title: Rescue of motoneurons from cell death by a purified skeletal muscle polypeptide: effects of the ChAT development factor, CDF.
abstract: Rat skeletal muscle contains a 22 kd polypeptide that increases the level of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity in cultures of embryonic rat spinal cord neurons and has been purified to homogeneity. The application of this factor, ChAT development factor or CDF, to developing chick embryos during the period of naturally occurring motoneuron cell death significantly increased the survival of motoneurons but did not affect the survival of dorsal root ganglion neurons or sympathetic preganglionic neurons (column of Terni). These results provide the first demonstration that an isolated, skeletal muscle-derived molecule can selectively enhance the survival of motoneurons in vivo and suggest that CDF may function in vivo to regulate the survival and development of motoneurons.
authors.affiliation: Wagner ALS Research Laboratory, Jerry Lewis Neuromuscular Disease Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: McManaman
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Oppenheim
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Prevette
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marchetti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002469:Cell Separation; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology; D007700:Kinetics; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000187:drug effects; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology
chemical_list: D009124:Muscle Proteins; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase