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S100B binding to RAGE in microglia stimulates COX‐2 expression
Author(s) -
Bianchi Roberta,
Adami Cecilia,
Giambanco Ileana,
Donato Rosario
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of leukocyte biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.819
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1938-3673
pISSN - 0741-5400
DOI - 10.1189/jlb.0306198
Subject(s) - microglia , extracellular , rage (emotion) , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , rac1 , receptor , signal transduction , neuroscience , immunology , biochemistry , inflammation
Besides exerting regulatory roles within astrocytes, the Ca 2+ ‐modulated protein of the EF‐hand type S100B is released into the brain extracellular space, thereby affecting astrocytes, neurons, and microglia. However, extracellular effects of S100B vary, depending on the concentration attained and the protein being trophic to neurons up to nanomolar concentrations and causing neuronal apoptosis at micromolar concentrations. Effects of S100B on neurons are transduced by receptor for advanced glycation end produts (RAGE). At high concentrations, S100B also up‐regulates inducible NO synthase in and stimulates NO release by microglia by synergizing with bacterial endotoxin and IFN‐γ, thereby participating in microglia activation. We show here that S100B up‐regulates cyclo‐oxygenase‐2 expression in microglia in a RAGE‐dependent manner in the absence of cofactors through independent stimulation of a Cdc42‐Rac1‐JNK pathway and a Ras‐Rac1‐NF‐κB pathway. Thus, S100B can be viewed as an astrocytic endokine, which might participate in the inflammatory response in the course of brain insults, once liberated into the brain extracellular space.