title: Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor activates the receptor tyrosine kinase RET and promotes kidney morphogenesis.
abstract: The receptor tyrosine kinase RET functions during the development of the kidney and the enteric nervous system, yet no ligand has been identified to date. This report demonstrates that the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) activates RET, as measured by tyrosine phosphorylation of the intracellular catalytic domain. GDNF also binds RET with a dissociation constant of 8 nM, and 125I-labeled GDNF can be coimmunoprecipitated with anti-RET antibodies. In addition, exogenous GDNF stimulates both branching and proliferation of embryonic kidneys in organ culture, whereas neutralizing antibodies against GDNF inhibit branching morphogenesis. These data indicate that RET and GDNF are components of a common signaling pathway and point to a role for GDNF in kidney development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Q C
authors.initials: QC
authors.lastname: Vega
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Worby
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lechner
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Dixon
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Dressler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D051097:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptors; D007668:Kidney / Q000196:embryology*; D051379:Mice; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D019000:Phosphotyrosine / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014513:Ureter / Q000196:embryology
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C495040:Gdnf protein, mouse; 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; D019000:Phosphotyrosine; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C416649:Ret protein, Drosophila; C494999:Ret protein, mouse