De Novo Protein Synthesis Mediated by the Eukaryotic Elongation Factor 2 Is Required for the Anxiolytic Effect of Oxytocin.
Martinetz SDepartment of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
Meinung CPDepartment of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
Jurek BDepartment of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
von Schack DBiotherapeutics Clinical Research and Development, Precision Medicine, New York, New York.
van den Burg EHCentre de Neurosciences Psychiatriques, CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Slattery DADepartment of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Neumann IDDepartment of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany. Electronic address: inga.neumann@biologie.uni-regensburg.de.
English
BACKGROUND The neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) mediates its actions, including anxiolysis, via its G protein-coupled OXT receptor. Within the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), OXT-induced anxiolysis is mediated, at least in part, via activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway following calcium influx through transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 2 channels. In the periphery, OXT activates eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2), an essential mediator of protein synthesis.
METHODS In order to study whether OXT activates eEF2 also in neurons to exert its anxiolytic properties in the PVN, we performed in vivo and cell culture experiments.
RESULTS We demonstrate that OXT, in a protein kinase C-dependent manner, activates eEF2 both in a hypothalamic cell line and in vivo within the PVN. Next, we reveal that OXT stimulates de novo protein synthesis, while inhibition of protein synthesis within the PVN prevents the anxiolytic effect of OXT in male rats. Moreover, activation of eEF2 within the PVN conveyed an anxiolytic effect supporting a role of OXT-induced eEF2 activation and protein synthesis for its anxiolysis. Finally, we show that one of the proteins that is upregulated by OXT is the neuropeptide Y receptor 5. Infusion of a specific neuropeptide Y receptor 5 agonist into the PVN consequently led to decreased anxiety-related behavior, while pretreatment with a neuropeptide Y receptor 5 antagonist prevented the anxiolytic effect of OXT.
CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these results show that OXT recruits several intracellular signaling cascades to induce protein synthesis, which mediates the anxiolytic effects of OXT within the PVN and suggests that eEF2 represents a novel target for anxiety-related disorders.