title: The role of p-c-Jun in survival and outgrowth of developing sensory neurons.
abstract: c-Jun activation has been implicated not only in neuronal apoptosis, but also in survival and regeneration. This Janus facet of c-Jun activation could be related to neuronal cell type or to the developmental stage of the neuron. We investigated c-Jun activation in E18 sensory neurons. Cultures of rat dorsal root ganglia neurons were maintained with or without the addition of nerve growth factor or the c-Jun N-terminal kinase inhibitor, (D)-JNKI1. Few dorsal root ganglia neurons survived nerve growth factor deprivation, whereas neurons supplied with nerve growth factor survived and exhibited extensive axonal outgrowth. Activated c-Jun was present in the nuclei of neurons with regenerating axons, but not in apoptotic neurons. c-Jun N-terminal kinase inhibition reduced the number of p-c-Jun immunoreactive and regenerating neurons, and increased cell death. Thus, activation of c-Jun seems to be required for survival and regeneration of developing sensory neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Organism Biology, Lund University, Sweden. charlotta.lindwall@cob.lu.se
authors.forename: Charlotta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lindwall
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanje
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000873:Anthracenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000502:physiology; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000873:Anthracenes; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; C432165:pyrazolanthrone; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases