title: Programmed Cell Death and Caspase Functions During Neural Development.
abstract: Programmed cell death (PCD) is a fundamental component of nervous system development. PCD serves as the mechanism for quantitative matching of the number of projecting neurons and their target cells through direct competition for neurotrophic factors in the vertebrate peripheral nervous system. In addition, PCD plays roles in regulating neural cell numbers, canceling developmental errors or noise, and tissue remodeling processes. These findings are mainly derived from genetic studies that prevent cells from dying by apoptosis, which is a major form of PCD and is executed by activation of evolutionarily conserved cysteine protease caspases. Recent studies suggest that caspase activation can be coordinated in time and space at multiple levels, which might underlie nonapoptotic roles of caspases in neural development in addition to apoptotic roles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan; Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: bunbun@mol.f.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan; Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: miura@mol.f.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D016923:Cell Death; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002470:Cell Survival; D004330:Drosophila / Q000254:growth & development; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005123:Eye / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009420:Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development*; D055495:Neurogenesis; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000166:cytology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D020169:Caspases
keywords: Apoptosis; Caspase; Drosophila; Mouse; Nervous system; Neural tube closure; Neuroblasts; Programmed cell death; Sensory organ precursor; Signaling center