Role of BCL-2 in the survival and function of developing and mature sympathetic neurons

Sympathetic neurons, when placed in culture during the period of naturally occurring cell death, will die by apoptosis when deprived of nerve growth factor (NGF). In this system, the mRNA levels of the BCL-2 family members decrease after NGF deprivation and during apoptosis. Sympathetic neurons from...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neuron (Cambridge, Mass.) Mass.), 1995-09, Vol.15 (3), p.649-661
Main Authors: Greenlund, Laura J.S., Korsmeyer, Stanley J., Johnson, Eugene M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Apoptosis - physiology
Base Sequence
Cell Survival - physiology
Cells, Cultured
Ganglia, Sympathetic - cytology
Gene Expression
Immunohistochemistry
In Situ Hybridization
Mice
Mice, Transgenic
Nerve Growth Factors - pharmacology
Nerve Growth Factors - physiology
Neurons - physiology
Proto-Oncogene Proteins - deficiency
Proto-Oncogene Proteins - genetics
Proto-Oncogene Proteins - physiology
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
Rats
RNA, Messenger - metabolism
Time Factors
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Summary:Sympathetic neurons, when placed in culture during the period of naturally occurring cell death, will die by apoptosis when deprived of nerve growth factor (NGF). In this system, the mRNA levels of the BCL-2 family members decrease after NGF deprivation and during apoptosis. Sympathetic neurons from BCL-2-deficient mice died more rapidly after NGF deprivation than neurons from wild-type littermates. Sympathetic neurons of adult animals are relatively independent of NGF for survival. If sympathetic neurons are maintained in vitro for several weeks, loss of acute trophic factor dependence develops with atime course similar to that seen in the intact animal. Examination of neurons from BCL-2-deficient mice showed that BCL-2 expression is not required for the development of trophic factor independence. Therefore, BCL-2 is an important regulator of the survival of sympathetic neurons after NGF deprivation during the period of naturally occurring programmed neuronal death, but BCL-2 is not involved in the development of trophic factor independence in mature sympathetic neurons.
ISSN:0896-6273
1097-4199
DOI:10.1016/0896-6273(95)90153-1