A CaMK cascade activates CRE-mediated transcription in neurons of Caenorhabditis elegans.
Journal Article (Journal Article)
Calcium (Ca2+) signals regulate a diverse set of cellular responses, from proliferation to muscular contraction and neuro-endocrine secretion. The ubiquitous Ca2+ sensor, calmodulin (CaM), translates changes in local intracellular Ca2+ concentrations into changes in enzyme activities. Among its targets, the Ca2+/CaM-dependent protein kinases I and IV (CaMKs) are capable of transducing intraneuronal signals, and these kinases are implicated in neuronal gene regulation that mediates synaptic plasticity in mammals. Recently, the cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB) has been proposed as a target for a CaMK cascade involving not only CaMKI or CaMKIV, but also an upstream kinase kinase that is also CaM regulated (CaMKK). Here, we report that all components of this pathway are coexpressed in head neurons of Caenorhabditis elegans. Utilizing a transgenic approach to visualize CREB-dependent transcription in vivo, we show that this CaMK cascade regulates CRE-mediated transcription in a subset of head neurons in living nematodes.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Kimura, Y; Corcoran, EE; Eto, K; Gengyo-Ando, K; Muramatsu, M-A; Kobayashi, R; Freedman, JH; Mitani, S; Hagiwara, M; Means, AR; Tokumitsu, H
Published Date
- October 2002
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 3 / 10
Start / End Page
- 962 - 966
PubMed ID
- 12231504
Pubmed Central ID
- PMC1307624
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
- 1469-221X
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1093/embo-reports/kvf191
Language
- eng
Conference Location
- England