We previously demonstrated that exogenously administered neurokinin A and neurokinin B, but not substance P, increased the sensitivity of cultured cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) to glutamate. In the present study, the presence of tachykinin neuropeptides in CGNs was tested by confocal-based immunofluorescence. We found that neurokinin A and neurokinin B are present in CGNs but absent in astr...

Neurotoxicity induced by overstimulation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors is due, in part, to a sustained rise in intracellular Ca2+; however, little is known about the ensuing intracellular events that ultimately result in cell death. Here we show that overstimulation of NMDA receptors by relatively low concentrations of glutamate induces apoptosis of cultured cerebellar granule neuron...

Dendrite and synapse development are critical for establishing appropriate neuronal circuits, and disrupted timing of these events can alter neural connectivity. Using microarrays, we have identified a nuclear factor I (NFI)-regulated temporal switch program linked to dendrite formation in developing mouse cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs). NFI function was required for upregulation of many syn...

Plexin-B2 deletion leads to aberrant lamination of cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) and Purkinje cells. Although in the cerebellum is only expressed by proliferating CGN precursors outer external layer (oEGL), its function development still elusive. Here, we used 3D imaging, vivo electroporation live-imaging techniques study novel cerebellum-specific Plxnb2 conditional knockout mice. We show t...

We previously reported that two trifluoromethyl ketones, 3,3,3-trifluoro-1-phenyl-1,2-propanedione (TF1) and 1,1,1-trifluoro-3-phenyl-2-propanone (TF2), have neuroprotective effects against low K(+)-induced apoptosis in cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) exposed at 12-13 days in vitro (DIV). On the other hand, these compounds showed weak neuroprotective potency against 7 DIV CGNs. It is reported...

The cell cycle-regulatory transcription factor E2F1 induces apoptosis of postmitotic neurons in developmental and pathological situations. E2F1 transcriptionally activates many proapoptotic genes including the cyclin-dependent protein kinase cell division cycle 2 (Cdc2). Necdin is a potent mitotic suppressor expressed predominantly in postmitotic neurons and interacts with E2F1 to suppress E2F1...

The contribution of Fas (CD95/APO-1) to cell death mechanisms of differentiated neurons is controversially discussed. Rat cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) express high levels of Fas in vitro but are resistant to FasL (CD95L/APO-1L/CD178)-induced apoptosis. We here show that this resistance was mediated by a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase)-Akt/protein kinase B (PKB)-dependent expres...

Discrimination between edible and noxious food, crucial for animal survival, is based on separate gustatory receptors for phagostimulants and deterrents. In the moth Heliothis virescens, gustatory receptor neurons (GRNs) tuned to phagostimulants like sucrose and deterrents like quinine, respectively, have indicated a labeled line mechanism for mediating appetitive and aversive information to th...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS We have previously shown that neuroglobin (Ngb) expression can be regulated by sodium arsenite (NaAsO2) exposure in rat cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs). However, the precise molecular mechanisms of Ngb action are largely unknown. Ras homolog (Rho) guanosine triphosphatases (Rho GTPases) are involved in the regulation of a number of cellular processes, including cell cytoto...