Apoptosis of tail muscle during amphibian metamorphosis involves a caspase 9-dependent mechanism

• DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.20312
• Publication Date: 2005-03-11T22:50:29Z
• Authors: Isaline Rowe; Karine Le Blay; David Du Pasquier; Karima Palmier; Giovanni Levi; Barbara Demeneix; Laurent Coen
• Keywords: Tail; 0301 basic medicine; MESH: Mutation; MESH: Ta; Recombinant Fusion Proteins; Xenopus; Molecular Sequence Data; MESH: Sequence Alignment; MESH: Gene Transfer Techniques; Apoptosis; MESH: Amino Acid Sequence; MESH: Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; 03 medical and health sciences; [SDV.BDD] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Development Biology; MESH: Recombinant Fusion Proteins; Animals; MESH: Animals; Amino Acid Sequence; Muscle, Skeletal; [SDV.BDD]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Development Biology; bcl-2-Associated X Protein; MESH: Muscle, Skeletal; MESH: Caspases; MESH: Molecular Sequence Data; MESH: Apoptosis; Gene Transfer Techniques; Caspase 9; MESH: Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; Caspases; Larva; Mutation; MESH: Larva; Sequence Alignment

The climax of amphibian metamorphosis is marked by thyroid hormone-dependent tadpole tail resorption, implicating apoptosis multiple cell types, including epidermal cells, fibroblasts, nerve and muscles. molecular cascades leading to coordinating the death different types are not fully elucidated. It known that mitochondrial pathway, in particular Bax XR11 genes, regulates balance between survival muscle. However, down-stream factors modulated changes permeability have been studied a functional context. To investigate further mitochondrial-dependent we analyzed regulation role caspase 9 Xenopus tadpoles. We report mRNA expressed before increases during climax. Similarly, at protein level, production active forms muscle tissue as progresses. assess 9, designed dominant-negative protein. Overexpression this abrogates both Bax-induced vitro vivo natural metamorphosis. These findings consolidate model metamorphic directly implicates pathway apoptosome. Developmental Dynamics 233:76–87, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.