The cell surface receptor for beta-nerve growth factor was used as a probe to study the development of embryonic chick sensory ganglia. The ganglia were shown to lose their responsiveness to nerve growth factor in vitro between 14 and 16 days of embryonic age. This loss occurred by a decrease in the magnitude of the maximum biological response, not by a shifting of the response to higher concentrations. Binding assays for the beta-nerve growth factor receptor, using 125I-radiolabelled beta-nerve growth factor, were performed with cells from sensory ganglia 8, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 21 days of age. The assays revealed a twofold increase in the number of receptor sites per ganglion between 8 and 14 days and a sixfold drop between 14 and 16 days of embryonic life. Neither increase nor decrease was accompanied by a large change in the affinity of the receptor for the protein. Together with the results of the bioassay, the data show that the loss of biological responsiveness is correlated with and may be due to a loss of the cells' ability to bind beta-nerve growth factor. Correlation of the results of the binding assays with the known ontogeny of the chick embryo provides a hint at the role of nerve growth factor in normal development.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
1 October 1975
Article|
October 01 1975
Properties of the beta-nerve growth factor receptor in development.
K Herrup
E M Shooter
Online ISSN: 1540-8140
Print ISSN: 0021-9525
J Cell Biol (1975) 67 (1): 118–125.
Citation
K Herrup, E M Shooter; Properties of the beta-nerve growth factor receptor in development.. J Cell Biol 1 October 1975; 67 (1): 118–125. doi: https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.67.1.118
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Client Account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Could not validate captcha. Please try again.
Sign in via your Institution
Sign in via your InstitutionSuggested Content
Email alerts
Advertisement
Advertisement