title: Localization of TrkC to Schwann cells and effects of neurotrophin-3 signaling at neuromuscular synapses.
abstract: Neurotrophins and their receptors, the Trks, are differentially expressed among the cell types that make up neuromuscular and other synapses, but the function and directionality of neurotrophin signaling at synapses are poorly understood. Here we demonstrate, via immunostaining, Western blotting, and RT-PCR analyses, that TrkC, the receptor for neurotrophin-3 (NT3), is expressed by mouse perisynaptic and myelinating Schwann cells from birth through adulthood and is unaltered after denervation. Analyses of transgenic mice in which the NT3 coding sequence is replaced by lacZ showed that NT3 is expressed in motor neurons and Schwann cells during perinatal development, but not in adult mice. In muscle, NT3 is expressed by intrafusal muscle fibers within spindles, as has been previously reported. Surprisingly, NT3 is also expressed in extrafusal muscle fibers during perinatal life and in adults. Genetic approaches were used to explore the roles of NT3 and TrkC signaling at neuromuscular synapses. Overexpression of NT3 in muscle fibers during development resulted in an increased number of perisynaptic Schwann cells at neuromuscular synapses, without altering synaptic size, suggesting that muscle-derived NT3 might act as a mitogen or trophic factor for Schwann cells. Conditional deletion of NT3 from motor neurons did not alter the number of Schwann cells or other aspects of neuromuscular synaptic structure, suggesting that motor-neuron-derived NT3 is not required for normal development of perisynaptic Schwann cells or synapses. Together, these results demonstrate that NT3 expression is developmentally regulated in skeletal muscle and may modulate the number of Schwann cells at neuromuscular synapses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6074, USA.
authors.forename: Darren M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Hess
authors.forename: Marion O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: Srilatha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Potluri
authors.forename: Elizabeth Vernon
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Pitts
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cisterni
authors.forename: Rita J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Balice-Gordon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D019771:Axotomy / Q000379:methods; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization / Q000379:methods; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009121:Muscle Denervation / Q000379:methods; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000502:physiology*; D020933:Neurotrophin 3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020812:Receptor, trkC / Q000378:metabolism*; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000378:metabolism; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D020933:Neurotrophin 3; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins; D020812:Receptor, trkC