ERK5 activity is required for nerve growth factor-induced neurite outgrowth and stabilization of tyrosine hydroxylase in PC12 cells

Yutaro Obara, Arata Yamauchi, Shin Takehara, Wataru Nemoto, Maho Takahashi, Philip J.S. Stork, Norimichi Nakahata

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

59 Scopus citations

Abstract

Extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) play important physiological roles in proliferation, differentiation, and gene expression. ERK5 is approximately twice the size of ERK1/2, and its amino-terminal half contains the kinase domain that shares homology with ERK1/2 and TEY activation motif, whereas the carboxyl-terminal half is unique. In this study, we examined a physiological role of ERK5 in rat pheochromocytoma cells (PC12), comparing it with ERK1/2. Nerve growth factor (NGF) induced phosphorylation of both ERK5 and ERK1/2, whereas the cAMP analog dibutyryl cAMP (Bt2cAMP) caused only ERK1/2 phosphorylation. U0126, at 30 μM, that blocks ERK1/2 signaling selectively attenuated neurite outgrowth induced by NGF and Bt2cAMP, but BIX02188 and BIX02189, at 30 μM, that block ERK5 signaling and an ERK5 dominant-negative mutant suppressed only NGF-induced neurite outgrowth. Next, we examined the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase, a rate-limiting enzyme of catecholamine biosynthesis. Both NGF and Bt2 cAMP increased tyrosine hydroxylase gene promoter activity in an ERK1/2-dependent manner but was ERK5-independent. However, when both ERK5 and ERK1/2 signalings were inhibited, tyrosine hydroxylase protein up-regulation by NGF and Bt2cAMP was abolished, because of the loss of stabilization of tyrosine hydroxylase protein by ERK5. Taking these results together, ERK5 is involved in neurite outgrowth and stabilization of tyrosine hydroxylase in PC12 cells, and ERK5, along with ERK1/2, plays essential roles in the neural differentiation process.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)23564-23573
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Biological Chemistry
Volume284
Issue number35
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 28 2009

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

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