Changes in DNA binding pattern of transcription factor YY1 in neuronal degeneration

Molecular events under the neuronal degeneration are widely studied but still not defined. Here we compared the effects of both excitotoxic and apoptotic insults on the DNA binding profile of multifunctional transcription factor YY1 protein in cultured cerebellar granule neurons. We report that l-glutamate-induced excitotoxic insult but not ionophore A23187 treatment caused the disappearance of the larger DNA binding complex of YY1 and a simultaneous appearance of the smaller YY1 complex in cerebellar granule neurons. MK-801 (NMDA receptor antagonist) as well as benzamide (PARP inhibitor), MDL 28170 (calpain inhibitor) and roscovitine (cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor) inhibited the glutamate response to the YY1 complexes. Herbimycin, PD169316, wortmannin, JAK3 inhibitor, KN-93, H-7 and LY294002 were not effective. Apoptosis induced by okadaic acid but not that induced by etoposide or trichostatin A caused a similar excitotoxic reorganization in YY1 complexes. We suggest that despite the different cell death mechanisms, glutamate and okadaic acid activate signalling cascades that affect the formation of YY1 complexes and probably YY1-mediated gene regulation.