The p75 neurotrophin receptor

The pan neurotrophin receptor (p75(NTR)) is best known for mediating neural cell death during development as well as in the adult following injury, the latter making it a target for the treatment of neurodegenerative disease. Although p75(NTR) has been studied for over 30 years, a number of recent discoveries have changed our understanding of its regulation. Here we provide a brief overview of the p75(NTR) protein, its post-translational modifications, and the phenotype of p75(NTR)-deficient mice as a starting point for researchers unfamiliar with this complex receptor. The accepted mechanisms underlying the ability of p75(NTR) to regulate cell death as well as a number of other neural functions, most notably neuronal differentiation, neurite outgrowth and synaptic plasticity, are also summarised.     

Chopper, a new death domain of the p75 neurotrophin receptor that mediates rapid neuronal cell death

The cytoplasmic juxtamembrane region of the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75(NTR)) has been found to be necessary and sufficient to initiate neural cell death. The region was named "Chopper" to distinguish it from CD95-like death domains. A 29-amino acid peptide corresponding to the Chopper region induced caspase- and calpain-mediated death in a variety of neural and non-neural cell types and was not inhibited by signaling through Trk (unlike killing by full-length p75(NTR)). Chopper triggered cell death only when bound to the plasma membrane by a lipid anchor, whereas non-anchored Chopper acted in a dominant-negative manner, blocking p75(NTR)-mediated death both in vitro and in vivo. Removal of the ectodomain of p75(NTR) increased the potency of Chopper activity, suggesting that it regulates the association of Chopper with downstream signaling proteins.     

Polyubiquitination of the neurotrophin receptor p75 directs neuronal cell survival

Specific binding of nerve growth factor (NGF) to p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75(NTR)) leads to p75(NTR) polyubiquitination and its subsequent interaction with TRAF6 resulting in neuronal cell survival. However, when the binding of NGF to p75(NTR) was blocked with p75 antiserum, p75(NTR) polyubiquitination and neuronal cell survival were impaired. Results showed that tyrosine phosphorylation of p75(NTR) increased the polyubiquitination of p75(NTR) and contributed to the observed apparent neuroprotective effects. Similar to p75(NTR) polyubiquitination, interaction of TRAF6 with p75(NTR) was NGF/tyrosine phosphorylation dependent suggesting that TRAF6 might function as an E3 ubiquitin ligase. In sum, the results show that specific binding of NGF to p75(NTR) mediates neuronal cell survival.     

Programmed cell death in the developing somites is promoted by nerve growth factor via its p75(NTR) receptor

Neurotrophins control neuron number during development by promoting the generation and survival of neurons and by regulating programmed neuronal death. In the latter case, the cell death induced by nerve growth factor (NGF) in the developing chick retina is mediated by p75(NTR), the common neurotrophin receptor (J. M. Frade, A. Rodriguez-Tebar, and Y.-A. Barde, 1996, Nature 383, 166-168). Here we show that NGF also induces the programmed death of paraxial mesoderm cells in the developing somites. Both NGF and p75(NTR) are expressed in the somites of chick embryos at the time and the place of programmed cell death. Moreover, neutralizing the activity of endogenous NGF with a specific blocking antibody, or antagonizing NGF binding to p75(NTR) by the application of human NT-4/5, reduces the levels of apoptotic cell death in both the sclerotome and the dermamyotome by about 50 and 70%, respectively. Previous data have shown that Sonic hedgehog is necessary for the survival of differentiated somite cells. Consistent with this, Sonic hedgehog induces a decrease of NGF mRNA in somite explant cultures, thus showing the antagonistic effect of NGF and Sonic hedgehog with respect to somite cell survival. The regulation of programmed cell death by NGF/p75(NTR) in a mesoderm-derived tissue demonstrates the capacity of neurotrophins and their receptors to influence critical developmental processes both within and outside of the nervous system.     

p75受体信号转导途径的研究进展

神经生长因子 (ｎｅｒｖｅｇｒｏｗｔｈｆａｃｔｏｒ,ＮＧＦ)通过与两种受体结合而发挥作用。一种是高亲和性受体ＴｒｋＡ受体 ,它是由原癌基因Ｔｒｋ编码的蛋白质酪氨酸激酶 ;另一种是低亲和性受体ｐ75,它以相同的亲和力与神经营养素 (ｎｅｕｒｏｔｒｏｐｈｉｎ ,ＮＴ)家族的各成员结合 ,因此被称为神经营养素受体ｐ75(ｐ75ＮＴＲ)。ＮＧＦ与ＴｒｋＡ受体结合后发挥其促进神经细胞生长和存活的作用 ,而近年来发现ｐ75受体在特定条件下却能够诱导某些神经细胞和胶质细胞的凋亡 ,由于ｐ75ＮＴＲ的这一作用 ,它受到越来越多的关注。1 .ｐ75Ｎ…     

p75 neurotrophin receptor regulates agonist-induced pulmonary vasoconstriction

A member of the TNF receptor family, the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75(NTR)) has been previously shown to play a role in the regulation of fibrin deposition in the lung. However, the role of p75(NTR) in the regulation of pulmonary vascular tone in the lung is unknown. In the present study, we evaluated the expression of p75(NTR) in mouse pulmonary arteries and the putative role of p75(NTR) in modulating pulmonary vascular tone and agonist responsiveness using wild-type (WT) and p75(NTR) knockout (p75(-/-)) mice. Our data indicated that p75(NTR) is expressed in both smooth muscle and endothelial cells within the pulmonary vascular wall in WT mice. Pulmonary artery rings from p75(-/-) mice exhibited significantly elevated active tension due to endothelin-1-mediated Ca(2+) influx. Furthermore, the contraction due to capacitative Ca(2+) entry (CCE) in response to phenylephrine-mediated active depletion of intracellular Ca(2+) stores was significantly enhanced compared with WT rings. The contraction due to CCE induced by passive store depletion, however, was comparable between WT and p75(-/-) rings. Active tension induced by serotonin, U-46619 (a thromboxane A(2) analog), thrombin, 4-aminopyridine (a K(+) channel blocker), and high extracellular K(+) in p75(-/-) rings was similar to that in WT rings. Deletion of p75(NTR) did not alter pulmonary vasodilation to sodium nitroprusside (a nitric oxide donor). These data suggest that intact p75(NTR) signaling may play a role in modulating pulmonary vasoconstriction induced by endothelin-1 and by active store depletion.     

NADE, a p75NTR-associated cell death executor, is involved in signal transduction mediated by the common neurotrophin receptor p75NTR

The low affinity neurotrophin receptor p75NTR can mediate cell survival as well as cell death of neural cells by NGF and other neurotrophins. To elucidate p75NTR-mediated signal transduction, we screened p75NTR-associated proteins by a yeast two-hybrid system. We identified one positive clone and named NADE (p75NTR-associated cell death executor). Mouse NADE has marked homology to the human HGR74 protein. NADE specifically binds to the cell-death domain of p75NTR. Co-expression of NADE and p75NTR induced caspase-2 and caspase-3 activities and the fragmentation of nuclear DNA in 293T cells. However, in the absence of p75NTR, NADE failed to induce apoptosis, suggesting that NADE expression is necessary but insufficient for p75NTR-mediated apoptosis. Furthermore, p75NTR/NADE-induced cell death was dependent on NGF but not BDNF, NT-3, or NT-4/5, and the recruitment of NADE to p75NTR (intracellular domain) was dose-dependent. We obtained similar results from PC12 cells, nnr5 cells, and oligodendrocytes. Taken together, NADE is the first signaling adaptor molecule identified in the involvement of p75NTR-mediated apoptosis induced by NGF, and it may play an important role in the pathogenesis of neurogenetic diseases.     

p75 neurotrophin receptor mediates apoptosis in transit-amplifying cells and its overexpression restores cell death in psoriatic keratinocytes

p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) belongs to the TNF-receptor superfamily and signals apoptosis in many cell settings. In human epidermis, p75NTR is mostly confined to the transit-amplifying (TA) sub-population of basal keratinocytes. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) or neurotrophin-4 (NT-4), which signals through p75NTR, induces keratinocyte apoptosis, whereas β-amyloid, a ligand for p75NTR, triggers caspase-3 activation to a greater extent in p75NTR transfected cells. Moreover, p75NTR co-immunoprecipitates with NRAGE, induces the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and reduces nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) DNA-binding activity. p75NTR also mediates pro-NGF-induced keratinocyte apoptosis through its co-receptor sortilin. Furthermore, BDNF or β-amyloid cause cell death in TA, but not in keratinocyte stem cells (KSCs) or in p75NTR silenced TA cells. p75NTR is absent in lesional psoriatic skin and p75NTR levels are significantly lower in psoriatic than in normal TA keratinocytes. The rate of apoptosis in psoriatic TA cells is significantly lower than in normal TA cells. BDNF or β-amyloid fail to induce apoptosis in psoriatic TA cells, and p75NTR retroviral infection restores BDNF- or β-amyloid-induced apoptosis in psoriatic keratinocytes. These results demonstrate that p75NTR has a pro-apoptotic role in keratinocytes and is involved in the maintenance of epidermal homeostasis.     

TrkA receptor activation by nerve growth factor induces shedding of the p75 neurotrophin receptor followed by endosomal gamma-secretase-mediated release of the p75 intracellular domain

Neurotrophins are trophic factors that regulate important neuronal functions. They bind two unrelated receptors, the Trk family of receptor-tyrosine kinases and the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75). p75 was recently identified as a new substrate for gamma-secretase-mediated intramembrane proteolysis, generating a p75-derived intracellular domain (p75-ICD) with signaling capabilities. Using PC12 cells as a model, we studied how neurotrophins activate p75 processing and where these events occur in the cell. We demonstrate that activation of the TrkA receptor upon binding of nerve growth factor (NGF) regulates the metalloprotease-mediated shedding of p75 leaving a membrane-bound p75 C-terminal fragment (p75-CTF). Using subcellular fractionation to isolate a highly purified endosomal fraction, we demonstrate that p75-CTF ends up in endosomes where gamma-secretase-mediated p75-CTF cleavage occurs, resulting in the release of a p75-ICD. Moreover, we show similar structural requirements for gamma-secretase processing of p75 and amyloid precursor protein-derived CTFs. Thus, NGF-induced endocytosis regulates both signaling and proteolytic processing of p75.     

The p75 neurotrophin receptor interacts with multiple MAGE proteins

The p75 neurotrophin receptor has been implicated in diverse aspects of neurotrophin signaling, but the mechanisms by which its effects are mediated are not well understood. Here we identify two MAGE proteins, necdin and MAGE-H1, as interactors for the intracellular domain of p75 and show that the interaction is enhanced by ligand stimulation. PC12 cells transfected with necdin or MAGE-H1 exhibit accelerated differentiation in response to nerve growth factor. Expression of these two MAGE proteins is predominantly cytoplasmic in PC12 cells, and necdin was found to be capable of homodimerization, suggesting that it may act as a cytoplasmic adaptor to recruit a signaling complex to p75. These findings indicate that diverse MAGE family members can interact with the p75 receptor and highlight type II MAGE proteins as a potential family of interactors for signaling proteins containing type II death domains.     

Nerve growth factor stimulates MAPK via the low affinity receptor p75(LNTR)

Apart from its high affinity receptor TrkA, nerve growth factor (NGF) can also stimulate the low affinity receptor p75(LNTR) and induce a Trk-independent signaling cascade. We examined the possible involvement of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in this signaling pathway in neuronal cultures of the cerebellum of P2-aged rats and PCNA cells; both cell types express p75(LNTR) but not TrkA. We found a fast and transient phosphorylation of p42- and p44-MAPK after stimulation with NGF or C(2)-ceramide which proved to be sensitive to inhibition of MAPK kinase and protein kinase A (PKA). As stimulation with NGF also activated p21Ras it can be concluded that at least part of the observed MAPK activation was effected via p21Ras and via PKA.     

Modulation of Fas-induced apoptosis by p75 neurotrophin receptor in a human neuroblastoma cell line

Fas and p75 neurotrophin receptors (p75^NTR) are death receptors that alone induce apoptosis of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line respectively by Fas ligand or brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF, a p75^NTR ligand). We report on the modulation of Fas-mediated apoptosis by concomitant p75^NTR activation. The exposure to both ligands suppressed the apoptotic effect. A co-localisation of Fas and p75^NTR receptors was evidenced by co-capping and immunoprecipitation assays. Moreover, a caspase-8 inhibitor suppressed the protective effect of the concomitant BDNF and Fas ligand stimulation, suggesting that p75^NTR and Fas receptors could share common signalling pathways.     

Control of the cell cycle by neurotrophins: lessons from the p75 neurotrophin receptor

Although traditionally little attention has been paid to the interplay between neurotrophins and the cell cycle, a number of recent findings suggest an important role for these growth factors in the regulation of this aspect of the cellular physiology. In this article, we review the evidence from a number of studies that neurotrophins can influence cell cycle progression or mitotic cycle arrest both in the nervous system as well as in other cell types. The contrary response of different cells to neurotrophins in terms of cell cycle regulation derives in part from the fact that these factors use two different receptor types to transmit their signals: members of the Trk family and the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR). With this in mind, we outline the current state of our knowledge regarding the molecular basis underlying the control of cell cycle progression by neurotrophins. We focus our interest on the receptors that transduce these signals and, in particular, the striking finding that p75NTR interacts with proteins that can promote mitotic cycle arrest. Finally, we discuss the mechanisms of cell death mediated by p75NTR in the context of cell cycle regulation.     

p75 neurotrophin receptor inhibits invasion and metastasis of gastric cancer

The p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) is a focus for study at present. However, its function in gastric cancer was not elucidated. Here, we investigated its relation with metastasis of gastric cancer. By immunohistochemistry, we found that the positive rate of p75NTR expression in metastatic gastric cancer was 15.09% (16 of 106), which was lower compared with nonmetastatic gastric cancer (64.15%; 68 of 106). The average staining score in nonmetastatic gastric cancer was significantly higher than in metastatic gastric cancer (1.21 +/- 0.35 versus 0.23 +/- 0.18; P<0.01). p75NTR protein level was also lowly expressed in the highly liver-metastatic gastric cancer cell line XGC9811-L compared with other gastric cancer cell lines by Western blotting. It could also significantly inhibit the in vitro adhesive, invasive, and migratory and in vivo metastatic abilities of gastric cancer cell lines SGC7901 and MKN45 by reducing urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 proteins and by increasing tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 protein. Further studies showed that p75NTR could suppress the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) signal. SN50, a specific inhibitor of NF-kappaB, which could inhibit in vitro invasive and migratory abilities of gastric cancer cells, reduced expression of uPA and MMP9 proteins and increased expression of TIMP1 protein. Taken together, p75NTR had the function of inhibiting the invasive and metastatic abilities of gastric cancer cells, which was mediated, at least partially, by down-regulation of uPA and MMP9 proteins and up-regulation of TIMP1 protein via the NF-kappaB signal transduction pathway. Our studies suggested that p75NTR may be used as a new potential therapeutic target in metastatic gastric cancer.     

Bex1, a novel interactor of the p75 neurotrophin receptor, links neurotrophin signaling to the cell cycle

A screening for intracellular interactors of the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) identified brain-expressed X-linked 1 (Bex1), a small adaptor-like protein of unknown function. Bex1 levels oscillated during the cell cycle, and preventing the normal cycling and downregulation of Bex1 in PC12 cells sustained cell proliferation under conditions of growth arrest, and inhibited neuronal differentiation in response to nerve growth factor (NGF). Neuronal differentiation of precursors isolated from the brain subventricular zone was also reduced by ectopic Bex1. In PC12 cells, Bex1 overexpression inhibited the induction of NF-kappaB activity by NGF without affecting activation of Erk1/2 and AKT, while Bex1 knockdown accelerated neuronal differentiation and potentiated NF-kappaB activity in response to NGF. Bex1 competed with RIP2 for binding to the p75NTR intracellular domain, and elevating RIP2 levels restored the ability of cells overexpressing Bex1 to differentiate in response to NGF. Together, these data establish Bex1 as a novel link between neurotrophin signaling, the cell cycle, and neuronal differentiation, and suggest that Bex1 may function by coordinating internal cellular states with the ability of cells to respond to external signals.     

The zinc finger protein NRIF interacts with the neurotrophin receptor p75(NTR) and participates in programmed cell death.

NRIF (neurotrophin receptor interacting factor) is a ubiquitously expressed zinc finger protein of the Krüppel family which interacts with the neurotrophin receptor p75(NTR). The interaction was first detected in yeast and then biochemically confirmed using recombinant GST-NRIF fusions and p75(NTR) expressed by eukaryotic cells. Transgenic mice carrying a deletion in the exon encoding the p75(NTR)-binding domain of NRIF display a phenotype which is strongly dependent upon genetic background. While at the F(2 )generation there is only limited (20%) embryonic lethality, in a congenic BL6 strain nrif(-/-) mice cannot survive beyond E12, but are viable and healthy to adulthood in the Sv129 background. The involvement of NRIF in p75(NTR)/NGF-mediated developmental cell death was examined in the mouse embryonic neural retina. Disruption of the nrif gene leads to a reduction in cell death which is quantitatively indistinguishable from that observed in p75(NTR)(-/-) and ngf(-/-) mice. These results indicate that NRIF is an intracellular p75(NTR)-binding protein transducing cell death signals during development.