Overview
- Sendtner, M. et al. (1990) Nature 345, 440.
- Barbin, G. et al. (1984) J. Neurochem. 43, 1468.
- Manthorpe, M. et al. (1986) Brain Res. 367, 282.
- Kotzbauer, P.T. et al. (1994) Neuron 12, 763.
Alomone Labs Recombinant rat CNTF protein differentially promotes the activation of STAT3 and ERK in adipocyte and preadipocyte 3T3 L1 cells.Cells were stimulated with increasing concentrations of Recombinant rat CNTF protein (#C-245) for 10 min. The cells were subjected to western blot analysis and the activation of ERK and Stat3 were determined using anti-phospho-ERK and anti-phospho-Stat3.
CNTF is a polypeptide trophic factor, a member of the alpha-helical cytokine superfamily1. It was initially purified from the chick eye on the basis of its ability to promote survival of E8 chick ciliary ganglion neurons in culture2. CNTF is synthesized by glia both in the CNS and PNS3 and it has been shown to be ubiquitously distributed in neurons and glia throughout the rodent brain4. CNTF effects are mediated by a tripartite receptor complex consisting of two signal-transducing subunits (leukemia inhibitory factor receptor, gp130) and a CNTF-specific ligand-binding-subunit (CNTFR)5.
CNTF can support the survival of many different cell populations within the PNS and CNS6. In vitro, CNTF promotes proliferation and neuronal specifications in hippocampal neurons. In vivo, it supports the viability of non-primate motor neurons7, induces sprouting of cholinergic motor neurons8 and delays neural degeneration in genetic models of motor neuron disease9. In addition, it is involved in the development stage of astrocytes and oligodendocytes10.
