The specification of sympathetic neurotransmitter phenotype depends on gp130 cytokine receptor signaling.
Sympathetic ganglia are composed of noradrenergic and cholinergic neurons. The differentiation of cholinergic sympathetic neurons is characterized by the expression of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), induced in vitro by a subfamily of cytokines, including LIF, CNTF, GPA, OSM and cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1). To interfere with the function of these neuropoietic cytokines in vivo, antisense RNA for gp130, the common signal-transducing receptor subunit for neuropoietic cytokines, was expressed in chick sympathetic neurons, using retroviral vectors. A strong reduction in the number of VIP-expressing cells, but not of cells expressing ChAT or the adrenergic marker tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), was observed. These results reveal a physiological role of neuropoietic cytokines for the control of VIP expression during the development of cholinergic sympathetic neurons.
Geissen
M
M
Max-Planck-Institut für Hirnforschung, Abt. Neurochemie, Deutschordenstr. 46, Germany.
Heller
S
S
Pennica
D
D
Ernsberger
U
U
Rohrer
H
H
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000235:genetics; D050822:Cytokine Receptor gp130; D016207:Cytokines / Q000502:physiology*; D005728:Ganglia, Sympathetic / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009474:Neurons / Q000145:classification / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D010641:Phenotype; D016372:RNA, Antisense; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine / Q000502:physiology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012190:Retroviridae; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014162:Transfection; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000235:genetics; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000235:genetics*
D015703:Antigens, CD; D016207:Cytokines; C494199:IL6ST protein, human; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D016372:RNA, Antisense; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D050822:Cytokine Receptor gp130; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase