title: L-serine and glycine serve as major astroglia-derived trophic factors for cerebellar Purkinje neurons.
abstract: Glial cells support the survival and development of central neurons through the supply of trophic factors. Here we demonstrate that l-serine (l-Ser) and glycine (Gly) also are glia-derived trophic factors. These amino acids are released by astroglial cells and promote the survival, dendritogenesis, and electrophysiological development of cultured cerebellar Purkinje neurons. Although l-Ser and Gly are generally classified as nonessential amino acids, 3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (3PGDH), a key enzyme for their biosynthesis, is not expressed in Purkinje neurons. By contrast, the Bergman glia, a native astroglia in the cerebellar cortex, highly expresses 3PGDH. These data suggest that l-Ser and Gly mediate the trophic actions of glial cells on Purkinje neurons.
authors.affiliation: Neuronal Circuit Mechanisms Research Group, Brain Science Institute, Frontier Research Program, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan. furuyash@postman.riken.go.jp
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Furuya
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tabata
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mitoma
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamasaki
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Makino
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kano
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirabayashi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002237:Carbohydrate Dehydrogenases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018846:Excitatory Amino Acids / Q000502:physiology; D005998:Glycine / Q000502:physiology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D050543:Phosphoglycerate Dehydrogenase; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012694:Serine / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018846:Excitatory Amino Acids; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012694:Serine; D002237:Carbohydrate Dehydrogenases; D050543:Phosphoglycerate Dehydrogenase; D005998:Glycine