DISTRIBUTION OF CHOLINERGIC NEURONAL DIFFERENTIATION FACTOR LEUKEMIA INHIBITORY FACTOR-BINDING SITES IN THE DEVELOPING AND ADULT-RAT NERVOUS-SYSTEM IN-VIVO

Cholinergic neuronal differentiation factor/leukemia inhibitory factor (CDF/LIF) is a multifunctional cytokine that affects neurons as well as many other cell types. Toward elucidating its neural functions in v ivo, we previously investigated the distribution of CDF/LIF binding si tes with iodinated native CDF/LIF in embryonic to postnatal day 0 (P0) rats. In the present study, we have extended our examination to postn atal ages and find that specific CDF/LIF binding sites are present at defined developmental stages in additional brain regions not previousl y exhibiting binding by P0, High levels of binding are detected in all P7 sensory and autonomic ganglia examined, but only in restricted pos tnatal central nervous system structures. Cranial motor and mesencepha lic trigeminal neurons maintain high levels throughout, while binding to spinal motor neurons, which decreases to low levels at P0, reappear s by P14 and increases with age. Most other structures, which show det ectable binding by P0, exhibit higher levels at postnatal ages, includ ing the red, deep, ventral cochlear, trapezoid, superior olivary, vest ibular, ventral tegmental, and ventral posterior thalamic nuclei as we ll as the glomerular layer of the olfactory bulb. High levels are also detected in several structures for the first time after PO, including the cerebellar cortex (molecular and Purkinje cell layers), lateral r eticular nucleus of the medulla and reticular formation, as well as th e reticulotegmental, medial geniculate, solitary (rostral, dorsomedial , and commissural regions), medial septal, lateral mammillary, and lat eral habenular nuclei, These results not only identify regions of pote ntial CDF/LIF-responsive neurons and glia throughout development but s uggest new CDF/LIF roles in the nervous system, (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.