Components of the NGF signaling complex are altered in mdx mouse superior cervical ganglion and its target organs.
We previously reported that in the superior cervical ganglion (SCG) of dystrophic mdx mice, which lack full-length dystrophin, there is a loss of neurons projecting to SCG muscular targets, like the iris. Nonetheless, surviving neurons, innervating either iris or submandibular gland (SuGl), a SCG non-muscular target, underwent reduced axon defasciculation and terminal branching. Here we report that, during early post-natal development, levels of pro-apoptotic proNGF in mdx mouse iris, but not in the SuGl, are higher than in the wild-type. This increase, along with reduced levels of NGF receptors (TrkA and p75NTR) in SCG, may be partly responsible for the observed loss of neurons projecting to the iris. These alterations, combined with a reduction in polysialylated-NCAM and neurofilament protein levels in SCG, may also account for reduced axon defasciculation and terminal branching in mdx mouse SCG targets.
Lombardi
Loredana
L
Dipartimento di Biologia Cellulare e dello Sviluppo, Sapienza Università di Roma, Italy.
De Stefano
M Egle
ME
Paggi
Paola
P
D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004398:Dyneins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015870:Gene Expression; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007498:Iris / Q000294:innervation / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018101:Mice, Inbred mdx; D009137:Muscular Dystrophy, Animal / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D039842:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule L1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020917:Receptor, trkA / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013363:Submandibular Gland / Q000294:innervation / Q000378:metabolism*; D017783:Superior Cervical Ganglion / Q000378:metabolism*
D039842:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule L1; D011498:Protein Precursors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor; D012794:Sialic Acids; C517634:Ngfr protein, mouse; C103469:polysialyl neural cell adhesion molecule; C489226:pro-nerve growth factor, mouse; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor; D020917:Receptor, trkA; D004398:Dyneins