Sustained induction of survival p-AKT and p-ERK signals after transient hypoxia in mice spinal cord with G93A mutant human SOD1 protein

Expression of survival p-AKT and p-ERK signals was examined by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting in the lumbar spinal cord of 12-week-old presymptomatic mice with human mutant G93A SOD1 gene (transgenic, Tg) and their wild-type (Wt) littermates during normoxia, and 0 and 6 h after 2 h of 9% hypoxia. During normoxia, a stronger p-AKT signal was detected in the nucleus of the motor neurons of Tg animals. At 0 h of recovery from 2 h of hypoxia, both p-AKT and p-ERK signals were induced at a slightly lower level in Tg (1.1-1.2-fold) compared to those of Wt (1.2-1.5-fold) animals. At 6 h of recovery, both p-AKT and p-ERK signals were sustained in the lumbar spinal motor neurons of Tg animals, while those in Wt animals quickly returned to baseline level. As a control, at 6 h of recovery, the hippocampus of Tg animals showed significantly sustained p-AKT levels, but not p-ERK levels, compared to Wt. The current results suggest that the presence of mutant SOD1 alters survival p-AKT and p-ERK signals, possibly to compensate for the acquired gain-of-function of the mutant protein.