These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Raf and akt mediate distinct aspects of sensory axon growth.
    Author: Markus A, Zhong J, Snider WD.
    Journal: Neuron; 2002 Jul 03; 35(1):65-76. PubMed ID: 12123609.
    Abstract:
    Nerve growth factor (NGF) induces dramatic axon growth from responsive embryonic peripheral neurons. However, the roles of the various NGF-triggered signaling cascades in determining specific axon morphological features remain unknown. Here, we transfected activated and inhibitory mutants of Trk effectors into sensory neurons lacking the proapoptotic protein Bax. This allowed axon growth to be studied in the absence of NGF, enabling us to observe the contributions of individual signaling mediators. While Ras was both necessary and sufficient for NGF-stimulated axon growth, the Ras effectors Raf and Akt induced distinct morphologies. Activated Raf-1 caused axon lengthening comparable to NGF, while active Akt increased axon caliber and branching. Our results suggest that the different Trk effector pathways mediate distinct morphological aspects of developing neurons.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]