This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Tao, Y. Articles by Wang, Y. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Tao, Y. Articles by Wang, Y.

Low K⁺ Promotes NF-B/DNA Binding in Neuronal Apoptosis Induced by K⁺ Loss

Yanmei Tao, Dong Yan, Qiaoyun Yang, Rui Zeng, and Yizheng Wang^*

Laboratory of Neural Signal Transduction, Institute of Neuroscience, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, People's Republic of China

Received 22 June 2005/ Returned for modification 14 August 2005/ Accepted 12 November 2005

Low intracellular K⁺ concentration ([K⁺]_i) promotes apoptosis and blocking K⁺ loss prevents apoptosis, but the mechanism of action of low [K⁺]_i remains unclear. Here, we show that low [K⁺]_i increases NF-B transcriptional activity by enhancing its binding to the promoter of target genes without affecting its activation and nuclear translocation in cortical neurons deprived of serum. Low K⁺ concentration promotes NF-B/DNA binding through direct effects on the interaction of NF-B dimers with DNA. Up-regulation of proapoptotic protein Bcl-X_S and neuronal apoptosis induced by serum deprivation are blocked by inhibition and/or down-regulation of NF-B and by prevention of K⁺ loss. Thus, a direct action of K⁺ on NF-B/DNA binding regulates gene transcription related to neuronal apoptosis.

Y.T. and D.Y. contributed equally to this work.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Umannova, L., Zatloukalova, J., Machala, M., Krcmar, P., Majkova, Z., Hennig, B., Kozubik, A., Vondracek, J. (2007). Tumor Necrosis Factor-{alpha} Modulates Effects of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Ligands on Cell Proliferation and Expression of Cytochrome P450 Enzymes in Rat Liver "Stem-Like" Cells. Toxicol Sci 99: 79-89 [Abstract] [Full Text]