Expression of trkC in a mouse osteoblastic cell line and its response to neurotrophin-3.

In a cultured osteoblastic cell line, MC3T3-E1 derived from newborn mouse calvaria, the mRNA encoding TRKC, which is the receptor molecule of neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), was detected by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. The mRNAs of the normal type and one alternative form (C14) were highly expressed in the exponential growth phase of MC3T3-E1 cells and decreased as the cells reached the differentiation stage. NT-3, but not nerve growth factor (NGF), stimulated the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells in a dose-dependent manner. NT-3 also stimulated calcium incorporation through the surface of MC3T3-E1 cells, indicating the association of NT-3 and its receptor on the cell surface.