Summary
The capability of epidermal growth factor (EGF) to stimulate DNA synthesis in neural cells was investigated in primary cultures of early postnatal mouse cerebellum. At concentrations of 10-8M, EGF stimulates DNA synthesis in astrocytes, which were identified immunocytologically by the cell type-specific marker, glial fibrillary acidic (GFA) protein. Astrocytes express cell-surface receptors for EGF as can be shown by binding of [125I]-labeled EGF to live monolayer cultures. In the presence of 10% horse serum, EGF stimulates DNA-synthesis by a factor of about two-fold. Stimulation by EGF over control values is approximately 4-fold in the presence of 1% serum and 6 to 10-fold in the absence of serum. Absolute numbers of astrocytes are increased after more prolonged action of EGF. DNA-synthesis in neurons or oligodendroglia is not significantly stimulated by EGF. EGF enhances cell survival of serum-deprived cerebellar cultures. Fibroblast growth factor does not increase DNA-synthesis in astrocytes under the conditions used in this study.
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Abbreviations
- BME :
-
basal medium, Eagle's
- BME-BSA :
-
basal medium, Eagle's containing 0.1% bovine serum albumin
- EDTA :
-
ethylene-diamino-N, N′-tetraacetic acid
- EGF :
-
epidermal growth factor
- FGF :
-
fibroblast growth factor
- GFA :
-
glial fibrillary acidic
- HS :
-
horse serum
- [3 H] TdR:
-
tritium-labeled thymidine
- PAP :
-
peroxidase-anti-peroxidase
- PBS :
-
phosphate-buffered saline
- SDS :
-
sodium dodecyl sulfate
- TCA :
-
trichloroacetic acid
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Leutz, A., Schachner, M. Epidermal growth factor stimulates DNA-synthesis of astrocytes in primary cerebellar cultures. Cell Tissue Res. 220, 393–404 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00210517
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00210517