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Molecular and Cellular Biology, May 2000, p. 3004-3014, Vol. 20, No. 9
Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Purdue
University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907
Received 3 August 1999/Returned for modification 28 September
1999/Accepted 17 February 2000
Cells of the vertebrate neural crest (crest cells) are an
invaluable model system to address cell fate specification. Crest cells
are amenable to tissue culture, and they differentiate to a variety of
neuronal and nonneuronal cell types. Earlier studies have determined
that bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP-2, -4, and -7) and agents that
elevate intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) stimulate the development of
the sympathoadrenal (SA, adrenergic) lineage in neural crest cultures.
To investigate whether interactive mechanisms between signaling
pathways influence crest cell differentiation, we characterized the
combinatorial effects of BMP-2 and cAMP-elevating agents on the
development of quail trunk neural crest cells in primary culture. We
report that the cAMP signaling pathway modulates both positive and
negative signals influencing the development of SA cells. Specifically,
we show that moderate activation of cAMP signaling promotes, in synergy
with BMP-2, SA cell development and the expression of the SA
lineage-determining gene Phox2a. By contrast, robust activation of cAMP
signaling opposes, even in the presence of BMP-2, SA cell development
and the expression of the SA lineage-determining ASH-1 and Phox2 genes.
We conclude that cAMP signaling acts as a bimodal regulator of SA cell
development in neural crest cultures.
0270-7306/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Cyclic AMP Signaling Functions as a Bimodal Switch
in Sympathoadrenal Cell Development in Cultured Primary Neural
Crest Cells
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Basic Medical Sciences, 1246 Lynn Hall, Purdue University, West
Lafayette, IN 47907-1246. Phone: (765) 494-8131. Fax: (765) 494-0781. E-mail: oma{at}vet.purdue.edu.
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