title: Nerve growth factor-mediated expression of galectin-3 in mouse dorsal root ganglion neurons.
abstract: Galectin-3, a member of the galectin family of beta-galactoside-specific lectins has been found to be expressed by subsets of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons during development and in adulthood. Here we show that (i) after 3-7 days in vitro, DRG neurons derived from neonatal mice express galectin-3 intra- and extracellularly and (ii) lectin expression requires the presence of nerve growth factor (NGF). After 3 days in vitro, a higher number of DRG neurons expressed galectin-3 in the presence of NGF (65 +/- 7%) than in the presence of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF, 30 +/- 3%) or neurotrophin-3 (NT-3, 34 +/- 3%). After 7 days in vitro, these numbers dropped to 51 +/- 3% (for NGF), 0% (for BDNF) and 8 +/- 4% (for NT-3), respectively. Our findings provide first evidence for the contribution of a neurotrophin to the neuronal expression of galectins and suggest an NGF/TrkA-mediated expression of galectin-3 by early postnatal DRG neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pesheva
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuklinski
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Biersack
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Probstmeier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000378:metabolism*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D037502:Galectin 3; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D020933:Neurotrophin 3 / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D037502:Galectin 3; D020933:Neurotrophin 3; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor