title: BMP-2 and BMP-4, but not BMP-6, increase the number of adrenergic cells which develop in quail trunk neural crest cultures.
abstract: The bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are members of the TGF beta superfamily of growth factors. We have investigated the effects of BMP-2, BMP-4, and BMP-6 on the development of quail trunk neural crest cells in tissue culture. The presence of human recombinant BMP-2 or BMP-4 resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunoreactive cells which developed after 7 days in vitro. In contrast, BMP-6 showed little or no effect. Total cell number was not altered significantly by BMP-2, BMP-4, or BMP-6. However, in the presence of BMP-2 and BMP-4, but not BMP-6, the fraction of the cell population that became melanocytes was reduced to about two-thirds the control value. Addition of BMP-2 and BMP-4 also increased the number of Islet-1-immunoreactive and Hu-immunoreactive cells, but the magnitude of these increases was less than that observed for the TH-immunoreactive cell population. The Islet-1-immunoreactive cells were a subset of the TH-immunoreactive cells, while the Hu-positive cells were distinct from the TH-immunoreactive population. Analysis using bromodeoxyuridine labeling indicated that the increased numbers of TH-immunoreactive cells observed in the presence of BMP-2 and BMP-4 were not due to an increased rate of cell division in committed TH precursors. Further experiments, in which cultures were initiated from single cells, showed that the presence of BMP-2 resulted in colonies containing numerous catecholamine-positive cells without altering the overall number of colonies which survived and developed. In summary, our findings indicate that BMP-2 and BMP-4 are potent regulators of the adrenergic development of avian trunk neural crest cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, University of Connecticut Health Center, Connecticut 06030-3405, USA.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Varley
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Maxwell
mesh_terms: D000320:Adrenergic Fibers / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D002452:Cell Count / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011506:Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011784:Quail; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D006133:Growth Substances; D011506:Proteins; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta