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Differential regulation of motor neuron survival and choline acetyltransferase expression following axotomy

Kou, Shi-Ying and Chiu, Arlene Y. and Patterson, Paul H. (1995) Differential regulation of motor neuron survival and choline acetyltransferase expression following axotomy. Journal of Neurobiology, 27 (4). pp. 561-572. ISSN 0022-3034. doi:10.1002/neu.480270410. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20151229-231244881

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Abstract

Although it is well known that motor neuron survival following axotomy is enhanced with maturation, the ability of surviving neurons to express the cholinergic enzyme choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) following axotomy has not been closely examined. Moreover, the utility of the facial nucleus in studies of motoneuron response to injury and to trophic factors, coupled with the increasing importance of the mouse in gene targeting, compelled us to investigate the age dependence of neuronal survival and ChAT expression in the mouse facial nucleus following axotomy. We cut the facial nerve at postnatal day (P)4, 7, 14, 21, and 28 or in the adult and used Nissl staining and ChAT immunocytochemistry to quantitate survival and ChAT expression, respectively, following 1, 2, or 3 weeks' survival at each age. We confirm in this model that the rate and extent of motor neuron death following axotomy is reduced with increasing maturity. The surviving neurons maintain a high ChAT content through P21; however, axotomy from P28 through adulthood results in a striking reduction in ChAT immunoreactivity. That is, although axotomy at P21 results in 61% motor neuron survival, with virtually all of the surviving neurons being ChAT positive, axotomy in the adult results in 72% survival but only 9% of the neurons are ChAT positive. Thus, surviving motor neurons in the adult animals are only weakly cholinergic. These results indicate that a change in the regulation of ChAT expression occurs following P21 so that cell survival and enzyme levels are uncoupled. We suggest that the putative factor or factors that enhances motor neuron survival in maturity is not capable of maintaining ChAT expression.


Item Type:Article
Related URLs:
URLURL TypeDescription
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/neu.480270410DOIArticle
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/neu.480270410/abstractPublisherArticle
Additional Information:© 1995 John Wiley & Sons. Received December 23, 1994; accepted March 13, 1995.
Subject Keywords:motoneuron survival; mouse facial nucleus; cholinergic
Issue or Number:4
DOI:10.1002/neu.480270410
Record Number:CaltechAUTHORS:20151229-231244881
Persistent URL:https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20151229-231244881
Official Citation:Kou, S.-Y., Chiu, A. Y. and Patterson, P. H. (1995), Differential regulation of motor neuron survival and choline acetyltransferase expression following axotomy. J. Neurobiol., 27: 561–572. doi: 10.1002/neu.480270410
Usage Policy:No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided.
ID Code:63260
Collection:CaltechAUTHORS
Deposited By: George Porter
Deposited On:28 Jan 2016 00:01
Last Modified:10 Nov 2021 23:14

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