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J. Cell Biol.,
Volume 143, Number 2, October 19, 1998 457-467


* Department of Pathology and Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University College of Physicians and
Surgeons, New York, New York 10032; and Previous reports have indicated that DNA-damaging treatments including certain anticancer therapeutics cause death of postmitotic nerve cells both in
vitro and in vivo. Accordingly, it has become important
to understand the signaling events that control this process. We recently hypothesized that certain cell cycle
molecules may play an important role in neuronal
death signaling evoked by DNA damage. Consequently, we examined whether cyclin-dependent kinase
inhibitors (CKIs) and dominant-negative (DN) cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK) protect sympathetic and cortical neurons against DNA-damaging conditions. We
show that Sindbis virus-induced expression of CKIs
p16ink4, p21waf/cip1, and p27kip1, as well as DN-Cdk4 and
6, but not DN-Cdk2 or 3, protect sympathetic neurons
against UV irradiation- and AraC-induced death. We
also demonstrate that the CKIs p16 and p27 as well as
DN-Cdk4 and 6 but not DN-Cdk2 or 3 protect cortical
neurons from the DNA damaging agent camptothecin.
Finally, in consonance with our hypothesis and these
results, cyclin D1-associated kinase activity is rapidly and highly elevated in cortical neurons upon camptothecin treatment. These results suggest that postmitotic
neurons may utilize Cdk4 and 6, signals that normally
control proliferation, to mediate death signaling resulting from DNA-damaging conditions.
Department of Pharmacology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey,
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854
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