Mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase activity is increased in adult mouse superior cervical ganglia during...

We have used adult mouse superior cervical ganglia (SCG) to study the role of mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase activity during axonal outgrowth in vitro. An initial peak in activity within the first hours of culture was followed by a substantially higher activity after 1 to 2 days, a time when axons were actively growing. The latter peak is probably a result of both higher levels of protein and increased activity. The addition of nerve growth factor stimulated both outgrowth and kinase activity, whereas treating the cultures with the kinase inhibitor PD98059 had an opposite effect. Taken together, the results suggest that activation of the MAP kinase pathway could be involved in the initiation as well as regulation of axonal outgrowth from adult SCG.