Xu Pin, Hall Alison K
Department of Neuroscience, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
Dev Biol. 2006 Nov 15;299(2):303-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2006.08.026. Epub 2006 Aug 16.
Signals from target tissues play critical roles in the functional differentiation of neuronal cells, and in their subsequent adaptations to peripheral changes in the adult. Sensory neurons in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) provide an excellent model system for the study of signals that regulate the development of neuronal diversity. DRG have been well characterized and contain both neurons that convey information from muscles about limb position, as well as other neurons that provide sensations from skin about pain information. Sensory neurons involved in pain sensation can be distinguished physiologically and antigenically, and one hallmark characteristic is that these neurons contain neuropeptides important for their functions. The transforming growth factor (TGF) beta family member activin A has recently been implicated in neural development and response to injury. During sensory neuron development, peripheral target tissues containing activin or activin itself can regulate pain neuropeptide expression. Long after development has ceased, skin target tissues retain the capacity to signal neurons about changes or injury, to functionally refine synapses. This review focuses on the role of activin as a target-derived differentiative factor in neural development that has additional roles in response to cutaneous injuries in the adult.
来自靶组织的信号在神经元细胞的功能分化及其随后对成体中周围变化的适应过程中发挥着关键作用。背根神经节（DRG）中的感觉神经元为研究调节神经元多样性发育的信号提供了一个极佳的模型系统。DRG已得到充分表征，包含既从肌肉传递有关肢体位置信息的神经元，也包含从皮肤提供有关疼痛信息感觉的其他神经元。参与痛觉的感觉神经元在生理和抗原方面均可区分，一个标志性特征是这些神经元含有对其功能很重要的神经肽。转化生长因子（TGF）β家族成员激活素A最近已被证明与神经发育及对损伤的反应有关。在感觉神经元发育过程中，含有激活素或激活素本身的外周靶组织可调节疼痛神经肽的表达。在发育停止很久之后，皮肤靶组织仍保留向神经元发出有关变化或损伤信号的能力，以在功能上优化突触。本综述重点关注激活素作为一种靶源分化因子在神经发育中的作用，其在成体对皮肤损伤的反应中还具有其他作用。
