Disruption of lipid-raft localized Gα/tubulin complexes by antidepressants: a unique feature of HDAC6 inhibitors, SSRI and tricyclic compounds.

Current antidepressant therapies meet with variable therapeutic success and there is increasing interest in therapeutic approaches not based on monoamine signaling. Histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6), which also deacetylates α-tubulin shows altered expression in mood disorders and HDAC6 knockout mice mimic traditional antidepressant treatments. Nonetheless, a mechanistic understanding for HDAC6 inhibitors in the treatment of depression remains elusive. Previously, we have shown that sustained treatment of rats or glioma cells with several antidepressants translocates Gα from lipid rafts toward increased association with adenylyl cyclase (AC). Concomitant with this is a sustained increase in cAMP production. While Gα modifies microtubule dynamics, tubulin also acts as an anchor for Gα in lipid-rafts. Since HDAC-6 inhibitors potentiate α-tubulin acetylation, we hypothesize that acetylation of α-tubulin disrupts tubulin-Gα raft-anchoring, rendering Gα free to activate AC. To test this, C6 Glioma (C6) cells were treated with the HDAC-6 inhibitor, tubastatin-A. Chronic treatment with tubastatin-A not only increased α-tubulin acetylation but also translocated Gα from lipid-rafts, without changing total Gα. Reciprocally, depletion of α-tubulin acetyl-transferase-1 ablated this phenomenon. While escitalopram and imipramine also disrupt Gα/tubulin complexes and translocate Gα from rafts, they evoke no change in tubulin acetylation. Finally, two indicators of downstream cAMP signaling, cAMP response element binding protein phosphorylation (pCREB) and expression of brain-derived-neurotrophic-factor (BDNF) were both elevated by tubastatin-A. These findings suggest HDAC6 inhibitors show a cellular profile resembling traditional antidepressants, but have a distinct mode of action. They also reinforce the validity of antidepressant-induced Gα translocation from lipid-rafts as a biosignature for antidepressant response that may be useful in the development of new antidepressant compounds.