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Maino B, Paparone S, Severini C, Ciotti MT, D'agata V, Calissano P, Cavallaro S. Drug target identification at the crossroad of neuronal apoptosis and survival. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2017; 12:249-259. [PMID: 28067072 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2017.1280023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Inappropriate activation of apoptosis may contribute to neurodegeneration, a multifaceted process that results in various chronic disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Several in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that neuronal apoptosis is a multi-pathway cell-death program that requires RNA synthesis. Thus, transcriptionally activated genes whose products induce cell death can be triggered by different stimuli and antagonized by neurotrophic factors. Systems biology is now unveiling the series of intracellular signaling pathways and key drug targets at the intersection of neuronal apoptosis and survival. Areas covered: This review introduces a genomic approach that can be used to elucidate the systems biology of neuronal apoptosis and survival, and to rationally select drug targets, no longer oriented to emulate the action of growth factors at the membrane receptor level, but rather to modulate their downstream signals. Expert opinion: The advent of genomics is offering an unprecedented opportunity to explore how the delicate balance between apoptosis and survival-inducing signals triggers a transcriptional program. Characterization of this program can be useful to identify potential pharmacological targets for existing drugs. Such knowledge might pave the way towards an innovative pharmacology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Maino
- a Institute of Neurological Sciences , Italian National Research Council , Catania , Italy
| | - Simona Paparone
- a Institute of Neurological Sciences , Italian National Research Council , Catania , Italy
| | - Cinzia Severini
- b Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology , Italian National Research Council , Roma , Italy.,c European Brain Research Institute , 00143 Roma , Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Ciotti
- b Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology , Italian National Research Council , Roma , Italy
| | - Velia D'agata
- d Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Human Anatomy and Histology , University of Catania , 95125 Catania , Italy
| | | | - Sebastiano Cavallaro
- a Institute of Neurological Sciences , Italian National Research Council , Catania , Italy
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Condro MC, Matynia A, Foster NN, Ago Y, Rajbhandari AK, Van C, Jayaram B, Parikh S, Diep AL, Nguyen E, May V, Dong HW, Waschek JA. High-resolution characterization of a PACAP-EGFP transgenic mouse model for mapping PACAP-expressing neurons. J Comp Neurol 2016; 524:3827-3848. [PMID: 27197019 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2015] [Revised: 02/10/2016] [Accepted: 05/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP, gene name Adcyap1) regulates a wide variety of neurological and physiological functions, including metabolism and cognition, and plays roles in of multiple forms of stress. Because of its preferential expression in nerve fibers, it has often been difficult to trace and identify the endogenous sources of the peptide in specific populations of neurons. Here, we introduce a transgenic mouse line that harbors in its genome a bacterial artificial chromosome containing an enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) expression cassette inserted upstream of the PACAP ATG translation initiation codon. Analysis of expression in brain sections of these mice using a GFP antibody reveals EGFP expression in distinct neuronal perikarya and dendritic arbors in several major brain regions previously reported to express PACAP from using a variety of approaches, including radioimmunoassay, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry with and without colchicine. EGFP expression in neuronal perikarya was modulated in a manner similar to PACAP gene expression in motor neurons after peripheral axotomy in the ipsilateral facial motor nucleus in the brainstem, providing an example in which the transgene undergoes proper regulation in vivo. These mice and the high-resolution map obtained are expected to be useful in understanding the anatomical patterns of PACAP expression and its plasticity in the mouse. J. Comp. Neurol. 524:3827-3848, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C Condro
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles, USA 90095
| | - Anna Matynia
- Department of Ophthalmology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, USA 90095.,Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, USA 90095
| | - Nicholas N Foster
- Institute of Neuro Imaging and Informatics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA 90089
| | - Yukio Ago
- Laboratory of Medicinal Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan 565-0871
| | - Abha K Rajbhandari
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles, USA 90095.,Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA 90095
| | - Christina Van
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles, USA 90095
| | - Bhavaani Jayaram
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles, USA 90095
| | - Sachin Parikh
- Department of Ophthalmology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, USA 90095.,Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, USA 90095
| | - Anna L Diep
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles, USA 90095
| | - Eileen Nguyen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, USA 90095.,Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, USA 90095
| | - Victor May
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont, USA 05405
| | - Hong-Wei Dong
- Institute of Neuro Imaging and Informatics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA 90089
| | - James A Waschek
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles, USA 90095
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