Seijffers R, Allchorne AJ, Woolf CJ. The transcription factor ATF-3 promotes neurite outgrowth.
Mol Cell Neurosci 2006;
32:143-54. [PMID:
16713293 DOI:
10.1016/j.mcn.2006.03.005]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2005] [Revised: 03/10/2006] [Accepted: 03/23/2006] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons regenerate after a peripheral nerve injury but not after injury to their axons in the spinal cord. A key question is which transcription factors drive the changes in gene expression that increase the intrinsic growth state of peripherally injured sensory neurons? A prime candidate is activating transcription factor-3 (ATF-3), a transcription factor that we find is induced in all DRG neurons after peripheral, but not central axonal injury. Moreover, we show in adult DRG neurons that a preconditioning peripheral, but not central axonal injury, increases their growth, correlating closely with the pattern of ATF-3 induction. Using viral vectors, we delivered ATF-3 to cultured adult DRG neurons and find that ATF-3 enhances neurite outgrowth. Furthermore, ATF-3 promotes long sparsely branched neurites. ATF-3 overexpression did not increase c-Jun expression. ATF-3 may contribute, therefore, to neurite outgrowth by orchestrating the gene expression responses in injured neurons.
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