Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a common motor neuron degenerative disease caused by mutations of the survival of motor neuron (SMN) gene. The SMN protein is expressed ubiquitously as part of a 300-kilodalton multi-protein complex, incorporating several proteins critically required in pre-mRNA splicing. Although SMN mutations render SMN defective in this role, the specific α-motor neuron degenerative phenotype seen in the disease remains unexplained. During the differentiation process of spinal motor neurons and cerebellar granule cells, the acquisition of mature electrophysiological and molecular properties is linked to the activation of the glutamate receptors of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) subtype. We have used primary cultures of rat cerebellar granules to study SMN expression during neuronal differentiation in vitro and in response to the activation of the NMDA receptor. We report that the expression of gems, the nuclear structures where SMN concentrates, is developmentally regulated. The highest expression is associated with the cell clustering phase and expression of NMDA receptors. Stimulation of the NMDA receptor induces an increase in gem number and in SMN transcription, through activation of its promoter. These results demonstrate that SMN levels are dependent on synaptic activity, implying that SMN may have important neuron-specific functions downstream of synaptic activation.

Anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) of the immunoglobulin (Ig) G isotype have been significantly associated with neurological manifestations of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). In a previous study we described the direct pathogenic effects of IgG aCL on living neurons in culture. Therefore, we studied the IgG aCL titre as a factor influencing the extent of this effect. Seventeen patients with a history of primary antiphospholipid syndrome were grouped according to their IgG aCL titre into low positive (GPL ≤40), high positive (40< GPL <100) and very high positive (GPL >100). IgG from these patients were incubated with cerebellar neurons in primary culture for 24 h and the effect was evaluated by using the tetrazolium salt (MTT) assay. We found that almost all patients’ IgGs reduced cell viability in vitro, but the differences in the extent of the effect were statistically significant only for patients with >40 GPL. Our results reinforce the causal association between increasing level of IgG aCL and clinical features of aPS.

The survival of motor neuron (SMN) gene is implicated in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a neurodegenerative disease of ventral horn motor neurons. The authors, utilizing an immunofluorescent tecnique have evaluated:(a) SMN expression in a human neuroblastoma cell line and in two phenotypically distinct clones derived from it;(b) SMN variability induced by retinoids treatment. Results are discussed in relation to a possible SMN antiapoptotic role and to its use as a neurodifferentiative marker.

Excitatory amino acids which promote the survival of cerebellar granule cells in culture, also promote the expression of the survival of motor neuron (SMN) protein. Immunolocalization studies using SMN monoclonal antibody showed that SMN is decreased in cultures grown in low K+ or chemically defined medium with respect to cultures grown in high K+ medium and that an increase of SMN can be induced by treatment of low K+ cultures with glutamate or N-methyl-D-aspartate.

IgGs from sera containing antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL), detected as antibodies to cardiolipin, or control sera were incubated with rat cerebellar granule cells in primary culture. Using a mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity assay (MTT test), aPL IgGs were shown to decrease MTT metabolism after 24 h incubation with the cells, and to cause non-toxic amounts of glutamate to become neurotoxic when added to the cells for 45 min. Acute and chronic aPL toxicity were prevented by MK-801. Sera containing aPL bound to intact cerebellar neurons, as revealed by an immunofluorescent technique. These results suggest that antiphospholipid antibodies interfere with excitatory pathways in glutamatergic cerebellar granule cells by a mechanism involving overactivation of the NMDA glutamate receptor.

The neurite outgrowth and adhesion complex (NOAC), isolated from rabbit sera has been dissociated in its major components by reverse-phase chromatography in HPLC by using a C(18) column. SDS-PAGE analisys of the active fractions revealed the presence of three major bands of approximately 100, 70 and 50 kDa. Studies on the biological activity of NOAC were carried out on rat cerebellar granule cells. NOAC-cultured cells exhibit a marked resistance to excitotoxic stimuli carried by glutamate.