ABSTRACT
Three myelin proteins, Nogo-A, MAG and OMgp, transduce their neurite-outgrowth inhibitory signal through a common receptor complex: NgR/ p75NTR (or TROY). Recently, LINGO-1 is identified as another essential component and regulator for the Nogo-66 receptor/p75 signaling complex. LINGO-1 is restricted to express in CNS, neuronal LINGO-1 is shown to be involved in the signal transduction from three myelin proteins, and Lingo-1 in oligodendrocyte negatively regulates the differentiation and myelination of oligodendrocyte. To investigate the potential activity of LINGO-1 in neuronal apoptosis, LINGO-1-Fc fusion protein including the extracellular LRR and IgC2 domain, was used as functional antagonist to study its protective effect on low-potassium induced apoptosis of cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs). In judgement of the apoptotic nuclei stained by Hoechst, LINGO-1-Fc pretreatment for 2 h significantly prevents apoptosis of CGNs. Although GST-LINGO-1 protein, including the LRR domain, binds to the CGN cultures in the same way with LINGO-1-Fc, it doesn't prevent the apoptosis of CGNs. These results indicate that LINGO-1-Fc fusion protein prevents low-potassium induced apoptosis of cerebellar granule neurons in certain conditions and this activity is probably IgC2 domain dependent.