Mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling is essential for ... : NeuroReport (original) (raw)

MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE

Mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling is essential for activity-dependent dendritic protein synthesis

Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Center for Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California, Irvine, California, USA

Correspondence and requests for reprints to Shao-Jun Tang, PhD, Assistant Professor, 303 Qureshey Research Laboratory, Center for Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-3800, USA

Tel: +1 949 824 9580; fax: +1 949 824 9762; e-mail: [email protected]

Sponsorship: This work was supported by grants from the American Heart Association, EJLB Foundation and Whitehall Foundation to S.J.T.

Received 10 June 2006 revised 20 June 2006; accepted 21 June 2006

Abstract

The expression of long-lasting synaptic plasticity requires synthesis of new proteins. A critical locus for protein synthesis to support synaptic plasticity is the dendrites. Previous studies demonstrate that synaptic activity activates dendritic protein synthesis. The mechanism by which synaptic activity stimulates protein synthesis in dendrites is, however, poorly understood. This study is to determine the role of the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway in activity-dependent dendritic protein synthesis. Using a green fluorescent protein reporter with CaMKII 5′ and 3′untranslated regions, we show that dendritic synthesis of the green fluorescent protein induced by _N_-methyl-D-aspartate stimulation is abolished by U0126, a specific inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling. Our results suggest an important role of the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling in dendritic protein synthesis induced by _N_-methyl-D-aspartate receptor activation.