GDF-15 (growth/differentiation factor 15) is a novel member of the TGF (transforming growth factor)-β superfamily that has critical roles in the central and peripheral nervous systems. We reported previously that GDF-15 increased delayed rectifier outward K+ currents and Kv2.1 α subunit expression through TβRII (TGF-β receptor II) to activate Src kinase and Akt/mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) signalling in rat CGNs (cerebellar granule neurons). In the present study, we found that treatment of CGNs with GDF-15 for 24 h increased the intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in response to membrane depolarization, as determined by Ca2+ imaging. Whole-cell current recordings indicated that GDF-15 increased the inward Ca2+ current (ICa) without altering steady-state activation of Ca2+ channels. Treatment with nifedipine, an inhibitor of L-type Ca2+ channels, abrogated GDF-15-induced increases in [Ca2+]i and ICa. The GDF-15-induced increase in ICa was mediated via up-regulation of the Cav1.3 α subunit, which was attenuated by inhibiting Akt/mTOR and ERK (extracellular-signal-regulated kinase) pathways and by pharmacological inhibition of Src-mediated TβRII phosphorylation. Given that Cav1.3 is not only a channel for Ca2+ influx, but also a transcriptional regulator, our data confirm that GDF-15 induces protein expression via TβRII and activation of a non-Smad pathway, and provide novel insight into the mechanism of GDF-15 function in neurons.
Ternary Kv4.2 channels recapitulate voltage-dependent inactivation kinetics of A-type K+channels in cerebellar granule neurons
