Improvement of the viability of cultured rat neurons by the nonessential amino acids L-serine and glycine that upregulates expression of the anti-apoptotic gene product Bcl-w

The non-essential amino acids L-serine (Ser) and glycine (Gly) have recentl y been shown to exhibit specific actions in the nervous system. In the pres ent study, L-Ser and Gly promoted the survival of cultured rat cerebrocorti cal neurons in a concentration-dependent manner as revealed by Alamar blue assay acid microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP2) immunoblotting. The maxi mum effects of the amino acids were detected at the concentrations of 30-10 0 muM. L-Ser was more effective than Gly. D-Ser failed to promote neuronal survival. L-Ser and Gly upregulated expression of the anti-apoptotic gene p roduct Bcl-w, while they did not affect the expression of Bcl-xL. The promo tion of neuronal survival by L-Ser and Gly may be, at least in part, attrib utable to the upregulated Bcl-w, (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.