Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2026

An Injury Paradigm to Investigate Central Nervous System Repair in Drosophila
Published on: March 28, 2013
VPA-related axial skeletal defects and apoptosis: a proposed event cascade
Francesca Di Renzo1, Maria Luisa Broccia, Erminio Giavini
1Università di Milano, Department of Biology, Via Celoria 26, Milan, Italy.
Abstract:
VPA axial malformations are related to embryonic somitic histone hyperacetylation. In cancer, histone hyperacetylation activates apoptosis. To verify if apoptosis is involved in somitic abnormalities, VPA-exposed embryos were evaluated for DNA fragmentation and for pro- (p53, acetylated p53, caspase 3) and anti-apoptotic (Sirt 1) protein expression. Pregnant mice were i.p. dosed on day 8 with VPA 400mg/kg or TSA (16 mg/kg). Embryos, collected 3, 5, 9 or 24h after treatment, were examined and processed for apoptosis or protein analysis. An event cascade has been observed at the level of somites and proposed as related to VPA-induced axial skeletal defects: increased p53 (3h), DNA fragmentation (9h), abnormalities (24h). TSA, used as alternative HDAC inhibitor, induced apoptosis and somitic abnormalities, strengthening our hypothesized link between HDAC inhibition and axial defects.
Related Concept Videos
Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy
Apoptosis
Caspases
The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway
The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway
Autophagic Cell Death
Autophagy and Apoptosis
Autophagy can activate apoptosis. In normal conditions, the autophagy activating protein Beclin-1 and pro-apoptotic...

