Aberrant cell cycle activity and DNA damage are emerging as important pathological components in various neurodegenerative conditions. However, their underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we show that deregulation of HDAC1 activity by p25/Cdk5 induces aberrant cell cycle activity and double-strand DNA breaks leading to neurotoxicity. In a transgenic model for neurodegeneration, p25/Cdk5 activity elicited cell cycle reentry and double-strand DNA breaks that preceded neuronal death. Inhibition of HDAC1 activity by p25/Cdk5 was identified as an underlying mechanism for these events, and HDAC1 gain-of-function provided potent protection against DNA damage and neurotoxicity in cultured neurons and an in vivo model for ischemia. Our findings outline a novel pathological signaling pathway which illustrates the importance of maintaining HDAC1 activity in the adult neuron. This pathway constitutes a molecular link between aberrant cell cycle activity and DNA damage and is a potential target for therapeutics against diseases and conditions involving neuronal death.

ADAR2 is a nuclear enzyme essential for GluR2 pre-mRNA editing at Q/R site-607, which gates Ca2+ entry through AMPA receptor channels. Here, we show that forebrain ischemia in adult rats selectively reduces expression of ADAR2 enzyme and, hence, disrupts RNA Q/R site editing of GluR2 subunit in vulnerable neurons. Recovery of GluR2 Q/R site editing by expression of exogenous ADAR2b gene or a constitutively active CREB, VP16-CREB, which induces expression of endogenous ADAR2, protects vulnerable neurons in the rat hippocampus from forebrain ischemic insult. Generation of a stable ADAR2 gene silencing by delivering small interfering RNA (siRNA) inhibits GluR2 Q/R site editing, leading to degeneration of ischemia-insensitive neurons. Direct introduction of the Q/R site edited GluR2 gene, GluR2(R607), rescues ADAR2 degeneration. Thus, ADAR2-dependent GluR2 Q/R site editing determines vulnerability of neurons in the rat hippocampus to forebrain ischemia.

Ischemic stroke, or a brain attack, is the third leading cause of death in developed countries. A critical feature of the disease is a highly selective pattern of neuronal loss; certain identifiable subsets of neurons--particularly CA1 pyramidal neurons in the hippocampus are severely damaged, whereas others remain intact. A key step in this selective neuronal injury is Ca2+/Zn2+ entry into vulnerable neurons through alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) receptor channels, a principle subtype of glutamate receptors. AMPA receptor channels are assembled from glutamate receptor (GluR)1, -2, -3, and -4 subunits. Circumstance data have indicated that the GluR2 subunits dictate Ca2+/Zn2+ permeability of AMPA receptor channels and gate injurious Ca2+/Zn2+ signals in vulnerable neurons. Therefore, targeting to the AMPA receptor subunit GluR2 can be considered a practical strategy for stroke therapy.