Calcium-dependent N-cadherin up-regulation mediates reactive astrogliosis and neuroprotection after brain injury

Brain injury induces phenotypic changes in astrocytes, known as reactive astrogliosis, which may influence neuronal survival. Here we show that brain injury induces inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP ₃)-dependent Ca ²⁺ signaling in astrocytes, and that the Ca ²⁺ signaling is required for astrogliosis. We found that type 2 IP ₃ receptor knockout (IP ₃R2KO) mice deficient in astrocytic Ca ²⁺ signaling have impaired reactive astrogliosis and increased injury-associated neuronal death. We identified N-cadherin and pumilio 2 (Pum2) as downstream signaling molecules, and found that brain injury induces up-regulation of N-cadherin around the injured site. This effect is mediated by Ca ²⁺-dependent down-regulation of Pum2, which in turn attenuates Pum2-dependent translational repression of N-cadherin. Furthermore, we show that astrocyte-specific knockout of N-cadherin results in impairment of astrogliosis and neuroprotection. Thus, astrocytic Ca ²⁺ signaling and the downstream function of N-cadherin play indispensable roles in the cellular responses to brain injury. These findings define a previously unreported signaling axis required for reactive astrogliosis and neuroprotection following brain injury.