title: Noggin and Sonic hedgehog are involved in compensatory changes within the motoneuron-depleted mouse spinal cord.
abstract: Sonic hedgehog and Noggin are morphogenetic factors involved in neural induction and ventralization of the neural tube, but recent findings suggest that they could participate in regeneration and functional recovery after injury. Here, in order to verify if these mechanisms could occur in the spinal cord and involve synaptic plasticity, we measured the expression levels of Sonic hedgehog, Noggin, Choline Acetyltransferase, Synapsin-I and Glutamate receptor subunits (GluR1, GluR2, GluR4), in a motoneuron-depleted mouse spinal cord lesion model obtained by intramuscular injection of Cholera toxin-B saporin. The lesion caused differential expression changes of the analyzed proteins. Moreover, motor performance was found correlated with Sonic hedgehog and Noggin expression in lesioned animals. The results also suggest that Sonic hedgehog could collaborate in modulating synaptic plasticity. Together, these findings confirm that the injured mammalian spinal cord has intrinsic potential for repair and that some proteins classically involved in development, such as Sonic hedgehog and Noggin could have important roles in regeneration and functional restoration, by mechanisms including synaptic plasticity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bio-Medical Sciences, Section of Physiology, University of Catania, Viale Andrea Doria 6, Catania, Italy. sarogulino@gmail.com
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gulino
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gulisano
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002772:Cholera Toxin / Q000633:toxicity; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D007839:Functional Laterality; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008124:Locomotion / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000633:toxicity; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate / Q000378:metabolism; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D054789:Ribosome Inactivating Proteins, Type 1 / Q000633:toxicity; D000076985:Saporins; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016704:Synapsins; D013997:Time Factors; D000099176:Noggin Protein
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D002772:Cholera Toxin; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009498:Neurotoxins; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate; D054789:Ribosome Inactivating Proteins, Type 1; D000076985:Saporins; D016704:Synapsins; D000099176:Noggin Protein
keywords: Cholera toxin-B saporin; Glutamate receptor; Morphogen; Noggin; Regeneration; Sonic hedgehog; Spinal cord; Synaptic plasticity