Cytoplasmic c-Jun N-terminal immunoreactivity: a hallmark of retinal apoptosis.

1. We investigated the association of c-Jun with apoptosis within retinal tissue. Explants of the retina of neonatal rats were subject to a variety of procedures that cause apoptosis of specific classes of retinal cells at distinct stages of differentiation. The expression of c-Jun was detected by Western Blot, and immunohistochemistry was done with antibodies made for either N-terminal or C-terminal domains of c-Jun, and correlated with apoptosis detected either by chromatin condensation or by in situ nick end labeling of fragmented DNA. 2. c-Jun protein content was increased in retinal tissue subject to induction of both photoreceptor and ganglion cell death. 3. c-Jun N-terminal immunoreactivity was found mainly in the cytoplasm of apoptotic cells regardless of cell type, of the stage of differentiation, including proliferating cells, or of the means of induction of apoptosis. 4. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that c-Jun is involved in the control of cell death in retinal tissue, but other proteins that cross-react with c-Jun N-terminal antibodies may also be major markers of retinal apoptosis. 5. Antibodies directed to c-Jun N-terminal (aa 91-105) are useful tools to follow apoptotic changes in retinal tissue.