Abstract
Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), a bioactive sphingolipid metaolite, regulates multiple cellular responses such as Ca2+ signaling, cellular growth and survival, and differentiation. Sphingosine kinase (SphK) is a key enzyme in modulating the levels of S1P and is emerging as an important regulating enzyme. Here we have investigated whether K6PC-5, a newly synthesized SphK activator, plays a neuroprotective role by activating cell survival systems such as protein kinase C, phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K), and acting on the anti-apoptotic and the pro-apoptotic genes in SN4741 dopaminergic cells. 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium is a neurotoxin that selectively inhibits the mitochondrial functions of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. In the present study, we found that MPP+ induced a decrease in SN4741 mouse dopaminergic cell viability. K6PC-5 restored the reduced phospho-PKC and phospho-PI3K activities caused by MPP+ toxicity. In addition, gene expression analysis revealed that K6PC-5 prevented both the MPP+- induced expression of the pro-apoptotic gene mRNA, Bax, and the decrease of the anti-apoptotic gene mRNA, bcl-w. These results suggest that the neuroprotective mechanism of K6PC-5 against MPP+-induced apoptotic cell death includes stimulation of PKC and PI3K, and modulation of cell survival and death genes.
References
1. Gerlach M, Ben-Shachar D, Riederer P, Youdim MB. Altered brain metabolism of iron as a cause of neurodegenerative diseases. J Neurochem. 1994. 63:793–807.
2. Jenner P, Olanow CW. Oxidative stress and the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. Neurology. 1996. 47:6 Suppl 3. S161–S170.
4. Dauer W, Przedborski S. Parkinson's disease: mechanisms and models. Neuron. 2003. 39:889–909.
5. Noh HG, Jang SJ, Park SJ, Kim SH, Jeong HS, Park JS. Protective effects of epigallocatechin-3-gallate against 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium-induced dopaminergic neuronal cell death. Chonnam Med J. 2007. 43:73–79.
6. Krishnamurthi R, Stott S, Maingay M, Faull RL, McCarthy D, Gluckman P, et al. N-terminal tripeptide of IGF-1 improves functional deficits after 6-OHDA lesion in rats. Neuroreport. 2004. 15:1601–1604.
7. Schober A. Classic toxin-induced animal models of Parkinson's disease: 6-OHDA and MPTP. Cell Tissue Res. 2004. 318:215–224.
8. Ryu EJ, Angelastro JM, Greene LA. Analysis of gene expression changes in a cellular model of Parkinson disease. Neurobiol Dis. 2005. 18:54–74.
9. Huwiler A, Kolter T, Pfeilschifter J, Sandhoff K. Physiology and pathophysiology of sphingolipid metabolism and signaling. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2000. 1485:63–99.
10. Zhang YH, Vasko MR, Nicol GD. Intracellular sphingosine 1-phosphate mediates the increased excitability produced by nerve growth factor in rat sensory neurons. J Physiol. 2006. 575(Pt 1):101–113.
11. Liu H, Chakravarty D, Maceyka M, Milstien S, Spiegel S. Sphingosine kinases: a novel family of lipid kinases. Prog Nucleic Acid Res Mol Biol. 2002. 71:493–511.
12. Shu X, Wu W, Mosteller RD, Broek D. Sphingosine kinase mediates vascular endothelial growth factor-induced activation of ras and mitogen-activated protein kinases. Mol Cell Biol. 2002. 22:7758–7768.
13. Edsall LC, Cuvillier O, Twitty S, Spiegel S, Milstien S. Sphingosine kinase expression regulates apoptosis and caspase activation in PC12 cells. J Neurochem. 2001. 76:1573–1584.
14. Taha TA, Hannun YA, Obeid LM. Sphingosine kinase: biochemical and cellular regulation and role in disease. J Biochem Mol Biol. 2006. 39:113–131.
15. Olivera A, Kohama T, Edsall L, Nava V, Cuvillier O, Poulton S, et al. Sphingosine kinase expression increases intracellular sphingosine-1-phosphate and promotes cell growth and survival. J Cell Biol. 1999. 147:545–558.
16. Spiegel S, Milstien S. Sphingosine-1-phosphate: an enigmatic signalling lipid. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2003. 4:397–407.
17. Youm JK, Jo H, Hong JH, Shin DM, Kwon MJ, Jeong SK, et al. K6PC-5, a sphingosine kinase activator, induces anti-aging effects in intrinsically aged skin through intracellular Ca(2+) signaling. J Dermatol Sci. 2008. 51:89–102.
18. Cuvillier O, Pirianov G, Kleuser B, Vanek PG, Coso OA, Gutkind S, et al. Suppression of ceramide-mediated programmed cell death by sphingosine-1-phosphate. Nature. 1996. 381:800–803.
19. Xia P, Wang L, Moretti PA, Albanese N, Chai F, Pitson SM, et al. Sphingosine kinase interacts with TRAF2 and dissects tumor necrosis factor-alpha signaling. J Biol Chem. 2002. 277:7996–8003.
20. Cordey M, Gundimeda U, Gopalakrishna R, Pike CJ. Estrogen activates protein kinase C in neurons: role in neuroprotection. J Neurochem. 2003. 84:1340–1348.