TY - JOUR
T1 - Protease-activated receptors in the brain
T2 - Receptor expression, activation, and functions in neurodegeneration and neuroprotection
AU - Luo, Weibo
AU - Wang, Yingfei
AU - Reiser, Georg
N1 - Funding Information:
The work in the authors' laboratory was supported by grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Graduiertenkolleg 253/3 für ‘Biologische Grundlagen von Erkrankungen des Nervensystems’), Land Sachsen-Anhalt (grant 2923A/0028H), and Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (01-ZZ 9505).
PY - 2007/12
Y1 - 2007/12
N2 - Protease-activated receptors (PARs) are G protein-coupled receptors that regulate the cellular response to extracellular serine proteases, like thrombin, trypsin, and tryptase. The PAR family consists of four members: PAR-1, -3, and -4 as thrombin receptors and PAR-2 as the trypsin/tryptase receptor, which are abundantly expressed in the brain throughout development. Recent evidence has supported the direct involvement of PARs in brain development and function. The expression of PARs in the brain is differentially upregulated or downregulated under pathological conditions in neurodegenerative disorders, like Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and human immunodeficiency virus-associated dementia. Activation of PARs mediates cell death or cell survival in the brain, depending on the amplitude and the duration of agonist stimulation. Interference or potentiation of PAR activation is beneficial in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, PARs mediate either neurodegeneration or neuroprotection in neurodegenerative diseases and represent attractive therapeutic targets for treatment of brain injuries. Here, we review the abnormal expression of PARs in the brain under pathological conditions, the functions of PARs in neurodegenerative disorders, and the molecular mechanisms involved.
AB - Protease-activated receptors (PARs) are G protein-coupled receptors that regulate the cellular response to extracellular serine proteases, like thrombin, trypsin, and tryptase. The PAR family consists of four members: PAR-1, -3, and -4 as thrombin receptors and PAR-2 as the trypsin/tryptase receptor, which are abundantly expressed in the brain throughout development. Recent evidence has supported the direct involvement of PARs in brain development and function. The expression of PARs in the brain is differentially upregulated or downregulated under pathological conditions in neurodegenerative disorders, like Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and human immunodeficiency virus-associated dementia. Activation of PARs mediates cell death or cell survival in the brain, depending on the amplitude and the duration of agonist stimulation. Interference or potentiation of PAR activation is beneficial in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, PARs mediate either neurodegeneration or neuroprotection in neurodegenerative diseases and represent attractive therapeutic targets for treatment of brain injuries. Here, we review the abnormal expression of PARs in the brain under pathological conditions, the functions of PARs in neurodegenerative disorders, and the molecular mechanisms involved.
KW - Central nervous system
KW - Neurodegeneration
KW - Neuroprotection
KW - Protease-activated receptor
KW - Serine protease
KW - Signaling
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U2 - 10.1016/j.brainresrev.2007.08.002
DO - 10.1016/j.brainresrev.2007.08.002
M3 - Review article
C2 - 17915333
AN - SCOPUS:36549089651
SN - 0165-0173
VL - 56
SP - 331
EP - 345
JO - Brain Research Reviews
JF - Brain Research Reviews
IS - 2
ER -