title: Improvement of the viability of cultured rat neurons by the non-essential amino acids L-serine and glycine that upregulates expression of the anti-apoptotic gene product Bcl-w.
abstract: The non-essential amino acids L-serine (Ser) and glycine (Gly) have recently been shown to exhibit specific actions in the nervous system. In the present study, L-Ser and Gly promoted the survival of cultured rat cerebrocortical neurons in a concentration-dependent manner as revealed by Alamar blue assay and microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP2) immunoblotting. The maximum effects of the amino acids were detected at the concentrations of 30-100 microM. L-Ser was more effective than Gly. D-Ser failed to promote neuronal survival. L-Ser and Gly upregulated expression of the anti-apoptotic gene product Bcl-w, while they did not affect the expression of Bcl-xL. The promotion of neuronal survival by L-Ser and Gly may be, at least in part, attributable to the upregulated Bcl-w.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Ehime University, Ehime 791-0295, Shigenobu, Japan.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Toku
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakanaka
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004396:Coloring Agents; D005333:Fetus; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005998:Glycine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D010078:Oxazines; D011506:Proteins / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D012694:Serine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D014966:Xanthenes; D051020:bcl-X Protein
chemical_list: C494813:Bcl2l1 protein, rat; C491072:Bcl2l2 protein, rat; D004396:Coloring Agents; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D010078:Oxazines; D011506:Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D014966:Xanthenes; D051020:bcl-X Protein; C005843:resazurin; D012694:Serine; D005998:Glycine