The role of apoptosis in Caenorhabditis elegans neuronal differentiation

• Published in: Science China. Life sciences 2015-11, Vol.58 (11), p.1163-1166
• Main Authors: Wu, KaiDa, Tian, Dong, Zhu, ZhiWen, Chai, YongPing, Ou, GuangShuo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Animals, Genetically Modified; Apoptosis - genetics; Apoptosis - physiology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Brain - cytology; Brain - metabolism; Brain - physiology; Caenorhabditis elegans - genetics; Caenorhabditis elegans - metabolism; Caenorhabditis elegans - physiology; Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins - genetics; Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins - metabolism; Cell Differentiation - genetics; Cell Differentiation - physiology; Cell Lineage - genetics; Cell Lineage - physiology; Letter to the Editor; Life Sciences; Models, Neurological; Mutation; Neural Stem Cells - cytology; Neural Stem Cells - metabolism; Neural Stem Cells - physiology; Neurons - cytology; Neurons - metabolism; Neurons - physiology; 神经元; 神经细胞分化; 神经营养因子; 神经退行性疾病; 秀丽隐杆线虫; 科学研究; 细胞凋亡; 细胞生物学
• ISSN: 1674-7305; 1869-1889
• DOI: 10.1007/s11427-015-4952-y

Dear Editor,Neuronal apoptosis is considered to be essential for brain development and neurodegenerative disorders and has been a major focus in cell biological and neuroscientific studies since its first recognition a century ago [1]. Remarkable progress has been made in defining the molecular and cel- lular pathways underlying neuronal apoptosis during the past decade [2], however, it remains relatively unclear about the physiological functions of apoptosis in neural develop- ment. The neurotrophin hypothesis proposes that immature neurons compete for trophic factors that are derived from target neurons in limited supply and that only neurons that successfully establish synaptic connections with their tar- gets would receive trophic support to survive [3].