title: Igf1 and Pacap rescue cerebellar granule neurons from apoptosis via a common transcriptional program.
abstract: A shift of the delicate balance between apoptosis and survival-inducing signals determines the fate of neurons during the development of the central nervous system and its homeostasis throughout adulthood. Both pathways, promoting or protecting from apoptosis, trigger a transcriptional program. We conducted whole-genome expression profiling to decipher the transcriptional regulatory elements controlling the apoptotic/survival switch in cerebellar granule neurons following the induction of apoptosis by serum and potassium deprivation or their rescue by either insulin-like growth factor-1 (Igf1) or pituitary adenylyl cyclase-activating polypeptide (Pacap). Although depending on different upstream signaling pathways, the survival effects of Igf1 and Pacap converged into common transcriptional cascades, thus suggesting the existence of a general transcriptional program underlying neuronal survival.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurological Sciences, Italian National Research Council, 95126 Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Maino
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Human Anatomy and Histology, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Velia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: D'Agata
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurobiology and Molecular Medicine, Italian National Research Council, 00143 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Severini
authors.affiliation: European Brain Research Institute, 00143 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Ciotti
authors.affiliation: European Brain Research Institute, 00143 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Calissano
authors.affiliation: Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Agata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Copani
authors.affiliation: Center for Advanced Genomic Technology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Yi-Chien
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: DeLisi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurological Sciences, Italian National Research Council, 95126 Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Sebastiano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cavallaro