Related Experiment Videos
Developmental pattern of plasminogen activator activity in chick optic lobe
S Pereyra-Alfonso1, G Scicolone, J L Ferrán
1Institute of Cell Biology and Neurosciences Prof. Eduardo De Robertis, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Summary
This study identifies urokinase-type plasminogen activator in the developing chick optic lobe, correlating its activity with key neural development stages like migration and synapse formation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Plasminogen activators (PAs) are serine proteases crucial for morphogenesis and tissue remodeling.
- Two types, tissue-type and urokinase-type, are implicated in neural development.
- The developing chick optic lobe is a model for visual information processing with previously observed high PA activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the temporal expression pattern of PA activity in the developing chick optic lobe.
- To characterize the specific type of PA expressed during optic lobe development.
Main Methods:
- Protease activity was measured using radial fibrinolytic assays on soluble fractions from membrane preparations.
- Inhibitors of fibrinolytic activity and zymographic assays were employed for characterization.
Main Results:
- The developing optic lobe exclusively expresses a single type of PA, identified as urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) of 70 kDa.
- Peaks of PA activity correlate with significant neuronal migration, neurite outgrowth, and synapse formation/maturation.
Conclusions:
- The findings suggest a role for uPA in critical neural developmental events.
- The developmentally regulated pattern of uPA activity may serve as a parameter for studying neural plasticity in response to environmental stimuli.