| First Author | Nikhil K | Year | 2017 |
| Journal | J Cell Sci | Volume | 130 |
| Issue | 18 | Pages | 3023-3039 |
| PubMed ID | 28751497 | Mgi Jnum | J:245101 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5914898 | Doi | 10.1242/jcs.205666 |
| Citation | Nikhil K, et al. (2017) The Cdk5-Mcl-1 axis promotes mitochondrial dysfunction and neurodegeneration in a model of Alzheimer's disease. J Cell Sci 130(18):3023-3039 |
| abstractText | Cdk5 deregulation is highly neurotoxic in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We identified Mcl-1 as a direct Cdk5 substrate using an innovative chemical screen in mouse brain lysates. Our data demonstrate that Mcl-1 levels determine the threshold for cellular damage in response to neurotoxic insults. Mcl-1 is a disease-specific target of Cdk5, which associates with Cdk5 under basal conditions, but is not regulated by it. Neurotoxic insults hyperactivate Cdk5 causing Mcl-1 phosphorylation at T92. This phosphorylation event triggers Mcl-1 ubiquitylation, which directly correlates with mitochondrial dysfunction. Consequently, ectopic expression of phosphorylation-dead T92A-Mcl-1 fully prevents mitochondrial damage and subsequent cell death triggered by neurotoxic treatments in neuronal cells and primary cortical neurons. Notably, enhancing Mcl-1 levels offers comparable neuroprotection to that observed upon Cdk5 depletion, suggesting that Mcl-1 degradation by direct phosphorylation is a key mechanism by which Cdk5 promotes neurotoxicity in AD. The clinical significance of the Mcl-1-Cdk5 axis was investigated in human AD clinical specimens, revealing an inverse correlation between Mcl-1 levels and disease severity. These results emphasize the potential of Mcl-1 upregulation as an attractive therapeutic strategy for delaying or preventing neurodegeneration in AD. |
