title: Functions of basic fibroblast growth factor and neurotrophins in the differentiation of hippocampal neurons.
abstract: Restrictions in neuronal fate occur during the transition from a multipotential to a postmitotic cell. This and later steps in neuronal differentiation are determined by extracellular signals. We report that basic fibroblast growth factor is mitogenic for stem cells and is a differentiation factor for calbindin-expressing hippocampal neurons. The neurotrophin NT-3 is a differentiation factor for the same neurons but does not affect proliferation. NT-3 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor promote the maturation of neurons derived from stem cells that have been grown in vitro. These results define functions for basic fibroblast growth factor and neurotrophins in the differentiation processes that direct a multipotential stem cell to a specific neuronal fate.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vicario-Abejón
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Johe
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Hazel
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Collazo
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: McKay
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D064026:Calbindins; D002452:Cell Count; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D020933:Neurotrophin 3; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G / Q000187:drug effects; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D064026:Calbindins; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D020933:Neurotrophin 3; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2