Neuregulins and their specific receptors, members of the ErbB family o
f tyrosine kinases, have been implicated in the control of growth and
development of Schwann cells(1-3), specialized cells that wrap around
nerve axons to provide electrical insulation. Here we use gene targeti
ng to generate mice that lack ErbB3, a high-affinity neuregulin recept
or(4-6). Homozygous erbB3 mutant embryos lack Schwann-cell precursors
and Schwann cells that accompany peripheral axons of sensory and motor
neurons. The initial development of motor neurons and sensory neurons
of dorsal root ganglia occurs as it should, but at later stages most
motor neurons (79%) and sensory neurons in dorsal root ganglia (82%) u
ndergo cell death in erbB3 mutant embryos. Degeneration of the periphe
ral nervous system in erbB3 mutant pups is thus much more severe than
the cell death in mice that lack neurotrophins or neurotrophin recepto
rs(7,8). We also show that ErbB3 functions in a cell-autonomous way du
ring the development of Schwann cells, but not in the survival of sens
ory or motor neurons. Our results indicate that sensory and motor neur
ons require factors for their survival that are provided by developing
Schwann cells.