Abstract
The existence of several homologies between islet and neuronal cells lets us postulate that the factors influencing neuronal differentiation, such as NGF, could also play a role in islet cell differentiation program. As a first step, we have investigated the presence of NGF-R in a panel of beta cell lines such as RINmSF, βTC-1, INS-1. Results obtained were compared to the well characterized neurectodermal PC12 cell line. Binding studies using 125I-NGF revealed that NGF binds specifically to RINm5F cells. Northern blot analysis showed the expression of the low affinity NGF-R (LNGF-R) in RINm5F and INS-1 cells. Reverse PCR using oligonucleotides specific for TRK-A, the neuronal high affinity NGF-R, followed by sequencing, revealed the identity between pancreatic and neuronal TRK-A. By Northern blot analysis, we demonstrated the expression of TRK-A mRNA in all the beta cell lines tested. By immucytochemistry and Western blot, we showed that TRK-A protein was also expressed in these cell lines. In INS-1 cells, expression of TRK-A is as high as in PC12 cells. Finally, when INS-1 cells were incubated with growth hormone (GH), expression of both TRK-A and LNGF-R increased with a maximal induction after 8h incubation.
In conclusion, both the low- and high-affinity NGF-R are expressed in beta cell lines. The control of their expression by GH could represent a possible pathway to explain the role of GH in islet cell development.
Supported by JDF International grant n°192194
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Tazi, A., Scharfmann, R., Asfari, M. et al. BOTH THE LOW AND THE HIGH AFFINITY NERVE GROWTH FACTOR RECEPTORS (NGF-R) ARE EXPRESSED IN PANCREATIC BETA CELL LINES. Pediatr Res 33 (Suppl 5), S58 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199305001-00329
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199305001-00329