PMID- 2330043 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 19900530 LR - 20061115 IS - 0028-0836 (Print) IS - 0028-0836 (Linking) VI - 344 IP - 6269 DP - 1990 Apr 26 TI - Activin is a nerve cell survival molecule. PG - 868-70 AB - The structures of five neurotrophic molecules have so far been published. Nerve growth factor, fibroblast growth factor and purpurin, have been identified as nerve-cell survival molecules. More recently, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and ciliary neurotrophic factor have been cloned and sequenced. As all these proteins stimulate the survival of ciliary or sensory neurons, a new cell survival assay is required if novel neurotrophic molecules are to be discovered. P19 teratoma cells differentiate to nerve-like cells in the presence of 5 x 10(-7) M retinoic acid (RA). But when P19 cells are plated in N2 synthetic medium without being exposed to RA, they die within 48 h. In an attempt to identify a molecule(s) that can substitute for RA in promoting P19 survival, we assayed serum-free growth-conditioned media for their ability to promote P19 survival. One cell line from the rat eye secreted a molecule that promoted the survival of P19 cells and some types of nerve cell. We identified this molecule as activin, better known for its role in hormone secretion. FAU - Schubert, D AU - Schubert D AD - Salk Institute, La Jolla, California 92037. FAU - Kimura, H AU - Kimura H FAU - LaCorbiere, M AU - LaCorbiere M FAU - Vaughan, J AU - Vaughan J FAU - Karr, D AU - Karr D FAU - Fischer, W H AU - Fischer WH LA - eng PT - Journal Article PT - Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. PL - England TA - Nature JT - Nature JID - 0410462 RN - 0 (Culture Media) RN - 104625-48-1 (Activins) RN - 57285-09-3 (Inhibins) SB - IM MH - Activins MH - Amino Acid Sequence MH - Animals MH - Cell Survival/physiology MH - Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid MH - Culture Media MH - Eye MH - Immunoblotting MH - Inhibins/isolation & purification/*physiology MH - Molecular Sequence Data MH - Neurons/*cytology MH - Rats MH - Teratoma MH - Tumor Cells, Cultured EDAT- 1990/04/26 00:00 MHDA- 1990/04/26 00:01 CRDT- 1990/04/26 00:00 PHST- 1990/04/26 00:00 [pubmed] PHST- 1990/04/26 00:01 [medline] PHST- 1990/04/26 00:00 [entrez] AID - 10.1038/344868a0 [doi] PST - ppublish SO - Nature. 1990 Apr 26;344(6269):868-70. doi: 10.1038/344868a0.