title: Functional receptor for GDNF encoded by the c-ret proto-oncogene.
abstract: Glial-cell-line-derived neutrophic factor (GDNF) promotes the survival and phenotype of central dopaminergic noradrenergic and motor neurons, as well as various subpopulations of peripheral sensory and sympathetic neurons. GDNF is structurally related to members of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta superfamily, several members of which have well-characterized receptor systems; however, GDNF receptors still remain undefined. Here we show that GDNF binds to, and induces tyrosine phosphorylation of, the product of the c-ret proto-oncogene, an orphan receptor tyrosine kinase, in a GDNF-responsive motor-neuron cell line. Ret protein could also bind GDNF and mediate survival and growth responses to GDNF upon transfection into naive fibroblasts. Moreover, high levels of c-ret mRNA expression were found in dopaminergic neurons of the adult substantia nigra, where exogenous GDNF protected Ret-positive neurons from 6-hydroxydopamine-induced cell death. Thus the product of the c-ret proto-oncogene encodes a functional receptor for GDNF that may mediate its neurotrophic effects on motor and dopaminergic neurons.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trupp
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Arenas
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fainzilber
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Sieber
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grigoriou
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kilkenny
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Salazar-Grueso
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pachnis
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Arumäe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D051097:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptors; D051379:Mice; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C495040:Gdnf protein, mouse; C495041:Gdnf protein, rat; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D051097:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptors; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014443:Tyrosine; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C416649:Ret protein, Drosophila; C494999:Ret protein, mouse; C495001:Ret protein, rat