reproduction, providing evidence that SIRT3 improves the competence of oocytes in humans and animal models. Moreover, SIRT3 protects oocytes, early embryos, and ovaries against stress conditions. The relationship between derangement of SIRT3 signaling and the imbalance of ROS and antioxidant defenses in testes has also been demonstrated. Very little is known about SIRT4 and SIRT5 functions in the reproductive system. The final goal of this work is to understand whether sirtuin-based signaling may be taken into account as potential targets for therapeutic applications in female and male infertility.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1949
Author(s):  
Drake W. Lem ◽  
Dennis L. Gierhart ◽  
Pinakin Gunvant Davey

Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) remains a leading cause of irreversible blindness globally. Recent evidence further substantiates sustained oxidative stress, and compromised antioxidant defenses are key drivers in the onset of glaucomatous neurodegeneration. Overwhelming oxidative injury is likely attributed to compounding mitochondrial dysfunction that worsens with age-related processes, causing aberrant formation of free radical species. Thus, a compromised systemic antioxidant capacity exacerbates further oxidative insult in glaucoma, leading to apoptosis, neuroinflammation, and subsequent tissue injury. The purpose of this systematic review is to investigate the neuroprotective benefits of the macular carotenoids lutein, zeaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin on glaucomatous neurodegeneration for the purpose of adjunctive nutraceutical treatment in glaucoma. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in three databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science) and 20 records were identified for screening. Lutein demonstrated enhanced neuroprotection on retinal ganglion cell survival and preserved synaptic activity. In clinical studies, a protective trend was seen with greater dietary consumption of carotenoids and risk of glaucoma, while greater carotenoid levels in macular pigment were largely associated with improved visual performance in glaucomatous eyes. The data suggest that carotenoid vitamin therapy exerts synergic neuroprotective benefits and has the capacity to serve adjunctive therapy in the management of glaucoma.


Author(s):  
Joseph P. Steiner ◽  
Kathryn B. Payne ◽  
Christopher Drummond Main ◽  
Sabrina D'Alfonso ◽  
Kirsten X. Jacobsen ◽  
...  

Background:Previously we showed that 6-hydroxydopamine lesions of the substantia nigra eliminate corticostriatal LTP and that the neuroimmunolophilin ligand (NIL), GPI-1046, restores LTP.Methods:We used cDNA microarrays to determine what mRNAs may be over- or under-expressed in response to lesioning and/or GPI-1046 treatment. Patch clamp recordings were performed to investigate changes in NMDA channel function before and after treatments.Results:We found that 51 gene products were differentially expressed. Among these we found that GPI-1046 treatment up-regulated presenilin-1 (PS-1) mRNA abundance. This finding was confirmed using QPCR. PS-1 protein was also shown to be over-expressed in the striatum of lesioned/GPI-1046-treated rats. As PS-1 has been implicated in controlling NMDA-receptor function and LTP is reduced by lesioning we assayed NMDA mediated synaptic activity in striatal brain slices. The lesion-induced reduction of dopaminergic innervation was accompanied by the near complete loss of NDMA receptor-mediated synaptic transmission between the cortex and striatum. GPI-1046 treatment of the lesioned rats restored NMDA-mediated synaptic transmission but not the dopaminergic innervation. Restoration of NDMA channel function was apparently specific as the sodium channel current density was also reduced due to lesioning but GPI-1046 did not reverse this effect. We also found that restoration of NMDA receptor function was also not associated with either an increase in NMDA receptor mRNA or protein expression.Conclusion:As it has been previously shown that PS-1 is critical for normal NMDA receptor function, our data suggest that the improvement of excitatory neurotransmission occurs through the GPI-1046-induced up-regulation of PS-1.


2000 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
pp. 616-620 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth R. Tovar ◽  
Kathleen Sprouffske ◽  
Gary L. Westbrook

The N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor has been implicated in the formation of synaptic connections. To investigate the role of the ε2 (NR2B) NMDA receptor subunit, which is prominently expressed during early development, we used neurons from mice lacking this subunit. Although ε2−/− mice die soon after birth, we examined whether NMDA receptor targeting to the postsynaptic membrane was dependent on the ε2 subunit by rescuing hippocampal neurons from these mice and studying them in autaptic cultures. In voltage-clamp recordings, excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) from ε2−/− neurons expressed an NMDA receptor–mediated EPSC that was apparent as soon as synaptic activity developed. However, compared with wild-type neurons, NMDA receptor–mediated EPSC deactivation kinetics were much faster and were less sensitive to glycine, but were blocked by Mg2+ or AP5. Whole cell currents from ε2−/− neurons were also more sensitive to block by low concentrations of Zn2+ and much less sensitive to the ε2-specific antagonist ifenprodil than wild-type currents. The rapid NMDA receptor–mediated EPSC deactivation kinetics and the pharmacological profile from ε2−/−neurons are consistent with the expression of ζ1/ε1 diheteromeric receptors in excitatory hippocampal neurons from mice lacking the ε2 subunit. Thus ε1 can substitute for the ε2 subunit at synapses and ε2 is not required for targeting of NMDA receptors to the postsynaptic membrane.


Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 1598 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mei-Chun Chen ◽  
Li-Lin Hsu ◽  
Sheng-Fan Wang ◽  
Chih-Yi Hsu ◽  
Hsin-Chen Lee ◽  
...  

xCT, also known as solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11), the light chain of the cystine/glutamate antiporter, is positively correlated with cancer progression due to antioxidant function. During glucose deprivation, the overexpression of xCT does not protect cancer cells but instead promotes cell death. Further understanding the mechanism of glucose deprivation-induced cell death is important for developing anticancer treatments targeting the glucose metabolism. In this study, we found that breast cancer cells with a high expression of xCT demonstrated increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and were more sensitive to glucose deprivation than the cells with a low expression of xCT. However, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) did not significantly affect glucose-deprivation-induced cell death. The antioxidant N-acetyl-cysteine prevented glucose-deprivation-induced cell death, and the glutathione biosynthesis inhibitor L-buthionine-S, R-sulfoximine enhanced glucose-deprivation-induced cell death. The inhibition of xCT by sulfasalazine or a knockdown of xCT reduced the glucose-deprivation-increased ROS levels and glucose-deprivation-induced cell death. Glucose deprivation reduced the intracellular glutamate, and supplementation with α-ketoglutarate prevented the glucose-deprivation-increased ROS levels and rescued cell death. The knockdown of sirtuin-3 (SIRT3) further enhanced the ROS levels, and promoted xCT-related cell death after glucose deprivation. In conclusion, our results suggested that ROS play a critical role in xCT-dependent cell death in breast cancer cells under glucose deprivation.


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