Integrin-linked Kinase is Essential for Environmental Enrichment Enhanced Hippocampal Neurogenesis and Memory

Sci Rep. 2015 Jun 22:5:11456. doi: 10.1038/srep11456.

Abstract

Environment enrichment (EE) has a variety of effects on brain structure and function. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is essential for EE-induced hippocampal neurogenesis and memory enhancement. However, the intracellular pathway downstream of BDNF to modulate EE effects is poorly understood. Here we show that integrin-linked kinase (ILK) levels are elevated upon EE stimuli in a BDNF-dependent manner. Using ILK-shRNA (siILK) lentivirus, we demonstrate that knockdown of ILK impairs EE-promoted hippocampal neurogenesis and memory by increasing glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β) activity. Finally, overexpressing ILK in the hippocampus could rescue the neurogenesis and memory deficits in BDNF(+/-) mice. These results indicate that ILK is indispensable for BDNF-mediated hippocampal neurogenesis and memory enhancement upon EE stimuli via regulating GSK3β activity. This is a new insight of the precise mechanism in EE-enhanced memory processes and ILK is a potentially important therapeutic target that merits further study.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / genetics
  • Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / metabolism*
  • Conditioning, Psychological / physiology*
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta
  • Hippocampus / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Maze Learning
  • Memory, Short-Term / physiology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Neurogenesis / genetics
  • Neurogenesis / physiology
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*
  • RNA Interference
  • RNA, Small Interfering

Substances

  • Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • integrin-linked kinase
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta
  • Gsk3b protein, mouse
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3