SRF-deficient astrocytes provide neuroprotection in mouse models of excitotoxicity and neurodegeneration.

ABSTRACT: Reactive astrogliosis is a common pathological hallmark of CNS injury, infection, and neurodegeneration, where reactive astrocytes can be protective or detrimental to normal brain functions. Currently, the mechanisms regulating neuroprotective astrocytes and the extent of neuroprotection are poorly understood. Here, we report that conditional deletion of serum response factor (SRF) in adult astrocytes causes reactive-like hypertrophic astrocytes throughout the mouse brain. These Srf^GFAP-ERCKO astrocytes do not affect neuron survival, synapse numbers, synaptic plasticity or learning and memory. However, the brains of Srf knockout mice exhibited neuroprotection against kainic-acid induced excitotoxic cell death. Relevant to human neurodegenerative diseases, Srf

SUBMITTER: Thumu SCR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10857791 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature