Cargando…
Isolation and Characterization of Activators of ERK/MAPK from Citrus Plants
Extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2), components of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascade, have been recently shown to be involved in synaptic plasticity and in the development of long-term memory in the central nervous system (CNS). We therefore examined the a...
Autores principales: | , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Formato: | Online Artículo Texto |
Lenguaje: | English |
Publicado: |
Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI)
2012
|
Materias: | |
Acceso en línea: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3291996/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22408427 http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms13021832 |
Sumario: | Extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2), components of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascade, have been recently shown to be involved in synaptic plasticity and in the development of long-term memory in the central nervous system (CNS). We therefore examined the ability of Citrus compounds to activate ERK1/2 in cultured rat cortical neurons, whose activation might have a protective effect against neurodegenerative neurological disorders. Among the samples tested, extracts prepared from the peels of Citrus grandis (Kawachi bankan) were found to have the greatest ability to activate ERK1/2. The active substances were isolated by chromatographic separation, and one of them was identified to be 3,5,6,7,8,3′,4′-heptamethoxyflavone (HMF). HMF significantly induced the phosphorylation of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), a downstream target of activated ERK1/2, which appears to be a critical step in the signaling cascade for the structural changes underlying the development of long-term potentiation (LTP). In addition, the administration of HMF into mice treated with NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 restored the MK-801-induced deterioration of spatial learning performance in the Morris mater-maze task. Taken together, these results suggest that HMF is a neurotrophic agent for treating patients with memory disorders. |
---|