title: Differential regulation of GDNF, neurturin, and their receptors in primary cultures of rat glial cells.
abstract: Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and neurturin (NTN) bind to GFR alpha-1 and GFR alpha-2 receptors, respectively, and their neurotrophic activity is mediated by the tyrosine kinase receptor, Ret. All these molecules were found to be expressed in primary cultures of rat glial cells, which were largely composed of astrocytes and maintained in serum-free medium. Although GDNF, NTN and Ret mRNA levels were at the limit of detection, RNase protection assays revealed relatively high amounts of GFR alpha-1 and GFR alpha transcripts. To characterize signals controlling their expression, glial cells were exposed to serum or treated with hormones acting through nuclear receptors and by activators of the cAMP or protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent pathways. Retinoic acid or 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 appeared ineffective. In contrast, the 5-fold increase in GFR alpha-2 mRNA after 24 hr of treatment with 10(-10) M of tri-iodothyronine, suggests a physiological role of thyroid hormone in the regulation of this receptor in vivo. The serum induced a 7-fold increase in GFR alpha-1 mRNA levels. These changes may be mediated by the cAMP or PKC pathways because both forskolin and TPA up-regulated the GFR alpha-1 gene. Interestingly, only TPA led to a coordinated increase in the levels of GDNF, GFR alpha-1 and GFR alpha-2 mRNAs. On the other hand, NTN transcripts remained constant, irrespective of the culture conditions. Taken together, these results indicate that GDNF family ligands and their receptors are regulated in glial cells by common or independent transductional pathways, which could modulate their specific expression during brain development or in the case of trauma.
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Unite 437, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Universitaire de Nantes, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rémy
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Naveilhan
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brachet
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Neveu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000494:pharmacology; D002120:Calcium Channel Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex; D005576:Colforsin / Q000494:pharmacology; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D051097:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptors; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051101:Neurturin; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002120:Calcium Channel Agonists; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C495041:Gdnf protein, rat; C494989:Gfra1 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; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D005576:Colforsin; D014212:Tretinoin; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C416649:Ret protein, Drosophila; C495001:Ret protein, rat; D002117:Calcitriol