title: Immature and mature cortical neurons engage different apoptotic mechanisms involving caspase-3 and the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway.
abstract: The authors used cultured mouse cortical neurons to study mechanisms of DNA damage-induced apoptosis in immature and mature neurons. Neurons were maintained viably for 60 days in vitro (DIV60). The increased levels of glutamate receptors, synaptic proteins, and glycolytic enzyme were used to track maturation. Exposure of neurons to the DNA-damaging agent camptothecin induced apoptosis in immature (DIV5) and mature (DIV25-30) neurons. Internucleosomal fragmentation of DNA emerged more rapidly in mature neurons than in immature neurons. Immunoblotting revealed that cleaved caspase-3 increased in apoptotic DIV5 neurons but not in DIV30 neurons, but immunolocalization showed accumulation of cleaved caspase-3 in DIV5 and DIV30 neurons. A reversible caspase-3 inhibitor blocked apoptosis in DIV5 neurons but not in DIV30 neurons. Phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase/mitogen-activated protein kinase (Erk/MAP kinase)-42/44 occurred preapoptotically in mature but not immature neurons, while Erk54 nuclear translocation and MAP kinase kinase kinase-1 cleavage into putative caspase-3-generated proapoptotic fragments occurred in DIV5 but not DIV30 neurons. Inhibition of Erk activation with MAP kinase kinase inhibitor blocked apoptosis at both ages. The results show that immature and mature cortical neurons engage different signaling mechanisms in MAP kinase and caspase pathways during apoptosis; thus, neuron age influences the mechanisms and progression of apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Division of Neuropathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205-2196, USA.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lesuisse
authors.forename: Lee J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D002166:Camptothecin / Q000494:pharmacology; D053148:Caspase 3; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002458:Cell Fractionation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D051843:Synucleins; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
chemical_list: D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051843:Synucleins; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; C505409:Casp3 protein, mouse; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases; D002166:Camptothecin