Table 1

Gene primers in the Qiagen Custom RT2 Profiler PCR Array CAPR11291R

GeneFunctionRefSeq no.FC
Adcyap1Stimulates cAMP production; upregulated over development (Boeshore et al., 2004; Wang et al., 2007)NM_016989-
Akt1Downstream of PI3K; critical in neurotrophin-mediated growth and survival (Kaplan and Miller, 2000; Perkinton et al., 2002; Campos et al., 2003)NM_033230
Akt3Downstream of PI3K; critical in neurotrophin-mediated growth and survival (as above)NM_031575
ApoEInvolved in CNTF signaling, regulated over development (Fischer, 2012)NM_138828
Arg1Downstream from cAMP in survival and regeneration; critical in overcoming myelin inhibition; regulated over development (Cai et al., 2002; Moore and Goldberg, 2011)NM_017134-
ATF3Transcription factor; interacts with CREB and c-JUN; upregulated after injury, promotes regeneration (Seijffers et al., 2006; Moore and Goldberg, 2011)NM_012912-
BadPro-apoptotic protein (Isenmann et al., 2003; Wilson and Di Polo, 2012)NM_022698-
BaxPro-apoptotic protein (as above)NM_017059
Bcl2Anti-apoptotic protein; necessary for neuronal survival; overexpression reduces PCD (Brunet et al., 2001; Campos et al., 2003)NM_016993<2
Bcl2l1Anti- or pro-apoptotic protein depending on splice variant (as above)NM_031535-
Bcl2l11Pro-apoptotic protein; downstream of FOXO transcription factors (as above)NM_022612-
BDNFPromotes RGC survival; axon branching; synaptogenesis (Numakawa et al., 2010)NM_012513
CAMK1Phosphorylates CREB; prolongs ERK activation; regulates axon growth (Lonze and Ginty, 2002; Perkinton et al., 2002; Jiao et al., 2005)NM_134468
CAMK2dPhosphorylates CREB; prolongs ERK activation; regulates axon growth and dendritic architecture; involved in depolarization-induced survival (as above)NM_012519
CAMK2gPhosphorylates CREB; prolongs ERK activation; regulates axon growth, dendritic architecture, neurite length; involved in depolarization-induced survival (as above)NM_133605
Casp8Apoptotic factor; expressed after injury; mediates apoptosis through FOXO1 (Brunet et al., 2001; O’Driscoll et al., 2006; Johnson et al., 2009)NM_022277-
Casp9Apoptotic factor; activates effector caspases; involved in PCD (as above)NM_031632-
Cdc42Rho family GTPase; positive regulator of actin dynamics, microtubule formation, growth cone formation, and axon elongation; acts in opposition to RhoA (Zhou and Snider, 2006; Major and Brady-Kalnay, 2007; Hausott et al., 2009)NM_171994
Cdh1Adhesion factor; regulates axon growth and patterning (Konishi et al., 2004)NM_031334-
CNTFRReceptor for CNTF; promotes growth and survival (Yip and So, 2000; Lingor et al., 2008)NM_001003 929
CREB1Transcription factor; critical for survival and growth signaling (Lonze and Ginty, 2002; Moore and Goldberg, 2011)NM_031017
DCCGuidance factor; receptor for netrin-1; involved in guidance toward optic disk (Koeberle and Bähr, 2004; Erskine and Herrera, 2007)NM_012841-
DCXMicrotubule-associated protein; growth promoting (Blackmore et al., 2010)NM_053379-
DSCAMGuidance factor; involved in self-avoidance (Fuerst et al., 2008,2009)NM_133587<2
EFNA2Ephrin A2 ligand; involved in inhibition; expressed in development and after axotomy in adult (O’Leary and Wilkinson, 1999; Cang et al., 2008)NM_001168 670-
EGFRReceptor for EGF; involved in myelin inhibition; required for development of some CNS regions (Hannila and Filbin, 2008; Hausott et al., 2009)NM_031507-
ELK1Transcription factor; regulates cell cycling; pro-survival effects (Hausott et al., 2009)XM_001055 949-
EphA4Receptor for Ephrin A and B; involved in inhibition (O’Leary and Wilkinson, 1999; Reber et al., 2004; Lindqvist et al., 2010)NM_001162 411<2
FosInvolved in regulation of TrkB expression (Chang et al., 2004; Park et al., 2004)NM_022197<2
FOXO3Pro-apoptotic transcription factor; inhibited by neurotrophin signaling via Akt and SGK (Brunet et al., 2001)NM_001106 395-
Gap43Protein required for axon growth (Schaden et al., 1994)NM_017195-
GHRGrowth hormone receptor; pro-survival effects on developing RGCs via CREB (Sanders et al., 2008)NM_017094
GSK3BInfluences cytoskeleton assembly; involved in pro-apoptotic signaling; apoptotic function inhibited by Akt (Brunet et al., 2001; Tokuoka et al., 2002; Alabed et al., 2010)NM_032080
HAND1Transcription factor, required for sympathetic neuronal survival (Doxakis et al., 2008)NM_021592<2
HAND2Transcription factor, required for sympathetic neuronal survival (as above)NM_022696-
IGF-1RGrowth factor receptor; promotes RGC survival and growth (Goldberg et al., 2002)NM_052807
Il6RCytokine receptor; promotes RGC survival and growth (Cao et al., 2006; Moore and Goldberg, 2011)NM_017020
IL6stPart of the IL6R complex; promotes RGC survival and growth (as above)NM_001008 725
JAK1Component of JAK/STAT signaling cascade; involved in signaling via IL6R, CNTFR, and GHR; regulated in development (Park et al., 2004; Wang et al., 2007)NM_053466<2
JAK2Component of JAK/STAT signaling cascade (Park et al., 2004)NM_031514-
JunTranscription factor; involved in apoptosis, growth, and regeneration (Lu et al., 2003; Tedeschi, 2012)NM_021835-
KLF4Transcription factor; inhibits axon growth, regulated in development (Moore et al., 2009)NM_053713<2
KLF6Transcription factor; promotes axon growth (Veldman et al., 2007; Moore et al., 2009)NM_031642-
KLF7Transcription factor; promotes axon outgrowth (as above)NM_001108 800
KLF9Transcription factor; inhibits axon outgrowth (as above)NM_057211-
L1CAMCell adhesion molecule, upregulated in axon regeneration (Fischer et al., 2004)NM_017345-
LIFRIL6 class cytokine receptor; neurotrophic factor; promotes survival and growth in RGCs (Goldberg et al., 2002; Moore and Goldberg, 2011; Fischer, 2012)NM_031048-
LINGO1Part of Nogo receptor complex (Mi et al., 2004; Fu et al., 2008; Hannila and Filbin, 2008)NM_001100 722-
MafKTranscription factor; upregulated after axotomy (Fischer et al., 2004)NM_145673-
MAP2k1Major neurotrophin signaling pathway (Atwal et al., 2000; Gao et al., 2003; Hausott et al., 2009; Johnson et al., 2009)NM_031643-
MAP2k2Major neurotrophin signaling pathway (as above)NM_133283
MAPK1Kinase involved in MAPK signaling (Kaplan and Miller, 2000; Reichardt, 2006)NM_053842<2
MAPK14Kinase involved in both apoptosis and survival signaling; downstream phosphorylation of CREB; possibly involved in neurite outgrowth (as above)NM_031020-
MAPK3Kinase involved in MAPK signaling (as above)NM_017347
MAPK8Kinase involved in pro-apoptotic signaling; inhibits Akt, downstream in p75NTR apoptotic signaling; activates c-Jun; regulates microtubule formation (Kaplan and Miller, 2000; Roux and Barker, 2002; Zhou and Snider, 2006)XM_341399<2
MAPK9Kinase involved in pro-apoptotic signaling; involved in developmental apoptosis (Kuan et al., 1999; Le-Niculescu et al., 1999)NM_017322<2
mTORKinase; controls protein synthesis required for axon growth; downstream of PI3K (Park et al., 2008)NM_019906
NFATc3Transcription factor; involved in axonal growth; neurotrophins alter activity (Zhou and Snider, 2006; Moore and Goldberg, 2011)NM_001108 447<2
NFATc4Transcription factor; involved in axonal growth; neurotrophins alter activity (as above)NM_001107 264<2
Ngfrp75NTR; low-affinity neurotrophin receptor; pro-neurotrophin receptor; pro- or anti-apoptotic depending on conditions (Kaplan and Miller, 2000; Roux and Barker, 2002)NM_012610-
Nptx2Role in synaptic plasticity (Fischer et al., 2004)NM_001034 199-
Nrxn1Involved in synapse formation (Barker et al., 2008)NM_021767
Nrxn2Involved in synapse formation (as above)NM_053846-
Ntrk2TrkB; receptor for BDNF (Atwal et al., 2000; Kaplan and Miller, 2000)NM_012731<2
OptnInvolved in axonal transport, regulated in development (Wang et al., 2007)NM_145081
Pde4bEnzyme responsible for cAMP hydrolysis; inhibited by neurotrophin signaling (Gao et al., 2003; Hannila and Filbin, 2008)NM_017031-
PKCcdKinase involved in PI3K and p75NTR/NgR signaling; regulates MAPK activity (Reichardt, 2006; Zhou and Snider, 2006; Major and Brady-Kalnay, 2007)NM_133307-
PLCg1Phospholipase activated through TrkB; extends MAPK signaling; increases intracellular Ca2+ (Segal, 2003; Zhou and Snider, 2006; Numakawa et al., 2010)NM_013187
POU4F1Transcription factor Brn3a; involved in dendritic branching and architecture (Weishaupt et al., 2005; Badea et al., 2009; Voyatzis et al., 2012)XM_341372
POU4F2Transcription factor Brn3b; involved in cell-fate determination; critical for RGC differentiation, involved in axonal development (as above)NM_134355-
Psip1Transcription factor; regulates expression of growth-associated genes; involved in dendritic arborization (Zhao et al., 2008)NM_175765-
PTENPhosphatase; converts PIP3 to PIP2; inhibits Akt and downstream signaling (Park et al., 2008)NM_031606
Ptk7Transcription factor; downstream in PI3K and MAPK pathways; involved in BDNF-induced survival (Chang et al., 2004)NM_001106 889-
Rac1Rho family GTPase; involved in growth cone mechanics; inhibits RhoA; involved in nasal-temporal crossing (Pearse, 2004; Schiller, 2006; Major and Brady-Kalnay, 2007)NM_134366
RelANFkB transcription factor; involved in axonal growth and survival; activated by p75NTR (Moore and Goldberg, 2011)NM_199267-
RhoAGTPase; activates ROCK triggering growth cone collapse; binds to p75NTR (Park et al., 2005; Lingor et al., 2008; Mi, 2008; Hausott et al., 2009)NM_057132
Rock1Kinase; downstream of RhoA in mediating growth cone collapse (as above)NM_031098-
Rps6Ribosomal protein; growth and survival promoting (Sun and He, 2010)NM_017160-
Rps6ka1Phosphorylates ribosomal Protein s6; activates STATs, CREB; involved in MAPK survival signaling (Lonze and Ginty, 2002; Chang et al., 2004; Koeberle and Bähr, 2004)NM_031107-
Rps6ka2Phosphorylates ribosomal Protein s6; activates STATs, CREB; involved in MAPK survival signaling (as above)NM_057128<2
Rps6kb1Phosphorylates ribosomal Protein s6; downstream of Akt and mTOR (Manning and Cantley, 2007; Park et al., 2008)NM_031985-
Rtn4rPart of NgR-p75NTR signaling complex; mediates inhibitory signaling dependent on cAMP levels and Arg1 activity (Cai et al., 2002; Schwab, 2004; Fu et al., 2008)NM_053613-
SGK1Kinase; involved in PI3K pathway, similar to Akt; inhibits pro-apoptotic factors, e.g., FOXO3 (Brunet et al., 2001)NM_019232-
SOCS3Negative regulator of JAK/STAT signaling; knock-out improves regeneration (Sun and He, 2010; Hellström et al., 2011; Fischer, 2012)NM_053565-
Sort1Pro-neurotrophin receptor; complexes with p75NTR; pro-apoptotic (Jansen et al., 2007; Teng et al., 2010)NM_031767<2
SOX11Transcription factor; increases expression of growth-associated molecules (Veldman et al., 2007; Moore and Goldberg, 2011)NM_053349-
STAT1Activated by STAT3 via JAK/STAT cascade (Moore and Goldberg, 2011; Tedeschi, 2012)NM_032612
STAT3Component of JAK/STAT signaling cascade; pro-survival signaling (as above)NM_012747
Stk24Kinase; critical for axon regeneration in cultured CNS neurons (mst3B; Lorber et al., 2009)NM_001127 494
Tnfrsf19TROY; takes place of p75NTR with LINGO and NgR (Park et al., 2005; Hisaoka, 2006; Mi, 2008)Unigene: Rn.202731-
PPIAHousekeeping gene (commonly used rat housekeeping gene in laboratory)NM_017101-
Rpl10aHousekeeping gene (Hong Cai et al., 2007)NM_031065-
HPRTHousekeeping gene (Vázquez Chona and Vazquez, 2004)NM_012583-
  • Brief function, relevant citations, and RefSeq number are listed for each gene. Arrows in the right column indicate a >±2 relative fold change (FC) in gene expression when comparing expression levels between E18/P1 and E15/P0, E18/P1 and E18/P5, or E18/P5 and E15/P0 groups. ↕, relative change in expression, either up or down, depending on pairwise comparison; see Fig. 2B for details. <2, genes with a change in expression <±2; -, genes that failed to amplify in one or more samples, or amplification was evident but only after cycle 45 and therefore discounted.