title: α-Crystallin promotes rat axonal regeneration through regulation of RhoA/rock/cofilin/MLC signaling pathways.
abstract: Intravitreal injection of α-crystallin can promote axons from optic nerve regeneration after crushing in rats. We have previously demonstrated that α-crystallin can counteract the effect of myelin inhibitory factors and stimulate neurite growth. And a common crucial signaling event for myelin inhibitory factors is the activation of RhoA. To investigate whether α-crystallin counteracts the inhibitory effect of myelin inhibitory factors through regulation of RhoA/Rock signaling pathway, α-crystallin (10(-4) g/L) was injected into rat vitreous at the time the optic nerve crushed. The RhoA protein activity and the expression of RhoA and Rock were evaluated after 3 days of optic nerve axotomy. Rock downstream effectors, phosphorylated cofilin, and phosphorylated myosin light chain were detected when retinal neurons were cultured for 3 days. Axonal regeneration and neurites growth of cultured cells were observed also. Our results showed that α-crystallin decreased the RhoA protein activity and the phosphorylation of both cofilin and myosin light chain, and promoted the axonal growth. However, the expression of RhoA and Rock was not affected by α-crystallin. These findings indicated that α-crystallin could counteract the effect of myelin inhibitory factors through the regulation of RhoA/Rock signaling pathway.
authors.affiliation: Southwest Hospital, Southwest Eye Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yan Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Dong Wu
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zheng Qin
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Yin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D051338:Cofilin 1 / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D018994:Myosin Light Chains / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D009901:Optic Nerve Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D038201:alpha-Crystallins / Q000502:physiology*; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C495812:Cfl1 protein, rat; D051338:Cofilin 1; D018994:Myosin Light Chains; D038201:alpha-Crystallins; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein