Abstract
The enteric nervous system (ENS) in vertebrates is derived from the neural crest and constitutes the most complex part of the peripheral nervous system. Natural and induced mutagenesis in mammals has shown that the tyrosine kinase receptor RET and its functional ligand glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) play key roles in the development of the ENS in humans and mice. We have developed and briefly describe here a number of assays that analyze the specific function of the RET receptor and its ligand. Our data suggest that the RET signal transduction pathway has multiple roles in the development of the mammalian ENS.
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Digestive System / innervation*
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Drosophila Proteins*
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Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
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Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptors
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Humans
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Mammals
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Mice
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Nerve Growth Factors*
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Nerve Tissue Proteins / physiology
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Peripheral Nervous System / embryology
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Peripheral Nervous System / physiology*
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism*
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret
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Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / genetics
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Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism*
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Signal Transduction*
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Vertebrates
Substances
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Drosophila Proteins
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GDNF protein, human
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Gdnf protein, mouse
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Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
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Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptors
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Nerve Growth Factors
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Nerve Tissue Proteins
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret
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Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
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Ret protein, Drosophila
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Ret protein, mouse