Neuroscience

Biology

Endoplasmic reticulum

Apoptosis

Programmed cell death

Cell biology

Unfolded protein response

Genetics

Retinal ganglion cell

Medicine

Optic nerve

Pathology

Molecular Neurodegeneration

Optic nerve injury is an important pathological component in neurodegenerative diseases such as traumatic optic neuropathies and glaucoma. The molecular signaling pathway(s) critical for retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death after axonal insult, however, is/are not fully defined. RGC death after axonal injury is known to occur by BAX-dependent apoptosis. Two transcription factors JUN (the canonical target of JNK) and DDIT3 (CHOP; a key mediator of the endoplasmic reticulum stress response) are known to be important apoptotic signaling molecules after axonal injury, including in RGCs. However, neither Jun nor Ddit3 deficiency provide complete protection to RGCs after injury. Since Jun and Ddit3 are important apoptotic signaling molecules, we sought to determine if their combined deficiency might provide additive protection to RGCs after axonal injury.To determine if DDIT3 regulated the expression of JUN after an axonal insult, mice deficient for Ddit3 were examined after optic nerve crush (ONC). In order to critic...

Together JUN and DDIT3 (CHOP) control retinal ganglion cell death after axonal injury