The neurotrophic factors in non-neuronal tissues.
Although neurotrophic factors are defined as molecules that maintain neuronal cells, they possess a range of functions outside the nervous system. For example, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor is essential for ureteric branching in kidney morphogenesis and for regulating the fate of stem cells during spermatogenesis. Leukemia inhibitory factor, a member of the interleukin-6 (IL-6) ciliary neurotrophic factor family, inhibits differentiation of embryonic stem cells, induces tubulogenesis in the embryonic kidney, and regulates sperm differentiation. Other IL-6 family members are important in cardiac differentiation and they have pleiotropic functions in the hematopoietic and immune systems. Although neurotrophin receptors have been found on a number of non-neuronal tissues, they represent mostly truncated receptor isoforms that are incapable of signal transduction and may have scavenger or dominant negative functions. However, several examples can be presented of essential non-neuronal functions played by neurotrophins in e.g., cardiac, hair follicle, and vascular differentiation, and the maintenance of immune cells.
Sariola
H
H
Developmental Biology Research Program, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Finland. hannu.sariola@helsinki.fi
D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D050822:Cytokine Receptor gp130; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D051097:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptors; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D015703:Antigens, CD; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C495039:GDNF protein, human; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D051097:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptors; C494199:IL6ST protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor; D050822:Cytokine Receptor gp130; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C416649:Ret protein, Drosophila