Rescue of motoneurons from cell death by a purified skeletal muscle polypeptide: Effects of the ChAT development factor, CDF

James L. McManaman, Ronald W. Oppenheim, David Prevette, Dario Marchetti

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

71 Scopus citations

Abstract

Rat skeletal muscle contains a 22 kd polypeptide that increases the level of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity in cultures of embryonic rat spinal cord neurons and has been purified to homogeneity. The application of this factor, ChAT development factor or CDF, to developing chick embryos during the period of naturally occurring motoneuron cell death significantly increased the survival of motoneurons but did not affect the survival of dorsal root ganglion neurons or sympathetic preganglionic neurons (column of Terni). These results provide the first demonstration that an isolated, skeletal muscle-derived molecule can selectively enhance the survival of motoneurons in vivo and suggest that CDF may function in vivo to regulate the survival and development of motoneurons.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)891-898
Number of pages8
JournalNeuron
Volume4
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1990

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Neuroscience

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