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c‐Jun regulation in rat neonatal motoneurons postaxotomy
Author(s) -
Casanovas Anna,
Ribera Joan,
Hager Gerhard,
Kreutzberg Georg W.,
Esquerda Josep E.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of neuroscience research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.72
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1097-4547
pISSN - 0360-4012
DOI - 10.1002/jnr.1041
Subject(s) - c jun , axotomy , immunocytochemistry , messenger rna , spinal cord , biology , in situ hybridization , neuroscience , polyclonal antibodies , microbiology and biotechnology , antibody , central nervous system , transcription factor , endocrinology , immunology , gene , biochemistry
Abstract Motoneurons respond to peripheral nerve transection by either regenerative or degenerative events depending on their state of maturation. Since the expression of c‐Jun has been involved in the early signalling of the regenerative process that follows nerve transection in adults, we have investigated c‐Jun on rat neonatal axotomized motoneurons during the period in which neuronal death is induced. Changes in levels of c‐Jun protein and its mRNA were determined by means of quantitative immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization. Three hours after nerve transection performed on postnatal day (P)3, c‐Jun protein and mRNA is induced in axotomized spinal cord motoneurons, and high levels were reached between 1 and 10 days after. This response is associated with a detectable c‐Jun activation by phosphorylation on serine 63. No changes were found in the levels of activating transcription factor ‐2. Most of dying motoneurons were not labelled by either a specific c‐Jun antibody or a c‐jun mRNA probe. However, dying motoneurons were specifically stained by a polyclonal anti c‐Jun antibody, indicating that some c‐Jun antibodies react with unknown epitopes, probably distinct from c‐Jun p39, that are specifically associated with apoptosis. J. Neurosci. Res. 63:469–479, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.