title: CNS glia are targets for GDNF and neurturin.
abstract: Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and neurturin (NTN) are two closely related growth factors reported to selectively act on distinct neuronal populations in the CNS. Both GDNF and NTN signal through a receptor complex consisting of the signal transducing subunit, Ret, and a ligand-specific binding subunit, termed GDNF family receptor (GFR)alpha-1 and GFRalpha-2, respectively. By using RT-PCR, we observed that mRNAs encoding the subunits of both receptor complexes are widely expressed throughout the developing brain, suggesting the presence of targets for these growth factors other than the ones known today. We provide evidence that these targets include glial cells.
authors.affiliation: Anatomie und Zellbiologie, Universität Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Franke
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Figiel
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Engele
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005260:Female; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D051097:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptors; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000378:metabolism*; D051101:Neurturin; D011247:Pregnancy; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D017931:DNA Primers; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C495041:Gdnf protein, rat; C494992:Gfra2 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; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C416649:Ret protein, Drosophila; C495001:Ret protein, rat