Figure 5.

TNFα activates a death program in E12 motoneurons, and the somite prodeath effect is specifically inhibited by anti-TNFα blocking antibodies. A, E12 explants were treated for 2 d with increasing concentrations of TNFα or other proteic factors known to trigger neuronal death. B, E12 explants were treated for 2 d with somite extracts alone, somite extracts preincubated with anti-TNFα antibodies, or other blocking antibodies as indicated. An analysis of double islet1/2-TUNEL labeling experiments is shown. Note that anti-TNFα reverses the somite prodeath effect. Values corresponding to each test condition are compared with the control condition (black bar). ^**p < 0.01; ^***p < 0.0001, Student's t test.