Secreted calmodulin-like skin protein inhibits neuronal death in cell-based Alzheimer's disease models via the heterotrimeric Humanin receptor.

Humanin is a secreted bioactive peptide that is protective in a variety of death models, including cell-based neuronal death models related to Alzheimer's disease (AD). To mediate the protective effect in AD-related death models, Humanin signals via a cell-surface receptor that is generally composed of three subunits: ciliary neurotrophic factor receptor α, WSX-1 and gp130 (heterotrimeric Humanin receptor; htHNR). However, the protective effect of Humanin via the htHNR is weak (EC50=1-10 μM); therefore, it is possible that another physiological agonist for this receptor exists in vivo. In the current study, calmodulin-like skin protein (CLSP), a calmodulin relative with an undefined function, was shown to be secreted and inhibit neuronal death via the htHNR with an EC50 of 10-100 pM. CLSP was highly expressed in the skin, and the concentration in circulating normal human blood was ~5 nM. When administered intraperitoneally in mice, recombinant CLSP was transported across the blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-barrier and its concentration in the CSF reaches 1/100 of its serum concentration at 1 h after injection. These findings suggest that CLSP is a physiological htHNR agonist.

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