Cell type-specificity of epidermal growth factor (EGF) binding in primary cultures of early postnatal mouse cerebellum.

Binding of 125I-labeled epidermal growth factor (EGF) to cells of cultured early postnatal mouse cerebellar cells was investigated by autoradiography in conjunction with cell type-specific immunolabeling of neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. By use of tetanus toxin for recognition of neurons and glial fibrillary acidic (GFA) protein and 04 antigen as markers for astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, respectively, it could be shown that oligodendrocytes do not express receptors for EGF within the limits of sensitivity of the autoradiographic method, and that less than 1% of all small neurons (mostly granule cells) and 50-90% of all GFA protein-sensitive astrocytes show detectable levels of EGF binding.