AEG-1 regulates TWIK-1 expression as an RNA-binding protein in astrocytes

Hyun Gug Jung, Ajung Kim, Seung Chan Kim, Jae Yong Park, Eun Mi Hwang

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    AEG-1, also called MTDH, has oncogenic potential in numerous cancers and is considered a multifunctional modulator because of its involvement in developmental processes and inflammatory and degenerative brain diseases. However, the role of AEG-1 in astrocytes remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate proteins directly regulated by AEG-1 by analyzing their RNA expression patterns in astrocytes transfected with scramble shRNA and AEG-1 shRNA. AEG-1 knockdown down-regulated TWIK-1 mRNA. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) and immunocytochemistry assays confirmed that AEG-1 modulates TWIK-1 mRNA and protein expression. Electrophysiological experiments further revealed that AEG-1 further regulates TWIK-1-mediated potassium currents in normal astrocytes. An RNA immunoprecipitation assay to determine how AEG-1 regulates the expression of TWIK-1 revealed that AEG-1 binds directly to TWIK-1 mRNA. Furthermore, TWIK-1 mRNA stability was significantly increased upon overexpression of AEG-1 in cultured astrocytes (p < 0.01). Our findings show that AEG-1 serves as an RNA-binding protein to regulate TWIK-1 expression in normal astrocytes.

    Original languageEnglish
    Article number85
    Pages (from-to)1-11
    Number of pages11
    JournalBrain Sciences
    Volume11
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2021 Jan

    Bibliographical note

    Funding Information:
    Funding: This work was supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF) of Korea (NRF-2017R1A2B3012502 and 2020R1A2C2010650).

    Publisher Copyright:
    © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

    Keywords

    • AEG-1
    • Astrocyte
    • RNA-binding protein
    • TWIK-1

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • General Neuroscience

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