title: Signaling via the transcriptionally regulated activin receptor 2B is a novel mediator of neuronal cell death during chicken ciliary ganglion development.
abstract: The TGF-β ligand superfamily members activin A and BMP control important aspects of embryonic neuronal development and differentiation. Both are known to bind to activin receptor subtypes IIA (ActRIIA) and IIB, while in the avian ciliary ganglion (CG), so far only ActRIIA-expression has been described. We show that the expression of ACVR2B, coding for the ActRIIB, is tightly regulated during CG development and the knockdown of ACVR2B expression leads to a deregulation in the execution of neuronal apoptosis and therefore affects ontogenetic programmed cell death in vivo. While the differentiation of choroid neurons was impeded in the knockdown, pointing toward a reduction in activin A-mediated neural differentiation signaling, naturally occurring neuronal cell death in the CG was not prevented by follistatin treatment. Systemic injections of the BMP antagonist noggin, on the other hand, reduced the number of apoptotic neurons to a similar extent as ACVR2B knockdown. We therefore propose a novel pathway in the regulation of CG neuron ontogenetic programmed cell death, which could be mediated by BMP and signals via the ActRIIB.
authors: Department of Molecular Embryology, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Schaenzlestrasse 1, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany. Electronic address: sophie.koszinowski@anat.uni-freiburg.de.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Koszinowski
authors: Department of Molecular Embryology, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Buss
authors: Department of Molecular Embryology, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Kaehlcke
authors: Department of Molecular Embryology, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany. Electronic address: kerstin.krieglstein@anat.uni-freiburg.de.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Krieglstein
mesh_terms: D030301:Activin Receptors, Type II / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D030161:Avian Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine / Q000378:metabolism; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002642:Chick Embryo; D005726:Ganglia, Parasympathetic / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000378:metabolism; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D046228:Microarray Analysis; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000378:metabolism; D000099176:Noggin Protein
chemical_list: D030301:Activin Receptors, Type II; D030161:Avian Proteins; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D053148:Caspase 3; D015683:Gene Products, gag; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes; D013004:Somatostatin; D000099176:Noggin Protein; C099107:CASH-1 protein, Gallus gallus; C035906:Fast Green; C425584:activin receptor type II-B
keywords: Activin; Apoptosis; BMP; Ciliary ganglion; Ontogenetic cell death; TGF-β