P2X7, NMDA and BDNF receptors converge on GSK3 phosphorylation and cooperate to promote survival in cerebellar granule neurons

• Published in: Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS Vol. 67; no. 10; pp. 1723 - 1733
• Main Authors: Ortega, Felipe, Pérez-Sen, Raquel, Morente, Verónica, Delicado, Esmerilda G, Miras-Portugal, Maria Teresa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel Basel : SP Birkhäuser Verlag Basel 01.05.2010; SP Birkhäuser Verlag Basel; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adenosine Triphosphate - analogs & derivatives; Adenosine Triphosphate - pharmacology; Animals; Apoptosis; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Brain; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor - pharmacology; Cell Biology; Cell Survival - drug effects; Cerebellum - cytology; Chromones - pharmacology; Cytoplasmic Granules - drug effects; Cytoplasmic Granules - enzymology; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 - metabolism; Life Sciences; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases - antagonists & inhibitors; Models, Biological; Molecular biology; Morpholines - pharmacology; N-Methylaspartate - pharmacology; Neurons; Neurons - cytology; Neurons - drug effects; Neurons - enzymology; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases - antagonists & inhibitors; Phosphorylation - drug effects; Protein Kinase C - antagonists & inhibitors; Protein Kinase C - metabolism; Protein Kinase Inhibitors - pharmacology; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Receptor, trkB - metabolism; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate - metabolism; Receptors, Purinergic P2 - metabolism; Receptors, Purinergic P2X7; Research Article; Signal transduction; Survival; Neuroprotection; P2X7; GSK3; Survival factors; Nucleotide receptors; Granule neurons; Nucleotides
• ISSN: 1420-682X; 1420-9071
• DOI: 10.1007/s00018-010-0278-x

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) is a key player in the regulation of neuronal survival. Herein, we report evidence of an interaction between P2X7 receptors with NMDA and BDNF receptors at the level of GSK3 signalling and neuroprotection. The activation of these receptors in granule neurons led to a sustained pattern of GSK3 phosphorylation that was mainly PKC-dependent. BDNF was the most potent at inducing GSK3 phosphorylation, which was also dependent on PI3K. The P2X7 agonist, BzATP, exhibited additive effects with both NMDA and BDNF to rescue granule neurons from cell death induced by PI3K inhibition. This survival effect was mediated by the PKC-dependent GSK3 pathway. In addition, ERK1/2 proteins were also involved in BDNF protective effect. These results show the function of ATP in amplifying neuroprotective actions of glutamate and neurotrophins, and support the role of GSK3 as an important convergence point for these survival promoting factors in granule neurons.