title: Cultured rat Schwann cells express low affinity receptors for nerve growth factor.
abstract: Schwann cell cultures prepared from postnatal Sprague-Dawley rat sciatic nerves were used to demonstrate the presence of specific receptors for the beta-subunit of nerve growth factor (NGF) on rat Schwann cells. Indirect immunofluorescence microscopy with a monoclonal antineuronal NGF receptor (NGFR) antibody indicated that NGFR antigen was expressed on the surface of Schwann cells but not of endoneurial fibroblasts. Studies with 125I-NGF confirmed this distribution of NGFR in the cultures and showed that the Schwann cell NGFR had a single NGF binding affinity (Kd of 1.8 x 10(-9) M). 125I-NGF binding by the cultured Schwann cells increased with time in vitro, reaching a plateau level on the 4th day, but decreased with increasing age, reaching 40% of the neonatal value in Schwann cells isolated from 12-day-old rats. Treatment of the cultures with NGF did not alter Schwann cell phenotype, survival or proliferation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurology, Aichi Medical University, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sobue
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mokuno
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kreider
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pleasure
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor