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Calpain activation and apoptosis in motor neurons of cultured adult mouse spinal cord

Momeni, Hamid Reza ; Azadi, Seifollah LU and Kanje, Martin LU (2007) In Functional Neurology 22(2). p.105-110
Abstract
Calpain, a Ca2+-dependent cysteine protease, has been implicated in neuronal apoptosis following spinal cord injury. In this study, activation of calpain was investigated in motor neurons of adult spinal cord slices from the mouse, using a cell-permeable fluorogenic calpain substrate and Western blotting. Calpain was rapidly activated in the motor neurons of excised spinal cord slices and calpain activity was observed both in the cytoplasm and the nuclei. In these neurons, nuclear and chromatin condensation were pronounced. Both calpain inhibitor VI and EGTA (ethyleneglycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether) N',N',N',N'-tetraacetic acid) inhibited calpain activation and subsequent appearance of apoptotic nuclei. In contrast, the general caspase... (More)
Calpain, a Ca2+-dependent cysteine protease, has been implicated in neuronal apoptosis following spinal cord injury. In this study, activation of calpain was investigated in motor neurons of adult spinal cord slices from the mouse, using a cell-permeable fluorogenic calpain substrate and Western blotting. Calpain was rapidly activated in the motor neurons of excised spinal cord slices and calpain activity was observed both in the cytoplasm and the nuclei. In these neurons, nuclear and chromatin condensation were pronounced. Both calpain inhibitor VI and EGTA (ethyleneglycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether) N',N',N',N'-tetraacetic acid) inhibited calpain activation and subsequent appearance of apoptotic nuclei. In contrast, the general caspase inhibitor Z-VAD.fmk had no effect. Calpain activation was also observed in the slices by Western blotting using an antibody to 150-kD calpain-cleaved a-fodrin fragment. These results show that calpain is rapidly activated in injured motor neurons and imply that this activation could be responsible for execution of caspase-independent apoptosis in injured adult motor neurons. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
organ culture, motor neurons, caspase, apoptosis, calpain, spinal cord
in
Functional Neurology
volume
22
issue
2
pages
105 - 110
publisher
CIC Edizioni Internazionali
external identifiers
  • wos:000248938700007
  • scopus:34547918820
ISSN
0393-5264
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
3d69219b-b0fc-4735-8921-87d4d2bb1892 (old id 691953)
alternative location
http://www.functionalneurology.it/index.php?PAGE=archivio
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:06:59
date last changed
2022-01-28 17:22:48
@article{3d69219b-b0fc-4735-8921-87d4d2bb1892,
  abstract     = {{Calpain, a Ca2+-dependent cysteine protease, has been implicated in neuronal apoptosis following spinal cord injury. In this study, activation of calpain was investigated in motor neurons of adult spinal cord slices from the mouse, using a cell-permeable fluorogenic calpain substrate and Western blotting. Calpain was rapidly activated in the motor neurons of excised spinal cord slices and calpain activity was observed both in the cytoplasm and the nuclei. In these neurons, nuclear and chromatin condensation were pronounced. Both calpain inhibitor VI and EGTA (ethyleneglycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether) N',N',N',N'-tetraacetic acid) inhibited calpain activation and subsequent appearance of apoptotic nuclei. In contrast, the general caspase inhibitor Z-VAD.fmk had no effect. Calpain activation was also observed in the slices by Western blotting using an antibody to 150-kD calpain-cleaved a-fodrin fragment. These results show that calpain is rapidly activated in injured motor neurons and imply that this activation could be responsible for execution of caspase-independent apoptosis in injured adult motor neurons.}},
  author       = {{Momeni, Hamid Reza and Azadi, Seifollah and Kanje, Martin}},
  issn         = {{0393-5264}},
  keywords     = {{organ culture; motor neurons; caspase; apoptosis; calpain; spinal cord}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{105--110}},
  publisher    = {{CIC Edizioni Internazionali}},
  series       = {{Functional Neurology}},
  title        = {{Calpain activation and apoptosis in motor neurons of cultured adult mouse spinal cord}},
  url          = {{http://www.functionalneurology.it/index.php?PAGE=archivio}},
  volume       = {{22}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}