Postnatal changes in the expression of the trkA high-affinity NGF receptor in primary sensory neurons.

In development approximately 70-80% of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells are dependent on nerve growth factor (NGF) for their survival, while in the adult only some 40% of DRG cells express the high-affinity NGF receptor, trkA. This discrepancy suggests that trkA expression, and therefore neurotrophi...

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Main Authors: Bennett, D, Averill, S, Clary, DO, Priestley, J, McMahon, S
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 1996
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author Bennett, D
Averill, S
Clary, DO
Priestley, J
McMahon, S
author_facet Bennett, D
Averill, S
Clary, DO
Priestley, J
McMahon, S
author_sort Bennett, D
collection OXFORD
description In development approximately 70-80% of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells are dependent on nerve growth factor (NGF) for their survival, while in the adult only some 40% of DRG cells express the high-affinity NGF receptor, trkA. This discrepancy suggests that trkA expression, and therefore neurotrophin sensitivity, may alter as the animal matures. We have tested this possibility by counting the number of L4/5 DRG neurons showing immunoreactivity for trkA in rats from the day of birth to postnatal day 14. We also examined changes in p75 and IB4 labelling. On the day of birth, 71% of DRG cells were found to express trkA. However, this percentage gradually fell with age and reached adult levels at postnatal day 14. The expression of p75 did not parallel that of trkA, remaining relatively constant at between 45 and 50% of cells from birth to postnatal day 14. Over the same period there was a marked increase in the proportion of cells which bind the lectin IB4 from 9 (day of birth) to 40% (day 14). Since in the adult the IB4 population consists of small cells which mostly do not express trkA, this finding suggests that the postnatal down-regulation of trkA occurs in this population. Consistent with this suggestion are the results of double labelling for trkA and IB4, which confirmed that at times intermediate between birth and postnatal day 14 there was a high degree of coexpression between these markers (which is absent in the adult). This result also suggests that the down-regulation of trkA is unlikely to be directly responsible for the emerging IB4 binding.
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spelling oxford-uuid:973d2aac-9875-45b1-8b43-3c7250237f342022-03-26T23:58:06ZPostnatal changes in the expression of the trkA high-affinity NGF receptor in primary sensory neurons.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:973d2aac-9875-45b1-8b43-3c7250237f34EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford1996Bennett, DAverill, SClary, DOPriestley, JMcMahon, SIn development approximately 70-80% of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells are dependent on nerve growth factor (NGF) for their survival, while in the adult only some 40% of DRG cells express the high-affinity NGF receptor, trkA. This discrepancy suggests that trkA expression, and therefore neurotrophin sensitivity, may alter as the animal matures. We have tested this possibility by counting the number of L4/5 DRG neurons showing immunoreactivity for trkA in rats from the day of birth to postnatal day 14. We also examined changes in p75 and IB4 labelling. On the day of birth, 71% of DRG cells were found to express trkA. However, this percentage gradually fell with age and reached adult levels at postnatal day 14. The expression of p75 did not parallel that of trkA, remaining relatively constant at between 45 and 50% of cells from birth to postnatal day 14. Over the same period there was a marked increase in the proportion of cells which bind the lectin IB4 from 9 (day of birth) to 40% (day 14). Since in the adult the IB4 population consists of small cells which mostly do not express trkA, this finding suggests that the postnatal down-regulation of trkA occurs in this population. Consistent with this suggestion are the results of double labelling for trkA and IB4, which confirmed that at times intermediate between birth and postnatal day 14 there was a high degree of coexpression between these markers (which is absent in the adult). This result also suggests that the down-regulation of trkA is unlikely to be directly responsible for the emerging IB4 binding.
spellingShingle Bennett, D
Averill, S
Clary, DO
Priestley, J
McMahon, S
Postnatal changes in the expression of the trkA high-affinity NGF receptor in primary sensory neurons.
title Postnatal changes in the expression of the trkA high-affinity NGF receptor in primary sensory neurons.
title_full Postnatal changes in the expression of the trkA high-affinity NGF receptor in primary sensory neurons.
title_fullStr Postnatal changes in the expression of the trkA high-affinity NGF receptor in primary sensory neurons.
title_full_unstemmed Postnatal changes in the expression of the trkA high-affinity NGF receptor in primary sensory neurons.
title_short Postnatal changes in the expression of the trkA high-affinity NGF receptor in primary sensory neurons.
title_sort postnatal changes in the expression of the trka high affinity ngf receptor in primary sensory neurons
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AT averills postnatalchangesintheexpressionofthetrkahighaffinityngfreceptorinprimarysensoryneurons
AT clarydo postnatalchangesintheexpressionofthetrkahighaffinityngfreceptorinprimarysensoryneurons
AT priestleyj postnatalchangesintheexpressionofthetrkahighaffinityngfreceptorinprimarysensoryneurons
AT mcmahons postnatalchangesintheexpressionofthetrkahighaffinityngfreceptorinprimarysensoryneurons