Noradrenergic Regulation of Cholinergic Differentiation

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1994-06, Vol.264 (5165), p.1602-1604
• Main Authors: Habecker, Beth A., Landis, Story C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetylcholine; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Differentiation; Cells, Cultured; Cholinergic mechanisms; Cholinergics; Coculture techniques; Culture Media, Conditioned; Cultured cells; Endocrine system; Environmental Influences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glycoproteins - biosynthesis; Individualized Instruction; Innervation; Molecular Sequence Data; Neuregulins; Neurology; Neurons; Neurons - cytology; Neurons - physiology; Neurons, Afferent - cytology; Neurons, Afferent - physiology; Neuroscience; Neurotransmitters; Parasympathetic Nervous System - cytology; Parasympathetic Nervous System - physiology; Peripheral nervous system. Autonomic nervous system. Neuromuscular transmission. Ganglionic transmission. Electric organ; Phenotype; Phenotypes; Physiological aspects; Physiological regulation; Rats; Receptors; Receptors, Adrenergic - physiology; Rodents; Sweat glands; Sweat Glands - cytology; Sweat Glands - innervation; Sweat Glands - metabolism; Sympathectomy; Sympathetic Nervous System - cytology; Sympathetic Nervous System - physiology; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.8202714

When the sympathetic nerves that innervate rat sweat glands reach their targets, they are induced to switch from using norepinephrine as their neurotransmitter to acetylcholine. Catecholamines (such as norepinephrine) released by nerves growing to the sweat gland induce this phenotypic conversion by stimulating production of a cholinergic differentiation factor [sweat gland factor (SGF)] by gland cells. Here, culture of gland cells with sympathetic, but not sensory, neurons induced SGF production. Blockage of $\alpha_1$- or β-adrenergic receptors prevented acquisition of the cholinergic phenotype in sympathetic neurons co-cultured with sweat glands, and sweat glands from sympathectomized animals lacked SGF. Thus, reciprocal instructive interactions, mediated in part by small molecule neurotransmitters, direct the development of this synapse.