Glucose deprivation regulates the progranulin–sortilin axis in PC12 cells

Progranulin (PGRN) is a growth factor implicated in several neurodegenerative diseases, such as frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Despite its important role in the central nervous system (CNS), the mechanisms controlling PGRN expression in the CNS are largely unknown. Recent evidence, however, suggested that several stressors, such as hypoxia, acidosis, or oxidative stress, induce PGRN expression. The present study was mainly aimed at determining whether and, if so, how glucose deprivation affects PGRN expression in PC12 cells. Initially, it was found that glucose deprivation gradually induced PGRN gene expression in PC12 cells. To elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms, several intracellular signalings that were modified in response to glucose deprivation were examined. Both adenosine monophosphate kinase (AMPK) activation and changes in osmotic pressure, which are modified by extracellular glucose concentration, had no effect on PGRN gene expression; on the other hand, p38 activation in response to glucose deprivation played an important role in inducing PGRN gene expression. It was also found that expression of sortilin, a PGRN receptor implicated in PGRN endocytosis, was dramatically reduced by glucose deprivation. In contrast to glucose-dependent regulation of PGRN gene expression, AMPK activation played a central role in reducing sortilin expression. Overall, the present study suggests that the PGRN-sortilin axis is modulated by glucose deprivation via two distinct mechanisms. As PGRN is neuroprotective, this system may represent a new neuroprotective mechanism activated by glucose deprivation in the CNS.