Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase activates muscarinic acetylcholine M1 receptor pathway in neuroblastoma cells

Muscarinic receptors (mAChRs) control several neuronal functions and are widely expressed in the central nervous system (CNS): M1 subtype represents the predominant mAChR in the CNS. Previously, we showed that antioxidant enzyme Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) is secreted by many cellular lines and specifically interacts with cell surface membrane of human neuroblastoma SK-N-BE cells thus activating phospholipase C (PLC) transduction pathway and increasing intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)). In addition, we demonstrated that a small amount of SOD1 is contained in large core dense vesicles and that it is secreted in response to depolarization induced by elevated extracellular K(+) concentration. In the present study, we investigated the involvement of muscarinic M1 receptors in SOD1-induced activation of PLC transduction pathway. We showed that, in SK-N-BE cells, SOD1 was able to activate muscarinic M1 receptor producing a phosphorylation of ERK 1/2 and Akt in dose- and time-dependent manner. Interestingly, in the presence of the M1 antagonist pirenzepine, ERK 1/2 and Akt phosphorylation induced by SOD1 was remarkably prevented. This effect was mimicked by knocking-down M1 receptor using two sequences of RNA silencing (siRNA). At functional level, siRNAs against M1 receptor were able to prevent the increase in [Ca(2+)](i) induced by SOD1. The same inhibitory effect on [Ca(2+)](i) changes was produced by the M1 antagonist pirenzepine. Collectively, the results of this study demonstrated that SOD1 could activate a transductional pathway through the involvement of M1 muscarinic receptor.