Differential expression of nerve growth factor transcripts in glia and neurons and their regulation by transforming growth factor-β1

Nerve growth factor (NGF) influences neuronal development, function, and response to injury. Using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, we find that mouse and rat cortex and spinal cord, and both neurons and glia in culture, express NGF mRNA. In the mouse, NGF is regulated by at least two promoters that govern synthesis of four different transcripts, A through D, that are all expressed in the mouse tissues and cells examined. In …