Expression of neurotrophin receptors trkB and trkC and their ligands in rat adrenal gland and the intermediolateral column of the spinal cord

Andreas Schober, Nicole Wolf, Nitza Kahane, Chaya Kalcheim, Kerstin Krieglstein, Klaus Unsicker*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

27 Scopus citations

Abstract

Neurotrophins and their trk receptors constitute major classes of signaling molecules with important actions in the developing and adult nervous system. With regard to the sympathoadrenal cell lineage, which gives rise to sympathetic neurons and chromaffin cells, neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) and nerve growth factor (NGF) are thought to influence developing sympathetic neurons. Neurotrophin requirements of chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla are less well understood than those for NGF. In order to provide the bases for understanding of putative functions of neurotrophins for the development and maintenance of chromaffin cells and their preganglionic innervation, in situ hybridization has been used to study the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and NT-3, together with their cognate receptors trkB and trkC, in the adrenal gland and in the intermediolateral column (IML) of the spinal cord. BDNF is highly expressed in the embryonic adrenal cortex and later in cells of the cortical reticularis zone. Adrenal medullary chromaffin cells fail to express detectable levels of mRNAs for BDNF, NT-3, and their cognate receptors trkB and trkC. Neurons in the IML express BDNF and trkB, and low levels of NT-3 and trkC. Our data make it unlikely that BDNF and NT-3 serve as retrograde trophic factors for IML neurons but suggest roles of BDNF and NT-3 locally within the spinal cord, and possibly for sensory nerves of the adrenal cortex.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)271-279
Number of pages9
JournalCell and Tissue Research
Volume296
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 1999

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
A.S. and N.W. contributed equally to this work, which was supported by grants from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Kr 1477/3–1, SFB 317/D4)

Keywords

  • Adrenal cortex
  • Brain-derived neurotrophic factor
  • Chromaffin cells
  • Neurotrophin-3
  • Rat (Wistar)
  • Sympathetic preganglionic neurons

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