| First Author | Woolley A | Year | 1999 |
| Journal | Neurosci Lett | Volume | 272 |
| Issue | 2 | Pages | 107-10 |
| PubMed ID | 10507553 | Mgi Jnum | J:59763 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:1352133 | Doi | 10.1016/s0304-3940(99)00587-x |
| Citation | Woolley A, et al. (1999) Alpha motoneurons are present in normal numbers but with reduced soma size in neurotrophin-3 knockout mice. Neurosci Lett 272(2):107-10 |
| abstractText | Neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) is essential for survival of proprioceptive and mechanoreceptor neurons, but its role in motoneuron development in vivo has seemed slight. Recent evidence however has suggested that NT-3 may be involved in motoneuron maturation. Here, we quantitatively assess the number and state of development of motoneurons within the lumbar lateral motor column (LLMC) of newborn NT-3 (-/-), (+/-) and (+/+) mutant mice. We find that the number of alpha motoneurons in the LLMC is the same in all genotypes, but soma size is significantly reduced in (-/-) mutants. This suggests that NT-3 is not required for normal production and survival of alpha motoneurons, but is essential for their full maturation and/or maintenance. We also confirm a previous report that gamma motoneurons are absent in NT-3 (-/-) mice. |
