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Corticotropin‐releasing hormone‐binding protein is up‐regulated by brain‐derived neurotrophic factor and is secreted in an activity‐dependent manner in rat cerebral cortical neurons
Author(s) -
Adachi Naoki,
Suzuki Shingo,
Matsuoka Hidetada,
Fushimi Satoko,
Ono Junichiro,
Ohta Kenichi,
Hirai Yohei,
Miki Takanori,
Koshimizu Hisatsugu
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1111/jnc.14310
Subject(s) - corticotropin releasing hormone , neurotrophic factors , medicine , endocrinology , tropomyosin receptor kinase b , brain derived neurotrophic factor , biology , neurite , neurotrophin , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , receptor , hormone , biochemistry , in vitro
A recent study revealed that corticotropin‐releasing hormone (CRH) in the cerebral cortex (CTX) plays a regulatory role in emotional behaviors in rodents. Given the functional interaction between brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and the CRH‐signaling pathway in the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal axis, we hypothesized that BDNF may regulate gene expression of CRH and its related molecules in the CTX. Findings of real‐time quantitative PCR (RT‐qPCR) indicated that stimulation of cultured rat cortical neurons with BDNF led to marked elevations in the mRNA levels of CRH and CRH‐binding protein (CRH‐BP). The BDNF‐induced up‐regulation of CRH‐BP mRNA was attenuated by inhibitors of tropomyosin related kinase (Trk) and MEK, but not by an inhibitor for PI3K and Phospholipase C gamma (PLCγ). The up‐regulation was partially blocked by an inhibitor of lysine‐specific demethylase (KDM) 6B. Fluorescent imaging identified the vesicular pattern of pH‐sensitive green fluorescent protein‐fused CRH‐BP (CRH‐BP‐pHluorin), which co‐localized with mCherry‐tagged BDNF in cortical neurons. In addition, live‐cell imaging detected drastic increases of pHluorin fluorescence in neurites upon membrane depolarization. Finally, we confirmed that tetrodotoxin partially attenuated the BDNF‐induced up‐regulation of CRH‐BP mRNA, but not that of the protein. These observations indicate the following: In cortical neurons, BDNF led to gene expression of CRH‐BP and CRH. TrkB, MEK, presumably ERK, and KDM6B are involved in the BDNF‐induced gene expression of CRH‐BP, and BDNF is able to induce the up‐regulation in a neuronal activity‐independent manner. It is suggested that CRH‐BP is stored into BDNF‐containing secretory granules in cortical neurons, and is secreted in response to membrane depolarization.