SPECIFIC UP-REGULATION OF THE POU DOMAIN TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR OCT-2 FOLLOWING AXOTOMY

Peripheral nerve damage causes a dramatic alteration to the gene expre ssion in primary sensory neurons, changes within the neuronal cell bod y giving rise to an altered phenotype, adapted for axonal regeneration . Such changes suggest an alteration in activity, or levels, of cellul ar transcription factors. The POU family transcription factor Oct-2 is known to be induced in sensory neurons by nerve growth factor (NGF) a nd might therefore be affected by the removal of target-derived NGF fo llowing axotomy. Paradoxically, however, the expression of Oct-2 showe d a transient increase of two- to three-fold 24 h after axotomy. In co ntrast, axotomy had no effect on the levels of the Brn-3 sub-family of POU proteins, indicating that this effect was specific for Oct-2.