Yaar M, Grossman K, Eller M, Gilchrest B A
USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts 02111.
J Cell Biol. 1991 Nov;115(3):821-8. doi: 10.1083/jcb.115.3.821.
Nerve growth factor (NGF) is critical to the development and maintenance of the peripheral nervous system, but its possible roles in other organ systems are less well characterized. We have recently shown that human epidermal melanocytes, pigment cells derived from the neural crest, express the NGF receptor (p75 NGF-R) in vitro (Peacocke, M., M. Yaar, C. P. Mansur, M. V. Chao, and B. A. Gilchrest. 1988. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 85:5282-5286). Using cultured human skin-derived cells we now demonstrate that the melanocyte p75 NGF-R is functional, in that NGF stimulation modulates melanocyte gene expression; that exposure to an NGF gradient is chemotactic for melanocytes and enhances their dendricity; and that keratinocytes, the dominant epidermal cell type, express NGF messenger RNA and hence are a possible local source of NGF for epidermal melanocytes in the skin. These combined data suggest a paracrine role for NGF in human epidermis.
神经生长因子（NGF）对于外周神经系统的发育和维持至关重要，但其在其他器官系统中的可能作用尚不十分明确。我们最近发现，源自神经嵴的色素细胞——人表皮黑素细胞，在体外可表达NGF受体（p75 NGF-R）（皮科克，M.，M. 亚尔，C. P. 曼苏尔，M. V. 赵，以及B. A. 吉尔克雷斯特。1988年。《美国国家科学院院刊》。85:5282 - 5286）。现在，我们利用培养的人皮肤来源细胞证明，黑素细胞p75 NGF-R具有功能，因为NGF刺激可调节黑素细胞基因表达；暴露于NGF梯度对黑素细胞具有趋化作用并增强其树突形成；而且角质形成细胞，即主要的表皮细胞类型，可表达NGF信使RNA，因此可能是皮肤中表皮黑素细胞NGF的局部来源。这些综合数据表明NGF在人表皮中具有旁分泌作用。
