Localization, characterization and function of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide during brain development.
Neural development is controlled by region-specific factors that regulate cell proliferation, migration and differentiation. Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a neuropeptide that exerts a wide range of effects on different cell types in the brain as early as the fetal stage. Here we review current knowledge concerning several aspects of PACAP expression in embryonic and neonatal neural tissue: (i) the distribution of PACAP and PACAP receptors mRNA in the developing brain; (ii) the characteristic generation of neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes in brain areas where the PACAP receptor is expressed and (iii) the role of PACAP as a regulator of neural development, inducing differentiation and proliferation in association with other trophic factors or signal transduction molecules.
Watanabe
Jun
J
Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Showa University, 1-5-8 Hatanodai, Tokyo 142-8555, Japan.
Nakamachi
Tomoya
T
Matsuno
Ryousuke
R
Hayashi
Daisuke
D
Nakamura
Masahisa
M
Kikuyama
Sakae
S
Nakajo
Shigeo
S
Shioda
Seiji
S
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D038081:Organogenesis; D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*; D051237:Receptors, Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide, Type I / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D051237:Receptors, Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide, Type I