title: Developmental expression of GDNF, neurturin and their receptors in rat hippocampus.
abstract: GLIAL cell-line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and neurturin (NTN) are members of a new family of factors within the transforming growth factor-beta (TGFbeta) super-family. Signaling by GDNF and NTN depends on the tyrosine kinase receptor Ret and on GFRalpha-1 and -2. We have investigated by competitive RT-PCR the developmental expression of these molecules within the rat hippocampus. All transcripts reach high expression levels between postnatal day 0 and 14 (P0-P14), a critical period of hippocampal differentiation, suggesting roles for these molecules in this process. All mRNAs (with the exception of Ret) can be detected as early as embryonic day 14 (E14). The absence of Ret expression at E14 suggests that both GDNF and NTN may employ an additional, unknown receptor. NTN expression shows a biphasic expression pattern, with maximum expression levels at E14 and P5.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, University of Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lenhard
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Suter-Crazzolara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D051097:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptors; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051101:Neurturin; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C495041:Gdnf protein, rat; C494989:Gfra1 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; D051101:Neurturin; C495057:Nrtn protein, rat; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C416649:Ret protein, Drosophila; C495001:Ret protein, rat