Co-expression of c-Jun and ATF-2 Characterizes the Surviving Retinal Ganglion Cells Which Maintain Axonal Connections after Partial Optic Nerve Injury

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Molecular brain researchers M.R. Kreutz, A. Bien, C.K. Vorwerk, T.M. Bockers, C.I. Seidenbecher, W. Tischmeyer, and B.A. Sabel build on previous studies by investigating how several immediate-early genes are involved in the cascade of molecular events that take place in the retina after optic nerve damage.

Studying which cells survived and which died after an optic nerve crush, the researchers found that three of four distinct cell populations degenerated over a period of weeks. The surviving retinal ganglion cells that remained connected with the superior colliculus can be linked to the protooncogene c-Jun: research indicates that co-expression of c-Jun with high levels of ATF-2 supports cell survival, while low levels of ATF-2 accompanied by c-Jun induction could lead to cell death.