Specific Expression of CPP32 in Sensory Neurons of Mouse Embryos and Activation of CPP32 in the Apoptosis Induced by a Withdrawal of NGF

• Published in: Biochemical and biophysical research communications 1997-02, Vol.231 (3), p.770-774
• Main Authors: Mukasa, Takeshi, Urase, Koko, Momoi, Mariko Y., Kimura, Ichiroh, Momoi, Takashi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Apoptosis - drug effects; Caspase 3; Caspases; Cricetinae; Cysteine Endopeptidases - genetics; Enzyme Activation; Ganglia, Spinal - enzymology; Gene Expression Regulation; Humans; In Situ Hybridization; Mice; Molecular Sequence Data; Nerve Growth Factors - pharmacology; Neurons, Afferent - enzymology; RNA, Messenger - genetics; Sequence Alignment; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
• ISSN: 0006-291X; 1090-2104
• DOI: 10.1006/bbrc.1996.6002

We isolated mouse CPP32/apopain cDNA, a mammalian homologue most closely related toCed-3inC. elegans,and examined the involvement of CPP32 in the apoptosis of nervous system during development. CPP32 is specifically expressed in the trigeminal (V) ganglia, facio-acoustic (VII-VIII) ganglion complex, and dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) of mouse 10.5-day embryos. CPP32-like proteases are activated during apoptosis of DRG neurons induced by deprivation of NGF and serum. Ac-DEVD-CHO, an inhibitor for CPP32-like proteases, prevents apoptosis of DRG neurons, but Ac-YVAD-CHO, an inhibitor for ICE-like proteases, does not. These results suggest that CPP32 or CPP32-like proteases play a role as central mediator in the apoptosis of DRG neurons induced by lack of neurotrophin signals.