Effect of Ovarian Hormones on Genes Promoting Dendritic Spines In Laser Captured Serotonin Neurons From Macaques

Dendritic spines are the elementary structural units of neuronal plasticity and the cascades that promote dendrite spine remodeling center on Rho GTPases and downstream effectors of actin dynamics. In a model of hormone replacement therapy (HT), we sought the effect of estradiol (E) and progesterone (P) on gene expression in these cascades in laser captured serotonin neurons from rhesus macaques with cDNA array analysis. Spayed rhesus macaques were treated with either placebo, E or E+P via Silastic implant for 1 month prior to euthanasia after which the midbrain was obtained, sectioned and immunostained for TPH. TPH-positive neurons were laser captured using an Arcturus Laser Dissection Microscope (PixCell II). RNA from laser captured serotonin neurons (n=2 animals/treatment) was hybridized to Rhesus Affymetrix GeneChips. There was a significant change in 744 probe sets (ANOVA, p < 0.05), but 10,493 probe sets exhibited a 2-fold or greater change. Pivotal changes in pathways leading to dendrite spine proliferation and transformation included 2-fold or greater increases in expression of the Rho GTPases called CDC42, Rac1 and RhoA. In addition, 2-fold or greater increases occurred in downstream effectors of actin dynamics including PAK1, ROCK, PIP5K, IRSp53, WASP, WAVE, MLC, cofilin, gelsolin, profilin and 3 subunits of ARP2/3. Finally, 2-fold or greater decreases occurred in CRIPAK, LIMK2 and MLCK. The regulation of RhoA, Rac1, CDC42, ROCK, PIP5k, IRSp53, WASP, WAVE, LIMK2, CRIPAK1, MLCK, ARP2/3 subunit 3, gelsolin, profilin and cofilin was confirmed with nested qRT-PCR on laser captured RNA (n=3 animals/treatment). The data indicate that ovarian steroids target gene expression of the Rho GTPases and pivotal downstream proteins that in turn, would promote dendritic spine proliferation and stabilization on serotonin neurons of the dorsal raphe nucleus.