The family of neurotrophins, related to nerve growth factor (NGF), interact with two types of receptors, the Trk tyrosine kinase receptor and the common neurotrophin receptor p75NTR, to support neuronal development in responsive peripheral neurons (sensory, sympathetic) and central neurons (cholinergic, dopaminergic) and to provide signals for survival of neurons in neurodegenerative disorders. This proposal is aimed at further development of neurotrophin mutants ('muteins') designed to produce preferential receptor specificity. A major hypothesis being addressed is that receptor- and/or signal- selective neurotrophin mutants would be more effective therapeutic reagents in certain disorders than wild type neurotrophins. The receptor-selective neurotrophin 'muteins'are at a stage to be tested in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases.
The Specific Aims of the proposal are: (i) To utilize receptor-selective neurotrophin mutein heterodimers to test specific receptor activation models. Novel neurotrophin heterodimers will be characterized to determine the binding affinity to each receptor, the main cellular responses (survival, apoptosis, or differentiation) and enzymes in key signaling pathways, (ii) To characterize the signaling pathway to apoptosis through p53 tumor suppressor protein/capase-3 -dependent and -independent mechanisms. Neurotrophin muteins will be screened for those that discriminate between p53 -dependent and -independent pathways with p53 temperature sensitive PC12 cells. Several neuronal cell lines and primary cultures will also be studied with select muteins. (iii) To test the therapeutic potential of signal- selective neurotrophin muteins by intranasal inhalation delivery to the central nervous system of rodents. Normal mice, p53 null mice, p75NTR null mice, normal rats, and aged rats will be used. Signaling pathways, including TrkA phosphorylation, MAP kinase, and DNA fragmentation, will be compared immunohistochemically and biochemically in the treated rat and mice brains. The rational design of therapeutic reagents derived from neurotrophins that selectively stimulate signaling pathways may lead to novel treatments for Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, and related neurological disorders - response-selective NGFmutants mayultimately be more effective than wild type NGF in treating neurodegenerative diseases.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01NS024380-19
Application #
7540382
Study Section
Molecular Neuropharmacology and Signaling Study Section (MNPS)
Program Officer
Mamounas, Laura
Project Start
1987-02-01
Project End
2011-08-31
Budget Start
2009-01-01
Budget End
2011-08-31
Support Year
19
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$295,184
Indirect Cost
Name
Rosalind Franklin University
Department
Biochemistry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
069501252
City
North Chicago
State
IL
Country
United States
Zip Code
60064
Mehta, Hrishikesh M; Woo, Sang B; Neet, Kenneth E (2012) Comparison of nerve growth factor receptor binding models using heterodimeric muteins. J Neurosci Res 90:2259-71
Bai, Yujing; Dergham, Pauline; Nedev, Hinyu et al. (2010) Chronic and acute models of retinal neurodegeneration TrkA activity are neuroprotective whereas p75NTR activity is neurotoxic through a paracrine mechanism. J Biol Chem 285:39392-400
Rogers, Mary-Louise; Bailey, Sheree; Matusica, Dusan et al. (2010) ProNGF mediates death of Natural Killer cells through activation of the p75NTR-sortilin complex. J Neuroimmunol 226:93-103
Masoudi, Raheleh; Ioannou, Maria S; Coughlin, Michael D et al. (2009) Biological activity of nerve growth factor precursor is dependent upon relative levels of its receptors. J Biol Chem 284:18424-33
Mahapatra, Sidharth; Mehta, Hrishikesh; Woo, Sang B et al. (2009) Identification of critical residues within the conserved and specificity patches of nerve growth factor leading to survival or differentiation. J Biol Chem 284:33600-13
Boutilier, Jacqueline; Ceni, Claire; Pagdala, Promila C et al. (2008) Proneurotrophins require endocytosis and intracellular proteolysis to induce TrkA activation. J Biol Chem 283:12709-16
Ivanisevic, Ljubica; Zheng, WenHua; Woo, Sang B et al. (2007) TrkA receptor ""hot spots"" for binding of NT-3 as a heterologous ligand. J Biol Chem 282:16754-63
Pagadala, Promila C; Dvorak, Laura A; Neet, Kenneth E (2006) Construction of a mutated pro-nerve growth factor resistant to degradation and suitable for biophysical and cellular utilization. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 103:17939-43
Vaghefi, Houman; Neet, Kenneth E (2004) Deacetylation of p53 after nerve growth factor treatment in PC12 cells as a post-translational modification mechanism of neurotrophin-induced tumor suppressor activation. Oncogene 23:8078-87
Vaghefi, Houman; Hughes, Allison L; Neet, Kenneth E (2004) Nerve growth factor withdrawal-mediated apoptosis in naive and differentiated PC12 cells through p53/caspase-3-dependent and -independent pathways. J Biol Chem 279:15604-14

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