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Induction of Autophagy by Cystatin C: A Mechanism That Protects Murine Primary Cortical Neurons and Neuronal Cell Lines

På svenska

Author

  • Belen Tizon
  • Susmita Sahoo
  • Haung Yu
  • Sebastien Gauthier
  • Asok R. Kumar
  • Panaiyur Mohan
  • Matthew Figliola
  • Monika Pawlik
  • Anders Grubb
  • Yasuo Uchiyama
  • Urmi Bandyopadhyay
  • Ana Maria Cuervo
  • Ralph A. Nixon
  • Efrat Levy
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Summary, in English

Cystatin C (CysC) expression in the brain is elevated in human patients with epilepsy, in animal models of neurodegenerative conditions, and in response to injury, but whether up-regulated CysC expression is a manifestation of neurodegeneration or a cellular repair response is not understood. This study demonstrates that human CysC is neuroprotective in cultures exposed to cytotoxic challenges, including nutritional-deprivation, colchicine, staurosporine, and oxidative stress. While CysC is a cysteine protease inhibitor, cathepsin B inhibition was not required for the neuroprotective action of CysC. Cells responded to CysC by inducing fully functional autophagy via the mTOR pathway, leading to enhanced proteolytic clearance of autophagy substrates by lysosomes. Neuroprotective effects of CysC were prevented by inhibiting autophagy with beclin 1 siRNA or 3-methyladenine. Our findings show that CysC plays a protective role under conditions of neuronal challenge by inducing autophagy via mTOR inhibition and are consistent with CysC being neuroprotective in neurodegenerative diseases. Thus, modulation of CysC expression has therapeutic implications for stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and other neurodegenerative disorders.

Publishing year

2010

Language

English

Publication/Series

PLoS ONE

Volume

5

Issue

3

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Public Library of Science (PLoS)

Topic

  • Pharmacology and Toxicology
  • Medicinal Chemistry

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1932-6203