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Activin and BMPs regulate sensory neuronal differentiation
Author(s) -
Hall A. K.,
Dinsio K. J.,
Haner N.,
Cruise B. A.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1046/j.1471-4159.81.s1.47_3.x
Subject(s) - calcitonin gene related peptide , sensory neuron , dorsal root ganglion , biology , neuropeptide , bone morphogenetic protein , sensory system , embryonic stem cell , medicine , endocrinology , microbiology and biotechnology , neuroscience , gene , receptor , biochemistry
Regulated expression of neuropeptide transmitters in the sensory nervous system results in the ability to feel pain and modulate inflammation. These functions are carried out by sensory neurons that express calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP) and project to skin, muscle or gut target tissues. Activin and members of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) family have been suggested to contribute to the induction of CGRP in embryonic dorsal root ganglion neurons. Bioassays using embryonic target tissues as well as cell lines derived from these tissues clearly implicate a target derived factor in the induction of CGRP. Further, embryonic tissues that serve as sensory neuron targets express biochemically detectable amounts of BMPs and activin, as well as inhibitory molecules. These data support the hypothesis that BMPs and activin regulate sensory neuron cell phenotype development. In addition, activin also appears to induce neuropeptide expression following skin injury in the adult. Following a skin wound an increased proportion of CGRP expressing neurons are present in sensory ganglia innervating the wound region. While adult skin has low activin expression, following excisional skin wound, activin protein expression in skin adjacent to the wound increased, while BMP‐2, BMP‐4, and BMP‐6 expression decreased. These data suggest that activin and BMPs are important regulators of CGRP in development and disease.