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Nerve growth factor acts via retinoic acid synthesis to stimulate neurite outgrowth

Nature Neuroscience volume 2, pages 307–308 (1999)Cite this article

Abstract

Nerve growth factor (NGF) stimulates neurite outgrowth from cultured adult dorsal root ganglia (DRG)1, and the vitamin A derivative all-trans-retinoic acid (tRA) induces neurite outgrowth from various embryonic sources, including DRG2,3. Are such similarities in effects of NGF and tRA because they are both components of the same genetic cascade leading to neurite outgrowth? tRA upregulates low-and high-affinity NGF receptors3,4 and induces the transcription of NGF itself5, suggesting that tRA may be upstream of NGF, but we show the converse, namely, that NGF is upstream of tRA.

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Figure 1: Neurite outgrowth in adult mouse DRG.
Figure 2: Neurite numbers, tRA synthesis and gene induction in adult mouse DRG after various treatments.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a project grant from The Wellcome Trust and the BBSRC.

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  1. Developmental Biology Research Centre, The Randall Institute, King's College London, 26–29 Drury Lane, London, WC2B 5RL, UK

    Jonathan Corcoran & Malcolm Maden

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  1. Jonathan Corcoran
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Correspondence to Jonathan Corcoran.

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Corcoran, J., Maden, M. Nerve growth factor acts via retinoic acid synthesis to stimulate neurite outgrowth. Nat Neurosci 2, 307–308 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/7214

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