title: Upregulation of Gem relates to retinal ganglion cells apoptosis after optic nerve crush in adult rats.
abstract: GTP-binding protein Gem, a member protein of the Ras superfamily, can regulate actin cytoskeleton reorganization mediated by Rho-associated coiled-coil-containing protein kinase (ROCK). One attractive activity of the ROCK is playing a potential role in physiological and pathological process in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) apoptosis. However, the function of Gem in retina is still with limited understanding. To investigate whether Gem is involved in optic nerve injury, we performed an optic nerve crush (ONC) model in adult rats. Western blot analysis indicated that Gem was significantly increased in the retina at the 3rd day after ONC. Meanwhile, double-immunofluorescent staining showed that Gem expression was mainly up-regulated in ganglion cell layer and co-localized with NeuN (a marker of RGCs). Additionally, the co-localizations of Gem/active-caspase-3 and Gem/TUNEL-positive cells were detected in RGCs. Furthermore, the expression of active-caspase-3 and TUNEL-positive cells was parallel with that of Gem. Finally, expression pattern of ROCK family (only ROCK2 but not ROCK1) was increased in the differentiated process, which was collected with the expression of GEM and active-caspase-3. Based on the present results, it is suggested that Gem might play a crucial role in RGCs apoptosis after ONC, which might be involved in ROCK pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Lifei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Siming
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D034961:Antigens, Nuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D017209:Apoptosis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D008297:Male; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D020559:Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009409:Nerve Crush / Q000009:adverse effects; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020221:Optic Nerve Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012160:Retina / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015854:Up-Regulation; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C546339:Rbfox3 protein, rat; C580818:ROCK2 protein, rat; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases; D053148:Caspase 3; C581695:Gem protein, rat; D020559:Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins