alpha 1-tubulin expression in proximally axotomized mouse cortical neurons

This paper further characterizes the response to axotomy of mouse transcallosal cortical neurons, a population of neurons that seems to be particularly refractory to regeneration. Mouse transcallosal cortical neurons did not upregulate mRNA for the growth-associated protein alpha 1-tubulin following axotomy, even when the axonal distance from injury to cell body was only 100-300 microns. Previous experiments had found no upregulation of another growth-associated protein, GAP-43, by transcallosal neurons following axotomy 1-2 mm from the cell body. These latest results establish that this population of neurons fails to respond to axotomy even when it is extremely proximal and that this failure is not a peculiarity specific to one growth-associated protein but is indicative of a generally poor regenerative response.