CNTF, FGF, AND NCF COLLABORATE TO DRIVE THE TERMINAL DIFFERENTIATION OF MAH CELLS INTO POSTMITOTIC NEURONS

The differentiation of neuronal cell progenitors depends on complex in teractions between intrinsic cellular programs and environmental cues. Such interactions have recently been explored using an immortalized s ympathoadrenal progenitor cell line, MAH. These studies have revealed that depolarizing conditions, in combination with exposure to FGF, can induce responsiveness to NGF. Here we report that CNTF, which utilize s an intracellular signaling pathway distinct from that of both FGF an d NGF, can collaborate with FGF to promote efficiently the differentia tion of MAH progenitor cells to a stage remarkably reminiscent of NGF- dependent, postmitotic sympathetic neurons. We also find that similar collaborative interactions can occur during transdifferentiation of no rmal cultured chromaffin cells into sympathetic neurons.