Neurotrophin-4 is more potent than brain-derived neurotrophic factor in promoting, attracting and suppressing geniculate ganglion neurite outgrowth.

ABSTRACT: The geniculate ganglion, which provides innervation to taste buds in the anterior tongue and palate, is unique among sensory ganglia in that its neurons depend on both neurotrophin-4 (NT4) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) for survival. Whereas BDNF is additionally implicated in taste axon guidance at targeting stages, much less is known about the guidance role of NT4 during targeting, or about either neurotrophin during initial pathfinding. NT4 and BDNF have distinct expression patterns in vivo, raising the possibility of distinct roles. We characterized the influence of NT4 and BDNF on geniculate neurites in collagen I gels at early embryonic through postnatal stages. During early pathfinding to the tongue (embryonic days 12-13; E12-13), NT4 and BDNF promote significantly long

SUBMITTER: Runge EM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3616768 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature