During development of the mammalian retina, neurons that do not succeed in establishing functional synaptic connections are eliminated by apoptosis, allowing the formation of a finely tuned network. Growth factors play a crucial role in controlling the balance between apoptosis and survival signals not only at developmental stages but also in long-term preservation of retinal functions. In the present work, we explore the apoptotic mechanisms triggered by growth factor deprivation of retina-derived 661W cells. Under serum starvation conditions, these cone photoreceptors underwent cell death with participation of caspase-9, -3 and -12. Interestingly, inhibition of caspases did not prevent apoptosis but only resulted in a temporary delay. We show m-calpain activation in parallel with caspases, indicating that more than one execution pathway is available to cone photoreceptors. Moreover, crosstalk of the caspase and calpain pathways was detected, suggesting a loop that may act to amplify the apoptotic cascade. © 2005 Nature Publishing Group. All rights reserved.
CITATION STYLE
Gómez-Vicente, V., Donovan, M., & Cotter, T. G. (2005). Multiple death pathways in retina-derived 661W cells following growth factor deprivation: Crosstalk between caspases and calpains. Cell Death and Differentiation, 12(7), 796–804. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.cdd.4401621
Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.