TY - JOUR
T1 - Expression and function of GDNF family ligands and receptors in the carotid body
AU - Leitner, Melanie L.
AU - Wang, Leo H.
AU - Osborne, Patricia A.
AU - Golden, Judith P.
AU - Milbrandt, Jeffrey
AU - Johnson, Eugene M.
N1 - Funding Information:
This paper would not be possible without the generous help of the Johnson lab, especially Mary Bloomgren for administrative support; Drs. Brian Tsui-Pierchela and Wojtek Rakowicz for critical reading of the manuscript, and Dr. Hideki Enomoto for providing knockout mice. This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grants AG12947 and AG13729 (E.M.J.) and AG-13730 (J.M.).
PY - 2005/2
Y1 - 2005/2
N2 - The carotid body is a neural crest-derived neuroendocrine organ that detects the oxygen level in blood and regulates ventilation. Unlike many other neural crest derivatives, the trophic factors mediating survival and differentiation of neuroendocrine cells of the carotid body are unknown. Given that many neural crest derivatives rely on the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) family of ligands (GFLs) for survival and function, we undertook an analysis of the carotid body as a potential site of GFL action. RET and GDNF family receptor alphas (GFRα) 1-3 are expressed in the developing carotid body as detected by RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry. mRNA for GDNF, and artemin (ARTN) were also present. In vitro, treatment with GDNF, neurturin (NRTN), or ARTN, individually or in combination, produced an increase in the number and length of processes of the Type-I glomus cells of the carotid body [embryonic day-17 (E17) rats]. However, GFLs alone or in combination had no effect on glomus cell survival in either postnatal day-1 (P1) or E17 carotid body cultures. These results suggest that one or more GFLs may have a role in carotid body function. In addition, the results of this study suggest that endogenous or exogenous GFLs may enhance target innervation by carotid body transplants.
AB - The carotid body is a neural crest-derived neuroendocrine organ that detects the oxygen level in blood and regulates ventilation. Unlike many other neural crest derivatives, the trophic factors mediating survival and differentiation of neuroendocrine cells of the carotid body are unknown. Given that many neural crest derivatives rely on the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) family of ligands (GFLs) for survival and function, we undertook an analysis of the carotid body as a potential site of GFL action. RET and GDNF family receptor alphas (GFRα) 1-3 are expressed in the developing carotid body as detected by RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry. mRNA for GDNF, and artemin (ARTN) were also present. In vitro, treatment with GDNF, neurturin (NRTN), or ARTN, individually or in combination, produced an increase in the number and length of processes of the Type-I glomus cells of the carotid body [embryonic day-17 (E17) rats]. However, GFLs alone or in combination had no effect on glomus cell survival in either postnatal day-1 (P1) or E17 carotid body cultures. These results suggest that one or more GFLs may have a role in carotid body function. In addition, the results of this study suggest that endogenous or exogenous GFLs may enhance target innervation by carotid body transplants.
KW - Glomus cells
KW - Neurite outgrowth
KW - Parkinson's disease
KW - RET receptor tyrosine kinase
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=11344252490&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.expneurol.2004.08.013
DO - 10.1016/j.expneurol.2004.08.013
M3 - Article
C2 - 15629763
AN - SCOPUS:11344252490
SN - 0014-4886
VL - 191
SP - S68-S79
JO - Experimental Neurology
JF - Experimental Neurology
IS - SUPPL. 1
ER -