Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptides and PAC1-R are expressed during early
embryogenesis and PACAP's neurotrophic action supports a role in neuronal development.
In the adult brain PACAP functions as a neuroprotective factor that attenuates the neuronal
damage resulting from various insults. The tumor suppressor gene p53 and the new zinc
finger protein Zac regulate apoptosis and cell cycle arrest through unrelated pathways and
both genes are up-regulated under cerebral ischemia. We report here that p53 and Zac …