Nature Neuroscience
3, 1085 - 1090 (2000)
doi:10.1038/80598
Reduction of endogenous transforming growth factors  prevents ontogenetic
neuron deathKerstin Krieglstein1, Sandra Richter2, Lilla Farkas2, Norbert Schuster1, Nicole Dünker1, Ronald W. Oppenheim3
& Klaus Unsicker21
Department of Anatomy, Medical Faculty, University
of Saarland at Homburg/Saar, Building 61, D-66421 Homburg/Saar
, Germany
2
Department of Neuroanatomy, Interdisciplinary Center
for Neuroscience, University of Heidelberg, INF 307,
D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
3
Neuroscience Program and Department of Neurobiology
and Anatomy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston
Salem, North Carolina 27157, USA
Correspondence should be addressed to Kerstin Krieglstein ankkri@med-rz.uni-sb.deWe show that following immunoneutralization of endogenous transforming
growth factors  (TGF-) in the chick embryo, ontogenetic neuron
death of ciliary, dorsal root and spinal motor neurons was largely prevented,
and neuron losses following limb bud ablation were greatly reduced. Likewise,
preventing TGF- signaling by treatment with a TR-II fusion protein
during the period of ontogenetic cell death in the ciliary ganglion rescued
all neurons that normally die. TUNEL staining revealed decreased numbers of
apoptotic cells following antibody treatment. Exogenous TGF- rescued
the TGF--deprived phenotype. We conclude that TGF- is critical
in regulating ontogenetic neuron death as well as cell death following neuronal
target deprivation.
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