alpha-synuclein and pyrazolanthrone

Alpha-synuclein is an abundant neuronal protein that has been linked to both normal synaptic function and neurodegeneration--in particular, Parkinson's disease (PD). Uncovering mechanisms that control alpha-synuclein transcription is therefore critical for PD pathogenesis and synaptic function. We previously reported that in PC12 cells and primary neurons, alpha-synuclein is transcriptionally up-regulated after application of growth factors. In the current work we have characterized the pathway involved in this regulation in PC12 cells. The MAP/ERK pathway, and in particular Ras, is both sufficient and necessary for the NGF and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) -mediated response. Significantly, response elements for this pathway, including a putative occult promoter, lie within intron 1, a hitherto unappreciated regulatory region of the gene that may be utilized in this or other settings. The PI3 kinase pathway is also involved in alpha-synuclein regulation, but response elements for this pathway appear to lie primarily outside of intron 1. These findings indicate that NGF- and bFGF-mediated signal transduction via the MAP/ERK and PI3 kinase pathways, and in part via regulatory regions within intron 1, may be involved in alpha-synuclein transcriptional regulation. Targeting of these pathways may serve to modulate alpha-synuclein so that it achieves desirable levels within neuronal cells.

Topics: alpha-Synuclein; Animals; Anthracenes; Blotting, Western; Butadienes; Chromones; Enzyme Inhibitors; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; Gene Expression Regulation; Humans; Imidazoles; Introns; JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; Models, Biological; Morpholines; Nerve Growth Factor; Nitriles; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; PC12 Cells; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; Pyridines; Rats; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Transcription, Genetic