Adult neuronal regeneration induced by transgenic integrin expression.
In a variety of adult CNS injury models, embryonic neurons exhibit superior regenerative performance when compared with adult neurons. It is unknown how young neurons extend axons in the injured adult brain, in which adult neurons fail to regenerate. This study shows that cultured adult neurons do not adapt to conditions that are characteristic of the injured adult CNS: low levels of growth-promoting molecules and the presence of inhibitory proteoglycans. In contrast, young neurons readily adapt to these same conditions, and adaptation is accompanied by an increase in the expression of receptors for growth-promoting molecules (receptors of the integrin family). Surprisingly, the regenerative performance of adult neurons can be restored to that of young neurons by gene transfer-mediated expression of a single alpha-integrin.
Condic
M L
ML
Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132-0002, USA. maureen.condic@hsc.utah.edu
D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D039222:Integrin alpha1beta1; D016023:Integrins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D007797:Laminin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D008024:Ligands; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017469:Receptors, Fibronectin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D014162:Transfection; D019076:Transgenes
D005353:Fibronectins; D039222:Integrin alpha1beta1; D016023:Integrins; D007797:Laminin; D008024:Ligands; D017469:Receptors, Fibronectin