Cited by 139Redox biology and oxidative stressGenomics, phytochemicals, and oxidative stressNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research

Synaptic NMDA receptor activity is coupled to the transcriptional control of the glutathione system

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Baxter, Paul S., Bell, Karen F.S., Hasel, Philip, Kaindl, Angela M., Fricker, Michael, Thomson, Derek, Cregan, Sean P., Gillingwater, Thomas H. +1 more·2015·Nature Communications

Abstract

How the brain’s antioxidant defenses adapt to changing demand is incompletely understood. Here we show that synaptic activity is coupled, via the NMDA receptor (NMDAR), to control of the glutathione antioxidant system. This tunes antioxidant capacity to reflect the elevated needs of an active neuron, guards against future increased demand and maintains redox balance in the brain. This control is mediated via a programme of gene expression changes that boosts the synthesis, recycling and utilization of glutathione, facilitating ROS detoxification and preventing Puma -dependent neuronal apoptosis. Of particular importance to the developing brain is the direct NMDAR-dependent transcriptional control of glutathione biosynthesis, disruption of which can lead to degeneration. Notably, these activity-dependent cell-autonomous mechanisms were found to cooperate with non-cell-autonomous Nrf2-driven support from astrocytes to maintain neuronal GSH levels in the face of oxidative insults. Thus, developmental NMDAR hypofunction and glutathione system deficits, separately implicated in several neurodevelopmental disorders, are mechanistically linked.

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  • NMDAR antagonism likely induces a hyperglutamatergic state by reducing the activity of cortical interneurons, which particularly rely on NMDARs for their excitatory drive early in development.

    “NMDAR antagonism likely induces a hyperglutamatergic state by reducing the activity of cortical interneurons, which particularly rely on NMDARs for their excitatory drive early in development 29,79 .”

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Authors
Baxter, P. S., Bell, K. F. S., Hasel, P., Kaindl, A. M., Fricker, M., Thomson, D., Cregan, S. P., Gillingwater, T. H., & Hardingham, G. E.
Affiliations
  • University of Edinburgh (GB)
  • Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (DE)
  • University of Cambridge (GB)
  • Western University (CA)
Corresponding author
Hardingham, Giles E.
Venue
Nature Communications
Published
2015-04-09
Volume
6
Issue
1
Pages
6761-6761
ISSN
2041-1723 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2168888447
Cited by
139
References
73
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 6
FWCI
6.81
Type
journal article
Language
en
Update notices
erratum (2017-09-11)
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Communications (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Edinburgh Research Explorer (University of Edinburgh) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • NOVA (University of Newcastle Australia) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • Sonnenfeld Stiftung
  • Wellcome Trust
  • Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB 665)
  • Berlin Institute of Health
  • Directorate for Biological Sciences
  • Medical Research Council
  • Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Redox biology and oxidative stress
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Genomics, phytochemicals, and oxidative stress
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
Keywords
NMDA receptor, glutathione system, synaptic activity, redox homeostasis, antioxidant defense, glutathione synthesis, reactive oxygen species scavenging, Nrf2, astrocytes, neurodevelopmental disorders, gene expression regulation, neurodegeneration
MeSH terms
Animals, Astrocytes, Cells, Cultured, Cerebral Cortex, Frontal Lobe, Gene Expression Regulation, Glutathione, Glutathione Peroxidase, Glutathione Transferase, Neurons, Transcription, Genetic, Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate, Dizocilpine Maleate, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Apoptosis, Reactive Oxygen Species, Mice, Knockout, Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists, Tumor Suppressor Proteins, Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins, NF-E2-Related Factor 2, Mice, Rats, Electrical Synapses

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