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Published online 10 July 2000. doi:10.1083/jcb.150.1.165
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© The Rockefeller University Press, 0021-9525/2000//165 $5.00
The Journal of Cell Biology, Volume 150, Number 1, , 2000 165-176

Original Article

Glutamate Slows Axonal Transport of Neurofilaments in Transfected Neurons



Steven Ackerleya,b, Andrew J. Griersona,b, Janet Brownleesa,b, Paul Thornhilla,b, Brian H. Andertona, P. Nigel Leighb, Christopher E. Shawb, and Christopher C.J. Millera,b

a Department of Neuroscience, The Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, London SE5 8AF United Kingdom
b Department of Neurology, The Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, London SE5 8AF United Kingdom
Department of Neuroscience, The Institute of Psychiatry, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF UK.2-07-848-0393

Neurofilaments are transported through axons by slow axonal transport. Abnormal accumulations of neurofilaments are seen in several neurodegenerative diseases, and this suggests that neurofilament transport is defective. Excitotoxic mechanisms involving glutamate are believed to be part of the pathogenic process in some neurodegenerative diseases, but there is currently little evidence to link glutamate with neurofilament transport. We have used a novel technique involving transfection of the green fluorescent protein–tagged neurofilament middle chain to measure neurofilament transport in cultured neurons. Treatment of the cells with glutamate induces a slowing of neurofilament transport. Phosphorylation of the side-arm domains of neurofilaments has been associated with a slowing of neurofilament transport, and we show that glutamate causes increased phosphorylation of these domains in cell bodies. We also show that glutamate activates members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase family, and that these kinases will phosphorylate neurofilament side-arm domains. These results provide a molecular framework to link glutamate excitotoxicity with neurofilament accumulation seen in some neurodegenerative diseases.

Key Words: neurofilament proteins • phosphorylation • amyotrophic lateral sclerosis • Alzheimer's disease

© 2000 The Rockefeller University Press

S. Ackerley and A.J. Grierson contributed equally to this work.

Abbreviations used in this paper: ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; cdk5, cyclin-dependent kinase 5; EGFP, enhanced green fluorescent protein; GST, glutathione-S-transferase; MAPK, mitogen-activated protein kinase; MPR, multiphosphorylation repeat; NF-H, neurofilament heavy chain; NF-L, neurofilament light chain; NF-M, neurofilament middle chain; SAPK, stress-activated protein kinase.


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