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Transient global cerebral ischemia induces up-regulation of MLTKα in hippocampal CA1 neurons

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Abstract

MLTK (mixed-lineage kinase-like mitogen-activated protein triple kinase) is a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase family and functioned as a mitogen activated kinase kinase kinase. MLTKα, one of the alternatively spliced forms of MLTK, could activate the c-Jun N-terminal kinase pathway, which involved in cellular stress responses and apoptosis. But the role of MLTKα in neural apoptosis was still unclear. Here, we performed a transient global cerebral ischemia model (TGCI) in adult rats and detected the dynamic changes of MLTKα in hippocampal CA1 neurons and brain cortex. We found the MLTKα expression was increased shortly after TGCI and peaked after 8 h. In spatial distribution, MLTKα was widely located in neurons rather than astrocytes and microglia. Moreover, there was a concomitant up-regulation of active caspase-3. Taken together, we hypothesized the up-regulation of MLTKα played an essential role in the apoptosis of hippocampal CA1 neurons.

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Abbreviations

MLTK:

Mixed-lineage kinase-like mitogen-activated protein triple kinase

MAPK:

Mitogen-activated protein kinase

JNK:

C-Jun N-terminal kinase

TGCI:

Transient global cerebral ischemia

PAGE:

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

ECL:

Enhanced chemiluminescence system

BSA:

Bovine serum albumin

DAB:

Diaminobenzidin

NeuN:

Neuronal nuclei

GFAP:

Glial fibrillary acidic protein

GAPDH:

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase

TUNEL:

Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated biotinylated-dUTP nick-end labeling

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, Surgical Research Center, Hospital Affiliated to Nantong University, Xisi Road 20#, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China

    Xing Su, Wei Shi, Lan-Chun Ni, Jian-Hong Shen & Jian Chen

  2. Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Nantong, China

    Chang-Lai Zhu

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  1. Xing Su
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  2. Chang-Lai Zhu
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  3. Wei Shi
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  4. Lan-Chun Ni
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  5. Jian-Hong Shen
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  6. Jian Chen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jian Chen.

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Xing Su and Chang-Lai Zhu contributed equally to this work.

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Su, X., Zhu, CL., Shi, W. et al. Transient global cerebral ischemia induces up-regulation of MLTKα in hippocampal CA1 neurons. J Mol Hist 43, 187–193 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10735-011-9381-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10735-011-9381-z

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