Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF/SF) is a muscle-derived survival factor for a subpopulation of embryonic motoneurons.
Development
; 124(15): 2903-13, 1997 Aug.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-9247333
Muscle-derived factors are known to be important for the survival of developing spinal motoneurons, but the molecules involved have not been characterized. Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) plays an important role in muscle development and motoneuron axon outgrowth. We show that HGF/SF has potent neurotrophic activity (EC50=2 pM) for a subpopulation (40%) of purified embryonic rat motoneurons. Moreover, HGF/SF is an essential component of muscle-derived support for motoneurons, since blocking antibodies to HGF/SF specifically inhibited 65% of the trophic activity of media conditioned by C2/C7 skeletal myotubes, but did not inhibit the trophic activity secreted by Schwann cell lines. High levels of expression of the HGF/SF receptor c-Met in the spinal cord are restricted to subsets of motoneurons, mainly in limb-innervating segments. Consistent with this distribution, cultured motoneurons from limb-innervating brachial and lumbar segments showed a more potent response to HGF/SF than did thoracic motoneurons. By the end of the period of motoneuron cell death, levels of c-Met mRNA in motoneurons were markedly reduced, suggesting that the effects of HGF/SF may be limited to the period of motoneuron cell death. HGF/SF may play an important role during motoneuron development as a muscle-derived survival factor for a subpopulation of limb-innervating motoneurons.
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Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Hepatocyte Growth Factor
/
Muscle, Skeletal
/
Motor Neurons
Limits:
Animals
Language:
En
Journal:
Development
Journal subject:
BIOLOGIA
/
EMBRIOLOGIA
Year:
1997
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
France
Country of publication:
United kingdom