Department of Anesthesiology, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey.
Department of Anesthesiology, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey; Department of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey; Departments of Cell Biology & Molecular Medicine, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey.
Transl Res. 2024 Jan;263:15-27. doi: 10.1016/j.trsl.2023.08.002. Epub 2023 Aug 20.
Nerve injury-induced alternations of gene expression in primary sensory neurons of the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) are molecular basis of neuropathic pain genesis. Transcription factors regulate gene expression. In this study, we examined whether early B cell factor 1 (EBF1), a transcription factor, in the DRG, participated in neuropathic pain caused by chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve. EBF1 was distributed exclusively in the neuronal nucleus and coexpressed with cytoplasmic/membrane Kv1.2 in individual DRG neurons. The expression of Ebf1 mRNA and protein was time-dependently downregulated in the ipsilateral lumbar (L) 3/4 DRGs after unilateral CCI. Rescuing this downregulation through microinjection of the adeno-associated virus 5 expressing full-length Ebf1 mRNA into the ipsilateral L3/4 DRGs reversed the CCI-induced decrease of DRG Kv1.2 expression and alleviated the development and maintenance of mechanical, heat and cold hypersensitivities. Conversely, mimicking the downregulation of DRG EBF1 through microinjection of AAV5-expressing Ebf1 shRNA into unilateral L3/4 DRGs produced a reduction of Kv1.2 expression in the ipsilateral L3/4 DRGs, spontaneous pain, and the enhanced responses to mechanical, heat and cold stimuli in naive mice. Mechanistically, EBF1 not only bound to the Kcna2 gene (encoding Kv1.2) promoter but also directly activated its activity. CCI decreased the EBF1 binding to the Kcna2 promoter in the ipsilateral L3/4 DRGs. Our findings suggest that DRG EBF1 downregulation contributes to neuropathic pain likely by losing its binding to Kcna2 promoter and subsequently silencing Kv1.2 expression in primary sensory neurons. Exogenous EBF1 administration may mitigate neuropathic pain by rescuing DRG Kv1.2 expression.
神经损伤诱导背根神经节(DRG)初级感觉神经元中基因表达的改变是神经病理性疼痛发生的分子基础。转录因子调节基因表达。在这项研究中,我们研究了转录因子早期 B 细胞因子 1(EBF1)是否参与了坐骨神经慢性缩窄性损伤(CCI)引起的神经病理性疼痛。EBF1仅分布在神经元核内,与个体 DRG 神经元中的细胞质/膜 Kv1.2 共表达。CCI 后,同侧 L3/4 DRG 中 Ebf1 mRNA 和蛋白的表达呈时间依赖性下调。通过将腺相关病毒 5 表达全长 Ebf1 mRNA 微注射到同侧 L3/4 DRG 中,挽救这种下调可逆转 CCI 诱导的 DRG Kv1.2 表达下降,并缓解机械、热和冷敏性的发展和维持。相反,通过将表达 Ebf1 shRNA 的 AAV5 微注射到单侧 L3/4 DRG 中模拟 DRG EBF1 的下调,导致同侧 L3/4 DRG 中 Kv1.2 表达减少、自发性疼痛以及对机械、热和冷刺激的反应增强。机制上,EBF1 不仅与 Kcna2 基因(编码 Kv1.2)启动子结合,而且直接激活其活性。CCI 减少了同侧 L3/4 DRG 中 EBF1 与 Kcna2 启动子的结合。我们的研究结果表明,DRG EBF1 的下调可能通过失去与 Kcna2 启动子的结合并随后沉默初级感觉神经元中的 Kv1.2 表达,导致神经病理性疼痛。外源性 EBF1 给药可能通过挽救 DRG Kv1.2 表达来减轻神经病理性疼痛。
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