Identification of RNA as a substance responsible for the survival of chick spinal motoneurons in vitro

Abstract

In our preceding paper, we presented the purification of a chick embryo's muscle-derived substance that prevented spinal neurons from undergoing cell death in vitro. In this study, characterization of this substance by ¹H-NMR spectroscopic analysis and enzymatic inactivation experiments revealed that the substance responsible for the survival of cultured spinal neurons was RNA. For further characterization a modified purification procedure was devised on the basis of the substance being RNA. The finally purified substance showed λ_max at 258nm and prevented enriched populations of spinal motoneurons from undergoing cell death in vitro, in the same way as the crude muscle extract. These results suggested a novel role of RNA as an intercellular signaling molecule.