Involvement of CaMKIV in neurogenic effect with chronic fluoxetine treatment

Ning Song1, Shin Nakagawa, Takeshi Izumi

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.

Insights

Calcium-calmodulin dependent protein kinase IV (CaMKIV) influences fluoxetine-induced neurogenesis. CaMKIV knockout mice show reduced hippocampal cell proliferation, impacting CREB phosphorylation but not overall antidepressant-like behavior.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Calcium-calmodulin dependent protein kinase IV (CaMKIV) is implicated in fluoxetine (FLX)-induced cyclic AMP-response element binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation.
  • CREB is a critical transcription factor for adult neurogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of CaMKIV in adult hippocampal neurogenesis following FLX treatment.
  • To assess the impact of CaMKIV deficiency on FLX's effects on neurogenesis and behavior.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized wild-type (WT) and CaMKIV knockout (KO) mice.
  • Assessed hippocampal cell proliferation, survival, and phenotypes using bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence (BrdU/NeuN/S100β).
  • Analyzed CaMKIV and CREB expression and phosphorylation via RT-PCR and Western blotting; evaluated FLX's behavioral effects in the novelty suppressed feeding (NSF) test.

Main Results:

  • CaMKIV KO mice exhibited reduced hippocampal cell proliferation but not survival after chronic FLX treatment compared to WT mice.
  • Most newly generated cells differentiated into neurons.
  • FLX treatment upregulated CaMKIV phosphorylation in WT mice and impaired CREB phosphorylation in CaMKIV KO mice.
  • Behavioral responses to FLX in the NSF test were comparable between WT and CaMKIV KO mice.

Conclusions:

  • CaMKIV plays a role in specific aspects of FLX-promoted adult hippocampal neurogenesis.
  • CaMKIV is involved in regulating cell proliferation during FLX treatment.
  • Despite effects on neurogenesis markers, CaMKIV deficiency did not alter the overall behavioral outcomes of FLX in the NSF test.

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