Diagenode

Crosstalk Between Glucocorticoid Receptor and Early-growth Response Protein 1 Accounts for Repression of Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor Transcript 4 Expression.


Chen H, Amazit L, Lombès M, Le Menuet D

The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a key player in brain functions such as synaptic plasticity, stress, and behavior. Its gene structure in rodents contains 8 untranslated exons (I to VIII) whose expression is finely regulated and which spliced onto a common and unique translated exon IX. Altered Bdnf expression is associated with many pathologies such as depression, Alzheimer's disease and addiction. Through binding to glucocorticoid receptor (GR), glucocorticoids play a pivotal role for stress responses, mood and neuronal plasticity. We recently showed in neuronal primary culture and in the immortalized neuronal-like BZ cells that GR repressed Bdnf expression, notably the bdnf exon IV containing mRNA isoform (Bdnf4) via GR binding to a short 275-bp sequence of Bdnf promoter. Herein, we demonstrate by transient transfection experiments and mutagenesis in BZ cells that GR interacts with an early growth response protein 1 (EGR1) response element (EGR-RE) located in the transcription start site of Bdnf exon IV promoter. Using Chromatin Immunoprecipitation, we find that both GR and EGR1 bind to this promoter sequence in a glucocorticoid-dependent manner and demonstrate by co-immunoprecipitation that GR and EGR1 are interacting physically. Interestingly, EGR1 has been widely characterized as a regulator of brain plasticity. In conclusion, we deciphered a mechanism by which GR downregulates Bdnf expression, identifying a novel functional crosstalk between glucocorticoid pathways, immediate early growth response proteins and Bdnf. As all these factors are well-recognized germane for brain pathophysiology, these findings may have significant implications in neurosciences as well as in therapeutics.

Tags
iDeal ChIP-seq Kit for Transcription Factors

Share this article

Published
February, 2019

Source

Products used in this publication

  • ChIP kit icon
    C01010055
    iDeal ChIP-seq kit for Transcription Factors

Events

  • FASEB Biological Methylation: Fundamental Mechanisms
    Porto, Portugal
    Jul 28-Aug 1, 2024
 See all events

 


       Site map   |   Contact us   |   Conditions of sales   |   Conditions of purchase   |   Privacy policy