Opposing functions of GDNF and NGF in the development of cholinergic and noradrenergic sympathetic neurons

Untangling Peripheral Sympathetic Neurocircuits

The sympathetic nervous system plays a critical role in regulating many autonomic functions, including cardiac rhythm. The postganglionic neurons in the sympathetic chain ganglia are essential components that relay sympathetic signals to target tissues and disruption of their activity leads to poor health outcomes. Despite this importance, the neurocircuitry within sympathetic ganglia is poorly understood. Canonically, postganglionic sympathetic neurons are thought to simply be activated by monosynaptic inputs from preganglionic cholinergic neurons of the intermediolateral cell columns of the spinal cord. Early electrophysiological studies of sympathetic ganglia where the peripheral nerve trunks were electrically stimulated identified excitatory cholinergic synaptic events in addition to retrograde action potentials, leading some to speculate that excitatory collateral projections are present. However, this seemed unlikely since sympathetic postganglionic neurons were known to synthesize and release norepinephrine and expression of dual neurochemical phenotypes had not been well recognized. In vitro studies clearly established the capacity of cultured sympathetic neurons to express and release acetylcholine and norepinephrine throughout development and even in pathophysiological conditions. Given this insight, we believe that the canonical view of ganglionic transmission needs to be reevaluated and may provide a mechanistic understanding of autonomic imbalance in disease. Further studies likely will require genetic models manipulating neurochemical phenotypes within sympathetic ganglia to resolve the function of cholinergic collateral projections between postganglionic neurons. In this perspective article, we will discuss the evidence for collateral projections in sympathetic ganglia, determine if current laboratory techniques could address these questions, and discuss potential obstacles and caveats.

Frey's syndrome: A review of the physiology and possible role of neurotrophic factors

OBJECTIVES

Frey's syndrome (FS) describes the phenomenon of gustatory sweating and is a cause of significant social embarrassment for sufferers. It has been attributed to aberrant growth of parasympathetic salivatory fibers in the auriculotemporal nerve toward overlying sweat glands. However, the exact mechanism behind this growth is unknown. This review aims to expand and elucidate the theory of aberrant regeneration in FS.

METHODS

A review of the recent literature on nerve regeneration was conducted in order develop further insights into the etiology of both adult onset and pediatric FS.

RESULTS

Neurturin, a neurotrophic factor released by both salivary and sweat glands, was identified as a possible key player in the etiology of FS.

CONCLUSION

Further research into the role of neurturin could help to elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms underlying the condition and might reveal neurturin to be a potential target for pharmacological intervention.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

NA (Basic Science Review).

Myocardial Infarction Causes Transient Cholinergic Transdifferentiation of Cardiac Sympathetic Nerves via gp130

Sympathetic and parasympathetic control of the heart is a classic example of norepinephrine (NE) and acetylcholine (ACh) triggering opposing actions. Sympathetic NE increases heart rate and contractility through activation of β receptors, whereas parasympathetic ACh slows the heart through muscarinic receptors. Sympathetic neurons can undergo a developmental transition from production of NE to ACh and we provide evidence that mouse cardiac sympathetic nerves transiently produce ACh after myocardial infarction (MI). ACh levels increased in viable heart tissue 10-14 d after MI, returning to control levels at 21 d, whereas NE levels were stable. At the same time, the genes required for ACh synthesis increased in stellate ganglia, which contain most of the sympathetic neurons projecting to the heart. Immunohistochemistry 14 d after MI revealed choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in stellate sympathetic neurons and vesicular ACh transporter immunoreactivity in tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cardiac sympathetic fibers. Finally, selective deletion of the ChAT gene from adult sympathetic neurons prevented the infarction-induced increase in cardiac ACh. Deletion of the gp130 cytokine receptor from sympathetic neurons prevented the induction of cholinergic genes after MI, suggesting that inflammatory cytokines induce the transient acquisition of a cholinergic phenotype in cardiac sympathetic neurons. Ex vivo experiments examining the effect of NE and ACh on rabbit cardiac action potential duration revealed that ACh blunted both the NE-stimulated decrease in cardiac action potential duration and increase in myocyte calcium transients. This raises the possibility that sympathetic co-release of ACh and NE may impair adaptation to high heart rates and increase arrhythmia susceptibility.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

Sympathetic neurons normally make norepinephrine (NE), which increases heart rate and the contractility of cardiac myocytes. We found that, after myocardial infarction, the sympathetic neurons innervating the heart begin to make acetylcholine (ACh), which slows heart rate and decreases contractility. Several lines of evidence confirmed that the source of ACh was sympathetic nerves rather than parasympathetic nerves that are the normal source of ACh in the heart. Global application of NE with or without ACh to ex vivo hearts showed that ACh partially reversed the NE-stimulated decrease in cardiac action potential duration and increase in myocyte calcium transients. That suggests that sympathetic co-release of ACh and NE may impair adaptation to high heart rates and increase arrhythmia susceptibility.

Studying the peripheral sympathetic nervous system and neuroblastoma in zebrafish

The zebrafish serves as an excellent model to study vertebrate development and disease. Optically clear embryos, combined with tissue-specific fluorescent reporters, permit direct visualization and measurement of peripheral nervous system formation in real time. Additionally, the model is amenable to rapid cellular, molecular, and genetic approaches to determine how developmental mechanisms contribute to disease states, such as cancer. In this chapter, we describe the development of the peripheral sympathetic nervous system (PSNS) in general, and our current understanding of genetic pathways important in zebrafish PSNS development specifically. We also illustrate how zebrafish genetics is used to identify new mechanisms controlling PSNS development and methods for interrogating the potential role of PSNS developmental pathways in neuroblastoma pathogenesis in vivo using the zebrafish MYCN-driven neuroblastoma model.

The Effects of Nerve Growth Factor on Nicotinic Synaptic Transmission in Mouse Airway Parasympathetic Neurons

In autonomic ganglia, acetylcholine (ACh) is released from preganglionic nerve terminals and binds to nicotinic ACh receptors (nAChRs) on postganglionic neurons, resulting in a brief, short-lived synaptic potential (fast excitatory postsynaptic potential [fEPSP]). Although nerve growth factor (NGF) is known to affect sensory and sympathetic nerves, especially during development, little is known regarding its effect on parasympathetic nerves, especially on adult neurons. Elevated levels of NGF and NGF-mediated neural plasticity may have a role in airway diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In this study, we characterize the composition and response of nAChRs in parasympathetic neurons located in lower airways of mice, and note the effects of NGF on fEPSPs and on nicotinic currents. Based on immunohistochemical staining, nAChRs are made up of α-3 and β-4 subunits; in addition, tropomyosin-related kinase A, the receptor for NGF, is also expressed by the neurons. Vagus nerve evoked fEPSPs and inward currents evoked by a nicotinic receptor agonist (1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium) were increased by NGF. NGF also affected the action potential after hyperpolarization. These studies were done in mice, which are routinely used to study airway diseases, such as asthma, where the allergen-induced contraction of airway smooth muscle has a well-defined parasympathetic cholinergic component.

Peripheral nerve regeneration and NGF-dependent neurite outgrowth of adult sensory neurons converge on STAT3 phosphorylation downstream of neuropoietic cytokine receptor gp130

After nerve injury, adult sensory neurons can regenerate peripheral axons and reconnect with their target tissue. Initiation of outgrowth, as well as elongation of neurites over long distances, depends on the signaling of receptors for neurotrophic growth factors. Here, we investigated the importance of gp130, the signaling subunit of neuropoietic cytokine receptors in peripheral nerve regeneration. After sciatic nerve crush, functional recovery in vivo was retarded in SNS-gp130(-/-) mice, which specifically lack gp130 in sensory neurons. Correspondingly, a significantly reduced number of free nerve endings was detected in glabrous skin from SNS-gp130(-/-) compared with control mice after nerve crush. Neurite outgrowth and STAT3 activation in vitro were severely reduced in cultures in gp130-deficient cultured neurons. Surprisingly, in neurons obtained from SNS-gp130(-/-) mice the increase in neurite length was reduced not only in response to neuropoietic cytokine ligands of gp130 but also to nerve growth factor (NGF), which does not bind to gp130-containing receptors. Neurite outgrowth in the absence of neurotrophic factors was partially rescued in gp130-deficient neurons by leptin, which activates STAT3 downstream of leptic receptor and independent of gp130. The neurite outgrowth response of gp130-deficient neurons to NGF was fully restored in the presence of leptin. Based on these findings, gp130 signaling via STAT3 activation is suggested not only to be an important regulator of peripheral nerve regeneration in vitro and in vivo, but as determining factor for the growth promoting action of NGF in adult sensory neurons.

Dendrite complexity of sympathetic neurons is controlled during postnatal development by BMP signaling

Dendrite development is controlled by the interplay of intrinsic and extrinsic signals affecting initiation, growth, and maintenance of complex dendrites. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) stimulate dendrite growth in cultures of sympathetic, cortical, and hippocampal neurons but it was unclear whether BMPs control dendrite morphology in vivo. Using a conditional knock-out strategy to eliminate Bmpr1a and Smad4 in immature noradrenergic sympathetic neurons we now show that dendrite length, complexity, and neuron cell body size are reduced in adult mice deficient of Bmpr1a. The combined deletion of Bmpr1a and Bmpr1b causes no further decrease in dendritic features. Sympathetic neurons devoid of Bmpr1a/1b display normal Smad1/5/8 phosphorylation, which suggests that Smad-independent signaling paths are involved in dendritic growth control downstream of BMPR1A/B. Indeed, in the Smad4 conditional knock-out dendrite and cell body size are not affected and dendrite complexity and number are increased. Together, these results demonstrate an in vivo function for BMPs in the generation of mature sympathetic neuron dendrites. BMPR1 signaling controls dendrite complexity postnatally during the major dendritic growth period of sympathetic neurons.

Proliferation and cell cycle dynamics in the developing stellate ganglion

Cell proliferation during nervous system development is poorly understood outside the mouse neocortex. We measured cell cycle dynamics in the embryonic mouse sympathetic stellate ganglion, where neuroblasts continue to proliferate following neuronal differentiation. At embryonic day (E) 9.5, when neural crest-derived cells were migrating and coalescing into the ganglion primordium, all cells were cycling, cell cycle length was only 10.6 h, and S-phase comprised over 65% of the cell cycle; these values are similar to those previously reported for embryonic stem cells. At E10.5, Sox10(+) cells lengthened their cell cycle to 38 h and reduced the length of S-phase. As cells started to express the neuronal markers Tuj1 and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) at E10.5, they exited the cell cycle. At E11.5, when >80% of cells in the ganglion were Tuj1(+)/TH(+) neuroblasts, all cells were again cycling. Neuroblast cell cycle length did not change significantly after E11.5, and 98% of Sox10(-)/TH(+) cells had exited the cell cycle by E18.5. The cell cycle length of Sox10(+)/TH(-) cells increased during late embryonic development, and ∼25% were still cycling at E18.5. Loss of Ret increased neuroblast cell cycle length at E16.5 and decreased the number of neuroblasts at E18.5. A mathematical model generated from our data successfully predicted the relative change in proportions of neuroblasts and non-neuroblasts in wild-type mice. Our results show that, like other neurons, sympathetic neuron differentiation is associated with exit from the cell cycle; sympathetic neurons are unusual in that they then re-enter the cell cycle before later permanently exiting.

Autonomic cardiac innervation: development and adult plasticity

Autonomic cardiac neurons have a common origin in the neural crest but undergo distinct developmental differentiation as they mature toward their adult phenotype. Progenitor cells respond to repulsive cues during migration, followed by differentiation cues from paracrine sources that promote neurochemistry and differentiation. When autonomic axons start to innervate cardiac tissue, neurotrophic factors from vascular tissue are essential for maintenance of neurons before they reach their targets, upon which target-derived trophic factors take over final maturation, synaptic strength and postnatal survival. Although target-derived neurotrophins have a central role to play in development, alternative sources of neurotrophins may also modulate innervation. Both developing and adult sympathetic neurons express proNGF, and adult parasympathetic cardiac ganglion neurons also synthesize and release NGF. The physiological function of these “non-classical” cardiac sources of neurotrophins remains to be determined, especially in relation to autocrine/paracrine sustenance during development.

 

Cardiac autonomic nerves are closely spatially associated in cardiac plexuses, ganglia and pacemaker regions and so are sensitive to release of neurotransmitter, neuropeptides and trophic factors from adjacent nerves. As such, in many cardiac pathologies, it is an imbalance within the two arms of the autonomic system that is critical for disease progression. Although this crosstalk between sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves has been well established for adult nerves, it is unclear whether a degree of paracrine regulation occurs across the autonomic limbs during development. Aberrant nerve remodeling is a common occurrence in many adult cardiovascular pathologies, and the mechanisms regulating outgrowth or denervation are disparate. However, autonomic neurons display considerable plasticity in this regard with neurotrophins and inflammatory cytokines having a central regulatory function, including in possible neurotransmitter changes. Certainly, neurotrophins and cytokines regulate transcriptional factors in adult autonomic neurons that have vital differentiation roles in development. Particularly for parasympathetic cardiac ganglion neurons, additional examinations of developmental regulatory mechanisms will potentially aid in understanding attenuated parasympathetic function in a number of conditions, including heart failure.

The transcription factor Hmx1 and growth factor receptor activities control sympathetic neurons diversification

The sympathetic nervous system relies on distinct populations of neurons that use noradrenaline or acetylcholine as neurotransmitter. We show that fating of the sympathetic lineage at early stages results in hybrid precursors from which, genetic cell-lineage tracing reveals, all types progressively emerge by principal mechanisms of maintenance, repression and induction of phenotypes. The homeobox transcription factor HMX1 represses Tlx3 and Ret, induces TrkA and maintains tyrosine hydroxylase (Th) expression in precursors, thus driving segregation of the noradrenergic sympathetic fate. Cholinergic sympathetic neurons develop through cross-regulatory interactions between TRKC and RET in precursors, which lead to Hmx1 repression and sustained Tlx3 expression, thereby resulting in failure of TrkA induction and loss of maintenance of Th expression. Our results provide direct evidence for a model in which diversification of noradrenergic and cholinergic sympathetic neurons is based on a principle of cross-repressive functions in which the specific cell fates are directed by an active suppression of the expression of transcription factors and receptors that direct the alternative fate.

Dietary energy intake modifies brainstem autonomic dysfunction caused by mutant α-synuclein

Parkinson's disease (PD) patients often exhibit impaired regulation of heart rate by the autonomic nervous system (ANS) that may precede motor symptoms in many cases. Results of autopsy studies suggest that brainstem pathology, including the accumulation of α-synuclein, precedes damage to dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra in PD. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for the early dysfunction of brainstem autonomic neurons are unknown. Here we report that mice expressing a mutant form of α-synuclein that causes familial PD exhibit aberrant autonomic control of the heart characterized by elevated resting heart rate and an impaired cardiovascular stress response, associated with reduced parasympathetic activity and accumulation of α-synuclein in the brainstem. These ANS abnormalities occur early in the disease process. Adverse effects of α-synuclein on the control of heart rate are exacerbated by a high energy diet and ameliorated by intermittent energy restriction. Our findings establish a mouse model of early dysregulation of brainstem control of the cardiovascular system in PD, and further suggest the potential for energy restriction to attenuate ANS dysfunction, particularly in overweight individuals.

Development of the autonomic nervous system: a comparative view

In this review we summarize current understanding of the development of autonomic neurons in vertebrates. The mechanisms controlling the development of sympathetic and enteric neurons have been studied in considerable detail in laboratory mammals, chick and zebrafish, and there are also limited data about the development of sympathetic and enteric neurons in amphibians. Little is known about the development of parasympathetic neurons apart from the ciliary ganglion in chicks. Although there are considerable gaps in our knowledge, some of the mechanisms controlling sympathetic and enteric neuron development appear to be conserved between mammals, avians and zebrafish. For example, some of the transcriptional regulators involved in the development of sympathetic neurons are conserved between mammals, avians and zebrafish, and the requirement for Ret signalling in the development of enteric neurons is conserved between mammals (including humans), avians and zebrafish. However, there are also differences between species in the migratory pathways followed by sympathetic and enteric neuron precursors and in the requirements for some signalling pathways.

Heart failure causes cholinergic transdifferentiation of cardiac sympathetic nerves via gp130-signaling cytokines in rodents

Although several cytokines and neurotrophic factors induce sympathetic neurons to transdifferentiate into cholinergic neurons in vitro, the physiological and pathophysiological roles of this remain unknown. During congestive heart failure (CHF), sympathetic neural tone is upregulated, but there is a paradoxical reduction in norepinephrine synthesis and reuptake in the cardiac sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Here we examined whether cholinergic transdifferentiation can occur in the cardiac SNS in rodent models of CHF and investigated the underlying molecular mechanism(s) using genetically modified mice. We used Dahl salt-sensitive rats to model CHF and found that, upon CHF induction, the cardiac SNS clearly acquired cholinergic characteristics. Of the various cholinergic differentiation factors, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and cardiotrophin-1 were strongly upregulated in the ventricles of rats with CHF. Further, LIF and cardiotrophin-1 secreted from cultured failing rat cardiomyocytes induced cholinergic transdifferentiation in cultured sympathetic neurons, and this process was reversed by siRNAs targeting Lif and cardiotrophin-1. Consistent with the data in rats, heart-specific overexpression of LIF in mice caused cholinergic transdifferentiation in the cardiac SNS. Further, SNS-specific targeting of the gene encoding the gp130 subunit of the receptor for LIF and cardiotrophin-1 in mice prevented CHF-induced cholinergic transdifferentiation. Cholinergic transdifferentiation was also observed in the cardiac SNS of autopsied patients with CHF. Thus, CHF causes target-dependent cholinergic transdifferentiation of the cardiac SNS via gp130-signaling cytokines secreted from the failing myocardium.

Studying peripheral sympathetic nervous system development and neuroblastoma in zebrafish

The combined experimental attributes of the zebrafish model system, which accommodates cellular, molecular, and genetic approaches, make it particularly well-suited for determining the mechanisms underlying normal vertebrate development as well as disease states, such as cancer. In this chapter, we describe the advantages of the zebrafish system for identifying genes and their functions that participate in the regulation of the development of the peripheral sympathetic nervous system (PSNS). The zebrafish model is a powerful system for identifying new genes and pathways that regulate PSNS development, which can then be used to genetically dissect PSNS developmental processes, such as tissue size and cell numbers, which in the past haves proved difficult to study by mutational analysis in vivo. We provide a brief review of our current understanding of genetic pathways important in PSNS development, the rationale for developing a zebrafish model, and the current knowledge of zebrafish PSNS development. Finally, we postulate that knowledge of the genes responsible for normal PSNS development in the zebrafish will help in the identification of molecular pathways that are dysfunctional in neuroblastoma, a highly malignant cancer of the PSNS.

Generating diversity: Mechanisms regulating the differentiation of autonomic neuron phenotypes

Sympathetic and parasympathetic postganglionic neurons innervate a wide range of target tissues. The subpopulation of neurons innervating each target tissue can express unique combinations of neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, ion channels and receptors, which together comprise the chemical phenotype of the neurons. The target-specific chemical phenotype shown by autonomic postganglionic neurons arises during development. In this review, we examine the different mechanisms that generate such a diversity of neuronal phenotypes from the pool of apparently homogenous neural crest progenitor cells that form the sympathetic ganglia. There is evidence that the final chemical phenotype of autonomic postganglionic neurons is generated by both signals at the level of the cell body that trigger cell-autonomous programs, as well as signals from the target tissues they innervate.

Neurotrophic factors promote cholinergic differentiation in human embryonic stem cell-derived neurons

Cholinergic neurotransmission is essential for many important functions in the brain, including cognitive mechanisms. Here we demonstrate that human embryonic stem (hES) cells differentiate into a population of neuronal cells that express the cholinergic enzyme choline acetyltransferase and homeobox proteins specifying neuronal progenitors of ventral telencephalic lineage. These differentiated cells express transcripts for cholinergic α₃, α₄ and α₇ nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptor subunits and for M1, M2 and M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) subtypes. Stimulation with brain-derived neurotrophic factor, neurotrophin-3, ciliary neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor increases the proportion of cholinergic neurons. These cholinergic receptors also mediate ACh-evoked increase in cytosolic calcium levels, and this response was unaffected by extracellular calcium removal and was abolished by the mAChR antagonist scopolamine. Our findings demonstrate expression of functional cholinergic receptors on hES cell-derived neurons, which may provide a source of expandable cells to facilitate screening of novel cholinergic drugs and useful for evaluating cell transplantation in animal models of cholinergic dysfunction.

Role of neurotrophin signalling in the differentiation of neurons from dorsal root ganglia and sympathetic ganglia

Manipulation of neurotrophin (NT) signalling by administration or depletion of NTs, by transgenic overexpression or by deletion of genes coding for NTs and their receptors has demonstrated the importance of NT signalling for the survival and differentiation of neurons in sympathetic and dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Combination with mutation of the proapoptotic Bax gene allows the separation of survival and differentiation effects. These studies together with cell culture analysis suggest that NT signalling directly regulates the differentiation of neuron subpopulations and their integration into neural networks. The high-affinity NT receptors trkA, trkB and trkC are restricted to subpopulations of mature neurons, whereas their expression at early developmental stages largely overlaps. trkC is expressed throughout sympathetic ganglia and DRG early after ganglion formation but becomes restricted to small neuron subpopulations during embryogenesis when trkA is turned on. The temporal relationship between trkA and trkC expression is conserved between sympathetic ganglia and DRG. In DRG, NGF signalling is required not only for survival, but also for the differentiation of nociceptors. Expression of neuropeptides calcitonin gene-related peptide and substance P, which specify peptidergic nociceptors, depends on nerve growth factor (NGF) signalling. ret expression indicative of non-peptidergic nociceptors is also promoted by the NGF-signalling pathway. Regulation of TRP channels by NGF signalling might specify the temperature sensitivity of afferent neurons embryonically. The manipulation of NGF levels "tunes" heat sensitivity in nociceptors at postnatal and adult stages. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor signalling is required for subpopulations of DRG neurons that are not fully characterized; it affects mechanical sensitivity in slowly adapting, low-threshold mechanoreceptors and might involve the regulation of DEG/ENaC ion channels. NT3 signalling is required for the generation and survival of various DRG neuron classes, in particular proprioceptors. Its importance for peripheral projections and central connectivity of proprioceptors demonstrates the significance of NT signalling for integrating responsive neurons in neural networks. The molecular targets of NT3 signalling in proprioceptor differentiation remain to be characterized. In sympathetic ganglia, NGF signalling regulates dendritic development and axonal projections. Its role in the specification of other neuronal properties is less well analysed. In vitro analysis suggests the involvement of NT signalling in the choice between the noradrenergic and cholinergic transmitter phenotype, in the expression of various classes of ion channels and for target connectivity. In vivo analysis is required to show the degree to which NT signalling regulates these sympathetic neuron properties in developing embryos and postnatally.

The role of GDNF family ligand signalling in the differentiation of sympathetic and dorsal root ganglion neurons

The diversity of neurons in sympathetic ganglia and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) provides intriguing systems for the analysis of neuronal differentiation. Cell surface receptors for the GDNF family ligands (GFLs) glial cell-line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), neurturin and artemin, are expressed in subpopulations of these neurons prompting the question regarding their involvement in neuronal subtype specification. Mutational analysis in mice has demonstrated the requirement for GFL signalling during embryonic development of cholinergic sympathetic neurons as shown by the loss of expression from the cholinergic gene locus in ganglia from mice deficient for ret, the signal transducing subunit of the GFL receptor complex. Analysis in mutant animals and transgenic mice overexpressing GFLs demonstrates an effect on sensitivity to thermal and mechanical stimuli in DRG neurons correlating at least partially with the altered expression of transient receptor potential ion channels and acid-sensitive cation channels. Persistence of targeted cells in mutant ganglia suggests that the alterations are caused by differentiation effects and not by cell loss. Because of the massive effect of GFLs on neurite outgrowth, it remains to be determined whether GFL signalling acts directly on neuronal specification or indirectly via altered target innervation and access to other growth factors. The data show that GFL signalling is required for the specification of subpopulations of sensory and autonomic neurons. In order to comprehend this process fully, the role of individual GFLs, the transduction of the GFL signals, and the interplay of GFL signalling with other regulatory pathways need to be deciphered.

Neurotransmitter phenotype-specific expression changes in developing sympathetic neurons

During late developmental phases individual sympathetic neurons undergo a switch from noradrenergic to cholinergic neurotransmission. This phenomenon of plasticity depends on target-derived signals in vivo and is triggered by neurotrophic factors in neuronal cultures. To analyze genome-wide expression differences between the two transmitter phenotypes we employed DNA microarrays. RNA expression profiles were obtained from chick paravertebral sympathetic ganglia, treated with neurotrophin 3, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor or ciliary neurotrophic factor, all of which stimulate cholinergic differentiation. Results were compared with the effect of nerve growth factor, which functions as a pro-noradrenergic stimulus. The gene set common to all three comparisons defined the noradrenergic and cholinergic synexpression groups. Several functional categories, such as signal transduction, G-protein-coupled signaling, cation transport, neurogenesis and synaptic transmission, were enriched in these groups. Experiments based on the prediction that some of the identified genes play a role in the neurotransmitter switch identified bone morphogenetic protein signaling as an inhibitor of cholinergic differentiation.

Role of acetylcholine in neurotransmission of the carotid body

Acetylcholine (ACh) has been considered an important excitatory neurotransmitter in the carotid body (CB). Its physiological and pharmacological effects, metabolism, release, and receptors have been well documented in several species. Various nicotinic and muscarinic ACh receptors are present in both afferent nerve endings and glomus cells. Therefore, ACh can depolarize or hyperpolarize the cell membrane depending on the available receptor type in the vicinity. Binding of ACh to its receptor can create a wide variety of cellular responses including opening cation channels (nicotinic ACh receptor activation), releasing Ca(2+) from intracellular storage sites (via muscarinic ACh receptors), and modulating activities of K(+) and Ca(2+) channels. Interactions between ACh and other neurotransmitters (dopamine, adenosine, nitric oxide) have been known, and they may induce complicated responses. Cholinergic biology in the CB differs among species and even within the same species due to different genetic composition. Development and environment influence cholinergic biology. We discuss these issues in light of current knowledge of neuroscience.

Evolution of the GDNF family ligands and receptors

Four different ligand-receptor binding pairs of the GDNF (glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor) family exist in mammals, and they all signal via the transmembrane RET receptor tyrosine kinase. In addition, GRAL (GDNF Receptor Alpha-Like) protein of unknown function and Gas1 (growth arrest specific 1) have GDNF family receptor (GFR)-like domains. Orthologs of the four GFRalpha receptors, GRAL and Gas1 are present in all vertebrate classes. In contrast, although bony fishes have orthologs of all four GDNF family ligands (GFLs), one of the ligands, neurturin, is absent in clawed frog and another, persephin, is absent in the chicken genome. Frog GFRalpha2 has selectively evolved possibly to accommodate GDNF as a ligand. The key role of GDNF and its receptor GFRalpha1 in enteric nervous system development is conserved from zebrafish to humans. The role of neurturin, signaling via GFRalpha2, for parasympathetic neuron development is conserved between chicken and mice. The role of artemin and persephin that signal via GFRalpha3 and GFRalpha4, respectively, is unknown in non-mammals. The presence of RET- and GFR-like genes in insects suggests that a ProtoGFR and a ProtoRET arose early in the evolution of bilaterian animals, but when the ProtoGFL diverged from existing transforming growth factor (TGFbeta)-like proteins remains unclear. The four GFLs and GFRalphas were presumably generated by genome duplications at the origin of vertebrates. Loss of neurturin in frog and persephin in chicken suggests functional redundancy in early tetrapods. Functions of non-mammalian GFLs and prechordate RET and GFR-like proteins remain to be explored.

Target-dependent specification of the neurotransmitter phenotype: cholinergic differentiation of sympathetic neurons is mediated in vivo by gp 130 signaling

Sympathetic neurons are generated through a succession of differentiation steps that initially lead to noradrenergic neurons innervating different peripheral target tissues. Specific targets, like sweat glands in rodent footpads, induce a change from noradrenergic to cholinergic transmitter phenotype. Here, we show that cytokines acting through the gp 130 receptor are present in sweat glands. Selective elimination of the gp 130 receptor in sympathetic neurons prevents the acquisition of cholinergic and peptidergic features (VAChT, ChT1, VIP) without affecting other properties of sweat gland innervation. The vast majority of cholinergic neurons in the stellate ganglion, generated postnatally, are absent in gp 130-deficient mice. These results demonstrate an essential role of gp 130-signaling in the target-dependent specification of the cholinergic neurotransmitter phenotype.

Neurturin has multiple neurotrophic effects on adult rat sacral parasympathetic ganglion neurons

Neurturin (NTN) is an important neurotrophic factor for parasympathetic neurons; however, no studies to date have investigated the signalling mechanisms downstream of GFRalpha2 and Ret activation underlying this neurotrophic support. This is particularly important for pelvic parasympathetic neurons, which are prone to injury during surgical procedures such as prostatectomy, and where there are no current therapies for axonal regeneration. To address this issue we have cultured dissociated adult rat pelvic ganglion neurons and also examined the structural changes in pelvic ganglion neurons after axotomy. Axotomised penile neurons deprived of target-derived support had smaller somata than intact neurons. Studies of cultured adult pelvic ganglion neurons also demonstrated that NTN stimulated soma growth. Further experiments showed that NTN reduced the up-regulation of tyrosine hydroxylase expression in cultured pelvic parasympathetic neurons. NTN stimulated the extension of neurites in cultured parasympathetic, but not sympathetic, pelvic ganglion neurons. Inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase prevented initiation of neurite outgrowth, whereas inhibition of the mitogen-activated protein kinase and the Src family kinase pathways disrupted NTN-stimulated microtubule assembly. Surprisingly, NTN did not activate the transcription factor cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB), which is typically involved in neurotrophic signalling in sympathetic neurons. This is the first study to identify signalling pathways activated by NTN in adult parasympathetic neurons. Our results may lead to a better understanding of regenerative mechanisms in parasympathetic neurons, especially for those innervating urogenital organs. Our results also indicate that neurotrophic signalling in parasympathetic neurons is different from that in other types of peripheral neurons.

Growth and survival signals controlling sympathetic nervous system development

The precise coordination of the many events in nervous system development is absolutely critical for the correct establishment of functional circuits. The postganglionic sympathetic neuron has been an amenable model for studying peripheral nervous system formation. Factors that control several developmental events, including multiple stages of axon extension, neuron survival and death, dendritogenesis, synaptogenesis, and establishment of functional diversity, have been identified in this neuron type. This knowledge allows us to integrate the various intricate processes involved in the formation of a functional sympathetic nervous system and thereby create a paradigm for understanding neuronal development in general.

Parasympathetic innervation and function of endocrine pancreas requires the glial cell line-derived factor family receptor alpha2 (GFRalpha2)

Vagal parasympathetic input to the islets of Langerhans is a regulator of islet hormone secretion, but factors promoting parasympathetic islet innervation are unknown. Neurturin signaling via glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor family receptor alpha2 (GFRalpha2) has been demonstrated to be essential for the development of subsets of parasympathetic and enteric neurons. Here, we show that the parasympathetic nerve fibers and glial cells within and around the islets express GFRalpha2 and that islet parasympathetic innervation in GFRalpha2 knockout (KO) mice is reduced profoundly. In wild-type mice, neuroglucopenic stress produced a robust increase in plasma levels of islet hormones. In the GFRalpha2-KO mice, however, pancreatic polypeptide and insulin responses were completely lost and glucagon response was markedly impaired. Islet morphology and sympathetic innervation, as well as basal secretions of the islet hormones, were unaffected. Moreover, a glucose tolerance test failed to reveal differences between the genotypes, indicating that direct glucose-stimulated insulin secretion was not affected by GFRalpha2 deficiency. These results show that GFRalpha2 signaling is needed for development of the parasympathetic islet innervation that is critical for vagally induced hormone secretion. The GFRalpha2-KO mouse represents a useful model to study the role of parasympathetic innervation of the endocrine pancreas in glucose homeostasis.

c-ret regulates cholinergic properties in mouse sympathetic neurons: evidence from mutant mice

The search for signalling systems regulating development of noradrenergic and cholinergic sympathetic neurons is a classical problem of developmental neuroscience. While an essential role of bone morphogenetic proteins for induction of noradrenergic properties is firmly established, factors involved in the development of cholinergic traits in vivo are still enigmatic. Previous studies have shown that the c-ret receptor and cholinergic properties are coexpressed in chick sympathetic neurons. Using in situ hybridization we show now that a loss-of-function mutation of the c-ret receptor in mice dramatically reduces numbers of cells positive for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) in stellate ganglia of homozygous newborn animals. The number of neurons positive for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) mRNA, the rate-limiting enzyme of noradrenaline synthesis, is reduced to a smaller degree and expression levels are not detectably altered. Already at embryonic day 16 (E16), ChAT and VAChT-positive cells are affected by the c-ret mutation. At E14, however, ChAT and VAChT mRNAs are detectable at low levels and no difference is observed between wildtype and mutant mice. Our data suggest that c-ret signalling is necessary for the maturation of cholinergic sympathetic neurons but dispensable for de novo induction of ChAT and VAChT expression.

Sympathetic cholinergic target innervation requires GDNF family receptor GFRα2

Many cholinergic parasympathetic and enteric neurons require neurturin signaling through GDNF family receptor GFRalpha2 for target innervation. Since a distinct minority of sympathetic neurons are cholinergic, we examined whether GFRalpha2 is important for their development. We detected GFRalpha2 in neonatal sympathetic cholinergic neurons and neurturin mRNA in their target tissues, sweat glands in footpads, and periosteum. Lack of GFRalpha2 in mice did not affect the number of sympathetic cholinergic neurons, but their soma size was decreased in comparison to wild types. In adult and in 3-week-old GFRalpha2 knockout mice, the density of sympathetic cholinergic innervation was reduced by 50-70% in the sweat glands, and was completely absent in the periosteum. Sympathetic noradrenergic innervation of blood vessels in the footpads was unchanged. The density of sympathetic axons in sweat glands was unaffected at postnatal day P4 reflecting successful growth into the target area. Our results indicate that the cholinergic subpopulation of sympathetic neurons requires GFRalpha2 signaling for soma size and for growth or maintenance of target innervation. Thus, neurturin may be a general target-derived innervation factor for postganglionic cholinergic neurons in all parts of the autonomic nervous system.

Target-mediated control of neural differentiation

The development of the nervous system entails the coordination of the spatial and chemical development of both pre- and postsynaptic elements. This coordination is accomplished by signals passing between neurons and the target cells that they innervate. This review focuses on well-characterized examples of target-mediated neuronal differentiation in the central and peripheral nervous systems. These include control of neurogenesis in the leech by male genitalia, presynaptic differentiation induced by postsynaptic molecules expressed by skeletal muscle, postsynaptic adhesion molecules that induce presynaptic differentiation in the central nervous system (CNS), target-mediated control of neurotransmitter phenotype in peripheral neurons, and target-regulated control of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and large conductance calcium-activated potassium channels (BK). The detailed understanding of these processes will uncover signals critical for the directed differentiation of stem cells as well as identify future targets for therapies in neural regeneration that promote the reestablishment of functional connections.

Molecular control of ciliary neuron development: BMPs and downstream transcriptional control in the parasympathetic lineage

The generation of noradrenergic sympathetic neurons is controlled by BMPs and the downstream transcription factors Mash1, Phox2b, Phox2a and dHand. We examined the role of these signals in developing cholinergic parasympathetic neurons. The expression of Mash1 (Cash1), Phox2b and Phox2a in the chick ciliary ganglion is followed by the sequential expression of panneuronal, noradrenergic and cholinergic marker genes. BMPs are expressed at the site where ciliary ganglia form and are essential and sufficient for ciliary neuron development. Unlike sympathetic neurons, ciliary neurons do not express dHand; noradrenergic gene expression is eventually lost but can be maintained by ectopic dHand expression. Together, these results demonstrate a common BMP dependence of sympathetic neurons and parasympathetic ciliary neurons and implicate dHand in the maintenance of noradrenergic gene expression in the autonomic nervous system.