Reduction of endogenous transforming growth factors beta prevents ontogenetic neuron death.
We show that following immunoneutralization of endogenous transforming growth factors beta (TGF-beta) in the chick embryo, ontogenetic neuron death of ciliary, dorsal root and spinal motor neurons was largely prevented, and neuron losses following limb bud ablation were greatly reduced. Likewise, preventing TGF-beta signaling by treatment with a TbetaR-II fusion protein during the period of ontogenetic cell death in the ciliary ganglion rescued all neurons that normally die. TUNEL staining revealed decreased numbers of apoptotic cells following antibody treatment. Exogenous TGF-beta rescued the TGF-beta-deprived phenotype. We conclude that TGF-beta is critical in regulating ontogenetic neuron death as well as cell death following neuronal target deprivation.
Krieglstein
K
K
Department of Anatomy, Medical Faculty, University of Saarland at Homburg/Saar, Building 61, D-66421 Homburg/Saar, Germany. ankkri@med-rz.uni-sb.de
Richter
S
S
Farkas
L
L
Schuster
N
N
Dünker
N
N
Oppenheim
R W
RW
Unsicker
K
K
D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002924:Ciliary Body / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000494:pharmacology; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
D000906:Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta