title: Rapid and sensitive method to detect expression of growth factor receptors.
abstract: A sensitive method to analyze growth factor receptor expression is described that is based on precipitation of the receptor by the growth factor. The precipitate that forms after incubation of pure, membrane-free cytoplasm with the growth factor contains both the receptor and the corresponding mRNA. With this method, nerve growth factor (NGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptors were detected in several tumor cell lines thought previously to be receptor-negative. This method is more sensitive than existing cell surface approaches, permitting the detection of growth factor receptor synthesis even in the absence of detectable cell surface expression. The method is comparable in sensitivity to Northern blot hybridization but does not require DNA probes.
authors.affiliation: Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Rakowicz-Szulczynska
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Linnenbach
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koprowski
mesh_terms: D001681:Biological Assay; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002460:Cell Line; D011232:Chemical Precipitation; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006801:Humans; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor; D017479:Receptors, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor
chemical_list: D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor; D017479:Receptors, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor