Activation of membrane estrogen receptors induce pro-survival kinases

Experimental and epidemiological data suggest a neuroprotective role for estrogen (E2). We have recently shown that, in PC12 cells, non-permeable estradiol conjugated to bovine serum albumin (BSA) prevent serum-deprivation induced apoptosis through activation of specific membrane estrogen receptors (mER). In the present study, we explored in detail the early signaling events involved in this anti-apoptotic action, downstream to activation of mER. Our findings suggest that mER is associated to G-proteins, and its activation with non-permeable E2-BSA results in the activation of the following downstream pro-survival kinases pathways: (1) the PKB/Akt pathway, (2) the Src → MEK → ERK kinases and finally (3) the MAPK → ERK kinases. Activation of these pro-survival signals leads to CREB phosphorylation and NFκB nuclear translocation, two transcription factors controlling the expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins. These data suggest that major pro-survival kinases are involved in the mER-mediated anti-apoptotic effects of estrogen. This is further supported by experiments with specific kinases inhibitors, which partially but significantly reversed the mER-mediated anti-apoptotic effect of E2-BSA. Our findings suggest that estrogen act via mER as potent cytoprotective factors, downstream activating pro-survival kinases, assuring thus an efficient and multipotent activation of the anti-apoptotic machinery.