Page 221 - 73_04

An. R. Acad. Nac. Farm., 2007, 73 (4): 1031-1045

Revisión

Early neural cell death: an overlooked process in
neural development

Recibido el 6 de noviembre de 2007

ENRIQUE J. DE LA ROSA1, VIOLETA GÓMEZ-VICENTE1, ANA I.
VALENCIANO1, 2, PATRICIA BOYA1 AND FLORA DE PABLO1*

1 3D Lab (Development, Differentiation & Degeneration), Department
of Cellular and Molecular Physiopathology, Centro de
Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, Spain.

2 Departamento de Fisiología Animal II, Facultad de Ciencias
Biológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain.

ABSTRACT

During the development of the vertebrate nervous system, multiple physiological
processes are involved in the generation of its complex cytoarchitecture and
functionality. Among them, programmed cell death has been recognized as a key
process that affects connecting neurons. By contrast, there is limited information
available regarding the cell death that affects neuroepithelial cells, and recently
born neurons and glia, hindering the comprehensive understanding of neural
development. We have demonstrated that exquisitely regulated PCD occurs during
early stages of neural development such as neurulation and neurogenesis. We have
characterized how survival signals from proteins like proinsulin/insulin, c-Raf, and
HSC70 counteract caspase-dependent apoptosis, which affects neuroepithelial cells
proliferation and the generation of retinal ganglion cells. Furthermore, the

* Información de Contacto:
Dra. Flora de Pablo.
Profesora de Investigación. Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas. CSIC.
Ramiro de Maeztu, 9. 28040, Madrid. España.
Tel. y Fax: 34 91 534 92 01
e-mail: fdepablo@cib.csic.es

1031