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Secretin Prevents Apoptosis in the Developing Cerebellum Through Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL

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Abstract

Secretin (SCT) is involved in a variety of physiological processes and has been implicated in preventing apoptosis during brain development. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism underlying its neuroprotective effects. The B cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family proteins, such as Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, determine the commitment of neurons to apoptosis. In SCT knockout mice, we found reduced transcript levels of anti-apoptotic genes Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, but not of pro-apoptotic gene Bax, in the developing cerebellum. SCT treatment on ex vivo cultured cerebellar slices triggered a time-dependent increase of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL expression. This SCT-induced transcriptional regulation of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL was dependent on the cyclic AMP (cAMP) response element-binding protein (CREB), which is a key survival factor at the convergence of multiple signaling cascades. We further demonstrated that activation of CREB by SCT was mediated by cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) cascades. These findings, collectively, provide an uncharacterized signaling cascade for SCT-mediated neuronal survival, in which SCT promotes the key anti-apoptotic elements Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL in the intrinsic death pathway through PKA- and ERK-regulated CREB phosphorylation.

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Funding

This work is supported by Hong Kong Research Grant Council grant GRF 765113M to Professor B.K.C. Chow, and National Natural Science Foundation of China (#31500842) to Dr. L. Zhang.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China

    Lei Wang

  2. GHM Institute for CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China

    Li Zhang

  3. School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, Hong Kong

    Billy K. C. Chow

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  1. Lei Wang
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  2. Li Zhang
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  3. Billy K. C. Chow
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Correspondence to Li Zhang or Billy K. C. Chow.

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All animal experiments were conducted according to the protocols approved by Committee on the Use of Living Animals in Teaching and Research at the University of Hong Kong.

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The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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Wang, L., Zhang, L. & Chow, B.K.C. Secretin Prevents Apoptosis in the Developing Cerebellum Through Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL. J Mol Neurosci 68, 494–503 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12031-019-01287-y

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