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Abstract

Transcription factor YY1 is a zinc finger protein which can interact and form complexes with several proteins. Depending on its binding partners, YY1 can either activate or repress the transcription of several genes. We have studied whether the regulation of YY1 is affected by glutamate-induced excitotoxic insult in cultured primary hippocampal and cerebellar granule cells. Using electrophoretic mobility shift (EMSA) technique, we observed that glutamate treatment induced a dramatic increase in the YY1-binding activity of the smallest of three complexes both in the hippocampal and cerebellar granule cells. Two larger complexes disappeared after glutamate treatment in cerebellar granule cells. Supershift assays with specific YY1 antibody showed that all three complexes contained YY1 protein. Western blot assays did not show any changes in the nuclear levels of YY1 protein. Our results show that excitotoxic treatment affects the regulation of YY1 transcription factor and suggest that YY1 is a significant nuclear target for stress-related signaling pathways in neuronal degeneration.