Neuron-specific ablation of PDGF-B is compatible with normal central nervous system development and astroglial response to injury

Item Type:	Article
Title:	Neuron-specific ablation of PDGF-B is compatible with normal central nervous system development and astroglial response to injury
Creators Name:	Enge, M. and Wilhelmsson, U. and Abramsson, A. and Stakeberg, J. and Kühn, R. and Betsholtz, C. and Pekny, M.
Abstract:	Members of the PDGF family have multiple roles during embryogenesis and in a variety of pathological situations in the adult. One of the major sites of PDGF-B expression in adult mammals are postmitotic CNS neurons. Combined with reported neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects of exogenously administered PDGFs, this has led to the speculation that PDGF-B may have a role in CNS development, in maintenance, or in response to CNS injury. To test these hypotheses, we developed mice in which PDGF-B was ablated genetically in postmitotic neurons at sites where PDGF-B is normally expressed. We found that these mice develop to adulthood without apparent defects. We demonstrate PDGF-B expression in the postnatal mouse hippocampus and forebrain cortex. We show that neuron-specific knockout of PDGF-B does not influence the astroglial and angiogenic responses to injury in the hippocampus or forebrain cortex. We conclude that the role of neuron-derived PDGF-B remains obscure. A role for neuron-derived PDGF-B, if existing, might be redundant with other CNS growth factors. Alternatively, other and more specific analyses of CNS functions in the normal and injured states will be required to demonstrate such a role.
Keywords:	PDGF, Gene Targeting, Brain Injury, Reactive Astrocytes, Angiogenic Response, Pericyte Recruitment, Animals, Mice
Source:	Neurochemical Research
ISSN:	0364-3190
Publisher:	Kluwer Academic Publishers
Volume:	28
Number:	2
Page Range:	271-279
Date:	February 2003
Official Publication:	https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022421001288
PubMed:	View item in PubMed

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