Key Laboratory of Neurological Disease, Ministry of Education, China, and Department of Pathophysiology, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
Neuron. 2012 Feb 23;73(4):774-88. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.02.003.
EPAC proteins are the guanine nucleotide exchange factors that act as the intracellular receptors for cyclic AMP. Two variants of EPAC genes including EPAC1 and EPAC2 are cloned and are widely expressed throughout the brain. But, their functions in the brain remain unknown. Here, we genetically delete EPAC1 (EPAC1(-/-)), EPAC2 (EPAC2(-/-)), or both EPAC1 and EPAC2 genes (EPAC(-/-)) in the forebrain of mice. We show that EPAC null mutation impairs long-term potentiation (LTP) and that this impairment is paralleled with the severe deficits in spatial learning and social interactions and is mediated in a direct manner by miR-124 transcription and Zif268 translation. Knockdown of miR-124 restores Zif268 and hence reverses all aspects of the EPAC(-/-) phenotypes, whereas expression of miR-124 or knockdown of Zif268 reproduces the effects of EPAC null mutation. Thus, EPAC proteins control miR-124 transcription in the brain for processing spatial learning and social interactions.
EPAC 蛋白是鸟嘌呤核苷酸交换因子,作为细胞内环 AMP 的受体。克隆了两种 EPAC 基因变体,包括 EPAC1 和 EPAC2,并广泛表达于整个大脑。然而,它们在大脑中的功能尚不清楚。在这里,我们在小鼠的前脑中基因敲除 EPAC1(EPAC1(-/-))、EPAC2(EPAC2(-/-))或同时敲除 EPAC1 和 EPAC2 基因(EPAC(-/-))。我们表明,EPAC 缺失突变会损害长时程增强(LTP),这种损害与空间学习和社交互动的严重缺陷相平行,并通过 miR-124 转录和 Zif268 翻译以直接方式介导。miR-124 的敲低恢复了 Zif268,从而逆转了 EPAC(-/-)表型的所有方面,而 miR-124 的表达或 Zif268 的敲低复制了 EPAC 缺失突变的效果。因此,EPAC 蛋白在大脑中控制 miR-124 的转录,以处理空间学习和社交互动。