查看文章

Drosophila NF-κB homologue “dorsal” is required for establishment of dorso-ventral polarity in the developing embryo (7). In the developing rat nervous system, levels of NF-κB activity change, with levels peaking in the cerebellum during the early postnatal period at a time when synaptogenesis is occurring (8). The particular NF-κB subunits expressed in neurons are also developmentally regulated; for example, inducible p50 homodimers and p65/cRel dimers are present in brains of young rats, but not in adults (9). A peptide inhibitor of NF-κB (SN50) blocks the ability of NGF to prevent death of cultured sympathetic neurons (10), suggesting a role for NF-κB in the control of neuronal death during development of the nervous system. The antiapoptotic role of NF-κB in developing neurons is seen in the mechanism whereby the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide prevents neuronal apoptosis. Levels of …