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Glutamate toxicity is a major contributor to death of oligodendroglia in diverse CNS disorders. The goal of these studies was to investigate the mechanisms of glutamate toxicity and trophic factor protection of the immature pro-oligodendroblast (pro-OL). Glutamate induced time- and dose-dependent DNA fragmentation and caspase-3 activation in pro-OLs. IGF-I or NT-3, but not CNTF, prevented apoptosis of pro-OLs by 24 h via a PI3-kinase-dependent pathway; however, only IGF-I protected pro-OLs from glutamate toxicity through 48 h. Long-term protection of pro-OLs by IGF-I was correlated with sustained activation of Akt while NT-3 activation of Akt was transient. The differential ability of IGF-I and NT-3 to maintain Akt activation was due to differences in receptor activation and stability. In the presence of NT-3, TrkC phosphorylation and protein expression decreased significantly while activation of the IGF-IR was maintained in the pro-OLs in the presence of IGF-I. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The interaction between laminin and ?1-integrin on the surface of Schwann cells regulates Schwann cell proliferation, maturation and differentiation. However, the signalling mediators that fine-tune these outcomes are not fully elucidated. Here we show that lymphoid cell kinase is the crucial effector of ?1-integrin signalling in Schwann cells. Lymphoid cell kinase is activated after laminin treatment of Schwann cells, while downregulation of ?1-integrin with short interfering RNAs inhibits lymphoid cell kinase phosphorylation. Treatment of Schwann cells with a selective lymphoid cell kinase inhibitor reveals a pathway that involves paxillin and CrkII, which ultimately elevates Rac-GTP levels to induce radial lamellipodia formation. Inhibition of lymphoid cell kinase in Schwann cell-dorsal root ganglion cocultures and dorsal root ganglions from Lck?/? mice show a reduction of Schwann cell longitudinal migration, reduced myelin formation and internode length. Finally, Lck?/? mice exhibit delays in myelination, thinner myelin with abnormal g-ratios and aberrant myelin outfoldings. Our data implicate lymphoid cell kinase as a major regulator of cytoskeletal dynamics, migration and myelination in the peripheral nervous system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]