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Journal of Neuroscience, Vol 13, 3095-3103, Copyright © 1993 by Society for Neuroscience
Reduction of intramuscular nerve branching and synaptogenesis is correlated with decreased motoneuron survival
J Tang and L Landmesser
Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs 06269-3042.
Blockade of neuromuscular activity during the period of naturally occurring
cell death increases intramuscular nerve branching, synaptogenesis, and
survival of embryonic chicken motoneurons. These results suggested that the
enhanced motoneuron survival observed might result not from increased
production of a trophic factor by the target, as often suggested, but
rather from the enhanced ability of motoneurons to take up this factor via
additional branches and/or synapses. Since removal of polysialic acid (PSA)
by PSA-specific endoneuraminidase (endo N) during the period of nerve
ingrowth and motoneuron cell death had been shown to reduce intramuscular
nerve branching by altering adhesive interactions between axons and
myotubes, we wished to determine, first, if this resulted in a reduction of
synapse formation, and second, if this was correlated with decreased
motoneuron survival. When PSA was removed from embryonic day 6 (E6) to E9
by injecting endo N into the limb, the number of synapses in the posterior
iliotibialis muscle was greatly reduced both at E6.5, the onset of the cell
death period, and at E7.5-E8, the middle of the cell death period. Total
motoneuron counts at both E7.5-E8 and E10 (close to the end of cell death
period) were significantly decreased compared to controls. These results
indicate that a treatment that reduces intramuscular nerve branching and
synapse formation also affects motoneuron survival. Furthermore, since
removal of PSA in ovo via endo N altered neither the spontaneous embryonic
motility nor the activation pattern of motoneurons or muscles, these
experiments avoid the complication of activity blockade that may alter
motoneuron survival by affecting events other than, or in addition to,
intramuscular nerve branching.
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