David D. Ginty

Function and Regulation of CREB Family Transcription Factors in the Nervous System

CREB and its close relatives are now widely accepted as prototypical stimulus-inducible transcription factors. In many cell types, these factors function as effector molecules that bring about cellular changes in response to discrete sets of instructions. In neurons, a wide range of extracellular stimuli are capable of activating CREB family members, and CREB-dependent gene expression has been implicated in complex and diverse processes ranging from development to plasticity to disease. In this review, we focus on the current level of understanding of where, when, and how CREB family members function in the nervous system.

Coupling of the RAS-MAPK Pathway to Gene Activation by RSK2, a Growth Factor-Regulated CREB Kinase

A signaling pathway has been elucidated whereby growth factors activate the transcription factor cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-binding protein (CREB), a critical regulator of immediate early gene transcription. Growth factor-stimulated CREB phosphorylation at serine-133 is mediated by the RAS-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. MAPK activates CREB kinase, which in turn phosphorylates and activates CREB. Purification, sequencing, and biochemical characterization of CREB kinase revealed that it is identical to a member of the pp90RSK family, RSK2. RSK2 was shown to mediate growth factor induction of CREB serine-133 phosphorylation both in vitro and in vivo. These findings identify a cellular function for RSK2 and define a mechanism whereby growth factor signals mediated by RAS and MAPK are transmitted to the nucleus to activate gene expression.

Neuropilin Is a Semaphorin III Receptor

The semaphorin family contains a large number of phylogenetically conserved proteins and includes several members that have been shown to function in repulsive axon guidance. Semaphorin III (Sema III) is a secreted protein that in vitro causes neuronal growth cone collapse and chemorepulsion of neurites, and in vivo is required for correct sensory afferent innervation and other aspects of development. The mechanism of Sema III function, however, is unknown. Here, we report that neuropilin, a type I transmembrane protein implicated in aspects of neurodevelopment, is a Sema III receptor. We also describe the identification of neuropilin-2, a related neuropilin family member, and show that neuropilin and neuropilin-2 are expressed in overlapping, yet distinct, populations of neurons in the rat embryonic nervous system.

Nerve growth factor activates a Ras-dependent protein kinase that stimulates c-fos transcription via phosphorylation of CREB.

A mechanism by which the nerve growth factor (NGF) signal is transduced to the nucleus to induce gene expression has been characterized. An NGF-inducible, Ras-dependent protein kinase has been identified that catalyzes the phosphorylation of the cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB) at Ser-133. Phosphorylation of Ser-133 stimulates the ability of CREB to activate transcription in NGF-treated cells. These findings suggest that CREB has a more widespread function than previously believed and functions in the nucleus as a general mediator of growth factor responses.

Membrane depolarization and calcium influx stimulate MEK and MAP kinase via activation of Ras

A pathway by which calcium influx through voltage-sensitive calcium channels leads to mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation has been characterized. In PC12 cells, membrane depolarization leading to calcium influx through L-type calcium channels activates the dual specificity MAPK kinase MEK1, which phosphorylates and activates MAPK. Calcium influx leads within 30 s to activation of the small guanine nucleotide-binding protein Ras. Moreover, activation of MAPK in response to calcium influx is inhibited by the dominant negative mutant RasAsn17, indicating that Ras activity is required for calcium signaling to MAPK. Ras is also activated by release of calcium from intracellular stores and by membrane depolarization of primary cortical neurons. The pleiotropic regulatory potential of both Ras and the MAPK pathway suggests that they may be central mediators of calcium signaling in the nervous system.

Neuropilin-1 Conveys Semaphorin and VEGF Signaling during Neural and Cardiovascular Development

Neuropilin-1 (Npn-1) is a receptor that binds multiple ligands from structurally distinct families, including secreted semaphorins (Sema) and vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF). We generated npn-1 knockin mice, which express an altered ligand binding site variant of Npn-1, and npn-1 conditional null mice to establish the cell-type- and ligand specificity of Npn-1 function in the developing cardiovascular and nervous systems. Our results show that VEGF-Npn-1 signaling in endothelial cells is required for angiogenesis. In striking contrast, Sema-Npn-1 signaling is not essential for general vascular development but is required for axonal pathfinding by several populations of neurons in the CNS and PNS. Remarkably, both Sema-Npn-1 signaling and VEGF-Npn-1 signaling are critical for heart development. Therefore, Npn-1 is a multifunctional receptor that mediates the activities of structurally distinct ligands during development of the heart, vasculature, and nervous system.

A Dominant-Negative Inhibitor of CREB Reveals that It Is a General Mediator of Stimulus-Dependent Transcription of c-fos

ABSTRACT Several studies have characterized the upstream regulatory region of c-fos, and identified cis-acting elements termed the cyclic AMP (cAMP) response elements (CREs) that are critical for c-fos transcription in response to a variety of extracellular stimuli. Although several transcription factors can bind to CREs in vitro, the identity of the transcription factor(s) that activates the c-fos promoter via the CRE in vivo remains unclear. To help identify the trans-acting factors that regulate stimulus-dependent transcription of c-fos via the CREs, dominant-negative (D-N) inhibitor proteins that function by preventing DNA binding of B-ZIP proteins in a dimerization domain-dependent fashion were developed. A D-N inhibitor of CREB, termed A-CREB, was constructed by fusing a designed acidic amphipathic extension onto the N terminus of the CREB leucine zipper domain. The acidic extension of A-CREB interacts with the basic region of CREB forming a coiled-coil extension of the leucine zipper and thus prevents the basic region of wild-type CREB from binding to DNA. Other D-N inhibitors generated in a similar manner with the dimerization domains of Fos, Jun, C/EBP, ATF-2, or VBP did not block CREB DNA binding activity, nor did they inhibit transcriptional activation of a minimal promoter containing a single CRE in PC12 cells. A-CREB inhibited activation of CRE-mediated transcription evoked by three distinct stimuli: forskolin, which increases intracellular cAMP; membrane depolarization, which promotes Ca2+ influx; and nerve growth factor (NGF). A-CREB completely inhibited cAMP-mediated, but only partially inhibited Ca2+- and NGF-mediated, transcription of a reporter gene containing 750 bp of the native c-fos promoter. Moreover, glutamate induction of c-fos expression in primary cortical neurons was dependent on CREB. In contrast, induction of c-fos transcription by UV light was not inhibited by A-CREB. Lastly, A-CREB attenuated NGF induction of morphological differentiation in PC12 cells. These results suggest that CREB or its closely related family members are general mediators of stimulus-dependent transcription of c-fos and are required for at least some of the long-term actions of NGF.

Neuropilin-2 Is Required In Vivo for Selective Axon Guidance Responses to Secreted Semaphorins

Neuropilins are receptors for class 3 secreted semaphorins, most of which can function as potent repulsive axon guidance cues. We have generated mice with a targeted deletion in the neuropilin-2 (Npn-2) locus. Many Npn-2 mutant mice are viable into adulthood, allowing us to assess the role of Npn-2 in axon guidance events throughout neural development. Npn-2 is required for the organization and fasciculation of several cranial nerves and spinal nerves. In addition, several major fiber tracts in the brains of adult mutant mice are either severely disorganized or missing. Our results show that Npn-2 is a selective receptor for class 3 semaphorins in vivo and that Npn-1 and Npn-2 are required for development of an overlapping but distinct set of CNS and PNS projections.

Functions and mechanisms of retrograde neurotrophin signalling

Neuronal connections are established and refined through a series of developmental programs that involve axon and dendrite specification, process growth, target innervation, cell death and synaptogenesis. Many of these developmental events are regulated by target-derived neurotrophins and their receptors, which signal retrogradely over long distances from distal-most axons to neuronal cell bodies. Recent work has established many of the cellular and molecular events that underlie retrograde signalling and the importance of these events for both development and maintenance of proper neural connectivity.

Effects of PS1 Deficiency on Membrane Protein Trafficking in Neurons

We have examined the trafficking and metabolism of the beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP), an APP homolog (APLP1), and TrkB in neurons that lack PS1. We report that PS1-deficient neurons fail to secrete Abeta, and that the rate of appearance of soluble APP derivatives in the conditioned medium is increased. Remarkably, carboxyl-terminal fragments (CTFs) derived from APP and APLP1 accumulate in PS1-deficient neurons. Hence, PS1 plays a role in promoting intramembrane cleavage and/or degradation of membrane-bound CTFs. Moreover, the maturation of TrkB and BDNF-inducible TrkB autophosphorylation is severely compromised in neurons lacking PS1. We conclude that PS1 plays an essential role in modulating trafficking and metabolism of a selected set of membrane and secretory proteins in neurons.