Transfer of the apoptotic message in sister cultures of cerebellar neurons.
In vitro cultured cerebellar granule cells (cgc) undergo apoptotic death when the depolarising concentration of KCl 25 mM is adjusted to 5 mM. We investigated whether the apoptotic message can be transferred from a group of neurons to neighbouring but separated sister cultures by resorting to two different culture systems, one based on the use of concentric dishes, the other employing the transwells. The extent of transferred death was 38.6% in the two dishes system and 31.3% in the transwell system. The transfer of such death-inducing signal(s), accompanied by chromatin condensation, was inhibited by actinomicin D. Preliminary experiments aimed at identifying such apoptosis-inducing signal(s) suggest the involvement of beta-amyloid fragment(s).
Anna De Berardinis
M
M
Istituto di Neurobiologia e Medicina Molecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Viale C. Marx 15, 00137 Rome, Italy.
Ciotti
M T
MT
Amadoro
G
G
Galli
C
C
Calissano
P
P
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D018920:Coculture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D003609:Dactinomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D011189:Potassium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors; D003609:Dactinomycin; D011189:Potassium Chloride