title: Bcl-2 is not required in retinal ganglion cells surviving optic nerve axotomy.
abstract: Axotomy of the optic nerve in rodents induces the majority of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) to undergo apoptosis: Only 10-15% survive 14 days past lesion. The molecular mechanism allowing this survival is not known. To test whether expression of the anti-apoptotic proto-oncogene bcl-2 gene is required in those RGCs, we examined the effect of optic nerve axotomy in bcl-2-/- mice. 7 days and 14 days post-lesion, the same number of surviving RGCs was detected in mutant and wild type retinas. Thus, the bcl-2 gene is not necessary for the survival of the subpopulation of retinal ganglion cells resisting axotomy-induced apoptosis in adult mice, nor does its normal expression delay retinal ganglion cell degeneration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Auf der Morgenstelle 15, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Dietz
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kilic
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bähr
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Isenmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D019771:Axotomy; D002232:Carbocyanines; D002452:Cell Count; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D020221:Optic Nerve Injuries / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012183:Retrograde Degeneration / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: C035005:3,3'-dihexadecylindocarbocyanine; D002232:Carbocyanines; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2