PRESENCE AND LOCALIZATION OF NEUROTROPHIN RECEPTOR TYROSINE KINASE (TRKA, TRKB, TRKC) MESSENGER-RNAS IN VISCERAL AFFERENT NEURONS OF THE NODOSE AND PETROSAL GANGLIA
H. Zhuo et Cj. Helke, PRESENCE AND LOCALIZATION OF NEUROTROPHIN RECEPTOR TYROSINE KINASE (TRKA, TRKB, TRKC) MESSENGER-RNAS IN VISCERAL AFFERENT NEURONS OF THE NODOSE AND PETROSAL GANGLIA, Molecular brain research, 38(1), 1996, pp. 63-70
The presence of mRNAs to the high affinity tyrosine kinase (Trk) recep
tors for neurotrophins was studied in visceral afferent neurons of the
nodose and petrosal ganglia of adult and neonatal rats using in situ
hybridization histochemistry. Neurons containing TrkA mRNA were found
in the adult nodose and petrosal ganglia. About 10% of nodose ganglion
neurons and 38% of petrosal ganglion neurons contained TrkA mRNA. The
nodose and petrosal ganglia from 1 day old neonates also expressed Tr
kA mRNA. No TrkB mRNA-containing neurons were detected in the adult no
dose and petrosal ganglia, whereas TrkB mRNA was detected in 1 day old
neonatal nodose and petrosal ganglia. TrkC mRNA was found in about 9%
of nodose ganglion neurons and 11% of petrosal ganglion neurons of ad
ult rats. Likewise, low but detectable levels of TrkC mRNA were seen i
n 1 day old neonatal nodose and petrosal ganglia. These data demonstra
te the presence of TrkA and TrkC in the adult nodose and petrosal gang
lia and provide a substrate for the ongoing neurotrophin-induced regul
ation of these placodally derived visceral afferent neurons. The alter
ed expression of Trk receptor mRNAs in the nodose and petrosal ganglia
between the adult and neonatal rats may reflect developmentally regul
ated changes in neurotrophin responsiveness.